Issue 6 - September 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

What a glorious day we had for our annual House Athletics Carnival recently. Our new shade structure was temporarily handed over for the day and will be completed during the next school holidays. It will provide wonderful weather protection for students and staff, providing great visibility to the oval’s activities.

Thank you to our amazing P&C for their support for the carnival – it is wonderful to have such a supportive parent community in the school.

P&C Helpers

Thank you also to our Year 12 student councillors for their fundraising efforts for care packs for youth in crisis.

Kalamunda Day and Mental Health Week

Each year we use Kalamunda Day (8 August) to remind ourselves of our school values and to celebrate what it means to be part of our Kalamunda SHS community. Despite our diverse backgrounds, cultures and differences, these values are what binds us together as a community. They are an important part of our school culture and something that we hope all students will take on well beyond their time at school – Pride, Respect, Resilience, Love of Learning and Community.

We also used the day to reflect on our school history, starting in 1960, after the foundation stone was laid in October 1959. In those early days, the school only went to Year 10 and for students continuing their studies, they had to travel to Governor Stirling SHS. Our Patron Dr John Owen was one of those early students. The school became a Senior High School in 1971 when students remained for Years 11 and 12. In two more years we will be celebrating our 60th birthday!

Thank you to our special guests Mathew Hughes MLA (Member for Kalamunda), Stephen Price MLA (Member for Forrestfield), Dr John Owen (School Patron), Maurice Cammack (School Board Chair and President of the P&C), Dr Peter Rudolf and Mrs Angela Trimboli (School Board Member).

Thank you also to Natasha Parker who delivered a most powerful and emotional speech on resilience. We commend her on her bravery and positive messages for others facing mental health issues.

Languages Week and Mental Health Week

I am constantly impressed by the initiatives of our staff and student body. These weeks were filled with a range of activities, events and food opportunities. Thank you to our wonderful LOTE staff and students who raised awareness of languages. In particular, thank you to those who travelled to our local primary schools to share their experiences of learning a language.

Cause to be Proud

• Cameron Bell –WA Ice Hockey State Team won a Gold Medal
• Jade Mann – selected in the State Swimming Team
• Keeley Williams – selected for the Perth Inferno Ice Hockey Team which will participate in the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League
• Kelsey Sieczka - invited to train for the Australian Maths Olympiad Competition
• Our Year 8 and 9 English students who are National Finalists in the Word Mania Competition.

Write a Book in a Day

Recently students from Years 7 to 9 formed two teams to participate in this competition to raise money for the Kid’s Cancer Project. They created and published 2 books, “Sucked In!” and “Johnny’s Wonderland” for children in hospital. Congratulations on using your creative skills for such a worthy cause and thank you to Orietta Stokes, Sarah Adams and all the staff who supported these students to achieve this goal.

Father’s Day Breakfast

It was an early start for our students and their fathers, grandfathers, uncles and father figures as they joined us for breakfast on Friday 31 August. Jesse Phillips, former Olympian, spoke about his life journey and the role his father and step father played in his success. He also handed on some words of wisdom to both father and students about spending quality time together and having those deep conversations that are sometimes so hard to have.

Thank you to all those staff and students who helped out for this special breakfast. A special thank you goes to Jenny (our school psychologist) for organising this opportunity to spend quality time together and to Brayden Rutherford and Josh Stanley-Hart for their amazing entertainment.

Gifted and Talented Visual Art Success

Our students have been busy exhibiting lately, and we congratulate the following students on their success.

