12 December 2019

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Each year time seems to fly by quicker than the previous year, but in actual fact it is likely that we are all doing so much more in our unchanging 24 hours per day, 365 days per year! You only have to look at our College Calendar and social media pages to see that our students are involved in a multitude of activities throughout the school year, all with the aim of enriching their learning experiences at the College.

I would like to congratulate all of our students for upholding our values of Knowledge, Integrity and Respect in an exemplary manner during these activities. We are always receiving compliments and praise on how well our students behave, participate and help others when they are representing the College.

With time being a precious commodity for everyone these days, I also thank our College staff for going above and beyond so many times this year. Whether it be it for camps and tours, after school events, activities during Breaks and occasionally on weekends, our staff are happy to offer their time for the benefit of our students. These are the things that our students will remember about Butler College; not the exams, tests and assignments.

Next year we will welcome another cohort of Year 6 students to the College, as well as numerous new students from other year groups. I am confident that our returning students in Years 8-12 will make them all feel welcome, and that they will also enjoy their learning experience here at Butler College.

On that note, I also welcome our new neighbour Alkimos College, and wish them all the best for the start of the 2020 school year when they officially open their doors for the first time.

I wish everyone in our College community a Merry Christmas and a safe and relaxing school holidays. We will see you all again at the start of the school year, commencing Monday 3 February 2020.

Barry Rose
Principal

College Events, PDs, Term Dates

2020 Term Dates

2020 Professional Development Dates

For a full list of College events, please view the College Calendar

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Student and Staff Acknowledgements

Congratulations to Year 12 student, Shakira Chatfield (pictured with College Principal Barry Rose), for receiving the ‘Sagitte Yom-Tov Endeavour Award’ at the ‘Follow the Dream: Partnerships for Success' Mount Lawley Outreach Program’s end of year celebrations this month. Held in the amazing ‘Spegal Tent’ at ECU’s Mt Lawley campus, the night celebrated the achievements of the students in the Program. We wish Shakira all the best for her aspirations to study Nursing at ECU next year.

Congratulations to our Associate Principal, Helen Macri, who was a 'Top 4' Finalist for the Leadership Award at the Western Australian Education Support Principal & Administrator’s Association (WAESPAA) awards ceremony last Friday evening. This is an outstanding achievement - congratulations Helen!

Enrolling for 2020? Don’t Delay…

Time is running out to enrol your child for the start of the 2020 school year. To ensure timely processing and planning, we urge you to begin the application process without delay. College Administration is closed from Friday 20 December and will reopen for the 2020 school year on Tuesday 28 January. Contact us on 9561 4200 or come in to collect an Enrolment Application (during school hours) or visit our website for more information. Late enrolments may lead to delays in your child commencing on Monday 3 February 2020.

Department of Education: Mobile Phone policy 2020

The State Government announced a new mobile phone policy that will take effect from 3 February 2020. As a public school, we are required to strictly implement this policy, which states that the use of mobile phones by all students is banned during the school day – that is, from the time they arrive on school grounds to the time the leave the school at the end of the day. At Butler College, this policy has been implemented since our foundation in 2013 and all students/parents are required to agree to this policy as stated in our Enrolment Application Booklet.

‘Brothers of Butler’ Support Movember

‘I don’t know how he puts up with it!’ That was the common reference to our Principal after the ‘Brothers of Butler’ finished 'Movember' on 30 November. Our team of teachers raised $1340 for Movember, an organisation raising awareness and funding for improving men’s health in the areas of prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Well done to Luke Edwards, Paul Johnson, Neal Henshaw, Ben Hockaday, James Del Borello and Michael Podgorny for ‘growing the mo’ all in the name of charity. Thank you to everyone who made donations.

BC Salvation Army Christmas Appeal

Many thanks to the entire College community – students, parents and staff for their generous donations of food and gifts to our Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. Organised by our Librarians Mrs Negus and Mrs Hislop, the College community has donated over 400 items, and our staff donated almost $800 that was used to purchase more gifts. A representative from the Salvation Army will collect all the items at the end of this week, which will then be sorted and distributed amongst local families in need this Christmas. The Form Class with the most donations will be announced next Monday 16 December, with their pizza lunch reward on Tuesday 17 December. This is a huge effort from everyone – THANKYOU!

