Filter Content
I would like to begin by welcoming new families to our school and hope that all our students are well rested and ready for an exciting year ahead. We begin the school year with a sense of hope and enthusiasm after the Covid cloud of the last 3 years lifts.
Congratulations to our Class of 2022
Our Year 12s continue to do us proud and last year was no exception. Last year we had a WACE achievement of 89%. This is slightly less that we have had in previous years however it reflects a similiar pattern for the state and a larger than usual number of students in this cohort with learning difficulties last year. Of those students who were able to pass their OLNA, 98% achieved their WACE.
Our school is particularly proud of outstanding achievement in English with Morgan Pearce-Smith being awarded a Subject Exhibition by receiving the top mark across the state and both Morgan and Aika Ryan receiving Subject Certificates of Excellence for outstanding performance in English.
7 of our students received a SCSA Award of Distinction or Merit and many of these students received the Principal’s Award at the end of 2022.
Chloe Brands received a Certificate of Distinction and Certificates of Merit went to Darcy Bennett, Lily Hindle, Faith Karlsson, Aika Ryan and Veronica Stevens.
82% of our students completed Year 12 with a Certificate II or III and 21% of our ATAR students received and ATAR over 80.
Congratulations to all our Class of 2022.
Building update
As you would be aware from the last News Review at the end of 2022, the Department of Finance as the delivery partner for the Department of Education has taken control of that project at our school after Firm Construction entered administration. They are currently in the process of working towards appointing a new builder. Until this process is complete, work on the teaching block and visual art facility has paused.
In the meantime, the STEM project is progressing with a tender process to appoint a builder nearing completion. This STEM project will see a new Science classroom and Technologies room refurbished to meet demand in our growing school.
Road and carpark safety
Just a reminder to parents to take care when dropping off or picking up students. In particular, the main car park on Canning Road is a staff only car park and parents are reminded not to use this park. Safer locations to drop off children are:
- Cotherstone Road – Students may be dropped off along the school side of this road. Please do not park during the morning and afternoon bus pick up times. Parents may park during the school day (9.00 – 2.30pm)
- Central Road – Students may be dropped off along this road where they can access the school via the supervised crossing.
- Kalamunda Sporting Complex (Kostera Oval) – Students may be dropped off by the clubs rooms on Recreation Rd and access the school via the oval.
Midland and Airport lines shutdown notification
We have received the following information from the METRONET.
The Midland and Airport lines will close from Friday 31 March to Wednesday 26 April 2023 to carry out essential works for the METRONET New Bayswater Station and Morley-Ellenbrook Line projects.
During the shutdown, Transperth will operate rail replacement buses.
While the Midland and Airport lines will reopen from 26 April, Bayswater Station will remain closed until September 2023 while the southern platform is completed and is made safe for passenger use.
While the station is closed, a free shuttle service between Bayswater and Meltham stations will be provided. Existing, regular passengers of Bayswater Station can apply for a special SmartRider that will provide free travel for three months. Terms and Conditions apply. Details about the application process will be available on the Transperth website in early-March.
Essential station, rail and associated infrastructure works will be completed during the shutdown including replacing 1.8km of track to realign the Midland Line onto the new and higher rail bridge and start works on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line connection.
There will be continuous, round-the-clock works during the shutdown period and beyond as we progress these two major projects.
We will keep the community informed about works and anticipated impacts through emails, our website and letters. We encourage you to register for project updates at www.metronet.wa.gov.au.
Thank you in advance for your ongoing patience and understanding as we continue to progress two major METRONET projects in the Bayswater area.
If you have any queries, please contact us on 9326 3666 or email info@metronet.wa.gov.au
Leadership camp
Congratulations to all our Year 8 to 12 student leaders who recently participated in a leadership camp where they spent time getting to know each other and planning activities for the year. We are looking forward to an engaged and enthusiastic leadership group in 2023.
Year 7 Values Week
We send a huge thank you to our Year 7 staff, Kelly Walker (our Year 7 Coordinator) and all those who helped out during Year 7 Values Week. We hope that our values of Pride, Respect, Resilience, Love of Learning and Community resonate with our new Year 7s as they transition into our school.
Our Year 7s spent two days at the Bickley Camp site participating in activities and challenges. They also spent time at school having an induction to the library and getting their BYODs connected to the network. I also took the opportunity to present a school badge to all our Year 7s to start their high school journey.
