Issue 8 – December 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

As we prepare for the end of the year, there is still much learning to be done, assessments to be completed and final reports to be prepared. These will be distributed electronically in Week 10, and then our year finishes with a range of reward activities and events. You can read about these in the various year reports.

New Mobile Phone Policy - 2020

The Minister for Education has announced that there will be a blanket ban on all mobile phones in schools for 2020. There are some guidelines surrounding this ban and while our school has been already reviewing our policy, will now make adjustments to bring it in line with this new development. The following text has been discussed and endorsed at the recent School Board meeting. Once the policy has been formatted, it will be available on our school website for reference in the new year.

The main changes include an acknowledgement of mobile phone use and an educative approach in helping students develop appropriate use.

60th Anniversary in 2020

With our school celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2020, we invite you to share your ideas for events to celebrate this special anniversary. Please send your thoughts and ideas to:

We are also looking to collate memories and recollections from past students, and given many of our parents and grandparents attended our school, we would love to hear your stories. Drop us a line, or let us know if you would like us to call for a chat to hear your stories. We are also looking for copies of any photos you may have from times gone by.

Cause to be proud

Congratulations to Hannah Fallon-Ferguson won ‘Prize for Creativity’ at the Midland Junction Art Centre’s “Worn Out, Worn Art”.

New Year 7s for 2020

What a wonderful day we had on 29 November when our new Year 7s joined us for their Orientation Day. The day ran like clockwork and all the planning, preparation and support from so many people came to fruition. Thank you to Mark Pettit for his organisation of the important day and for all the staff, students and parents who helped out on the day. It was great to see so many Year 7 parents here to support their children as they start their high school journey and we look forward to working together over the next 6 years.

KPA Showcase

Congratulations to our wonderful KPA students who performed two shows on Tuesday 26 November. With such a variety of dance, drama and musical performances it was great to have the separate audiences so more parents could be included. With smooth transitions between items, and musical interludes it was an engaging and entertaining selection of high quality work on show. To finish the evening, our Year 10 students performed a range of pieces choreographed by Alex Winterbourn and we send our thanks to Anna Head and Michelle Vivian for all their work with our KPA students. Our thanks also to Aundraea Stevens, Paul Heslop, Nicolee Laird and Desi Chapman for their support and help on the evening.

Christmas Hampers

Each year as a school we collect donations to bless families within our community for the Christmas festive season. We have done this for the past 8 years. Thank you to all the students and families you have made donations for our hampers. Desi will be arranging for these to be packed and delivered to families in need.

Farewells

At the end of the year we will be farewelling a number of teaching staff and we wish them all the best. Paul Heslop, our HOLA of the Arts will be retiring after many years of amazing service. Paul has been teaching at the school for 19 years and has lead the Art department through this time. We have seen our art programs grow from strength to strength, including the growth of our music and performing arts. Along with Paul, Jane Rebeiro will be retiring. Jane has most recently been our Vocational Education and Training Coordinator but has also been a part of our Kalamunda SHS community for more than 20 years. We wish them both all the best as they transition to a quieter pace of life.

We also congratulate a number of staff who have won positions will be leaving us and farewell Jasmin Hill as she heads to Roleystone DHS, and Cheney Armstrong to Harrisdale SHS. We wish them all the very best in their new schools.

I wish everyone all the very best for the end of term and a wonderful Christmas holiday break.

Helen Deacon
Principal

Senior School Report

November as always is an extremely busy time for all our Year 11 and 12 students, as they complete their respective years, and move on to new and exciting challenges. This year has gone by yet again so quickly and I cannot believe our ‘Class of 2019’ have finished and preparation is now well under way for the ‘Class of 2020’, for their final year.

The Year 12s had their WACE exams during November and as this is a culmination of the year’s work our thoughts and best wishes were with them as they endeavoured to do their best and achieve their chosen pathways. We also had our Year 12 Valedictory on Friday 15 November which was exceptional and a most fitting way to end to their years at school. I was exceedingly proud of our Year 12s accomplishments and sincerely hope they all find happiness and success in whatever life pursuits they choose.

