The West #9 2025
- Principal's Preface
- TA6A Assembly
- One Big Voice - A Night to Remember!
- Father's Day in Kindy
- Faction Carnival
- Outstanding Speech Finals
- TA11 Assembly
- Year 4 Excursion to Kings Park
- Charity Soft Toy Drive
- Colour Fun Run
- School Photo Days are Coming!
- Young Masters Art Classes at BSHS
- Book Now for VacSwim!
Principal's Preface
We are almost at the end of term and what a busy and enjoyable few weeks it has been! It’s been wonderful to see so many of you at our recent community events – the Athletics Carnival, Outstanding Speeches and numerous assemblies. Your support has been greatly valued and appreciated. The students love having you around, whether cheering them on or lending a hand to staff.
This was especially evident at the Athletics Carnival. Parents helped set up the faction bays in the morning, cleared them away in the afternoon, volunteered at the cake stall to raise funds and encouraged every competitor from the sidelines. Many of you shared how enjoyable the day was and I’ve passed this feedback on to Mr Geoff Dwyer, who worked tirelessly to make the day a success. Ever reflective, he already has ideas to make next year’s event even better. As I write this, he is busy at the Interschool Carnival, supporting our athletes as they compete against other schools.
It was also lovely to see so many parents and grandparents at Outstanding Speeches last week. The standard of presentations was incredibly high, making the judges’ job almost impossible. After much deliberation, the winning speech was awarded to Preston for his entertaining and thoughtful talk on accents. You can read more about this event later in the newsletter.
Sadly, we have two farewells this term. Ms Ligita Abbott, currently on leave, will retire at the end of term after more than 40 years of dedicated service to West Balcatta. She has brought creativity, passion and a deep commitment to student learning; we wish her all the very best in her well-deserved retirement.
We also say farewell (for now) to Ms Cathryne Harper, who has begun parental leave as she awaits the arrival of her second child. We wish her every happiness during this exciting time and look forward to welcoming her back in the future.
Finally, you may have noticed one event missing from this term’s calendar. Our Open Night has been rescheduled to Term 4, when the lighter, warmer evenings will provide the perfect backdrop for this much-loved event. Please mark Thursday 30th October in your diaries. Further details will be shared early next term.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Caroline Booth
TA6A Assembly
TA6A had a wonderful time presenting our assembly all about feelings, something we all experience every day. Our performance took the audience on a journey through a wide range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to sadness, anger, worry and even confusion.
The key message was clear: feelings are normal, feelings are important, and talking about our feelings makes us strong! We ended with a lively whole school song and a reminder to everyone — no feeling lasts forever.
The students performed with great energy and enthusiasm, and we are so proud of the effort they put into making the assembly both fun and meaningful.
One Big Voice - A Night to Remember!
On Friday 29th August, RAC Arena came alive with the sound of 4,000 students singing in harmony at the One Big Voice Concert, and what a night it was! The evening show broke records with the first ever SOLD OUT show!! With students from over 90 schools performing together as (quite literally) One Big Voice, it was a truly unforgettable experience of music, unity, and joy.
The sight and sound of thousands of young voices singing as one was nothing short of magical. For our students to be part of such a spectacular event, filled with movement, music and pure excitement, it certainly will be an experience they will carry with them for years to come. No doubt, younger siblings in the audience are now dreaming of their turn on that stage!
Feedback from families in the audience has been overwhelmingly positive. Many parents described the performance as moving, powerful and uplifting, with plenty of proud tears and goosebumps throughout the night. It was an event that stirred hearts!
I am incredibly proud of our choir students. Their performance was outstanding, and their behaviour, energy, and enthusiasm were exemplary from beginning to end. The commitment shown over the past five months through early morning rehearsals, extra practices, and even giving up their lunch breaks was evident in every note they sang.
A special congratulations goes to:
- Caitlyn and Annabelle (Year 5) for their wonderful vocal group performance in Unbreakable
- Bruno (Year 6) for his confident and clear compere roles before One Big Voice and Let’s Make it Shine!
You all did an incredible job, and we are so proud of you!
A big thank you must also go to Mrs Grosse, Mrs Tanner, Mrs Salter and Mrs Pegrum for their invaluable support (and patience!) on the night — including managing what felt like a record number of toilet breaks! Your help ensured everything ran smoothly and made the night the success it was.
What a fantastic celebration of music and teamwork. I can’t wait for more students and families to experience the magic of One Big Voice in the future and I'm looking forward to doing it all again next year.
Jane Sibosado, Music Specialist
Father's Day in Kindy
Our Kindergarten father’s and special caregivers were recently invited to school for a Father’s Day afternoon tea picnic. The children enjoyed completing activities with their father’s and special caregivers such as making crowns, decorating biscuits and creating paper planes. We even took photographs at a booth and had a lovely picnic under the trees. It was a wonderful afternoon, and we thank the P&C for providing the funds to cater for this event!
