Academic Life & Learning
Science Week 2020
Week 5 of Term 3 saw Science Week decend on Belridge with the theme of “The Deep Blue”.
On Monday teams of students volunteered their lunch to try and build an oil rig tower out of toothpick and jubes. Their towers were judged on height and the weight they could support. It soon became apparent how important triangles are in tower construction as some towers began to twist and shear! The towers were tested Tuesday recess and a clear winner was evident as it failed at 900 grams of weight.
On Tuesday students volunteered their lunch to view a short documentary on plastic waste in our oceans. Did you know that sea birds can contain up to 15% of their body weight as plastic in their bodies? That’s like a 42.5 kg student carrying an extra 7.5 kg of plastic in their gut!! After viewing students participated in a plastic collection and amassed an entire kilogram of plastic in just a 7-minute search around the school yard.
On Wednesday students experimented with the Quiver app which allows students to transform their 2D pictures into 3D images on an iPad.
On Thursday students had the opportunity to go fishing in the library and catch a bucket load of fish. Students discovered the rarity of certain fish species, as well as the things that can harm our fishing experience.
A week long colouring competition has been open to all Year groups during Science Week. Some budding artists had the opportunity to share their gifts with the rest of the school.
Congratulations to all those students whom participated in the events. Well done to those whom achieved highly in the competitions. A big thank you to all of the staff whom ran and supervised the events.
Science week place-getters:
| Daily Competition |
1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| Oil Rig Tower | Jamie Buttery Cameron Spence |
Charlotte Vinson Finley Dalla-Costa |
Cooper Gildon |
| Ocean Plastic | Jamie Buttery | Charlotte Vinson |
Norah Flaherty |
| Quiver in 3D | Finley Dalla-Costa | Norah Flaherty |
Sophie Olsen |
| Fishing in the library | Riley Gillies Jacob Berry |
Max Ranson Jose Hernandez |
Finn Naylor |
Colouring competition winners:
| Year 7 | Holly Everett |
| Year 8 | Ruby Markostamos, Eliana Kendall and Finley Dalla-Costa |
| Year 10 | Mitchell Uren |
| Year 12 | Kaiya Lowenhoff |
Special thanks to Ruby Markostamos and Ashley Young for their contribution to the Science displays in the Front Office and Library and students (just too many to mention!) who participated in activities.
Brett Crosbie
Head of Science Learning Area
AQWA Marine Biologist Presentation
'Without Wonder, there is no wisdom'
To celebrate the 2020 National Science Week theme ‘Deep Blue’, Belridge SC hosted many exciting events to engage students. One of these events was a visit on the 3rd September, by AQWA marine biologist Sasha Thompson.
Students were given an opportunity to discover how to become a marine biologist, and Sasha provided many personal insights to the marine world. For example, did you know that male humpback whales from the Western Australian coast produce whale songs so popular they quickly spread to the Eastern Coast of Australia, and then to the rest of the world?
Sasha answered many questions that students raised, and the best question chosen by the marine biologist won a family voucher to visit AQWA.
Bree Johnstone (Year 9) was the winner, asking the question “If we don’t see oxygen, can fish see water?”
