Issue 1 - February 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Welcome to our first issue of the News Review for the year. I want to congratulate our students, families and staff on such a smooth and successful start to our 58th year. Our school continues to expand and grow, being a school of choice in the area and we currently have 1133 students with our census count last week.

Welcome – to our new and returning staff

Joining our school community (covering staff on leave) we have Mr Greg Forrest, Ms Kate Flugge, Ms Erica Langenberg, and Ms Alice Hall in PE, Mrs Sarah Adams and Mrs Leanne French in English, Ms Julie Loxton in Science, Mr Jeremy Wittber in Hass, Ms Jaime Lee Duncombe, and Mrs Alicia Matrakis in Home Economics and Ms Rosie Martin in D&T. Joining us in the Year 7 team, we have Mr Andrew Smith and Mrs Victoria Thornton (both teaching Maths and Science) and I would like to especially welcome Ms Chiara Petriccione who is joining us this year from Italy and working in our languages department.

We also welcome back our staff returning from leave - Mrs Jane Rebeiro, Ms Rosie Circosta, Mr Richard Guthrie, and Mr Paul Heslop. You will also notice some new faces in the canteen and we welcome Mrs Nicole Smith as the new Canteen Manager.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017

We are very proud of our Year 12 students who finished their studies last year with a record number of students achieving certificate awards.

Yuval Berman received a Subject Certificate of Excellence for Maths Methods. Yuval Berman and Thomas Griffiths both received a Certificate of Distinction, while Jonathan Hoey, Nieve Hope, Eleanor Hosking, Brittany Isaia, Anja Kovacevic, Sidonie Moran, Grace Smith, Jade Smith, Madison Tapley, Ellen Taylor and Jazmin Welch all received Certificates of Merit.

Overall 95% of our students achieved their WACE, with 98% reaching attainment level (Cert II or ATAR >55). Our median ATAR was 76, (up from 71 was last year) and above our like schools and within 2% of the state.

We also received a subject award for Outdoor Education, having the highest performing students in this course across all schools.

On another note our Health and Physical Education department were awarded a president medal for their efforts in delivering First Aid and Bronze Medallion certificates since 2004.

First up for the year

At our first full school assembly, we congratulated our Year 11 high performing students, who were top of their courses last year and welcomed our new student leadership teams, including Declan O’Hanlon and Sian Crossman as head boy and girl.

We also heard from Gemma Addison and Aiyana Erbeking who participated in the Year 12 Leavers – East Timor project. They, along with students from other local schools, took on the challenge of giving back to others by spending their holidays in East Timor working on community projects. We are very proud that our students are part of this wonderful program run by Kalamunda Rotary.

Congratulations also go to Hannah Harwood for the print “Pop art self portrait” and Imogen Wilkey for the print “Untitled”. Both received Merit Certificates in the Ilford Photographic Competition at the end of last year.

As our Class of 2018 step up and begin their final year at school, we will be supporting them as they transition into the adult world. The first of many special events was their Year 12 ball which they celebrated with distinction and style. We also held a ‘meet and greet’ evening for our Year 12 parents and welcomed back 2017 Leavers Thomas Griffiths and Alex Snow to share their perspectives on this significant year.

Our Year 7s have recently returned from their Values camp week, where they enjoyed getting to know each other a little better, participating in a range of activities and having lots of fun. We look forward to a follow up evening for Year 7 parents in Week 5.

Contributions and Charges

Thank you to our parents for their support of their children’s education, and we encourage all those who have not done so already, to contact the school to finalise their payments as soon as possible. The money collected is used in classrooms to provide resources, printing, equipment and other class materials. If parents are unable to pay the amount up front, we encourage you to contact the Manager of Corporate Services, Jeni Jorritsma, to discuss payment plan options.

Best wishes for all our students for a successful year ahead.

Mrs Helen Deacon
Principal

Senior School Report

The Senior School students have settled in well for Term 1 2018, in particular our Class of 2018 who are quickly coming to terms with the demands of being in their final year of school. All students will now have their course outlines and will be aware of task and assignment due dates, parents can check these on Connect. The senior school student planners are a great source of information about study tips, establishing a good study routine and general organisation. It is also imperative to be very familiar with the updated Senior School Assessment Policy, please take some time to read through, in particular Medical Certificates to be presented if assessments or deadlines are missed.