Our Year 11s have completed their end of year exams, which ran very efficiently and I have to commend the students doing exams on their exemplary conduct which was exemplary. Work placements were also tremendously successful and our students had many good experiences which will hopefully result in possible opportunities in the future. Reviewing of the Year 11 results has almost been concluded and we look forward to a very successful 2020. Our students are adapting to the requirements of the WACE and the school has put into place some rigorous processes to help ensure the success of the students.

With only weeks to go our Year 10 students are being transitioned into their respective Year 11 pathways, a particularly valuable experience, aimed at better preparing them for the challenges of Year 11. I look forward to working with and supporting them as they progress through Year 11 and 12, it will be here in no time at all.

I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday and look forward to the New Year and all its opportunities.

Sharon Andrews
Head of Senior School

Middle School Report

Not long now and our Middle School students will be receiving their end of year reports, just in time for Christmas, which I am sure for most students, will be a good start to the holidays. The good thing about being in Middle School is that if you don’t do very well on a report, you still have time to fix it up by applying yourself next year.

We just had our 2020 Year 7 Orientation Day and it was a really positive day. I want to say a huge thank you to all of the staff who assisted as it wasn’t just a case of teachers looking after Year 7s but staff who swapped rooms and covered for other staff all make the day possible. No request for help was met with a negative response and this showed in how smoothly the day ran. The feedback so far has been really positive and if any parents want to contact me with any suggestions or feedback about the day then please feel free to do so. Again, a huge thank you to all of the staff here for allowing the days to run so smoothly (especially our amazing team of EA’s!!!).

The last group of people I also want to thank are our amazing Student Leaders. Their input was one of the major reasons the day ran so well. All the staff commented on how well they coordinated the classes and their active involvement was well appreciated.

As we near the end of the year we have our activities for those students who have maintained their Good Standing. The Year 7s will be having a ‘Big Day In’ on Monday 16 December. The Year 8s will be having an ‘Outdoor Cinema Experience’ on the evening Thursday 12 December and the Year 9s have their annual River Cruise on Tuesday 17 December. The permission notes will cover all of the requirements for the day so please make sure you read all of the information on the letters so there are no surprises. One of the major things I would like to remind you of is that the Year 9s must attend the school all day on Tuesday 17 December. Any student who does not attend school that day without verification from the school will not be allowed on the boat.

As it is the last News Review for this year I would like to thank all of the Middle School Year Coordinators (Year 7 – Susan Archdall, Year 8 – Ashley Meaden and Year 9 – Laura Morris) for all their hard work throughout the year. To all the families of our Middle School students, have a very safe and happy holiday and see you all next year.

Mark Pettit
Head of Middle School

Year 9 Report

The end of the year is now upon us and the summer break is in our sights. Next week the Year 9s, will have their River Cruise which is sure to be a fantastic way to celebrate the hard work and effort they have put in throughout this year.

It has been a very busy year and the Year 9s have continually stepped up the challenge; from tackling NAPLAN to their first ever examinations. I am so proud of the growth and maturity they are showing as they step into the realms of Senior School.

Huge congratulations to the fantastic Middle School Leadership team who committed themselves wholeheartedly to their roles and all excelled as leaders in their own right. It has been a pleasure working with you throughout the year. Also thank you to all those who nominated for positions in 2020, it is a great demonstration of the pride in our school and community.

I wish all my Year 9s and their families a safe and restful holiday and look forward to seeing them through their first year as seniors of the school in 2020. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Laura Morris
Year 8 Coordinator

Year 8 Report

WE DID IT!

We are heading towards the final weeks of this term with great confidence and pride. It is pleasing to note the growth of all the Year 8 students over the course of the year. Year 8 is not an easy year with many challenges to face and new skills to learn.

Over the past few weeks our Year 8 students have been participating in Student Council and House Representative nominations. I would like to thank all students who nominated themselves as this demonstrates a great sense of pride for our school and community.