Young Originals Exhibition at ECU - Emma Cammack, Ami Webb, Sophia Ferrari and Alice Brown

Zig Zag Exhibition – Gifted And Talented Visual Art Students involved in Zig Zag:

• Jamie Green - Year 7
• Isabella Gentle - Year 10
• Charlotte Eden - Year 11
• Poppy Ben-Ary - Year 10
• Sarah Hoey - Year 10
• Briony Bray - Year 11
• Ethan Nairn - Year 12
• Leah Addison - Year 12

Black Swan Portrait Prize (Finalist) – Poppy Ben-Ary has been selected as a finalist in the youth category this upcoming exhibition. We are also very proud of former student Kendal Gear who is also a finalist in the adult category. Best wishes to Poppy and Kendal for the announcement of the winner of this prestigious prize. You can see dates for these exhibitions on the Black Swan official website

Our students have also been busy preparing some amazing artwork for display at a local winery – Plume Estate. You can read more about this in the Visual Arts Blog.

Music accolades

Congratulations to our Guitar Quartet of Phornchita Sullivan, Annalise Stevens, Quinn Armenti and Saskia Blake. Following their performance on RTR FM radio, they have recently received an “Outstanding” award at the 30th WA Classical Guitar Ensemble Festival. Thank you to Marcus Roberts for accompanying the students.

Meet the Prime Minister

Recently our Year 12 Politics and Law students had the opportunity to meet the former Prime Minister when he visited Kalamunda. Thank you to Melinda Davies for accompanying the students.

Buon viaggio

We wish our students and Mrs Pennington all the best for their upcoming trip to Italy which leaves in the last week of term.

We also welcome a number of students to our school who have enrolled since our last newsletter. They are Tara Beranek, Jacob Bishop, Jaxon Ferritto and Cherry-lee Roether and we hope that their time with us is successful and enjoyable.

I wish all our families and students all the very best for a relaxing holiday and best of luck to our Year 12s who will be sitting their mock exams over the break.

Mrs Helen Deacon
Principal

Senior School Report

Term 3 is quickly drawing to an end, and it is essential for all Year 12 students to put in every effort to get all their courses and certificates completed, achieve the greatest marks possible so that they can be satisfied that they did their very best. There are still a few weeks left before the finishing post, so hopefully still time to take the necessary steps for a successful Year 12. Year 11 students still have a way to go so there is still every opportunity for them to put in their best efforts to get those grades moving in the right direction and be able to progress into Year 12. Having completed their course selections for next year, our Year 10 students are busy maintaining or improving their grades, to enable a smooth transition into 2019.

An information letter has been sent out detailing the procedures and events pertinent to the Year 12 students’ final weeks at Kalamunda Senior High School. Mock exam timetables have been sent out. Exams will be in the second week of the holidays. Good luck to all our Year 12’s sitting mock exams. A gentle reminder that the mock exams are a significant part of your Year 12 assessments and are great preparation for the WACE exams starting next term. WACE exam timetables will soon be available, so please find a safe place to put them, as they are your entrance ticket to the exam.

Preparation and plans are well under way for the 2019 Ball, information giving an overview of the processes should have been received by those able to attend; please take the time to read the letter comprehensively. Leavers Jackets are also on track; consideration of style, colour and fabric are being done by the committee, hopefully arriving at the best result for all. With this in mind Year 11 students need to remain focused on this year and finishing off well, in order to be eligible to move into Year 12.

Hopefully the last of the nasty viruses and weather will soon be over, so we can look forward to a great Term 4. Have a mini rest Year 10 and 11 students and come back prepared for the last term.

Mrs Sharon Andrews
Head of Senior School

Year 10 Report

Course Counselling

Students met with the Senior School Subject Selection Counselling Team for Year 11 subject selections in Week 5 and 6 this term. If you have not yet done this or have any concerns, please contact me.

OLNA

Year 10 students who have not previously passed their OLNA testing or Band 9 in their Year 9 NAPLAN undertook their second round of OLNA in Week 5 and 6 this term. Students who do not pass this round have four more opportunities in Year 11 and 12.

Students who do not meet the minimum standard required for OLNA will not receive a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).

Assessments and Organisation

Year 10 students have attended two Elevate seminars this year on Study Skills and Time Management. The students were provided with useful techniques and ideas to support their studies this year. Students will currently be undertaking assessments and hopefully putting these skills in place to reach their potential and goals for this term.

