Late in Term 3 our Year 12 students celebrated a milestone of their final year at the College; the Ball. It was a wonderful evening at Fraser’s Restaurant in Kings Park and I was very impressed with the students’ maturity and friendship, not to mention their excellent dress standards. Their genuine appreciation of being able to have their Ball was apparent on the night. Thank you to the staff who organised this special event, especially Head of Year 11/12, Ben Dawkins.

Another milestone happening during these school holidays for many Year 12’s is their Semester 2 ATAR exams before WACE in November; I wish them the best of luck.  Congratulations also to all Year 12 students on the completion of their secondary education shortly. The Presentation Evening on 21 October will be a bit different to previous years, as we manage our requirements in conjunction with COVID restrictions at the Perth Concert Hall. We are working out the finer details and the Presentation Evening will be another wonderful evening for students and their families.

We are still in Phase 4 restrictions in WA - I am sounding like a broken record (or vinyl for the younger generation!), but I remind parents, students and staff to continue our vigilance in hygiene practices at school and in the community. Our COVID daytime cleaning team will remain active during Term 4 and parents, I thank you for your support in reminding your children about:

• Correct handwashing techniques and frequency.
• Use of hand sanitiser when handwashing is not available.
• Children at school are not required to social distance, but this is recommended outside of school grounds.
• If you or your child are unwell with symptoms/illness of any kind, please remain at home until fully recovered.
• Staff and adults visiting the College are to maintain a distance of 1.5m from others.

The Film and Music Extravaganza held in the last week of Term 3 was a fantastic event in a different format which was very entertaining; thank you to everyone for their support of our students. The Drama and Dance evenings will be held in the first week of Term 4 and I encourage everyone to come along for more outstanding entertainment by our students (see Connect notice or website for details).

All in all, it has been a great term for staff and students; I hope everyone enjoys the last few days of the term break. Monday 12 October is our final Professional Development day for staff, so we will see all students again on Tuesday 13 October for the start of Term 4.

Barry Rose
Principal

• 12 October:  College PD Day – students do not attend school
• 13 October:  First day of Term 4 for all students
• 14 & 15 October:  Dance and Drama Evenings (see Connect notice or website for link to Eventbrite)
• 16 October:  Year 12 Breakfast at Portofino’s (see Connect notice for details)
• 21 October:  Year 12 Presentation Evening (see Connect notice for details)
• 2-20 November:  Year 12 WACE Exams
• 9-13 November:  Year 11 ATAR Semester 2 Exams
• 17 December:  Last day of Term 4

There's always a lot happening at Butler College - here's how you can stay up-to-date:

Connect:  for current students and families, there's no place like Connect! Check your Connect notices regularly for timely details regarding excursions, reports, exams, opportunities and other important information affecting your child at the College.  https://www.butlercollege.wa.edu.au/about-us/connect

Website:  Your hub of information for new and current students - enrolments, subject selections, booklists, course information, uniforms, IT, Administration and newsletter archives and galleries. Make payments via BPoint or learn more about online payments via the Qkr! app.  https://www.butlercollege.wa.edu.au

https://www.facebook.com/butlercollege

College Calendar: available on our website, you'll find all our excursions and events all in one place and you can search by year group or a specific date.  
https://www.butlercollege.wa.edu.au/calendar


Call the College on 9561 4200 or visit Administration during school hours in school Terms.

Email:  https://www.butlercollege.wa.edu.au/contact

At our Term 3 meetings we trialled the use of Webex as a convenient way for parents to join in the meetings. After a few minor hiccups, we were delighted with how smoothly the Webex system worked and this will continue for the foreseable future.  We welcome newcomers to our meetings, so why not join us at the next P&C meeting via WebEx? It’s easy to set up, secure and you can join in the meetings anywhere, on any device with internet access, including smartphones, tablets and computers.

Our P&C has only two more meetings before the end of the year so come along and learn about the inner workings of your child’s school, meet fantastic people in your child's school community (including the Principal) and make important decisions that benefit all students at the College.

Contact us at butler.college@education.wa.edu.au for more information or to sign up for the meeting via WebEx.  We look forward to meeting you!

