New Building Development Announcement

After months of planning from architects and consultation with key stakeholders, Southern Hills Christian College (SHCC) is preparing to welcome six new classrooms to its Middle School Learning Centre on our Bedfordale campus. We have now obtained approval for our Commonwealth Grants Application (CGA) this week.

The total build cost of the project is expected to be more than $3 million dollars however, the CGA contribution of $1.425 million and another government contribution (yet to be confirmed) promise to offset the building costs considerably for our College, which has hit record enrolment numbers this year.

Southern Hills student leaders Zachary and Hannah stood on the new site for the buildings this week with Principal Mr Paul Beacham, who has waited a long time for this project to become a reality.

“We have not had any substantial building works on our campus since the gymnasium was built in 2008 with the Building Education Revolution (BER) funds supplied by the Rudd government,” said Mr Beacham.

“It has been a considerable process to reach this point, and I am very grateful to the SCEA team and the excellent consultants who have worked tirelessly on this submission for our students and future generations of Southern Hills families.”

The buzz around the Southern Hills campus was lively this week, with staff donning Christmas attire to celebrate the growth and success of their efforts in Christian education in 2022.

We look forward to sharing the progress of the new building project with our College community in 2023!

The new classroom block will allow for six new learning areas, staff offices and a common area.

Crescendo Choir Christmas Carolling

On Wednesday 7 December, the Crescendo Choir (Year 5 and 6 singers) ventured out to Armadale Shopping City again this year to bless the local community with their beautiful voices. Accompanied by Mr Mills, Mrs Coto and Year 6 student leaders, the choir blessed shoppers with their beautiful voices and some Christmas cheer. The sounds of their chorus could be heard reverberating through the centre, and many stopped to enjoy the sounds, and even join in a couple of favourites!

Students then enjoyed lunch and some relaxing play in nearby Memorial Park, celebrating all their hard work, before heading back to the College.

Thank you to all the parents who were able to come and watch the choir sing!

We wish you all a very happy, safe and blessed Christmas.

Mrs Renate Sykes and the Music team

Scitech Incursion

Scitech bought an amazing show about chemistry to our Early Years Department. The students watched ‘science in the kitchen’ with much excitement. They learnt about QPE, which are the key skills for early scientists. QPE stands for Questioning, Predicting and Experimenting. The students then observed and explained the changes they witnessed.

Following the show, each class was able to take part in their own experiments. During these experiments, the students looked for changes to the ingredients. They used their language skills to describe the changes and they made predictions about what they thought would happen.

It was a fun and rather messy experience, but most importantly, the students learnt so much about everyday science.

Year 3 Fire Saftey Incursion

On Wednesday 16 November, our Year 3 students had a special visit from the Armadale Fire Brigade to learn about fire safety in the home. The Fire Officers discussed with the class the importance of a Fire Emergency Plan. Our students had many interesting questions to ask the Fire Officers. The students then had an opportunity to see all the different parts of the fire truck, and even partook in a special spray from the water hose to end the incursion!

 

3 top fire safety tips which our Year 3 Students learnt:

  1. Keep toys and plastic objects away from heaters about 1 metre.
  2. Check smoke alarm batteries and replace them regularly
  3. If you hear smoke alarms or smell smoke ‘Get low and go, go, go…outside to the letterbox, then call 000.

 

Thank you to the fire officers from Armadale Fire Brigade for taking the time to educate our Year 3 class about fire safety.

Year 6 Cooloongup Camp

Not even a public holiday could throw off the Year 6s heading down to Camp Cooloongup. Despite the minor changes to the camp itinerary, students came to school on Monday morning, raring to go! 

We packed the bus, and off we went to Rockingham Foreshore for morning tea. Children are children after all, and loved having the playground to themselves! From here, we went to the campsite and set up our dorms. In the afternoon, we travelled into the city where we visited the WA Museum. Our night was capped off with a delicious butter chicken dinner and apple crumble and custard dessert.  

