WOW WHAT'S ON AT WHITEBRIDGE

Matisse Murray was also recognised during Education Week through the award of a Commendation certificate in the Ministers awards program. Matisse will receive her award at the Year 12 Graduation ceremony later this term.

Across our local network of schools, we partner with our 6 Primary Schools in forming the Wiyellai Koa community of schools (CoS). Wiyellai Koa is an Awabakal term that means “coming together”. This year we held the inaugural Wiyellai Koa Public Education week award ceremony where students, staff and members of the community were presented with special awards. This ceremony will be an annual event on the calendar of and will be held each year in Education Week. Linked here you will find a beautiful Acknowledgement video presented by students that celebrates a project undertaken in collaboration with all 7 schools of the Wiyellai Koa CoS and our Aboriginal community members with the support of Minimbah AECG. Our schools are showcased in a story written by Aunty Laurel Williams called Wise Waakan, to capture the essence of coming together and creating a wonderful learning environment for all students, staff and community of the Wiyellai Koa Cos.

Congratulations to the Public Education award winners from Whitebridge High School:

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

We are incredibly proud of our students' dedication and hard work this term. From outstanding Trial HSC exam results to impressive HSC major projects, our students continue to excel in all areas. Congratulations to those who received awards at this term’s assembly, and a special mention to the students who participated in the Open Boys Football Team. Your achievements are a testament to your commitment and perseverance. Best wishes in the Grand Final!

Last Tuesday evening, we had a great turn out for our Early Commencement VET Subject Selection evening. There were lots of inquisitive students and parents from Year 9 eager to discuss options for studying VET and the options this opens for our students at this school. Whitebridge High School provides a unique opportunity for all students to achieve dual credentialling from their high school experience. The school offers a comprehensive range of Certificate II and Certificate III Vocational Education and Training courses which support students to achieve nationally recognised workplace credentials through school-based learning and industry work placement. For students electing to pursue a university pathway, there is an added benefit where a Cert III credential is recognised as an ATAR equivalent of 67, which is completed during the Year 11 school year. A student may then achieve a higher ATAR through the HSC pathway. Our goal is to maximise the opportunity for our students to pursue their future pathway with skills and confidence. Student choices were closed on Monday and students will know the outcome of their choices next term.

This term, our focus on student wellbeing has continued to grow. We’ve introduced the new program MyStrengths aimed at supporting our school to develop a holistic system that empowers students, staff and parents to unite around strengths. In the next 12 months each student will go through a program to discover and develop their strengths and we are working with the whole community to becoming a strength-based school. This includes staff training, parent engagement and student learning plans that will create common language for the whole school community. Staff have all started the MyStrengths journey, having our first Professional Learning session in Week 2 which will allow us to have a framework to build upon the strengths of students and be trained to enhance student resilience at each stage of development. As part of the program, there will be a Parent Information Night and all parents will have access to the Parent Support Hub where you will have access to clear, practical support in addressing the most common challenges of raising teenagers in 2024. Year 12 and Year 10 have all completed the first phase of the program and know their strengths with the other year groups completing by the end of the year. In the program students will:

• Discover their top 5 strengths
• Understand how these inform identity, esteem and future choices
• Grow in acceptance of peers
• Take home beautiful “keeper” strength cards and a parent pack

All of Year 10 participated in the bstreetsmart program this week. Bstreetsmart is the inspiring initiative of the Trauma Service at Westmead Hospital. Westmead’s Trauma Service is constantly reminded through their hands on work that young people aged between 15 – 30 are disproportionally represented in road trauma. As a result they have a strong commitment to Road Safety Education. The purpose of bstreetsmart is to reduce the fatality and injury rates of young people by promoting safe behaviour as drivers, riders and passengers - a vital message for our Year 10 students embarking on their lifetime of driving.

If you have any questions or concerns for your child please feel free to contact your child’s Deputy Principal.

