Welcome to Term 2, we are already more than halfway through the term and have some great stories to share with you.

The highlight of this term so far has to be our C8 Camp. In Week 4, 120 Year 8 students attended the Swan Valley Adventure Centre for a 2 night, 3-day camp. As usual, our teachers stepped up to the plate, volunteering their time and energy to make this an unforgettable time for our students. The camp provided the chance for teachers and students to see each other in a different light, to build relationships and strengthen bonds that will hopefully translate into effective partnerships back at school. A big thank you to all the staff that attended and gave up their time, in particular Rebecca Edmonds for her hard work in the organisation and management of the event.

Early this term we also held our student course tasters across our specialist programs and our first round of AEP testing. Thank you to the staff for planning and delivery of these sessions. I saw lots of smiling faces leaving at the end of the session. Hopefully we get to see them again as Belridge students next year.

This year, we held our first large ANZAC ceremony since I have been at the College. It was great to see the students involved in the service and sitting so respectfully out front of the school. We had contributions from students in our armed services who laid some beautiful wreaths beneath the flag poles to mark the occasion. A warm thank you goes to Mrs Wright and the Student Council for marking such an important event.

Our student council were also involved in our annual “Wear What You Wish” day, raising money for children with cancer. The school did an amazing job supporting the event with a solid donation going towards the charity. On Friday of Week 4, staff also took part in the Biggest Morning Tea, raising money for Cancer Council. Both of these events show the amazing support and compassion students and staff of the college have for others, you are amazing!

Mr Mouritz has been busy this term ensuring our students are career ready. He has organised a range of career events across the term for students in Years 9 and 10, including a trip to the career conference expo at the Convention Centre and other specialised local sites.

Students in Years 8-11 will be selecting their subjects for 2024 very shortly. Handbooks are in the process of being finalised and will be available soon on our school website under the curriculum section. We also have a number of Year 11 and 12’s going out on workplace learning. Good luck to them all, I am sure you will do the College proud.

A reminder to parents, with the colder weather closing in, students are not allowed to wear hoodies. A plain navy jumper or fleece or one with a small logo is suitable. The uniform shop – Uniform Concepts in Joondalup also stocks a range of branded Belridge jumpers, tops and jackets to help stay warm. If you are having difficulty sourcing or financing the purchase of a jumper, please let our Student Services team know.

We have had a number of staff retiring this term, this includes Ms Carolyn Wright (Visual Arts), Ms Sylvia Henley (English) and our long-standing Vice Principal Mr Rob Strickland. The College thanks you all for your contributions to Belridge SC and the education of our young people. We also bid farewell to Education Assistant, Angela Ord - see article in newsletter.  We also have some new staff joining the College; Himal Rizal - HPE, Coralie Heberley - English, Brendan Brinkworth - D&T and Ben French - Maths. Welcome to Belridge, we look forward to working with you. Finally, congratulations to Mr Dean Cox on winning the position of HOLA of Technologies at Ellenbrook.

Our Annual Report for 2022 is also available on our school website for your reference, detailing our achievements against our School Business Plan targets across the 2022 school year.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Sharon Lyon
Principal

Semester 1 ATAR Examinations

The Semester 1 ATAR Examinations will be held from Monday 29 May till Thursday 8 June (Weeks 6 and 7). Students have been given their personalised examination timetables with Examination Rules and Procedures on the back. All examinations commence at 8.40am and students are encouraged to be outside the examination room (PA2) at least 15 minutes prior. A complete list of all examinations is available on our website HERE.

These examinations are compulsory and contribute a large portion of the Assessment outline. Should a student be absent from an examination a medical certificate as well as a written explanation from their parent or caregiver is required. The college administration must be advised as soon as possible if a student cannot sit an examination.

I ask students that they prepare adequately for these important examinations. Looking over notes the night before is not sufficient preparation. All students have been given examination preparation and study techniques to best prepare.

I wish all students success in their examinations.

Year 11 & 12 ATAR Holiday Revision Seminars

WACE Plus Education are conducting ATAR revision seminars during the July holidays. All seminars will be held at Hale School. Seminars are 2 hours in duration and run from Monday through to Friday. Fees for each course are $280, however the College will subsidise 50% of the course cost. Meaning costs to students will only be $140 per course.