Day 2 was spent at the campgrounds where we participated in team building games, the flying fox and archery. We also enjoyed our free time on the bouncy pillow, picking and making daisy chains and playing mini golf. The highlight of the day for most was being introduced to a Tim Tam Slam, in which there was much discussion between whether Ms Vallance’s or Mrs Loader’s technique was correct; bite the corners or bite the top and bottom. 

Our third and final day was spent in Fremantle. We visited the Maritime and Shipwreck Museums, the Roundhouse and played at the Esplanade playground. In the evening, we were joined by Mr Vallance and Mr Beacham for dinner at Cicerellos, followed by a wonderful night tour at the prison. Certain children were scared by not only the tour guides, but members of staff also! 

We had a wonderful camp, and students begged for another day, but staff were well and truly ready for that public holiday! 

Year 9 Rite Journey Camp – Tambellup

Each year, at the start of November, the sheep-to-human ratio of Tambellup is altered dramatically as our Year 9 cohort descend on this tiny Great Southern town. At the outset, the students are given strict instructions to be on their absolute best behaviour because, as is the case in all regional towns, “Everyone knows who you are!” And as always, our students didn’t let us down, but represented our College with the maturity we aim to develop through the Rite Journey program.  

We threw a wide range of challenges at them, starting with their basic living conditions: no cute bunk beds or spacious ablution facilities for our students; but rather a bare shearing shed floor for sleeping and dining quarters, and the allocation of just one shower for the week at the town’s recreation centre. For many of our city-slickers, this alone was an enormous challenge!  

We then put them through their paces with a series of physical challenges including yabbying at the dam; climbing Bluff Knoll on a cold and rainy day; shearing, drenching and sorting sheep under the guidance of Mr Craig Beacham and his team; and completing the ‘solo’ in a paddock, during which the students spent an afternoon and night on their own in a tent. During the solo, the students wrote a letter to their Year 12 selves, which will be safely stored at the College and given back to them on their graduation night. The letter details their future hopes, dreams and goals and is intended to help the students live intentionally, rather than simply allowing life to happen to them.  

The final big test for the week was a service challenge at Tambellup Primary School. This year, Mr Pleysier ran a woodwork activity in which our students paired up with younger students to make a toy car together. We also did rock painting with the younger children, and helped with classroom activities such as reading, making posters about the seasons, and sport. Some of our students assisted with various chores around the school campus, like cleaning up the shed, covering library books and pumping up inflatable cushions. Being a small country school, the staff often do not have much DOTT (duties other than teaching) time to do such tasks, so it was wonderful to be able to help them in these ways and hopefully ease a bit of pressure off them. On the final morning of camp, we returned to Tambellup Primary to cook breakfast for the school community before our return trip to Perth.  

Now, if you’re having any concerns about how hard the students had to work on this camp, please be assured that there was plenty of fun to be had throughout the week! Special mention must be made of our inaugural Bush Dance held on the first night in the shearing shed. There is unfortunately very little photo evidence of the evening because Mr Vallance, our Caller for the event, refused to speak in his hilarious American accent unless EVERYONE participated, leaving no room for anyone use the ‘photography’ excuse. Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback afterwards, the Bush Dance looks set to become a new tradition on this camp. Another highlight was the stop-over at the Katanning All-Ages Playground. If you’re ever passing through Katanning, be sure to visit this legendary playground. It is always a hit, no matter your age! 

Year 9 class of 2022 – WELL DONE on embracing everything we threw at you on this epic adventure. You have demonstrated and hopefully proved to yourselves that you can do hard things, and this is invaluable as your draw ever closer to adulthood.  

Finally, a huge ‘thank you’ to the staff who spent the week away from their own families and worked tirelessly to make the camp the success that it was: Mr Pleysier, Mrs Hasluck, Mrs Loader, Mr Vallance and Mrs Groom.

Remembrance Day

On Friday 11 November, our College held a Remembrance Day service, in honour and remembrance of those who made a sacrifice for the freedoms we now enjoy.