Our Year 10, 11 and 12 students will participate in workshops to teach essential skills to help them achieve the best results possible. These workshops will run during the year on Friday period one, and include topics like WACE information, skills for productive study, preparation of a study plan that fits each individual and time and stress management.

We recently had the Year 12 Ball which was a wonderful success. This year’s ball was held at the Rendezvous and was truly a superb night filled with dancing; pictures and fun, as well as amazingly dressed Year 12s. I would like to thank the Ball Committee and Mr Stott for planning the night, and also the teachers who came along and supervised on this most memorable night.

A special thank you to the parents who attended our first Year12 meet and greet with staff evening on Thursday 15 February. The evening went very well and was enjoyed by all.

OLNA testing is happening in Weeks 6, 7 and 8. If your child is one who will be required to sit any of the three tests you will be advised of this. It is important to remember students will have to pass the OLNA in order to achieve their WACE. We have in place a support program and specialist teachers to work with those students needing to pass the OLNA.

Students wishing to drive to school must complete and adhere to the Permission to Drive to School paperwork. Driving without correct paperwork, not following the regulations and not parking in the correct place may result in loss of Good Standing.

I would like to just remind everyone that Senior School is one of the most demanding times of students’ lives, so as well as working to the best of their ability, it is also important to have a good life balance, including strategies to relieve some stress or pressure. It is important to be both mentally and physically healthy. I can also source additional information regarding universities and revision courses if your child needs any further information or help, which I will put on Connect whenever available. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further assistance.

COURSE AWARDS 2017

Listed below are the worthy winners of the 2017 Course Awards, congratulations to all.

The Arts

Humanities and Social Sciences

Mathematics

English

Technology and Enterprise

Science

Health and Physical Education

Mrs Sharon Andrews
Head of Senior School

Year 11 Report

Welcome back to school and welcome to Year 11. I have to say I have been so impressed with how the year group has adjusted to life in Year 11. Three weeks in and I have had so many compliments from teachers regarding how well the students are doing. It seems that a lot of maturing was done in the school holidays!

Year 11 brings along with it many challenges. I’m sure you will have noticed an increase in the amount of homework and assignments that your child is now expected to do. I can’t stress enough how important it is for time management and organisational skills to come into play. The students have all been issued with student planners that have some great tips in both these areas. They are also a fabulous way for your child to keep track of what work is due when- so if you could give them a gentle nudge to use these- that would be great. Getting a handle on the demands of Senior School early usually leads to fewer meltdowns in the future.

Attendance is another area that is really important to order to stay on track. Whilst I understand that some absences are unavoidable, regular attendance is important to ensure your child has the chance has the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Another aspect that is important to success is your child maintaining their Good Standing. The Good Standing criteria is listed in detail in the student planner, but attendance, uniform and behaviour are all important components. As the School Ball is held in the early weeks of Year 12- a loss of Good Standing in the later stages of Year 11 will result in your child not being able to attend.

If you have any problems, concerns or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Email tends to be the most efficient way Emma.Cannell@education.wa.edu.au.

Ms Emma Dunstan
Year 11 Coordinator

Year 10 Report

Welcome back to school for 2018! The Year 10s have settled in to their new role as Senior School students at Kalamunda SHS. They have quite an important year ahead of them and as Senior School Students; there comes added expectations in terms of their behaviour and academic performance.

The students’ performance this year will determine the selections that they are able to make in Year 11. It is important that students take all their subjects very seriously and ensure that all work is done and assessments are handed in.

Each student was issued with a Student Planner at the beginning of the year, so it is important that these are used to keep track of their work. Please check your child’s Student Planner for information about maintaining Student Good Standing to ensure your child is included in the end of semester and end of year rewards. We currently have several students not wearing the correct school uniform and Mentor Teachers informing Student Services if there are concerns.

I am also concerned that we have a few students coming late to school, arriving late to class or taking holidays during the school term. Student attendance needs to be above 90% and if your child is away during an assessment a doctor’s certificate will be needed. This affects students Good Standing, but more importantly, is detrimental to their overall learning and success at school. The Student Planners also have some great information in them to help with time management and study skills, to name a few areas.

Students who have not achieved Band 8 or higher in any of the three components of Reading, Writing and Numeracy in their Year 9 NAPLAN will need to undertake the OLNA (Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment) testing. It is designed to enable students to successfully meet the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) requirement of demonstrating the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy.