The completed Elevate booklets can be located and viewed in the Year 10 Students and Parents Connect Group in the Library section of Connect.

Connect

Your child has an online School Connect Account that contains important information from teachers. Parents also have an account to access information about their child’s schooling and academic progress. If you are experiencing difficulty accessing this, please contact the front office. Students should see the IT Department.

KSHS Good Standing

Please check your child’s Student Planner for information about maintaining Student Good Standing to ensure that your child will be included in the Dinner Dance reward at the end of this semester. I would like to encourage a particular focus on wearing appropriate school uniform this term – Lowes now have KSHS tracksuit pants, please contact the Belmont Store on 9479 5327 to check stock available.

Thank you for your continued support and please don’t hesitate to contact me, your child’s Mentor Teacher or Learning Area Teacher if you have any questions.

Nicole.Sijka@education.wa.edu.au
Mrs Nicole Sijka
Year 10 Coordinator

Middle School Report

Attendance Update

If your child is away from school, and you don’t receive an SMS, can you please contact the school on 9293 6400 so we can update our records. When you are sent an SMS, we ask you to please reply, explaining why your child is absent or if you believe they are at school let us know so we can follow it up. Attendance is something that we need to work on together, and something we all need to take seriously. The Education Department recognises that any student who falls below 90% attendance, for whatever reason, is at academic risk (this works out as 1 day every 2 weeks, 1 week out of every term or 2 weeks each semester).

Guest Speakers

We have had a couple of recent visitors to the school to talk with our Middle School students about a range of topics. Adam and ’Marksman’ from Armed For Life came and spoke to the Year 9 cohort about choices. We also had Starrs Productions come and present their play ‘Technobully’ to the Year 8 cohort on issues to do with Cyber bullying. These are annual events and their messages are really clear and relevant. If you know of any Guest Speakers or would like to suggest some topics for Guest Speakers, then please contact any of our Year Coordinators with your suggestions.

Primary Transition

As part of our whole Primary School Transition Program, we are hosting the Year 6 students from our local intake schools this term and letting them experience a day in the life of a high school student. The day focuses on highlighting those things that are the same and different from primary school. Each primary school visits separately so the students can feel comfortable with their current classmates and teachers. They have a taste of high school participating in lessons taught by high school staff. They also have a tour, use the facilities (such as our cafeteria which is always a highlight) and experience lessons such as Science, Art and Design and Technology. This fantastic day is really enjoyed by all students, regardless of where they will be attending high school. We will run a ‘Catch Up Day’ for students who are not at one of our local intake schools but are coming to Kalamunda SHS next year. Can I say a huge thank you to Ms Archdall and Ms Shepherd and all of the staff involved so far, as I have been away and they have driven these days in my absence, and done an awesome job, so thank you all very much.

These days would not be possible without the amazing assistance we get from all of our staff. There are many room and class changes that take place so we can accommodate everyone, but in particular our Year 7 Team, Science, Art, and Design and Technology Learning Areas who provide staff and rooms for all of the classes that take place.

These Transition Days are precursors to our Orientation Day that will be held on Friday 23 November at Kalamunda SHS. This day is for students to come together and meet their classmates and teachers for next year. It will be an opportunity to form friendships and to help orient students to the school facilities, routine and activities.

End of Year Reward Days

At the end of next term our Year 7s will experience a ‘Big Day In’, the Year 8s will be having an out of school activity day and the Year 9s will have their annual River Cruise night. Participation in these excursions will be based on students having their Good Standing and also on feedback from classroom teachers. More details will be released soon.

E-Safety

I have again received some really positive feedback about the e-safety news that I have put out in previous News Reviews. One major area that I keep referring parents to is:

Here you can take a 10 minute interactive tour with your child (recommended age is 10-14) so it is worth doing this as a family as it opens up lots of discussion topics.

