Australind Senior High School

Depression is a serious mental health condition that can affect how children and young people think, feel and interact with the world around them. While occasional sadness and mood changes are a normal part of growing up, depression is more persistent and can significantly impact a young person’s relationships, school engagement and overall wellbeing.

Recognising the signs of depression can sometimes be challenging, particularly during adolescence when emotional and behavioural changes are common. Academic pressures, friendship difficulties, social media and challenges around identity and belonging can all contribute to emotional distress. Understanding the warning signs and knowing when to seek help are important steps in ensuring young people receive the support they need.

This edition of SchoolTV explores the signs and causes of depression, offering practical guidance and strategies to help recognise concerns early and provide appropriate support.

Here is the link to this topic http://australind.wa.schooltv.me/newsletter/depression-au

SchoolTV is a resource for parents, caregivers and educators to better support student wellbeing.

Graduation No. 2 🎓

Congratulations to the Year 12 cohort at Australind Senior High School who held their graduation ceremony this week.

It was my pleasure to attend and celebrate this important milestone with you, your families and teachers.

Well done to Lucy Hill on receiving the Endeavour Award, and all the graduates who received an individual award.

Wishing you all the best for your future. ✨

📸

From abseiling above the coastline to squeezing through narrow cave openings, our cadets had plenty to talk about around the campfire at their camp last week.

At Wilyabrup Cliffs, students took on rock climbing and abseiling in windy conditions, with the rain holding off and whales and dolphins making an appearance below. Meanwhile, the other group tackled a challenging 7 km bushwalk to camp, where they pitched their tents and learnt to use Trangia stoves to prepare their meals.

The groups swapped activities the following day, giving everyone a turn on the cliffs and the walking trails around Hamelin Bay. Come evening, marshmallows and hot drinks around the campfire provided time to rest and share the day’s highlights.
One final challenge awaited at Giants Cave. Narrow openings and long, steep ladders tested the cadets’ flexibility and determination before it was time to head home.
Alongside the bigger adventures were the everyday parts of camp: carrying gear, cooking meals and settling into tents. Together, they made for a few days of learning, shared experiences and stories to bring home.

A big thank you to our staff who make these memorable and valuable experiences possible for our students.

Cadets is open to all of our students. Families can find out more at:
https://australind.wa.edu.au/teaching-and-learning/specialist-and-leadership-programs/cadets/

Our weekly community noticeboard brings together a mix of activities and opportunities happening across the South West that may be of interest to our students and families.

🎪 Tronox Spring Out Festival returns to Eaton Foreshore on Sunday 1 November from 9.30am–12.30pm. Hosted by the Shire of Dardanup, this free community event includes entertainment, family activities, food trucks, markets and a Playground Parade costume competition. No entry fee or bookings are required.

🏅 Nominations for the 2027 Community Citizen of the Year Awards are now open, recognising individuals and groups who make a positive difference in their local communities. Categories include Young Community Citizen of the Year, recognising contributions from young people aged 16–30. Nominations close Saturday 31 October. Shire of Harvey

🌱 Shire of Capel is sharing a Beginner Growing 101 workshop through Grow It Local, offering an opportunity for those interested in gardening to learn some of the basics of growing their own plants and produce.

💙 Ahlia's Hour Community Run will be held on Saturday 21 November at 1pm at Bunbury Recreation Oval, as part of the 7–7 Run for Ahlia event. The community run and walk honours the memory of Ahlia Williams, a local girl who lost her life to DIPG, a rare and aggressive childhood brain cancer, at just seven years old. Families are invited to walk or run as many laps as they choose during the hour, with no minimum distance or pace required. Participants are invited to wear blue in Ahlia's honour, with funds raised supporting Run For Ahlia research efforts. Registration is required for everyone taking part.

More information, nomination forms and event details can be found through the links provided or by following the organisations involved.

The The Innovation Academy's final presentation event late last term was an opportunity to celebrate the ideas and work of students from across the Bunbury region, including a group from Australind Senior High School.

Throughout the program this year, students worked with peers from other schools and industry and community organisations to tackle real-world challenges. The final event gave teams the chance to share their projects and see what others had developed.