At the end of last year, the students began to look at their future school and career pathways. Please continue to chat with your child about their future goals. Having a rough idea of what career path they would like to pursue makes the process of setting goals much easier.

Thank you Parents/Carers for your support at the beginning of the school year - it means a lot to school staff when students are prepared for learning each day. When students get enough sleep, have their books and equipment and have healthy food to eat to keep their brains functioning at their best. It also makes our day, and your child’s, so much easier to tackle when they’re on time to school and also wearing their school uniform correctly.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me, your child’s Mentor Teacher or Learning Area Teacher if you have any questions.

Mrs Nicole Sijka
Year 10 Coordinator

Middle School Report

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. Along with the Mentor Teachers we have an amazing set of Year Coordinators who are all available to assist you with any concerns or questions you may have.

If you have an issue or question the first person to contact would be the Mentor Teacher as they see the student at the start of each day. An entry into their planner is the easiest and quickest way for you to make contact. The Mentor Teacher can then ensure that the information is passed on to the correct person.

Coming up soon we have our Bibbulmun Challenge for our Year 8 students so that will truly develop the school value of Resilience. This is an annual tradition and helps to develop Resilience amongst our Year 8s. I would strongly suggest that the Year 8s start to do some walking. We will be changing things a little this tear by doing the Challenge on a Thursday not a Friday and there will be more chance for debriefing in the afternoon. The schedule for the Challenge is set out below and permission forms and more information will be coming out soon.

School Planner

Each student was given a student planner at the start of the year. This is a valuable tool for not only organisation and planning when it comes to assessments and homework, but as a communication tool. If you are concerned about something in your child’s class then please write a note to the teacher in the planner and have the staff member sign it so you know they have seen it. By using the Student Planner it helps with the communication process but also builds organisational capacity for the student. If the note comes back unsigned then there is a fair chance the teacher did not see i.

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.

Mr Mark Pettit
Head of Middle School

Year 9 Report

I would like to begin by welcoming our new and returning families to Kalamunda Senior High School in 2018. I hope that you all had a relaxing and refreshing summer break. I am delighted to be taking on the role of Year 9 Coordinator and to be supporting the cohort through this important year of their school career. I have had some very positive interactions with the students so far and am looking forward to continuing to get to know them better as the year progresses.

Recently we had a presentation by Adam from Armed for Life where he spoke to the Year 9s about good decision making. He outlined three main considerations when making healthy choices – “Who is making decisions for you? Why are you making these decisions? And how are you making these decisions?” He also shared some of his own experiences to illustrate the importance of students asking themselves these questions when faced with making choices. As the final year of Middle School, Year 9 is pivotal for many, and the decisions made by students this year can often have lasting impact upon their future. The strategies discussed in this presentation are definitely something that all students can utilise and reflect upon when they find themselves in challenging situations, or having to make difficult choices.

In addition to the Armed for Life presentation, this term sees a busy calendar of events for the Year 9s with the following taking place;

Term 1

• Rite Journey Boys/Girls breakfast in Week 7 and Challenge in Week 11
• Year 9 Assembly in Week 4 and Week 7.
• House Swimming Carnival in Week 5
• GRIP Leadership Conference Excursion – Year 9 Councillors, House Representatives plus other interested school leaders in week 8
• Year 9 Boys/Girls Triple Challenge with the School Chaplain – Desi Chapman in Week 10

Another important date to take note of is the NAPLAN assessment which will take place in the week beginning Monday 14 May, Week 3 of Term 2. Students who have achieved Band 8 or higher in any of the three components of reading, writing and numeracy in their Year 9 NAPLAN will not be required to sit the corresponding OLNA component. OLNA (Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment) is designed to enable students to successfully meet the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) requirement of demonstrating the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy.

We will also be continuing to reward students for their commitment to making good choices and displaying the school values through our Kala Credits rewards system. From this term, credits will be recorded on our system electronically with rewards given out at assemblies. Assemblies will continue to address items such uniform, courtesy and respect, and acknowledging those who are contributing positively to the school and wider community.

I would like to thank the Year 9s for such a positive start to the term and also parents and carers for their part in ensuring students arrived so well prepared at the beginning of the new school year. Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at karen.stuart@education.wa.edu.au.