Year 7 Swim trials
This year we held a Year 7 swim trial during values week. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to end the busy week. Our school House Carnival will be held on Fri 24 Feb and will be competitors only.
School Board and P&C
I encourage new parents to get involved in our P&C and consider nominating for our School Board.
Our P&C meet twice a term and manage the operation of the school canteen. We congratulate Linda Rademahere on becoming our new canteen manager this year and wish her well as she steps into this new role.
The school board also meet twice a term, and positions are for 3 years. School board members contribute to the effective governance of the school by monitoring student achievement, finances and approving contributions and charges and uniform changes. Board members also provide feedback and advice on school planning and assist in promoting the school vision and values.
This year there are new positions becoming vacant and we welcome parents to nominate.
Online accounts
Students are provided with an online account through our Department (Connect) and this provides email and online learning services. Students will also access the Internet wirelessly from their BYOD. All students sign an agreement at school to ensure they use these services appropriately and stay safe when working online. This is facilitated during the student mentor class. If you have any concerns regarding these services, please make contact with the school to speak with the Associate Principal or one of the Deputy Principals.
School calendar
Each Year Coordinator will be placing a school calendar on their year groups Connect page. A term calendar is also available on the school website and will be updated each term.
Contributions and Charges
I would like to thank those families who have already paid their school charges and contributions. For some families it might be easier to make arrangements to pay the balance over the year via a payment plan. Please contact our manager of Corporate Services, Jeni Jorritsma to finalise your account or to set up a payment plan. These funds are used to pay for teaching materials to deliver high quality programs for your child. All tuition, staffing and infrastructure costs are provided by the Department of Education.
Welcome to our new and returning staff
This year we have some new staff joining our school and we welcome:
Brody Hart (Hass/Arts), Jacqui Hampton-Grigg (Hass), Jessica Ganza and Heini Cattell (Year 7 team – Hass/English), Danielle Du Plessis (Year 7 team – English/Hass), Sophie Gordevich (English), Jo Prichard (English), Jenny Bell (Maths), Anu Priya (Year 7 team - Maths/Science), Sophie Bee (Home Economics), Tom Brkic (Design and Technologies), Haley White (Year 7 team - Science/Maths), and Alex Balsarini and Chamani Marasinghe Wadige (Science)
We also welcome back Teagan Smith from leave.
We would especially like to welcome Davide Gottardi, Ilham Akbar and Yu Sato who are joining us as Language assistants this year in Italian, Indonesian and Japanese respectively. We are very fortunate to have them working with us to enrich the learning for our Language students.
Wishing everyone all the best for the start of term.
Helen Deacon
Principal
Our Year 12 students are provided with some essential skills necessary to support them in achieving the best results possible, by workshops and seminars run during the year, relating to relevant WACE information, skills for productive study and preparation of a study plan that fits each individual, along with strategies for time and stress management. Information pertaining to these sessions is distributed through Mentor, SMS and via Connect. All Year 12 students are expected to attend these workshops/incursions that occur on Friday period meeting periods on various Fridays. Also, a reminder if Year 12 students are not required for Friday period 1 then the expectation is for them to be here well in time for period 2 start time of 9.57 am.
Please be advised OLNA testing is happening in Term 1 and a number of our Year 12 students may be required to sit any of the three tests. It is important to remember students will need to pass the OLNA to achieve their WACE. We have in place a number of support programs, Friday period 1 sessions and specialist teachers to work with those students needing to pass the OLNA.
I would like to just remind everybody that this is one of the most demanding times of the student’s lives, so as well as working to the best of their ability, it is crucial to have a good life balance, including strategies to relieve the stress and pressure of senior schooling. It is advisable to consider, it is particularly important to be both mentally and physically healthy to best manage with the demands of Year 12. To source additional information regarding universities, TAFE and revision courses, please check Connect regularly. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further assistance.
Sharon Andrews
Program Coordinator
Now that we are all back in the routine of school I want to say a huge thank you to all of the staff who have helped settle everyone back down and start the year off in a positive manner. From my perspective, there are some key people that I want to introduce and they are the Mentor Teachers for Years 7 to 9.