Several Australind students were part of teams recognised on the night:
▪ Ben was part of the winning team, which developed a Health Hub.
▪ Isabella and Charlotte were leaders in the Shire of Dardanup group, which received the People’s Vote Award.
▪ Wraith was a leader in the Forest Friends group, which placed second.
▪ Shanta’s Fast Fashion group placed third.

Congratulations to all of our students who took part throughout the year. Each contributed ideas, time and effort to their team, with plenty to celebrate as the program came to a close.

Thank you to the organisers and industry and community partners who worked alongside students and supported their projects.

905 items and one trophy to settle a little friendly staff competition!

Our staff collected cans and non-perishable food for Greater Bunbury Rotary ’s Give a Damn, Give a Can food drive, with teams across the school adding to the tally.

The inaugural trophy goes to our Admin team, made up of Front Office, Attendance and Library staff, who collected over 400 items. Our Gardeners, Cleaners and Canteen team took second place, with English coming in third.

Thank you to everyone who contributed. Each donation helped build a collection that will go towards supporting people in our community.

What a wonderful evening. Our Year 12 Graduation Ceremony last night was very special, and we are humbled by the support of our community as we celebrated our students.

With more than 500 guests gathered at BREC, our students took centre stage. Together with families, staff and community members, we reflected on their time at ASHS, celebrated our award recipients and enjoyed special performances from our talented school band members. It was a evening to recognise how far they have come and share in the excitement of their next steps.

Please join us in celebrating all our graduates and recognising the following special award recipients, listed in order of presentation:

▪ Meritorious Award for ATAR: Michael Loxton
▪Meritorious Award for VET: Peyton-Louise Murray
▪Sportsperson of the Year: Caitlin Spencer
▪Sportsperson of the Year: Kyla Robinson
▪Sports Star of the Year Award: Tyger Collins
▪Endeavour Award: Lucy Hill
▪Excellence in the Workplace Award: Ashley Jennings
▪Humanities Award: Zac De Graaf
▪Business Futures Award: Jy Craigie
▪Arts Award: Ashley Andrew
▪Kate Reilly Arts Memorial Award: Ezra Manopo
▪ECU Creative Thinkers Award: Sophie Jenkins
▪John Mc Beatty Scholarship: Michael Loxton
▪Curtin University Principal’s Recommendation Award: Kaitlyn Turner
▪Principal's Regional Starter Scholarship: Lucas Winning
▪ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award: Jayden Sloan
▪Forrest Medal: Shaheed Nokey
▪Best All Rounder Award: Rylan Roberts
▪Citizenship Award: Aroura Hopkins
▪Eaton Health Hub Award: Kezia Trimmings
▪Certificate of Excellence in VET: Kaitlyn Turner
▪Certificate of Excellence in ATAR: Kezia Trimmngs
▪Dux in Vocational Education and Training: Peyton-Louise Murray
▪ATAR Dux Award: Michael Loxton

In her address, Deputy Principal Marianne Beattie shared the words of Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Ms. Beattie also shared this message with our graduates: “As you leave ASHS, I hope you pursue your goals with determination, but also that you remain kind, grateful, and true to yourselves. Success will come in many forms throughout your lives, but your character, your relationships, and the way you impact others will always matter most.”

Class of 2026, we wish you every success, every happiness and every opportunity to become the very best version of yourselves.

Thank you to our special guests who gave their time to attend and present awards:

▪Prof. Beth Armstrong (ECU South West)
▪Mr. Dean Baker (Australind Pre-Mix)
▪President Michelle Campbell (Shire of Harvey)
▪Mr. Paul Campaner (Bunbury Golf Club)
▪Mr. Dainon Couzic (Department of Education South West)
▪Mr. Stephen Delane (Driving IQ)
▪Mr. Nat Fielding (Coastal Basketball)
▪Mr. Daniel Graves (Principal, Leschenault Primary School)
▪Mrs. Jodie Hanns MLA
▪Ms. Melanie Hamilton (Shire of Dardanup)
▪Dr. Craig Hookham (The Health Hub at Eaton Fair)
▪Mr. Conor MacCarron (Australind Senior High School Cadets Unit Leader )
▪Mr. Christian McGill (Tronox Pigment Bunbury Ltd)
▪Ms. Linda Mitting (Chemwise Australind)
▪Mr. Clement Ndayoshimye (Scope Business Imaging)
▪Mrs. Tatum Puro (TP Designs)
▪Ms. Heather Reid (Ben Small MP Member for Forrest)
▪Mr. Charlie Serravite (Principal, Parkfield Primary School)
▪Ms. Rebecca Starke (Australind Senior High School Board Parent Representative)
▪Mr. Michael Thompson (RCR Mining Technologies)
▪Ms. Cassie Wilson (Australind Senior High School Board Chair)

