CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Mike Friday, Principal

Term 1 2019

It is hard to believe that the first term is nearly at an end. I would like to give a huge thank you to the staff and students for their efforts thus far. We have been short staffed, and all parties have worked hard to minimize the impact of changes to the timetable. It has been most pleasing to see the way that the existing Academy staff have supported and encouraged our new staff.

Our new staff at the Academy include; Amelia, Caitlin, Lucy and Rylea in student services and Jess as our Science and STEM teacher. I would like to personally thank those families that I have met and communicated with for both their welcome and the positive way that you are supporting your children. We are currently in the final stages of appointing three new staff to the Academy and will be implementing some changes to the structure that classes experience. Years 7, 8 and 9 will have a class teacher that will work with the students for the majority of the week in order to reduce movement around the school and give the students a ‘home base’.

Our school Formal is well in the process of being organized and is to be held on the evening of Friday, 3rd of May. I know that the students are looking forward to the event and would like to thank the staff for the amount of work that they have already put into organizing the evening for the students.

Please, be aware that the first two days of next term are allocated as pupil free days. The first, 29th April is the annual Care School Conference where staff of the CaRE school across the state gather to share ideas and processes that are used in other CaRE school settings. The 30th April sees the staff participate in the second day of the Positive Partnerships Programme that focuses on autism and inclusive education practices.

I would like to wish both the staff and the students a restful and refreshing holiday break. It has been a very busy term and I’m certain that the break is welcomed by everyone. I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday 1st May, ready for an exciting new term. I would like to remind you, as parents, that I welcome your thoughts and ideas about improvements at the Academy and would welcome meeting you in person if we have not already had the chance to do so.

Best wishes

2 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

EQUUS BONDING PROGRAM 2019 - Annee O’Breza

VETIS STUDENTS - Rebecca Morse

The students at the Communicare Academy get to enjoy spending time with the horses, learning how to treat them and care for them.

Why horses? Horses provide a hook of engagement and motivation to change. Students interact with experienced trainers and horses to work towards personal development and growth which later transcends the Program and filters through to other aspects of their life.

Equus Bonding has a holistic way of working with young people at risk and in need of healing. Their circumstance may be the result of factors such as experiences of grief and trauma, disengagement or disenfranchisement from the broader community. Programs like this one can facilitate personal growth and self-efficacy, so participants can navigate pathways towards sustained positive behavioural change.

This dynamic means Equus Bonding participants must learn to regulate their emotions by employing non-violent, non-threatening methodology. This is achieved by providing participants with supported opportunities to strengthen a range of interpersonal skills. Working with horses has been demonstrated to be an enjoyable and potentially life changing experience that enhances the social and emotional well-being of participants.

The Communicare Academy is very excited to have seven students enrolled in VETiS courses for 2019. VET in Schools (VETiS) are government funded courses that allow secondary school students to attend one of a variety of courses on offer at TAFE. This provides an excellent opportunity for our students to further their education and open up further employment opportunities upon leaving the Communicare Academy.

In 2018 we had two students attend VETiS courses, one of whom started an apprenticeship in the field at the end of his course.

In 2019 we have one student attending Certificate II Building and Construction Pathways, five attending Certificate II Community Services (Early Childhood), and one attending Certificate II Automotive Body Repair Technology (Vehicle Body Building Pre-Apprenticeship).

These students attend TAFE 1-2 days per week and the Communicare Academy to complete their CGEA during the rest of the week. This is a big undertaking for our students as going into the TAFE environment can be overwhelming. However, all students have started well and we hope they continue to work hard!

If you are parking near the school DO NOT park at the businesses across the road or at the VET. These are private carparks and are not to be used by the Communicare Academy community. If you need parking space, please park down our driveway, or on Moore St near the PCYC, or at the train station. Thank you for your cooperation.

PARKING AT THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

Enjoying the views of a school of fish below them.

Students discussing what they saw on the reef ledge.

3 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

HARMONY DAY - Cate DavisOn March 21, our students celebrated Harmony Day – just one of thousands of events held around the country in honour of this important day. In small groups, students shared and celebrated all of the ways that their own identities are unique and diverse, which was a great time of affirmation and encouragement.

We brainstormed ways that multiculturalism is good for Australia – with a particular emphasis on our favourite different types of ethnic foods! We all agreed that life in Australia would be much less enjoyable without tacos and sushi and curry and pizza!