Mr Mark Pettit
Head of Middle School

Year 9 Report

It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of Term 3 already. The past few weeks have been busy for our Year 9 students and shall continue to be so for the remainder of the term. In Week 7 the student leaders hosted our assembly and focused on the theme of Community. They have been working hard to put together a program of lunchtime events to encourage more active participation within the year group and will have this in place for the beginning of Term 4.

Another group of Year 9 students who have been demonstrating our value of community is the Rite Journey girls’ class who completed their second walk to the Zig Zag on Friday 31 August. This was done with the intention of reflecting on how far they have progressed individually and as a group since their first walk in Term 1. Thankfully the rain held off and a lovely afternoon was had by all!

We also had Adam from Armed for Life back in Week 8 for an incursion focused on the topic of healthy relationships. This session aimed to help students understand how to recognise when a friendship or relationship is healthy and how to maintain positive relationships with others. As always, Adam had some very engaging and insightful anecdotes to share with the students. For further insight into Armed for Life and how they work with young people you can visit their website

Although it may seem far away the River Cruise Rewards excursion will soon be upon us. It is important that attendance information is up to date to ensure Good Standing is maintained. Without Good Standing students will not be able to attend. This is a fantastic event and has been much enjoyed by past Year 9 students, so it would be a great shame for students to miss out.

As ever if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child please do not hesitate to contact me.

Karen.stuart@education.wa.edu.au

Miss Karen Stuart
Year 9 Coordinator

Year 8 Report

Term 3 is progressing very quickly and we are definitely not slowing down. In Week 5, the Year 8 students spent one period in the Performing Arts Centre for a Technobullying presentation. It was a thoroughly entertaining performance which highlighted the implications and widespread effect cyberbullying can have on your friends and family. It was a very positive message to students and emphasised the need for students to navigate the internet with caution.

In light of our Technobullying workshop, it is important we use our devices appropriately. We do have a strict policy with regards to device use and while on the Network and Internet at school, these are monitored and inappropriate sites and content are blocked. I would like to remind all Year 8s that inappropriate use of devices at school, including inappropriate games which have been downloaded directly to the device outside the school network, will result in loss of access to the school network services for a period of time.

The School Athletics Carnival was another great day in the calendar. I am so proud of our Year 8s and their “have a go” attitude. It was great to see so many of our students participating in the events and getting into the Kalamunda Community spirit. A big congratulations to all of our event winners!

It was a lovely experience celebrating the fathers of our students at the annual Father’s Day Breakfast. The pride shown by our students towards their Dad’s was beautiful to see and it was great so many of our Year 8s were involved. I would like to extend a very big thank you to the Year 8 House Representatives and Student Councillors who assisted to make the breakfast run very smoothly.

I cannot believe we are three quarters of the way through the term. Let’s all keep up the motivation and ensure we keep striving for success in our classes. Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at laura.cheetham@education.wa.edu.au.

Ms Laura Cheetham
Year 8 Coordinator

Languages Week

Languages Week was held on 6-12 August 2018 and is designed to raise awareness of the benefits of language and highlight the linguistic diversity in our community.

Our world is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Language learning is an essential skill for life in the 21st century.

Language learning helps us to broaden personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities.

More than 240 languages and dialects are spoken in Western Australia today and Languages Week provides an opportunity to explore and celebrate language learning.

Our teachers, students and members of the KSHS school community come from different backgrounds, speak a variety of languages and celebrate different traditions. Languages Week is an important week to acknowledge and appreciate our own unique identities, family heritage and the people who we are surrounded by.

How did we celebrate?

• Year 7s learnt how to say LOVE in different languages
• Year 8s ate brioche
• Year 9s brought in International food such as tiramisu`, bruschetta, Belgium biscuits, sfogliati biscuits, combination noodles, croissants and san choy bow, for a special morning tea.

A special “Ben fatto” to Signorina Chiara for making the delicious orecchiete pasta! The students were very impressed! Grazie un sacco!