Christmas Market Fundraiser

Last week Mrs Hanlin’s class ran a Christmas market to raise money for the Kmart Wishing Tree/Salvation Army appeal. A result of many hours of making Christmas decorations, tags cupcakes and cookies, the market was well supported by Specialist Program students, teachers, and mainstream students. The students were hopeful they would raise around $200; they were blown away by the support from everyone, raising a total of $415. Today the students presented the Salvation Army with the gifts they purchased with the money raised. Well done to Talisha, Ben, Evelyn, Nathan and Lincoln, Mrs Hanlin and her ‘elves’ (Education Assistants).

Specialist Program Students Achieve ASDAN

Many students in Specialist Programs participate in ASDAN courses offering a wide choice of activity-based programs. These courses are a flexible way for students to achieve accredited qualifications and offer imaginative ways of developing, assessing and certificating young people’s knowledge and skills development. Over 20 students’ portfolios were put forward for moderation this semester.

The moderation process is tough - we need to ensure that all of our work meets the requirements and that we have evidence to support what we do. The good news is that all our students passed their moderation and we received very positive feedback from the moderators, ‘Fantastic work Butler College! Your comprehensive portfolio demonstrates student learning and engagement within the module.’ ‘Congratulations of a well presented unit of work.’ Well done to students in Miss Binks, Mrs Hanlin and Mrs Fairman/Miss Lee’s classes for this achievement and for your ongoing hard work in the ASDAN programs.

Year 7 2020 Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to our Year 7 2020 Scholarship winners, who have received their certificates at their primary schools’ assemblies over the past few weeks. After auditions, trials and submissions, these students received their scholarships in the areas of Academic, Physical Education, The Arts and The Arts for Students with Disabilities. We look forward to welcoming the students and their families to our College community next year.

Year 5 & 6 Academic Enrichment Program

Well done to Butler Primary School's Year 5 & 6 students who received certificates at the College this week, for their Academic Enrichment Program. Every Monday they willingly gave up an hour of their time after school to participate in the Program, held at Butler College. Holistic learning styles that engage and challenge students are the focus of this program, providing diverse learning opportunities across Maths, English, Science and Humanities. Thanks to ECU for their ‘Old Ways, News Ways’ sessions and Butler Primary School staff for walking the students to the College every Monday and their support of the Program. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Butler Primary School next year.

Bush Rangers: Leeuwin Ocean Adventure

All hands were on deck when our Bush Ranger cadets boarded the STS Leeuwin II for a day’s sailing out of Fremantle Harbour in late November. Students from our Specialist Programs joined their mainstream counterparts in discovering what life on the high seas was really like back in the days of sailing ships; learning how to trim sails, tie knots and steer the ship. Everyone had a fantastic time on board this beautiful ship, built in the style of a three-masted barquentine, 1850’s style rig. Thank you to the crew from Leeuwin Ocean Adventures for keeping everyone safe and secure whilst on board.

Bush Rangers: South West Camp

Last week 25 Bush Rangers and 9 staff members went on a week-long camp to the south west region of WA. Based in Perup (located in the Tone State Forest, east of Manjimup) the group took day trips to Busselton, Margaret River, the Porongurups and Albany. They visited the famous Busselton Jetty with its amazing Underwater Observatory and negotiated their way through the dark cramped spaces of the Giant Cave in Margaret River. Students also learned the importance of team work to navigate the maze at Amaze'n in Margaret River.

A highlight for everyone was conquering the ‘Granite Skywalk’ at Castle Rock in the Porongurup National Park. Imagine a steep 3 km walk followed by significant climbing over rocks and boulders, before climbing up a ladder and onto a walkway around a giant granite outcrop! Everyone experienced a real sense of achievement with their reward being the spectacular 360 degree views at the top. Well done to all the Bush Rangers and staff for a fantastic final camp of 2019.

Marine Studies: Rotto Clean Up Day

Conditions were perfect at Rottnest when Year 9 Marine Studies students spent the day with Big Island Charters for the 2019 Rottnest Island Beach Clean Up. You may think our beaches are pristine and plastic-free, but even our beloved ‘Rotto’ is not immune to everyday plastic rubbish: drinking straws, bottles, microplastics and even discarded fishing gear. Students collected and bagged rubbish on 800m of coastline in this unique volunteering experience, organised by our hosts Big Island Charters.