Ashdale Secondary College are also hosting Master Mind Australia subject and exam preparation sessions with each course cost being $150.  Again, the College will subsidise 50% of the course cost for Years 11 and 12. 

Please refer to the flyer later in this newsletter or on the school website for a full list of courses, dates and times.

Year 11 Changing Subjects for Semester 2

Students who require a change of subjects for Semester 2 are to see Mr Pisano during Weeks 6 and 7 of this term. Written confirmation from parents/caregivers is also required. Changes are not guaranteed, and any changes will be dependent on the availability of places in the desired class.

Year 11 & 12 Semester 2, 2023

Semester 2 for Year 11 & 12 commences on Monday 12 June. Students will not be issued with a new timetable. Students who have changed courses will be given a new timetable when making the change or can collect their new timetable before school on the Monday morning.

Tertiary Institution Talks Program

Year 12 ATAR students are participating in talks from all the tertiary institutions. These informative sessions are held during their Wednesday lunch and Period 5. Thank you to Mr Mouritz (Careers Practitioner) for organising guest speakers.

Electronic Device Policy

This is a timely reminder that should students bring an electronic device to school it should be switched off and placed out of sight for the day. Should you require to contact your child during school hours please contact the administration or Student Services and they will get a message to them. Too many times students have breached the policy and have had their devices confiscated because they chose to not switch it off or genuinely forgotten to and their parents ring or send them a message.

Mario Pisano
Vice Principal - Years 10, 11 and 12

Year 8 Camp

A massive thank you to Rebecca Edmonds (Year 8 Coordinator) for her meticulous planning of the Year 8 Camp. Students had the opportunity to build on their Communication, Critical Thinking and Connections, as part of the C8 theme, which will help them on their journey through high school and life beyond school. You will hear more about the camp in this newsletter and hopefully Year 7 students will begin to get excited about their forthcoming camp in 2024!

Timetables Semester 2

Please note that at the beginning of Term 3 all students in Year 7 and 8 will receive a new timetable for Semester 2. This is so throughout Year 7 and 8 students have the opportunity to experience several different subjects, which will allow them to begin to think about future pathways. Year 9 students will continue with the electives they have been completing in Semester 1.

Year 9 Students Career Taster Opportunities

Our Career Practitioner, Ashley Mouritz, has already organised several career taster excursions for Year 9 students this year. I would encourage you to support your child to attend some of these in order to have a look at some of the many career options open to them post-school. Mr Mouritz is also available in school to have individual meetings with students on careers and pathways.

Planners

As a school, this year, we have introduced a wellbeing planner for all students. Hopefully you have also been receiving the weekly emails that support the topics being covered in school. The importance of equipping students with skills to navigate different situations they may come up against is vital in today’s society. As a school we recognise this and hope that the emails and resources have been useful for your family so far.

Louise Hall
Deputy Principal - Years 7, 8 and 9

Year 9 Positive Engagement Program

A group of Year 9 Girls have been selected to participate in a Positive Engagement Program run by the agency We Are Womxn.

The purpose of the program is to have students recognise the impact of their choices to assist in them setting goals for a positive future.

The program runs for a 2 hour session a week for 6 weeks. The students work with the facilitators on the content, whilst working alongside an artist to create a positive mural in the school.

This week, has been the first week of the program and the mural has begun, we can’t wait to see the outcome of the program!

Follow the Dream

Follow the Dream is a tutoring program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to support their academic, social, and cultural growth. Last week, a number of Year 7-9 Follow the Dream Students attended a Cultural Day at Wireless Hill in Ardross to learn more about their culture, and meet students from other high schools.

Dr Noel Nannup, a highly respected Noongar Elder, spoke with the students about the importance of culture, family, and education. The students participated in dance, music and special men’s business and women’s business during the excursion. They thoroughly enjoyed the day and are keen to continue practicing the skills they were taught.

DNA-V Program

Our School Psychologist is running the DNA-V program for a group of students in Year 10 and 11.

“Write Your Own DNA” is a wellbeing and resilience program based on the DNA-V model for youth development. The model uses acceptance and commitment therapy and positive psychology to help teens build skills to develop psychological flexibility (the ability to do what you care about even when having difficult thoughts and feelings), to manage emotions and achieve their goals. DNA-V stands for Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor and Values.