We will be rewarding Year 8 students with an outdoor cinema event at the school which is a massive thank you to all students who have managed their Good Standing throughout this semester. Additionally, I would like to thank the students who have provided assistance and support leading up to this event and students who have volunteered on the night to help.

I would like all students to reflect on their year at Kalamunda with great pride. I am looking forward to seeing each student next year as they enter Year 9 and witness the continued maturity and growth within the cohort. There are many talented individuals within this cohort which is always pleasing to acknowledge.

Finally, to the parents; thank you for your ongoing support throughout the year. Whether this was an email, a phone conversation or a visit to the school – your support is very important to us. Thank you for supporting the school policies and your feedback regarding attendance and uniform. Your diligence and understanding is never taken for granted.

I wish everyone a safe-break and a rewarding year for 2020!

Much respect.

Ashley Meaden
Year 8 Coordinator

"Some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright."

—Arnold Bennett

Year 7 Report

Ancient Greek Feast and Olympics Day

The Year 7 cohort celebrated the culmination of our depth study on Ancient Greece with our annual ‘Ancient Greek Feast and Olympics Day’ on Kostera Oval. Our costumes were amazing and our Olympic march to light the flame looked fantastic. Students participated in javelin, discus, marathon, chariot racing and Greek art. They feasted on three whole lambs on the spit, Greek flat bread and salad, dolmades, sardines, feta, hummus, olives and drank sparkling grape juice. Everyone had an awesome time and the weather was perfect. Thanks so much to everyone who assisted with the day.

Year 7 Spelling Bee

Congratulations to our Spelling Bee Champion – Marc Rouillard and Runner Up Champion – Rueben Gallagher. They did a brilliant job of learning the words, surviving the preliminary heats and taking out the champion position. Congratulations also to all the competitors and finalists.

Susan Archdall
Year 7 Coordinator

Student Services Report

Good Standing

The final Good Standing report has gone out for the year and it is fantastic to see so many students booking appointments with their relevant Year Coordinators to put a plan in place for the remainder of the term to re-gain Good Standing and be eligible to attend the fantastic reward excursions.

Final Assembly

Preparations are underway for our final assembly for the year where we recognise outstanding achievements from the semester and the year. A full list of award winners will be published in the first newsletter of 2020.

Support for the holidays

As the holidays approach it is always good to be reminded of all the youth resources available to you.

Please find below a link for the youth services resources.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the Student Services team who strive to create a culture of high care in which every student experiences a sense of belonging to the school community. Without fail they support the needs of all students, recognising their individual needs to enable them to achieve their highest educational objectives.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas season and I look forward to welcoming new and existing students and staff to Kalamunda next year.

Amanda Morton
Manager Student Services

Gifted and Talented Visual Art

This term has presented many incredible opportunities for our Gifted and Talented Visual Arts students through exhibitions and art competitions. Our annual Gifted and Talented and Senior School Visual Arts exhibition earlier this term was a roaring success. In addition, we also had students enter an array of external art exhibitions throughout WA, works were selected into prestigious competitions and some of our Gifted and Talented Visual Art students were awarded some very impressive prizes!

One exhibition in particular this term (where Kalamunda SHS students had tremendous success) was the Darlington Arts Festival. Gifted and Talented Visual Art students represented Kalamunda SHS as part of this fantastic annual celebration of the arts. We had a large group of student work on display at Darlington and had four of our students win prizes. Lucas Yeates (Year 7) won the prestigious ‘Youth Art Encouragement Award’, Georgia Luderman and Charlotte Eden (Year 12) both were awarded ‘Highly Commended’. During the Darlington Arts Festival, people voted for their favourite artwork (The ‘People’s Choice’ Award) which was awarded to Jessica Burton for her wonderful painting of her Labrador.

I am very proud of all the Gifted and Talented Visual Art students who exhibited this term. It is an absolute joy seeing work on display throughout the art community. I am so blessed as a teacher of the arts to have so many incredibly talented young art students with wonderful ideas and infinite creativity. Well done on another epic term of Gifted and Talented Visual Art!