Melita Morrow - DP Year 7 and 10

Rod Carter - DP Year 8 and 10

Louise Smailes - DP Year 9 and 12

YEAR 7

Year 7 have had an outstanding start to Semester 2 due to their enthusiasm and positivity.

We would firstly like to congratulate Poppy Beveridge who competed in a public speaking competition. Both her planned and improvised speech were entertaining due to her humble humour, confidence and relatability to the audience. Poppy has progressed to regionals and will represent WHS later in the term, we wish her the best of luck!

Nixon Sherry and Eddie Selwood were also recognised at our Wiyellai Koa Education Week awards due to their diligence, kindness and maturity when transitioning to high school. We would like to acknowledge them for being outstanding role models and continuing to have a growth mindset inside and outside the classroom.

We have been focusing on cybersafety in our wellbeing lessons and students also were respectful and responsible when participating in a police presentation on the dangers of sending inappropriate content, cyberbullying and the laws surrounding these issues. Students were given strategies to keep safe, how to report offensive material and where to seek help inside and outside of school. We have been very proud of students continuing to be upstanders within our community.

All Year 7 students have been given electives booklets that outline all of the exciting Year 8 electives our school offers. Students will be asked to select two electives (with some additional back up options) that will commence the beginning of next year. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to shine in their high potential domains.

Mrs Morrow and I are looking out for students who are wearing the right uniform, attending school every day, following our core values inside and outside of the classroom and being a kind peer to invite to a celebratory lunch towards the end of this term.

As always if you need any support or have any questions regarding your learning, please come to me, Ms Fry (your year advisor), Mrs Morrow (your deputy), Jess (Student Support Officer), Ms Turner (Head Teacher Wellbeing) or any of your fabulous teachers.

Ashley Fry - Year 7 Advisor

YEAR 8

It was a great start to Term 3 for Year 8 after a restful winters break. It's obvious that some families made the most of their time during the holidays and made the most of the unseasonal weather, as I ran into a number of students and families in my own travels up and down the coast. Since the return of school I have had a number of our Year 8s approach me for jumpers due to the cool weather in recent weeks. If you do have any surplus winter school clothing hanging around the house, could you kindly drop it into me so I can repurpose it.

Andy Holahan - Year 8 Advisor

YEAR 9

Year 9 students and families attended our early commencement VET information evening at the beginning of Week 4 , where everyone had the opportunity to ask teachers first hand what each course was like and discuss their desired future career pathway. Thank you to all students for actively engaging in this process and seeking support where needed.

Excitement is starting to hit as we approach our Raw Challenge Excursion. Teams are nearly full and we have themed costume ideas in process. I look forward to seeing our Year 9 students actively working together as a team and with their leading teacher to conquer the muddy challenge. GO Team Osland!!!

As we move through Term 3 it has been nice to see Year 9 students following our core values of Learning, Respect and Responsibility. Thank you in particular to those who have nominated to be our SRC leaders for Year 9. I look forward to seeing the outcome and wish all candidates good luck! Being a part of the SRC and even nominating yourself is something that each student should be really proud of.

Bronte Osland - Year 9 Advisor

YEAR 10

Year 10 have had a great start to the term. There have been lots of sporting opportunities that Year 10 students have jumped at!! Just last week we had a large number of students participate in the NSW Netball Cup. They showed great sportsmanship and represented our school with pride. Some Year 10 students have also been a part of our Open Boys Soccer Team that competed at the semi finals last week in Sydney. The boys played exceptionally well and we took home the win, meaning they are now down to the top two teams in the state!! Well done boys, we are so proud!

Two special shout-outs to some amazing Year 10 students this term, Olivia Sullivan - has been selected in the U15 All Australia AFL Team and Daniel Kim received an award from the University of Newcastle for his participation in the High Performing Students Program, studying Health and Disease.