Students responses to Sasha’s AQWA presentation included:
“Having this opportunity was absolutely amazing. I learned lots of new things and I'm beginning to understand the world more. Being a marine biologist must be an amazing job, and I would love to attend one of those talks again. The lady was really nice too”! Ruby Markostamos (Year 8)
“It was really interesting to learn all about the new innovations that we are getting from marine life, for example the shark denticles design in swimsuits, boat rudders and water pipes. I was really amazed when I learned about the rainbow mantis shrimp and that they can see different wavelengths and many more colours compared to us”. Will Orr (Year 8)
“The talk was amazing and informative. It changed my whole perspective on the Deep Blue and how every species has evolved to become the most efficient they can. For example, the sharks skin being perfectly designed for swimming and how the mantis shrimp’s claws can produce a powerful punch”. Tristin du Toit (Year 8)
“I learnt that some fish produce a gooey substance that they feed to their children and also use it to make a bubble that they can sleep in. The marine biologist had a lot to say and provided heaps of facts about the ocean and the creatures who live in it. She also answered many questions that the students had”. Sophie Manville (Year 10)
“The experience was interesting. I learnt that a prawn can hit at high velocity and fish can drown”. Nathan Pugh (Year 10)
“She was very informative, very nice and I can’t stop thinking about the shark skin suits”. Zoe Condon (Year 10)
“She spoke very passionately about ocean life and answered some of our questions. Lots of information was shared and students that enjoy or take interest in biology would enjoy listening and learning from her". Tanika Smith (Year 10)
“I learnt so many cool facts and new knowledge” Jorja Huntley (Year 10)
“The experience was interesting and engaging, and I learnt some fish eat their own slime” (Year 10 student)
“I learnt how incredible marine life truly is. That even the most “pointless” creatures still have a vital role in the ecosystem”. Kyle Pearce (Year 10)
“I enjoyed the presentation and the plethora of aquatic knowledge attained from it. The marine biologist expertly and thoroughly conveyed information about oceanic research and issues, giving myself and the audience an accessible experience". James Lun (Year 10)
“I found it to be a great experience to get away from normal science classes for a while and see something new. It was great to learn new things I haven’t learnt before and see a unique career choice. It was very interesting to learn about creatures I didn’t even know existed”. Joseph Warnes (Year 9)
“I really liked when our presenter was talking about how whales in different locations sing different songs, I found that very interesting”. Jack Harrex (Year 9)
I found it really interesting that sharks can sense things really well. I was amazed that sharks would be able to tell the difference between 18 and 18.001 oC”. Riley Gillespie (Year 9)
Science Learning Area
Humanties & Social Sciences
Where does our food come from?
Food Security is the physical and economic access to food across the globe and the Year 9’s have enjoyed learning about biomes and food as a part of the Geography curriculum. We bought in a range of food items and tried to guess where they came from. For most of them, we were way off and investigating why these foods are packaged in different places was super interesting. We then mapped the food items and found patterns around where our food is grown and where it is sent to be packaged. Our foods came from India, Australia, Poland, and New Zealand but some were packaged in Switzerland, Thailand, Indonesia and China.
Mrs Wright
Humanities and Social Sciences Teacher
Happy International Literacy Day!
In recognition of International Literacy Day, students have been creating Window Word Walls for their classrooms. Word Walls is a strategy used at Belridge to help students develop subject-specific vocabulary and improve spelling.
Alicia Holliday
Facilitator Literacy Lead Team
Mathematics Learning Area
Earlier this term, for the first time at Belridge Secondary College, students were given the chance to compete in the AFG Interschool Numero Challenge. Our team, the Belridge Brains, loved every second of their excursion to the competition at St Stephen’s School and even came 4th in one of the challenges. This is the start of something exciting for Belridge and the students can’t wait for next year to go back bigger and better!
Madison Dimitroff
Mathematics Teacher
The Arts
Students designing their future ...
Mrs Hales’ Visual Arts students recently had the pleasure of former student Dean Cinquini returning to his high school to talk about a career in graphic design. Dean graduated from Belridge in 2005. Areas discussed ranged from pathways of an art student to practicing artist, from concept to finished product, submitting portfolios and strategies for promoting artwork.
Thank you Dean for taking the time to come and share your experiences and provide students with a look into the world of graphic design. Your guidance and time were very much appreciated.
Noelene Hales
Visual Arts Teacher
Fashion Design
The Arts learning area is delighted to announce that 3 Belridge Fashion Design students gained STATE FINALIST places in this year’s Wool4School 2020 student design competition run by The Woolmark Company. Congratulations to the following students on your fantastic achievement in this national competition.
Shae Kavanagh (Year 7)
Jade Lardis (Year 8)
Assie Brightman (Year 8)
This year’s criteria challenged students ‘to design a garment or outfit inspired by flora and fauna and incorporating fibres which are gentle on the earth’. The design of the garment also had to incorporate a minimum of 70% wool.
All students who participated in this competition are to be commended on their hard work and quality of their designs.
