Middle School News - e-News 10 -2017

2017 Atwell Youth Art Award Winners

Our Year 7 Art students have picked up an award from Atwell Gallery for their collaborative, artistic endeavours. Title of the work ‘Homage to Oldenburg’ Collaborative Pop Art Public Art installation. The students involved:

Zoee Cokcetin
Hudson Craig-Power
Molly Dawkins
Erin Doherty
Harry Dunleavy
Zak Grbelja
May Hopwood
Abriam Kalaiarasan
Hugh Livingston
Lucas Maghiar
Maisy Metcalfe-Gibson
Tia Monument
Erin Peters
Sinead Rego
Claudia Werch

Mark Parker has been nominated for a separate award, Title of the artwork ‘Preador’ Comic Painting.

National Programming Competition

Congratulations to the following Middle School students were competed in the University of New South Wales National programming competition on Friday 16 June.

Year 8

  • Thomas Erkes
  • Blake Chiera
  • Jacob D’Aurizio
  • Marius Rodari
  • Elijah White-U
  • Sanjeev Singh
  • Adriana Romeo
  • Annalise Fernandez
  • Leah Nigli
  • Jacinta Symons

Year 9

  • Edison (Mao Zhe) Foo
  • Thomas Nicholls
  • Adam Neri

Homework

Home study is seen as an integral part of the academic program of the College. It is recommended that all students should be engaged in consistent home learning. Regular, planned study timeslots organised around family, leisure and sport commitments are a guideline for success.

The guidelines below are average times recommended for 5 days/times per week (including weekends).

  • Year 7 - 30-60 minutes per day
  • Year 8 - 45-75 minutes per day
  • Year 9 - 60-90 minutes per day

What is expected of Teachers?

  • Homework should be issued with the intention to assist students consolidate their learning
  • Outcome of homework should be communicated to students
  • Provide suggested time to spend on set activities, e.g. (15 minutes)
  • Differentiate homework to appropriately challenge each level of learner
  • Homework should be entered on SEQTA.

What is expected of the student at home?

  • Ensure that all possible homework is completed
  • Work for short, concentrated bursts. Twenty to forty minutes of fully-focused effort interspersed with short breaks is recommended

Parents can help by?

  • Regularly checking SEQTA for communications from teachers
  • Providing a suitable environment for home study
  • Insisting on a high standard of neatness for all work in all subject areas
  • Providing firm support to follow a set study plan (thus helping the student to avoid overloading on any one night)
  • Providing resources (e.g. providing internet access, obtaining books, encouraging the use of the library)
  • Monitoring the effective use of the Internet
  • Being actively involved in the learning with students
  • If a student is unable to complete an ‘overnight’ learning task due to family reasons, please either email the teacher concerned or write a note in the Student Diary.

Uniform and Grooming

Parents are urged to ensure that their children’s uniform and grooming is perfect for the start of the Term Three.  It is expected that the College uniform is to be worn with pride and for students to ensure that they are fully compliant with all College regulations.  While holidays may be a time for more extreme hairstyles and casual dress, this should not be carried over into the school environment. It would be most unfortunate if your son’s or daughter’s start of Term is marred by failing to comply with the College’s requirements and the consequences which would flow from this.

Home-School Communication

Parents are reminded that in the first instance, if you have concerns about your son’s or daughter’s progress, it is always appropriate to make direct contact with the relevant class teacher.  If there is no resolution to your concerns, the College’s protocols require the Head of Year or Learning Area Coordinator to be contacted.

As our teachers have full time teaching loads, please note that any return of parental contact may not be possible until the following day.  You are also encouraged to use Direct Message in SEQTA to bring matters to the attention of staff.

The eNews is a fortnightly communication which provides our College community with important information.  You will receive an e-mail providing a link to the College Website.   The eNews is available electronically through the College website.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews - Tuesday 25 July

Interviews for Years 7 to 12 will be conducted on Tuesday 25 July from 12.30pm to 7.30pm. There will be a thirty minute break from 5pm to 5.30pm. 

Please note that there may be a limited number of timeslots available.  To help with this, please ensure you only book ONE timeslot with your child’s teacher, even if they teach your child in multiple subjects.

If you are unable to secure a timeslot during this round of P/T/S interviews, you may contact the relevant teachers directly to arrange a meeting on another date.

If your child’s teacher has indicated ‘Interview requested’ in his/her Semester One Report, it is highly recommended that you book an interview with the relevant teacher(s), even if the PTO booking system does not specify that an interview is requested. If your child does not have any interview requests, then your discretion should be used as to whether or not you book an interview with their teacher(s).

PTO will be made available to parents for bookings on Wednesday 19 July at 8.00am and will close on Monday 24 July 8.00am (one day before the interviews).

Please contact Sara Tuson at Student Services on 6332 2505 or stuson@corpus.wa.edu.au

if you need further assistance.

Year 9 Pastoral Session - Amy Coombe

Yvette Pearce
Head of Year 9

Having worked with over 20,000 Teens, Teachers and Parents across Australia in relation to all things mental health, wellbeing and body image, Amy knows that there has never been a time when caring about mental health and wellbeing has been so important. Amy shares her professional and personal tools, strategies and stories, to help teens cope in a world where they are switched on 27/7 both mentally and physically.

Amy presented to the Year 9s in Monday’s Pastoral Period and gave them some valuable advice, real life experience and contacts to help them manoeuvre through the complicated world they live in today. For students who are needing further support Amy and the College recommend, and as well as the opportunity to meet with one of our College Counsellors; Mrs Goodchild or Mrs Rossi. 

Digital Citizenship and Digital Footprint

Digital Citizenship and Digital Footprint

Mr Daniel Budd
Director of Learning Technologies

On Wednesday 21 June, Mr Budd revised what it means for students to have a respectful digital footprint and the responsibility of digital citizenship. He discussed that we all should all be aiming for a digital footprint that is representative of how each individual would like to be perceived by their peers, family and community today and in the future.

Mr Budd reminded Year 9’s of the expectations, College policies and benefits of their internet accessibility. Digital communication was also a focus of the presentation, as students are interacting with the wider community to complete their Personal Projects and need to remember appropriate communication at all times. If students or parents have any questions regarding the College ICT policy or ICT questions in general they are encouraged to contact Mr Budd.

Careers Week - Week 10

Rachel Burke
Careers Coordinator

As a part of 'Careers Week' at the College in Week 10, teachers of Years 7-12 will generate a whole school conversation about different career pathways. Each teacher will briefly speak to their classes about: 

  • Occupations their subject area can lead to
  • Transferable skills learnt in their subject area
  • Subject area industry trends
  • Their own career journey
  • How career paths can change with time and experience
  • Starting out in their career- part-time jobs, internships, networking, interviewing etc.

A range of non-teaching professionals at the College including an Accountant, School Psychologist, Chef, Nutritionist, Carpenter, Horticulturalist, IT Technician and Business Administrator will briefly visit a range of classes to talk about their own job, career pathways and experiences. 

Conversations beginning in Years 7-9 relating to possible future careers, pathways and individual experiences, form a part of the foundation on which senior students deepen their knowledge of Career Development and make decisions about future subject selections, course pre-requisites, university and TAFE pathways. 

Students in Years 7-9 have the opportunity to establish their own career exploration profile through  using their school email address. This subscribed website allows students to; complete quizzes based on their interests and strengths, match strengths with possible occupations, view videos of a range of occupations, and future job prospects. 

Corpus CommunicationseNews, Middle School