Some of our Year 10 group have also taken on the opportunity to perform at Kahibah Sports Club recently, showcasing their wonderful musical talent. Family and friends enjoyed an afternoon of tunes to end a busy weekend! Our talented Aboriginal Dance Group has many Year 10 students in it and they have been busy this term performing at our local Primary Schools to celebrate NAIDOC week. Well done guys - our local Primary Schools are very thankful for your time.

Lastly, we have had some great excursion opportunities, with our Year 10 Marine Studies class taking a trip to the Shark and Ray Centre and a few lucky students in our year traveled to Sydney to the International Boat Show to learn about careers in boating and yachting. It is great to see so many Year 10 students being participants and not passengers in their schooling journey!

Mrs Turner and Mrs Morrow are so proud of each of you and look forward to seeing what the second half of Term 3 brings!

Courtney Turner - Year 10 Advisor

YEAR 11

Term 3 kicked off with 59 students and 6 teachers on an eventful trip to Perisher! We had the experience of staying right on the mountains with incredible weather and conditions across our stay. Students spent time carving up the slopes and have ventured around Perisher, Smiggins, Blue Cow and Mt Guthega. Night skiing at Village 8 was also a highlight. A huge thank you to Mr Harradine for leading and organising the trip and to Mr Carter, Miss Osland, Mr Stamp, Miss Lindsay and Mr Atkins for accompanying Year 11.

Back at school, Year 11 have participated in their Trial HSC Exams for their early commencement VET courses. Well done to all for their efforts and now it is time to revise and continue to strive for success as we prepare for the final exams at the commencement of the formal HSC exams in Term 4.

Congratulations are in order for many of our students with their ongoing commitment to the arts and sports. Our Open Boys Soccer Team represented the school with skill and pride to score a win recently in Tamworth and to our senior dance class for their passion and artistry performing in Hunter Dance Festival.

Finally, Year 11 are excited as the process begins for nominations of senior leaders for 2024/25. It is hard to believe we are almost ready for Year 12.

Best of luck to all!

Georgia Lindsay - Year 11 Advisor

YEAR 12

I want to congratulate Year 12 on their efforts and hard work towards completing their Trial HSC Exams. Your dedication and perseverance during this period have not gone unnoticed. As you enter the final stretch, remember to continue supporting each other, stay focused on your goals, and make the most of the resources and guidance available to you.

A reminder that our Year 12 formal is booked for Wednesday the 25th of September. We are all proud of how far you’ve come, and we look forward to celebrating your achievements in the coming weeks.

Keep up the excellent work! Not long to go now…

Emma Beecham - Year 12 Advisor

SECONDARY STUDIES

At the time of writing, Year 12 and Year 11 Early Commencement VET students have just completed their trial exams and are eagerly awaiting quality feedback from their teachers as they approach the end of their studies. Feedback from our external supervisors, many of whom are new to our school, was very positive. They described our students as exemplary in their preparation for NESA’s expectations and their attentiveness to instructions.

In Week 7, both Year 11 and Year 12 will participate in seminars from Elevate on how to improve their performance in the remaining examinations this year. Year 11 formal examinations, including Year 10 Early Commencement subjects, will be held in Weeks 9 and 10 this term. We look forward to seeing the same qualities from students as exhibited in the trial examinations.

Year 9 students have made their selections for their Early Commencement VET for next year, as well as which of their Year 9 electives they wish to extend into a 200-hour course. A well-attended parent information session was held prior to the selection to aid students in this process.

Year 7 students have been issued an information booklet on their semester electives for next year and have also made their selections. They will study one elective in Semester 1 and another in Semester 2, giving them a taste of the electives they can choose in Year 9.

Glen Mulhearn - HT Secondary Studies

CAPA

YEAR 8 SPOTLIGHT

Year 8 have started the new semester in their new creative course rotating between art and music. In Visual Arts, students have begun a unit of work exploring the representation of animals. They have developed lettering posters with animal features focusing on refining their drawing and design skills.