Fashion Design Teacher
Music Concert
Music Teacher
Year 9 Students
Are you our next Peer Support Leaders?
Students who are interested in participating are encouraged to collect a nomination form from Student Services.
Year 9 Coordinator
Pies and Pi
Students in the Year 10 Advanced Computing class this week began working with Raspberry Pi computers. Students will be using these pocket sized personal computers as they learn the Python programming language.
As students connected their Raspberry Pi computers up to keyboards, mice and monitors, they also got to enjoy home baked raspberry pies and python lollies that Mr O’Neil brought in for the lesson!
Working with the Python language and the Raspberry Pi computers this term will give students an opportunity to learn valuable skills, not only in computer programming, but also in computer hardware and cybersecurity.
Stephen O'Neil
Business & IT Teacher
Design & Technology
Education Support students recently had the opportunity to work with recycled timber and create Jarrah chopping boards, which were designed and made for the ESC market day in late 2020.
The Year 8 students spent the last seven weeks working on these boards, which requirement involves skills using industry machinery such as electric hand sanders. All students checked a successful outcome by contributing to the whole school community by giving back and showing off their craftsmanship skills in Design and Technology.
The Design & Technology department encourages all students to use recycled material and accentuate the importance of recycling timber. We use a vegetable base oil to stain the timber which also makes it safe for serving / cutting food on the board.
We encourage the local community to get in touch with the Design & Technology department if they have any left over timber such as old Jarrah pergolas or construction pine they are willing to donate to help support our students in creating their projects thoughout the year and to give back to the local community.
Lloyd Silva
Design & Technology Teacher
BSC Education Support students showing off their amazing creations
STEM Data Science with Dr Liz Dallimore
Students from Belridge Secondary College were recently provided with a unique opportunity to participate in the first Transformers: WA STEM Careers Forum. Leading the way in WA is Dr Liz Dallimore, Director WA Science Innovation Hub who discussed the endless career options available to students who are data literate. From Loreal to Nike, Toyota to Netflix, data science is in high demand and throughout the world is deemed the “career of the century”. With extremely high salaries, a broad range of industries, innovation and diverse geographic locations available; why not study Data Science?!
Dr Dallimore discussed case studies where data science is used including behaviour of fires in the recent bushfire events and how data influenced the action plan, sporting clubs (particularly AFL), health and sustainability, data science is used everywhere.
Most companies employing data scientists require Python Coding which is learned in the Bachelor Degree of the university course, but our students at Belridge Secondary College have a head start as many are already learning this language within both the Technologies Learning Area and in the Academic Enrichment Program.
We are certainly preparing our students to be future ready!
Glynne Bartle
AEP Coordinator
Home Economics
Unfortunately the Annual Chaplain’s Dinner was cancelled this year due to COVID, leaving our Year 11 & 12 Hospitality Students needing an alternative event to test their skills and be assessed by an external assessor, as part of their certificate course.
Students have been working on their sandwich unit, which also required them to practice their customer service skills. A food hall was devised enabling students to run a food hall style lunch service over several dates, where they prepared and served a variety of sandwich styles and hot & cold drinks for staff, which proved very popular!
The food hall also provided an opportunity for Year 12 students to be formally observed and assessed on their hospitality skills by our Registered Training Organisation, HGT (Hospitality Group Training). The feedback received from the assessors was glowing! Assessors were also extremely impressed by students' service and interactions with their customers.
Well done to all students involved and on a job well done!
Ms Cheryl and Micael Corless
Teacher in Charge and Hospitality Teacher
Home Economics
Wear It Purple Day
Wear It Purple Day was held on Friday 28 August to raise awareness and promote inclusivity in relation to the LGBT+ community. Many of our staff and students showed their support by wearing purple, and participating in activities such as a celebrity quiz, a lolly jar challenge, face painting and a pop-up photo booth. Our school radiated positivity as we celebrated diversity, and recognised the importance of developing tolerance and respect for others. Thank you to all the staff and students - especially the Student Councillors - who embraced and promoted the Wear It Purple Day message - that "Everyone has the right to feel proud of who they are".