Primary school visits

As a Lead Language School, Ibu Kaler, Sensei Maguire and myself decided to visit surrounding primary schools to talk to Years 5 and 6 about the exciting things we do in languages at KSHS. It was important that we explained what learning a foreign language is like at KSHS and why it is so beneficial to have an intercultural awareness and to be bilingual. We spoke about how language learning in secondary school differs from primary school, the resources that students will need, study techniques and famous polyglots.

Part of our promotion of languages included introducing 6 KSHS students from Italian, Indonesian and Japanese. These amazing students accompanied us to Walliston PS, Kalamunda PS, Gooseberry Hill PS, Edney PS and Maida Vale PS. The primary school students were very enthusiastic to meet our very talented students. Our students introduced themselves in the foreign language and also spoke about their hobbies, family and favourite things. They answered hundreds of questions from the PS students and represented KSHS very well.

A very big thank you to Ruby Ireland, Josh Stanley-Hart, Mitchell Bostock, Lance O Campo, Sarah Gerace and Hannah Watson.

LOVE in different languages

Unique sayings

All cultures have special celebrations and rituals, and these traditions often have special words and expressions associated with them. Many people celebrate Christmas and wish each other a ‘Merry Christmas!’ even though we don’t use the word ‘merry’ much anymore. Cantonese speakers greet people with sihk jó faahn meih a? 食咗飯未呀? which means ‘Have you eaten rice today?’ This is like asking if you are well and if all is good in the world for you today.

Most common languages in WA

In Western Australia, the dominant language is English, but around 17.7 per cent of Western Australians speak a language other than English at home. Today, the most frequently spoken languages (other than English) are:

Except for Italian, the largest LOTE groups comprised Asian and African languages.

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH (LOTE) SPOKEN AT HOME-TOP 10

The number of people speaking these languages has changed over time. This is due to the mix of people migrating to WA, population increases and changes, and the trend to maintain and revive languages.

New and emerging communities

New and emerging communities are those which are not yet strongly established in Australia. They tend to be the most recent migrants or refugees, many of whom arrived in the country through humanitarian programs or through family visa streams. Some of the newest communities in WA include people from the following countries:

COUNTRY LANGUAGES SPOKEN

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

There are around 100 distinctly different Aboriginal languages spoken around Western Australia. Many have a range of dialects and are spoken across a number of regions. Language is an important aspect of Aboriginal cultural heritage and knowledge. Within language groups there are special stories and knowledge that share important information about the country, peoples and ancestors of cultural groups. Aboriginal languages have developed and survived over thousands of years even though language knowledge and sharing has been broken due to European settlement and displacement of people and communities. However some languages have only a few speakers left. The Wunanbal language group in the Kimberley has less than 10 known speakers. Around Australia, and here in WA, language revival projects are being delivered in an effort to share and revitalise traditional languages such as the Noongar Place Names Project being delivered by Community Arts Network (CAN). Through language revival projects Aboriginal people are supporting and teaching the next generation of language speakers, promoting bilingual community and learning programs.

Auslan and sign language

There are around 130 sign languages used by Deaf communities around the world, with Auslan being most common in Australia. Auslan is short for Australian sign language. It was recognised as an official language by the Australian Government in 1991. It’s a visual form of communication that uses hand, arm and body movements to convey meaning. Auslan is quite different from English and has its own grammar, structure and syntax. Key Word Sign is a different type of signing used to encourage and support language development in children and adults with communication difficulties. Each word (concept) is matched to a hand sign and it uses Auslan signs.

Italian Review

Benvenuto Ettore!

A special welcome on behalf of the Languages Department to Ettore. He has travelled all the way from Fano, Italy as part of an exchange program. Fano is a small town in the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region. Unusually for the resorts along this part of the coast, the history of Fano dates back 2,000 years - it was at one time the largest Roman settlement on the Adriatic - and there are some interesting Roman and 16th century buildings and monuments to visit in the old part of the town. Ettore is in Year 11 and looking forward to spending a year here. Ettore enjoys playing soccer, spending time with his friends and learning about other countries and cultures. Please take the time to say “Ciao!” to Ettore and make him feel part of our school community.

