29 August 2025

From the Principal

The past two weeks at Balcatta SHS have been both busy and rewarding, with our students and staff engaging in a variety of significant events. This update provides a snapshot of these activities and the many achievements we have shared as a school community.

Health Exро

On Wednesday 13 August, the Year 11 Health Studies students hosted the annual Health Expo. This important assessment encouraged students to research and promote a wide range of health issues. The event was engaging and informative, with interactive displays, games, and resources designed to raise awareness of lifestyle-related illnesses.

I was very impressed by the knowledge, confidence, and creativity our students displayed and it was wonderful to see staff supporting them throughout the day. Congratulations to the “Diabetes” stall that won the student vote and to the “Gum Disease” stall that received the staff vote. The expo was a great success and a credit to our enthusiastic Year 11 students.

National Science Week

To celebrate National Science Week 2025, Balcatta SHS welcomed Year 5 students from local primary schools for a hands-on science experience, led by our Year 9 Academic Extension students. Through engaging experiments such as dry ice, magic milk, hidden messages, and even making ice cream without a freezer, visiting students were inspired by the excitement of “Easy Science Experiments You Can Try at Home”.

The event aimed to spark curiosity and inspire a love of science, showing students that science is exciting and accessible beyond the classroom. We were proud of our Year 9 students for taking on the role of science ambassadors and sharing their enthusiasm with younger learners.

Team Connect WA Season

Launch On Tuesday 19 August I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Season Launch of the Team Connect WA Program, an initiative that uses cricket to build confidence, resilience, and connection among young women. Balcatta SHS has proudly been part of this program for the past two years, with a number of our Year 7 and 8 girls beginning their involvement as participants and more recently stepping into emerging leadership roles. We value this partnership highly, as it aligns with our mission to support student wellbeing and engagement.

Highlights of the event can be seen here: https://youtu.be/sw-rwB4Kflo?si=ipfN_-oeFS6V8ERE

Book Week

Last week, Balcatta Senior High School celebrated Book Week with three memorable events. The week began with the Balcatta Big Boggle Bash, which brought together almost 100 enthusiastic competitors for a lively game of Boggle – congratulations to the winning teams. On Thursday, the generosity of students, parents, and staff helped make our Book Stall a success, with wonderful titles available for just a gold coin.

The celebrations concluded on Friday with Dress as Your Favourite Character Day, a colourful and joyful highlight. Staff and students embraced the spirit of the day with creative costumes, and the lunchtime parade filled the school with laughter and excitement.

Together, these events raised valuable funds to support the creation of mobile libraries for students in remote communities with limited access to books. My thanks go to everyone involved, especially our Pages & Tea book club members, whose commitment ensured the success of this year’s Book Week.

Student Achievements

WA Classical Guitar Ensemble Festival 2025

On Sunday 17 August our Classical Guitar students competed in the 36th WA Classical Guitar Ensemble Festival held at Carine SHS, under the guidance and tuition of Amy Nordsvan, IMSS teacher.

The festival gave students a chance to showcase their skills, experience performances by other ensembles and soloists, and benefit from constructive feedback provided by adjudicators. Our students performed exceptionally well and were awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the judges.

Brayden van de Putte

Year 8 student Brayden van de Putte has been selected in the under 16 State Softball Team to represent Western Australia at the Arthur Allsopp Shield being played on home soil here at Mirrabooka from 13-18 January 2026. This is a wonderful achievement and we wish Brayden all the very best forthis exciting opportunity.

Student Services News

Tamanna and Erika, Master of Social Work students from the University of Western Australia, who have joined Balcatta SHS on placement with Student Services have been exploring local community services available to students and families. In this issue they wish to highlight the Youth Services program at Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services. Ishar is a not-for-profit that supports women and young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Their Youth Services program is a free service for women aged 14 to 25 years. The program provides a safe and respectful space where you can build self-confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of identity. Support is offered through:

• Advocacy and case work support
• School and community education sessions
• Youth support groups and mentoring opportunities
• Referrals to external services or links to services within

It’s okay not to be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way. Services like Ishar are here to walk alongside to help. Find out more: https://www.ishar.org.au/youth-services

Attendance

At Balcatta SHS, we believe every day of learning counts. Regular attendance is one of the most important factors in student success. When students attend school consistently, they stay on track with their learning, develop stronger connections with peers and teachers, and are more likely to achieve their academic and personal goals. Even missing just one or two days each month can add up to weeks of lost learning by the end of the year. That’s why we encourage families to make school attendance a priority, arriving on time and ready to learn every day.

We know that sometimes absences are unavoidable due to illness or family emergencies, and we thank you for working with us to keep those to a minimum. By building good routines at home, such as preparing for school the night before, getting plenty of rest, and maintaining healthy habits you help set your child up for success.

Together, we can make every day count!

Important dates