Miss Karen Stuart
Year 9 Coordinator

Year 8 Report

Welcome to Kalamunda Senior High School for 2018. I have the pleasure of assisting all the Year 8s this year as the Year 8 Coordinator in their journey through Middle School. It has been a great start to the new school year. The students have jumped at the challenge to prove themselves to be a fantastic cohort. They have settled well into Year 8 and have coped well with the changes put upon them from Year 7. It has been great to hear all the positive comments from teachers on their preparation, readiness to learn and positive attitude they bring to all their classes.

At the first year meeting on day one, the theme was to make the most of the opportunities available to them this year. With this in mind, I encourage all students to get involved in and make the most of the many activities on offer including House Swimming Carnival and Bibbulmun Challenge which will be coming up Term 1.

We recently had a visit from ‘Armed for Life’ to talk to the Year 8 students about resilience. As resilience is one of our school values it was a helpful presentation to build up the skills of our students to cope with challenges that arise both in and outside of school. I hope the students were able to walk away with a new found understanding of how to deal with problems and develop healthy relationships.

One area of concern across the school is the use of mobile phones. Whilst we understand students do bring these devices to school we do have a strict policy. Mobiles phones are not permitted and if students do bring them, they should be kept on silent or turned off and not to be seen once students come on to school grounds. We want to create a safe environment, free from the pressures of social media and to provide the opportunities for positive social interactions. Therefore, I would like to remind all Year 8s that if they bring their phone to school they should not be out before school and during breaks as they will be confiscated and the phone can only be collected by a guardian from the front office.

I want to thank the Year 8s for the warm welcome into this role and for the positive way they have approached the start of the new school year. I would also like to take the time to thank you for your efforts in preparing your child for the beginning of the school year and I look forward to working together to ensure they achieve their personal best.

If you have any queries or concerns please feel free to contact me. The best form of communication is via email at laura.cheetham@education.wa.edu.au

Ms Laura Cheetham
Year 8 Coordinator

Student Services Report

Welcome to all new staff and students for 2018. It has been a wonderful start to the year and I would like to thank all staff, students and parents for assisting with this. All students have been welcomed back with a Whole School Assembly to introduce the new student Leadership Group and to celebrate the Year 11 Semester 2 achievements.

I would like to introduce the Student Services team for 2018 and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns or issues.

Student Services Team

Celebrating Semester Two Achievements

Our final assembly for 2017 was an opportunity to celebrate students who excelled through the semester and maintained 100% attendance. Congratulations to all the winners.

100% Attendance Award Winners for 2017

Advanced Good Standing Winners 2017

Commendation Awards 2017

Final Assembly Winners 2017

Cyber Safety Corner

Mrs Amanda Morton
Manager Student Services

Career Corner

Welcome to the Career corner hopefully throughout the year you will find interesting information to help you navigate the pathways to a successful and rewarding career.

My name is Carl Stott and over the past seven years I have worked in Student Services as the Year 10 coordinator and last year I was able to follow a group through to Year 11. I am passionate about supporting students in recognising their talents and making good choices to help them into the best path for their future.

I will be working across the school to provide students with relevant information and tools to assist them make positive choices for themselves.

Did you know? A 2017 report by the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) showed that: Automation, Globalisation and Collaboration were three big areas of change for the future of work. The diagram from page 16 shows some of the opportunities for young Australians. Check out the FYA website for more information.

If you have questions about your child or pathways available to them please contact me via email carl.stott@education.wa.edu.au.

Mr Carl Stott
Career Coordinator

A note from the Community Health Nurse

Welcome to the new school year. Our names are Louise Jonker and Lindsay Smith and we are the Community Health Nurses based at Kalamunda Senior High School.

Community Health Nurses are skilled in assessing adolescent health needs. We engage in health counselling with young people to identify issues, risks and protective factors, provide advice and brief intervention, assist with access and referral to other services, and provide follow up care. Young people can drop in to the health centre or make appointments to discuss health and wellbeing issues.

The services provided are free and confidential. If you have a concern about your child’s health or wellbeing please contact us on 0438 810 442 (Louise) or 0437 550 719 (Lindsay).

Want to know about the OLNA?

Some students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are about to sit the OLNA. You may have heard about it, but are not sure what it means for your child.