Regards,

Daria Kearon
President, Butler College P&C Association

Marine Studies students visited Coral Bay, where they explored the world class Marine Park. By discovering first-hand about this delicately balanced environment, students learned why our unique ocean currents (Leeuwin, WA and South Equatorial) are vital to marine ecosystems and the importance of Marine Parks and scientific research in environmental management. Abundant marine life including manta rays, humpback whales and orcas were all observed and a large and ancient loggerhead turtle was also sighted – a rare experience in this region.  The Sea Scooter tour to Ningaloo’s largest and oldest ‘boulder’ coral gardens was a unique experience.

World renowned Manta Ray expert, Frazer McGregor, presented an evening seminar and shared his expertise out on the Ningaloo Reef with the students. Film-makers and ocean ambassadors, Andre Rerekura and Nush Freedman inspired the students with their mission to protect the oceans through their films and internationally-acclaimed documentary footage. 

The students are to be commended for their exemplary behaviour and enthusiasm during the camp, to the delight of our guest speakers and staff. We sincerely thank our guest speakers and everyone the students met during the camp for their time, expertise and support.  Many thanks to Marine Studies teachers, Mr Candeloro and Mr Montague for their planning and preparation, ensuring our students safety during this fantastic learning experience. 

Images: Ocean Collective Media and Butler College

Teams of Year 5 and 6 students from our local primary schools were invited to Butler College to compete in the annual 2020 STEM Challenge Day. Working with our Year 9 Academic Extension students, the teams competed in challenges - building O-wings, chemical rockets, coding with Micro Bits, building a Simple Machine (with mechanical advantage) and the Balloon Tower challenge. A delicious morning tea was served by our Hospitality students and our primary school guests enjoyed visiting the many locations around the College. The day was a great success for everyone involved and we thank all staff for their support. Congratulations to the team from Merriwa Primary School for taking home the Shield for 2020.

Kim Bedworth
Teacher, Science and STEM Coordinator

The Year 7, 8 and 9 Academic Extension classes were a hive of activity when they participated in ‘Write a Book in a Day’, a competition promoting literacy, teamwork and caring for children with cancer in hospital.  Working in their year groups, teams of 10 students were responsible for the entire process of planning, drafting, editing, illustrating and managing their time. They were given 5 random words to be included in their stories as well as 5 unique parameters such as people, places, activities and events.  

Melissa Evitt and Holly-Jay Dean
Teachers, English

In the sport of cricket, receiving your first cap is an honour that is fondly remembered. Recently our youngest and newest cricketers received their Butler College ‘baggy blue’ cap from Associate Principal Matt Paton and Coach Luke Edwards, in a ceremony out in the ‘middle’. We congratulate these young students in our High Performance Cricket program; we hope you wear them with confidence and pride throughout the coming cricket season.

Our College Captains, Sara and Danny, recently met with Mr Rose where he thanked them for their contributions to the College. As our senior student leaders, they have experienced a very different final year than their previous counterparts, but have nonetheless had opportunities to gain leadership experience and skills througout the year. The blazers may not have been worn very often, but for being wonderful student leaders and College community members, Mr Rose presented the blazers to our Captains in a gesture of appreciation. Well done, Sara and Danny, and we wish you all the best in your futures after Butler College.

These wonderful friends have sat together on this bench at every break on every school day for the past six years. Now, only a few more breaks remain before the ‘Bench Warmers’ relinquish it to another group of friends. It has played a significant part in their lives; a place for laughs, stories and caring for each other. Staunchly defended at times, ‘their’ bench will now be noted in our history, with a plaque presented by Mr Rose in the last week of Term 3. We wish these friends all the best for their upcoming exams, further studies and bright futures!

In September, FireTECH visited the Year 9 Academic Extension classes with their robotics and drones. In the first session, the students learned the difference between robots and drones, and about the history of robots. They built a robot and demonstrated their skills in getting the robot to move. In the second session, they learned about careers and uses of drones now and into the future. Students had fun racing the drones and had a drone war! Many thanks to our facilitators; students in cyber security, coding and engineering from Edith Cowan University.

Meanwhile the Year 7 Academic Extension students have been studying Animal Adaptations and Classification, culminating in a visit to Perth Zoo. At the zoo students completed extension work and attended a talk by zoo specialists, Animal Adaptations. During this lecture, the students voted on the features that a new animal would need to survive climate change and our volunteer, Jayden, ended up looking very interesting!