The program is designed to be used for groups of adolescents in schools and other settings.

The program will run for six lessons, once per week, with a small group of eight female students. We will continue with the program every term with a different group. Each student will be given a student handbook where they can write notes and they will take the workbook home after the final session.

Cyber Safety Parent Seminar

On Tuesday 23rd May, Adam from Armed for Life, presented a Parent Seminar on Cyber Safety.

It has become increasingly difficult to keep our kids safe today. Not only do we need to be wise in what they do outside the home, we need to be aware that being online poses just as much of a threat as being out of the home. The seminar looked at raising parent awareness of what is out there, what our young people are exposed to and what dangers are associated with the common apps such as Snapchat and TikTok.

Thank you to all parents for attending and to Adam for the presentation. We look forward to hosting other parent seminars in the future.

Winter Uniform

A reminder as the cooler weather is coming of the College’s winter uniform.

- Jumpers must be plain navy blue with no hood
- Track pants must be plain navy blue
- Stockings or leggings must be navy blue and worn with a skirt or shorts

*Note: no logos, stripes, patterns are acceptable

Please see the website for full Uniform Policy

What’s Coming Up?

Push Up Challenge

Throughout the month of June, Belridge Secondary College will be participating in the Push Up Challenge which “pushes for better mental health”. As a school, we are aiming to complete 3144 Push Ups, for the 3144 people who took their own lives in 2021.

Students and staff will be creating teams to complete in the challenge and as teams will be trying to complete as many push ups as they can. The teams who complete the most amount of push ups, will face off to take the title of the “push up champions” and will receive prizes.

Belridge SC will be raising money for Lifeline. If you would like to donate to our community to complete the challenge, please follow the link below:

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraiser/belridgesecondarycollege

Year 10 Dinner Dance

Thursday 29 June 2023 - AQWA
Please see Miss Hunt for more information.

School Payments

Please note when making future payments our new bank details as follows:

Belridge Secondary College
BSB:  066 040
Account:  1990 6002
Reference: Student's name and year

School Calendar

Our online calendar for this term and beyond is currently being updated.  This can be found on our website located under NEWS & EVENTS. Please check regularly, as dates sometimes have to be changed.

Staff Development Day 

Please note that the next staff development day will be Friday 2nd June - students do not attend school on this day. 

Year 12 Outdoor Education – Rottnest Island

The Year 12 Outdoor Education students of Belridge Secondary College recently embarked on an exciting adventure to Rottnest Island, where they had the opportunity to explore the island's beautiful underwater world through snorkelling. The trip, which lasted for a couple of days, was an enriching experience that enabled the students to discover the wonders of the ocean and bond with their peers.

During the snorkelling expedition, the students visited four different sites, including Parker Point, Salmon Bay, Little Salmon Bay and The Basin. At each location, they were greeted with an array of colourful marine life, from schools of fish to vibrant coral reefs. The students were thrilled to witness the diverse range of sea creatures that call Rottnest Island their home, including stingrays, nudibranch, octopuses, and starfish.

In addition to snorkelling, the students also enjoyed camping overnight at the island's campgrounds. This allowed them to soak up the island's natural beauty, take in the fresh sea breeze, and admire the stunning sunset views. The students also had the opportunity to engage in various team-building activities, such as beach soccer and frisbee, which helped them bond and develop their teamwork skills.

The snorkelling camp was a fantastic opportunity for the students of Belridge Secondary College to explore the natural beauty of Rottnest Island and to learn about the importance of preserving our marine ecosystems. When asked about their experience, they all agreed that the trip was an unforgettable adventure that they will cherish for years to come. We would like to thank the teachers and staff who made this trip possible and commend the students for their positive attitude and enthusiasm throughout the expedition. We look forward to more adventures like this in the future!

Brent Jarvis-Spinks
Health & Physical Education Teacher

Year 8 Camp, 2023

The excitement was building, the bags were packed and on Monday morning, many Year 8 students were arriving at school, ready for an adventure. The annual C8 Camp took place from Monday 15th to Wednesday 17th May at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre.