Year 7 Coordinator | Kelly Walker |
MG 7.01 | Steve Stead |
MG 7.02 | Emma Potts |
MG 7.03 | Haley White |
MG 7.04 | Anu Satia |
MG 7.05 | Andrew Smith |
MG 7.06 | Jessica Ganza |
MG 7.07 | Danielle Du Plessis |
MG 7.08 | Heini Cattel |
Year 8 Coordinator | Sarah Adams |
MG 8.01 | Laura Morris |
MG 8.02 | Vicotria Thornton |
MG 8.03 | Geoff Sloan |
MG 8.04 | Alice Hart |
MG 8.05 | Marcus Robert and Steven Sutherland |
MG 8.06 | Jeremy Wittber |
MG 8.07 | Michelle Aslett |
MG 8.08 | Sebastian Jay and Rob Roper |
MG 8.09 | Sophie Bee |
MG 8.10 | Teagen Smith |
MG 8.11 | Greg Forrest |
Year 9 Coordinator | Term 1 Kelly Walker, Term 2 onwards Gemma Laskey |
MG 9.01 | Alison Gillett |
MG 9.02 | Anna Bandiera |
MG 9.03 | Kuldeep Kaler and Jessica Baradziej |
MG 9.04 | Natasha Hawkes |
MG 9.05 | Craig Roberts |
MG 9.06 | Scott Henry |
MG 9.07 | Rosemarie Omo and Vanessa Barrable |
MG 9.08 | Nicolee McNally |
MG 9.09 | Jacob Petit |
MG 9.10 | Richard Guthrie |
MG 9.11 | Karen Stuart |
If you have an issue or question, then the first person to contact would be the Mentor Teacher as they see the student at the start of each day.
Student Leaders
Congratulations to all of our Student Leaders for 2023. In Week 1 we went on a Planning and Leadership Camp and the whole group are to be commended on their application to their positions and their contributions to planning out their year. I would like to say a huge thank you to Ms Adams, Ms Walker, Ms Bullock, and Mrs Andrews for the efforts on camp as well. The Student Leaders are a dynamic group and we are all looking forward to working with them.
Can I also say a special thank you to our Chaplain, Desi Chapman for taking time out to come to the camp and speak to the group. I have listed below the Leadership group for 2023. The Year 7s have just been on their camp as well so they will be selecting Student Leaders later in the term and we will also be appointing two Middle School Leaders from our Year 9 group.
Attendance
If your child is going to be absent from school or has been absent then please contact our Absentee Officer, Mrs Colleen Hockley. Students who miss school place themselves at educational risk and for prolonged authorised absences there may be something that we can do to ensure that the impact on learning is lessened. When you send in your absence we also need to know the reason. Saying your child is at home is not an explanation. Saying they are “home sick” or “home for personal reasons" is acceptable but failing to provide a valid reason means they will be marked as an unexplained absence. If you have any questions then please contact Mrs Hockley on 9293 6409.
Just in closing please stay in touch with your child’s teachers as high school is a partnership. We need and want your input on how things are travelling so please do not ever be afraid to get in contact with us. Generally, the best way to do this is by email so just contact the front office and they will be able to put you in touch with the relevant staff member.
Office of E-Safety
I have been fielding some questions on Cybersafety lately so I want to add in this website for you. It is: https://www.esafety.gov.au/.
I will start to provide more information when I find it but this are a great tool and wonderful place to go to for tips and advice.
I would like to congratulate the Year 11 cohort on their mature and responsible start to the year. It is a big adjustment moving from Year 10 to 11, with the level of responsibility and expectations increasing. The start of the year is an important time to reflect on the previous year and begin to implement strategies in order to improve. To experience success in Senior School courses it is vital to be organised and use a range of study skills. Please encourage your Year 11 student to use a study timetable, ask for help or support when needed and to always try their best. I look forward to the rest of our busy term and continuing to help the Year 11s settle in. As always should you have any questions or concerns regarding your student, please do not hesitate to contact me.
My name is Victoria Maguire and I am the Year 10 Coordinator for 2023. I am taking over from Alana Ferguson, who has done wonderful things for this co-hort over their years at Kalamunda SHS. I thank Alana for her continued support as I get to know the ropes!
I hope you have all had a fabulous start to 2023. Year 10 is a big year for our students as it is the time to select subjects for Year 11 and 12 – setting up the foundations for futures outside of school. Sometimes people talk about it being an extra level of stress – but you should all be thinking about this and getting excited!! We are so lucky at Kalamunda SHS to have a dedicated Careers Practitioner, Amanda Moreno-Diaz, who is here to help students to imagine, and plan for, their future career pathways. Keep an eye out for events throughout the year!
