The academic, pastoral care and co-curricular programmes across the Secondary School cater for all students as they experience significant physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual changes.
LEARNING AREA (SECONDARY)
The Arts
The Arts at John Wollaston is an exciting adventure into the world of theatre, music, performance, art and art history – all located in our purpose-built Victoria Morgan Arts Centre.
Study in the Arts allows students to explore their creative talents and understand the way that the Arts impact on the social, cultural and economic life of Australia. Arts education also equips them for a life-long appreciation of the Arts.
In the Performing Arts, students are equipped with the skills to perform confidently in drama, music, dance or an integration of art forms, while developing skills in evaluation, reading, writing, composing, performing and speaking.
Students are regularly offered the opportunity to participate behind and on-stage in full-scale productions such as musicals and dramatic plays.
Students become part of the creative heart of John Wollaston when joining the Arts Learning Area. In the Visual Arts students are able to work in ceramics, jewellery, painting, textiles and sculpture. Students of all ages and talents are catered for with varied courses that include Art and Craft, Art and Design, and Pottery.
Specialised equipment includes a huge kiln to cater for all ceramic needs. The Art Exhibition held in Term 4 is a highlight of the year at John Wollaston with work from Primary and Secondary students on display. The standard is always high, with work having been selected for the Perspectives Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Health and Physical Education
There's never been better encouragement for young people to adopt a healthy active lifestyle than with the outstanding facilities at John Wollaston. Our Physical Education Department is located in the outstanding Berry Durston Indoor Sports Centre.
With an emphasis on participation and good sportsmanship, all students have compulsory Health and Physical Education classes in the Secondary School from Years 8 to 10.
The Health programme centres on healthy practices for individuals and also looks at some of the major community health problems.
Physical Education classes encourage students to expand their physical parameters through participation in soccer, netball, softball, gymnastics, football, aquatics, basketball, dance, fitness and modified sports. In Years 9 and 10 students can elect to participate in extra selections that include martial arts, touch football, outdoor pursuits and badminton.
Outdoor Pursuits is an integral facet of the programme. Students from Years 9 to 12 have the opportunity to interact with the environment through experiences of physical challenge whilst developing leadership and bush survival skills. All Outdoor Pursuits programmes have an associated camp where skills are put to the test.
Extra-curricular activities are an extremely important part of life at John Wollaston. House-based swimming, cross country and athletic carnivals are staged throughout the year. Students who perform well on these occasions have the opportunity to represent the School in the corresponding Inter-School events.
School teams are also entered into after-school competitions based on student interest.
JSAS – (Southern Associated Schools – Junior - JSAS)
https://www.accsport.asn.au/node/4417
SAS – (Senior Southern Associated School Sport – SAS) Associated and Catholic Colleges.
http://www.accsport.asn.au/yearbook-2011/southern-associated-schools-senior-sas
Languages
Languages is the area of the curriculum where students develop the knowledge, skills and understandings to communicate effectively and appropriately in another language. At John Wollaston, students from Pre-Primary to Year 9 study Japanese. If they so choose, students may then continue to study Japanese in Years 10, 11 and 12.
Students from Pre-Primary to Year 6 study Japanese as an integral part of John Wollaston's International Baccalaureate Organisation's Primary Years Programme.
In the early stages of learning there is an emphasis on increasing confidence in understanding and responding to familiar phrases and questions, copying and viewing short authentic texts in Japanese. Students progress to being able to comprehend, communicate, read, write and express their opinion on a range of topics. Students are exposed to the Japanese scripts of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji as they progress to being able to use these characters when reading and writing in Japanese.
Each year students are introduced to the wonders and culture of Japan and enjoy putting their skills into practice when John Wollaston hosts Japanese exchange students from Shizuoka Gakuen, our sister school in Japan. The School celebrates Languages Week each year with students participating in a range of Japanese activities.
Japan Study Tours have been held in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Students explored Japan on a two-week study tour during which students were immersed in the Japanese lifestyle and used their Japanese language skills. John Wollaston plans to offer such a trip regularly to students studying Japanese in Years 10 and 11 and such a trip is planned for 2018.
John Wollaston has had many successes in the Language Learning Area with students proceeding onto university using the knowledge that they have acquired.
Mathematics
John Wollaston's Mathematics Learning Area staff continually attend professional development workshops and seminars, implementing new ideas in the classroom for the benefit of all students.
The Mathematics Learning Area has implemented the International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics (ICE-EM) Programme in Years 8, 9 and 10. This programme focuses on teaching students mental strategies to solve mathematical problems. The aim is that students will understand the core concepts in mathematics and be able to apply this knowledge to upper school courses.
The Mathematics Learning Area is currently introducing the new upper school courses of study for Mathematics. The courses allow students to follow a number of different pathways depending upon the individual educational goal.
Staff embrace Information and Communication Technology in their learning environment. All Mathematics staff members are proficient in the use of interactive whiteboards, allowing an enriching classroom experience. Students are also taught how to apply computing software and technology to enhance their mathematical skills.
Science and Technology
Embracing the mandatory Curriculum Framework outcomes, Science at John Wollaston focuses on what individual students know, understand and value as a result of their learning experiences in the five Science Strands:
- Investigating Scientifically
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Earth and Beyond
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Energy and Change
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Life and Living
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Natural and Processed Materials
We aim to help our students to develop the ability to communicate scientifically, relate Science to their daily lives, think critically of current scientific issues and appreciate that Science is a result of human endeavour.
At the Senior level, John Wollaston offers courses of study in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Human Biology and Integrated Science.
Academically-talented Science students are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of Summer Schools in WA, interstate and overseas, often with the support of local Rotary Clubs. We have also achieved success in competitions winning a gold medal in the University of New South Wales Science competition and a silver medal in the Rio Tinto Biology Olympiad competition.
Technology and Enterprise
A wide variety of exciting hands-on courses is offered to John Wollaston students in Technology and Enterprise, all with the aim of integrating technology into students' lives.
From Computing, Technical Drawing and Electronic Communication to Food Preparation and Childcare, the options are as many as they are diverse.
Opportunities also exist for students to integrate Technology and Enterprise courses into their Year 11 and 12 programmes with Applied Information Technology, Computer Graphics, Materials Design in Wood and Metal, Child Care and Food Production.
Society and Environment
The SOSE Learning Area offers its students a broad and exciting range of subjects and topics. The aim is to stimulate not only the interest of students, but also cultivate and build upon the natural love of learning inherent in all children, while at the same time preparing them for their Senior Secondary studies in Years 11 and 12.
Typically, in Years 8 to 10, students will study Geography, Economics, History, Politics and Law.
These topics are extended at the senior level, with students offered Stage 2 followed by Stage 3 studies in Economics, Geography, History, and Political and Legal Studies for WACE and university entry. A nationally-accredited Certificate 1 in Business is offered alongside studies in Career and Enterprise and in partnership with employers to provide workplace experience.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
English
The English Learning Area at John Wollaston Anglican Community School develops students' listening and speaking, viewing, reading and writing skills through the study of a wide range of texts in a learning environment that encourages critical and analytical thinking.
Students are encouraged to engage with the idea that language can shape our interpretation of the world. Through a range of pedagogical strategies, students are given the opportunity to strengthen their oral and written communication skills in order to develop their own "voice" and become active participants in society.
