Issue 8 December 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Well we are nearly at the end of the school year and it certainly has been exciting and eventful.

We are very proud of our Class of 2017, who we farewelled in style recently at the Valedictory ceremony. It was a memorable evening, with much to celebrate. Congratulations to all our Year 12s as well as those who received awards. We wish them every success as they begin a new chapter in their life journey.

Since our last issue, our Year 8 to 11s have undertaken their exams and staff are now busy finalising reports as we all begin to prepare for a new school year. I encourage parents to congratulate their children on their efforts this year and to support them in areas of growth.

On Friday 24 November we welcomed our incoming Year 7s at our Orientation Day. We have a large number of students joining us next year and they spent the day getting to know their teachers and making new friends. Congratulations to Mr Pettit, Ms Archdall and all those who assisted in making this such a successful day. We also recently acknowledged all our students who have been selected into special programs next year at a welcome ceremony on 29 November.

The talents of our KPA and Drama students were on display recently at a showcase performance at the PAC and during the Art Auction. Congratulations to all those involved in these events.

As we enter the last few weeks of the year we celebrate our success through the Year 9 River Cruise, Year 10 Dinner Dance, Year 10 Special Program Graduation and final assembly. We also wish the World Challenge team, along with Claire Connor and Laura Cheetham, all the best for their trip to Thailand on 30 November. We know this will be a life changing experience and an opportunity to share in community.

Uniform update

Lowes have just informed us that due to renovations at the Carousel store, they will be moving to Belmont on 11 December. All stock will be moved to the new location and will be ready for parents to purchase from Thursday 14 December.

Cause to be proud

It is with great pride that I share some student noteworthy achievement.

We congratulate Vy Nguyen (Year 11) who has been selected on the Premier’s ANZAC tour for 2018. Vy will travel to Vietnam along with 9 other students as part of this prestigious tour, where they will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive and the battles of Coral and Balmoral.

Evie Williams and Shelley Dewrance recently attended the Australian Figure Skating Championships in Brisbane.

Evie’s team ‘Bees’ are National Champions, winning Gold in the Basic Novice Division. It was a very strong division with seven teams. This is the first time WA has won gold in this division.

Shelley’s team ‘Jitterbugs’ skated a solid program in a difficult Mixed Age Division but unfortunately didn’t place.

Both girls did their State and School proud with their performance and how they conducted themselves under extreme pressure.

Burst water pipe

I would like to extend my thanks on behalf of the school for your support through our recent closure due to the burst water pipe. There was amazing effort on a number of fronts to repair the damage and ensure we were up and running as quickly as possible. Thank you also to our families for their support at this time.

Farewells

As we finish the year, we have some farewells. Firstly we say goodbye to Peggy and Helen Steuart in the Canteen. After many years of service in the school canteen, they will be leaving at the end of the year. We acknowledge all the work they have done over the years in supplying food for the school through the canteen, at functions and school events. For them it has been more than a job and they have been such a part of the school community. We thank them for all they have done and our best wishes go with them as they start a new chapter in their lives.

We also farewell Claire Connor who will be travelling overseas to work in Cambodia, once she returns from the World Challenge. We send her best wishes for her safe journey and are very proud of her community spirit. We wish Dave Billing all the best for a year of leave. Also from our Year 7 team, we say farewell to Teresa Chambers who will be preparing for motherhood. Along with Teagen Smith, we wish them both well and hope they enjoy all that this will bring.

We will be saying good bye to Jess Brown, Victoria Lee and James Buchan who are taking up new positions in other schools. We wish them all the best as they continue on their teaching journey.

We would like to thank David Eassie, Jeff Mancini, Jorje Raphel, Sue Zalstrovs, Andrew Summerton and Cheney Armstrong for taking up teaching positions this year and Deb Austen in the front office for assisting us. While we say goodbye to them, we may see them around the school in relief positions next year.

