Parent UpdateUpdate from The Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians

It was wonderful to meet with many parents and family members over two very well attended Parent-Teacher interview afternoons recently. I think most students (and teachers) are now looking forward to a well-deserved holiday. A reminder that school is closed from Friday 12th April until we resume on Tuesday 30th April (for students). Best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy Easter and holiday period.

Annual ReportThe 2018 annual report has recently been endorsed by the School Board and is now available on the school’s web page. The report is an outline and analysis of the school’s performance in relation to our priorities and targets (Business Plan 2018-22). It contains information on student performance, including comparative performance with similar schools (both academic and non-academic), student, teacher and parent survey analysis and financial overviews. I recommend that all parents read the report to gain a better understanding of the school’s relative strengths and challenges.

Click on the following link to view the Annual Reporthttp://applecross.wa.edu.au/business-plan-school-reports

Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN tests will be conducted in Weeks 3 and 4 next term (Tuesday 14th May - Friday 24th May). This is the first year that our students will be completing these tests online and all students have completed a practice test this week. Parents are requested to ensure that no family holidays or other absences occur during these two weeks.

A NAPLAN information brochure was sent home to parents of our Year 7 and 9 students via email. Early next term Year 7 and 9 students will be receiving a personal timetable informing them which room to go to each day over the two weeks of NAPLAN tests, and parents will receive some further information.

Staff Changes for Term 2We would like to wish the following staff members well as they leave us at the end of this term:

Marian Birtwistle, Karen Howlett and Caroline Crofton all have leave for Term 2; and, Madeleine Howroyd is not returning this year as she is taking parenting leave—best wishes Maddy.

We would like to welcome the following teachers who will be joining us at the start of Term 2:

Melanie Gimblett — replacing Madeleine HowroydDave Roberts —will be teaching some newly added Year 7 classesAntonella Burgio — replacing Marian BirtwistleAndrew Belotti — replacing Karen HowlettEmma Anda — replacing Caroline Crofton

Best wishes,Paul LeechPrincipal

Term 1/Week 108-12 April 2019

School Activities and Student AchievementKeep up with all the exciting activities and student achievements that occur in the school by regularly checking our webpage or Facebook pages.

Website http://applecross.wa.edu.au/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ApplecrossSeniorHighSchool/School Calendar http://applecross.wa.edu.au/school-term-calendarParent Update http://applecross.wa.edu.au/parent-update

IMPORTANT DATESAPRIL12th AprilANZAC Service - Period 1End of Term 1

30th AprilTerm 2 Commences for Students

MAY1st MayMusic Support Group MeetingYear 12 Production

6th MaySchool Tour

7th MayYear 7 ImmunisationsYear 9 River Cruise

9th MayYear 8 ImmunisationsYear 8 Lightning Carnival

9th -10th MayYear 11 Biology Camp

13th-16th MayYear 10 Exams

14th-24th MayNAPLAN

16th MayYear 8 Lightning CarnivalSchool Board Meeting

17th MaySSWA Interschool Cross Country

20th MayP & C Meeting

24th MayMusic Dept Autumn Concerts

27th May - 7 JuneYear 11 and 12 Exams

NAPLANby Dr Peter Count

In Weeks 3 and 4 of Term 2, Year 7 and 9 students will be sitting the NAPLAN tests. Whilst the tests have generated much controversy over the years, my experience has taught me that a result of Band 8 or higher in Year 9 NAPLAN Writing is a very good predictor of likely success in ATAR English in Years 11 and 12. In light of this, Year 10 students will not receive a recommendation for ATAR English/Literature when they choose their Upper School subjects unless they have achieved Band 8 or higher in Year 9 NAPLAN Reading and Writing.

Please encourage your child to take the tests seriously and strive for Band 8.

Additionally, we’d like to reiterate our endorsement of the Education Perfect program. Amongst its many assets, it provides a lot of NAPLAN Literacy practice material to help in both identifying and remedying each student's individual weaknesses. Please continue to support your child’s regular use of it at home.

