LEEMING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL vOLume 5, 20 August 2025

COMPASS PUSH NOTIFICATIONS

It is important that you have Compass downloaded on your phone to receive all school notifications.

If you haven't updated your Compass app to receive push notifications on your phone for upcoming events such as excursions, please follow the guide on our website or follow the steps below:

Year 10 Squash Team Shines at WA Schools Tournament

The Year 10 cohort put in a colossal effort last week at the Squash WA Schools Tournament, held at the Mirrabooka Squash World complex. Competing against strong teams from Perth Modern, Willetton SHS, Applecross SHS, Shenton College, and Bob Hawke College, our students displayed exceptional sportsmanship and determination.

Throughout the day, friendships were forged, competitive edges were sharpened, and both staff and students enjoyed a fantastic day of healthy competition and fun.

Highlights of the Day:

• Angus E., Will D., and Cameron J. claimed victory in 10 out of a possible 12 games, narrowly missing out on taking home the Plate competition.

French ACER Exam Results 2025

Language Week – Flags Quiz Results

As part of our Language Week celebrations, students tested their knowledge of world flags in the popular Flags Quiz competition. Congratulations to the following classes on their outstanding efforts:

• 🥇 1st Place – 9F1
• 🥈 2nd Place – 11G2
• 🥉 3rd Place – 8F2

Well done to all students who participated and showcased their global knowledge—it was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and friendly competition!

Mme McLaughlin & Mme Spears, French Teachers

Year 9 Japanese Students Share Language and Culture at Leeming Primary

On 1 July, our Year 9 Japanese Specialist classes visited Leeming Primary School to share their knowledge and passion for the Japanese language and culture with Year 2, 4, and 5 students.

Year 12 Geography Students Explore Perth’s Urban Planning

The Year 12 Geography class recently had the opportunity to attend two insightful excursions — one to the Perth CBD and another to Wellard Train Station — to investigate Perth’s urban planning challenges, with a focus on transportation.

In the Perth CBD, students began at Elizabeth Quay, enjoying a short stop for ice cream before heading through the Hay Street Mall and along the historic King Street. From there, they caught the free CAT bus to East Perth, where they met Curtin University Urban and Regional Planning lecturers, Courtney Babb and Jake Schapper. The lecturers led a guided tour through East Perth, a former industrial precinct that has been transformed into a medium-density residential and mixed-use zone.

Term 3 Week 5 - Health Centre News

Dear parents, guardians and students, as we have reached the middle of Term 3 I hope it has been healthy and productive. Here is some important information to share with you all.

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Upper respiratory tract infections or colds are everywhere, especially in winter, so it is almost impossible to stop children from catching them. Here are some points which may help:

• Teach your child to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and to wash hands straight afterwards (sneeze into elbow if unable to wash hands without help).
• Hands should be washed after blowing noses and before eating.
• Use tissues once and then throw them in the bin (avoid using handkerchiefs).
• Keep your child home from school if they have a cold, cough, fever or pain.
• Make sure that your children eat a balanced diet with plenty of healthy foods.
• Keep children away from smoke – it irritates their eyes and nasal passages, making it more likely that they will catch a cold.

What to do if your child gets a cold

No treatment will cure a cold or make it go away more quickly, but you can help your child feel more comfortable by:

• Rest. This doesn't need to be in bed.
• Providing extra drinks. If your child doesn’t want to drink much, try giving lots of small sips of water, milk or juice, or ice blocks to suck for older children.

Germs are spread easily to classroom staff and other students. Keep your child home if your child cannot;

• Cover their nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing.
• Wipe their nose independently.
• Wash their hands without help.

Asthma Management in Winter and Spring:

Asthma is one of the most common chronic childhood conditions, affecting 1 in every 10 children in Australia. Emergency admissions and hospitalisations peak during the winter for children, with asthma flare-ups often being more prevalent during the winter and spring. Good management however can help children with asthma and their carers get through this tricky time of year with more confidence.

Here are a few tips for parents and carers:

• Make an annual appointment for an asthma review by your child’s doctor.
• Update your child’s asthma plan at the start of each year and provide a copy to the school.
• Talk to teachers and other key staff about your child’s asthma – their usual triggers, symptoms and medication.
• Provide an up-to-date blue reliever puffer and spacer for use at school (clearly labelled with child’s name and date of birth).
• Help your child understand the importance of taking their preventer medication every day, as prescribed.
• Ask their doctor about having a flu vaccination.
• Encourage hand washing and covering one’s mouth when coughing to help prevent the spread of germs.

Why are dental check-ups for my child important?

Regular dental check-ups from an early age play a vital role in preventing serious dental problems later on. They also empower families with the knowledge and tools needed to support life-long oral health by building healthy routines such as brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

There are links between diseases in the mouth and diseases in the body. Bacteria in the mouth can travel to different sites of the body and inflammation in the mouth can increase the body’s overall inflammation. Six conditions have been explored in how they link with the mouth:

1. Heart Disease.
2. Diabetes.
3. Alzheimer's Disease.
4. Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.
5. Lung Conditions.
6. Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Dental Health Services for School Children

Parents and guardians of school aged children, this is a reminder about the importance of accessing dental services for your child’s teeth annually or as needed.

