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Student Welcome

TERM 4: Start: Monday 14th October 2019 End: Thursday 19th December 2019 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: Queen’s Birthday Monday 30th September 2019 STUDENT EVENTS: Enlightenment - Arts Showcase 28th August 2019 Book Week Dress Up 20th August 2019 Athletics Sports Carnival 20th September 2019

IMPORTANT DATES

Quarterly edition

TERM 2, EDITION 1, 2019

Semester 2, 2019. Edition 1.

John Tonkin College Student

Newsletter EXCELLENCE - RESPECT - COMMITMENT

Welcome to all Year 7–12 John Tonkin College students.

We would like to introduce our new student newsletter and encourage all JTC students to actively engage in the development of this communication platform.

Let this be the voice for your achievements, your interest, your concerns, and your creative expression.

If you wish to contribute to the next publication, then please make contact with:

Communication Captain

Hayley.pegg@education.wa.edu.au

Editor

Natalie.downing@education.wa.edu.au

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International Happy Day

Written by Hayley Pegg Happiness is an abstract feeling and often when we are asked whether we are “happy”, the answer can be difficult to articulate, because we might start focussing on things that define happiness and may realise that it is not a constant state of being. For purposes of clarity, the term happiness is defined as a state of well-being which includes a feeling of contentment and joy. Of course, we all want to feel this emotion at some part in our daily life, but it is not always realistic to expect to feel happy all the time. So why celebrate this abstract state of being? Well, the seeds for the International Day of Happiness were sown in 2011 by a well-known philanthropist and activitist, Jayme Illien when he approached United Nation officials and requested that it become a UN calendar day. His beliefs to promote a universal day of happiness were so strong, that he initiated a campaign based on the premise that this state of being was a fundamental human goal. His intention was to advance global happiness for the overall benefit of humankind. Finally, the notion was agreed by the UN. The founder, Jayme Illien, decided that the 20th of March 2013 was a suitable day to celebrate this event as this is the March equinox, a universal phenomenon felt simultaneously by all of humankind. Since establishment, the day has grown in popularity and momentum and attracts people who want to work towards a better world for all. This year’s theme was ‘Happier Together’ and highlighted what we have in common rather than what divides us. At JTC, we showed our support for this very special day by wearing BRIGHT COLOURS. Of course, it is normal to feel a range of emotions, but let us as a school community focus on what we consider to be a “happy” emtional state; a much desired state of being. So, what makes you happy and those who surround you happy too?

To ensure that next year’s International Happy Day is a rewarding and positive experience, here are some things that you could do now:

• Understand what will make

YOU happy and work towards this goal.

• Surround yourself with positive people who you know and value

• Start the day with a positive affirmation – “I am worthy”

• Acknowledge your appreciation and send someone a note or message to let them know how they have impacted you

• Share you joy with others

• Live in the present and be grateful for the small things

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Written by Hayley Pegg

On Wednesday the 10th of April, the class of 2019 showcased their sophisticated outfits and dance moves at the Mandurah Offshore Fishing Club. After the extensive planning and preparation by Student Services, the night had finally arrived which measured up to everyone’s expectation. It was a glamourous, enchanted evening. The Year 12 students stepped out on the plush red carpet and were welcomed by flashing cameras and staff. As they entered through the doors, they were faced with a magical sparkling dance floor to the front and the Mandurah ocean marina view to the back. Nearing the end of the night, the year 12s voted for the following winners: Best dress, Best suit, Favourite Couple and, lastly, Best dancer. I am sure everyone will agree that it was a night to remember. Drum roll … Best dress Violet Ashwin Best suit Jake Genefini Best couple Sahrai Heller-Pari Shandon Ransfield Best dancers Darcy Osmetti Harrison Banyard Jake Genefini

Student Social: Year 12 Ball 2019

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Year 12 2019

JTC Ball

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IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Online Resources Black Dog Institute

Head to Health

Healthy Families

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation

Youth Beyond Blue

Helpline Numbers Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36

Carers Australia: 1800 242 636

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Headspace: 1800 650 890

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

Mindspot Clinic: 1800 61 44 34

Men’s Line Australia: 1300 78 99 78

Qlife: 1800 184 527

SANE: 1800 18 SANE

Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277

Student Wellbeing: Youth Mental Health

& Wellbeing From all of us to you Through life there are ups and downs and this year we mourned the loss of one of our special students, Aaron Smart. It is always difficult to say goodbye, but we will remember his impact and presence in the lives of those he has touched.

Aaron Smart, or as most of you knew him as Aa-ron, was, and will always be, a beautiful and bright young man with a heart of gold and a contagious smile that could light up a whole room. He will be forever missed and loved by everyone who knew him.

It is with great sadness that we pay our respect to Aaron and his family.

Rest in Peace Aaron.

For all those impacted by loss and sadness, whether it is caused by past or present hardships, remember there is always someone there to support you.

Please reach out for help.

To follow are some important contact details.

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Student Interests & Opinions: “Avengers: The Endgame”

Written by Aidan Barkey On April 24th, 2019, Marvel movies released the much anticipated finale, Avengers: The Endgame. Everyone was rushing to the cinemas to find out what happened next … Well, I know I was! To summarise the plot line, after the events of Infinity War, the remaining cast are left distraught at their failures. The attempts to obtain the infinity stone to reverse the damage done to the world have failed, therefore they decide to accept the new world for 5 years until the team realise a way of obtaining the stones in a different way.

In my opinion, this is a decent film, however it does present with some minor issues. The character Captain Marvel doesn’t appear much in the film, despite being a MAJOR character and seems to only be used as a Deus Ex Machina. There are also points in the film that seem to be pandering, whether that’s to the youth of today or to certain political agendas. For instance, in the film, the popular game and current fad, Fortnite, gets a sizable amount of screen time and it is clearly there to capture the undivided attention of the younger generation. There is also a section at the end which has a strong “girl power” vibe using the majority of the female cast in the final act. In my opinion, these characters contribute as much to the movie as the other characters (masculine or creature-like in appearance), so their placement at the end seems imposing and forced. Luckily these points of contention are few and far between, therefore they do not impact the overall enjoyment of the movie. Needless to say, with the negatives out of the way, it’s best to go forth with the resounding positives of the movie. It’s clear, Marvel Studios put their “A game” into this film, investing the majority of their resources into the production of the film. It’s Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) is captivating, the plot, characters and their interactions were also very well written. Oh, and spoiler alert - Act 3 was amazing to watch and was pretty rewarding for a finale for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) - until the next storyline is imagined. So, to wrap it up, do I recommend it? Yes, of course! That being said, I do believe you should watch the previous Marvel films first, to not only understand the storyline and characters, but also to achieve an emotional attachment to the characters. Believe me, there is an Ant Man or Thor in everyone of us! This movie marathon will be quite a binge as there are 20+ films on offer. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, place it on your “To-Do List” … along with the rest of the MCU films. That will keep you busy over the holidays! Just what are you waiting for?

Photo courtesy of www.reddit.com. “Avengers: Endgame”

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Written by Sebastian Spozetta

How to view reports on Connect?

1. Go to Connect DET 2. Click My connect 3. Click Reports 4. Click to download

the report you want.

Student Leadership Team

Student Learning: Tech 4 Dummies

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Have you met our student leaders? Remember, these leaders are there to support you in the development of our

school. If you have a great idea, then let them know!

College Captains: Jake Genefini and Nastacia Tarrosa

Vice Captains: Riley Marsden and Louise Winmar

Year 12 Councillors: Tayla Hoonhout and Stephanie Williams

Year 11 Councillors: Katie MacLeod and Nathalie Tarrossa

Year 10 Councillors: Emily Maroney and Isis Naisbitt

Year 9 Leaders: Jayde Britt & Grego Gamier

House Captains:

Sutton - Jack Winzer, Tuckey - Shakira McCarthy, Hall - Lachlan Boneham, Eacott - Hannah Winmar

Visual Arts Captain: Geneva Beatty

Performing Arts Captain: Ollie Naisbitt

Communications Captain: Hayley Pegg

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Student Recognition: Academic Success

Interview with Cara Riberi, Year 12 JTC Student At Picnic Under the Stars, Cara was the recipient of several awards, so we thought we would give her a BIG SHOUT OUT and commend her for her successes. We interviewed Cara to ask about her pathway to success.

What awards did you receive at Picnic Under the Stars for your academic success in 2018? The awards I received at the awards night for Year 11 were top for Geography ATAR, Modern History ATAR, English ATAR, one for the Business Certificate II, a gold colour for Academia, and the ATAR top achieving student. What are your aspirations or plans for the future? I would like to think I have simple life aspirations –“I don't want to get stuck doing something I don't enjoy”. Money isn't massively important to me, so I just want to live a stable life in terms of wealth. But with regards to career aspirations, I've aimed a little higher. I've changed my mind on career paths so many times I've lost count. But at this stage, I am aiming for anything screen or sound related. I'd love to be a roadie or sound technician, even a director or cinematographer one day, meeting interesting people from all over the world.

What is your motto when you are struggling to motivate yourself? I don’t really have a motto, but the only thing running through my mind when I am flooded with work is that I am not doing it at midnight or early in the morning, and I am not doing it on weekends. That's when I want to sleep or relax. Can you name your top three study tips? Although not for everyone, my first study tip is to do it how you want to do it. I listen to music, I have the TV going, I have chats with family or friends on social media... that's just how my brain works best. My second tip is to not leave it to the last minute. There are soooo many other things you'd rather do, but it's just easiest to get the work done first, then relax later. My last tip is to sleep! There is nothing worse than just studying when tired because you just don't absorb anything at all. What would your recommendation be for those students who want to strive to improve their grades and learning outcomes? For those wanting to strive to improve their grades and outcomes, I would say to set a goal. It probably sounds a little cliché... but it works. If you have something you really, really, really want to accomplish, then go about your study like you WILL accomplish it.

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LOOK OUT FOR THESE EXCITING EVENTS IN

AUGUST!

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Student Interaction: Debating

From the JTC debate team The John Tonkin College Junior debating team competed at the West Australian Debating League (WADL) Mandurah Competition in May and June this year at Foundation Christian College. The students competed in four debates, arguing topics such as "Parents should be allowed to look at their children's social media accounts" and "Indigenous languages should be prioritised over foreign languages in schools". We debated against teams from Foundation Christian College, Coodanup College and Coastal Lakes College. For part of each day, the students participated in workshops run by WADL where they learnt how to improve their debate structure and speak with more conviction. The students performed so well for their first competition and came away with one win and three very close defeats.

We are always looking for more participants, so if you like to argue your point, come along to the debating meetings on Tuesday afternoons from 3-4 in D22. Miss Searle from the English department will be facilitating this activity.

SPEAKING & LISTENING COMPETITION

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Written by Jayde Britt and Taylah Stokes Did you know that the world produces enough plastic to fill 676 million Olympic sized swimming pools? Five to ten percent of this waste is ending up in our ocean. This environmental disaster is out of control and we are creating a toxic world for animals, plants and humankind and destroying our ecosystem. Ask yourself, do you really want to be part of this decline? This beautiful world that we call our home will be so badly damaged that there will be minimal chance of returning to its former glory. There will be no pristine beaches for us to spend time with family and friends, no green, lush mountains to roam, and no gorgeous, flower strewn countryside left for us to explore. We need to work together, because if we don’t act now, it will be too late for regret. If you want to help save our beautiful, precious planet, then follow the 5 R’s …

1. REDUCE • Reduce the use of your own waste.

E.g. Take-away rubbish, product packaging. • Track how much you use.

E.g. Keep a diary or box to remind you of your impact

2. REUSE • Bring your own reusable bags when shopping and avoid single use plastic bags. • Use a stainless steel, glass or bamboo straw rather than a single use plastic one. 3. REFUSE • Simply say NO when someone asks you if you would like to use a plastic straw or single use plastic bag. 4. REMOVE • Pick up rubbish in your local town, beaches, schools

or parks.

5. RECYCLE • Recycle the plastic you used and no longer need.

Student Concerns: It’s NOW or NEVER!

Just remember even YOU can

make a difference!

https://blueocean.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Zak-Noyle-Surfer-Mag.-Java.jpgfro

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Communication Team Commendations: A special thanks to the following team members for the development of the JTC student newsletter: Hayley Pegg – Communications Captain and writer Aidan Barkey – Writer & designer of the newsletter logo and comic strip Sebastian Spozetta – Writer & Design consultant Jayde Britt & Taylah Stokes - Writers If you wish to be involved, please contact Ms. Downing in the English Department.