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Comet Bay College

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25.01.2022 TRY A TRADE Sixteen of our Year 9 and 10 students have spent three days painting, decorating and bricklaying this week at South Metro TAFE Mandurah’s Try A Trade program. Students enjoyed learning hands-on, practical skills associated with each trade, including preparation, application and clean-up, as well as occupational health and safety. ... The Try A Trade program is a great opportunity for students in Year 9 and 10 to have a go at different trade areas in a fun and hands-on experience which will allow them to make more informed choices for future pathways.

24.01.2022 POEM SHORTLISTED Our resident bard, English teacher Ron Barton, has been shortlisted as a finalist in a national poetry competition. His poem 1x4 Brick, inspired by his love of LEGO, is one of 10 finalists in the teacher category of the Red Room Poetry Object 2020 contest.... Despite being a published poet, Mr Barton said he was flabbergasted to be shortlisted. My kids and I watched LEGO Masters together and it rekindled their love of LEGO. They would spread their bricks all over the floor, sorting through them to try and find the right piece for whatever they were building. Id watch them or build alongside them and it reminded me of when I would play with LEGO with my stepdad. This poem is really a reflection of those treasured memories. Red Room Poetry Object is Australasias largest free poetry-writing competition for young people and their teachers. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, book pack, mentoring session with judge Eleanor Jackson and magazine subscriptions. Ive come across this competition before but never entered prior to this year, Mr Barton said. Poetry allows you to express thoughts and feelings, and to explore perspectives other than your own. Hopefully, I can get students to participate when the competition reopens next year. Its creativity you can create and consume in a moment. As such, its the perfect medium for someone who wants to write but doesnt have the time, or patience, for larger projects. Red Room Poetry Object 2020 winners will be announced on August 20. Good luck Mr Barton! Photo by Bill Thomsen

24.01.2022 NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM Comet Bay College has introduced a new recycling initiative to help reduce the school’s contribution to landfill. Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) teacher Mandy Hall said the College had partnered with Greenbatch to recycle bottles, wrappers and other plastics used during classes, from lunchboxes or donated by students.... Promoting sustainability is a big part of our HASS curriculum and it’s important as a College that we lead by example and provide ways for students to actively engage their environmental consciousness, she said. We now have four bins and a team of Environmental Ambassadors that will be helping Comet Bay College become more sustainable. Students are encouraged to bring any 10c Containers for Change and #1 PET and #2 HDPE plastics to Breakfast Club each Tuesday and Thursday mornings. These deposits will earn students House points and the College credits used to support the sustainability program, as well as reducing our landfill contribution.

24.01.2022 BASKETBALL STAR HAS MAGIC TOUCH! Year 9 student Kate Newson played her first State Basketball League game for Mandurah Magic on the weekend at the tender age of 14! The 186cm student is one of the youngest in the squad, playing against some women more than twice her age.... The call up to the league was exciting for Kate, who dreams of an international basketball scholarship. Ive been playing basketball for as long as I can remember, she said. It gives me a different space from school, different friends and an outside interest. And I like working in a team we have great energy. The Magic were unable to beat ladder toppers Joondalup Wolves last weekend, but Kate said she was happy with her SBL debut performance. I did my job out there and the coach was happy, she said. I held my ground against 28-year-olds who stand over six-foot tall and that made be pretty proud. Kate follows in the footsteps of her father and big brother, Tom, who have both shone on the court. Tom, who is a Year 11 student at Comet Bay College, won a SBL scholarship with Mandurah Magic last year and is travelling to Geraldton this weekend to compete in the 2020 West Coast Classic Competition.

23.01.2022 DIDGERIDOO PERFORMANCE Talented didgeridoo player Levi Islam made a special guest appearance at Comet Bay College this week to perform for our Year 11 School to Employment Program (STEP) students and a handful of selected Year 7s. Levi has travelled the world dancing and playing the didgeridoo, including at Berlin Fashion Week and for the Queen of England. He visited the College to talk to students about the origins of the instrument (traditionally called a yidaki), explained... how they are made, and the breathing techniques needed to play the didgeridoo. Students also got to try their hand at playing our didgeridoos and learnt some traditional Aboriginal dances. Levis visit was complemented by a presentation about native flora by our Aboriginal Islander Education Officer (AIEO) Lee-Anne Hay, who explained how Aborigines used plants, roots and seeds for bush medicine, food and cleansing. Students even got to sample biscuits made using Lemon Myrtle. STEP teacher Theresa Jennings described the incursion as a real treat. Levi is a fascinating and highly talented young man and his stories and experiences captivated the students, she said. They were enthralled during his performance and asked so many questions, Im sure they got a lot of value out of meeting Levi. Likewise, Lee-Annes presentation was very informative and will help us when planting and tending to our native gardens.

20.01.2022 MINISTER FOR EDUCATION VISITS Comet Bay College was lucky to have the Minister for Education Sue Ellery on campus today to support our teams in the inaugural STEMing From Asia Digital Youth Summit. We had three teams participating in the Summit, which gives Year 8 and 9 students the opportunity to research and develop innovative business ideas to pitch to experts across the globe.... Principal Jamie Hayres said Ms Ellery’s visit was a great opportunity to showcase the College’s innovative STEM program. We have a strong STEM focus here at Comet Bay College, and it was fantastic to see the students share their enthusiasm for these unique learning opportunities with both the Minister for Education and local MLA Paul Papalia, Mr Hayres said. We’re proud of the diverse pathways we offer students and are committed to being at the forefront of STEM learning and developing tomorrow’s leaders.

20.01.2022 REMEMBRANCE DAY Comet Bay College paused to remember our fallen heroes on Remembrance Day today. November 11, 2020 marks the 102nd anniversary of the end of World War I.... Rosemary sprigs and red ribbon pins were available for staff members and students to wear and students watched a brief dedication video to understand the significance of the day and the signature bugle call. A moving display and public dedication wall, designed by our Defence School Mentor Claire Hunt, is available for viewing at Secret Harbour Square. Comet Bay College has also produced a short film to honour all Australian war veterans. It features former student Malia Ferrero, nee Bennett, singing Hallelujah. Lest we forget.

20.01.2022 CYBER SAFETY PRESENTATION Our Year 7 students heard important messages about cyber safety during a special presentation by a Mandurah District Police officer last Friday. Community Engagement Coordinator Sergeant Gary Benzies spoke to students about privacy, respecting relationships, bullying, sexting and crimes associated with sharing content.... He said the ThinkUKnow presentation aimed to make children aware of their digital footprint and how to protect themselves. Children at this age are enjoying a lot of independence online, but with that comes responsibility, Sgt Benzies said. They can find themselves, often unknowingly, in a lot of trouble if they arent aware their actions have serious consequences.

20.01.2022 HAVING A BALL! There was plenty of glitz and glamour at our Year 12 Ball on Friday night, with a Great Gatsby theme setting the scene. Our Leavers arrived in style and danced the night away at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges.... Ganis Nabila was crowned Belle of the Ball, with Jordon Smith taking home the Beau sash. Year 12 Associate Dean of Student Support Justin Holt said Covid-19 restrictions had put the event in doubt earlier in the year and it was wonderful that our students got to enjoy the Leavers tradition. After the year our students have had, it was extra special to be able to see them all dressed up, relaxing and having a great time, he said. One of the highlights was the dance-off between Max Russell and Tom Tasovac those boys can move! Ellie Henry and Luke Taylor were named cutest couple, Queeneth Peters-Ibekwe won best hair and Lewis Huxford was voted best transformation.

19.01.2022 RISING RUGBY STARS! Talent scouts have selected two of our Year 9 students to join the Western Force Rugby Union Academy. Fifteen-year-olds Finley Allen and Vian Van Baalen face a gruelling three-days-a-week training schedule alongside 30 of the state’s most talented up-and-coming union players.... Both boys hope it is the first step in their pursuit for an international career, with Vian dreaming of playing for South Africa and Finley for England. Congratulations to you both!

19.01.2022 INNOVATIVE IDEAS IMPRESS Plans to remodel a coastal walking trail between Port Kennedy and Safety Bay has won three Year 9 students $300 in the recent Bendigo Community Bank Len Sheedy How Would You Improve Your Community Competition. Lauren Roberts, Iris Sin and Ebony Jetten proposed track upgrades, new signage and fencing, and the addition of interactive games and activities would attract more residents and tourists to the trail.... Year 9s entered the competition, which encourages students to come up with practical ideas to help improve their community. Six finalists presented their ideas to a panel of judges today, which included Associate Principal Phil Casas, Academic Excellence Dean Jenny Burton, HASS Dean Kerry Cross and Bendigo Community Bank representative Nino Sekyere-Boakye. Mrs Burton said the calibre of presentations was extremely high and the students should be commended for their ideas, creativity and research. Each year I am amazed by the originality of our students, and the great lengths they go to in developing their concepts, she said. Other ideas included hosting a COVID-19 concert fundraiser, using drones to help reduce crime, establishing a public recycling centre, an innovative domestic violence refuge which offers childcare and a program encouraging volunteers to sit with cancer patients during chemotherapy treatments. The diversity on offer was impressive and the competition was close, Mrs Burton said. When we finalised the scores and realised our runners up, Denzel Edwards and Chloe Stephen, were just one point behind the winners, Nino kindly offered a second prize and awarded the pair $100 for their innovative plastic recycling pitch. Due to COVID-19, the competition is unable to host regional finals this year.

18.01.2022 NETBALLERS SHOW AMAZING SPORTSMANSHIP A group of our netballers travelled to Fremantle on Wednesday last week to represent Comet Bay College at the SchoolSport WA High School Cup this week. The Year 7-12 students came up against some pretty tough competition but Health and Physical Education teacher Alissa Hillman said she was proud they never gave up.... The day wouldnt have run so smoothly without the help from the upper school students who coached and umpired each of the teams, as well as the help from Amy Roe and Leah Potkin in the lead up, and on the day, she said. We were lucky to have had perfect weather to top off a great day at the carnival.

17.01.2022 ADORABLE VISITOR! Our Year 10 Caring for Children students welcomed a very cute visitor yesterday, four-month-old Callie. Callie and her mother, Monique Blackman, joined the class to discuss a range of topics, including infant development, feeding, co-sleeping and the demands of motherhood, alongside our nurse and Callie’s grandmother, Leonie Wilson.... Callie was bathed in class, with students learning about the importance of water safety. Home Economics teacher Julie Coyle said incursions with infants always proved a popular treat. Some of our students do not have young children in their lives, and it is always delightful to see them react to babies, she said. Callie’s visit reminds them of the importance of their studies, especially for students who want to go on to work with children or babies.

16.01.2022 WEBCAM KEEPS KIDS CONNECTED Comet Bay College is the first school in WA to be gifted a webcam as part of the Making Connections Matter program, courtesy of Defence Health. Making Connections Matter is a school-based initiative which connects Australian Defence Force (ADF) students and their parents due to absences due to military service.... Defence Health Community Relationships Officer WA Lauren Gallagher said supporting families separated by deployment was a high priority and virtual connections via webcams was a great way to bring people together. We are thrilled to give Comet Bay College students an opportunity to engage with deployed Royal Australian Navy members, who also are parents from the school community, Mrs Gallagher said. It is wonderful that advances in technology can help these families bridge that gap during periods of separation. Comet Bay College has 62 students from ADF families, largely due to its proximity to Garden Island. Defence School Mentor Claire Hunt said the webcam would also be used in whole-class initiatives as part of the College’s Career Development program. Connecting with family members during deployment gives teachers and other students a greater understanding of a Defence student’s unique situation with a parent absent from home, Ms Hunt said. It’s also a great way for our students to share the experiences of Australian Defence Force personnel, see the environment they work in and gain more of an understanding of the importance of their work. In particular, those students thinking about joining the ADF in the future can benefit from live correspondence with a military member for advice and mentorship.

16.01.2022 MEDIEVAL TIMELINE A four-metre timeline demonstrating key historical events during the Medieval period has been created by our Year 8 Gifted and Talented students. Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Michelle Statham said the students worked in groups to research the 476AD to 1700AD period and identify, summarise, document and illustrate key global events.... Medieval history is so fascinating, and our students become very engaged in all projects within this subject, she said. The timeline has been a labour of love and the students should be very proud of their final product, which is well researched, comprehensive and cleverly presented. Our Medieval Fair is fast approaching and this timeline, along with many other items of student work, will be displayed throughout the event. Comet Bay Colleges Medieval Fair will be held next week.

15.01.2022 NAVIGATOR WINS HOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL! Comet Bay College held its inaugural House Athletics Carnival on Wednesday, with Navigator taking the honours. The carnival included a range of track events, including team relays, plus high jump and long jump competitions.... Students could enjoy a game of volleyball or get active on the inflatables provided by Mad Cow Entertainment in between events. They also got a kick out of the teacher vs student races at the end of the day. Champion trophies were awarded to the best athletes in each year group. Congratulations to Year 7 Champion Girl Esther Amory, Year 7 Champion Boy Zachary Sarsero, Year 8 Champion Girl Abby Holtham, Year 8 Champion Boy Ollie Martin, Year 9 Champion Girl Skye Bowron, Year 9 Champion Boy Raniera Heap, Year 10 Champion Girl Abbey Poad, Year 10 Champion Boy Nelson Kashoba, Year 11/12 Champion Girl Shae Halliwell and Year 11/12 Champion Boy Sebastian Wickham. The final House scores were Navigator 6975, Mariner 5310, Challenger 5230 and Voyager 3995.

15.01.2022 COMET BAY COLLEGE DOMINATES EV CHALLENGEAGAIN! Comet Bay College dominated the 2020 eV Challenge powered by Synergy on the weekend, winning the overall event and claiming two out of three Class Titles. It is the third time in the past four years we have won the event and our teams’ impressive performances saw them return from the Wanneroo International Kartway with seven trophies to add to our growing collection.... Our Class A team (for students up to Year 10) came first and fourth, with our Class B team (for students up to Year 12) finishing third and fifth. Both teams set the fastest lap time in their division. Our Class C team (open category) won both its division and the overall event for the College. Design and Technology Associate Dean and eV Challenge Program Coordinator Clay Woolcock said about 30 students were involved in designing, building and racing the cars, which took about a year to construct. He said this year’s success was fuelled by their dedication to the Challenge. The students in our eV Challenge program are super enthusiastic and dedicate three to four hours of their own time each week to prepare for the event, he said. It’s a great event to be involved in because it gives our students the opportunity to put concepts from workshop, science and maths classes into action in a real-world environment and compete against other schools doing the same. It also gives them a great insight into the motorsport industry and the science and engineering behind it. A huge thank you to Campion Education for their support with this year's program by way of a donation which was used to supply batteries, motors and safety equipment for the Challenge. Mr Woolcock said the College would defend its titles next year with an additional three cars currently under construction.

14.01.2022 LITERACY INTERVENTION CLOSING THE GAP An intense intervention program helping our students close the gaps in their literacy abilities is demonstrating remarkable success. Literacy intervention is a Targeted Learning Program (TLP) which uses Direct Instructional teaching methods to identify, remediate and resolve literacy issues.... Associate Principal Joanna Harmer said the program was introduced last year for Year 8 students and expanded to include Year 7 students this year, after generating great results. We identified a need in our student community to provide extra assistance in the field of literacy, Mrs Harmer said. There were several students that showed a need for improved spelling, reading and comprehension, and writing the basic literacy building blocks. The students we engaged in the program were from a range of academic abilities, but all displayed gaps in their literacy skills. Literacy gaps develop for a number of reasons, such as students missing too much school to those not having good learning experiences in earlier years, and it can show in a number of ways it may be as simple as a child lacking confidence when reading in front of others. What we have learned is the normal English program doesnt close this gap, and if we dont help them close it through intense intervention, the students are going to have difficulty progressing. About 100 students have completed the Targeted Learning Program at Comet Bay College. Mrs Harmer said the students were able to return to their mainstream English classes with renewed confidence. Some students have shown more than two years improvement in their spelling age in as little as six months, she said. It has enabled us to help close the literacy gap in a very small amount of time, and this has a flow-on affect for the students education across all learning areas. If we can catch the literacy gap early, and provide the intervention and support the student needs, we give them great foundations to progress through high school.

13.01.2022 BUILDING ENRICHMENT Lego, cardboard, pop sticks and other materials were used to create places that enforce rules and laws in our Year 7 Enrichment Humanities and Social Sciences class last week. Mrs Siekman’s class have been learning about Civics and Citizenship, in particular the need for laws and enforcement. The students enjoyed watching their designs take shape in the hands-on activity, with groups building police stations, cities and schools.

12.01.2022 CALLING ALL FORMER COMET BAY COLLEGE STEP/VET PROGRAM STUDENTS! Our School to Employment Program (STEP) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) Department would love to hear from former students to learn more about what they are doing today. We would like to invite former students to return to the College to talk to current students about their transition from school to where they are now.... For further information, please contact us via email: [email protected]

12.01.2022 BASKETBALL BOYS ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIPS Comet Bay College will be represented in the upcoming School Sport WA Junior Basketball Championship Carnival after our Year 8 and 9 boys outstanding performance at the Peel League leg this week. Our boys' team lost just one game to finish top of the ladder in Mondays competition, which was held at the Mike Barnett Sports Complex in Rockingham. They will travel to Lesmurdies Ray Owen Sports Centre next month to take on other teams i...n the South of the River Championships. Our Year 8 and 9 girls showed determination and courage throughout their hard-fought games and finished fifth out of six teams. Health and Physical Education teacher Ben Smith said all players should be extremely proud of their efforts on the day and how they conducted themselves. Both teams were competitive all day and represented the College in awesome fashion on and off the court, he said. A big thank you to the Year 10 students who helped out umpiring, scoring and coaching. Their efforts made the day a success for everyone involved.

12.01.2022 ANTISEMITIC TIMELINE Our Year 11 Modern Historians have created an interactive timeline that illustrates what hate can do within a modern society, using their ATAR Nazi Germany content as a basis. Hate crime is an everyday occurrence for a large number of ethnic minorities, religious minorities and other groups around the world and teacher Tara Holmes said the timeline project generated stimulating discussions, thoughtful questions and engaging evaluation.... The activity worked really well and allowed the students to investigate the key events and engage in higher-order thinking and discussion, she said. These kinds of activities have a number of benefits such as a strong visual representation that can be reinforced with a scaled-down version later and is a much more stimulating way of transferring knowledge than completing a traditional written timeline activity.

11.01.2022 NEW STEM ACADEMY Comet Bay College’s new STEM Academy will commence next year, offering Year 7 and 8 students with curious minds an opportunity to develop their aptitude, interest and enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Associate Principal and STEM Academy coordinator Phil Casas said the carefully crafted program focuses on teaching real-world skills needed for an ever-changing jobs landscape.... STEM skills are 21st Century skills we’re teaching students problem-solving, creativity, critical analysis, teamwork, independent thinking, initiative, communication and digital literacy, and they are the essential requirements for employment, Mr Casas said. Comet Bay College is a STEM Teacher Development School, a STEM Mentor school and a STEM HUB for the training of pre-service teachers. We have spent many years building a culture of STEM skills and cross-curricular Project Based Learning activities and, now, the STEM Academy allows us to provide specific and specialised pathways for students with a real interest in and aptitude for STEM subjects. Students in the STEM Academy will benefit from four periods of tailored STEM activities each week, which complement their MESH (Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities) studies. The College has received strong interest in the program, which will be extended to include upper year groups in future years.

10.01.2022 DISCOVERING PERTH Our Year 12 ATAR Geography students enjoyed a day exploring Perth last week, including visits to the City Centre, Elizabeth Quay, Yagan Square, Northbridge and East and West Perth. Humanities and Social Sciences teacher Charissa Efthyvoulos said the excursion helped students gain a better understanding of the city living and urban sprawl.... We visited Perths cultural and financial centres and explored the inner-city mixed zones, and asked the students to consider the citys development, its history, uses and how humans interact within it, she said. The students visited Point Zero, the original centre of Perth City, and learned more about the historic settlement of our capital.

09.01.2022 FUN-FILLED HASS WEEK Comet Bay College celebrated HASS Week this week, offering students a range of lunchtime activities to fuel their creative thinking. Students used compasses and maps to navigate through a campus treasure hunt, documented their family ancestry on a map, recycled plastic to make colourful flowers, challenge themselves to make the best paper planes and experimented with virtual reality goggles.... Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Kerry Cross said HASS Week is intended to stimulate and challenge students with activities that engage all year groups. HASS is a diverse Department with so many interesting themes and topics, she said. HASS Week is a great opportunity for us to promote our Department and remind students that HASS learning happens in everyday activities. It was great to see so many students get involved. Year 8 Griffin Crombs epic paper plane winning flight proved one of the greatest highlights.

09.01.2022 GLOBAL TRADE Our Year 9 HASS students got a taste of global trading in a fun game earlier today. Students were divided into groups to represent six countries Australia, China, UK, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Colombia and were given commodities to trade, including gold, lumber, oil, electronics and coffee.... Humanities and Social Sciences teacher Charissa Efthyvoulos said the activity showcased economic systems and principals on a small scale. The game started with ethical trading and fair decisions, but as it progressed we saw students forming alliances and stealing from other countries, Ms Efthyvoulos said. With every round of trading, the countries were hit with a global event which changed the price of their commodities. This allowed the students to see how external influences can affect the economic security of a country. It was a great experiment for our students. Despite Colombia being robbed of all their commodities, they were adopted by Australia which proved a powerful ally and they won the game.

09.01.2022 REMEMBERING OUR VIETNAM VETERANS Comet Bay College honoured and gave thanks to our Australian Defence Force and Vietnam War Veterans last week, in recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day on Tuesday, August 18. About 60,000 Army, Navy and Air Force members served during the 1962-1972 campaign. Conscription caused a lot of social and political dissent in Australia and the average age of our soldiers was 19-22 years, much younger than in WWII.... Lest We Forget.

09.01.2022 JOSEPH COOK NAMED FINALIST IN PRESTIGIOUS ART PRIZE A Renaissance-inspired self-portrait painted by Year 11 student Joseph Cook has been chosen as a finalist in WAs richest portrait prize. Josephs oil painting, titled Boy with Insect, is one of 30 youth artworks in the running for The Lester Prize Youth Competition.... It will be on display at Brookfield Places in Perth from November 2 to 27 as part of The Lester Prize Youth Awards Exhibition, with the winners announced on November 12. Boy with Insect showcases Josephs political views about affluence and power in times of crisis. He chose a Renaissance-style influence because it complemented the message of the piece. It is a commentary on the way people of status project compassion during environmental crises, but are often complacent when it comes to providing solutions, Joseph said. It was quite relevant last year during the Australian bushfires and the aftermath of Greta Thunbergs rise to fame. There were a lot of social influencers and powerful corporations that wanted to show publically that they cared, but often they were the ones directly perpetuating the problem. The Lester Prize, formally known as the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, is WAs premier fine art prize. It was renamed in 2019 in honour of the awards leading patron, Richard Lester AM. More than 200 aspiring artists from across Australia entered the contest. Joseph, who comes from an artistic family, said he was thrilled his self-portrait impressed selectors. I entered just to give it a go, so to be a finalist was exciting and a bit unexpected, he said. Congratulations, Joseph, and good luck!

08.01.2022 LUNCHTIME KARAOKE DRAWS A CROWD A big crowd gathered at Comet Bay Colleges amphitheatre on Friday to see our brave karaoke stars take the stage in our weekly House Challenge. All performers were from Year 7. Henry Hayes opened the show with his rendition of Sam Smiths Stay with Me, followed by Charli Wright singing Rise Up, Shaylah Arthurson and Kobi Turvey performing a duet of Pompeii and Olivia Ananin taking on the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper hit, Shallow.... The crowd helped sing along when Liam Gallagher Martin performed Dance Monkey, Mia McFarlane sang Someone You Loved and Riley Courtney rounded out the show with his rendition of House of Gold. All performers won House Points for their participation. Karaoke will return next Friday at lunchtime.

08.01.2022 TREMENDOUS EFFORT IN BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP CARNIVAL A group of our Year 8 and 9 basketballers travelled to Willetton last week to compete in the School Sport WA Junior Basketball Championship Carnival. After advancing through from the Peel Carnival held earlier in the term, our boys team competed against the best teams in the South of the River Championships. ... Health and Physical Education teacher Ben Smith said Comet Bay College delivered a tremendous effort and finished the day with a four-win, two-loss game record. The boys competed extremely hard together all day with most games decided only by a few points, Mr Smith said. Everyone involved should be extremely proud of their efforts for the day.

08.01.2022 GREAT START TO EAGLES CUP Our Year 8 and 9 Australian Football Specialist Program boys side started our Eagles Cup campaign in spectacular fashion with a dominant win over Mandurah Catholic College yesterday! The 15.7. 97 to 2.1. 13 win at home included excellent performances from Year 9s Reece Torrent, Nic Sarsero, Blake Russell and Harry Case, and Year 8s Jesse Ginbey and Ollie Martin. ... Well done to Coach Matt Bogensperger and his assistant, Matt Piggott. Next Thursday we take on Christian Brothers College!

07.01.2022 FUN AND GAMES IN HASS Our Year 9 Humanities and Social Science Extension students enjoyed a novel way of studying for their upcoming exams, using a board game! The revision gamification activity was planned by our visiting Student-Teacher Joshua Gray to help students test each other on economic scenarios ahead of their Term 4 exams.... HASS teacher Charissa Efthyvoulos said there was a buzz of excitement in the room as students raced each other to the finish line. There was some stiff competition for bragging rights to be first and some fantastic discussion about the content covered during this Term as a result of the questions in the game, she said.

07.01.2022 Remembrance Day Tribute - Comet Bay College

06.01.2022 RECYCLING FOR BICYCLING! Work is underway on Comet Bay Colleges first batch of bikes being repaired for families in need. The Colleges innovative Recycling for Bicycling Program started this term, and six Year 9 boys have signed up to take part.... The boys have stripped down the bikes and this week will prepare them for repainting and further repairs. Chaplain Joshua Abercrombie said the engagement program offered a space for students to work on their emotional wellbeing and resilience while learning new skills. Weve created a space where selected students have the chance to do something good for their community while reminding them of their own personal value, he said. Ive been so proud of the initiative the boys have taken and the conversations weve had. Im looking forward to that moment when the boys are able to donate their labour of love to people in need. It will be a moment of great personal growth for them all. Mr Abercrombie said the six recycled bikes will be donated to a charity at the end of the year.

06.01.2022 REMEMBRANCE DAY MORNING TEA Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and local veterans joined our Defence families and former students in a special commemoration to honour Remembrance Day. Year 9 student Ollie Smith performed an acoustic version of ‘I Am Australian’ which was followed by the Last Post, a minute’s silence and the playing of ‘The Rouse’. Prayers were read by Navy Chaplain Lynette Emery, before guests enjoyed a morning tea prepared by student volunteers.... Defence School Mentor Claire Hunt said it was important school’s paused to reflect on Remembrance Day. This event enables all generations to get together to honour the sacrifice our servicemen and women made, and the hard work and dedication our current ADF personnel continue to do for our country, she said.

06.01.2022 APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT Year 12 students had a chance to learn more about apprenticeship opportunities within the oil and gas industry during a visit from National Energy Technician Training Scheme (NETTS) representatives this week. NETTS is a collaborative apprenticeship scheme run by Programmed which partners with major oil and gas companies, including Shell, Santos, INPEX, Woodside and BHP, to deliver unique pathways into the industry.... Presenters Dave Hilliard and apprentice Ellie Maskell spoke to students about the three different apprenticeships available through NETTS Process Plant Technician, Instrumentation Electrician and Mechanical Technician. Workplace Learning Support Officer Bridget de Silva said the presentation gave students a greater understanding about quality training for future careers. It was important for students to know a world-class training facility for many industry apprenticeships is just a stones throw away in Cockburn, and paid-to-learn opportunities are available for them, she said.

06.01.2022 NEW PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM STRENGTHENS STEM CAREER PATHWAYS A new partnership project that allows our students to learn alongside Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel has been introduced by the College to further enrich STEM and Career Development programs. The Defence Technologies Extension Partnership, which started earlier this month, invites guest ADF members to join our Year 10 mechatronic class each Friday and mentor students working on College, Defence or personal pro...jects. Principal Jamie Hayres said the innovative project had wide-ranging benefits for Comet Bay College students. Visit our website for the full story: https://cometbaycollege.wa.edu.au//defence-technologies-e/

06.01.2022 CONGRATULATIONS JACOB! Former Comet Bay College student Jacob Hambly enlisted into the Australian Army as an Infantry Soldier on August 3. He joins a long list of alumni serving in Australian Defence Force in the Navy, Army and Air Force right across the nation. Jacobs portrait will be added to our Australian Military Museum Hall of Honour upon completion of his Basic Training at Blamey Barracks, Kapooka.... Congratulations, Jacob. We wish you all the best.

05.01.2022 BUSINESS CLUB A NEW VENTURE Young entrepreneurs will learn handy tips on how to start their business ventures in a new afterschool club offered to our students. The club is run by Design and Technology teacher Mr Kolker who said his knowledge and experience establishing and running businesses could help kids turn their big ideas into reality.... It's a great way to help students navigate the somewhat overwhelming information available to those wanting to start a new business, he said. Students will learn about creating business plans, legal business requirements, technology requirements, advertising, funding and resource management. Students quite often have grand ideas and Im looking forward to helping them channel their creativity and enthusiasm to generate a successful business concept. Comet Bay College runs several afterschool and lunchtime activities to further enhance our students education experience, including Technology Club, E-Sports Club, Chess Club, Coder Dojo, Engineering, Drone Photography and EV Challenge.