Charlotte Gee
Gifted and Talented Visual Art Coordinator

Interschool Athletics

Kalamunda SHS achieved its best result at an Interschool Athletics carnival for many years winning the Gold division of the Year 7-10 Track and Field Carnival on Friday 25 October.

After completing the full squad training day on Friday 18 October the team looked capable of being very competitive. Students trained hard for most of the events in preparation to assist on the day if teammates got injured or ill. At the carnival only two of the 110 events were missed, resulting in a brilliant team effort that saw Kalamunda SHS finish on top.

There were five 1st places in the 4 x 100m relays and three 2nd places out of the eight team relays so this shows the strength of the team this year and the excellent work done by the students on their relay changes.

A special mention to the following individual students for their outstanding performances:

Year 8: Mackenzie Coupland Champion Girl, Tiahna McIntyre Runner Up Champion Girl
Year 10: Kheirra Elliott Champion Girl, Joel Lally-Wise RunnerUup Champion Boy

Congratulations to the entire squad for representing their school so well and achieving the top spot in 2019!!

Alice Hall
Health and Physical Education Teacher

Health, Outdoor and Physical Education Department

Interschool Athletics Carnival

Based on results from our House Track and Field Carnival, students were selected to attend the Inter-School Athletics Carnival at the State Athletics Stadium. All students involved put in a massive effort and Kalamunda SHS was awarded first place against all other schools competing. We had two Champions and two Runner Up Champions. Other note-worthy achievements include Darcy Jones’ fastest 100m time of 12.10 seconds, fastest 4 x 100m relay by the Year 8 boys with 48.83 seconds. The school won 5/8 relay events that sealed the top spot.

9 Outdoor Adventure Program

In Week 3 of this term, the Year 9 Outdoor Adventure Program students participated in their second expedition of the year. The Cape to Cape hike saw students leave from Cosy Corner and walk to Hamelin Bay on day one. On day two students left Hamelin Bay and walked into Contos Campground and day three was their final walk out from Contos to Rainbow Cave Road followed by lunch in Margaret River. Students endured some challenging weather, including rain and hail, but persevered through the three days of walking which totalled 38.5km.

Specialist Soccer Program Coaching

Students in the Year 9 Specialist Soccer Program participated in a coaching course to receive their ALDI MiniRoos Certificate. This allows them to be competent coaches training 5-9 year old soccer players. The three hours course was fully practical and encouraged the student coaches to develop practices that are based on fun and natural play. A highlight of the course meant student coaches learnt how to expose basic rules of the game as well as tips and hints on building a football culture in a completely practical setting.

Alice Hall
Health and Physical Education Teacher

Science Update

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

A lot happens in the last few weeks of the year in Science: we typically switch to more hands-on applications of the Scientist in action and look to use most of the skills learnt earlier in new and different contexts.

Year 10 students are shown here investigating blood spatter patterns (using fake blood of course) as part of a sequence on Forensic Science techniques. This also meant collecting fingerprints and shoe impressions, examining hair and fibre samples under the microscope, analysing handwriting, and separating inks using chromatography. We simulated DNA profiling to see how that contributes to the evidence, and related our practical sessions to real-life criminal cases, including the current Claremont serial killer case in the law courts.

Lindesay Pound
Science Teacher

Bahasa Indonesian

Visiting Students from Surabaya

KSHS was very fortunate to host visiting students and teachers form Surabaya on the 15 November 2019. There were 12 students and 2 teachers form the Junior High School Pembangan Jaya 2 Sidoarjo, Indonesia. We have been hosting students for the last four years and it has always been a great opportunity for our students to mingle and for the visitors to experience school life at KSHS. The students were at school for the whole day. They participated in various school activities. They spent the day with:

• Mr Cargill – Technology
• Mrs Raphael – Computers
• Mrs McKenzie – Cooking and Craft
• Mrs Eden – Art

I would like to mention a thank you to the above staff who gave up their time for the day assisting with activities. Angie for getting the scarves and certificates ready. This is what Kalamunda SHS community does! This is super!