Thank you also to our generous donors, whose contributions provided gifts alongside student awards in recognition of our graduates’ efforts and accomplishments:

Alert Driving
AMD Chartered Accountants
Aqwest Bunbury Water
Australind Floral Designs
Australind Landscaping Supplies
Back on Track Chiropractic
Barry Allen Electrical - BAES
Ben Golowyn - Home Building Specialist SW
Ben Small MP Member for Forrest
Bunbury 4x4
Bunbury Bus Service
Bunbury Landscaping Supplies
Bunbury Mower Service
Bunnings Building Supplies Australind
Buswest
Camilles
CDM Australia
Chatime - Eaton Fair
Chemwise Australind
City and Regional Fuels
Coastal Basketball
Coles Australind
Dardanup Butchering Co
Davey Painting Contractors
DX Print Group
ECU South West
Gannaways & South West Coachlines
Harvey Fresh - Lactalia Australia
Hon Michelle Boylan MLC
Horizons Bus
Hunter (Hyden) Pty Ltd
Iluka Resources
Impala Registered Builders
Jaqcqui Condren / Anna Deamer / Kate Reilly
Jazac Air
Leschenault Leisure Centre
Lions Club Australind
LJ Ho**er Property SW - Team Ned
Mr David Bolt MLA
Outdoor World - Bunbury
Pauli's Driving School
Prime Industrial Supplies
Professionals DAD Realty
Retro Burger
Summit Realty
SW Refrigeration and Aircon
The Cream Machine
Tronox Pigment Ltd
Westlab Group
Whiteys Tackle & Camping

📸 Photos by Abby Murray Photography with more images to come!

Congratulations to Year 7 student Yuetong, who placed third in the high school category of the Shore Lines Writing for Performance Festival competition with her comedy play, 'The User Manual I Never Got'.

With around 60 entries in the category, this is a wonderful recognition of Yuetong’s writing and creativity.

Shore Lines gives writers the opportunity to share original work written for performance, from poetry and monologues to plays and songs. What a lovely achievement for Yuetong to have her own storytelling recognised. Congratulations, Yuetong, on a wonderful result for your writing.

Late last term, our Year 9 and 10 students took part in the Winter Carnival, competing against schools from across the region in eight different sports. It was fantastic to see students working together, supporting their teammates and demonstrating excellent sportsmanship throughout the day.

While official placings are still to be confirmed, results available so far indicate:

▪ Boys Volleyball: 1st
▪ Girls Basketball: 2nd
▪ Girls AFL: B Grade Winners
▪ Netball: 5th
▪ Boys Soccer: 5th
▪ Girls Volleyball: 6th
▪ Boys AFL: 6th
▪ Basketball: 6th

Our senior students also played an important role throughout the carnival, assisting teams and umpiring games. They did a wonderful job supporting the younger students.

A special thank you to the staff who dedicated their time to preparing and coaching teams for the event.

Well done to all students who participated. Whether competing, umpiring or supporting teammates, you represented the school with pride and contributed to a successful day. Go ASHS!

A lifeguard, a biologist, a carnivorous plant and a haunting at a harbour. Finding a way to bring them together in one story is a challenge. Writing and illustrating the whole book in just 12 hours takes teamwork!

On Thursday 24 September, 36 Australind SHS students took part in Write a Book in a Day. Each team received a set of characters, a setting, an issue and five words to weave into an original story, with no chance to plan ahead.

From the first ideas to the final edits and illustrations, the challenge called for creativity, compromise and plenty of shared problem-solving, all with the clock ticking.

Their stories also have a purpose beyond the competition. Submitted books are made available free to children in hospitals across Australia, while fundraising supports childhood cancer research.

So far, the students have raised $2,408. Thank you to everyone who has supported their efforts and to the staff who helped make the day possible.

For anyone who would like to contribute, donations can still be made through the school’s fundraising page:
https://writeabookinaday.com/school-groups/?id=2631