YEAR 10 SPOTLIGHT

Year 10 elective Visual Arts are to be commended on their work ethic finalising their bodies of work exploring themes of Urban Environments. Students completed an in depth study and self directed project inspired by contemporary artists and the architectural landscape.

VISUAL DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

Visual Design Elective students are finalising a project on product design influenced by urban art and design. Students have each developed an exceptional pair of shoes using acrylic paints and POSCA markers.

KAHIBAH SPORTS CLUB

An enormous congratulations to our talented musicians and singers for their commitment, preparation and enthusiasm throughout this term. Thank you to our performers, family and friends for supporting our students at another fantastic afternoon of live local tunes.

Hunter Dance Festival

Our lovely Year 11 Dance class successfully auditioned and performed at the Hunter Dance Festival alongside 16 Hunter School students on Wednesday 31st July at NEX Newcastle. The girls conducted themselves in a professional manner, receiving positive feedback and comments from the organisers on their performance.

The girls practiced hard and showed excellent commitment and passion for Dance, representing Whitebridge High School and CAPA in a positive way. Congratulations and well done to Matilda Bennis, Lily Buckton, Ruby Buckton, Ellie Creigh, Hannah Burton and Addison Morgan.

Georgia Lindsay - Teacher CAPA

ENGLISH

Year 7/8 Premiers Debating Challenge

On Tuesday 6th August our Year 7 and 8 Debating Team had their Round 2 debate against Warners Bay High School. The topic was ‘Paper Should Be Banned in Schools’ and Whitebridge drew the negative side.

Some of the arguments our team presented were:

• · Youth were losing their basic handwriting skills
• · No one would trust a kindergartener with a laptop
• · It’s not cost effective for schools to budget
• · Children needing glasses would become more common
• · Art would become obsolete
• · Cheating on tests and assignments would now become unavoidable

The feedback given to our team from the adjudicator outlined our arguments were solid and we had strong rebuttals.

The Year 7 and 8 Debating Team have won all three rounds and are now into the finals! Well done and congratulations to our stellar team who consist of:

Christopher Lalevski, Samuel Dubovski, Nicholas Bassett, Amelia Bowron, Hayley Matchett, Sienna Hardy, Abby Gordon, Sienna Egan, Poppy Beveridge

Ms Jade Hollis - Teacher, English

Year 9/10 Premiers Debating Challenge

Our Stage Five Debating team have completed their debating for 2024 with two wins and one loss. This year the team were asked to respond to debates around sport, technology and education.

We are extremely proud of our team who were commended by the adjudicators for being such a competitive team despite being new to debating this year. We look forward to continuing to build on this skill set as we get ready for the 2025 tournament. Congratulations to our wonderful team: Lacy Barnes, Eliza Brown, Asha Forder, Isobel Kellock, Emma Cook and Bella Moran.

Ms Lauren Salcole - Teacher, English

Junior Secondary Speaking Competition

This term, Whitebridge High School hosted the local final round of the Junior Secondary Speaking Competition. The competitors came from St. Phillips Christian College, St. Joseph's Catholic College and Callaghan College.

Congratulations to Poppy Beveridge who was successful in winning this round of the competition with her insightful and inspiring speech about being a teenager. We also had the pleasure of witnessing Poppy’s comedic superpower in her impromptu speech in which she reflected on the choices we make when eating food in a foreign country.

We would all like to wish Poppy all the best in September for the regional round at The Arts Unit in Sydney.

Year 12

As Year 12 students are finishing their final Trial HSC exams, Year 12 teachers will be encouraging their students to reflect on their feedback from their English exams in preparation for the HSC exams in October.

During the Term 2 holiday break, some of the Year 12 teachers offered tutorials in preparation for the Trial HSC examinations to support their revision of key ideas and writing skills. Based on feedback from their Trial HSC exams, tutorials will be offered to Year 12 English students in Term 3 holidays with a focus on supporting areas for development.