The first event I was able to attend as Year Coordinator was the Leadership Camp, where I got to meet the amazing Year 10 Student Leadership group. I am really looking forward to working alongside Tobias Bates, Freya Pivac, Talay Hollier, Milla Sinfield, Noah Lynam, and Zoe Pearce in their role as prefects, and House representatives Blake Sieczka, Beau Kuckelkorn, Merle Riley and Jonathon Bigelow.
So much to look forward to!
This newsletter I will introduce you to a couple of our Student Leaders:
The Year 7s have certainly hit the ground running this term. It has been a busy few weeks! Not only did we have our camp days at Bickley Outdoor Recreation Camp, but we also had swimming trials and our sessions back at school. In these sessions, our mentor teachers have explored helpful thinking strategies and ways of dealing with the challenges that life and high school sometimes bring. I have attached a handout from the program that you may find helpful when talking with your children.
The next few weeks are all about establishing routine and understanding the expectations of each teacher and class. If you have any queries about this, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
I have been thrilled to see students forming few friendships, engaging positively in class activities, and growing in confidence as they navigate their new classes.
Welcome to the Mathematics Learning Area for 2023!
This year we welcome Jenny Bell, Anu Satia and Haley White to the team. Ian McMullan is on leave for Semester 1. The Mathematics teaching team is as follows:
Alanna Webb |
Head of Learning Area |
Ellen Bandarian |
Senior Teacher |
Vanessa Barrable |
Senior Teacher |
Jennifer Bell |
Teacher |
Laura Bell |
Teacher |
Sue Boase |
Teacher |
Tom Byrne |
Teacher |
Richard Gibson |
Teacher (Support) |
Emma Potts |
Year 7 Team (Maths / Science) |
Anu Satia |
Year 7 Team (Maths / Science) |
Andrew Smith |
Year 7 Team (Maths / Science) |
Haley White |
Year 7 Team (Maths / Science) |
Nicole Yeend |
Senior Teacher |
Debbie Yeoh |
Senior Teacher |
Now that students have started their various courses of study, I would like to remind you of the importance of checking in with Connect. All course information, including course content and assessment outlines, can be sourced in the Library section of Connect. Teachers will also use Connect to post notices regarding assessment tasks and upload relevant learning tools.
All students continue to have access to Mathspace [http://mathspace.co/] in 2023, and it has been great to see many taking advantage of this wonderful resource to assist with their learning. Within Mathspace, there is a lesson function and a textbook, which can be used by students to keep up with their courses of study. Please contact your child’s teacher if login details have been forgotten over the summer holidays.
Students in Years 7 and 8 now have access to Education Perfect. This is new to the Mathematics learning area, however it has been used in our school in other departments. This resource also offers in-built lessons and activities to develop understanding of all concepts covered in the relevant Mathematics course. Teachers will be setting tasks to be completed, so students will always have something to do for homework.
Maths Homework club is running on Wednesdays between 3 and 4pm. We encourage all students to come along and spend some time working on class work, Mathspace or Education Perfect. The team will be happy to help answer any of your Maths related questions.
Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher, or Head of Learning Area, if you have any concerns regarding your child’s learning program or progress throughout this year.
Alanna Webb
Head of Mathematics Learning Area
Kalamunda SHS welcomes our new language assistants
As a Lead Language school, it is imperative that we continue to celebrate cultural diversity and other languages through a variety of learning experiences and professional opportunities. We have been successful four years consecutively with our application for the Languages Assistant Program. We would like to welcome Davide Gottardi (Italy), Yu Sato (Japan) and Illham Akbar(Indonesia). It is exciting for students to have language assistants in the classroom to experience the language and learn about that country’s culture, current events from a primary source. Students are also provided with more opportunities to apply their speaking skills with face to face time with the language assistant. This is a great way to boost confidence in public speaking and the ability to speak more naturally and spontaneously in another language. The language assistants also collaborate with the language teachers when designing meaningful and rigorous tasks and also be part of lunch time language clubs, cooking activities, role plays and study groups. Participating in this program also strengthens our partnerships with our feeder primary schools.
Buongiorno a tutti!