I would like to thank all our wonderful staff for their work in supporting our students and I wish our families, students, staff and school community I wonderful Christmas and relaxing and safe holiday break.

Mrs Helen Deacon
Principal

Senior School Report

November as usual is an extraordinarily busy time for all our Year 12 and 11 students, as they complete their respective years, and move on to different and exciting new challenges. This year has gone by so rapidly and I cannot believe our Class of 2017 have finished and planning is now well on the way for the Class of 2018 for their final year of schooling.

The Year 12s had their WACE exams during November and as this is a culmination of the years’ work our thoughts and best wishes were with them as they endeavoured to do their best. We hope they achieve the results that will enable them to pursue further study at University or continue along their chosen pathways. We also had our Year 12 Valedictory which was outstanding and a fitting end to their studies for our Year 12s. I was extremely proud of our Year 12s achievements and hope they all find happiness in whatever life pursuits they choose.

The Year 11s have completed their end of year exams, which ran very smoothly and I have to commend the students doing exams on their exemplary conduct. Work placements were also extremely successful and our students had many good experiences which may lead to employment opportunities in the future. Reviewing of the Year 11 results is almost complete and we look forward to a very successful 2018. Our students are fast adapting to the requirements of the WACE and the school has to put into place some rigorous processes to help support the success of the students.

With mere weeks to go our Year 10 students are being transitioned into their Year 11 pathways. This is an extremely valuable experience, aimed at better preparing them for the challenges of year 11. I look forward to working with and supporting them through Year 11 and 12, and as they advance to become the Class of 2019. 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 possibilities.

Mrs 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.

The Year 7 Orientation Day was held on Friday 24 November. Next year will be our biggest Year 7 Cohort so far so Orientation Day was always going to be a big 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 Councillors. 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. I also want to thank Year 11 student Zac Stivey who also assisted us on the day and was a valuable resource. So thank you Zac.

Soon we will be running our end of year Reward Days for the students who have their Good Standing across Middle School. The Year 7s will be having a ‘Big Day In’ on Monday 11 December. The Year 8s will be attending Outback Splash and The Maze on Wednesday 13 December and the Year 9s have their annual River Cruise on Tuesday night 12 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 13 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 – Teagen Smith and Year 9 – Nicole Sijka) for all their hard work throughout the year. Ms Archdall and Ms Sijka will be here next year but Ms Smith won’t be so to her, we wish you all the best for a very exciting time ahead. To all the families of our Middle School students, have a very safe and happy holiday and see you all next year.

Mr Mark Pettit
Head of Middle School

Year 9 Report

Armed For Life – November 2017

Adam from Armed For Life spoke to the Year 9 Students in the PAC about how ‘Friendships matter’. Adam encouraged the students to think carefully about a number of issues raised in regards to relationships within the year group. Some of the concerns raised were:

• How we treat each other matters.
• No one likes being treated badly.
• The qualities of good friends.

A friend is someone that we know, trust, like and care about. Some of the benefits of friends include better health and a stronger sense of belonging and purpose. Healthy friendships can boost happiness and reduces stress.

Adam explained that when a student’s self-confidence and esteem is low, it is not helpful to choose unhealthy friends and partners. Healthy friendships help students cope with a crisis or trauma and ‘fight’ well. He encouraged students to disengage from unhealthy relationships and to shut off and find other things to do.

Adam also spoke to the students about healthy disagreements and healthy sharing and listening. A healthy relationship allows everyone to have the opportunity to talk about their problems and feel safe to do so.

Year 9 to 10 Student Transition Parent Information Evening

On Wednesday 8 November, we held an Information Evening to assist families and our Year 9 students make decisions for 2018 and beyond. The PowerPoint and information shared on the night can be found in the Online Connect Year 9 Parents and Students Group. If you have questions about Year 10 in 2018 for your child, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Year 9 School Community Service

The Year 9 Students, with their Mentor Teachers, have been volunteering some of their time to contribute to our school community in positive way. Students have been collecting rubbish in allocated areas to ensure our school environment remains a clean and attractive place that we can all enjoy. Could I please ask you to remind your child to bring in some plastic bags from home to assist with the collection?