OLNA stands for the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment. In order to demonstrate the required literacy and numeracy standards for the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), some students are expected to sit this assessment. The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (Authority) awards the WACE at the end of Year 12 to students who have met all the requirements. You can find more about the requirements on the Authority website.

Some students prequalify for the literacy and numeracy requirement through their performance in the Year 9 NAPLAN test. We will inform you whether your child needs to the sit the OLNA, which is held in March and September each year, starting in Year 10. This means students will have up to six opportunities before the end of Year 12 to meet the requirement.

The OLNA has three components—reading, writing and numeracy. The reading and numeracy components comprise 45 multiple‐choice questions; the writing component is an extended response of up to 600 words. Students are allowed 50 minutes for the reading and numeracy components and 60 minutes for the writing. The table below provides an overview of the components.

To prepare our students for the types of questions they can expect and to familiarise them with the online assessment platform, we provide access to practice and example tests on a secure website. The link to the secure website for the practice and example tests is available on the Authority website at the link below under Years 11 and 12 > Assessment > OLNA > Practice and Example Tests.

For students with a disability, we have guidelines to help determine the appropriate adjustments for equal access. Information about disability adjustments is available on the Authority website under Years 11 and 12 > Assessment > Disability Adjustment Guidelines

Students who do not demonstrate the literacy and numeracy standard by the time they exit senior secondary schooling can apply to the Authority to re-sit the OLNA at any age.

If you want to know more, go to the Authority’s website and look under Years 11 and 12 > Assessment > OLNA. There you will find more information, answers to frequently asked questions and a brief video. You can also send questions to olna@scsa.wa.edu.au.

Mr Phil Henderson
Manager of School Operations

Health, Outdoor and Physical Education

Welcome to the Health, Outdoor and Physical Education learning area for 2018

It is my pleasure to introduce the learning area staff for this year.

2017 was a great year with all the usual events, excursions and expedition and produced some great results. Congratulations to the Year 12 ATAR students and teachers who gained a subject award for their ATAR results and to the staff who through their delivery of First Aid and Bronze medallion certificates since 2004 gained Kalamunda SHS the Royal Life Saving Society of Western Australia’s Presidents Award.

Term 1 Important Dates

Note Kalamunda SHS will not be entering the Interschool Cross Country, parents can enter their student as individual participants and can contact Mr D Watson for details.

Mr Dale Watson
Head of Learning Area Health, Outdoor and Physical Education

Drama

Italian Update

Languages Assistant

Hi Kalamunda Senior High School,

I’m Chiara Petriccione and I’m your Italian assistant teacher. I’m glad to be here and be part of your community this year! I come from a city called Brescia, in the north of Italy. I’ve always dreamt of travelling and now I have the opportunity to do it!

During high school I studied languages - English, French and Spanish - and Economics and I’ve always travelled around Europe to enrich my studies. When I had to choose the university course the easiest way was to continue to study Languages or Economics but I had the courage to change direction and I followed my wish to teach.

I finished university in December 2016 and I started to work as a teacher in Italy. My previous studies at high school gave me the opportunity to be good at English and to develop many important skills – techniques for boosting my memory, listening, communicating with many people in different countries, creative thinking, enhancing my native language and problem solving skills. I was different from my other university friends, I learnt how to better speak English and I achieved good results in the different jobs I had.

Last July I was selected to be part of a volunteer program of assistant teachers in Perth schools. I’ve been here 3 months. I taught but I’ve also got to know lots of people and I visited your beautiful country. I’ve been to Busselton, Margaret River, Rockingham, Geraldton, Shark bay and Coral bay as you can see from my photos.

While I was in Australia, I applied for this Languages Assistant program managed by the Education Department and after few weeks I was selected! So, since completing high school everything has clicked together and it has allowed me to be here with you now!

A big thank you for this experience must go to Mrs Maria Pennington. She applied with other schools for this program and she worked hard so that I could be here. Furthermore she’s hosting me now and I have the pleasure to live with her beautiful and lovely family.

I look forward working with you, students, I want to teach you as much as I can about my beautiful language, my amazing country and my wonderful culture. But also being here I want to learn about the Australian lifestyle and see what this enormous land has to offer.

Thank you

Ms Chiara Petriccione
Languages Assistant

What is happening in Italy? (What Italian students have learned about this term)

The Festival of Sanremo is a singing event held annually in Sanremo, Italy during the winter season. It is the most famous pop music event in Italy and a major media event on Italian television.

