Information for parents

At Kalamunda SHS we want your teenager to do their very best. To get the best education, they need to go to school every day.

The teenage years are a time for young people to develop independence and find their place in the world, including how they take part in their school life. We know that some children may need extra encouragement to attend school regularly.

By working together, our school community can address some of the reasons why teenagers may not want to go to school.

Amanda Morton
Program Coordinator - Student Support

It is a big adjustment from Year 10 to 11 for our students with the level of responsibility and expectations increasing. Over the past few weeks, students whould have under taken their first Year 11 assessments, it is an important time to reflect on those assessments and implement strategies to improve. Being organised and using a range of study skills is vital for student success in Senior School courses. In order to to assist in getting off to a good start in Year 11,  I have uploaded some fantastic resources regarding getting organised for success that have been developed by Aundraea Stevens on Connect. More resources will be come available over the coming weeks so please keep an eye out. We have also just finished our first round of OLNA for the year. OLNA is important and directly contributes to WACE (Western Australian Certificate of Education) achievement. There are many supports at the school to help students improve and be successful at completing their OLNA.

I think we have had a good start to the year even with the slight delay and I look forward to the rest of our busy term helping the Year 11s to settle in. As always should you have any questions or concerns regarding your student please do not hesitate to contact me.

Laura Morris
Year 11 Coordinator

The English Department are delighted to welcome our new and returning students to the 2021 school year. We have a few new faces within the teaching team; we welcome CJ Hanson, Michelle Aslett and Claire Connor into the department, and we also welcome back Sarah Adams from maternity leave.  The English staff have been very impressed by how quickly and efficiently the students have settled into the school year after an interrupted beginning. Across the year groups, students are preparing for, or have just completed, their first assessment. Students are encouraged to keep important dates and homework for English in their diaries and develop effective personal organisation strategies. Resources and course outlines detailing important dates have been uploaded onto Connect for both students and guardians to access.

The Year 7s have made an excellent start to their high school career and the teachers are seeing some fantastic work from students analysing and writing fantasy texts.

Our Year 8 students have been investigating sustainability this term and are looking at the importance of making good decisions that protect the environment. They have been focussing on their reading, viewing and listening skills. The students in Miss Connor’s class enjoyed participating in a group investigation activity. The pictures below are examples of the ideas they came up with.

Some upcoming opportunities that students are encouraged to be involved in:

Join the Cotherstone Press. This is a creative writing group which meets fortnightly. It is for anyone from Year 7 to 12 who has a keen interest in creative writing and is interested in getting to know other people with similar interests. Exciting workshops will be run by English teachers and we would love to see you there.

Participate in the Reading Challenge. The Reading Challenge is a connect community that is open to all students across the school. It encourages young readers to write reviews on books they have enjoyed across various genres. To contribute or read recommendations from people your own age, talk to your English teacher for how you can become involved.

Should you have any questions regarding an English curriculum matter, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or Karen Stuart, Head of English Learning Area.

Nicolee McNally
English Teacher

Welcome to the Health, Outdoor and Physical Education (HOPE) learning area for 2021.

It is my pleasure to introduce the Learning Area staff for this year: 

After the tumultuous year 2020 was, we are looking forward to running all calendar events this year including Lightning Carnivals, Expeditions, Athletics and Swimming Carnivals.

Term 1 important dates

Alice Hall
Health, Outdoor and Physical Education Teacher

How will students at Kalamunda SHS lead with languages?

The truth is, in today’s increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that gives you the opportunity to engage with the world in a more immediate and meaningful way—whether in your neighbourhood or thousands of miles away—while better preparing you to compete and succeed in the global economy.

Here Are Our Top Ten Benefits of Learning Languages:

1. Connect!
   One of the most rewarding aspects of the human experience is our ability to connect with others. Being able to communicate with someone in his or her language is an incredible gift. Bilinguals have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people in their personal and professional lives. Knowing the language makes you a local no matter where you are, opening up your world literally and figuratively. You will be shaped by communities. You will be humbled by the kindness of strangers. You will build lifelong friendships. And for these reasons alone, you will see the reward of learning languages for many years to come.
2. Advance Your Career
   Language skills can be a significant competitive advantage that sets you apart from your monolingual peers. They are among the top eight skills required of all occupations—no matter your sector or skill level—and the demand for bilingual professionals is rising exponentially. Employers are seeking professionals who can communicate seamlessly with customers in new and expanding overseas markets, as well as serve and sell to a large foreign-born population here at home. As an added incentive, in many instances, language skills also lead to hiring bonuses and increased salaries. Whatever your career aspiration—with language skills added to the mix, you’re ahead of the crowd!
3. Feed Your Brain
   The many cognitive benefits of learning languages are undeniable. People who speak more than one language have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask, and better listening skills. They switch between competing tasks and monitor changes in their environment more easily than monolinguals, as well as display signs of greater creativity and flexibility. If that weren’t enough, as we age, being bilingual or multilingual also helps to stave off mental aging and cognitive decline.
4. Deepen Your Connection to Other Cultures
   Language is the most direct connection to other cultures. Being able to communicate in another language exposes us to and fosters an appreciation for the traditions, religions, arts, and history of the people associated with that language. Greater understanding, in turn, promotes greater tolerance, empathy, and acceptance of others—with studies showing that children who have studied another language are more open toward and express more positive attitudes toward the culture associated with that language.
5. See the World
   Traveling as a speaker of the local language can revolutionize a trip abroad. While monolingual travellers are capable of visiting the same places, travellers who know more than one language are more easily able to navigate outside the tourist bubble and to connect and interact with the place and its people in a way that is often inaccessible to those without the language. Learning a second language also opens additional doors to opportunities for studying or working abroad.
6. Go to the Source
   In a world of more than 6,000 spoken languages, we sometimes require translation, but speaking at least one additional language empowers us to access information that would otherwise be off-limits. For example, individuals proficient in other languages are able to navigate the Internet as genuine global citizens—consuming and assessing foreign media and entertainment.
7. Become a Polyglot
   Not only does learning a second language improve communication skills and multiply vocabulary in your first language—yes, really!—but research shows that it makes picking up additional languages a much easier, especially among children. That’s because when you learn a new language, you develop new brain networks that are primed and ready when you embark on learning a third language.
8. Boost Your Confidence
   Any language learner can attest to making his or her share of mistakes while discovering a new language—often in front of an audience. It’s a necessary part of the learning process! Learning a language means putting yourself out there and moving out of your comfort zone. The upside is the amazing sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when conversing with someone in their native language.
9. Strengthen Your Decision Making
   Studies show that decisions made in your second language are more reason-driven than those made in your native language. Contrary to popular assumptions, when we deliberate in a second or third language, we actually distance ourselves from the emotional responses and biases deeply associated with our mother tongue. The result? Systematic and clear-headed decisions based on just the facts.
10. Gain Perspective
    As we explore a new language and culture, we naturally draw comparisons to what is most familiar. Learning about another culture sheds light on aspects of our own culture—both positive and negative—we may not have previously considered. You may find a greater appreciation for what you have, or you may decide to shake things up!

Study tips for learning foreign language

• Check CONNCECT library for resources and presentations and spend 10 minutes reviewing.
  
• Rehearse phrases, alphabet, expressions and conjugation of verbs out aloud at home to Mum, Dad and younger siblings.
• Check out SBS on Demand. There are excellent foreign films!
• Watch the news or the weather forecast in the target language. Find out what time the Japanese, Italian or Indonesian news is broadcasted on SBS.
• Set small goals for the week. Write them down eg Say 5 things about myself in Italian and record my voice.
• Use Languagenut platform. It is competitive and topic based. It focuses on all the macro skills; Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
• Use sticky notes and write new words on different colours. Place these sticky notes where you walk by the most eg: The fridge, pantry or bedroom door.
• Use gestures to connect to new language eg: personal pronouns (Italian students know what I am talking about!).
• Add the subtitles in Italian/Indonesian/Japanese if possible to your favourite NETFLIX show.
• Write words and sentences BIG, BOLD and COLOURFUL.
• Purchase a roll of butchers paper from KMART and each night roll it out and write down as much as you can remember from your previous language class.
• Liquid chalk or whiteboard markers for conjugation of verbs on your bedroom mirror or window (if you are allowed!).
• Palm cards- write 10 questions about personal information in the target language and rehearse these out aloud.
• Make a chatterbox and each tab can be a topic in the target language.
• Take a deck of normal playing cards and practice the numbers out aloud.
• Label items (eg food, cutlery, clothing, furniture, electronics, school supplies) with small sticky notes in Italian around the home over the weekend or say them out aloud eg: As you set the table, say each item in the target language.
• Create an Italian/Indonesian/Japanese playlist.
• Listen to podcasts in the target language.
• Take out a book from the foreign language section in our school library and read it to your parents or your pet. Record your story telling!
• Rehearse a simple poem or expression in the target language (eg Trenta giorni ha novembre: Thirty days has November) and pay attention to tone, pronunciation and expression. By the end of the week you will have memorised it. This is called the Shadowing technique.
• Make a time with the language assistant to practice general conversation and review grammar.

