principaL's addresS
Dear students, parents and guardians,
As it often does, the end of Term 3 arrives with a wave of momentum and excitement.
We kicked off the second half of the term with Book Week. Ms Steel and the team in the Library organised fabulous activities throughout the week and finished on Friday 23 with the wonderful Book Week dress up day It is fabulous to see everyone’s enthusiasm and participation. The Library looked amazing, and I am sure it has inspired many students to pick up a book or two.
With the aim of igniting interest in science, we marked Science Week during Week 8 with activities in the Library, and we held our first ever Techtrails incursion, a STEM and Future Skills Program designed to generate passion, excitement and interest to inspire young people to consider careers in technology and Science. This one-day workshop was offered to all Year 8 students, and it was very well received by students, as well as the parents who attended the workshop in the evening.
Our Music students showcased their talent at the Night of Musical Excellence which we held at the Nexus theatre this year. The Nexus theatre offered our students the opportunity to perform in a professional setting which matched their unparalleled talents. I thoroughly enjoyed everyone’s performances, their skills, dedication and professionalism are second-to-none. We have a first-class Music Department with professional and dedicated teachers and Music students to be proud of!
Throughout the end of August, we ran the pre-house carnival events which were started by the exhilarating Straight Six race. The Straight Six not only marks the beginning of the Athletics Carnival, but also serves us as a reminder of the Leeming spirit. We strive for excellence in a supportive and positive environment.
Due to the dismal weather forecast we decided to postpone the House Athletics Carnival for a week. Although initially disappointed, it was a great decision as we had a glorious day on Friday 13. Bright blue skies, and warm temperatures were the perfect backdrop for our student’s enthusiasm and their eagerness to participate and celebrate with friends. Once again this year, the participation has been so great that we had to postpone the winner announcements and medals presentations for our Final Assembly in Week 1 of next term. The whole school will find out at the Whole School Assembly as we farewell our Year 12s.
Our Class of 2024 marked the countdown of school with three days of Spirit Celebrations. General Year 12s have completed the school journey and our ATAR students are sitting Mock exams this week and during the second week of the school holidays. They will then have ATAR exam preparation sessions before they sit their final exams. So, before they get busy with their studies, we will all gather on Friday 11 October to farewell the Class of 2024 at a Whole School Assembly, after which the Year 12s will go to celebrate at a luncheon. I wish our Year 12s the very best on their exams and their future.
As you know, I have been offered and accepted a permanent position as Principal of Gilmore College starting Term 4, so I won’t be here to celebrate our Year 12s and farewell the school at the end of the year. Thank you to all the families for their warm welcome and for allowing me to lead such an outstanding school for five terms.
I will leave you with a reminder that students return to school on Tuesday 8 October. Year 12 ATAR students, remember to take time to connect with friends and family in between your studies. Everyone else, be safe, rest up and look after yourselves.
All the best.
Mr M. Paton, Principal
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 steps below.
TERM 4 PLANNER
TERM 4 DAtES TO REMEMBER 2024
Leeming's Got Talent
Leeming's Got Talent is back again this year! This is a great opportunity for students to showcase their talent in front of an audience. Come down the The Circle on Wednesday and Thursday of Week 1 Term 4 and support your fellow students!
Japanese Specialist After School Enrichment Workshops
It’s been another busy term for our Year 7 and 8 Japanese Specialist students, who have been participating in weekly after school enrichment workshops on the topic of “Japanese Fairy Tales”. In recent workshops, students got a taste of two fairy tales from Japan – the Peach Boy and The Monkey Crab Battle – and they tried some of the foods from these stories.
2024 EP WA Regional Championship Results!
Students from Leeming SHS competed in the annual Education Perfect WA Regional Championships from the 26 – 30 August.
The Leeming SHS Achievements are as follows:
- 1st overall globally.
- 1st overall in Australia.
- 1st overall in WA.
- 1st in the 501-1000 students category.
The top 10 students at Leeming SHS are:
- Kay L. O.: 4,977 Emerald
- Amelia L.: 4,791 Emerald
- Ryu N.: 4,576 Emerald
- Avelyn G.: 3,885 Emerald
- Nicolas N.: 3,638 Emerald
- Ruby D.: 3,637 Emerald
- Aqisha D.G.: 3,547 Emerald
- Kai L.: 3,516 Emerald
- Zay K.: 2,304 Gold
- Amber McM.: 2,100 Gold
Congratulations everyone that participated to gain these amazing results!