Un visito speciale! A special visit!

In Week 6 and 7, my former Italian student, Dredd Semblant was assigned to Kalamunda Senior High School to participate in community service as part of his university course. It was a lovely surprise! Che bella sorpresa! Dredd is currently studying nursing but hoping to pursue neuroscience. Dredd spoke to my Certificate III Language students about how learning another language and gaining intercultural awareness has assisted him in dealing with a variety of patients. Dredd is also fascinated with the links to foreign language learning in the prevention of dementia. Dredd is hoping to continue his Italian language study this summer and apply his communication skills in Italy one day soon! My students were really impressed by his excellent participation in the lesson. Dredd learnt how to explain to an employee the process of using a coffee machine in Italian! A tricky task!

Mrs Maria Pennington
Teacher in Charge of Languages

Library

Book Week - Find your Treasure, 18-24 August 2018

Book Week this year in the library was brought alive with the fabulous ongoing art project drawn by Isabella Gentle and Grace Landers. The theme of “Find your Treasure” and Secret Garden was enhanced by the girls adding a bug each day for students to find in their artwork. Winners of the ‘Find the Bug’ competition were Zac Stivey, Alex Murray, Niahm Enright and Declan O’Hanlon.

A huge thank you to Isabella and Grace for the time and energy they gave to this project.

To find winners of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards see the following link:

Ms Jorje Raphael
Teacher in Charge of Library Services

English

Write-a-Book-in-a-Day Competition

On Wednesday 22 August two teams of students in Years 7-9 participated in the 2018 Write-a-Book-in-a-Day Competition. The competition, which is run by The Kids’ Cancer Project and works to raise funds for cancer research, sees students plan, draft, edit, illustrate and publish a book in just 12 hours! Each team is provided with a set of parameters: two human characters, one non-human character, a setting, an issue and five words they must include without alteration. This year, 1031 teams entered nationally, with $216 310 raised so far. Both of our teams, Butterfly Spaghetti and Pickle Bags, completed their books within the timeframe and uploaded them to TKCP’s website below. Each student worked vigilantly throughout the day and should be proud of their efforts. Good luck in the judging – results will be released at the WA Awards Ceremony on November 6.

“Write a Book in a Day is a fun and educational 12 hour activity. In these 12 hours our goal was to work in our teams and both author and illustrate a book for children in hospital. The day started off with planning what is going to happen in the book, the characters and the setting. You are given certain words, characters and setting that you have to include making it fun but also more challenging. Throughout the day we illustrated our ideas and edited the book while getting to know new people. After an enjoyable dinner the stress really kicks in with only an hour and a half left to complete the whole book! After we sent our book we had lots of fun reading back over the story we created and reflecting on our experience. Overall, we think Write a Book in a Day was a really enjoyable experience and we encourage more students to participate next year!”

By Georgia Walters and Alice Baker, Year 8

Ms Orietta Stokes
English Teacher

Word Mania National Finalists!

Over the first half of Term 3, English students in Year 8 and 9 have competed in the national Word Mania competition. Word Mania is a game based challenge where students play in 3 minute rounds, trying to create as many words as possible to earn points. By playing, students consolidate and extend their knowledge of phonemes, morphemes, prefixes and suffixes. It also supports their functional literacy through improving their skill in spelling. Students really embraced this competition, challenging one another and trying to improve their scores. Kalamunda Senior High School had wonderful results across both year levels. Both Year 8 and 9 placed first in the Perth South District for the first two rounds of competition, making them eligible to play as national finalists. In this final round our students were impressive both ranking in the top 20 of schools across the country! Overall, our Year 9 students placed 4th nationally and 2nd place in WA. Our Year 8 students were not far behind, placing 11th nationally and 3rd place in WA. Congratulations to all students involved!

