It was fabulous to see many families attending the Year 7 Welcome BBQ last week where the first transition garden was officially opened. Prefects fund raised money to install a wall plaque to honour this event. The BBQ was also well attended by teachers and education support staff.

Upcoming events:

• Thursday 4^th March: Year 7 2022 information night at 6pm in the Flexible Learning Centre
• Thursday 18^th March: Year 7 Immunisations
• Wednesday 31^st March: WHS Talent Quest at the PAC

School Council Elections

The Wangaratta High School Council is a fantastic group of people within our community who work together to ensure the school is meeting its requirements in regards to Department processes and achieving the outcomes for student success. The Council provides strategic support and guidance to the School Leadership Team and overseas governance issues across the High School.

Nominations are open for the Wangaratta High School Council and will close at 4:00pm on Thursday 4^th March, 2021. This is a great opportunity for parents, staff and students to have an active voice and support the governance of our school. Current members with an expiring term and new members are encouraged to nominate. Being part of the School Council is a fantastic way to be involved in the School and understand our processes and overall goals and targets. I would encourage any members of our community, who are interested in joining the Council to contact me.

Nomination forms are available at the general office and on our website https://www.whs.vic.edu.au/page/225/School-Council

Mental Health Practitioner (MHP)

We are in the process of appointing a Mental Health Practitioner to join Wangaratta High School in Term 2. The role of their Mental Health Practitioner includes:

• Providing direct counselling support and other early intervention services for individual students identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health needs.
• Providing direct counselling support and other early intervention services for small groups (where appropriate).
• Coordinating supports (both within and external to the school) for students with critical needs, including proactively working with regions and other health professionals to engage further support as required.
• Enhancing mental health promotion and prevention activities in the school by contributing to whole school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to manage student health and wellbeing, and helping to embed mental health promotion and prevention programs and strategies in the school.

Tutor Learning Initiative

I’m pleased to report that the Tutor Teachers started to work with small groups of students in Year 7 and 9 in their Mathematics and English classes this week. The Tutor Learning Initiative supports the DET 2021 Priority of Learning Catch Up and Extension and our School Strategic Plan Goal of ‘Maximising student learning growth and achievement for every student.’

Kind regards
Michelle Bootes

 

Our annual Swimming Carnival was held on Thursday 18th February, at the brand new 50m outdoor pool at the Wangaratta Aquatic Centre, a day after Victoria emerged out of a snap 5 day lockdown. 
The sun was shining, the costumes were on show and the BBQ was sizzling. It was fantastic to see so many of our students jumping into the pool to help win points for their houses. 
Well done to everyone who participated, staff and students. A big congratulations to both King and Wareena, who drew equal first with 461 points each. Merriwa finished second with 347, followed closely by Ovens with 314. 
A special mention goes to Hayley Genn, Ulrika Wild, Fiona Schilling and Ruby Bittner, our Under 20's Female 4x50 relay swimmers - these girls broke a 52 year old record! The girls swam a time of 2:25.32, beating the previous record of 2:26.50. Congratulations girls!
Another special mention also goes to both our U13 and U14 Male 4x50 relay teams who represented Wangaratta High School at the Upper Hume Swimming Carnival. Both teams came second in their respective heats, and will now both progress to the next stage. Go boys!

Congratulations to our age champions:

13Y Female: Stevie Smith-Driscoll
13Y Male: Merlin Tzaros

14Y Female: Isabelle Hooper 
14Y Male: Euca Boonzaayer & Tom Ford

15Y Female: Kalika Miliankos-King
15Y Male: Clove Boonzaayer

16Y Female: Lucy Gardner
16Y Male: Joshua Sgarioto

17Y Female: Grace Gregory
17Y Male: Jake Steadman

20Y Female: Fiona Schilling
20Y Male: Benjamin Sgarioto

  

  

  

  


        
          

Last Tuesday, we held our annual Welcome to Year 7 BBQ. This is a great event to welcome our new Year 7 cohort and their parents and carers into our school, and get to know the families in a more relaxed, informal environment. 
We also unveiled our new plaque in the transition garden, which was planted by our Year 7’s (then Grade 6’s) on our Orientation Day last year. Each student was given a shrub to plant, that was kindly donted by Bunnings, that they can watch grow with them as they journey through their years at Wangaratta High School. Our Prefect Team also held a fundraiser to raise money to purchase the plaque. This activity has been a great demonstration of how our students, from Year 7 right up to year 12, have been brought together as one.
We can’t wait to watch the garden grow and flourish!