My name is Davide and I am from “il Bel Paese!” – the Beautiful Country! – l’Italia. This year I am at Kalamunda S.H.S to teach the Italian language and share my culture, and I want to thank the Principal, Helen Deacon, and the Italian teacher, Maria Pennington, for this exciting opportunity.
What can I say about me? Well, I come from Brescia, a city nearby Verona and Milan, in Northern Italy. Brescia is known for its manufacturing, the 1000 Miglia car race, “Casoncelli” pasta, Franciacorta wine and much more. I am married, my wife is Chilean and I speak Spanish as well. We have 3 children and we like to spend the afternoons in some of the lovely parks here on the hills.
Since the first week of school, it has been rewarding to see so many students from nearby primary schools that still remember me and greet me with a smile! This is a great encouragement for me to do more! For example, on Thursdays at lunchtime Prof. Pennington and I hold the Italian Club, a chance for students to make friends and discover more about Italian. Everyone is invited and welcome!
Un saluto e a presto!
Davide
Nice to meet you! My name is Yu Sato. I’m a Japanese language assistant. I’m twenty years old, and I major in English at my university. My hobby is listening to music like Vocaloid. I like soccer and volleyball. I have played soccer for 10 years, So I want to play soccer with you guys! I also like K-pop such as twice, itzy and stray kids. I wish I had someone to talk about this. So far, I love Perth because it has a lot of nature as where I lived in Japan. I want to enjoy this year in Kalamunda Senior High School, and hope you get familiar with Japanese.
Yu Sato
Benritornati ai nostri studenti dall’Italia- Welcome back to our Italian students from their Italian exchange!
I am proud to announce that Elvie Taylor, Claire Martin and Joshua Hool successfully participated in the Italian Exchange Program in collaboration with the Western Australian Italian Association. Our students departed last year late November for an 8 week adventure in Italy. Each student was allocated a city or town with a family to match. Here are their stories……
My name is Josh. I have studied Italian for 8 years and in late November last year I went on exchange to Italy. I stayed in Rome with my host family who showed me all around Rome and small towns outside of Rome. I went to school in Rome and on my first day I saw a protest at my school. I saw lots of things in Rome like the Colosseum, the Pantheon and my favourite, the Vatican. I went on exchange because I had always wanted to go to Italy to see all of the old buildings and experience the history. I had an amazing time in Rome with my host family and I felt that it was the greatest experience of my life. When I left, I felt like I was leaving another family and I was sad to leave all the brilliant food behind in Italy. I highly recommend to anybody to go on the exchange if they can because you create new friends and family and to experience a different culture is an amazing experience.
Josh Hool -Year 11 student
Claire Martin - Year 11 student
My Italian Experience
My name is Elvie Taylor, and I studied Italian with Prof Pennington.I was in Acireale in Sicily for two months with the Monaca family; mum Giovanna, dad Aldo, sister Roberta and brother Riccardo.
This experience was the best of my life. Now, I have more friends from Italy, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, France, the USA, Germany, Brazil, Switzerland Portugal and Australia, and a new perspective on everything in my life.
I miss my class at Gulli E Pennisi classical school, because they are the best class in the school, and I miss the other exchange students, especially those from Argentina and France. The Argentinian people were stayed in Italy for two months like me, but the French girl, Pauline, is there for eight months, and I'm jealous because I want more time in Italy. Two months is not enough time to speak Italian well.
Elvie Taylor - Year 11 student
How will students at Kalamunda SHS lead with languages?
The truth is, in today’s increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that gives you the opportunity to engage with the world in a more immediate and meaningful way—whether in your neighbourhood or thousands of miles away—while better preparing you to compete and succeed in the global economy.
Here Are Our Top Ten Benefits of Learning Languages:
- Connect!
One of the most rewarding aspects of the human experience is our ability to connect with others. Being able to communicate with someone in his or her language is an incredible gift. Bilinguals have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people in their personal and professional lives. Knowing the language makes you a local no matter where you are, opening up your world literally and figuratively. You will be shaped by communities. You will be humbled by the kindness of strangers. You will build lifelong friendships. And for these reasons alone, you will see the reward of learning languages for many years to come.