One of the most effective exam strategies students can be focusing on is responding to unseen questions under timed conditions. This might not always be a whole essay but could focus on deconstructing an essay question and writing an introduction in seven minutes. For additional exam preparation strategies, students and parents are encouraged to speak to their teacher.

Year 11

Year 11 students will be receiving their end of course exam notifications for English in Week 5.

Students will be responding to short answer questions based on the skills from Reading to Write. They will also be writing an essay in response to a question from Module B (Advanced and Standard). Students will continue to actively engage in their current classroom activities as their initial preparation for these exams and seek feedback from their classroom teacher on practice short answer questions and essays.

Lisa Murrell - HT English

MATHEMATICS MUSINGS

A huge thanks to all the students who took part in the Australian Mathematics Trust Maths Competition.

Also a special thanks to Mrs Bettison for her coordination of the event. The results have been sent away and we will keep you all updated.

If you are interested in what the AMT Maths Competition looks like, here is a question from the 2022 Junior paper.

AMT past papers are available from the online shop. Click on the following button to access the site:

Nick Campbell - HT Mathematics

PDHPE

During Term 3 students are learning about “Invasion Games”. These are games that typically involve 2 teams playing against each other and “invading” the other team’s territory. Some examples include Gaelic football, basketball, soccer, touch football and netball. Students are learning how to find space so that they are an effective option for a pass, how to create a 2 v 1, how to include all team members and how to have fun!

A reminder to all that they should bring their sports uniform for practical lessons as they generally get hot and sweaty when participating. Time is allocated at the start of each lesson for students to change into their sports uniform and then again at the end of the lesson for students to change back into their school uniform to return to other classroom environments.

In our theory lessons Year 7 are exploring the importance of a healthy lifestyle and getting plenty of physical activity throughout our lives, Year 8 are learning about sexual health, Year 9 are developing healthy nutrition whilst Year 10 are learning how they can support their mental health.

With lack of action in youth mental health being identified as a scandal by the Lancet Psychiatry Commission we believe all of our learning across Years 7 - 10 helps give our students some skills to be able to better support themselves and their peers. If your young person is struggling or just looking for better ways to help their mates then places like Headspace and Beyond Blue are good starting points.

PASS

Our Year 9 PASS students are currently finding their way around the bushland whilst Orienteering. This is a great opportunity for physical activity as well as learning lifelong skills. Year 10 PASS classes have been competing in the annual “Covid Cup”- a fun round robin competition across a variety of sports.

SOCCER

We would also love to show our support for coach and legend PDHPE teacher Mr Martinelli for the Open Boys Soccer Team who have qualified for the CHS Final, being one of the top two soccer teams in NSW. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our school!

HSIE

Congratulations to Year 12 Society & Culture students, who fittingly enough in Education Week, submitted their major works (also known as Personal Interest Projects). Students chose and developed their own individual research projects and in so doing have gained an increased understanding of the modern world around us. This year’s topics included feminism, the impact of gender roles and social media, parenting styles and changing attitudes towards the environment and the impact of sports coaches, all of which allowed students to develop their ability to use questionnaires, interviews and other primary research methodologies.

Year 12 Extension History students should also be congratulated for submitting their individual research projects which have also provided valuable learning opportunities.

Earlier this year, a number of keen students from Years 7 to 10 took up the challenge to enter the Australian History Competition with some very impressive results being gained. Unfortunately, the certificates were delivered during a storm so we are eagerly awaiting replacement certificates to be sent back to school so that participating students can receive them. Watch this space for more updates!

We are also happy to see HSIE and Science HPGE students from different year groups collaborating after engaging with the Shackleton exhibition in Sydney. We are looking forward to more extra-curricular activities being offered in the future.