Upon arrival, students were placed into their teams and soon began their first activities. Over the following days, all groups participated in a variety of activities including the Leap of Faith, Canoeing, the Black Out Zone, Rock Climbing and Archery. They had to work collaboratively, communicate with each other and use critical thinking to help them complete the tasks. They showed courage and commitment and developed connections and confidence throughout the camp. In the evenings, we sat by campfires, went for night walks and were quite creative in ways to succeed in ‘minute to win it’ challenges. It was so wonderful to see the students working together and having a fantastic time. We were all exhausted by the end of the camp, but would most definitely do it all again!

This experience was enjoyed by all staff and students. A massive thank you to Mr Offszanka, Miss Sobey, Mr Mohammed, Mrs Ord, Mr Winch, Mr Chen, Miss Batka, Ms Grieve, Mrs Lyon and Phil the Chaplain who all came along to support the Year 8's. Thanks also to all staff who assisted in the preparation and lead up to the camp.

Rebecca Edmonds
Year 8 Coordinator

Repurposing Wood

For their major Semester 1 project, the Year 10 Woodwork classes have been learning how to create food serving platters. The students have been using 100% recycled timber from Jarrah floorboards and outdoor decking, which has been kindly donated by people from the local community. This exercise teaches the students about the importance and value of recycling, and if not for recycling, they may not have been able to work with our beautiful Western Australian timber Jarrah.

Year 11 and 12 students have also been designing and creating fold-down picnic tables. Students were tasked with designing their pieces to enable the table supports/legs to fold flat.

As can be seen from the photos, students have created some excellent pieces of regenerated woodwork. Congratulations to all on a job well done!

Lazo Njegich
Teacher of Design Technology

Year 10 Classwork 

Year 12 Classwork

Year 11 General Geography

Year 11 students of General Geography recently visited some iconic natural and cultural features located in, and on, our Swan River. The two classes undertook their fieldwork on the 11th and 19th of May respectively.

First stop was Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge. It was here that students observed and recorded the amenities that entice families from all over Perth to use this space, and not just for the stadium. After a short history lesson on the now defunct Burswood Golf Course the students moved to the Matagarup Bridge for a field sketch. The students soaked up the superb autumn sun while completing their sketch.

Students then moved to the hospitality hub "On the Point" where they noted the positives, but also the many negatives, that human activity has had, and is having, on the natural ecosystems associated with the river. A local dolphin on the hunt for breakfast was a brief thrill for the students as they completed their field work on the riverbank.

Our next stop was a more relaxed, albeit sobering experience on Heirisson Island. A place of natural beauty but also high significance for Whadjuk Noongar people. It was here students learnt of Yagan, the legendary Noongar warrior and visited and paid respect to the statue erected in his honour. Being directly across the river from our previous study area, it provided a great contrast for the students in terms of the significance of the river to different cultures. Evidence of a new construction project on the island also helped highlight the fragility of the environment, and our continued impact on it.

The final stop for the day was Elizabeth Quay. It was here students explored the quay area, identifying the various amenities present, or in some cases, still under construction. Students also recorded the various ways in which the quay and surrounding waterfront area is used by the people of Perth, and the unfortunate evidence of physical pollutants and poor water quality.

The behaviour of the students on both days was commendable, they were fantastic ambassadors for Belridge SC.

Ryan Stevens
Teacher - HASS

Arachnophilia!

Belridge SC student, Michael Lun (Year 11) was recently interviewed live on air with ABC Great Southern Radio and ABC South-West on the morning breakfast program. Michael was interviewed by Paul Cook regarding his passion for peacock spiders and the amazing photographic work that he does capturing and recording the natural behaviours and unique appearance.

Michael Lun Photography

Student Council News

At the end of Term One, we commemorated Anzac Day with our local cadets, scouts and student council running a moving service at the front of the school by our College flags, which were held at half mast for the occasion. Thank you to everyone that participated in such an important event to the Belridge community.

We started Term Two with our first fundraiser of the year, and usually the most popular - Make-a-Wish 'Wear What you Wish Day'. There were some creative outfits and costumes and is always a lovely way to start Term 2 and fantastic way to raise funds to grant sick kids their wishes.

Welcome on board!

We were very excited to welcome our Year 7 student councillors to the leadership team in Week 3 and they are already off to a running start, participating in some controversial topics that came up right away. A warm welcome and congratulations to; Nandini Gujjar, Lois Carr, Jonathon Horlock, Lily Ireland, Emily Aspinall, Dashlen Beasley and Kaylee Perrin.