  

  

Finally!... Students in the Outdoor and Environmental Studies course were able to engage with an outdoor environment. After the trials of 2020, it was a pleasure to visit the Bogong High Plains. Experiential based learning is crucial, enabling students to develop connections between theoretical concepts and actual environments.

The High Plains in the Alpine National Park provide an excellent basis for exploring a range of key knowledge covered in VCE including; indigenous relationships with the area, cattle grazing and first settler relationships, recreational pastimes such as bushwalking and trout fishing and cultural aspects associated with the huts. The group also walked past a herd of wild horses, part of the environmental management unit that we will cover in Unit 4.

The group camped at the Tawonga Huts and summited Mount Yiathmathung before dinner. The top provided an inspiring view of the alpine plateau. The campcraft on display from the students was exceptional and this camp will provide a strong basis for future discussions and assessment.

Phil Hunter
Outdoor and Environmental Studies Teacher



Cope Hut - First Recreational Hut built in the High Plains


Brumbies on the High Plains


View from Mount Yiathmathung - Named after the indigenous people that annually frequented


Mount Feathertop and the Razorback in the background

Information about our 2022 Year 7 Information Night. Come along to our Year 7 2022 Information Evening on Thursday, 4th March, to learn more about our excellent opportunities and co-curricular activities.
Please RSVP your attendance to the front office on 03 5723 0500.

Over Victoria's snap 5 day lockdown, we had a few students here onsite with us. Some of our Year 7's were sent out on a science scavenger hunt to find leaves that showed different vein structure, examples of some adult and juvenile leaves, and some flowers to look for stamen. They were also able to use the camera to take any botany based pictures they might find interesting, including some of the photos below. Fantastic work Year 7's, we may have a few budding photographer's on our hands! 

                         

                         

                         

Just a friendly reminder surrounding bus safety - parents are not to drop off students in the 'no standing zones' from across the bridge down to opposite the bus interchange in Phillipson Street. Students are crossing the road (not at the designated crossing) therefore, creating a safety risk. 
There are designated car spaces at the opposite end of Phillipson Street, near our large Sponsor board, and on Edwards Street. 
We thank you for your ongoing cooperation.

 

 

Some of our 2020 Yearbooks that were printed last year had some minor faults, with some pages having words and numbers cut off. 
We have had a reprint of 100 more copies, that have had the faults corrected. If you are not happy with the quality of your 2020 Yearbook, you are more than welcome to come to the front office to collect a new one, free of charge. 

Date	Item	Notes
Monday 8th March	Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 9th March	Curriculum Day - Student Free Day
Thursday 18th March	Year 7 Immunisations	More information to follow
Wednesday 31st March	Talent Quest
Thursday 1st April	Last Day of Term 1

A reminder that all students who missed out on having their school photo taken on February 10th, a catch-up day has been scheduled for Thursday 4th March.

 

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

Payment amounts this year are $225 for eligible secondary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you would like to apply for the first time, applications are avaliable on our school website here.

You can also download the form, and find out more about the program and eligibility, on the Department of Education and Training’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund web page.

Check with staff at the office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.

Applications close on the 25th June for families holding an eligible Health Care Card that was valid on the 19th April 2021. 

Sport North East 2021 Youth Advisory Group





2021 Connecting Cultures Festival



Table Tennis 

Come and try Table Tennis - every Wednesday, between6pm - 7pm at the Wangaratta Showgrounds.
All enquiries to John Wright on 0400 182 553.




2021 Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award



Students between 12 and 14 years of age have the opportunity to develop their speech-writing and public speaking skills through Legacy's Junior Public Speaking Award. 
Regional Finals will be held from May to August, with Semi Finals i September, Victorian State Final in October and the National Final in November 2021.
Student Entry Forms to be submitted by Friday 30th April. They can be found here.
For further information, please contact Lisa Bennett on 8626 0512 or lisa.bennett@legacymelb.com.au



Australian Ballet Free Holiday Program



Accessible Drumming Sessions



Share your Wangaratta experience!
Wangaratta Council is looking for young people that would be willing to share their story about life in the Wangaratta region. They are looking for a young person to film a short 2-minute video, sharing their experience ofliving in the area, favourite things to do, and have an opportunity to share an opinion on what Council should focus on in the future.
If you know would like to, or know anyone that would like to participate, please come in to the front office by Friday 5th March. 

Netball Development Weekend

We would like to thank all our wonderful sponsors for supporting our school and providing opportunities for our students.

 

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