Vaping

I recommend to you the Parent Night which has been advertised through SEQTA and previous newsletters.

It will be held on Monday 13 March at 6pm in the Mann Building. This is a one-hour session. A map of the College can be found here.

All schools are grappling with the issue of vaping. Students don’t seem to understand the negative health effects associated with vaping and they have been fooled by some very clever marketing. Oddly students don’t seem to smoke nearly as much as in days gone by, but somehow, they see vaping as different.

The College has engaged the services of a company called 'Clear the Air', to speak to the students about the negative aspects of vaping and I encourage you to attend the information evening as advertised above. The College has a ‘no tolerance’ approach to vaping at school, and students will be suspended if they do.

ChatGPT

There has been considerable discussion around an artificial intelligence (AI) software site, known as ChatGPT. It is not the only version, as there are others, but it seems to be the one that has attracted the most interest.

In many states of Australia, the government has chosen to ban the use of the site in government schools. Personally, I think this is an odd response, as students can access the site at home and on their phones.

The College has chosen to continue to allow students access, and teachers have been encouraged to incorporate the use of AI into their learning programs where possible.

It is true that a student could use ChatGPT to generate a response to an assignment which had been set by the teachers. It is therefore incumbent upon the teachers to adapt their approach where the students have to validate their understanding of an assessment, in an environment where students are unable to access ChatGPT. The current debate reminds me of the time when calculators were introduced into schools, and it was suggested that maths teachers would become obsolete. Students can do complicated calculations on their phones or watches and so teachers have had to adapt, given that students have access to this technology.

The technology is available outside schools and in the workplace and I have already had discussions with parents who use ChatGPT to generate email responses in their workplace. It is not to say that there won’t be moments where there are problems, but in the end, it is the world we live in.

Mr Declan Tanham
Principal

The Year 8 ACE students visited two parks in Rivervale on Tuesday to test out Forpark equipment they had shortlisted.

Testing the outdoor gym equipment is part of the proposal process for Stage Two of the callisthenics playground which they will be presenting to Mr Tanham later this term. Stewardship and College improvement is just one component of the ACE program that students enjoy.

Thank you Mr Holdaway for driving to Rivervale!

Ms Sonya Cerny
ACE Teacher

Visual Art

On Tuesday, 21 February, the Year 11 and 12 General Visual Art students were treated to a three-hour workshop with Western Australian artist, Rachelle Dusting. 

The Year 11 students were introduced to oil painting, a medium that they took to straight away! Using a limited colour palette, students investigated the fundamentals of tone and colour temperature. The Year 12 students concentrated on working with charcoal, consolidating their knowledge of value and producing a tonal sketch of an ear. Lots of fun (and mess) were had by all!

Food

On Tuesday, 28 February, the Year 11 General Food Science and Technology class walked down to HomeRun Burgers, Mount Hawthorn. We are starting a new task where we investigate local foods and how supporting local businesses benefits our farmers, our community, and our economy. We tried a variety of delicious burgers, chips and milkshakes.

Ms Phoebe Bennett
Head of Learning Area - Arts & Technology

Did you know that new eBook and Audiobook titles are added to ePlatform every month?

Students and staff members can access the collection – and their own account - by clicking on the ePlatform icon, located among the Library Links on the Student SEQTA Welcome Page. Once on the ePlatform page, clicking on the Sign In button (top right of the page) usually takes you straight to your account. If necessary, use your SSO details to complete the process. 

You can choose to read your book in the browser or via the app. Instructions for locating and downloading the app are on the ePlatform site. 

Account holders can borrow two items at a time. They can also reserve titles already in use by other readers.

So, sign in, browse the collection, and enjoy an old favourite … or something new!

ePlatform_More_Information.pdf

Mrs Susan Taylor
Library

CAREER TASTER PROGRAM
Year 9s are again participating in the Career Taster Program, facilitated by TAFE. So far, we are booked into the following Taster activities:

Brick in the wall
A 2-day trades course, where students can try out a range of mortar skills in the construction industry. Includes bricklaying, plastering and tiling.

Taking care
Students experience working in the health and associated industries. They get to see the difference they can contribute to people through real life simulated training and hospital experiences.

Eye in the sky
A Drone Pilot is visiting the College to speak to the Year 9 Media class about the future of high flying photography and the associated jobs in the industry.
Please SEQTA Mrs Claire Drabble if you would like to reserve a place on the Health or Trades days.

CAREER TOOLS
We are launching our own Portal via the school website for Term 2. This portal will provide career development resources, activities and up-to-date career information for students and families. Stay tuned for more information!

SCHOOL HOLIDAY STEM EVENTS
ECU Joondalup is offering one day workshops for students in Years 9-12. Don’t miss your opportunity to wear your ‘engineer’ hat for a day and learn about the diverse job opportunities there are in this industry.

2023_APRIL_ECU_STEM_ONE_DAY_WORKSHOP_Flyer.pdf

UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS
Explore and experience life as a uni student. University Open Days are happening soon, starting with UWA this week – look out for the dates on SEQTA.

CAREER CONVERSATIONS
This event is aimed at families and provides up-to-date information on pathways, industry and post-school options.

Career_Conversations_-_A4_Flyer_Family_Events_v2.pdf

YEAR 12 INFORMATION -EARLY OFFERS FOR UNIVERSITY

Information is updated regularly and this is the latest from TISC:
TISCOnline - Early Offers for Year 12 students

If you would like to chat about pathways or courses for 2024, SEQTA Mrs Claire Drabble/ 😊

Mrs Claire Drabble
Pathways Coordinator

12 Human Biology Brain Dissection

While the size of the cerebrum and orientation of the brainstem differ from humans, dissection of a sheep brain provides a great learning opportunity for Human Biologists.

Year 9 Science- International Women's Day

As part of the curriculum, students are tasked with understanding how Science influences society and gaining knowledge of its impact on people’s lives. For International Women’s Day, Year 9 students in Mr Halden’s class were challenged to make posters that could be displayed in the room, looking at women whose scientific and innovative discoveries have impacted humanity. Women like:
- Marie Curie and her work on isolating radioactive elements.
- Rosalind Franklin and her revolutionary work on DNA structure through x-ray diffraction.
- Francoise Barré-Sinoussi and the isolation of HIV.
- Patricia Goldman-Rakic’s work on prefrontal circuitry and its relationship to working memory allowed an understanding of ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

These are examples of their work:

Katherine_Johnson_by_Zahra.pdf

Rachel_Carson_By_William.pdf

Mae_Jemison_by_James_and_Azial.pdf

Patricia_Goldman-Rakic_by_Milly_and_Zoe.pdf

Dorothy_hodgkin_by_Stephanie.pdf

Mr Luke Halden
Science Teacher

11 Physics Latent Heat

Working out the latent heat of ice water only needs very simple apparatus but requires more than a simple mind.

Mrs Naomi Geoghegan
Head of Learning - Science

For the College Calendar, please see here.

www.aranmore.wa.edu.au