Sue Nunn - HT HSIE/Languages

LANGUAGES

Students in Year 10 Japanese elective revised their Hiragana characters through playing “Hiragana Jenga” in class. Whilst doing their best to keep their tower standing, students had to say a word in Japanese beginning with the character they were moving to revise vocabulary from their current unit of work.

They were also provided with an opportunity to create their own lucky charm which is called an “Ema” – a small wooden plaque. Students wrote a wish in Japanese using the scripts of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. An “Ema” is used at temples and shrines in Japan for people to write their wishes.

Trudy Quartermain - Teacher, Languages

SCIENCE

In the month we have been back since the winter break, it has been a busy start to the term in Science.

We welcomed Miss Stephens, Miss Watkins and Miss Marks as Interns for the term. Each has settled in well and are working with Science classes across the faculty to further develop their teaching pedagogies alongside our experienced staff as they begin their teaching careers. I would like to acknowledge the support and mentoring of Mr Mulhearn, Mr Moore and Mr Edwards, who are working with our interns this term.

Year 12 have just returned to their timetabled classes, after an intense two weeks of Trial Exams. It has been great to hear and see the effort and hard work pay off for a dedicated and focused group of students. In the coming days students will receive their results and have the opportunity to reflect on their feedback and fully explore the paper to look for ways to enhance their performance for the HSC exams.

As we are in the last few weeks of Year 12 completing their course, I can recommend students use Atomi to refamiliarise themselves and complete some practice questions for their science courses.

Stage 4 and 5 students will shortly be receiving assessment notifications for their Term 3 assessment items in class. These will mostly be conducted and supported in lesson time at school. Please be aware that students may have some additional work or research to complete at home to assist in completing these tasks.

Enjoy the term!

Steve Edwards - HT Science

Marine Studies

Whitebridge High's Year 9 Marine studies ventured to the Nelson Bay Marina in Port Stephens region to go whale watching. As part of their course, they have been learning about a variety of different marine mammals. It was a glorious sunny day, with a bit of wind, but that didn't stop the whales. We encountered at least 10 Humpback Whales on their annual migration. We found ourselves in the cross path of some swimming northbound to warmer waters and some were returning south to cooler waters.

We also spotted some seals from a local seal colony that live on the little islands near Broughton Island. They were pretty relaxed sunning themselves on the rocks out of the reach of large swells and predators. The cruise back into the marina was eventful, spotting a pod of dolphins hunting fish close into the rocky shorelines.

Our students were extremely polite and well behaved, representing our school with pride and consideration for the other members of the public on our Whale Watch Cruise. Well done year 9 Marine Studies!

Year 10 Marine Studies attended an excursion to the Irukandji Shark and Ray Centre in Port Stephens this term. Students have been learning about bony and cartilaginous fish biology as part of their course of studies.

We were lucky enough to be able to interact with a variety of species of sharks and rays including eagle rays, fiddler/banjo rays, estuary rays, black spotted rays, coral reef ribbon rays, bamboo sharks, zebra sharks, and epaulette sharks to name a few. Students enjoyed a very hands on experience that included touching, feeding and snorkelling with these magnificent creatures. The staff were very friendly, informative, and provided an extension of the educational information students had already learned in class.

Amy Daugherty - Teacher, Marine Studies

TAS

Shane Lloyd - HT TAS

LIBRARY/LAST

Term 3 has been a very busy one for the Library team. We have been very proud of all our students who have applied themselves with diligence, and embraced any learning challenges. Year 11 and 12 special provisions students have shown great maturity as they worked on their HSC Trial examinations in the library and our Quick Smart students are continually improving their literacy and numeracy skills.

Check-in Assessments

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 have been working hard to demonstrate their skills in reading and numeracy through this online assessment. The data provided further enables staff to identify the strengths and areas of focus for individual students, and across each cohort. This data has been invaluable in supporting staff to better plan for the learning needs of students, and to gain a deeper insight into strategies that can better meet our students' learning styles.