Sgro. Sensei, Japanese Specialist Teacher
Book Week – Reading is Magic
The theme for Book Week this year was Reading is Magic. It was fantastic to see so many Year 12 students come dressed up to celebrate their final school Book Week. To set the mood, each day Library staff dressed as different characters. These ranged from Harry Potter, Where’s Wally, Vikings and the big finale was Magicians and Wizards to fit in with the Book Week theme & decorations.
The Library had a huge display set up to reflect the theme with a full size stage with a magician doing a magical act. There was also a plane flying past dragons and through the clouds and nearby was a waterfall with Tiddalick the frog and many other animals. Year 7 students created digital jigsaws of the books in their Digital Literacy classes and competed in a Where’s Wally Scavenger Hunt.
On the final day, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was a huge success with more than 200 staff and students dressed in costume coming together to celebrate the importance of reading and Book Week. A lot of students made their own costumes, which was fantastic.
A big thank you to everyone who joined in the celebrations – We can’t wait for next year!
SCIENCE WEEK
The Library helped celebrate Science Week each lunchtime with students having the opportunity to participate in lots of different STEAM activities.
- They worked together building Strawbee bridges, buildings and towers.
- Drove the RVRs, ollies and spheroes around the circulation desk.
- Tried wearing the VR goggles and experienced riding roller coasters and skydiving through the clouds.
Just a quick reminder that students are able to borrow books to read over the holidays and don’t forget about the eBooks available 24/7.
Enjoy.
Ms C. Steel , Teacher Librarian
Have Sum Fun Online Competition
In Term 3, Year 7, 8 and 9 STA students had the opportunity to test their skills against some of the top mathematical minds in the state by participating in the Have Sum Fun Online competition, organised by Mathematics Association of WA. Our students tackled a variety of challenging mathematical puzzles and problems, showcasing their problem-solving abilities and teamwork.
We are thrilled to recognise the outstanding efforts of our students who participated in these competitions. While our students did not score a top three position this time, their participation and perseverance were commendable. One of our Year 7 teams made an impressive showing, achieving 4th place in the league tables. This is a fantastic accomplishment, considering the high level of competition from schools across the region.
Ms S. Kalra, Mathematics HOLA
This term, we have been talking about value and self-worth, so I shared this story with some of the students to understand appreciation.
The young man was sitting with his grandfather and he said "I have an old car in the shed ...and I am going to give it to you. But before I give it to you, I want you to take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them I want to sell it and see how much they offer you."
The grandson went to the used car lot, returned to his grandfather and said, "They offered me $1000 because it looks very old and worn out."
The grandfather said, "Take it to the pawn shop."
The grandson went to the pawn shop, returned to his grandfather and said, "The pawn shop offered $100 because it was a very old car and dirty."
The grandfather asked his grandson to go to a car club and show them the car.
The grandson took the car to the club, returned and told his grandfather “Some people in the club offered me over a $100,000 for it, since it is a Ford XY GT iconic car and sought after by many."
The grandfather said to his grandson, "I wanted you to know that the right place values you the right way."
If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means that you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you. Never stay in a place where no one sees your value.
Carl the Chaplain
A quick note from Deb, the school nurse: "Wishing all students and families a safe, restful, healthy and happy holiday. I wish all year 12’s sitting the Mock exams all the very best wishes. See you all in Term 4."
Women's Health Week
During Women’s Health week the library supported me by displaying posters and printing off information.Each day, there has been such great information sent out each day from the Jean Hailes website promoting women’s health week.
This year, Jean Hailes shared loads of new stories and resources to help strengthen your voice and give you more choices. Topics discussed each day are listed below:
- Day 1 - 2/9/24 – Know your body. About getting to know our bodies. Zoning in on skin checks, bowel health, vulval self-checks and more.
- Day 2- 3/9/24 - Courageous conversations-. Your voice is one of the most important tools in your health care. But some health issues are hard to talk about. Think of today as a confidence boost. We're sharing tips, tools, and empowering info.
- Day 3 - 4/9/2024- Shame and stigma- Taboos and challenging the uncomfortable. Meet the women who have faced their health fears head-on and let's spread the word that shame and stigma have no place in health care.
- Day 4 - 5/9/2024 – Point of difference - You might not realise it, but women’s health is more than periods and pregnancy. Today, we’re exposing the sex and gender differences. This is women's health beyond the bikini line.
