Mike Martin and I went to Denmark for the college Graduation event on 15th November. We were fortunate enough to stay with Deputy Principal Alf Mungioli – thanks Alf. We displayed the four photo history banners representing the years 1942 to 1956 in the gymnasium. They proved popular with those wishing to find out more about the school beginnings.

That’s a wrap - the school year is all but completed and as we look back on 2024 we can be proud of our students and staff achievements. For me personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed observing all aspects of College life this year and embraced the high functionality of our staff and students. Everyday our people commit to growth and ongoing improvement and the College is well placed to prepare our students for not only the Agricultural sector, but any industry they may choose to pursue in the future.

At the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony, we were thrilled to announce that Macey Seaman and Zac Butler had been selected as our school captains for 2025! Both students exemplify the values at our college's heart: pursuing personal excellence, fostering positive relationships, and embracing social responsibility.

That’s a wrap for 2024. It was lovely to see, and meet the families that came to support our Year 12’s at the Graduation and Awards Ceremony. Didn’t the students and school look amazing? I really resonated with what Terry Redman said about putting yourself in the ring and having a go. What a pleasure it has been to become a member of this College – something that I have only dreamed about since first coming to Denmark to deliver a barley mildew project more than 10 years ago. I look forward to many more years like this one.

School reports have been issued for year 11’s. Year 10 school reports are due to be issued in the last week of this term. This is an opportunity for students to reflect on feedback issued by staff via comments and the attributes. Students will benefit with having a conversation with parents on the summary of information in reports.

This term has been busy with us saying our final farewell to the Year 12 students. The Awards Ceremony was well attended, and we were able to recognise the outstanding work that the students have completed over the last few years with the presentation of so many subject prizes and scholarships.

Important Dates for Term 4 2024

The 1954 70 Year reunion. 

The 1954 past students, wives and partners celebrated 70 years since enrolment at the Denmark Agricultural Junior High School at Denmark on October 10th to 13th. 1953, 1955 and 1956 year groups attended also, along with their wives and partners. 

As usual, there are a lot of things happening on farm. Generally speaking this is a great time of year, but it is not without challenges. Currently we have calving at the dairy, shearing and wool handling training, and silage production underway. 

We are thrilled to announce and welcome our newly appointed Year 12 prefects to their roles for the upcoming school year! After a thoughtful election process that involved both student and staff input, we’re proud to present this group of exceptional leaders who will represent our school community with integrity, enthusiasm, and a commitment to making a positive impact.

This week officially marks the end of the ATAR exams for some of our Year 12 students, signalling the beginning of their lives beyond school. The General students are a few weeks ahead of them, and it’s fantastic to already see some of them working in the Denmark community, starting apprenticeships and other paid jobs.

The recent Year 12 dinner and their last days on site were enjoyable. It is wonderful to see so many students walk away with a range of personal and academic achievements. We are very fortunate to have the resource of WACoA Denmark in place as an option for young people to access training in Agriculture and Trades.

At the end of Term 3, I had the honour of representing the College at the funeral of Mr. Ron Wise. Ron was the last of the original students who transferred from Narrogin Agriculture College to Denmark Agriculture College in 1942, when the Australian Army used the Narrogin facility as a convalescence centre for returning soldiers from World War II. His passing marks the end of an important chapter in our College’s history, and he was deeply respected, as evidenced by the large turnout of family and friends at his farewell.

Important Dates for Term 4 2024

Hi Everyone, Only last month I wrote of the attendance at Open Day of the oldest surviving past student – Ron Wise. Unfortunately, I now have to let you know that Ron passed away on 23rd August, aged 96 years. Warwick Jones, Mel Thomas, Clarrie Simkin and Bruce Quicke attended the funeral in Albany on 9th September as representatives of the Association.  Ron was a Life Member of the Association, with his name on the Honour Wall. He attended milestone reunions including unveiling both the 75th and 80th Anniversary Plaques at the College.  

As we enter into the spring months the days are getting longer and the grass is finally growing. The farm has come ahead in leaps and bounds in recent weeks and all the tough times during the summer are quickly forgotten. The late start to the season put huge pressure on the livestock herds, but with careful feed management and some unavoidable expenditure, we got through the tough spell.

Account Clearance Dates

As we head into the pointy end of the year, a gentle reminder that the first and second instalments of the Residential Accommodation Fee should be paid in full prior to the commencement of Term 4.

The Student Services team take the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. As part of our ongoing efforts to provide a supportive environment, we were excited to have Red Frogs visit the school recently. Red Frogs is a volunteer network that plays an important role in looking after young people, particularly in social settings.

Year 12 Certificate II in Engineering Pathways students are so close to the finish line with only a few tasks left to complete.  By the time we publish this newsletter I predict some students will have their Certificate II in Engineering Pathways already done!  We are very happy to hear that some students have now secured employment and further training opportunities in this area. We are fortunate that our local area has many innovative businesses that can offer our students a positive start in an exciting industry.

Congratulations to all of the ATAR Year 12 students that completed their SIDE English and Chemistry exams last week. While it wasn’t as much preparation time as they thought they needed, I’m sure everyone is relieved to get at least one off the block. Please remember that there will not be a student free day at the start of next term, instead, there will be another exam starting at 8.15am.