Year 11 and 12 ExamsUpper School Semester 1 exams will be held from Monday 27th May — Friday 7th June, including Tuesday 4th June when there is a School Development Day. Language written exams will be Friday 24th May and the practical will be on Saturday 25th May. Drama practicals will be held Saturday 8th June. These are important assessments for students so please ensure that holidays and other commitments are scheduled around these. The exam schedule will be on senior school Connect pages, and individual timetables and examination rules will be distributed early next term.

Year 10 Subject Selection ProcessYear 10 students will be selecting their upper school subjects at the end of Term 2. The parent information evenings on Thursday 9th May (for Vocational and alternative pathways) and Tuesday 11th June (all ATAR and General subjects) will provide further information to parents. Parents of Year 10 students will also receive information about the counselling process early next term. Please be reminded that for Upper School ATAR courses, there are often pre-requisite grades at Year 10 level to ensure success, so it is important that all Year 10 students work as hard as they can in their subjects so that they are able to select from a variety of subjects in senior school.

Year 10 ExamsIn Week 3 of next term, from Monday 13th May to Thursday 16th May, all our Year 10 students will be sitting exams for Maths, English, HASS and Science. Students who study French, Japanese, Tennis or AXSELL will also sit exams for those subjects. Each exam is 90 minutes plus reading time, and will run amongst a normal school day. That is, students must attend school for the whole week, and will either be engaging in: revision sessions in class, continued course work, or one of the exams. On Friday 17th May all Year 10 students will be engaging with a Personal Best program to help prepare them for their upcoming Course Selections for Upper School.

Class teachers have been working with students to inform them of the structure of exams, and give them assistance on ways to study. Students have also had opportunities to attend free sessions after school in Essay Writing, and Preparing a Revision Plan for Exams. They should have a clear plan of the work they need to do to improve in their areas of need, refine their exam skills and consolidate their knowledge, and we would hope you would encourage their continued preparation over the holiday period (whilst ensuring the important life balance and well-being).

Further information will be distributed to students and parents/guardians at the beginning of Term 2, to outline the rules and protocols of the exams, clarify processes if students are ill, and provide the specific exam schedule.

The results of these exams are an important component of the Subject Selection process, and help to inform students, parents and counsellors of the most appropriate pathways, so it is very important that students approach this period with the utmost effort.

ANZAC Day ServiceWhen: Friday 12th April - Period 1Where: Basketball CourtsWho: All year groups will be attending

• Students are to go to their usual first period class where the teacher will take the roll and lock bags inside the classroom.

• Teachers will lead students to the basketball courts where they will sit in their designated year group areas.

• Any students arriving at school after the commencement of the ceremony(8:40am) will be supervised in the main quadrangle area.

• As this is a service and not a performance, please do not applaud or clap at any stage. After the music or speakers finish, please remain quiet.

REMINDER - Consent2Go

Parents and Guardians were emailed a Student Update Invitation on the 1st of April.

The picture on the right shows the content of the email sent out. By simply clicking on the red box you will be automatically connected to the system.

There is no username or password required to use the system. All information is stored in accordance with the Australian privacy requirements.

You will be asked to update your contact details and your child’s medical and allergy information. This will only need to be completed once. Parents can then easily update and change details if required, through the system.

This must be updated by 15th April 2019. This link will expire after this date.

Please contact Applecross.SHS.Consent2Go@education.wa.edu.au if you have misplaced your email or require more information.

ATAR Students: 'ReviseOnline' Resource AvailableThe school has recently acquired 'ReviseOnline', which is a revision system designed to assist teachers and their students for their ATAR preparation. Log on details, as well as instructions for how to access the system, have been sent to all ATAR students via their school email account. Schools such as Churchlands and Shenton College have reported that the resources have been of great benefit to students for general revision purposes with many being self-paced and including answer keys, model answers and other revision resources. They indicated there was an excellent uptake by students. Parents were very positive about the resource and student feedback indicated it assisted them in their ATAR preparation. The current list of courses is as follows (both Year 11 and 12 are available for each):

Biology Chemistry EconomicsHuman Biology Math Applications Math MethodsMath Specialist Physical Education Studies PhysicsPsychology

Take the opportunity to scroll through your email and check out this great resource.