Faction Carnival
On Wednesday 3rd September, the selected students from Year 1–6 took part in the Jumps and Throws events. It was the first year that Year 1 and 2 students had the opportunity to compete in the foam javelin throw. All students who competed should be proud of their efforts, and it was great to see their peers showing encouragement and support throughout the morning.
On Tuesday 9th September, the students from Pre-Primary – Year 6 competed in the 2025 West Balcatta Faction Athletics Carnival. There was a great turnout of parents, with fine weather for the track events and team games. Congratulations to O’Connor Faction, who won the Athletics Carnival Day with 1,328 points. Well done to all students who participated in the track events and novelty team games. Thank you to the parents who assisted with the setup and pack away of gazebos to help make the day a success. It was wonderful to see such strong sportsmanship and support for the different factions throughout the day.
Congratulations to the following Champion and Runner-up students:
Year 3 Champions: Eli & Libby
Year 3 Runners-up: Lazar & Rose
Year 4 Champions: Harrison & Mysha
Year 4 Runners-up: Ethan, Sebastian & Willow
Year 5 Champions: Max, Jasmine & Phoebe
Year 5 Runners-up: Kai, Max, Dean & Tayla
Year 6 Champions: Gerry & Jessica
Year 6 Runners-up: Preston, Evana & Ava
Overall Results
- O'Connor - 1, 328
- Hannan - 1, 300
- Stirling - 1, 232
- Forrest - 992
Outstanding Speech Finals
This term, our senior students have been busy writing and presenting speeches to their classes, with the very best being selected for the Outstanding Speech Finals held last Wednesday. Fifteen talented finalists took to the stage, showcasing their creativity, humour, and confidence in front of the school. Sadly, Ruby was unable to participate due to illness, but the line-up was still incredibly strong.
Charlie got us thinking with their speech on Wi-Fi, asking the age-old question: How would we ever cope without the internet? Mikalya took us on a crazy adventure through her day, while Violet had everyone giggling as she revealed “what teachers really do” in their spare time. Gerry gave a hilarious insight into the life of an 11-year-old boy (himself) and London imagined all the different careers Mr Meakins might have chosen if he weren’t teaching.
Preston explored the fascinating world of accents, reminding us that our differences are what make us unique. Luka sparked imaginations with the idea of time travel, while Dean gave a powerful and personal perspective on thriving with dyslexia. Annabelle cleverly spoke from the point of view of her family dog, Milo, and Casey made us all wish teleportation really was possible.
Seb had the crowd laughing with stories about his family watching sport, Adil wowed us with the wonders of artificial intelligence and Zach intrigued us with the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.
The quality of the speeches was outstanding. Every student impressed with their ability to engage the audience and deliver a well-structured three-minute speech entirely from memory. Judging was no easy task, with points separating the finalists by the narrowest of margins.
In the end, congratulations go to Preston, who was awarded the prestigious perpetual Patsy Best Shield. Seb and Violet were recognised as our well-deserving runners-up.
We are so proud of all our finalists for their creativity, confidence and courage in sharing their ideas.
TA11 Assembly
On the 11th of September, TA11 proudly put on a lively assembly all about R U OK? Day. This special day in Australia encourages us to check in with the people around us – our friends, families and classmates. With humour and a heroic script, we reminded West Balcatta Primary School that you don’t need mind-reading superpowers to ask, R U OK? Everyone in TA11 had a part to play in the assembly, because checking in on others is something all of us can do. So remember – keep looking out for each other and don’t forget to ask the simple but powerful question: R U OK?
Year 4 Excursion to Kings Park
On Friday 12th September, the Year 4 students went on an excursion to Kings Park.
We were separated into two groups. Group 1 crossed over to the Botanic Garden first to learn about the Noongar Six Seasons and native plants. Steve, our tour guide, helped us learn about the seasons and the plants that grow and flower at that time of year.
Group 2 explored the Naturescape first. There were about five different areas, but our personal favourite was the Python because it was full of obstacles. We were allowed to play in the creek, but the water could not go past our knees. It was chilly, rocky and slippery, but it was really fun.
After lunch, the groups switched activities. We really enjoyed our visit and thank you so much to the parent volunteers and teachers who took us.
Realtin, Claire & Harry
Charity Soft Toy Drive
Join Our Soft Toy Drive to Support Wheelchairs for Kids
In keeping with our School Value of Social & Civic Responsibility, our Student Councillors recently ran a Soft Toy Drive to support the amazing work of Wheelchairs for Kids, a Perth-based charity making a world of difference for mobility-impaired children in developing countries.