Kim Bedworth
Teacher, Science and STEM Coordinator

After a long delay, our Year 9/10 Boys Soccer team finally took to the pitch last Term to play in a 5-team competition against Churchlands, Ocean Reef and Balga Senior High Schools, and Emmanuel Christian Community School. After consecutive defeats the boys regrouped to produce two excellent wins. This saw the team finish 2nd behind overall winners Churchlands SHS. With most of the boys in our High Performance Soccer program, they competed against older students with confidence, demonstrating their skills after much hard work at training sessions. This competition was a great opportunity for the team to grow and improve in time for next year’s School Sports WA Competition.

This year's House Athletics Carnival was a huge success; an outstanding spectacle of sportsmanship and student endeavour. From the Pavillion to the main oval, there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst students and staff; competing and cheering for their House, dancing to live music and generally having a fantastic day out of the classroom on a perfect spring day. 

A big thank you to all Butler College staff for their energy and enthusiasm throughout the day. Staff competitors in the annual 4 x 100m relay were unlucky not to get the win against the students in the traditional final race of the day - the students are young but the staff are getting older each year! Special mentions to Mr Del Borrello and Ms Morley for their tireless efforts in organising the Carnival (not to mention Mr Del Borrello’s expert commentary!), ensuring it was an inclusive and enjoyable day for everyone.

Congratulations to all Champion Award and Sportsmanship Award recipients and to House Roe for finishing on top at the end of a fantastic day.

John Sherriffs

Year 12 students kicked up their heels and partied in style at their College Ball at Fraser’s Restaurant in Kings Park. With our city skyline as a stunning backdrop, students were welcomed on the lawn, followed by a sumptuous dinner in the Restaurant and then danced the night away! Everyone looked amazing - the ladies were elegantly styled and the men were sharp in their suits (and even a traditional kilt too!). It was a wonderful evening for the students; a celebration of their final year at the College. Many thanks to the staff involved in organising the Ball, especially Head of Year 11/12 Mr Dawkins.

Students in the Butler College Dance Academy were very fortunate to work with two professional dancers, Mitch Harvey and Katherine Gurr from Co3 Australia. Working together in a full day workshop, our dancers improved their technical skills and gained valuable insight into the power of free-flowing, creative movement in contemporary dance. Students danced individually, gradually building to collaborative group performances at the end of the day. A big thank you to Mitch and Katherine for their time and advice for our young dancers. More information about Co3 Australia can be found at https://co3.org.au 

What a great day it was for our College Rugby teams; competing at home against Atwell College earlier in Term 3. Before the games, Mr Puletaha & Mr Sherriffs spoke to our squad about the importance of humility, sportsmanship and what it means to be part of a team. Then Principal, Mr Rose, presented their fantastic new uniforms. After team photos and Welcome to Country, it was game on! The support from the student crowd was awesome and our Year 8/9 boys played well, coming away with a win in the first game. The second game was a tough encounter, with the Year 10 Atwell boys winning in the end. Thank you to the staff from both schools to make this event happen - the first for the year since COVID restrictions. Thank you to all the players for their skills, respect and sportsmanship, as well as the referees, media students and the crowd for their support.

Leon Puletaha
Teacher, Health & Physical Education and Rugby Coach

The annual Health Expo was a huge success for Year 12 Health students and their teacher, Miss Remi. Our invited guests showcased their services in health, sport and community, and were delighted with the students’ enthusiasm and variety of questions. The Health students also hosted their own stands including phobias, diabetes, sugar consumption and a competition to guess teacher baby photos. We commend the Year 12’s for their superb planning and running of the Expo. Thanks to everyone who donated a gold coin for UNICEF and to Mr Johnson, Mr Hatch and the music students for their wonderful entertainment. A big thank you to all the presenters for their support - we look forward to seeing you again next year.

The City of Wanneroo’s Student Scholarship Awards program celebrates young people who have shown commendable dedication and commitment to their school, community and academic career.  

Scholarships are awarded across three categories:

·         Outstanding academic achievement (ATAR)

·         Outstanding academic achievement (Non ATAR)

·         Commitment achievement

*Further eligibility requirements apply.

The Awards are an opportunity for students attending secondary government schools within the City of Wanneroo to apply for financial assistance for school related expenses. The Student Scholarship Application Form can be downloaded from the City of Wanneroo website.  

Shannon Sibly
Student Services Manager