The service opened with an introduction by Year 5 Teacher, Ms Vallance, recounting the events which took place on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of November 1918.

Jackson (Y9) presented us with an Acknowledgement of Country, which was followed by prayer for the service from our College Chaplian, Mrs Hasluck.

James (Y5) shared the following Bible reading:

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:10-13

Our Year 11 Student Leader, Zachary read ‘The Ode’, as follows:

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”


Ky (Y10) played The Last Post on trumpet, followed by one minute of silence, which was completed with his playing of ‘The Rouse’.

The service was concluded with the National Anthem, and the laying of wreaths at our flag poles by Mr Beacham.

Lest We Forget.

Y7 Father & Son and Mother & Daughter Camps

For the past ten years, Southern Hills Christian College has run a Father & Son Overnight Camp and a Mother & Daughter Overnight Camp, as part of our Year 7 Outdoor Education Program with great success. This year the Father and Son camp was held at the end of Term 3, and the Mother & Daughter Camp was held at the start of Term 4. 

On two different Tuesday afternoons, parents joined their children in setting up their tents or swags together, and cooking dinner on Trangia camp stoves. This was an interesting shared culinary experience. Students were able to teach their parents how to set up and prepare a camp meal on a lightweight portable stove. 

After dinner David Walker, from the Fathering Project came and talked to the fathers and sons about the value of parenting and spending quality time with their children. The mothers and daughters heard from Bonnie Walker also about the value of parenting and spending quality time with their children. Their messages were well received, and the feedback has been incredibly positive. 

After the talks, we headed over to the firepit and cooked S’mores over the campfire and enjoyed some hot Milo. Mr Chapman finished off both nights with a game of spotlight. 

The following morning, we woke up early packed up the camping gear and headed over to the firepit to cook toasties using the jaffle irons on the hot coals. After breakfast, most of the parents headed off to work. The students then prepared their lunch and packed their hiking backpacks with all their provisions for the day hike. 

Some brave parents joined us for the hike through Bungendore Park and Wungong Gorge. The students did an excellent job of navigating the group and not getting lost. They completed the nine-kilometre hike down to South West Highway in about 4 hours. 

Thanks to our staff, Mrs Rachael Hasluck, Mr Chapman, and Mr Vallance for helping on these fantastic camps. Thanks also to the Year 7 parents who came along and supported their children in this important activity. 

Lincoln’s Flag Design

Lincoln (Y3), was inspired by his rich family history to create his very own symbolic flag design, which he sent with a letter to the Prime Minister, and a few weeks ago received a letter of commendation in return from Mr Anthony Albanese. 

The flag design is described as incorporating a Union Jack in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, the stars of America as an ode to his Great Grandparents, and Aboriginal designs as a proud person of the ‘Yamatji’ people.

“My Great Grandad (Lieutenant Colin Joseph McCarthy) was shot twice on the Kokoda track during WWII and was honoured with two mentions of dispatch for bravery on the battlefield. One of the shots led to him being told he would never walk again, however, this was unacceptable to Grandad who set out to teach himself to beat the odds and not only walked again but served as a training officer until he was cleared to return to his men again on the Kokoda track. My Great Nanna enlisted for overseas duty (Sgt Minna (Bobbie) Louisa May O’Berg), and the very next day was stationed in the Solomon Islands as a nurse and was almost taken captive. Both would never speak of their time in service but would only say “Thank the Good Lord for both God and the American’s” as it was the Americans who came to both their aide and fought side by side with them.”

Lincoln has been taught to take pride in Jesus and his family, and have gratitude for our allied nation, along with his heritage and pride of being an Aboriginal person of Australia. He combined all these things into one incredible drawing and included a note to the Prime Minister, which he composed, explaining the raw truth of his design.

Great effort Lincoln!

SHCC Music Night

MAGNIFICENT MELODIES AT MUSIC NIGHT

 

Last term on Monday 12 September, over 150 students and their families came together in celebration of cadence and song for our annual SHCC Music Night, 2022.