• The School Dental Service is a free, public, dental health program available to all children of eligible age in Western Australia, whether they are enrolled in a public or private school. The service is funded by the Department of Health.
• Treatment is limited to general care and there are several exclusions, for example, specialist services such as orthodontics and oral surgery. Treatment outside the scope of the School Dental Service is referred to other providers and any costs are the responsibility of the parent or guardian.
• Children are eligible for the School Dental Service from the year they turn five until the end of Year 11 or 17 years of age whichever comes first. In remote areas, Year 12 students are eligible for the service.
• Community Health Nurses can refer children to the School Dental Services by direct phone call to the clinic or via the parent who will be required to attend the first visit with their child.
• To find out where the local School Dental Service is located, call 9313 0555 or visit their website. Community health staff, parents and teachers can also visit the website to access dental health resources.

The closest Dental Services to Leeming SHS are:

1. Leeming Dental Therapy Clinic, 15 Meharry Rd, Leeming. Tel No: 93323194
2. South lakes Dental Therapy Centre 62 Mason Crt, South Lake Tel No: 94173242
3. Willetton Dental Therapy Clinic 14 Woodpecker Ave, Willetton Tel No: 9457424

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule provide financial support for basic dental services for children aged 2–17 years, who receive, (or their family, guardian or carer receives) certain government benefits such as Family Tax Benefit Part A. For further information, click here.

Spine Checks

The National Self Detection Program for scoliosis (NSDP) – 2023 reminds us that it is recommended that girls & boys in Years 7 and 9 participate in the NSDP by downloading the Self-Detection Brochure for Scoliosis. The brochure can be accessed directly via the Scoliosis Australia homepage. Parents can download a scoliosis self-detection brochure from this link.

Scoliosis (spinal curvature) is an important health problem for adolescence and 25 per thousand are at risk of developing significant spinal curve. Three girls per thousand require active treatment (a spinal brace or surgery). In the early stages the condition is most often asymptomatic so screening in the age range 11-14 years is a sound preventive health measure.

Vision Checks

Vision disorder can markedly affect academic performance, especially for those children who are struggling to learn. It is recommended that parents take their child to have their eyes examined regularly during their school years, particularly if they have learning difficulties.

Screen Time - Limit your child’s use of TV and computer games

Children and adolescents should not spend more than two hours a day on screen-based activities. Excessive screen time often leads to poor health, poor fitness and being overweight.

Activities like surfing the net, social networking, watching TV and playing video games can be educational and fun, but all involve sitting still for long periods of time. Set family rules around screen time and encourage your child to try a range of active pastimes. For more information, click here.

Sleep Tips for Teenagers

Teenagers need about 9 -10 hours of sleep a night. Lack of regular sleep is likely to affect academic and sporting performance, and behaviour. The risk of emotional problems, such as depression, may also increase in teenagers who regularly do not get enough sleep. Even getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep each night will make a difference.

The typical teenage brain wants to go to bed late and sleep late the following morning, which is usually hard to manage. You may be able to adjust your body clock but it takes time. Suggestions include:

• Choose a relaxing bedtime routine; for example, have a bath and a hot milky drink before bed.
• Avoid loud music, homework, computer games or any other activity that gets your mind racing for about an hour before bedtime.
• Keep your room dark at night. The brain’s sleep–wake cycle is largely set by light received through the eyes. Try to avoid watching television right before bed. In the morning, expose your eyes to lots of light to help wake up your brain.
• Do the same bedtime routine every night for at least four weeks to make your brain associate this routine with going to sleep.
• Start your bedtime routine a little earlier than usual (for example, 10 minutes) after four weeks. Do this for one week.
• Add an extra 10 minutes every week until you have reached your desired bedtime.
• Avoid staying up late on the weekends. Late nights will undo your hard work.
• Remember that even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night on a regular basis makes a big difference. However, it may take about six weeks of getting extra sleep before you feel the benefits.

To get further advice contact your local Community Health Nurse, Deb Kitak on 9237 6819, or you can find more information here.

Raising Children Network

Children are as individual and as different as their parents, and making decisions about what’s best for raising children is very personal.

The Raising Children website offers up-to-date, research-based material on more than 800 topics spanning children’s development, behaviour, health, nutrition and fitness, play and learning, connecting and communicating, school and education, entertainment and technology, sleep and safety.

It covers grown-ups, newborns (0-3 months), babies (3-12 months), toddlers (1-3 years), pre-schoolers (3-5 years), school age children (5-9 years), Pre-teens (9-11 years) and early teens (12-15 years).

There are tips, videos and other useful resources.

The Raising Children Network provides information that can help parents with the day to day decisions to do with raising children. It also provides information to help parents and carers look after their own needs. The information is based on the best science in parenting, child health and development, presented in language we can all understand.

This is a website for Australian mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone else who has responsibility for the care of children.

Free or Subsidised Dental Services in WA