- Advance Your Career
Language skills can be a significant competitive advantage that sets you apart from your monolingual peers. They are among the top eight skills required of all occupations—no matter your sector or skill level—and the demand for bilingual professionals is rising exponentially. Employers are seeking professionals who can communicate seamlessly with customers in new and expanding overseas markets, as well as serve and sell to a large foreign-born population here at home. As an added incentive, in many instances, language skills also lead to hiring bonuses and increased salaries. Whatever your career aspiration—with language skills added to the mix, you’re ahead of the crowd!
- Feed Your Brain
The many cognitive benefits of learning languages are undeniable. People who speak more than one language have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask, and better listening skills. They switch between competing tasks and monitor changes in their environment more easily than monolinguals, as well as display signs of greater creativity and flexibility. If that weren’t enough, as we age, being bilingual or multilingual also helps to stave off mental aging and cognitive decline.
- Deepen Your Connection to Other Cultures
Language is the most direct connection to other cultures. Being able to communicate in another language exposes us to and fosters an appreciation for the traditions, religions, arts, and history of the people associated with that language. Greater understanding, in turn, promotes greater tolerance, empathy, and acceptance of others—with studies showing that children who have studied another language are more open toward and express more positive attitudes toward the culture associated with that language. - See the World
Traveling as a speaker of the local language can revolutionize a trip abroad. While monolingual travellers are capable of visiting the same places, travellers who know more than one language are more easily able to navigate outside the tourist bubble and to connect and interact with the place and its people in a way that is often inaccessible to those without the language. Learning a second language also opens additional doors to opportunities for studying or working abroad. - Go to the Source
In a world of more than 6,000 spoken languages, we sometimes require translation, but speaking at least one additional language empowers us to access information that would otherwise be off-limits. For example, individuals proficient in other languages are able to navigate the Internet as genuine global citizens—consuming and assessing foreign media and entertainment.
- Become a Polyglot
Not only does learning a second language improve communication skills and multiply vocabulary in your first language—yes, really!—but research shows that it makes picking up additional languages a much easier, especially among children. That’s because when you learn a new language, you develop new brain networks that are primed and ready when you embark on learning a third language.
- Boost Your Confidence
Any language learner can attest to making his or her share of mistakes while discovering a new language—often in front of an audience. It’s a necessary part of the learning process! Learning a language means putting yourself out there and moving out of your comfort zone. The upside is the amazing sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when conversing with someone in their native language.
- Strenghten Your Decision Making
Studies show that decisions made in your second language are more reason-driven than those made in your native language. Contrary to popular assumptions, when we deliberate in a second or third language, we actually distance ourselves from the emotional responses and biases deeply associated with our mother tongue. The result? Systematic and clear-headed decisions based on just the facts.
- Gain Perspective
As we explore a new language and culture, we naturally draw comparisons to what is most familiar. Learning about another culture sheds light on aspects of our own culture—both positive and negative—we may not have previously considered. You may find a greater appreciation for what you have, or you may decide to shake things up!
Study tips for learning foreign languages
- Check CONNCECT library for resources and presentations and spend 10 minutes reviewing.
- Rehearse phrases, alphabet, expressions and conjugation of verbs out aloud at home to Mum, Dad and younger siblings.
- Check out SBS on Demand. There are excellent foreign films!
- Watch the news or the weather forecast in the target language. Find out what time the Japanese, Italian or Indonesian news is broadcasted on SBS.
- Set small goals for the week. Write them down eg Say 5 things about myself in Italian and record my voice.
- Use Languagenut platform. It is competitive and topic based. It focuses on all the macro skills; Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
- Use sticky notes and write new words on different colours. Place these sticky notes where you walk by the most eg: The fridge, pantry or bedroom door.
- Use gestures to connect to new language eg: personal pronouns (Italian students know what I am talking about!).
- Add the subtitles in Italian/Indonesian/Japanese if possible to your favourite NETFLIX show.
- Write words and sentences BIG, BOLD and COLOURFUL.
- Purchase a roll of butchers paper from KMART and each night roll it out and write down as much as you can remember from your previous language class.
- Liquid chalk or whiteboard markers for conjugation of verbs on your bedroom mirror or window (if you are allowed!.)
- Palm cards- write 10 questions about personal information in the target language and rehearse these out aloud.
- Make a chatterbox and each tab can be a topic in the target language.
- Take a deck of normal playing cards and practice the numbers out aloud.
- Label items (eg food, cutlery, clothing, furniture, electronics, school supplies) with small sticky notes in Italian around the home over the weekend or say them out aloud eg: As you set the table, say each item in the target language
- Create an Italian/Indonesian/Japanese playlist.
