Principal and Assistant Principal

Dear Members of the Warrandyte High School community

What a challenging end to Term 3! Extended remote learning settled in as Lockdown 6.0 continues. We would like to thank our amazing and wonderful teachers, support staff, students, parents and guardians for their impressive resilience and dedication throughout this period.

Term 3 concluded with highly successful Parent/Student/Teacher conferences. It was done virtually via MS Teams. By all accounts, it was a resounding success. Yet another example of the new technology we have all embraced due to the pandemic.

Many expressions of interest are coming in for the 2022 Basketball Sports Academy Program and the 2022 AFL Sports Academy Program which is exciting. Indeed our two coaches this year have been doing an amazing job and our students participating in these programs are loving the experience. Places are filling fast so be sure to not miss out – later in this edition there is more information about this.

COVID-19 Update: Tuesday 14 September – Vaccination availability for students aged 12 to 15


As part of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, from Monday 13 September, all Victorians aged 12 and older are eligible to book and receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a state vaccination centre, a Commonwealth vaccination centre, or through a GP clinic, pharmacy or community health service.

Via Compass, parents and guardians have been sent a letter from the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education and Training which provides detail regarding the process of booking an appointment and links to further information.

Lastly, it was so exciting having some of our incoming Year 7 students undergoing our rigorous application process for the 2022 Learning Excellence Acceleration Program (LEAP). It is with tremendous excitement that we will be delivering our 2022 LEAP program next year. All Year 6 candidates did themselves proud.

Science is big here at Warrandyte High and Science Week was no exception. Later in this edition, you can read about the exciting and engaging activities that brought Science Week to life.

At Warrandyte High, student well-being is a priority focus. In this edition, catch up on the myriad of engaging opportunities and supports available.

Stay safe in these uncertain and challenging times

S.Parkin + J. Caruana
Principal + Assistant Principal

The Learning Excellence Accelerated Program (LEAP)

Recently students currently in Year 6 across a range of primary schools participated in our rigorous application and testing process for our select entry LEAP Program. The successful candidates have been notified and we are all so excited to be welcoming them and their families to Warrandyte High School in 2022.

The LEAP program caters for high achieving and high ability students.

Features of a highly able student:

• Does your child enjoy asking questions and is curious?
• Is your child high performing in Maths and / or English?
• Would your child love to be in a class with like-minded peers where it is cool to ask questions?
• Would your child love to be in a class where it is cool to explore topics in greater depth?
• Does your child have a sense of social justice?
• Does your child love to read?

In a learning environment with like-minded, highly motivated peers, students soon learn it is super cool to raise your hand and participate in all class discussions and to ask questions.

Entry into the WHS Accelerated Learning Program (LEAP) is indeed select entry. We wish to thank all families and students who participated in our application process. The future is in excellent hands with so many young inquiring bright minds!

J. Caruana, Assistant Principal

Science week 2021 –  “Food: Different by Design”

Science is massive here at Warrandyte High School and Science Week was no exception!

What a great topic for remote learning with students being able to complete a range of fun, colourful, food related experiments at home. 

Day 1 – The Blue Poop Challenge.


Students made muffins with blue food dye and tested how long they took to travel through their digestive system (Pictured: Ashton Pederson Year 7).

The aim of this experiment is to test your gut health and compare it to thousands of results in the online data base. 

Day 2 – Rock Candy Experiment.


Students created sugar crystallised rock candies which were coloured to whatever shade they desired.

The longer you leave the crystals to grow the bigger they get (Pictured: Daniel Kamphuis in Year 8).

Day 3 – Edible Biodegradable Plastics.


Students were challenged to use products from around the home to create biodegradable plastics which can be eaten.

The plastic wrap is a great alternative to the commercially bought gladwrap from the supermarket
(Picture by Elle Wuchatsch in Year 7). 

Day 4 – Kahoot!


Students and teachers alike took part in an online Kahoot quiz with everything food and food science related with 1st place going to Emily Myers in Year 11, 2nd place Wilson Myers in Year 10 and 3rd place Curtis Konynenburg also in Year 10. 
What fun was had by all!