Year 9 End of Year River Cruise

The letter and forms about the Year 9 Good Standing Reward were sent home in Week 5. Please check your child’s Student Planner for information about maintaining Student Good Standing to ensure that your child is included in the reward at the end of this semester, which is our Year 9 River Cruise. In previous years, the Year 9 Students have enjoyed this exciting event and I would be disappointed if students were unable to attend due to losing their Good Standing. I would like to encourage a particular focus on maintaining student attendance above 90% this term.

Thank you for your 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 9 Coordinator

Year 8 Report

As the year draws to a close, it provides an opportunity for students to reflect on Year 8 and the goals they can set going into Year 9. The beginning of a new school year allows students to re-set and continue to strive for their best. I want to commend all Year 8s for the amount of effort they have applied this year and the progress they have made.

Term 4 has been a busy one with exams, an OAP expedition, Interschool Track and Field carnival, immunisations and a self esteem incursion. Well done to all of the students for getting through a stressful time and completing the exams to such a high standard.

The end of year Rewards Excursion is coming up on Wednesday 13 December. We will be enjoying a fun day out at Outback Splash in Bullsbrook. Please make sure the notes and money are returned by the due date. Only the first 100 students who return their note and money with Good Standing will be able to attend.

As 2017 comes to a close, I want to thank you as the Parents/Carers of such a wonderful group of Year 8s. It has been a pleasure to work with you to help your child achieve their best. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the students, helping them through challenging situations and providing them with rewards. As I embark on my own journey of starting a family early next year, I know this group of students will be left in good hands for 2018.

Remember, if you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact me via email Teagen.Smith@education.wa.edu.au.

Mrs Teagan Smith
Year 8 Coordinator

Year 7 Report

Ancient Greek Olympics and Feast Day

The Ancient Greek Olympics and Feast Day was a great success again this year. Year 7 students and staff looked amazing in their costumes as they marched down to Kostera Oval. After the Opening Ceremony including the lighting of the Olympic Flame, the games began.

Students rotated through seven different activities including Javelin, Discus, Marathon, Greek Art, Greek Games, Tasting Platters and everyone’s favourite the Chariot Races. The Feast was amazing with three whole lambs on spits, falafel, flat breads, Ancient Greek salad, feta, olives, sardines, hummus, dolmades, sparkling red grape juice and frozen yoghurt.

Thank you to all staff who put in a huge effort to organise this event and well done to our students for participating with great sportsmanship, respect, resilience and pride.

Year 7 Spelling Bee

The audience was on the edge of their seats in the final rounds of the Year 7 Spelling Bee to see who would be our champion for this year. 22 participants battled it out using the Macquarie Dictionary Spelling Bee words. Ms Archdall was the MC reading out the words and Mrs Hewitt was the official adjudicator. Congratulations to all the participants for getting into the final and especially to our two winners.

2017 Year 7 Spelling Bee Champion – Jack Hollick
2017 Year 7 Spelling Bee Runner Up – Chloe Brands

Winner and runner up received trophies and their names are engraved onto our annual shield.

Ms Susan Archdall
Year 7 Coordinator

Student Services Report

Chaplain’s Morning Tea

On Monday 23 October Youth Care hosted a morning tea for all the local schools in the area to meet Matthew Hughes MLA, member for Kalamunda and to network with other school chaplains and key stakeholders. This was organised by Martin Heffer our area chaplain and it was great to see so many schools represented by their principals and chaplains. It was also lovely hearing the stories from the principals and chaplains and was a great opportunity to celebrate all the work that the chaplains do in schools supported by Youth Care.