Minimum Standards Testing

Most students in Years 10 to 12 have now completed their HSC minimum standards assessment for numeracy, reading and writing. This assessment is a requirement of the HSC and ensures that students have met a minimum level to be able to perform everyday life tasks.

Accessing Support

Students needing additional support with class work or assessments are encouraged to visit the LAST room during break time, where they can schedule a time with Mrs Budden or Miss Dodd to get support in planning for assessments, have work explained or catch up on missed content.

ILS Independent Learning Skills / Accelerated Reader Program

Students in Mrs Walker, Miss Dodd and Mr Holahan’s ILS classes have been improving their reading skills, and showcasing their learning goals and successes through working on their Learner Portfolios. For any students who are having trouble accessing their learner portfolios, please feel welcome to come to the library for support to fix this issue.

Our Year 7, 8 and Malang Academy students have access to the Accelerated Reader Program and MYON Digital Library. After reading either a physical or digital book, they can self-monitor their own comprehension taking an online quiz.

Encouraging your child to read has a lot of benefits:

• it improves brain connectivity
• increases vocabulary and comprehension
• enhances empathy skills
• can improve sleep readiness
• has been shown to reduce stress

For students who are looking for some ideas of books that would suit them, please come and see Mrs Walker.

This term, Year 8 Independent Learning Studies started their new typing program with Miss Dodd. Students have enjoyed practicing their typing skills in the Library, and can continue to practice at home by downloading the TypeFaster program on their personal devices (contact Miss Dodd for the link!).

Typing quickly and accurately is a lifelong skill that will help students in class, and in many future career paths.

ABORIGINAL EDUCATION TEAMS

Over the last few weeks, Miss Tayler has been working with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Teams on improving literacy skills, with a focus on incorporating some traditional language from the Awabakal area into their vocabulary and writing. Students have been learning traditional Awabakal and Torres Strait Islander names for common Australian animals such as the kangaroo, koala, and kookaburra. We also ended last term with our ultimate spelling test. Congratulations to Renni Chapman, Alyssa Ridgeway Layzell, Deacon Maybury and Oslo Harradine for taking out the top prizes!

Angela Bettison - Relieving HT, Teaching and Learning

CTP Careers Transition Program

The students in the Careers Transition Program have made a very positive start to Term 3. They are all fully emersed in their work experiences, in particular Lachlan Turvey who is developing new skills and showing great promise at the Engineering and Manufacturing Company, Varley Group.

A huge congratulations also needs to go out to Manakai Davis who has used the program to progress into an apprenticeship with local business CoolTech Air Conditioning.

CAREERS

Our careers program has supported 17 students from year 9 to complete their Construction White Card Course to work in the construction industry this term and another course will run in week 4 term 4.

All Year 9 students are to complete / update their Resume and Cover Letters by the end of term 3. Year 10 students have successfully submitted TVET EOI applications for their HSC subject selections to enhance their vocational readiness in TAFE based courses. Float your Boat has been a very successful program for Daimen Ott, Koby Imre, Matthew Whalen and Sonny Worral, these students have access to work experience opportunities through MAST trainers and the REIP officer. Five Year 11 students have successfully secured an apprenticeship this term and have transitioned from school to work. Congratulations to these students on securing their individual quality pathway.

Matthew Bendall - Careers Advisor

WISH (Whitebridge Inclusion and Support Hub)

WISH has continued to grow throughout the year, with new students joining every week! This term, we have been decorating the school hallways with posters encouraging kindness, LGBTQI+ allyship, and acceptance. This club operates every Friday during Break 2 in the Library and aims to create a safe space for students to hang out, make new friends, celebrate diversity and encourage acceptance in our school.