Day 5 – Giant bubbles and make your own ice-cream.


We finished the week with a fun experiment which involved the students creating their own ice-cream!

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t favour the creation of giant bubbles (Picture: Elle Wuchatsch Year 7). 

It was wonderful seeing the students’ love of science increase with even more excitement throughout Science Week! A huge thank you is extended to all students, parents and teachers who participated and made Science Week the tremendous success that it was!

Leanne Zammit
Science Teacher

Student Well-being

Wear it Purple day!

This year’s theme is focused on the important and necessary conversations we have in our daily life, that centre around sexual orientation and gender identity.

On Friday 27 August WHS acknowledged Wear It Purple Day by asking everyone to show support by wearing a splash of purple to be part of a movement that has the potential to positively impact thousands of lives.

For ‘Everybody has the right to be proud of who they are.’
https://www.wearitpurple.org/
Still Me | Non-Binary Short Film – YouTube

New Mental Health Practitioner

I am excited to announce that joining our team at WHS is Francesca Formoso who is taking on the newly created position of Mental Health Practitioner. A qualified social worker with extensive experience working with young people and their families.

Students & Parents seeking wellbeing assistance will continue to contact the relevant level leader as their first point of contact with the school.  Referrals will need to go through the relevant level leader or the Wellbeing Co-ordinator (Joanne Miller) A consent form will need to be signed by parents/guardians and returned to the Mental Health Practitioner prior to Francesca working with students.

Christena Gazeas
Student Services

Year 10 & 11 Consent & Respectful Relationships Education

Warrandyte High School aims to ensure that all students are equipped for happy, safe, successful lives, and ready for the real world. Learning about consent and respectful relationships forms an integral part of this transition.

With consent education now mandatory in all Victorian schools, Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault and Eastern Community Legal Centre came to the school to facilitate class sessions for the Year 10 and 11 students. As consent and respectful relationships is taught in Year 9, Taking the Challenge and Year 7 & 8 in health curriculums, these sessions enhanced existing student knowledge.

The sessions included the following:

• Sexual Assault – definition and related behaviours.
• Legal consequences of sexual assault and potential impacts on future life goals.
• Consent – Legal Definitions and examples.
• Making a sexual assault report and supports available.
• Looking after yourself & staying safe.

Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, school wellbeing staff were available for each session for additional student support.

Fiona Keech – Adolescent Health Nurse

eSafety parent guides

eSafety’s parent guide to popular apps

Recently parents and carers were invited to learn how to help young people safely use popular apps including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

This webinar was designed for parents and carers of young people aged 8-13.
It covered::
an explanation of the popular apps used by young people
case studies, research, and targeted advice
ways you can support the young people in your life to have safe, enjoyable online experiences.

Upcoming in Term 4:
eSafety’s parent guide to digital technologies and mental health

• Tuesday 19 October 7.30 to 8.30 pm
• Wednesday 20 October 12.30 to 1.30 pm
• Thursday 21 October 12.30 to 1.30 pm
• Tuesday 26 October 7.30 to 8.30 pm
• Tuesday 9 November 7.30 to 8.30 pm
• Thursday 18 November 12.30 to 1.30 pm

eSafety’s parent guide to online gaming

• 15 November 12.30 to 1.30 pm
• 24 November 7.30 to 8.30 pm

For more information, visit the eSafety Commission website (Links to an external site.)

WORKSHOP_Navigating the Challenges of Transitioning from School

Delivered by Headspace Schools, an online workshop recently explored ways to look after yourself and your friends as you navigate the changes and challenges that come with transitioning from school.
This workshop was for secondary students attending schools within the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.

The workshop explored the following:
• How change and transitions can impact our mental health,
• Common responses and challenges that can come from leaving school,
• Strategies to support yourselves and each other as you undergo this transition, and
• Sources of support that can help you with the transition.
 
We will continue to let you know of further workshops which you may find useful.

Christena Gazeas
Student Services

Wellbeing News

A lot of us have been feeling depressed, anxious, lacking motivation and just frustrated about this current lockdown.