They learned first-hand about the impact of rubbish on the environment, returning to school with a sense of achievement and purpose to continue working with the community to support environmentally focussed projects. Well done to the students and a huge thank you to Big Island Charters and also BHP who provided equipment and lunch on the day. Thanks also to Nathan Brooks from Channel 10 for covering the excursion which went to air on Channel 10s News Perth on 1 December.

Marine Studies: Cocos Island Camp

What's it like diving with wild dolphins, manta rays and sharks? ‘Exhilarating!’ according to our Marine Studies students who returned from the Cocos Island Scuba Camp at the end of last term. The students were in awe of their marine surroundings, putting their well-learned scuba diving skills into practice. They also participated in beach clean ups with Sea Shepherd, learning more about the dangers faced by marine life due to the plastic and other rubbish littering our oceans.

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Year 9 Canberra Tour

In mid-November, twenty-two Year 9 students toured our Nation's capital, Canberra. The days were very busy with the students visiting almost every place of interest, including Parliament House (where they participated in mock debates), the High Court and many museums. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

A highlight was laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Museum. They also had fun trying a variety of sports at the Australian Institute of Sport, before rounding off the tour with a day in Sydney at the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. An enjoyable trip for everyone, the students are immeasurably richer from the experience.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributed funding of $310 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards these costs associated with our Tour of Canberra. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion and we acknowledge their assistance in this regard.

Year 8 Rugby Champions

Undefeated all season, our Year 8 boys were keen for just one more win, going into the NRLWA Year 8 Rugby League Grand Final against Atwell College. In windy conditions they showed great attacking and defensive skills, coming away with a 16-12 win and earning the title of the Champion Year 8 Rugby League team in WA for 2019. A proud moment for their coaches, Mr Puletaha and Mr Epiha, these boys have learned so much about the game of Rugby League and themselves, developing confident life skills as individuals and as a team. Congratulations to the team and a big thank you to all the staff, students and families for their support throughout the season. The 2019 trophy will sit alongside last year’s Year 7 Championship trophy - bring on 2020!

High Performance Netball Hosts Interstate Carnival

The Butler College High Performance Netball teams, along with two Butler College Basketball teams hosted a Carnival last week with visiting teams from John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School and a team from St Philip’s College, all the way from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

In very competitive games, our teams performed very well, winning both the Netball and Basketball Carnivals. The Year 8/9’s Netball team placed First, with the Year 10 girls coming equal Second with John Septimus Roe. The Basketball team’s success was also outstanding effort from our players. Thank you to the students and staff from both schools for making the journey to Butler for the Carnival. Good sportsmanship was on show from all players, spectators and officials. Well done to all participants for upholding our College values of Knowledge, Integrity and Respect.

High Performance Cricket

Our cricket teams have had a busy year with many matches across all forms of the game. The teams played against many schools including Baldivis, Joseph Banks and Belridge. Of note were the Year 9 boys team who competed in the Rockingham Cricket Camp and then finished a respectable 4th in the State T20 Woolworths Blast Finals. The Year 8’s also played 3 matches over three days at the Narrogin camp this term. We look forward to continued improvement and success in the 2020 season.

AFL ‘Come Try’ Day

We were delighted to have AFLW players Bianca Webb and Mckenzie Dowrick (a former Butler College student) at our AFL ‘Come Try’ Day in November, where they shared their AFLW journeys about reaching the top level of women's AFL. Our Year 7-9 girls were joined by Quinns Baptist College and Irene McCormack Catholic College girls for skills development and a round robin competition, with Irene McCormack winning by 1 point. The girls learned the skills of the game and connected with local AFL clubs. Thank you to Brighton Seahawks, Quinns Bulls and West Perth AFL clubs for running the skills development, and our Cert II Sport & Recreation students who umpired and ran their own skills station as well. Everyone really enjoyed the day; making new friends and having fun too.

Outdoor Education walks ‘Cape to Cape’

Our Year 11 students (and staff) walked an incredible 46 kilometres on the 'Cape to Cape' Outdoor Education Camp earlier this term. An amazing feat, with the students battling tough conditions at times, as they hiked from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin in our beautiful south west.