There were Flinders and Josh, our Year 11 students who assisted with the students. A huge thank you to Mr Guthrie, who was available for the day making sure that everything was running smoothly. There is already another visit planned for 2020. This an opportunity for students from Surabaya to be part of our school and have our students studying Indonesian to enhance their Indonesian language skills.

Below are some photos of their day at Kalamunda SHS.

Ibu Kaler
Indonesian Teacher

Year 11 Literature Camp 2019

The Year 11 Literature students attended their annual Literature camp in Week 6 after the completion of their Semester 2 examinations. This year the students embarked on a journey of cultural enrichment. They commenced the trip with three seminars – close reading of poetry, adaptations and creative writing at the City of Vincent Library. In the evening they attended a performance of ‘The Cockatoos’ – an adaptation of the short story by Nobel Prize winning Australian writer Patrick White – at The State Theatre Centre before saying overnight in the Accommodation Village at the School of Isolated and Distance Education. On the second day, they engaged in tours through the Art Gallery - where they explored colonial and modern Australian art that dealt with similar concerns to the Australian literature we had been studying this year – and the State Library – where they looked at ephemera (things that exist or are only used for a short time) from some of our studied plays and checked out the amazing WACE study space on Level 1. Overall, it was an intense and thought-provoking experience, with all of the students falling asleep on the journey back to school!

Orietta Stokes
English Teacher

!nnovation Showcase 2019

!nnovation Showcase 2019, held at the Perth Convention Centre and organised by The Department of Education, aimed to ignite a passion for STEM through engaging keynote speakers and hands-on workshops. Six of our Academic Extension students, through Years 7-9 were invited to attend the day, meeting and collaborating with other schools from across Western Australia. We started the day with a bang with Ruben Meerman, Australian scientist and educator, demonstrating the difference between elements – and blowing stuff up. Then the students were immersed in the realm of Design Thinking by working with students from other schools to collaboratively solve the real world problem of safely transporting an unconscious person out of a geology field trip gone awry in remote northern Australia with experts in the field from Curtin University to assist them. In the afternoon, the students engaged in technology that set them up for future skills in robotics and coding with the University of Sydney. Finally, we toured the Resources Technology Showcase viewing dancing robots, scars made from copper and nickel, making it to the front page of the West Australian and one of our students beating a Lego-robot at solving the Rubik’s cube. A fast-paced and inspiring day for all. You can watch the live stream of the day at:

Orietta Stokes
English Teacher

Spotlight on Sustainability

Waste Audit with Waste Wise Schools

We have been working towards reaccrediting the school with the WA Waste Authority over the course of the year. One of the major steps required to make this achievement possible is to conduct a waste audit where rubbish from across the school is manually sorted and weighed to create a snapshot of waste. On November 13, the amazing students in MG 8.01 volunteered to help complete this activity and worked alongside the education officer from Waste Wise Schools to collect and sort dozens of bags of rubbish. It certainly wasn’t the most pleasant task as students sorted food waste, wrappers and general office refuse from around campus. They found all sorts of things from discarded bunches of flowers, lost jewellery, and even half a block of cheese. They diligently applied themselves to the task and created a significant amount of data about the types of rubbish the school is producing and identifying areas where positive change would be possible through changes in the way we manage waste at the school. The audit was a great success and students were praised not only by Daniel from the Waste Authority but two visitors from the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council who attended Kalamunda Senior High School especially for the event. The students involved are to be commended for their efforts and their fantastic contribution to the school. Because of this, we can now officially be reaccredited as a Waste Wise School!

Community Sustainability Forum

A select group of Middle School students were invited to attend Helena College earlier this month and participate in a schools Sustainability Forum with the Minister for Kalamunda, Matthew Hughes MLA. Students were asked to engage in a conversation with their peers from local High Schools about sustainable measures that could be considered for the State Government Climate Policy. Mr Andrew Smith supervised the excursion and was extremely impressed by the engagement and contribution of Kalamunda SHS Representatives Saige Lawler, Tahlia Hobson, Alison Scott and Anisha Sullivan. They demonstrated an outstanding standard of critical thinking an articulated themselves brilliantly. A huge thank you to Mr Smith and our student representatives for taking on this ambassadorial role for our school and for being wonderful representatives of our school and community.