- Day 5 – 6/9/2024 – Trust your gut- It can be hard to make healthy food choices with so much conflicting info out there. Today, we’re cutting through the noise and going back to basics to help you choose what’s right for you.
Please go to Jean Hailes website and read the valuable information about female issues and treatments.
R U OK? Day 2024
R U OK? Day was marled by the school on Thursday 12 September. The whole school supported this day with yellow pancakes for the start of the day and choc chip cookies and cupcakes for recess. Information and education was provided to students in classes by teaching staff. Also, the Library supported the event with Rachel Holt’s Year 12 Health Studies students work displayed, & posters.
Start a conversation that could change a life. Who will you ask? Why start a conversation? Here are a few points from the R U OK? website:
- Connection is a vital part of health and well-being. It helps in coping with challenges like stressful life events, mental health problems, relationship breakdowns and bereavement.
- Staying connected and helping your loved ones, friends and colleagues stay connected too, is as simple as having regular, meaningful conversations.
- Most people don’t openly share their feelings, particularly when they are struggling. Don’t wait for a sign – trust your instincts.
- A conversation could change a life.
- The best thing you could do is regularly ask the people you care about “Are you OK?”
- Talking about a person’s problems and the risk that they might harm themselves actually reduces the chance of their taking their own life. It is one thing we can all do to make a real difference.
- Asking “Are you OK?” can prevent little problems turning into big ones. So ask “Are you OK?” early, even if the person doesn’t seem to be at a high risk.
- If they are OK, the worst thing that can happen is that they know that you care about them. If they are not OK, that conversation could change a life.
Starting a conversation is the first step. Sometimes just talking about a problem can help provide the answers – or at least put the problem in perspective.
When you’re not OK, it’s time to take action. If a loved one, friend or colleague is concerned about you, don’t turn them away. Take the hint and talk to someone who can help. Sometimes you might think your problems are too personal, or that no-one else will understand, but that’s the point of a conversation – to talk things through. There’s plenty of help and support available.
Have a conversation with a health professional, like a GP or a team member in a community mental health service (just check a phone book for details). You won’t be judged and you won’t be criticised.
Crisis lines like Lifeline (13 11 14) or Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) can also help when things are very tough. If you’re worried about your immediate safety, then call 000. Please see the links below for websites where you can get further help:
How to have a positive conversation. Lifeline has developed five top tips to help you connect with other people:
- Be receptive. Take the lead, show initiative and ask: “Are you OK?" Make it clear that “I’ve got time to talk”.
- Use ice breakers to continue the conversation. Use open-ended questions like: “So tell me about…?”
- Practise your listening skills. Listen to what the person is saying, be open-minded and non-judgmental. Avoid giving advice unless it’s wanted – sometimes people just need to talk about their concerns and know that someone cares.
- Be encouraging. When it’s appropriate, encourage the person to seek professional help from their family doctor, a support service or counsellor, or a mental health worker.
- Be helpful. It’s not helpful to pressure the person to “snap out of it” or “cheer up”, or to avoid them, or to assume that the problem will just go away.
Information for Parents and Carers
Young people can go through many different changes as they grow up. Raising sensitive issues and working to resolve problems that arise along the way can be challenging. It can often be hard as a parent to know the difference between normal behaviour, such as moodiness, irritability and withdrawal and an emerging mental health problem. If a young person develops a mental health problem it is important that they get help early.
A mental illness usually develops slowly over time. Most parents know when something is really different, but here are some signs that suggest a young person might be experiencing serious problems:
- New: noticeable and persistent changes that last at least a few weeks.
- Behaviour: for example, appetite, sleep, use of drugs or alcohol, avoiding school/work, poor motivation, withdrawal from people.
- Feelings: for example, unhappiness, depression, irritability, fear, anger, loss of pleasure.
- Thinking: for example, poor concentration, a drop in school performance, constant worrying, preoccupation with some thoughts, hearing or seeing things that are not there.
For more information and to find out how to get help, visit the headspace website.
Refresh the Mind - The Liptember Foundation is supporting a learn-to-surf program that encourages stronger connections and wellbeing for women. In a country where our coastlines stretch for kilometres, it seems the power of the ocean is a restorative tool used by many. It is that healing power of water that mental health and surf therapy charity Waves of Wellness (WOW) has harnessed for its programs.