Ms Sarah Adams
English Teacher

Year 8 Waste Walk

This term Year 8 students are studying Sustainability and making links to the English curriculum. The students of English classes 8.5 and 8.7 took part on a Waste Walk inspired by the television series War on Waste. The students were divided into House teams and set challenges to collect waste in three areas of the school. Each area had a bonus point item if the students found them. Armed with rubber gloves and a great attitude, students collected 24 full bags of rubbish for disposal. We also donated plastic bottles to our Design & Technologies department who were recycling them into 3D printer filament. To conclude the activity, the students spent a second session working in groups to answer reflection questions to help improve their writing. Well done students from each group. You all did amazingly well and showed great respect for our school environment!

Ms Sarah Adams and Ms Leanne French
English Teachers

Humanities and Social Sciences

Year 11 ATAR Geography Camp - Geographers power south to investigate Collie coal

During Week 5 of this term our intrepid Year 11 Geography students participated in important fieldwork as part of their study of COAL as a commodity. COAL has played a significant role in the development of Western Australia, providing energy throughout the south of the state for residential and commercial purposes.

The students were lucky to hear from a variety of members of the community of Collie who provided a local perspective on the importance of coal to their community and gave an insight into the future of this vibrant south west community. The camp was ably supported by the following friendly Collie residents –

• Alison and staff at the Collie Library
• Jim Woysees and Ron Guilfoyle at the Collie Tourist Mine
• Mark Padget and Tom Reardon at the Collie Coalfields Museum
• David Blurton – CEO Collie Shire
• Sarah Stanley – Collie Shire President
• Zee Rijkuris – Premier Coal - Health and Safety Superintendent
• Vanessa and Kathy from Synergy - Muja Power Station

Aside from the chance to focus on compulsory fieldwork elements of the course, the Geography students were challenged to stay warm in historic Wellington Forrest Cottages. This setting provided students with a beautiful forest setting to enjoy, despite some stormy weather.

Thanks must go to Ms Circosta for taking the time to attend this interesting a valuable experience for our Year 11 ATAR Geography students.

Mr Guthrie
Geography Teacher

Year 11 Geography Camp 2018 – Brought to you by the ‘Letter C’

Mention Collie and almost immediately people think/say –it’s cold or coal. Coal was discovered in Collie in the late nineteenth century. Collie in the 21st century is facing new challenges in terms of re –creating a community beyond coal. Creative thinking and new projects are being considered by the Shire Council, its CEO and the entire cohort of Councillors, the Chamber of Commerce and the Coal Companies as well. [All stakeholders have the Community’s best interests at heart.]

The class converged on the Wellington Forest Cottages and Conference Centre to set up base camp. It was cold [continental effect] and chilly but cosy by the fireplace in the cottage and whilst cooks were preparing dinner. After dinner by the cosy fires along with some coffee, chocolate and a card game or two.

We covered course content and concepts, linked to the curriculum about a commodity (in this case coal as a commodity) Students contributed to a think tank/group activity in the Council Chambers; and listened to speakers at the Tourist Coalmine, the Coalfields Museum, at the community library and at the Chamber of Commerce. The class was very co –operative, asking questions of the guest speakers and clarification; and working collaboratively amongst themselves to complete the set tasks.

Many of the activities were captured on Candid Camera.

Ms Rosie Circosta
Humanities Teacher

Year 10/11 Court Visits Week 2 Term 3

After a busy start to the term, Year 10 Humanities students who were studying Civics and Citizenship and their peers in Year 11 Politics and Law were given the opportunity to attend the Supreme Court, District Court and Magistrates Court. This excursion reinforced the learning of these students that had occurred in class over the year. A large group of over 45 students spent valuable time learning about the importance of the court system to maintaining the rule of law and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly by the system.

Many students felt that the experience was daunting, especially in the historic Supreme Court of Western Australia. The experience of the District Court was foreboding as we were able to listen to the opening remarks of a case involving a drug crime gone wrong. The defendants were present in the court which was confronting. Even more amazing was the court room which had a video link to Hakea Prison, where the prisoners entered a video room and talked directly from the prison to the Magistrate, their lawyers and the prosecutors at the Central Law Courts complex.