Students from Pre-Primary all the way through to upper Secondary performed in solos, duets, trios and ensembles to a supportive and eager crowd of parents, parent figures, grandparents, siblings, and staff.

It was wonderful to see the courage and talent of our students shine as they took to the stage in 1s, 2s, 3s and 30s! 

Of particular ‘note’ during the evening was our very own Jacob S. who entertained us all with his musical banter while generously playing the role of MC.

Special thanks also to Ethan S. who helped out on the sound desk.

We would like to thank all the parents and parent figures who so tirelessly support their children’s music education through lessons, practising at home, and of course coming to events such as these.

A HUGE thank you to all the staff who volunteered their time towards the success of the event – it could not have happened without you. Thank you to Mrs Prinsloo and the Year 11-12s who prepared our platters, and those who helped set up and pack down.

Thank you also to Larissa’s Lattes, who kept us well caffeinated and energised for the evening.

Congratulations to all the students who performed – we are looking forward to hearing you play next year!

 

Mrs Sykes and the Music team.

Year 12 Ball & Celebration Dinner

Last week Friday 14 October marked an incredibly special occasion. The 2022 Year 12 Ball and Celebration Dinner took place at Optus Stadium. This venue provided the perfect backdrop to celebrate 12 years of education, with family members, peers, and staff.

The Cygnet room was decorated to the theme of “Starry Night”, and everyone was pleasantly surprised as they walked through the doors to be greeted with mocktails and the giant super screen on the oval displaying our school logo and theme. The evening included delicious antipasto platters on the tables and a 5-star buffet dinner. Whilst our families were still present, students were called to the stage and honoured and encouraged by staff. They also received a letter which they wrote to themselves in Year 9 as part of the Rite Journey Program. The stunning setting allowed students to reflect on their journey over the past few years leading up to this momentous occasion. Mr Beacham’s address left everyone entertained and in deep thought about the successes of High School. Mia H, our Head Girl, did a wonderful job in reminiscing on key moments of everyone’s school life, humorous moments of staff and many fond memories from camps and excursions.

Once the dinner and formalities were completed, the Ball officially kicked off. Lights were dimmed, parents and family members were escorted to the doors and the DJ turned up the music – ready for some dance moves. Some staff were also keen to let their hair down as they proved to the Year 12’s, they still have some rhythm in their ‘old bodies’. The attendees also played a few enjoyable games on the dance floor – a highlight every year is the limbo dance. The ball came to completion with the announcement of the Belle and Beau of the ball just before 11pm.

Students’ behaviours were exemplary, and we are so proud of everyone for participating in this memorable evening, and the tremendous efforts which led to this celebration of their educational journeys. Thank you to all the staff who made the evening possible.

SHCC Launches New Website

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Southern Hills Christian College (SHCC) Website.

The goal was to develop a more user-friendly website which is easy for users to navigate. An update to the appearance was also required to visually reflect the quality of education our College provides.

The new website was designed by Mrs Kirsten Page, Marketing & Design Specialist for SHCC, who spent significant time with website providers to ensure that the website meets our community and College needs.

“The research into websites for independent schools points to more than 75% of users accessing our website from a mobile device – so there was a need to ensure that site navigation is as intuitive as possible” said Mrs Page.

The new website features a navigation bar which is intuitive, and a footer with ‘quick links’ to easily find popular links such as ‘Parent Lounge’, ‘Calendar’, and ‘Student Cafe’.

Another great feature is the Calendar page, which now integrates with TASS (including Parent Lounge and Student Café), in order to update calendar events on the site instantly.

Looking back, the first website for SHCC was built in 2012 (ten years ago) and was very limited – there was no capacity for video content or parent and student interactions. Ten years on, technology allows all of that to happen, and Mr Beacham feels that the College is now seeking to offer even more options and opportunities to its students, with an additional announcement to be made in the coming weeks.