05.01.2022 DANCE COMPETITION A big crowd gathered to watch Fridays House Challenge Dance Competition, which was won on the day by Year 7 student, Aimee McCrory. Aimee took home a UE Boom speaker for her amazing moves, and added an extra 2000 House points to her House Mariners tally.... Dean of Positive Culture Team Kelly Hulin said the lunchtime activity helped generate healthy competition between the student House populations. It was great to see the crowd encouraging their House peers, she said. Thats what it's all about. Some of the dancers really gave it their all and others had a laugh with TikTok-inspired moves, but it was highly entertaining regardless.

05.01.2022 NAIDOC WEEK CELEBRATIONS Comet Bay College’s radio aired music by Indigenous artists last week, to complement the school’s vast NAIDOC Week celebrations. NAIDOC Week is traditionally celebrated across the country in July, but COVID-19 restrictions saw this year’s event moved to November.... Positive Culture Team (PCT) Dean Kelly Hulin said the College has worked within social gathering restrictions to deliver a diverse array of NAIDOC activities to students right across the year. Students have created an Indigenous-inspired artwork on display at out PCT building, painted totems to add colour to our native gardens, enjoyed a visit from internationally recognised didgeridoo player Levi Islam, and been inspired by guest speak Maitland Hill from Kaarak Dreaming. Students will also be working with local resident Mary Indich this week to redesign our House emblems to represent a stronger indigenous influence. What has been wonderful about this year’s activities is we have produced a lot of permanent artwork that enhances the College, Ms Hulin said. We’ve worked very closely with our Aboriginal Islander Education Officer Lee-Anne Hay who has helped design activities that engage indigenous students, their parents and families and our broader community to develop an environment that displays and respects Aboriginal histories, cultures and language.

04.01.2022 COACH VISIT IS MAGIC Mandurah Basketball Association Development Officer Megan Thompson, aka Coach Thommo, visited Comet Bay College this week for a series of intense workshops. The former WNBL Player worked closely with all students in our Basketball Program, sharing her knowledge and experience.... Health and Physical Education teacher Ben Smith said it was an exciting opportunity for students wanting to enhance their skills. She put all year groups through an advanced skills and drills session that saw all students competing and highly engaged, Mr Smith said. We would like to thank Thommo for her work with the students and are looking forward to more sessions in the future.

04.01.2022 CRIMINOLOGY CREATES STUDENT DETECTIVES Tomato sauce, food dye, makeup and pizza dough were used to stage gruesome crimes in our Year 10 Criminology Extension class last Friday. The students had fun setting up four different crimes, each complete with a back story, volume of evidence, police reports, witness statements and list of suspects.... Humanities and Social Sciences teacher Trudy Jensen said the students also had to put on their detective hats to solve the crimes fabricated by the other groups. The students have been studying the collection of evidence for several weeks, and they understand the importance of protecting a crime scene and that contamination makes it difficult to secure a conviction in court, Dr Jensen said. It was their job to assess the crime scene, study the evidence provided and write a news report which explains the crime and who they believe was responsible. Ive been amazed by the creativity of this class and the standard of work they have produced for this project, Dr Jensen said. Each group created a unique crime and a very high standard of evidence, even writing autopsy reports. Its proved an engaging activity.

03.01.2022 MINUTE TO WIN IT FUN! There were plenty of laughs last Friday as students participated in fun Minute to Win It games during our weekly House Challenge. The lunchtime event challenged students to bottle flip, empty tissue boxes in record time, balance two balloons (difficult in the wind), knock over water bottles with balls in stocking attached to their head, and navigate an Oreo from their forehead to mouth without using their hands.... Even some of our teachers got involved in the fun. Stay tuned for more games and laughs this coming Friday!

03.01.2022 R U OK?Day 2020 Comet Bay College recognised R U OK?Day yesterday by encouraging students to check on their friends and loved ones. R U OK?Day is a national day of action when Australians are reminded to check on people struggling with lifes up and downs by starting a conversation about mental health. This years message was to remember there is often more to say after R U OK?.... College Nurse Leonie Wilson and First Aid Officer Lorry Rule set up an informational stall with pamphlets promoting good health and wellbeing, which students could access at recess and lunchtime. This year it is particularly important to acknowledge the struggles people may be going through, as hard times have hit so many, Mrs Wilson said. Our children have also been impacted by the changes COVID-19 has forced upon us, and making sure they are aware of their mental health, coping strategies and the need to look after each other is a priority.