It currently takes place at the Teatro Ariston between late February and early March. Originally it was held in the ballroom of the San Remo Casino near the end of January. The festival is essentially a singing competition among performers presenting original songs in premiere, never performed publicly before, composed by Italian authors, and voted by juries and/or by popular vote.

Check these songs out!

Students are introduced to all genres of Italian music. Analysing lyrics, listening to the music and viewing unique music clips opens up a whole new world to students; linguistically and culturally. It is really exciting when students add Italian music to their playlists. This means that they are appreciating their Italian Language and Culture studies as well as displaying an intercultural awareness.

The insider’s guide to Carnevale di Venezia 2018

Carnevale di Venezia (Venice Carnival) is undoubtedly one of the most famous carnivals in the world. The beautiful costumes and typical Venetian masks transform the city in a magical way. The glamour of it all will make you wish you lived in a different time period. The event attracts approx. 3 million visitors per year, which makes it the largest event in Venice. I cannot deny that it can be very hectic and crowded, but if you know where to go and when, you will certainly enjoy your trip. In this post, I will tell you about the history of the carnival in Venice and give you insights and insider tips for the main events that will be organised this year.

Which events can you attend at the Venice Carnival in 2018?

Festa Veneziana, Piazza San Marco, Festa delle Marie, Best Masked Costume Competition, Carnevale dei Ragazzi, Volo dell’Angolo, Ballata delle Maschere, Fresch.In Festival, Nicoletti e Castellani, Arsenale Carnival Experience, Regata Sprint di Carnevale, Volo dell’Aquila, Svolo del Leone, Balls

Carnevale di Venezia 2018: Creatum – Civitas Ludens

The 2018 Venice Carnival runs from January 27 until February 13. For this edition, the city of Venice will be transformed in a huge circus. This is inspired by the movie ‘La Strada’ of Fellini. The impressive stage on San Marco will be built by the scenographers from Teatro La Fenice. The artistic director of the third edition of Creatum is again Marco Maccapani.

New initiatives include a fight between ‘nicolotti’ and ‘castellani, two rivalling neighbourhoods in Venice at the time of La Serenissima, and three regatas. You can find more information on these in the overview below. There are also several events for children and students. The Carnevale events are not limited to Venice itself, but also take place in Burano, Lido, Mestre and Marghera.

There are many organised activities, such as the ones listed below. You can also continuously admire the fabulous costumes and Venetian masks all across the San Marco sestiere, where Venetians and tourists parade all day in their costume.

Temperature in February

Temperatures in February vary depending on where you are in Italy, but as a general rule of thumb these are the ranges:

• Northern Italy: 25-45°F (4-5°C)
• Central Italy: 40-55°F (5-13°C)
• Southern Italy: 50-60°F (10-16°C)

Mrs Maria Pennington
Teacher in Charge of Languages

Science –CoderDojo

CoderDojo WA is a network of independent community coding clubs which Scitech is a major supporter and fan of. They organise and run Dojos - casual club-style sessions where young people aged 7-17 (called Ninjas) take part in activities related to coding and computing. Sound like you?

Students interested in trying this out are invited to join Ms Richards and other staff for a session or two. Watch the daily notices for further details or just drop in to the Science Office.

Humanities Humbug!

The year begins in earnest for the Year 12 students studying Modern History ATAR, Politics and Law ATAR, Psychology ATAR, Career & Enterprise GENERAL and Certificate 2 in Tourism. Humanities teachers wish all students every success during 2018. Work hard!

We are pleased to have so many students studying Humanities and Social Sciences courses in Year 11, with record numbers choosing to study Politics and Law ATAR and solid classes in Modern History (both ATAR and General), Geography ATAR , Psychology ATAR, Career and Enterprise GENERAL, and Certificate 2 in Tourism. Students are reminded that they will need to work hard to make a successful transition to the new courses that they have chosen. Good luck!

Tourism students

Year 10 students have begun the year studying History (1919-the present day). The key areas will be the time between WW1 and WW11; a close study of World War 2 in the Pacific Theatre of war and on the home front; finishing with a time studying the rise of the civil right movement across the world. This course will be both interesting and engaging for students.

