The impact of the spread of the coronavirus remained a serious concern particularly with the delayed start of Term 1. This together with a bushfire emergency affected school communities in the Wooroloo and Gidgegannup area has had a disruptive and emotional start to the school year.
This Term has been a challenge for all staff at Swan View Senior High School as we have made adjustments to the program delivery to accommodate the resulting short length of the Term. Thank you to parents/caregivers for your support in Term 1 as the school community responded to these adjustments.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all staff at Swan View SHS for their dedication and hard work during this Term. I am overwhelmed by the commitment and work of our staff.
This year has seen the re-introduction of the House System at Swan View SHS. Historically, the House System played a significant role in the delivery of pastoral care and in the many carnivals and sporting fixtures within the School. A review of the House System in 2020 has resulted in a new model for the School.
The House names include:
- Gladstone – green
- Morrison – red
- Salisbury – blue
- Weld – yellow
The benefits of the re-organised House System include:
- It provides students with a sense of belonging, comradery and identity during their time at Swan View.
- It offers each student a wonderful opportunity to get to know and make new friends.
- Provides leadership opportunities to students outside the Student Representative Council.
- Students will be provided with a range of cooperative and competitive cultural and sporting activities to participate, learn new skills and gain confidence.
The School is very proud of its long history in delivering quality education in the wider community. To celebrate its history, the School commissioned an Honour Board to acknowledge the Foundation Staff and Students that commenced at the School on 7 February 1977. The Honour Board comprises an impressive list of 27 Foundation Staff and 346 Foundation Students.
Role Models and Leaders Australia (RMLA) – which was running the Girls Academy at our School – was not successful in securing funding from the Australian Government in a recent National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) tender process. The successful applicant was the Koya Aboriginal Corporation.
The Girls Academy will continue to operate as it has during the past two years. The planning that was undertaken in 2020 by Ms Kellie Tucker, Program Manager, and Ms Katrina Jetta, Development Officer, has ensured the Girls Academy program continued from the commencement of the 2021 academic year.
It is the intention of the school to retain the name Swan View Girls Academy.
In 2020, the School was allocated funds for refurbishments as part of the WA Recovery Plan. An application was submitted to the Department of Education to change the allocation from refurbishments to the construction of a building to co-locate: the Follow the Dream program, the Swan View Clontarf Academy and the Swan View Girls Academy. The budget for the construction of the Centre is $1.3 million. The Swan View SHS community would like to sincerely thank the Office of the Minister for Education, the Department of Education and the Department of Finance for their support of this initiative.
The new School website was launched at the beginning of the academic year. The former website was reviewed and improved to meet the needs of the wider Swan View SHS community. The new website is an important focal point for the wider community to gain an insight about the School and its various programs. Prospective students and interested stakeholders, across the metropolitan area and throughout Western Australia, can access a detailed profile about the School. Please take the opportunity to view the website.
It was a pleasure to meet many Year 7 families at our afternoon ‘meet and greet BBQ’ on 18 February 2021. Thank you for joining our Swan View family and I look forward to your continued involvement in our School.
The School enjoyed a very successful parent-teacher afternoon on 24 March 2021. There were 750 bookings made by 114 parents/caregivers for the afternoon. The event forms part of the School’s reporting to parents schedule, enabling parents/caregivers to receive an interim overview about their child’s progress.
I have enjoyed visiting our partner primary schools during this Term to talk to students about secondary school and, with our staff, showcasing the wonderful opportunities for prospective students at Swan View SHS. I appreciate the support provided to our School by the Principals of our partner primary schools in enabling these visits to occur. In addition, I thank Mrs Sally Bradley, School Officer – Marketing and Media, for her continued commitment and hard work in ensuring positive relationships with our partner primary schools and a smooth Transition program.
The School Board held its first meeting on 29 March 2021. I welcome new members to the School Board and sincerely appreciate their eagerness to participate in the governance of the School. I also acknowledge and thank the outgoing members of the School Board for their advice, commitment and hard work during their tenure, including Mrs Sally Bradley, Mrs Sharon Gardiner, Mr Jorgen Mackie, Mrs Deb Unwin, and Mr John Vidler. Thank you to the new Board members who attended the Board Training session hosted at Midvale Primary School on 26 March 2021. Congratulations to Ms Karen Beale who was re-elected as Chairperson and Mrs Kendall Earnshaw who was re-elected as Deputy Chairperson.
I would like to farewell and acknowledge staff who have concluded their appointments at Swan View SHS at the end of Term 1:
- Ms Anne Butler – Teacher English Learning Area
- Ms Pauline Manser – Engagement Officer (Year 10)
- Ms Julie Anne Paterson – Program Coordinator – Student Services (Upper School)
- Ms Alanna Vine – Teacher Technologies Learning Area
Thank you to the above staff for their efforts and invaluable contribution to our school.
Wishing all families, a safe and peaceful Easter break.
Dr George Sekulla
Principal