Belridge Beats 2023

Belridge Beats DJ classes have officially resumed for 2023 with some new faces, as well as students returning from previous years. On Friday 31st March, some of the students from our classes gathered to officially “unbox” some of the new DJ equipment that has been purchased for the classes from Store DJ. This includes speakers, cables and carry bags, as well as a Denon Prime 4 which is currently one of the most popular and most feature packed professional standalone DJ systems.

This equipment will be used for classes as well as for school events where our students will be putting their skills in to practice.

Coming up in this year’s classes our students will continue to learn about various aspects of professional DJing including:

• Music selection and organisation.
• Sound & lighting equipment - set up and maintenance.
• Music mixing including beat mixing and more advanced techniques such as turntablism.

In addition to the new equipment, we have secured support for our 2023 classes from some high-profile industry sponsors, who will be providing various resources for our class including free music and training resources. We will also be hosting guest presenters from the industry to visit some of our classes.

Belridge Beats DJ Classes are held weekly after school with students attending a Tuesday class or a Thursday class. 

Science & Engineering Challenge Day

Ms Warren's 10.1 ATAR students recently competed against six other schools in a fun and engaging hands-on activities at Claremont Showgrounds Challenges included designing an earthquake proof tower, building a hovercraft or bridge, providing electricity to a city or creating an environmentally friendly house. Points are awarded on the basis of student performance and the school with the highest point score at the end of the day won.

The end results were close, with Belridge coming in at seventh place, on what the judges described as an unusually high scoring day. Belridge  students you did us proud!  Thank you to Newcastle University who organised and ran the day. 

Mrs Green
AEP Coordinator and HASS Teacher

Sophie Williams (Year 9) recently travelled to Brisbane to defend her National Track & Field titles. She was successful in defending both her Long Jump and Triple Jump National titles by taking out GOLD in both events and she also took SILVER in the U15's Heptathlon - narrowly missing out on Gold, however she did break the State Record in the process! Amazing!

Legacy Centenary Torch Relay 2023

This year, Legacy are celebrating 100 years of service. Legacy started in the trenches of the Western Front during WWI when a soldier said to his dying mate "I’ll look after the missus and kids.’" This became known as ‘The Promise.’

Year 12 student Thomas Kay was chosen to carry the centenary torch for the Perth leg of the relay on Saturday the 6^th of May.  Thomas and his brothers, Benjamin Kay (Year 8) and Matthew Kay (Year 9), have come under the wing of Legacy for five years.  This is an honour for Thomas and his family and there is a fundraiser online to support not only the Kay family, but other families through Legacy.  To find out more about this worthy cause or donate, click on the link below:

https://www.legsforlegacy.com.au/s/1472/1476

State Representatives

National Careers Week – 15th to 21st May

Week 4 of Term 2 saw National Careers Week being supported across the country. National Careers Week is an annual event designed to promote the importance of career development and informed career decision making. Several activities took place at the College to support the national event, including:

• Student completion of a Careers Survey;
• A Careers Information Session held by the Australian Defence Forces;
• Career Education lessons across Year 10 classes; and
• An excursion to the Perth Careers Expo.

Student Survey

Belridge students were recently given the opportunity to complete a National Careers Week Student Survey, designed to have students share their career development to date and their anticipated career pathway planning. Results of the survey included 41% of respondents from Years 7 to 12 stated that they planned on going to university on completion of their secondary studies; 18% stated they intended going to TAFE or a similar training organisation; 11% stated they planned on completing an apprenticeship or traineeship; and 16% of students stated they were unsure what they wanted to do on completion of their secondary studies. It is important that all students are made aware that employment outcomes are improved when post-school qualifications, gained at TAFE, university and training are achieved. Hence, Belridge students’ education and training should not end on completion of their secondary studies!

Students were also asked what their dream job was in the survey. Popular responses included teacher, professional and engineer. Importantly, each of these career pathways involve the completion of a degree at university. Other prominent responses included self-employment and gaining a career that would lead to them being rich!

Unsurprisingly, students overwhelmingly stated their family members were the biggest influencers on their career development, with teachers placing second place. Students also indicated that they would like to speak with friends, family, teachers, and Career Practitioner regarding their career development. It is important that all members of the College community make themselves available to have meaningful career conversations with young people, which will aid student career development and decision making.