Voluntary Contributions and ChargesWe have had a great start to 2019 for contributions and charges collection. Thank you to the many parents who have contributed towards resourcing our school with great programs and tools to assist your child on his or her educational journey. To date we have received 57% of our Year 7 to 10 contributions, 65% Year 7 to 10 Subject Charges and 54% Year 11 and 12 Subject Charges. We really appreciate your prompt attention at this time. Receiving funds early in the year provides the teaching staff with the opportunity to spend on the students for 2019. If you would like to pay, it can be as simple as loading our payment app Qkr on your mobile phone or tablet and adding your card and child’s basic details. Once logged in you can tick the various items unique to your child. For further instruction please click on the link below (under the 'Back To School' icon on the website) to access the 'How to Download Qkr to a Smartphone or Tablet Device' and 'How to make a payment – Quick Reference Guide for Qkr'. There are many other helpful documents on the website to assist you to make your payment. If you experience any issues please contact the Finance Office on 9314 9368 and our helpful staff will assist you to step through the process. http://www.applecross.wa.edu.au/node/89

Science News

Year 10 AE Science Engineering Challenge 2019On Friday the 5th of April, our Yr 10 Academic Extension Science class participated in the Science and Engineering Challenge run by the University of Newcastle. The challenge aims to encourage students to pursue careers in science and engineering by engaging them in a series of group activities. All activities involved some form of cognitive conflict that had to be overcome to achieve points for the school. Our students performed particularly well in the bridge building challenge – building the equal strongest bridge on the day, but due to the slightly heavier weight, we came second overall in this activity. Other enjoyable activities included building an earthquake-proof tower, communicating using coloured lights and student generated codes, building a mini Mars rover buggy and managing energy sources and electricity usage in a model power plant. Our school placed 3rd overall, beating some other reputable schools within the Perth metro area. The students were very pleased with their results and thoroughly enjoyed the day!

Girls in Science 201916 Applecross girls across both Years 9 and 10 visited Curtin University on Wednesday 3rd of April. They participated in an activity in the morning and listened to some inspirational speakers afterwards.

The Minister of Education was also one of the inspirational speakers and blogged the attached image of us all onto her blog on Facebook. This day was designed to inform students of the value of science pathways to their future careers. Let’s just say we were most impressed and I am sure those who attended see the value of science in their future careers.

The general message that came across was that you need the skills in the future, not the knowledge. Choose the course in University that suits you and what you enjoy studying. Throughout your study you will learn the future skills and apply these in any career you may choose.

Year 12 Production "The Visit"So why does "The Visit", Friedrich Durrenmatt's drama about a town that sells its soul for fortunes, still have universal appeal?

The Year 12 Drama students, with the support of some very talented Year 10 and 11 students, explore this issue in their production. Shows are on Tuesday April 30 and Wednesday May 1 at 7.30pm in the Performing Arts Centre. It is always an enlightening experience to see our students in performance; your support will be very much appreciated.

Tickets are available on TryBooking by following the link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/BBZONor

https://www.trybooking.com/491829

Entertainment Book

Are you keen for another year of savings? Please support us as we raise funds for the Gifted and Talented Art Program at ASHS. When you order a DIGITAL membership, your book will be available in time to use throughout the upcoming school holidays. For those ordering a print book, these will be available in the first week of Term 2.Please visit our ordering page: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/83590h

Facebook/Website Highlights

Visit our Facebook/Website to read about the achievements and events/activities held over the last couple of weeks.

Website http://applecross.wa.edu.auFacebook https://www.facebook.com/ApplecrossSeniorHighSchool

Herbert Edwards Boy Champions

Harry Perkins Excursion

Mursell Shield Champions

Principal's Cup - Netball

Herbert Edward Girl Champions

Slazenger Cup Girls Champions Slazenger Cup Boys Champions

Drama CampWA Institute of Sport Excursion Taco Time in Food Awareness