It runs eight-week programs facilitated by mental health professional who also double as surf instructors. Sessions balance mental health conversations with lessons in surfing. “The overarching aim is to improve participants’ overall mental health by building resilience and fostering a sense of community. WOW co-founder and chief executive Joel Pilgrim says.
Joel a long time surfer and occupational therapist who specialises in mental health Founded in 2016, WOW now operates in 4 states in Australia and has supported more than 4600 participants including women experiencing trauma and at-risk young people.
It is supported by the Liptember Foundation, which aims to improve the mental health of Australian Women. The annual survey also found the top triggers for mental health issues included low self-esteem/confidence, financial stress or pressure and being too hard on yourself.
Female WOW participants have said the surfing mental health program has enabled them to “Regain confidence and clarity” and “turn up for my own health.” “The current research tells us the main areas positively impacted by our programs and improved mental health, social connectedness, personal growth and physical health” Joel say’s.
Mental Health Issues affecting Australian women in 2024
- 46% are affected by depression.
- 41% are affected by anxiety and generalised anxiety disorder.
- 29% have issues with body image.
Source the Liptember Foundation. The WOW program builds confidence and connection.
Mental Health Week 7-14th October 2024
Mental Health Week brings awareness to mental health and wellbeing nationally and scheduled around World Mental Health Day in October. Mental Health Week is a national celebration encouraging social connection.
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 and flare-ups are often more prevalent during the winter and spring. However, good management can help children with asthma and their carers get through this tricky time of year with more confidence.
Asthma Week (September 1 - 7) marks the first week of spring and most people with asthma or allergies need to take extra care. Pollens from grasses, weeds or trees can trigger allergic responses, causing asthma and hay fever to flare-up. Asthma and hay fever are closely linked, and approximately 80% of people with asthma also have hay fever. About asthma and hay fever:
- Treating hay fever can help keep asthma under control.
- Find out what triggers a person’s hay fever and try to avoid these allergens where possible.
- Corticosteroid nasal sprays are the most effective medicine for persistent hay fever. They need to be taken regularly to work properly.
- Antihistamine tablets or nasal sprays are the most common choice for people with hay fever. They help to relieve the symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and nasal congestion.
- Continue to take asthma preventer medication every day as prescribed to reduce the likelihood of hay fever and asthma flare-ups.
Reminder: The nurse does NOT give medications e.g., Antihistamines, panadol to students. If your child suffers with hay fever symptoms on waking in the morning, please give your child a non-drowsy long-acting antihistamine before school and if your child has no symptoms on waking, please give your child an antihistamine to bring to school in case symptoms occur at school. Thanks for your support in this.
Mrs D. Kitak, School Nurse
Leeming Senior High School Bus Service Changes
Transperth will extend a trip on the Route 514 bus service to commence at Leeming Senior High School from the beginning of Term 4 2024. This change will introduce a one bus journey for students in Bibra Lake after school.
The bus will depart Leeming Senior High School (Ramsdale Loop) at 2.58pm on school days and travel express to Murdoch Station before continuing on to Cockburn Central Station via Bibra Lake.
Students should verify that the bus they board displays "Cockburn Central Station 514" on its destination screen.
The continuation of this service depends on consistent and strong patronage.
Students will continue their morning commute as usual by transferring to the Route 515 bus at Murdoch Station. There will be no changes to other bus services at Leeming Senior High School.
Government Funded Financial Support - Saver Plus
What is Saver Plus? Saver Plus is a program for people on lower incomes. It’s about enhancing financial skills, to develop (and keep) good savings habits. Since 2003, Saver Plus has supported more than 60,000 people to start saving.
Saver Plus has helped overcome the barriers around education expenses. And sets families up for a brighter future. To be eligible You must have all of the following:
- A Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
- an eligible Centrelink payment*
- Be studying yourself OR have a child in school (can be starting school next year)
- Have regular income from work (either yourself or your partner)* including Carers Payment / Child Support / Cash in hand
- Be 18+ years old
- Agree to join in free online financial education workshops called MoneyMinded
* Many types of income and Centrelink payments are eligible, see the Saver Plus terms and conditions for more information.
What are the eligible savings goals? Eligible savings goals are education related products or services eg:
School Holiday Activities
Acknowledgement of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional custodians of this land on which Leeming Senior High School stands, the Whadjak/Noongar people.
It is a privilege to be standing on Noongar country. We acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal Australians to the education of all children and people in this country we all live in and share together – Australia.