Students described their own family backgrounds and when their ancestors first came to Australia, which was very interesting to hear. We talked about the kind of culture we want to have as a school and a country: one that is welcoming, respectful of people’s differences, and where everyone can belong and contribute their unique skills and gifts in safety. It was very encouraging to see our students participate in these discussions with passion and enthusiasm.

We hope that events like these will continue to develop our students’ abilities to empathise with people who are different from them, and show respect to the people around them regardless of race, ethnicity,

SNORKELLING - Rebekah Jenner

Snorkeling this term has been a great adventure for students involved! The first few weeks, students, Dennis and Bek ventured out to Fremantle, Bathers Beach to explore the reef and rocks, all the way out to the light house at South Mole. After completing a run-swim-run test, students endured poor visibility, unsuccessfully searching for the caves to swim through! The hunt was on for a more consistent and protected snorkeling location.

The weeks following, students went to Mettams Pool, Trigg, to see whether the conditions and visibility were better. Each lesson at Trigg there were astounding conditions. The group utilized a well-protected location behind rock groins, with a large bed of reef just meters off the beach and away from other adventuring school groups. On one occasion, the water was so still it looked like a swimming pool. There was plenty to see at Mettams Pool, finding many reef ledges to explore off and around and an abundance of rocks and reef to dodge! This didn’t stop the group from going out to the reef ledge to follow schools of fish around take in the spectacular underwater world.

Special thanks to Dennis for coming along each week and assisting in supervising our students.

4 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

Interviewed by Rebecca Morse

As our families are aware the Communicare Academy underwent a restructure at the end of 2018. Part of this re-structure was to re-imagine our Student Services Team and increase our capacity to provide support to our students and families.

We now welcome Amelia our full time Senior Social Worker, Lucy our full time Social Worker, Caitlin our part time School Psychologist, and Rylea who is on a Social Worker student placement until May.

The new team are excited to see what further support they can offer Academy students and their families, so please keep in touch with them should you have any concerns or feedback.

Meet the new Staff Members

Lucy

I graduated with a Master of Social Work in 2018 and spent four months of last year completing my final placement in Geraldton at a Women’s Refuge and Health Service. My interests include playing netball, hiking, and going to gigs with friends. I am excited to continue working with the students and families of Communicare Academy to help them recognise their strengths and develop positive life skills.

Amelia

I’m the senior Social Worker at the Academy and part of the new Student Services Team. I started at the school in Week 6 after relocating from Queensland where I worked as an Alcohol and Other Drug Counsellor/Case Manager for 2 and a half years. I’m interested in the outdoors, hiking, and cooking. The part of the role I am most looking forward to is establishing a strong connection and rapport with our students while working towards establishing a respectful and safe space to support our students in meeting their goals.

5 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

Catilin

My role is to work with young people, families, and teachers to assess any challenges students may experience at school or home, and implement interventions to support students to maintain social and emotional wellbeing. I have worked with Communicare for four years across various areas including Disability, Employment, and Allied Health. In my spare time I enjoy walking my dog along the river, reading, and doing puzzles. I am looking forward to getting to know the students and helping to create a positive school environment.

Rylea

I am a fourth year Bachelor of Social Work student from Canada. I have been in Australia since the beginning of February and am completing my final professional placement with Communicare Academy. I will be working with the Student Services team until the middle of May. Once I have completed my placement I will be backpacking across Australia before I return to Canada to graduate.

Jess

I joined the Communicare Academy at the beginning of this year as the new Science and STEM (Science, Technology, Maths, & Engineering) teacher. The majority of my teaching experience has been in CaRE schools and it’s a job I absolutely love. Before becoming a teacher, I was an electrical engineer where I did a lot of robotic, electronic and program design. What I’m most looking forward to is getting to know the students and create learning experiences that they enjoy and help them reach their goals.

6 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

B.I.G. PROGRAMME & SHALOM HOUSE EXCURSION - Dennis Garac

Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 work on Certificate I, II and III in General Education for Adults. CGEA requires self-discipline and determination in order to make progress. It gives our students current and relevant qualifications and leads to opportunities in TAFE and the workforce.

At each Certificate level there are four booklets, two based on Literacy and HASS, and two based on Numeracy and Science. To show competence at each level requires completion of all four booklets, to a high standard. The work must all be completed in class, as evidence is required that it is all the individual student’s own work.