ANZAC competition students

Year 9 students will study Geography, including the basics of the biomes of the world; food security and food/fibre production systems. Plenty of relevant issues will be addressed in classes including the need for humans to be more sustainable in their resource use and answering questions such as how are we going to feed the increasing population of the world?

Year 8 History requires the study of the time period between the ancient and modern world – students will learn about the Medieval world (Europe focus) and the strong influence this time still has on our world today. Additionally, a depth study of the Black Plague and the significant impact this health problem had on the world is an exciting and interesting part of the course.

Finally, the Year 7 students are focussed this term on the Geography course which involves studying Water in the World which is particularly relevant in Australia being the 2nd driest continent on earth. This will then lead into a focus on understanding place and liveability whereby student will be able to study their local urban environments and look for ways that it can be made a better place to live through urban planning and development.

Year 7 Planning Incursion

All students and parents are reminded that there are a number of items that they are required to bring to school for Humanities and Social Sciences classes. This list has been distributed to all students by teachers and is found below:

It enables classes to run much more smoothly if students come prepared and are ready to work. We want to see all students working to the best of their ability in all Humanities classes.

We wish all students good luck for a challenging and busy 2018.

Mr Richard Guthrie
Head of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Big Splash WA

The Big Splash WA is an initiative developed by the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and is in in response to the increase in the number of children and adolescents presenting to emergency departments with self-harm and attempted suicide – a 400% increase in the last five years.

The initiative is trying to raise awareness of children’s mental health and equip young people and their families with tools and resources to help them cope with whatever life throws at them.

The dolphin was chosen by The Big Splash WA because of the similar traits between dolphins and people. Like us, dolphins thrive in groups, display distress in isolation, have distinct personalities and flaws, protect their young and most vulnerable, and need to come up for air and to blow off steam from time to time!

The Big Splash WA Art Trail launched on 20 January with 36 unique dolphin sculptures popping up around the Peth CBD and South Perth. The Art Trail is a fun, engaging and positive event that will spark lots of conversations about mental health well-being to remind all children that they can speak about their feelings; they are not alone and real help is available.

As part of the project the school purchased a dolphin calf part way through last year, which has been painted by some of our talented art students.

Their design was inspired by both light and dark in life. The ocean represents the difficulty that people with mental health issues suffer and how often it feels that they are drowning. What is important to remember is that the light is always there as a support. The garden and the flowers represent the growth that can occur when the appropriate support is found. Life is about this balance, the ups and the downs.

On the weekend of 17 March our dolphin, along with the other school dolphins will join the pod to farewell the larger dolphins as they leave across the ocean. This farewell is a great opportunity to see the whole pod together and will be held in the Perth Convention Centre.

Mrs Jenny Edmonds
Psychologist

National Day of Action

On Friday 16 March 2018, Kalamunda SHS will stand united with other Australian schools to celebrate the eighth National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA).

The National Day of Action is Australia’s key anti-bullying event for schools and in 2018, schools are called to imagine a world free from bullying and share their BIG IDEAS. “What does this look like, and how do we achieve it?”

It is a positive day of action to help find workable solutions that address bullying and violence and is an opportunity for the whole school community to 'take a stand together' against bullying and violence.

KSHS is proud to be involved and are planning to run events throughout the week leading up the Friday 16 March.

All together we need to keep the message in students’ minds that bullying is never OK and that we all need to act when we see it.

Mrs Jenny Edmonds
Psychologist

Act, Belong, Commit

Kalamunda SHS has been affiliated with the Act-Belong-Commit initiative for eight years now. The mental health message of Act-Belong-Commit encourages children, young people and adults to deliberately do things to look after their mental wellbeing. The message is simple:

Keeping mentally and physically active, having good friends and helping others or learning new things not only builds self-esteem and confidence but it also can reduce stress and increase resilience against mental health problems.

The school is committed to helping all students helping all students maintain positive mental health and develop a strong sense of resilience, utilising the Act-Belong-Commit message. Throughout the year we run mental health expo’s, mental health weeks where we encourage students to participate in activities that support their mental health. Additionally, we will provide tips and strategies in each newsletter throughout the year to help families stay mentally healthy.

A random act of kindness each day can boost your happiness

It’s as simple as helping your sibling with their homework, to letting someone in front of you in a queue, donating your old books to a library, holding the door for someone or picking up litter from the street.

Mrs Jenny Edmonds
Psychologist

2018 Student Exchange – Host Families wanted!