Welcome to the end of a whirlwind Term 1, 2021.  Despite there being only 8 weeks of term, it has been very busy for staff and students.

I am very proud of our School Student Forum members, Bree Wyatt, Eva Henderson Mott and Emily Karafilis. They have recently represented our school at the Vote Compass event and the Blessing of the Road Ceremony. The girls are a credit to our school and I look forward to hearing them again when they represent BHS at the Anzac Ceremony.

Our students have also been fortunate to participate in a number of incursions and excursions this term.  Last week, our Year 9 students participated in the BYA Mental Health Promotion Day hosted by Manjimup SHS. This was a fantastic day that was enjoyed by all who attended. We also hosted 61 Hawaiian Riders at the school last week and the students that heard them speak gained a poignant insight into the very sad effects that mental health issue can have on families and how to prevent this. Legal Aid presented a very valuable session to all students titled “R U Legal?”. This presentation covered a variety of topical issues affecting young people including Cyber Bullying. The information provided gave a very clear message to our students that Cyberbullying is not OK and students who engage in this can face some severe penalties. As parents and carers, this is a timely reminder to always monitor your child’s use of devices and actively discourage any participation in this type of bullying.

Earlier this term, I asked staff to provide me with a list of students who were not achieving to their potential in classes. As a result, the Administration Team have made numerous phone calls to parents and carers to follow up. A clear message that students need to be aware of is that the comments provided by staff on students' end of semester and end of year reports are very important. If a teacher’s comment reflects that the student has tried their best, despite a lower grade, then this gives a clear picture to an employer or a destination school, that the student is persistent when faced with difficulties and has a positive attitude. All we, as adults in our student’s lives, can expect is that they do their best or in the words of our School Motto – “Seek the Best”. Please support your child by reinforcing this message at home and providing the encouragement that is needed.

Along with a strong parent contingent, I had the pleasure of attending the performance this week by our Drama students. It was lovely to see the fun the students had in performing for an audience and the confidence they showed in being able to do this. Congratulations to all of the students involved and to Ms Cullen for her work with them.

A reminder that the Alumni Association Golf Day fundraiser and AGM is to be held at the Bridgetown Golf Club on Saturday 17^th April, 2021. Membership of the Alumni Association is open to all ex-students of Bridgetown HS and the group provides invaluable support to our school in terms of scholarships to students and helps fund school programs and works. Please contact the school on 9761 0100 if you would like more information.

All the best for Easter and a restful - but enjoyable - Term 1 holiday.

Kind regards

Mrs C. A Thorsby