The current Believe students, who have only been working on their booklets for six weeks, have shown exceptional maturity and have a really great attitude to their work. Across the year groups, students are making incredible progress, with many students having already completed a book this term.

We are proud of how hard our students are working and we look forward to reporting on their progress over this year.

CGEA 2019: PROGRESS UPDATE - Carolyn Bendotti

The B.I.G. Programme kicked off again this year with a very positive response from our younger students. Former Australian body building champion, Christian Gee, has worked closely with our boys to improve their lifting form as well as tackling issues that are relevant in the lives of young men. Some very positive discussion topics have been covered in the programme and the boys have demonstrated maturity and enthusiasm during these discussions.

Part of the programme also included a visit to Shalom House Drug Rehabilitation Centre in the Swan Valley. Upon arrival the students listened to talks from a number of men whose lives have been devastated by drug abuse and how they are now turning their lives around.

The day also included a fun but closely fought soccer match with teams compromising a mixture of Shalom residents and students. After the game, the students settled down to a hearty lunch and enjoyed listening to more discussions from members of Shalom House.

A big thank you is owed to Christian Gee and Sam Bezant for helping to facilitate the excursion.

Bicton Baths Jetty.

Tori and Skye using the Snorkelling-Bag-Method.

Skye and Tori searching for Bream through the schools of Blowies!Amber and Jamie catching fish with their hands.

7 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

FISHING - Rebekah Jenner

This term, a number of students selected Fishing as their option for a Tuesday afternoon! Each lesson we were blessed with amazing weather which granted us perfect conditions to fish in.

The group started out visiting locations along the coast each week, but didn’t have much success, so they decided to go inland and to the river. This decision proved to be very wise, as we had hit the jackpot. Every week down at the Bicton Baths Jetty once the burley bag was in, huge schools of fish would swarm around us the whole time. The only downside (which is a significant downside) is that the majority of the fish caught were blowies! So Dennis and Bek set the students a challenge of how many blowies the class could catch.

The next week, they reeled in 40 blow fish! Some students were even game enough to attempt catching them with their bare hands and using a net, which actually worked on a few occasions! Tori Pinner got the catch of the term, pulling in a decent sized bream. Due to the algae bloom, students didn’t get to enjoy the fish, but added it to the burley bag the following week!

Overall the class gave their best, continued to implement the Leave No Trace Principles, demonstrated great enthusiasm and significantly improved their rigging, de-rigging and bare-hand-catching skills! A fantastic effort by all!

A huge thank you to Dennis for joining us each week. Students have had a great time, and are looking forward to more times out on the water in the terms to come!

8 Term 1 2019THE COMMUNICARE ACADEMY

JIGSAWS - Carolyn Bendotti

Recently some students have become interested in completing jigsaw puzzles. Some might even be slightly obsessed!

Jigsaws are a great way to learn. They teach you patience and determination, as well as helping to improve your spatial skills and your ability to reason. As an activity, it is also quite calming.

Here is one the students are currently working on.

WELLBEING DAY & WORLD’S GREATEST SHAVE - Matthew Borgward

On the Friday of Week 6 the Communicare Academy celebrated their first Wellbeing Day of 2019. This year we decided to roll two worthwhile causes together having Wellbeing Day in conjunction with World’s Greatest Shave on the same day.

The morning stalls and activities focused on student wellbeing with a vibrant festival feel. Students were treated to a massive full English breakfast in the morning. This was followed by an array of games, challenges, quizzes, prizes and hundreds of team faction points on offer. The Communicare Academy hired a woodfired oven for the day and the pizzas proved to be very popular amongst staff and students. A special mention and thanks needs to go to Sean for his perfect pizza cooking skills.

After lunch the World’s Greatest Shave activities commenced and students started to dig deep and show their generosity. A stream of students lined up to either have their head shaved or coloured. This day brings out the best in our students with some donating their last few dollars towards the Leukemia Foundation in the hope that we can find a cure for this devastating disease.

Well done to Haylee who was the first to have her head shaved and raised nearly $150 on her own. The Communicare Academy raised just over $450 in total which was an amazing effort and created a day to remember.

2019 TERM DATES

Term One05 Feb 2019 – 12 Apr 2019

Term Two01 May 2019 – 05 Jul 2019

Term Three23 Jul 2019 – 27 Sep 2019

Term Four15 Oct 2019 – 19 Dec 2019