Over the last 18 months during COVID lockdowns we are continually asking “Are you OK?” For RUOK Day Thursday 9 Sept, instead of asking RUOK, the Students were invited to write a post and add to the wall ‘Things they are grateful for’.

Library News

English Language Book Week – Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds 

The English Language Book Week celebrations moved online this year. Throughout the week competitions, quizzes and activities were delivered via Compass. We quizzed the collection, delved deeper into stories by building dioramas, reinvented other stories with black out poetry, identified quirky characters, considered fan fiction, discovered Italy and recommended reads to each other. Thank you to everyone who participated and a hearty congratulations to Sama and Hope who both won book vouchers!  

Throughout the week, we also explored diverse poetry and were also introduced to unusual library services around the world, from diary library in Japan to the biblioburro in Colombia. You can go into any library and discover the world or go into the world and discover a new library! 

Reading every day… 

If you want to find out what members of the WHS community are reading, follow whs_what_are_we_reading on Instagram. If you want to share what you are reading or a favourite from the past, please email Ms Steel with the title, author, a few sentences about what you think of the book and if possible a photo of the cover. All posts remain anonymous.

Marianne Smith
Librarian

SPORTS ACADEMY – BASKETBALL AND AFL PROGRAMS

 Places filling fast for our 2022 Sport Academy! Don’t miss out! Simply email me your expression of interest!

Check out our wesbite for information regarding our Sports Academy! The excitement I say!  Open to girls and boys from Year 7 through to and including Year 11.


Our Sports Academy is open to all students, girls and boys, from Year 7 through to and including Year 11.  Students can choose to participate in either the Sports Academy Basketball Program or the Sports Academy AFL Program.


Both programs are run by a professional and externally appointed coach. Over 4 hours each week is devoted towards both the AFL and the Basketball Academy.



Both the Basketball Program and the AFL Program are intensive skill building and fitness training programs happening right here at Warrandyte High School. The cost for the year is $1750 – this includes a training top, excursions, competition opportunities and special guests. In 2021, special guests included a sports psychologist, a nutritionist, a tackling coach (AFL), a personal trainer (Basketball) and guests associated with the NBL.



To learn more about our amazing Sports Academy Basketball and AFL Programs, please visit our website www.warrandytehigh.vic.edu.au



We are inviting non-binding expressions of interest NOW for the 2022 Basketball and AFL Sports Academy Program. To register your interest or to forward any questions, simply email Joseph Caruana, Assistant Principal. Joseph.Caruana@education.vic.gov.au

Sports News

Whilst lockdown has resulted in another term of missed interschool sporting opportunities, I wish to congratulate Kye Hunter and Lucia Rossi (Year 10) who have taken on the challenge of competing in the School Sports Victoria 2021 Virtual Cross Country (VXC) over the past few weeks.

Both students have challenged themselves to compete in a range of different events including the 1km, 2km, 3km and 5km distances. They have both challenged themselves to beat personal best times and to ensure they are maintaining their physical fitness whilst is lockdown. Both students should be very proud of their efforts. It is wonderful receiving emails from School Sport Victoria regarding our students’ performances whilst we are unable to see each other. Well done Kye and Lucia.

Students still have the opportunity to be involved in this virtual sporting competition. The VXC is open to all Victorian primary and secondary students from SSV member schools with students eligible to participate however they like – whether it be walking, jogging or running and all you need is something to record how long it takes you to complete the event. There are a range of different running distances including 1km, 2km, 3km and 5km. Importantly the main objective is for students to get out and give it a go. 

Get involved! Entries close Friday 1 October. 



For more information and to enter please head to https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/Pages/VirtualCrossCountry.aspx



When registering all you need to do is provide your details, age group (age you turn this year), e-mail address, name of school and region (eastern metropolitan secondary). When entering results you may need to enter my email (kathryn.cook@education.vic.gov.au) so I am informed of your results. 

It would be great to see as many entries from Warrandyte High School as possible. You can participate in as many events as you wish and as often as you wish with last day of competition being 1st October. What a great opportunity whilst we in lockdown and over the school holiday period to use some of your exercise time to go out for a run, jog or walk with one other person and then record your results.

Have fun and hope to see some more great results

Katie Cook
Sport Leader