All groups had the chance to participate in an historic court case in the oldest court building in Perth found in the Supreme Court Gardens. It is also Perth’s oldest surviving public building.

Thanks go to Mr Wittber and Mrs Johnson who accompanied the students on this relevant, eye-opening and inherently interesting learning experience. Ms Davies also did a sterling job of organising the excursion.

Mr Guthrie
Head of Humanities and Social Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences Darwin Tour 2019 - Year 10-12

Dates:

Proposed dates are Friday 5 July to Friday 12 July 2019 inclusive.

Transport:

Students will fly to and from Darwin - when in Darwin and surrounds - Bus, Bike and Walking.

Accommodation:

Based in the Darwin metropolitan area – to be confirmed

Likely Activities:

• Kakadu National Park Tour – a day tour to see one of the most unique ecosystems in Australia
• Litchfield National Park Tour – a day tour to view the fascinating landscapes south of Darwin
• Bombing of Darwin/World War 2 Tour – learn about the significance of the threat of the Japanese to the Australian mainland during World War 2
• Crocasaurus Cove – interact with the deadliest reptile in the world!
• Mindle Beach Markets – experience the excitement of the culture of the people of Darwin through food, music and a little bit of shopping!
• Ghost Tour – learn about the life of past Darwin residents whose stories are told as you walk through spooky locations around the city
• Aquascene – feed fish by hand at the water’s edge as Darwin residents have done since the 1950s
• …and many other fun and interesting activities.

Estimated Cost:

$2000 -$2500 plus spending money - payment plans can be organised to pay the cost off over time

Fundraising:

Opportunities to fundraise will be organised to offset the cost for students

Eligible Students:

Humanities and Social Science Students 2019 only – Year 10-12

Number of Positions:

25 students

Staffing

Staffing ratios will meet Education Department Guidelines

Parent Information Meeting:

Term 3 Week 10 – to be confirmed

Expression of Interest Due:

Friday 7 September August 2018

More Information:

Mr R. Guthrie - Head of Humanities and Social Sciences - (08) 9293 6400 – Rchard.Guthrie@education.wa.edu.au

Music

Earlier in August 100 music students descended upon Swan Leigh for the annual music camp. There were lots of intense rehearsals over the duration and the concert bands, guitar ensembles and choirs focussed on preparation for the annual ensemble music festivals. The weather was very wet and freezing cold however we managed to stay warm with the wonderful food provided by Swan Leigh and of course the many activities over the two days. The highlight for me as always was the talent show. Every year the performers outdo each other and the level of performances and creativity this year was nothing short of remarkable! There are always some funny acts and never a dull moment. All the students were brilliantly behaved and it is lovely to see the older students supporting the younger ones in times of need or uncertainty.

The recent Classical Guitar Festival held at Carine High School provided our guitar students the opportunity to perform to an acclaimed adjudicator and the broader guitar community. The Junior and Senior Guitar Ensembles received an “Excellent” and the Senior Guitar Quartet received “Outstanding”. I am really proud at how far classical guitar has progressed over the last few years and congratulate all students involved. Well done!

Kalamunda Day was a musical festival on its own with many musicians performing in the cafeteria. The Year 11 Certificate of Music students organised the event. This included performing and running the sound. All the students who performed were warmly received by their peers. It was a wonderful celebration of not only the school’s community values but also our musical community within the school.

Marcus Roberts
Director of Music

Canteen News

Your canteen is now online!

Order collection is at the end of the canteen near the hot drinks machine. You do not have to line up to pay. There is also a link on the school website under “Parent Quick Links”.

Volunteers

The canteen is in need of Volunteers. Any time you can give will be gratefully accepted. Please call Nicole Simpson in the canteen or send an email to kalamundashs.pc.canteen@gmail.com with your name, contact information and the days/times which suit you. We are a friendly team, come and meet us.

We have a new menu coming for Term 4. Make sure you check out the new delights!