- Listen to podcasts in the target language.
- Take out a book from the foreign language section in our school library and read it to your parents or your pet. Record your story telling!
- Rehearse a simple poem or expression in the target language (eg Trenta giorni ha novembre: Thirty days has November) and pay attention to tone, pronunciation and expression. By the end of the week you will have memorised it. This is called the Shadowing technique.
- Make a time with the language assistant to practice general conversation and review grammar.
Maria Pennington
Teacher in Charge of Languages
Hello and welcome back to 2023! The school term is well under-way and I wanted to let you know the focus Mental Health and Wellbeing focus for each year group. Three activities per term are run during our extended mentor class on Tuesday mornings and are designed to help students build connections with their mentor teacher and peers.
Term 1 FOCUS | Skills to Develop | |
Year 7 |
Belonging |
Ice-breakers and social skills to make new friends. |
Year 8 |
Belonging |
Connecting to classmates and identifying sources of support for mental health issues. |
Year 9 |
Belonging |
Developing confidence in connecting with others and why it is so important for wellbeing. |
Year 10 |
Pathways |
Identifying existing skills, interests and talents. Linking these to finding their ideal job. |
Year 11 |
Self-Management |
Goal-setting, getting organised and how to prioritise tasks. |
Year 12 |
Self-Management |
A focus on mindfulness, self-care and stress management skills. |
I’m often asked about how to build self-esteem in young people and my own private study on this topic has led me to understand the importance of setting small, achievable goals and then celebrating efforts made towards them. Below is an article from Reach-Out Schools about building self-esteem in our teens.
Improving self-esteem and confidence in your child usually starts with identifying why they might feel down about themselves in the first place. In some instances, their feelings can be directly related to their interpretation of an event such as failing an exam or a break up. By helping your child to understand that almost everyone has these kinds of experiences at some point, they can start to feel better.
Some useful strategies that you can try:
- Talk about the difficulties they are facing.
- Speak their language – teenagers are often more comfortable communicating via email or text message than face-to-face communication. (Or sitting side-by-side looking at a nice environment can take the pressure off conversation and allow them to open up more easily.)
- Encourage your child to focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. Spend time spotting your child’s strengths and acknowledging when they use them.
- Remind your child that their worth is not based on their achievements or appearance.
- Praise your child for accomplishments and also effort, but also when they might fail to reach the desired results.
- Encourage them to be proud of themselves and to keep trying – explain that everyone makes mistakes and it’s ok to fail but to try again.
- Discuss things you’ve done that might have been scary or tough for you to do, showing your child that you’ve also been through times when you’ve needed confidence.
- Help them look and feel more confident by teaching them how to walk tall and smile. Even if they don’t feel confident, they will feel it and others will think they are confident.
- Closely support your child with tasks they find difficult.
- If you notice a lack of confidence is really affecting your child, suggest they speak to their school counsellor.
Some useful links to support ideas outlined in the above article are:
There are also some great resources available on the youth website, ReachOut.com, that you can access to help your child develop confidence for themselves. This is a free resource; you can sign up and access the Resources for Parents section on a variety of topics.
Aundraea Stevens
Convenor of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee
Kalamunda SHS students are reminded child up to 17 years of age or end of Year 11 (which ever comes first) are eligible to bee seen through the School Dental Service. The local clinic for Kalamunda SHS is Kalamunda Dental Therapy center 9293 2801, Located at Kalamunda Primary School. Alternatively any eligible high school student can be seen at any school dental therapy center they chose by requesting records being transferred.
If parents have any questions please contact us by phone, email or visit School Dental Service | Dental Health Services, Government of Western Australia for more information.
JOIN AIR FORCE CADETS
The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) at Palmer Barracks in South Guildford will be accepting new members in February 2023. Boys and girls turning 13-16 in 2022 will be eligible to join.
Who We Are
The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) is a youth organisation actively supported by the Royal Australian Air Force.
The AAFC is great way to have fun and meet new friends. It will teach you valuable life skills and help you develop qualities including leadership, self-reliance, confidence, teamwork and communication.
You can be involved in flying, fieldcraft, adventure training, firearms safety training, drill and ceremonial, service knowledge, aeromodelling, navigation and gliding – just to name a few!
To join or to find out more, find us at airforcecadets.gov.au