Australian Defence Forces (ADF) Visit

Personnel from the Army and Air Force recently presented information to upper school students regarding training and career opportunities, as well as the extensive list of entitlements available to members of the ADF. After the presentation, a number of students spent time communicating and networking with the ADF representatives, who shared their exciting experiences, which have involved them being deployed across the globe. The ADF regularly hold in person and virtual information sessions. More information can be gained by visiting their recruitment website – https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/

Year 10 Career Education

Students in Year 10 were recently involved in the first of ongoing career education sessions held by classroom teachers and coordinated by the College’s Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz. Students were supported to register for and begin compiling an individual profile on the My Future career navigation and planning tool. My Future is the premier career navigation and planning tool used by over two million Australians each year. Users create a profile and complete a range of activities designed to help them identify their skills, abilities, and interests. My Future then uses an algorithm to suggest suitable careers. Students are then prompted and supported to explore careers of interest and complete action planning for pursuing their goals. These career education sessions are designed to support students to choose appropriate upper school courses for Year 11, that will enable them to enter relevant career pathways. Visit My Future to find out more – www.myfuture.edu.au

The weeks career investigation culminated in an excursion to the Perth Careers Expo, where students had the opportunity to directly network with employer, industry, and training provider representatives from over 200 different exhibitors. Over half the Year 10 cohort attended the excursion. It was great to see so many Belridge students directly network with employment and training providers.

Students were also informed of the importance and process involved in gaining a Unique Student Identifier (USI), which is necessary for enrolment and recording of TAFE, training and university courses. All Year 10 students have been instructed that it is a requirement they register for a USI – via www.usi.gov.au and then communicate their USI to the College, before the end of Term 2. Students can contact the College’s Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz, if they need assistance.

Year 10 Careers Expo – 19th May

Close to 100 Year 10 Belridge students recently attended the annual Perth Careers Expo, held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. The annual event is WA’s biggest careers based event, attracting 14,000 visitors each year. The excursion was organised and supported by the College’s Career Practitioner, Ashley Mouritz, College Chaplain, Phil Leenman and Deputy Principal, Carlos Notarpietro. The event was a feature of National Careers Week, which took place across the country between 14 and 20 May.

Students benefitted from the opportunity to directly source tertiary course information from a range of TAFE, university and private training providers; as well as directly network with some of Australia’s well-known government and private employers. It was great to see so many of our students confidently ask for information, advice and access resources to take away with them for future reference. A number of students enjoyed the opportunity to win prizes and collect a range of ‘goodies’ from the exhibitors as well! Attendance at the event is designed to support and promote the very important career pathway planning and Senior School subject selection processes that Year 10 students will be involved in during the year. At the end of the event students were reminded of the importance of making informed career related decisions and to continue to seek out resources they can use to develop a suitable and meaningful individual career pathway on completion of their secondary studies.

Year 9 Careers Conference – 3rd and 4th May

30 Year 9 Belridge Secondary College students recently attended Joondalup Resort to participate in Engaging Education’s inaugural ‘Year 9 Career Conference’. The event was supported by the City of Joondalup and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The event was planned as a part of the Year 9 Career Taster program, which provides students with the opportunity of gaining exposure to careers and employment sectors of interest. Close to 800 students from schools across the Perth Metropolitan area attended the two-day conference, which took place on 3 and 4 May (Week 2 of Term 2).

As the conference was held nearby at Joondalup Resort, students independently made their own way to the event in the morning. During the conference students participated in a range of workshops, information sessions and displays focusing on a particular employment sector of interest. Belridge students had the choice of attending one of five different conferences:

• Community Development and Care Careers:
  Community services, health, medical and disability services.
• Customer Engagement Careers
  Aviation, retail, hospitality and customer service.
• Digital and Creative Careers
  Animation, illustration, game design, home design and content creation.
• Operation Careers
  Mining, rail, primary industries and facilities management.
• Protect, Defend and Health Careers Conference
  Defence forces, emergency services and health services.

Each conference was aided by the inclusion of experts in their chosen field and students benefitted by hearing from and networking with 30 different presenters across the two-day conference. Students also received up-to-date information regarding the importance of cyber security in each sector, as well as the application of Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills in each of the industries focused on.

The key theme across each workshop was the impact of widescale skills shortages across each sector and the multitude of training and employment opportunities available for young people as they plan their transition from secondary school to employment. All students involved in the conference became a lot more aware of the many employment options available to them, which they are encouraged to continue exploring.

Mr Ashley Mouritz
Career Practitioner

It is with great sadness that we temporarily farewell one of our Education Assistants, Angela Ord. Angela's calm, patient, generous, thoughtful and highly professional nature has impacted staff and students alike. She started at Belridge as a relief EA, and we quickly added her to our EA team. Her knowledge of disability is expansive, and she is always willing to upskill herself, attending Professional Learning opportunities on a regular basis and sharing her gained expertise upon her return. Angela has worked with students from Year 7 through to Year 12, with a range of disability and learning difference. She has put herself forward for diverse and challenging opportunities, spending time collating data, creating resources, revising planning and establishing monitoring systems for some of our most vulnerable young people. She has recently joined our MACQLIT group where she's been delivering intensive literacy remediation to a number of Year 8 students. Angela is a valuable member of our Inclusive Education Team, and she will be dearly missed by the Belridge community. 

Angela, we thank you for your outstanding commitment to delivering successful learning outcomes for BSC students, and for your collegiality amongst BSC staff.

Mikaela Shirley
Inclusive Education Coordinator

Staff Retirements 

Although the following staff members have been on leave and not been visible across the school recently, we wish to acknowledge the following retirements this term. 

Collectively between these 3 staff members they have worked in teaching and for the Department of Education for an incredible total of 124 years of service!

Rob Strickland - Vice Principal 
46 years - 26 years service at Belridge SC

Sylvia Henley - Teacher of English 
37 years and 7 months - 30 years service at Belridge SC

Carolyn Wright - Teacher of Arts
40 years and 10 months - 18 years service at Belridge SC

On behalf of staff, students, parents and the school community we thank you most sincerely for your long standing contribution and service to the education of students in Western Australian public schools and wish you all the very best to you and your families during your retirements. 

The College offers various school-based and Specialist Programs which may be of interest to your child if they are commencing high school in 2024. Limited places are available. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 

ENROLMENTS 2024 - GET TO KNOW US FLYER

WEBSITE - FUTURE STUDENTS

Did you miss our annual open day and parent tours March? 

Not a problem! Prospective parents have another opportunity to register and come and view the College in action on Wednesday 14th June.

Tours commence at 9am till 9:45am. 

Bookings are essential BOOK HERE

In recent years the Belridge Secondary College music program has included a vocal ensemble called the ‘Voices of Belridge’ and this year we are looking to restart this group. The aim of this ensemble is to gives our students the opportunity to explore their love of singing through the rehearsal and performance of multipart choral pieces in a variety of musical styles. Performance opportunities would include interschool festivals/competitions, community events and school events. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to work with passionate peers, develop a range of musicianship and life skills and broaden their musical experiences.

For more information or a permission slip - please see Mr Offszanka or email Zachary.Offszanka@education.wa.edu.au

Please note that the canteen has changed their online food orders provider of QuickCliq and orders can now be placed through the Flexischools. This transition took place on the 22nd of May 2023.

For those of you already signed up to the previous platform, QuickCliq, please note that you can close your account (just find the link at the bottom of your Profile Management page) when needed and any monies remaining will be returned to your attached bank account. 

The new provider, Flexischools, will be offering a $5 bonus for every parent that signs up until the 4th of June 2023.

It is a much easier online ordering portal to use from a parent's point of view and comes with its own app.

For details on how to register, place orders, top-up accounts etc., follow this link to access the relevant help/information.

The Health and Wellbeing Team organised an opportunity for staff to take some time to connect with their colleagues today.

Staff celebrated The Biggest Morning Tea to raise money to support the Cancer Council in raising funds for those undergoing treatment and new research. Staff were invited to bring a plate to share and donated a gold coin donation to attend. Raffle prizes were also up for grabs ranging from board games, chocolates, pamper packs and yoga mats. Thank you to everyone for attending and their support of a fantastic cause!

School Watch 

if you live near a public school and see or hear suspicious behaviour immediately contact School Watch Security or the Police.

Please report suspicious behaviour out of school hours or during school holidays via the following contact avenues.  Thank you.  

https://www.education.wa.edu.au/school-watch