The Arts: Annual ASPIRE Exhibition

Congratulations to The Arts for another very successful ASPIRE Exhibition with their opening night attracting over 140 guests to our Gallery Space in G Block. Each year the standard of the students’ work gets better; we will need more wall space next year to show even more fantastic art from our talented visual art and photography students. Congratulations to year 12 student Moen Aragon who was awarded Most Outstanding Artwork, for his piece which spans more than 5 metres in length. If you missed last night’s opening and awards ceremony, you can see Moen’s art on display at the Northern Perspectives Exhibition in early 2020. Congratulations to all our young artists for their fantastic artworks.

YOHFest Grand Final Winners

Congratulations to the Year 11 Drama students who won the YOH Fest Grand Final in Mandurah. Their performance of ‘Wig Snatched’ was brilliant - the audience and judges loved it! Congratulations also to the Year 12 students who also made the Grand Final with ‘The Lesson’. All of these students are to be commended for their willingness to ‘have a go’ in their first YOH Fest competition, with plays they wrote and performed together. Thanks to everyone for their support and to Mrs Vargas for her unwavering belief in the students. We can’t wait for next year’s YOH Fest!

Year 7 Enrichment’s 20Time

Our Year 7 Enrichment class have held their first ‘20Time’ Expo in the Library. Based on Google’s ‘20%Time’, students chose their own projects to research and create during their English class each Friday. At the Expo, students talked with their peers, parents and staff about their projects, which included learning a language, writing/recording music, art, cooking, humanitarian causes, dog training and even learning to skateboard! Student Mika R, spoke passionately about her project; writing ’Soundless Screams’, a 13,000-word book about mental health & depression. Congratulations to these students for their remarkable and creative projects, and for speaking so expressively at the Expo. Their teacher, Miss Dean is very proud of them.

ICT Explorers State Final

With a MacBook and enthusiasm, there is no limit to the ideas and inventions that young minds can build using code! Year 9/10 students in Digital Humanities proved this recently when they competed in the Young ICT Explorers State Finals, building App solutions for iphones and ipads.

Team 1 built an App using 'Machine Learning' in Xcode, that determines whether plastic is recyclable or not - increasing recycling and reducing pollution. The second team built an 'Augmented Reality' tour of our College for visitors and new students. While the teams did not win a Place in the Final, the judges (IT industry experts) were very impressed, encouraging them to continue developing their projects to a commercial level. Well done to the students involved.

Year 9 HALE STEM Challenge

Our students continue to make a name for themselves and the College in the community; this time at the Hale STEM Challenge. Five of our Year 9 boys participated in the competition at Hale School, competing against 22 schools. Congratulations to Lachlan, whose team achieved First Place. Supported by Hale School, Curtin University and the Design & Technology Teachers’ Association WA (DATTA WA), the Hale STEM Challenge is open to all Year 9 students in Western Australia. The students were placed into mixed teams of three, to design a solution for difficult, real-world problems. It was our first time in the competition and the challenge was an entirely new concept for our students. Well done to all the boys for their enthusiastic approach; their ability to collaborate, create and to innovate was the key to their success.

Thank you P&C!

Butler College would like to sincerely thank our P&C Association for their support of all students at the College in 2019.

The annual BC Festival on Wednesday 18 December, is a wonderful day for students who have maintained their attendance and good standing at the College throughout the year. Admission to this event is free for the students, thanks to the financial support of the P&C.

We look forward to continue to work with the P&C for the benefit of all students at the College. If you are interested in joining this amazing group of people, you are most welcome to attend their meetings next year (beginning in Term 1). Meetings are only 1 hour and you will get to know your child’s school, the staff and find out what happens behind the scenes. Meetings are held on the third Monday of the month (unless a public holiday or in school holidays), at 6.30pm in the Administration Building. For enquiries please email President Daria Kearon at butlercollegepcassociation@gmail.com.

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Community News

Master Mind Australia: January 2020 Jump-Start Programs

NAPLAN: Study Skills – Essay Writing – Subject Revision & Preparation for all students entering Year 7 – 12 in 2020.

The January Preparation Program aims to prepare students for Term 1 (2020) before the academic year begins. The classes will revise those important components from the 2019 syllabus that are vital for success in the new-year. The program will also preview what students can expect in their courses in 2020. Courses will be conducted at:

*20% school discount per subject*

For more information contact Dr. Robert Hallam at Master Mind Australia on 9486 1377 or the link below.