16 Dec 2020
End of year article
As we near the end of the school year West Wyalong High School would like to express our gratitude to the community, families and friends of our school.
This year has been one like no other. We have dealt with change; we have experienced loss and we have had to adapt to a foreign way of schooling. In these times, our staff, students and school community showed great resilience.
We want to acknowledge the support of our community. They have been understanding of the changes we faced this year and embraced our efforts for the greater good of our students. We extend our thanks to all those who supported our school throughout the year.
Our staff worked tirelessly to adapt to the change of online schooling and again to face to face classes when they recommenced. They were motivated to provide the best for our students and kept morale high in such unknown circumstances.
This year, more than any previous, the wellbeing of our students was a priority. We were pleased to have a school counsellor in training and a student support officer join the school welfare team. We also continued to work closely with Royal Far West telecare counselling service and the Family Referral Service – we will greatly miss their support in 2021.
Our administration staff worked tirelessly all year to ensure that communication between school and home was kept open and the school continued to run smoothly. Their work behind the scenes is vital and it does not go unappreciated.
The teaching and learning support staff worked closely with our students. They ensured that our students felt supported, were not falling behind in their schooling during this interrupted year and implemented programs to assist with the development of their skills such as literacy.
Our library staff introduced our students to online reading platforms and learning resources such as our E-library which assisted them in school and leisure when learning from home.
Our science prep staff initiated and produced disinfectant bottles which were vital to keeping our classrooms safe. Lastly, our cleaning and maintenance staff worked all year round to maintain a sterile and inviting school environment. Their constant care of our grounds kept our staff and students safe.
A big thank you must also go to our school Executive. They have put the staff and students of this school first and ensured that both felt supported and safe throughout the school year. We are very fortunate to have such caring executive staff and thank them for their compassionate approach in this tumultuous year.
We have been fortunate to have many wellbeing programs within our school such as the “LoveBites” program; a respectful relationship program, Rock and Water; a program designed to provide students with self-confidence through self-awareness and personal strategies, YAM (Youth Aware of Mental health); a mental health education, discussion and problem solving program and Year 11’s mandatory PD/H/PE course “Life Ready”.
We have also been fortunate with the in-school events that have occurred such as ‘Wear It Purple Day’ in support of the LGBTQI+ community and the incredibly successful ‘RU OK? Day’ in which our students participated in various games and an in-school “Amazing Race” to boost morale and open a dialogue for checking in on the mental wellbeing of those around them. In term 4 we celebrated NAIDOC week with several activities recognising the significance of our First Nations people. We have also been fortunate enough to participate in a zoom call with Jonathon Thurston, an incredibly valuable and exciting experience for our NRL enthusiasts, Indigenous students and Year 7 and 8 students. Our thanks to Evolution for organising this experience for our students.
There have also been various opportunities for personal growth throughout the school. Our gardening group, lead by Tony Glasgow and Lachie Miller, taught a group of boy’s skills in gardening and landscaping, in a hands on experience. This has not only beautified our school, but has enabled the boys to gain new knowledge and skills, that they can implement in their lives.
Our students have been able to explore various post school opportunities through virtual information sessions with universities and the Defence Force and with the recent resumption of work experience. SBATs have also been in full swing due to the tireless effort of our careers advisor with many students commencing this program throughout the year. Mackenzie Parkes displayed the benefits of completing a VET course completing her Certificate III in Education Support. Mackenzie was a finalist in the NSW VET Training Awards. She attended the presentation for the finalists within the Western Region and won the event.
Sporting opportunities have also been available to students with our athletics and swimming carnivals proceeding and sports gala days being organised by Mrs Duncan for each year group for the duration of term 4 as a wellbeing initiative. Our stage one and stage two aerobics teams were also extremely successful, both being NSW state gold medal winners. Our Angora Team have also had the opportunity to represent the school in events such as the Bathurst Diamond Fibre Show and the Merino wether challenge. The team proved successful with team members placing first, second and forth in multiple events in the Bathurst Diamond Fibre Show. Their fleece was awarded third, three second places and a first.
This year saw us farewell an impressive group of year 12 students. This cohort displayed incredible motivation, resilience and perseverance in the face of many adversities. They have worked hard throughout their school lives and their achievements reflect this. We are proud to have had this graduating class wear our school colours and be connected to our school name. We wish them luck in all their future endeavours and look forward to seeing what the future holds for year 12, 2020.
To conclude we must acknowledge the resilience and determination of our students. The past school year has been a test. A test of patience, a test of spirit and a test of courage. Our students have passed this test.
We look forward to another great year in 2021 after a well-deserved break.
All students resume on Friday the 29th January.