We have the most amazing chaplain in Desi and we are so lucky to have her. The tireless work she does for the school community is incredible. Desi absolutely epitomises all of our school values.

Support for the Holidays

Please find a list below of helpful support agencies for adolescents as the school year draws to a close and the students have a lengthy break.

Headspace Midland

Headspace Midland (hM) brings together a wide range of service providers, so if you or someone you know needs physical health, mental health, drug and alcohol and/or education or vocational support hM is here to help.

Equally if you or someone you know is not feeling quite right in any area of their lives but not sure why our access workers can make time to help people make sense of how they are feeling and assist them to access the help they need. There is no limit to how many times people can use the services at hM. If you would like any further information about their services they can be contacted:

Monday – Friday: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Ph: (08)9274 8860
Email: info@headspacemidland.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/headspacemidland

Kids Helpline

Kids Helpline is a free 24 hour counselling service for Australian kids and young people aged 5-25 years. You can get help over the phone, email or web. Our counsellors talk with more than 6,000 kids each week, and help with all sorts of problems, big and small.

24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Ph: 1800 551 800

Youth services directory for young people covers every topic affecting youth.

Safe on Social Media

Please click below for an article on discovering the secret teen texting language. I highly recommend this as often as parents we have no idea what they are saying in a text.

Thank you

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the Student Services team who have worked tirelessly throughout the year to support the students in their endeavours. It has been wonderful to have Mrs Smith join the team as Year 8 Coordinator and we wish her well as she leaves us to welcome her own bundle of joy in the New Year. We look forward to welcoming Ms Cheetham and Ms Stuart to the team in 2018 as Year 8 and Year 9 Coordinator.

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

Mrs Amanda Morton
Manager Student Services

Science Update

After a full-on examination schedule across the core subject areas, students in Science have a chance to flex their Scientific muscles in a range of challenges and tasks based on a variety of themes. For some, it means investigations, for others, Forensic Science techniques, and the list goes on…

Mr Roper’s Year 7s are shown here working on their prototype MouseMobiles in preparation for an all-out Drag Race to the finish line and bragging rights till the end of term. Jaycee Powell, La-Toya Milner, Niamh Hennigan, and Porsha Schultz look very focussed and show excellent teamwork in getting the design into hard material form.

Mr Lindesay Pound
Science Teacher

Youth Focus

In a bid to continue our school’s commitment to promoting good mental health the school engaged Youth Focus to deliver information sessions on Mental Health for interested parents.

Youth Focus received funding from the State Mental Health Commission to present information regarding mental health issues in adolescence free to a number of schools in the state. Our school was fortunate to be chosen to participate.

The information was provided via a parent information evening looking at how to identify the signs and depression and anxiety and how to start a conversation with teenagers about these issues. We had a great turnout of approximately 20 parents.

The data collected demonstrated an increase in the parents’ knowledge of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and an increase in the number of parents who would seek professional help if they believed they themselves felt depressed or anxious. All parents reported that they felt the presentation was extremely or very helpful and well-presented.

The school is fortunate to have continued involvement with Youth Focus and hopefully this will continue in the years to come.

Mrs Jenny Edmonds
School Psychologist

Act, Belong, Commit

As the school year comes to a close and the festive season is upon us the stresses and concerns we may face change from being school related to home and community based. However the Act Belong Commit initiative and strategies are still valid and can help us navigate through times that could become rough.

As we are spending more time in the community, below are a few tips that can help us stay positively and mentally healthy.

• Simply being active – physically, mentally or socially is good for our mental health and happiness. Take a walk; read a book; visit or telephone a friend.
• Volunteering can give people a purpose in life – which is a great contributor to one’s mental health. Helping out at the school canteen, or the footy club, or through Lions or Rotary, or visiting someone who is housebound, not only makes for a stronger community, but is good for your mental health.

For more tips visit Act-Belong-Commit

I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and safe new year.

Mrs Jenny Edmonds
School Psychologist