Your Move Accreditation

Kalamunda SHS has continued to focus on ways we can encourage students to choose active transport when travelling to school. The Sustainability Committee is proud to be introducing a Bike Lock Loan Scheme available for students who ride to school in 2020 but may forget to bring their lock to school. Students will be able to access the ‘loan locks’ from Student Services for single day use. We have also created a new brochure that is being provided to all students completing Orientation with Kalamunda SHS ahead of starting in 2020. The Cycling to School 2020 brochure explains where students can store their bikes, how to access the bike racks and the best access points of the school. As a result of these initiatives, Kalamunda SHS has been recognised by the Department of Transport Your Move program with Platinum Accreditation. Kalamunda SHS is now eligible for a significant grant to improve infrastructure and education at our school. Thank you to Student Services and the Year 6 Orientation Team for supporting these initiatives and making this accreditation possible!

Sarah Adams
English Teacher

Act Belong Commit

As the school year comes to an end, the stresses and concerns we may face change from being school related to home and community based and these stresses can sometimes be heightened around Xmas time. However, the Act Belong Commit initiative and strategies are still valid and can help us navigate through times that could become rough.

As the weather warms and we are spending more time in the community, our tip to help us stay positively and mentally healthy is:

Contact with nature—whether through parks, natural bush, pets or farm animals, helps us recover from stress and mental fatigue, helps us relax and puts us in a good frame of mind. Next time you are feeling blue, ‘act green’. Do some gardening, take a walk around the park or head down to the water for some time out.

For more tips visit Act-Belong-Commit

The Xmas holidays also gives us time to get out and about and connect with the community. There are usually plenty of events and places of interest around the area for us to go and visit. Check out ‘Weekend NOTES’ to find lots of different events across Perth.

Another good idea is to get the kids busy in the kitchen over the break. One simple recipe that your child may like to make is:

Easy Christmas Jellies

These Christmas-themed jellies make a yummy festive end to Christmas dinner for the kids - just start two days before you want to serve them so they have time to set.

Ingredients

• 8 small glasses or plastic cups
• 1 packet of raspberry jelly
• 1 packet of passionfruit jelly
• 1 packet of lime jelly
• Fresh berries or Christmas lollies to decorate

Method

1. Prepare red jelly and pour 1/4 cup into each cup, refrigerate until set (will take about 4-6 hours).
2. Prepare yellow jelly, allow to cool and pour 1/4 cup gently on top of red jelly, return to fridge until set.
3. Prepare green jelly, allow to cool and pour 1/4 cup gently on top of yellow jelly, return to fridge until set. Just before serving, decorate with berries or lollies.

Jenny Edmonds
School Psychologist

A message from the Community Health Nurse

Energy drinks

The Australian Dietary Guidelines state that energy drinks are not suitable for children and teens. They are also not recommended for pregnant women, people with heart disease, or people who are sensitive to caffeine.

The high caffeine content of energy drinks can produce a variety of unpleasant side effects such as increased heart rate, agitation, sleep problems, headaches, bed-wetting, anxiety and dehydration. It is particularly dangerous to mix energy drinks with alcohol.

Some energy drinks deliver an enormous 21 teaspoons of sugar.

The high sugar levels in these drinks can reduce the body’s ability to absorb water, meaning that it is dangerous to consume these drinks before, during or after physical activity.

Sugary drinks provide excess kilojoules which can lead to weight gain and obesity. This is because people do not generally reduce how much they eat to allow for the extra kilojoules in the sugary drink.

Being overweight or obese can lead to health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.

In the largest study of its type in Australia, Telethon Kids Institute researchers have found more than half of young people who consumed energy drinks suffered negative health effects – leading the Institute to call for a ban on sales of the products to children under the age of 18.

For more information on the study:

For advice for parents for talking to children and teens about energy drinks:

For more information on the effects of caffeine:

Because of the negative health effects associated with them, energy drinks are banned at Kalamunda Senior High School.

Louise Jonker
Community Health Nurse