Hi everyone!

I am very excited to be the new Year 8 Coordinator at Kalamunda SHS for 2025. I have been a Home Economics teacher here for the past 2 years, I love cooking and I love all things food! Some of my favourite things about Kalamunda SHS are the beautiful trees, the lovely new Art Building and our new cooking room in B3. It’s for upper school students, so still a few years away for our Year 8s!

In my new role as Year 8 Coordinator, I am excited to work closely with students, parents, and staff to ensure a smooth and successful year for all. In Term 2 we will commence our Bibbulmun Challenge, where we leave school for the day and do a big, long walk along the Bibbulmun track. It’s something that many Kalamunda students remember long afterwards. More info on that to come.

I look forward to meeting and working with you all, and I am always available if you have any questions. Find me in the Home Ec office or Student Services.

Best regards,

Sophie Bee

Year 8 Coordinator

Welcome to the Mathematics Learning Area for 2025!

This year we welcome Annaliese Tempest and Jeff Fu to the team.  It has also been great to have Emma Potts back from extended leave in 2024. The Mathematics teaching team is as follows:

Now that students have started their various courses of study, I would like to remind you of the importance of checking in with Connect.  All course information, including course content and assessment outlines, can be sourced in the Library section of Connect.  Teachers will also use Connect to post notices regarding assessment tasks and upload relevant learning tools. 

All students continue to have access to Mathspace [http://mathspace.co/] in 2025, and it has been great to see many taking advantage of this wonderful resource to assist with their learning.  Within Mathspace, there is a lesson function and a textbook, which can be used by students to keep up with their courses of study.  Please contact your child’s teacher if login details have been forgotten over the summer holidays. 

Maths Homework club is running on Wednesdays between 3 and 4pm.  We encourage all students to come along and spend some time working on class work or Mathspace. The team will be happy to help answer any of your Maths related questions.

Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher, if you have any concerns regarding your child’s learning program or progress throughout this year.

Alanna Webb

Head of Mathematics Learning Area

2025: THE YEAR AHEAD

Welcome back to a new year of challenging Science experiences bought to you by our dedicated team of Science Teachers and support staff.

Students will find that in addition to interesting encounters in the classroom learning, there will be opportunities to take things to the next level and explore new dimensions and experiences.

Some to look out for: 

SCIENCE WEEK

Celebrated nation-wide from the 9^th to the 17^th of August, this year’s theme is…

‘Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language’

This theme invites students across Australia to delve into the mysteries of the Universe by exploring the fundamental languages of nature, including mathematics and the groundbreaking field of quantum science.

 BIG SCIENCE COMPETITION

The Big Science Competition is open to students in Years 7 to 10 globally. It’s a 50-minute, mixed format online competition testing science knowledge, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Questions are set in real-life, contemporary contexts, making them relatable… and interesting! 

ROBOTICS

This specialized program run by Mathematics and Science staff at Kalamunda Senior High School drew a keen audience last year. It is hands-on and involves designing and building programmable robot machinery capable of executing designated tasks. Our school team not only enjoyed themselves but also had great success in competitive environments. A highlight was the frisbee-throwing droids during Science Week. (Ours were like the one shown in the image).

Watch the Daily Notices for more information on these opportunities as the year progresses…

Rachel Richards 

Head of Science Learning  Area

Back To School Routines Which Promote

Good Mental Health for Teens

 Student Mental Health Challenges

Student mental health challenges such as anxiety, social anxiety, depression, stress, school refusal, and fear of school can be significant concerns for parents and students alike during the back-to-school season. As adolescents and teens prepare to return to the academic setting, it’s essential for parents like you to be aware of these potential difficulties. Understanding and addressing the impact of the challenges listed in this back-to-school guide and using the mental health checklist will enable you to help your child navigate their transition back to the classroom. 

1. Communicate

As the school year approaches, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open so you can best understand how your child is feeling and to build your emotional connection with them. When starting a conversation, keep in mind that if you’re asking questions, it could feel like an interrogation to your adolescent or teen. To ensure they’ll be more open to responding honestly and get them to start talking, try “I noticed” statements. For example, you could say, “I noticed you seem nervous about going back to school.”  

As part of your communication process, practice active listening. Avoid multitasking to give your full attention to your adolescent or teen, face them with welcoming body language, and make eye contact in a relaxed, uncritical manner. Giving your undivided attention will help you listen attentively so you can paraphrase what’s said and withhold judgment and advice. 

2. Help them prioritize sleep & healthy eating habits

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, children ages 6-12 should get nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, while teens 13-18 should get eight to 10 hours. So, it’s important your adolescent or teen prioritizes getting good sleep as they head back to school. However, if your child is sleeping too much, that can affect their mental and physical well-being. Early start times at school can add to this issue, as an adolescent or teenager who’s always tired can have difficulty getting up for and functioning well in class.  

To promote healthy sleep hygiene and habits, you can help your child develop a bedtime routine; encourage reduced caffeine use; limit social media and technology use; and encourage exercise, yoga, and mindfulness.  Where possible it is good to maintain a scheduled bedtime on weekends; this helps to regulate their natural body clock, making it easier to wake up during the week.

Eating good, healthy food provides their bodies with vital nutrients and energy throughout the day, as well as supporting brain function for learning. When adolescents are stressed, it taxes their immune system making them susceptible to any viruses doing the rounds and school.   

3. Build a support network

Many adolescents, teenagers, and their families are carrying the burden of mental health issues alone. That’s because building a mental health support network can be difficult, as it can be tough to connect with and trust others. But that network can provide your child with essential support as they head back to class — and during the school year.  

The people in your child’s support network should be active listeners who take your adolescent or teen’s well-being seriously. They should be people your family receives love and support from. You can find them in churches, at schools, on sports teams, or at other group activities. 

4. Encourage practicing gratitude

Practicing gratitude can be a powerful tool for adolescents and teens facing mental health challenges during the back-to-school season, as it can help shift their focus beyond the struggles or frustrations of life. By expressing appreciation for “the little things,” such as supportive friends or even the opportunity to learn, they can cultivate a more positive mindset and build their resilience. This allows them to navigate challenges with a more optimistic perspective. Consider encouraging your adolescent or teen to keep a gratitude journal or to do something as simple as creating a note on their phone that lists positive aspects about school so they can look at them on a regular basis. 

5. Establish a routine

Establishing a routine can greatly benefit adolescents and teens as they transition back to class, making it an important part of the mental health checklist in this back-to-school guide. Work with your child to create a structured schedule. When they implement it, they can experience several advantages: 

• A sense of stability: A routine provides a sense of stability and predictability, which can help reduce anxiety and stress. 
• Enhanced time management: Following a routine helps students effectively manage their time, allowing for a better balance between academics, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments. 
• Improved self-care: Incorporating self-care activities into the routine, such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and time for hobbies, can contribute to better mental health and overall well-being. 
• Better focus and productivity: A structured routine helps adolescents and teens stay organized, prioritize tasks, and maintain focus, enhancing productivity and reducing feelings of overwhelm.

For more detailed information about student mental health challenges you can visit the full article here; Back-to-School Guide: Supporting Students’ Mental Health

By Aundraea Stevens

Convenor of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee