As Semester One draws to an end, I would like to take the time to thank the staff and school community for their time and effort over the last Semester.

Our efforts are being noticed in the community with strong enrolments being seen in our specialist programs and mainstream for 2025. There are small numbers of places available in some programs, please contact the college ASAP if you are interested in enrolling in these courses.

The Year 8 Camp occurred earlier this term, I would like to say a massive thank you to all staff who attended and gave up their time, but in particular, Mrs Hall, Mr Richardson and Ms Edmonds for their time and effort in the planning and coordination of the event. The students had a fantastic time and I know for sure that some core memories would have been made. This is why we do it and what makes it all worthwhile. See article later in this newsletter.

This term sees the start of our subject selection process.  This will take place online using the platform SSO (Subject Selection Online). Over the last few years, the college has introduced several new courses for our students, with a strong focus on the inclusion of STEM capabilities, ensuring our students are prepared and ready for the careers of the future.  Our Year 11 2025 subject selection process starts this term. This is a very important decision for many of our students, some of whom may need a little guidance. A parent Information Evening will be held on Tuesday, 25 June 2024 to assist with the selection process. For students who are unsure or just require some general career advice, counselling sessions are available to book.  This is a really important decision as we want to ensure our students are on the best possible pathways for them to achieve individual success.

On Friday, 31 May 2024, the College was host to our annual Joondalup Learning Community (JLC) Conference Event. This is the time of the year when our network schools can come together and share a full day of professional learning. This year the conference was designed around Teaching For Impact. The keynote sessions were delivered by the amazing Adam Voigt who spoke to us about school culture and impact on student learning. Staff then had the option to choose from 12 bespoke sessions focusing on different aspects of Teaching & Learning (T&L). This ranged from supporting students with imputed disabilities to engaging students with higher-order thinking. On behalf of the JLC Principals, I would like to thank our JLC Executive Officer Marie Earley (Joondalup Primary School) for her time, passion and commitment in organising the conference.  An event like this takes an extraordinary amount of organisation to come to fruition. The day was a huge success and has received a wealth of positive feedback from attendees.

On Monday, 17 June 2024 the College was lucky to have a special visit from the Minister of Education – Dr Tony Buti and our local MLA Caitlin Collins. The purpose of the visit was to launch the Minister's Innovation Challenge for 2024.  Whilst here the Minister visited our Year 7 AEP class, a group of Year 9 and 10 students taking part in the Hydrogen Car Challenge and our Certificate III Netball class. He then visited the site of our new STEM build and spoke with our Student Council. I look forward to sharing some of the photos with you in this newsletter.

Our Year 10-12 exams for Semester One are now complete along with ESTs for Year 12. Exams were well attended and went very smoothly due to thorough planning and preparation from our Senior School Deputy Principal, Mr Cheeseman.

Workplace Learning for Year 11 and 12 took place during Weeks 7 and 8. I had the pleasure of visiting three students at one of our local primary schools – Springfield Primary School. Feedback from mentors was very positive, saying our students have been a great asset to the classroom and hoping to have them back in the near future. Mr Adam Smith, our Pathways Coordinator has done an amazing job promoting and coordinating these placements ensuring students have gained the best experiences possible.

On the sporting front, we saw lots of action with our Year 8 and 9 Lightning Carnivals taking place. There was great uptake from the students all taking the opportunity to compete in their chosen sports. Thank you to all the HPE staff for their efforts and organisation.

A reminder that reports for Year 11 and 12 have already been emailed this week and Years 7 to 10 are due out next Friday, 28 June 2024. Reports are also available on Connect. If you do not receive your child’s report, please contact the College. To discuss your child's progress, parent/teacher interviews will take place during Week 1 next term (Wednesday, 17 July). Please make a booking through the School Interviews platform. Instructions on how to do this will be on the school website, in this newsletter and also via a Connect notice, together with the event code.

During Week 11 we will hold our annual NAIDOC BBQ. Students will be treated to some yummy food along with a special dance performance from our Follow the Dream students.

To finish off, I have some staffing updates. I would like to acknowledge our long-standing Deputy Principal, Mr Carlos Notarpietro who is going on leave for Semester Two. I hope he enjoys his time off and look forward to seeing him back next year and hearing about his adventures. I would also like to wish Mr Kasun Tennakoon all the best as he takes on his new promotion as Deputy Principal at Dianella Secondary College.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support this Semester and wish you all a restful school break. Term 3 is always a big one, watch this space!

Sharon Lyon
Principal 

As we near the end of the Semester, reports are sent out to parents and caregivers.  Reports for Years 7-10 will provide a great platform for us to share the progress and achievements of your child/ren with you. With the release of the reports, I invite you to take this opportunity to reflect on the journey your child has undertaken over the past few months and set goals for the rest of the year.

As parents, your support plays a pivotal role in nurturing the potential of your child through their schooling journey. I would encourage you to take the time to celebrate their achievements and acknowledge their efforts.

Whether it’s a word of encouragement, a pat on the back, or a special treat to commemorate their hard work, your recognition goes a long way in motivating your child to continue striving to be successful - and this looks different for every child. In line with our school values, also look at resilience, where results are not what was hoped for set goals with your child on ways they can further their attainment in Semester Two.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teachers.

After a very long 11-week term and leading into colder weather and darker nights, I would like to wish you and your family a restful and enjoyable break. We look forward to welcoming all of our students back for another term of growth and achievement on Monday, 15 July 2024 for Semester Two.

Elective Subjects

All students in Year 7 and Year 8 will receive a new timetable on the first day of Term 3. Elective subjects will change for Semester Two so that students have the opportunity to rotate through all subject areas before choosing elective subjects in Year 9.

Louise Hall
Deputy Principal - Years 7, 8 and 9

Subject Selections for 2025 

In the last two weeks all Year 10 students have participated in presentations on Career Development during their HaSS classes headed up by Mr Smith and Mr Mouritz. This focuses on Career pathways and future opportunities for Senior School students.

Students then had a series of presentations outlining the WACE (Western Australian Certificate of Education), ATAR, Certificate and General Course requirements. This was followed by Heads of Learning Area presenting their Year 11 Courses to the Year 10 students to help them make informed decisions when selecting their 2025 courses next week. I would like to commend the students for the manner in which they conducted themselves during these presentations.

This will culminate with a presentation to students and parents on Tuesday, 25 Junee 2024 at the College.  Book your place HERE.

Where: Auditorium
When: Tuesday, 25 June
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm 

Subject Selections Online will then open at 7:00pm for parents and students to select their courses for next year.

Year 11 and 12 ATAR students

Semester One exams took place in Weeks 7 and 8 of this term. I was very impressed by the attendance and communication throughout the exams. My focus for Semester Two is to improve the marks for each student and give them the skills to self-evaluate their own performance. 

TISC has now opened the Early Offer Application process. Year 12 students can now apply for a position at University for 2025. Offers will be announced in early September. If students need help putting in their application, please see Mr Cheeseman. 

Upcoming ATAR Revision courses are certainly worth considering, especially for our Year 12 ATAR students. 

UWA July Revision Courses

Hale July Revision Courses 

ECU September Revision Courses 

Ashdale July Master Mind Revision Courses

SSEP (Senior School Enrichment Program)

We have had a number of Guest Presenters come in to talk with our students this term to help prepare our students for life after school.  These include “What’s Driving Your Decisions” and “Nicole Hughes from MEGT”. Nicole outlined what employers and trainers are looking for when taking on an Apprentice or Trainee. Nicole also outlined what apprenticeships are available now and how you go about securing one. Thank you to Mr Dawkins and Ms Hunt for facilitating these presentations.

Thank you to Mr Notarpietro

On behalf of the entire Senior School Team and Senior School students, we would like to thank Mr Notarpietro for all of his tireless work and support of the students. We wish him well as he enjoys his leave in Semester Two.

Louis Cheeseman
Deputy Principal - Years 10, 11 and 12 

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

As a young man, I read and thoroughly enjoyed all six books in Douglas Adams’ series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”  The title of the fourth book in the series, "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish” refers to the message left by the dolphins when they depart from Earth before it is destroyed.  It implies gratitude for the good times, and a way to say goodbye.

I will be leaving Belridge Secondary College to enjoy six months of long service leave at the end of this term, and will be replaced by Mr Andrew Wright - Head of Student Services - Ashdale College, for the remainder of the year.  I am sure Mr Wright will do a fantastic job in my absence, and along with Mr Smith and Mr Mouritz will ensure our VET programs continue to offer our senior students meaningful pathways to further training and employment.

Having been at Belridge Secondary College as Deputy Principal since 2011, I have watched the College become an Independent Public School, sustain growth in student numbers, add new buildings and facilities, new courses being introduced, staff leaving and new staff arriving, and our teaching and learning, Arts, Sport and STEM programs go from strength to strength. 

I am looking forward to having time to read, (including re-reading the fantastic Hitchhikers Guide), enjoying some travel and spending time with family and friends, and looking after my health.

I would like to acknowledge the College’s excellent leadership team, Student Services team, dedicated teachers, Education Assistants and Admin staff, who all work together to ensure the College provides a safe and stimulating learning environment for our students.

See you next year?

Carlos Notarpietro
Associate Principal

Please note that our Annual Report for 2023 is now available to view on the College website. This report captures the successes and achievements during the 2023 academic year. 

The Arts

Belridge Secondary College Dance Company celebrated First Place in the ‘All Ages’ Troupe Category for their Jazz performance at the annual Dancelife Unite Competition held on Saturday, 18 May 2024 at Newman College, Churchlands.

Students were accompanied by their Dance teacher, Ms Heberley and supported by our guest choreographer Sophie Sutton, performing to a remix of Michael Jacksons’ iconic track Bad. The sharp synchronicity of the girls’ dance moves, along with their individual flare, ensured they were a standout performance amongst a strong field.

We look forward to sharing the winning performance along with more choreographed numbers in our Dance Showcase production to be held in Term 4. 

Congratulations Dance Company! We are all immensely proud of you all and the many hours you have put in to achieve a deserving accomplishment.

Annemarie Verschoor
HOLA - The Arts

Year 10 - Dinner Dance 2024

On Wednesday, 19 June the annual Dinner Dance took place at AQWA for the Year 10 cohort. We had the biggest group of students attending this event and the atmosphere was awesome.

Students arrived in their finest and walked the red carpet to the exhibits. Paparazzi (Kristie Wintle) captured their looks and everyone looked amazing. After the buffet of delights, everyone was itching to get on the dance floor before dancing the night away. Congratulations to the following award winners of the night: 

The behaviour of all students was exemplary and a true testament to our College. 

Thank you also to the staff who attended the night; Sharon Lyon, Louis Cheeseman, Carlos Notarpietro, Heather Currie, Kristie Wintle, Bruce McInnes, Wayne Anderson, Tarryn Hunt and Conor Moldrich. Without their support, these events wouldn’t be able to go ahead.

Brent Jarvis-Spinks
2IC Student Services - Years 9 & 10 

Year 7 Academic Enrichment Program - HASS

On Thursday, 23 May 2024, our Year 7 HASS students travelled with Mrs Green and Mr Stevens to Parliament House in West Perth. The excursion included an introduction to the history, functions and features of the WA Parliament; an overview of the relationship between the two Houses and information on significant women of the Parliament and Premiers of the State, such as Edith Cowan. Students viewed artwork in the Aboriginal People’s Gallery (the largest collection outside of Canberra) and viewed the chambers of the Upper and Lower Houses, whilst parliament was in session. The excursion enabled students to extend their understanding of the civics program of learning.

Claire Green
Teacher - AEP Coordinator and HASS

Biodiversity in the Bush Excursion
Year 9 AEP Science

On Wednesday, 12 June 2024, the Year 9 AEP Science students travelled to Perth Hills Discovery Centre, Mundaring with Mrs Orr and Mr MacDonald. Mr C gave a talk on the importance of ecosystems and biodiversity, highlighting important ties to the knowledge of the Wadjuk people of the Noongar Nation and how they have cared for the land.

Students completed a transect belt, analysing the variety of plant species, ground and canopy cover, before investigating the importance of animal relationships - mutual, commensal, parasitic predator prey and competition. Students had to ‘sell’ their native animal presenting a talk. Some of these animals included Quendas, Woylies, Chuditch and Quokka’s.

Claire Green
Teacher - AEP Coordinator and HASS

Pathways to Protection 

Celebrating National Reconciliation Week
'Now More Than Ever'

National Reconciliation Week was celebrated across the College from Monday, 27 May to Monday, 3 June 2024.  Activities included a number of students creating a sand mural on the lawn area outside of the canteen.  This mural illustrates the College’s ongoing commitment to build a strong, united community for all our members.

Whole school activities during Form included students completing NRW colouring posters and brainstorming ‘We Commit to…’ which opened up conversations and highlighted Aboriginal culture and history.

Noongar Seasons Project

Lego Club

Currently in Lego Club, our latest project is a volcano that has erupted on one side and snowing on the other, along with a village scattered around the bottom. This project will be entered into this year’s Bricktober competition to be held at Curtin University in October.

Lego Club is run during recess on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday in M6 - all welcome. 

Audra Keeble 
Education Assistant

Did you know that students have access to the following FREE Library resources?

As well as access to computers, books and subscription magazines, please see our Librarian - Ms Lang - for assistance in accessing these platforms, all of which support students' education. All are accessible via our website > under OUR COLLEGE > Useful Links

Oliver	Our school library platform. Search for your next read by title or author. Can't think of something to read? Try looking at our recently returned books. Need help with an assessment? Links are also provided to World Book Online and Clickview.  TIP! See New Books, What's Popular, Recently Returned.
World Book Online	Your online encyclopedia designed for all ages and abilities with articles, videos, educator tools, eBooks, research guides and more.
Clickview	ClickView provides short, curriculum-aligned, relevant videos that help teachers deliver engaging lessons. Struggling to understand a topic? We bet Clickview has a video for that!
Comics Plus	Your free access to digital graphic novels, comics and manga. Helps to complement our library catalogue with additional titles we might not physically stock. Available to access 24/7, 365 (brilliant for the school holidays). See library staff for help with logging on.
Book Requests	If you are after a certain book, your library takes book requests.  See Ms Lang.

BiG Day In - IT Careers Conference 

Year 11 and 12 students from the Certificate III Information Technology classes attended the 'BiG Day In' Careers in IT conference at Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup Campus on Wednesday, 20 June 2024. The annual 'BiG Day In' event is run by the Australian Computer Society Foundation and is intended to help students to make better informed decisions about their future. Students learn about courses, degrees, work experience, internships, apprenticeships and engage with hands-on demonstrations of awesome technology. 

The conference features presenters and exhibitors from leading employers in IT including, Microsoft, BHP, Bankwest and the Australian Defence Force. Students gained a lot of valuable information about career paths as they listened to the presentations and spoke to exhibitors during breaks.

Stephen O’Neil
Teacher - Digital Technologies

Ministerial Visit

The College welcomed the Minister of Education - Dr Tony Buti and our local member Caitlin Collins MLA on Monday, 17 June 2024.  See Principal's article for full details.

WOW - What a great time! On Wednesday, 15 May 2024, one hundred Year 8 students were excitedly waiting at the front of the school to begin our adventures for the C8 Camp to Ern Halliday. The following three days were fun-filled and packed with activities!

Day 1 saw us get into our teams and begin the experience with team building activities including Nerf Wars, Scavenger Hunts, Jump Rope, Creating Shapes and doing the Best Dance Moves to ‘Texas Hold Em’. Honourable mentions go out to Bayden and Nash, where Mr Winch was amazed at their jump rope skills.  

Following this, the students began the rotation of activities led by the Ern Halliday staff, which continued through on Thursday. Students spent time Paddling, Coastal Bike Rides, Flying Fox, Archery, Pump Track and Orienteering. All staff and students had wonderful adventures and thoroughly enjoyed these activities.

Wednesday night included teams competing against each other in small challenges such as keeping balloons off the ground for the longest time, moving an Oreo from forehead to mouth without using their hands, and building the largest structure with spaghetti and marshmallows. The cheers, creativity and critical thinking throughout the evening was fantastic to see.

Thursday night, as the sun was setting in the sky, many students were getting in as much volleyball as possible while the main event was being set up. The students were delighted when they saw their music video – made up of all their dance moves from the day before! This was followed by the outdoor cinema airing of Night at the Museum, with popcorn and all.

After breakfast on Friday, we packed up and let our bags return to school while we headed to Whitfords Nodes Park for more adventures. Breaking up the teams to compete against each other, students rotated through the Ninja Course, using catapults, playing cricket and playing games such as Jenga and Spikeball. A sausage sizzle cooked by Mr Chen and Kayla (thank you!) was enjoyed, as well as delicious Krispy Kreme donuts.

And then before we knew it, we were on buses, heading back to school, tired from all the fun but grateful for the opportunity. Bags were collected and we all went home to get some rest!

After some much needed sleep, the results were in and tallied – to see which team won overall, based on all activities, the cooperation and commitment shown throughout the camp. Team Yellow, led by Mr Richardson, were the winners! Staff also awarded students from each group prizes for three categories; Most Transformed, Most Encouraging and The Happy Cup. Well done to those students, and to all who participated and developed their courage, confidence and sense of Community.

A massive thank you to all staff who came along, stayed with us and led groups to help make all this possible; Mrs Hall, Mr Richardson, Mr Winch, Mr Chen, Miss Warren and Mr Cheeseman. Thanks to Mr Notarpietro, Mrs Baczek, Miss Hughes and Mrs Miller for also popping in and helping at some point. Thank you to all staff who were involved along the way. And thank you to all parents for your support along the way, helping to fundraise last year and making sure they all packed what they needed for camp!

Rebecca Edmonds
2IC – Years 7 and 8

Year 9 Lightning Carnival
Thursday, 23 May 2024

Netball 

On Thursday, 23 May 2024, the day was beautiful with sunny skies and warm temperatures - perfect for Netball! Students travelled by bus to Kingsway Netball Centre, a pleasant venue for a fun carnival with many schools participating.  Belridge students’ behaviour, effort and participation was excellent with all teams winning games and our top two teams making the Grand Final.  It was great to see the umpires and helpers on the day working diligently to manage the running of the carnival. The day was a success with positive feedback given by students to the teacher.  Well done Belridge Secondary College Netballers!

Paul Bennett 
HOLA - Health & Physical Education 

Volleyball

Three teams in the Year 9 Volleyball Lightning Carnival competed and they ALL did a brilliant job! There were so many smiles (some amazing serves and receiving) and one of our teams made it through to the finals - unfortunately losing to Duncraig SHS.  Well done to all involved on the day.

Tiffany Collins
Teacher - Health & Physical Education

Year 8 Lightning Carnival
Wednesday, 12 June 2024 

Well done to our two Girls' Volleyball teams. Team One finishing 3rd in their pool. The girls had so much fun and represented the school amazingly.

Tiffany Collins
Teacher - Health & Physical Education

Year 8 Lightning Carnival

Wednesday, 12 June 2024 was the Year 8 students’ Lightning Carnival.  Two teams of netballers travelled up to Kingsway Sporting Complex to compete against surrounding schools.

Each of our teams only had 8 players and 7 players respectively, so they were exhausted by the end of the day. Despite some tough games against Ashdale, Joseph Banks, Butler, Duncraig, Woodvale, Yanchep and Ocean Reef, we did come away as OVERALL WINNERS OF THE DAY!

Thank you to our Year 9 Netball Academy helpers who umpired and scored over the day who were: Karis Udy, Hollie North, Miley Hynes and Charlotte Sheahan.

The weather held out nicely for us with some sunshine and no rain! A wonderful display of athleticism, teamwork and sportsmanship was shown by all Belridge Secondary College students over the day - well done all.

Tarryn Hunt
Teacher - Netball and Health & Physical Education

Specialist Netball Academy - High School Cup
15 May and 23 May 2024

Belridge Netball Academy participated in two netball carnivals over Term 2, Weeks 5 and 6. This is due to having too many teams to facilitate in just one carnival. On Wednesday, 15 May 2024, we took students in the academy from Years 7, 9 and 10 to Perth Netball Association to compete in their High School Cup zone competition. We were very lucky with the weather and our results over the day were fantastic.

Our Year 7.1 team was extremely successful in winning all 5 of their games over the day. This means that they go straight through to the Elimination Carnival held later in the term, as they finished top of their zone. The 7.2’s had a wonderful day for their first High School Cup carnival and managed to get a win on the board. They are playing against both Year 7 and 8’s in their division so this was a big achievement.

The Year 9’s had 3 teams this year, as it’s our biggest netball class with 24 students in it. The 9.1 team won 4 out of their 5 games and were unlucky to be in the same zone as Warwick 1. They lost to this team by 12 goals but did so well, as many of their players were Year 10’s which also consisted of a few state players. The 9.2 team had a successful day, winning 3 out of their 5 games, which was a great result. The 9.3 team had a couple of wins and a couple of losses over the day and showed excellent teamwork.

The Year 10.1 team came away with 5 wins for the day, finishing top of their zone. This allows them to go straight through to the Elimination Carnival along with the 7.1 team. The 10.2 team had a slow start to the day but finished the rest of the day with 3 wins and 2 losses, which was a great result.

The following week on Thursday, 23 May 2024 the Year 8’s, 11/12’s and two Open Boys’ teams travelled to Fremantle Netball Association for the second zone carnival. Another successful day for the Netball Academy with our Year 8.1 team winning all 5 of their games over the day. Our 7/8 split team had a tough run and only managed one win for the day, however they never stopped giving their all on the court.

Our Year 11/12 Team 1 were able to come away undefeated and progressed through to the Elimination Carnival with 5 wins over the day. The Year 11/12 Team 2 had a few wins and a few losses over the day, which was another good result.

This year we took two boys’ teams to the carnival. The Year 11 boys had a tough run facing Kolbe first, who had two extremely tall players. Unfortunately, they were too strong for our boys. Out of the 5 games played the Year 11’s won 3 and lost 2. The Year 12 boys had a much easier run. They played 3 games over the day and won them all and with two teams from other schools not turning up resulting in automatic wins for us! A wonderful result for both boys’ teams who have progressed to the Elimination Carnival.

After the two carnivals, we are pleased to confirm that we have six of our netball academy teams progressing through to the Elimination Carnival. These teams are:

• 7.1
• 8.1
• 10.1
• 11/12.1
• 11 Boys
• 12 Boys

With tough competition throughout the carnivals all students, umpires and helpers performed extremely well and represented the Netball Academy with a great attitude. Congratulations and all the best to the six teams who now have a chance to progress further. Watch this space for the update!

Tarryn Hunt
Teacher - Netball and Health & Physical Education

In Week 6 commencing Monday, 20 May 2024 a group of Year 9 and 10 students participated in a three day Try-A-Trade at North Metro TAFE, Clarkson. Students were fully engaged with the activities, which focussed on bricklaying, tiling and plastering with numerous TAFE trainers commenting on the quality of the students’ work and attitude. Congratulations to these students who have now taken the first steps in pursuing potential pathway options within the construction industry. All students will receive a certificate, which will be presented at the next year group assembly.

Please continue to check Connect for upcoming opportunities within the career pathways space.

VET and Workplace Learning

White Card Training 

The end of term has seen an additional 17 students from Years 9 and 10 take up the opportunity to complete the White Card Training course at school. Delivered by Paragon Training, a total of 42 students have now completed this program which verifies they have completed basic Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) training. This qualifies them to work on construction sites, which is one of the first steps in pursuing a career in this industry. Congratulations to all students who have been proactive and their commitment to creating real pathway opportunities for themselves. Other students who are interested in this industry, and are yet to complete their White Card Training, are encouraged to look out for future Connect notices which will advertise further opportunities to complete the course.

Workplace Learning

The College had almost 60 Senior School students undertake their work placements during Weeks 7 and 8 of Term 2. The feedback from employers about Belridge Secondary College students was excellent, with many of our learners being offered part-time work and apprenticeship positions. Initiative, punctuality, and a strong work ethic were just a selection of the comments which came from employers spanning across many industries including education support, retail, business and administration, hospitality, sport and recreation, automotive, construction, health care and media. One of our Year 12 students, Charlotte Vinson, took the opportunity to go to WA Today – Channel 9 where she completed interviews, did investigative work and had three news stories published. 

We congratulate all these students who fully embraced the opportunities that the Workplace Learning Program presents them. They represented the College impeccably and did themselves and the school proud. We look forward to them pursuing their second work placement in Semester Two.

Try-A-Trade

The College is pleased to report that 17 of our students have completed a Try-A-Trade Program during Term 2. Funded by the Construction Training Fund (CTF), our students ‘tried’ bricklaying, tiling and plastering over a 3-day period at North Metro TAFE, Clarkson. Many have now secured pre-apprenticeship positions for Semester Two with other students using this experience as the starting point in creating a pathway into construction. We congratulate them for completing this program, which will be certificated, and thank the CTF and NM TAFE for continuing to provide such wonderful initiatives for our learners.  

Vocational Education and Training delivered in Secondary Students (VETDSS) – 2025 Course List released for 2025.

Vocational Education and Training Delivered to Secondary Students (VETDSS) is a program delivered to Years 10, 11 and 12 school students as part of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). Students enrolled in a VETDSS course attend either a North or South Metropolitan TAFE campus (subject to course offerings) one or two days per week to complete a Certificate II, III or IV in a field that they see as a potential pathway.

Both North and South Metropolitan TAFE offer a range of courses and pre-apprenticeships as part of the VETDSS programs in the following industries:

• Sport
• Creative Industries
• Healthcare, Beauty and Nursing
• Construction
• Automotive
• Education
• Engineering and Mining
• Horticulture
• Hospitality

The full course lists have been published on the respective year group Connect pages. These VETDSS courses allow students to: 

• Develop industry-specific skills
• Gain nationally recognised VET qualifications and units of competency while completing your Western Australian Certificate of Education
• Develop employability skills
• Gain an understanding of the world of work, providing you with valuable experience to assist with planning and pursuing your career pathways.

Any student from Year 11 that is interested in applying for one of these great opportunities is encouraged to come and speak with Mr Smith, Program Coordinator – Senior School Pathways, beforehand. 

Adam Smith
Senior School Pathways 

Year 10 Careers Expo

Close to one hundred Year 10 Belridge students recently attended the Perth Careers Expo, held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday, 17 May 2024, escorted by  Ashley Mouritz, Adam Smith and Louis Cheeseman. The event was a feature of National Careers Week, which took place across the country between Monday, 13 and Friday, 19 May 2024.

Students spent the afternoon navigating their way through each exhibitor’s stand. 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. 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 and pursue a suitable and meaningful career pathway on completion of their secondary studies.

Year 9 Career Taster
Construction Futures Centre

A female only Year 9 Career Taster took place on Friday, 3 May 2024 involving 41 students interested in finding out more about career opportunities in the construction industry. Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz and Middle School Head of Student Services, Ms Currie escorted students to the Construction Training Fund’s purpose-built Construction Futures Centre (CFC). The Construction Futures Centre (which is funded by the state government) has been designed to educate and encourage students to learn about the range of construction career options through immersive experiences. Approximately 40% of the entire Year 9 female student population attended the event. Considering the construction industry is made up of 87% males, it was impressive to see attendees enthusiastically get involved on the day. It was also great to see how many of our Year 9 students are interested in exploring non-traditional career opportunities.

During the excursion students participated in a range of hands-on activities, with the opportunity to explore construction-based opportunities in the commercial, residential, mining, and civil sectors. The construction industry is very diverse, and students explored a range of trade based, professional and para-professional opportunities that they can pursue on completion of their studies. Students also received information about the importance of exploring and planning their career pathway journeys by being involved in future College based events, such as specific construction and trade-based career tasters, applying for Vocational Education Delivered to Secondary School Students (VETDSS) TAFE certificates for Years 10 to 12; as well as participating in construction safety training (White Card), ‘Try-A-Trade’ programs  and Workplace Learning, once they are in Years 11 and 12. Towards the end of the excursion, CFC staff reiterated that construction – and other employers – are seeking to employ female staff, as often females demonstrate highly developed communication and teamwork skills, as well as attention to detail when completing tasks. The career taster opened student’s eyes to the many trade-based pathways they can follow once they complete their studies at Belridge. Attendees are now encouraged to continue exploring their career pathway options and to begin making career development-based decisions.

Year 9 Career Taster
Events

Nineteen Year 9 students were recently involved in an 'Events' based Career Taster, held at North Metropolitan TAFE’s Joondalup campus on Friday, 24 May 2024. The excursion was part of the Year 9 Career Taster Program, which has been designed to provide students with exposure to industries and workplaces of interest. Attendance was based on an expression of interest basis, with numerous students unfortunately missing out on the event, due to a lot of interest in the Events field.

Once the day’s itinerary was explained, students were introduced to their lecturer, Anne, who instructs Certificate III in Events and Diploma in Events Management to TAFE students. Events is an important qualification, that enables people to plan and organise functions for both government and private workplaces. An Events qualification enables young people to develop and demonstrate skills in financial management, communication, organisation, and problem solving. Many of these skills are transferable to other industries.  

During the day, students were instructed about the important roles played by Events staff and managers. Students got the opportunity to plan a mock event and source companies to support their initiatives. Students were also provided with the opportunity to plan and design a catered event. Students worked in groups for this task and did a great job catering for their fictional customers. The Diploma of Event Management provides students with a range of events administration and operational skills, knowledge of event industry operations, sound knowledge of event management processes and a broad range of skills to coordinate event operations. Events are diverse in nature. An Events qualifications provide a pathway to work in events in a range of industries including tourism and travel, hospitality, sport, cultural, and community sectors. All students contributed positively to the excursion. At the end of the day students were aware of the careers they could pursue if they gained an events qualification, and the many employment opportunities. 

Year 9 Career Taster
Pretty Little Cakes

On Thursday, 6 June 2024 seventeen energetic Year 9 students attended North Metropolitan TAFE’s Joondalup campus to participate in the ‘Pretty Little Cakes’ cupcake decoration event. Students selected the excursion to gain an insight of what working in a commercial kitchen at TAFE is like, and what is involved in decorating cupcakes and desserts.  The excursion was part of the Year 9 Career Taster Program, which has been designed to provide students with exposure to industries and workplaces of interest. All attendees stated that they had enjoyed the cooking and meal preparation they had completed at home and during their time at Belridge Secondary College, prior to the event.

Once the day’s itinerary was explained, students were escorted to one of the site’s commercial kitchens and introduced to their lecturer, Martina, who instructs Certificate III in Commercial Cookery - the qualification apprentices complete to become professional chefs. Students were attired in clothing suitable for the kitchen environment, including long pants, enclosed shoes and long hair tied back, they were also provided with a hair cover and plastic apron. Students were informed that they would be baking, glazing, and decorating cupcakes during the day and they were excited to undertake the task in hand, but were mainly motivated by the realisation that they would be able to eat their delicious creations at the end of the day!

Students were taught about the importance of kitchen hygiene and instructed in the proper use of a range of kitchen utensils and machinery, including the commercial ovens, which required significant instruction to operate. They also had the opportunity to purchase food from the nearby café, which is stocked by meals prepared in the commercial kitchens at TAFE. Students worked in pairs to prepare their cupcakes and with their communication and collaboration skills put on great display. At the end of the event students cleaned their workspaces and were then rewarded with tasting their amazing cupcakes. They were plenty of leftovers for their friends and family to enjoy once they got home.

Year 10 Excursion to Accenture
ABCN - Interview 2 Impress Event (I2I)

On Wednesday, 29 May 2024, Adam Smith and Ashley Mouritz escorted a group of Year 10 students to an Australian Business Community Networking (ABCN) coordinated excursion to Accenture, located in the CBD, for the ‘Interview 2 Impress’ (I2I) event. The I2I Program aims to build student confidence and interview skills. This half-day program is designed to equip students with the practical skills needed to engage in employment options beyond school. Interview skills are an essential tool in successfully pursuing post-school employment options and careers. While students are taught about interview preparation during their secondary studies, the opportunity to explore this topic and learn from a corporate employees, from Accenture, adds considerable value. Mentors sharing their own career journeys and challenges can make an enormous impact as students consider their options for the future.

The day involved students working in small groups, supported by Accenture staff, who acted as mentors. Accenture is a multi-national Information Technology consultancy and outsourcing company, with over 700,000 employees, across all continents.  with many different areas of specialisation. Students benefitted from working with Accenture mentors, as they were keen to share details of their own career journeys and challenges. Students participated in mock interviews with attendees preparing for their interviews, by developing detailed examples they could provide in response to a range of behavioural based questions. Students were all provided with detailed and meaningful feedback regarding their individual interview performances.

The event was a great success, with excellent feedback received from both students and mentors, as highlighted below.

STUDENT EVALUATION SUMMARY
INTERVIEW 2 IMPRESS PROGRAM

The following are summarised student response results which demonstrate the percentage improvement from start of the program to end. (Note: the rating scale is a 1 to 7 measure, with 1 being lowest through to 7 being highest rating. i.e. 5 to 7 is agreed to strongly agree.)  These results demonstrate that Belridge students really benefitted from being involved in the program.

STUDENT COMMENTS:

What was the most useful thing you learnt in this program? 

“How an interview is conducted and the questions you may be asked”

“How to use my strengths and experience in an interview”

“How to communicate effectively, body language and to check my posture – first impressions count”.

What was the most useful thing you learnt from your mentors?

“It’s ok and important to think through and evaluate the interview questions. You can take your time and ask if you don’t understand something”

 “Learning what not to say in an interview”

 “Never give up and keep persevering”

“Don’t be afraid to show off what you are good at”.

What would you like to say to the mentors?

“Thanks, this was so helpful”

“Great job - you should continue mentoring students, it was really helpful”

“Thanks for helping me - I now feel more comfortable answering interview questions”

“Thanks for helping me out – you were inspiring”.

MENTOR COMMENTS: 

“Each time I participate in this program, it gives me a different learning experience. I would like to do it again”

“The students were confident and came forth with lots of questions”

“It’s a great opportunity to inspire the future generation”

“This is the most rewarding program I have ever attended”

“I love giving something back from all the valuable learning and experiences I have had. Also, good to keep in touch with Gen Z…”.

Ashley Mouritz
Career Practitioner

Congratulations to the following students on their sporting achievements and/or being selected as State representatives in their field of sport:

	Olivia Williams (Year 11) recently competed at the Oceania Area Championships, representing Australia in the U18 Team in Suva, Fiji in Javelin.  Life in Fiji is very different to Australia and athletes had to adjust to some trying conditions during the competition.  However, Olivia secured a Silver Medal, winning her FIRST international medal with a javelin throw of 44.15m.  See photos below.
	Craig Jones (Year 7) has been selected to represent Western Australia in the 2024 Hockey 12s Boys Championship. Craig will be competing in North Cairns, Queensland later in the year in August.
	Capri Beazley (Year 10) has been selected to represent the U16's Schoolgirls State Rugby League Team competing over east in Port Macquarie, New South Wales at the end of June/start of July 2024.
	Aymilon Fuimaono (Year 10) has also been selected to represent the U16's Schoolgirls State Rugby League Team competing over east in Port Macquarie, New South Wales at the end of June/start of July 2024. This is the second time Aymilon has made the State team!

Olivia Williams (Year 11) competing in Suva, Fiji - Oceania Area Championships:

Parent/Teacher Interviews for ALL year groups will take place on Wednesday 17 July 2024 from 3.30pm to 6.30pm (Week 1 of Term 3).

Student reports will be distributed via email on the following dates:

• Year 11 & 12 - Wednesday 19 June 2024
• Year 7, 8, 9 & 10 - Friday 28 June 2024

Bookings do not open until 4:00pm on Friday, 28 June 2024

Please make bookings via School Interviews platform by clicking on the link below using event code wzxgu

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS

PLEASE NOTE! Your report link is available for only four weeks from the distribution date. Please ensure that you download a copy of the report from the link and save, before it expires.

Prospective parents have the opportunity to register and come and view the College in action on Wednesday, 11 September 2024. 

Tour will commence at 9:00am till 10:00am. 

Bookings are essential via link below: 

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/zxu8r

School Payments

Payments for student charges and contributions are welcome at any time.  Please note that Upper School subject charges ARE COMPULSORY.

To set up a payment plan please contact our Administration office on 9408 8000 - we are here to help. 

Payments can be made by EFTPOS at the front office or Direct Deposit to our bank account: 

BSB: 066 040
Account: 19906002

Please ensure you quote as your reference 'STUDENT NAME/YEAR GROUP/REASON FOR PAYMENT' (ie. JOE BLOGGS Y10 DINNER DANCE) 

Thank you

Kerrie Ward
Manager Corporate Services