Miss Clarke
English Teacher
RU OK? Day 2020
R U OK? Day (Thursday 10 September) is the national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” and support those struggling with life's ups and downs.
All students at Belridge engaged R U OK? themed activities that built on and developed their communication skills and teamwork. Students in each year group had to work together to form a letter of the R U OK? slogan as well as work in partners or teams to complete four different tasks that were run by Belridge Secondary College’s wonderful student councillors. Students played tug-o-war, mind field, R U OK articulate and wrote affirmation message; which will be used later when people need to hear them. The purpose of these activities was to raise awareness of the importance of communication with our friends, family, peers and staff at the College.
The message our students took away from the day is to "Remember; you're never too young to look out for one another and ask R U OK? When you ask the question, you're not expected to fix their problems or know the best way to help and support. But you can listen to what they're saying and tell a teacher or trusted adult if you are worried about someone".
Mental Health & Wellbeing Lead Team
Numeracy Week 2020
September 7 to 11 is National Literacy and Numeracy Week. As part of our celebrations at Belridge Secondary College, lunchtime and form time activities were held over the week, as well as some online activities for students and parents.
Monday saw the start of events with Finska on the library lawn. Students competed for the first to reach 25 points, with many strategies in play to calculate the ideal pins to knock down to reach exactly 25 while not going over – back to 12 points if you did!!
FINSKA WINNERS
| 1st | James Lunn | $20 Coles voucher |
| 2nd | Elijah Manilay | $10 Coles voucher |
| 3rd | Elouise Syers | $5 canteen voucher |
This was also the start of the online events, vwllss mths wrds and parent numeracy challenge
VWLLS MTHS WRDS – average score 55 out of 98
| 1st | Will Johnstone | 92 correct | $20 Coles voucher |
| 2nd | Christel Din | 88 correct | $10 Coles voucher |
PARENT NUMERACY CHALLENGE
50 parents entries
These students (thanks to their parents) receive prizes also!
| 1st | Hazim - 9.02 | $20 Coles voucher |
| 2nd | Lesley - 9.03 | $10 Coles voucher |
| 3rd | Lleyton | $5 canteen voucher |
Throughout the week, form time saw a KAHOOT quiz on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The winning forms were:
| Tuesday | 9.4 | Mitchell |
| Thursday | 12.5 | Ellena |
| Friday | 7.5 | James and Kayne |
These students will receive a $5 canteen voucher for themselves and a prize to share with their form mates.
Tuesday also saw the Home Economics room abuzz with students figuring out common uses for numeracy in the kitchen. There were several valiant attempts, with the winners:
| 1st | Lucas Moyle | $20 Coles voucher |
| 2nd | Jay Cox and Ben Vaughan (tie) | $10 Coles voucher each |
Wednesday was PROBLEM SOLVING activities in M6, with a committed group of students trying their hand at some quite challenging problems.
Thursday was the COLOURING IN in in the library – a combination of numeracy (calculating to do colour by number) and mindfulness (colouring is a relaxing pastime). Students took their art work home with them, and some are also being prepared for display.
Many thanks to our hard working Lead Team: Numeracy consisting of:
Mr Blakeney (Science), Ms Collins (Phys Ed), Mr Davies (Maths),
Ms Dimitroff (Maths), Dr Lambert (English) and Ms Wilkes (Home Ec)
Thanks also to all the students who joined in the activities over the week, and your form teachers who played the kahoot with you in form time and recorded the results for us.
And finally, a special thanks to our daily PA announcer, Mr Notarpietro.
Stuart Rutter
Coordinator for Numeracy Lead Team
Dance Showcase
The Dance Students of Belridge Secondary College present; MELIORA (ad. better things are coming). The Dance students from Years 7-12 will be performing the 2020 Dance Showcase on Saturday 17th October at the Redmond Theatre, Prendiville Catholic College from 6.00pm. Tickets can be purchased from the Front Office from Monday 14th September (for Year 12 Students) and Monday 21st September for all students and staff.
Please come along and support our talented students at this event.
Heather Currie
Dean of Studies - The Arts
Dance and Drama Teacher