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PREMIER'S READING CHALLENGE

The Premier's Reading Challenge closes on Friday 23rd August. Students need to read a total of 20 books (10 of which need to come from the Premier's Reading booklists) and log online by this date. Any books read after this date can be logged into the PRC platform. Congratulations to the students who have finished reading and logging their books:

Poppy Beveridge, James Brown, Axl Bryant, Isla Clark, Ashley Clinton-Muehr, Grace Denny, Ruth Donaldson, Wilbur Feenan, Lillian Forbes, Abby Gordon, Flynn Hill, Manu Lewis, Maya Maloney, Evelyn Nash, Eva Rodgers, Nixon Sherry, Ella Stone, Sienna Egan, Kyle Price, Luka Wolfe, Grace Hill, Quinn Deacon, Poppy Beveridge, Sammy Curtis, Louie Evans, Georgie Horton, Jarrah Willis, Eliza Brown, Oliver Blatchford, Paige McPherson, Isobel Kellock, Lachlan Jinks, Brax Brown, Luke Went.

All students completing the challenge will receive their certificates in Term 4.

Sarah Walker - Teacher/Librarian

MALANG ACADEMY

Yaayiin

The Yaayiin class have been working hard researching their chosen topics for their Personal Interest Projects (PIPs). Students spent Term 2 researching, collecting information, completing creative activities and then presented their PIPs to the class. Some of the topics students covered included French Bulldogs, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Alexander Hamilton, Morgan Wallen, and chess. Students should be commended on their engaging and informative presentations! We have also developed our green thumbs to grow some delicious vegetables including brussel sprouts, zucchinis and garlic. These have been used to create delicious food items including Loaded Potatoes, Tacos and Zucchini Slice. Students also grew some stunning sunflowers from seeds!

Pipita

The Pipita class have been engaged in a range of learning activities this term. We have been learning about Japanese language and culture. Students made a healthy Japanese snack called Onigiri with ingredients bought on our Community Access excursion. They have been working hard to finalise their $20 Boss products, which will be sold at a fair later in the year. In English, we have been learning about poetry writing techniques. We have been enjoying creative ways of writing our poems.

Waakan

Waakan students each chose a nation to focus on during the Olympics. They chose a broad range from the USA, Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, China, France, Mexico, Italy and Japan. They have been tracking and tallying Olympic medals won by their chosen nation each day then researching athletes, customs, foods and features of their Olympic nation and learning how to greet people in the language of their selected Olympic country. Waakan students are making colourful posters to demonstrate their learning.

Booyaan

In Booyaan class, we have been engaging in a range of practical learning opportunities. As a class, we’ve taken a keen interest in soccer, showing off our skills when combining with other classes. We have also been doing lots of cooking, with both staff and students enjoying the treats we’ve made. We’re excited to continue engaging in Community Access as a class, as well as preparing for the upcoming Malang Fair. We are also excited to welcome back Ms Wakely from maternity leave, and have said a sad farewell to Mr Dowler.

Waaling

In $20 Boss we have been learning about becoming entrepreneurs. We have researched, created and are currently making a range of products. We have made tie dye socks and Harry Potter cakes and bracelets.

We have also been focusing on the Olympics this term. Each student chose their own Olympic Team to research and followed their daily Medal Tally. Some of the teams students chose to research included Team Japan and Team France.

Tunang

This term, students in Tunang class have been channeling their artistic talents to create some fantastic Australian Indigenous artworks. Each member of the class has come up with their own unique designs based on the natural Australian landscape and important Indigenous cultural symbols. These works are a part of the Malang Academy’s Personal Interest Project (PIP) program and we look forward to displaying the finished products soon.

PDHPE

With the School Sport Unit Tenpin Bowling Competition around the corner, The Malang Academy had the opportunity to try out for the team that will represent Whitebridge High School. Fifteen students walked to Charlestown Square and enjoyed a game of tenpin bowling and lunch, before catching a bus back to school. Our top four scorers for the day will be announced shortly and will compete at the Tenpin Competition in Week 5. Congratulations to all students for your effort and participation throughout this fun day