Our original website was created in 2012

“Yes, we have something special to announce – but we will wait for the correct protocols to be in place first. For now, we celebrate the hard work that has been done by Kirsten and the team. I really enjoy the visual imagery of our College, and the website outlines the educational experiences that students and families can access here at Southern Hills” said Mr Beacham.

 

It is marvelous to have a tool like this which showcases our beautiful College and better connects with our College community. We welcome you to have a look for yourself and let us know what you think.

Meet our New Head of Primary, Mrs Coto

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Laurelle Coto, as the new Head of Primary for our College.

Mrs Laurelle Coto started her teaching journey in 1994 in Geelong, Victoria and moved to WA in 2002. Mrs. Coto is married with 2 teenage daughters, and lives in the sunny coast of Secret Harbour, where they attend Cavalry Chapel Church.

Mrs Coto has a Masters of Education (Special Education) as well as a Post-Graduate in Gifted Education. She believes that educators must be positive contributors to a dedicated team within the school and wider community. “By working together, we can meet the shared responsibility of ensuring effective care and high-quality education of every student, through provision of a safe, effective and holistic learning environment. This way every student can fulfil their potential by becoming lifelong learners, realising that their goals and aspirations can be attained through their own efforts and determination, in collaboration with others, so they can flourish at school and beyond”.

She is also passionate about partnering with families and ensuring that every students’ needs are met through personalised learning that provides both scaffolded educational opportunities, whilst also developing servant-hearted students, who flourish with the characteristics of integrity, resilience and courage and demonstrate essential personal skills including social interaction, intrinsic motivation, self-responsibility, critical thinking, teamwork, communication and a love of learning.

During her career she has enjoyed establishing new programs in independent Christian schools in Gifted Education, Inclusive Education, Early Childhood outdoor play, and the Western Australian Curriculum K-6.

 “ELC and Primary school provides key learning for students wherein they develop foundational educational building blocks as well as character growth and essential skills. It facilities opportunities for them to develop a life-long love of learning, and empowers students with agency, voice, well-being and personal growth”.

With over 23 years’ teaching experience, including 10 years in leadership roles across both Primary and Secondary schools, Mrs Coto has held roles including Regional Principal, Head of Curriculum and Deputy Head of Primary. This experience combined with her passion and commitment to shape the lives of students through excellent Christ-centered holistic education, gives us confidence that that Mrs Coto is an excellent fit for our College.

What you might not know is in her spare time, Mrs Coto enjoys traveling with her family, editing books for aspiring authors and horse riding.

Mrs Coto is looking forward to joining our school, and supporting the students, staff and families at Southern Hills Christian College.

WA Art Gallery Excursion – Year 11 & 12

On Wednesday 12 October, our Year 11 and 12 Art students visited the WA Art Gallery, where they attended a range of contemporary art exhibits.

Balancing Act and Common Ground featured Aboriginal artists presenting contemporary issues such as poverty, racism and identity. Students found these works particularly interesting and engaging. They were invited to write responses to prompt questions regarding one artwork that perked their interest.

Speech Pattern was another interesting exhibit that was both a critique and celebration of everyday life that students chose to respond to.  

A walk into the city for some lunch and back to the art gallery for a quick tour upstairs and onto the rooftop space. It was a great day and the students will be able to use their experience to further their art skills.

Jump Rope for Heart – Jump Off

Thank you to ALL the students who got involved with Jump Rope for Heart!

A huge thank you for the effort in skipping and fundraising for the Jump Rope for Heart program this term. Together we raised an incredible $4,573.17 – this money will all go towards vital heart research and education programs.

We’ve loved seeing so many smiling faces skipping on the playground and in sports lessons.
Our Jump Off Day was a huge success, you can see a few action photos from the day below.

Here’s our school leaderboard, congratulations to our top fundraisers!

1. Charliee (Year 3) – 516.96
2. Billie (Year 6) – $325.00

3. Adelaide (Year 6) – $325.00
4. Sienna (Year 6) – $321.10
5. Vincent (Year 4) – $281.05

 

Keep up the skipping and thanks again for the hard work!