YEAR 8

Well its almost the end of another year and how it feels like time has flown by. The Year 8’s have only a few more weeks left in Year 8 and we will be making the most of that time to build memories, train our brains and learn some life skills to help us in the future.

Our extended form time on Thursday afternoons has been actioned packed. With one week the students engaging in a jeopardy styled house games. On another week in the study skills session students looked at how to improve their spelling, grammar and how to read for errors in Word online.

Later this Term, students will have a guest speaker from WA Child Safety Services come to talk on Cyber Education. The workshop will go for approximately 90 minutes and will address concerns around: social media; gaming; the impact of tech on the body and mind; cyberbullying; exposure to inappropriate content (including pornography, violence or hateful content); and online grooming. This topic is difficult to discuss but is, unfortunately, necessary in the modern world to ensure our students learn the knowledge and skills to be safe and caring online citizens.

The Term will end for the Year 8s with two great events. For their final form activity, Sean Stahlhut, Chaplain and Youth Pastor at Rockingham Baptist Church, will be taking over extended form time to deliver some fun games. The last day of Term will be our usual annual trip to Adventure World for the Year 7 to 9s where students will have the opportunity to attend Adventure World and spend time with all their classmate one last time before heading off on the holidays.

The bible often uses symbolism and in 2 Timothy 4:7, the author the apostle Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In this verse and many others like it, Paul is referring to a race as being his life in service to God. Here in Timothy, he is making special mention of not just running the race but finishing well. This is true for our spiritual life but is also true in all things that we participate in, we must finish and finish well. As the term comes to an end, students are reminded to finish well. To not pull up short of the finish line but run through the tape at the end.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Year 8 Form teachers (Mrs Tisdall, Mr Kelly, Mr Gerber and Miss Parker) and myself to say thank you for entrusting your child’s care to us this year, it has been a real pleasure to serve you and your children. We wish you all a safe and joyful Christmas and New Year.

Mr Oeij
Head of Year 8