Since 1996, Wheelchairs for Kids has provided over 64,000 adjustable, rough-terrain wheelchairs to children across 80 countries. Each wheelchair, built to World Health Organisation standards, is lovingly crafted by a dedicated team of retired volunteers and comes with a handmade rug and two special soft toys: one knitted doll and one teddy bear. To keep up with demand, they need around 500 teddy bears every month!
The toy drive was held last Friday and gave families a chance to declutter at home, while also helping students learn about charity, sustainability and the joy of giving. Passing on quality toys not only benefits the environment but also brings comfort to children around the world.
Thanks to our community’s generosity, our school has helped spread joy far beyond our gates while showing what it means to care for others and make a positive difference.
Colour Fun Run
Friday 26 September, 2:00pm
Our Colour Run is happening on Friday 26 September at 2:00pm on the school oval! This is always a highlight of the year, with students running, laughing and being showered in bursts of bright colour.
To make the most of the fun, Friday will also be a Free Dress Day. Students are encouraged to wear white (for the best colour effect) or old clothes that don’t matter if they get stained.
What to Bring/Wear:
A hat
Closed-in shoes (that can get colour and water on them)
Sunglasses (optional, for extra eye protection)
A towel
A change of clothes (especially important if your child attends After School Care)
A bag for wet/colourful clothes
We can’t wait to see everyone out on the oval enjoying this colourful and fun-filled afternoon!
If you haven’t already, be sure to create your online profile & start fundraising:
School Photo Days are Coming!
Our school photo days are coming up on 15 - 17 October (Week 1, Term 4)! Every student will receive a personalised flyer to bring home from Kapture Photography containing your child’s unique codes for ordering school photos online.
KEEP YOUR FLYER SECURE!
The unique codes contained on the flyer will be issued only once.
Order EARLY for sibling photography
Sibling photos can ONLY be ordered online. Once you receive the personalised flyers for your children, it is imperative that you order your sibling photo early to avoid missing out! There is a physical limit in the school schedule to how many sibling photos can be taken. Once the maximum capacity of sibling orders has been reached, no more sibling orders can be placed. If maximum capacity is not reached, sibling orders close 12pm midday sharp, one business day prior to the first photo day. The school or the photographers cannot accept late orders for sibling photography. Please do not ask as your request simply cannot be accommodated.
Order EARLY for discount photo day prices
Order your photos up to 10 calendar days after photo day to receive discount photo day prices. Late orders are handled separately to the school delivery and incur a $30 custom service charge.
Other information
- Kapture offer a money back guarantee for any parent who is not fully satisfied with their photo package. Should you have any queries before or after photo day, please check the FAQ’s on the Kapture website.
- We request that students who are displaying signs of respiratory and / or gastrointestinal illnesses do not attend school specifically to be included in their class photo. Having students with communicable illnesses attend the photography venues puts other students, school staff and Kapture staff at risk – especially those that are already immunocompromised. Students who are unable to attend school photo day can book a studio appointment at our Malaga office to be photographed during school holidays. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.
- You will be notifies in a few weeks when team and special group photos are available to view and purchase on the Kapture website. Please note; class, individual and sibling portraits are not available to view online prior to purchase.
- All students will be photographed individually on photo day for school administration records AS WELL as included in their class group presentation available for purchase to all families. Should there be any reason why your child should NOT be included in the photo shoot –please contact the school office.
Young Masters Art Classes at BSHS
The Gifted and Talented Visual Art program at Balcatta Senior High School is proud to offer art classes to students across the metropolitan area in year 5 and 6.
- Classes are held on Saturdays from 9.30 am to 12.00 noon for six weeks
- Come and join our Gifted and Talented Visual Art students and work with industry Specialist Tutors to learn some of the fundamentals of art making, including drawing, painting and print making.
- Art classes are held at the Ron Murphy Gallery (eastern end car park, up the stairs, second landing and turn left into the gallery)
- To secure a position you can make a payment via our website at: https://www.bpoint.com.au/payments/
BALCATTASENIORHIGHSCHOOL Please select Biller Code: 1971977 Young Masters - Classes are held during the school terms and the cost is $150.00 per term
For more information on the Gifted and Talented Visual Art Program, including dates and other special programs, please check our website at https://balcattashs.wa.edu.au/learning/gifted-and-talented-art-program/ or contact the G&T Visual Art Co-ordinator:
Sherree Tomlinson ~ Email: sherree.tomlinson@education.wa.edu.au
Artwork by BSHS Gifted and Talented Year 7 students - Tayla Fellows Aimee Yabuka and Annie Lai
Book Now for VacSwim!
VacSwim enrolments for both October and summer (December/January) holidays are now open! Secure your child's spot for essential school holiday swimming lessons. Book early to avoid missing out, as venues close once at full capacity.