How do KSHS feel about learning Italian?

(Charlotte Irving, Yr 11, Cert III Italian)

I have been learning Italian for the past 5 years. Learning Italian has allowed me to be involved in the global community and has given me the skills to make connections on an intercultural level. What I love about Italian is not only the language but the traditional and modern day culture.

(Indara Gentle, Yr 11, Cert III Italian)

I have been learning Italian for 9 years and it has helped me learn about my own language. I am confident that it will help me in the future too.

(Angus Hunt Cert, Yr 11, III Italian)

Over the past 6 years I have been learning Italian. It has allowed me to learn more about cultural awareness and identity. I am also interested in travelling to Europe so learning Italian will allow me to get the most out of my travels, particularly in Italian speaking countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Slovenia.

(Sinead Browne, Yr 12, Cert III)

I have been learning Italian since primary school. Italian was my chosen language to learn. I chose to continue this subject for many reasons.; the ability to use the attained academic skills in other subjects, cultural exploration, future work opportunities and expanding my knowledge of other cultures through creative writing and role play scenarios.

(Kourtney Cummings, Yr 12, Cert III)

I have studied the Italian language since year 1 and I have not regretted this choice. By studying a language, I have learnt skills that you use in everyday life as well as understand the importance of intercultural and bilingual skills in the workplace. Many places look for people with language skills and cultural knowledge. Studying Italian has given me the opportunity to participate in many excursions and incursions as well as the Italy Tour 2020 which was cancelled due to Covid.

(Chloe Corfe, Yr 12, Cert III)

Learning Italian for 8 years has developed my cultural awareness and my English skills particularly understanding terminologies. I chose to continue learning in senior school because the class is interactive, it has a good atmosphere and my peers all have similar interests. I hope to continue learning Italian after completing year 12.

(Alethea Johnson Yr 12, Cert III)

I have been learning Italian for 9 years and I have loved every second of it. It is so exciting to order in Italian at a local restaurant and see the surprise on the waiter’s face- they appreciate it! I love learning Italian and will continue to do so outside of school.

(Jorjia Watson Yr 12, Cert III)

Italian Club

Ci vediamo alla prossima settimana! See you next week!

Signora Pennington’s favourite movie on SBS Demand this month!

CJ7- Chinese movie with English subtitles- a fantastic movie about a space creature who finds friendship with a poor, adventurous school boy. It is a movie that will make you laugh and cry. Perfect for the whole family. Take the challenge!

Maria Pennington
Teacher in Charge of Languages

Kalamunda SHS welcomes our new language assistants

As a Lead Language school, it is imperative that we continue to celebrate cultural diversity and other languages through a variety of learning experiences and professional opportunities. We have been successful four years consecutively with our application for the Languages Assistant Program.  We would like to welcome Francesca Ardino (Italy), Mami Hibino (Japan) and Julianty Sihombing and Astri Blakeney(Indonesia). This is the first time that the Kalamunda SHS Languages Department have had a language assistant for all three languages.  It is exciting for students to have language assistants in the classroom to experience the language and learn about that country’s culture, current events from a primary source. Students are also provided with more opportunities to apply their speaking skills with face to face time with the language assistant. This is a great way to boost confidence in public speaking and the ability to speak more naturally and spontaneously in another language. The language assistants also collaborate with the language teachers when designing meaningful and rigorous tasks and also be part of lunch time language clubs, cooking activities, role plays and study groups. Participating in this program also strengthens our partnerships with Kalamunda Primary School, Maida Vale Primary School and High Wycombe Primary School.

Italian language assistant

Ciao,

My name is Francesca, I am Italian and since February 2020 I am also an Australian citizen.

For this current year I will be the Italian Language Assistant at Kalamunda Senior High School.

I was born in the North of Italy and my hometown is Verona. Verona is located in a beautiful geographic position: one hour from Venice and the beach, less than an hour from the mountains and only a couple of hours from Milan. Part of my were family born in the South of Italy so we use to spent our holiday in Puglia region.

In 2011 I completed my degree in Journalism at the University of Verona and I have decided to follow my dream to come to Australia to learn English.

I have spent the first year in this beautiful country between New South Wales and Queensland working towards my second year visa.

Since 2012 I have been in the stunning Western Australia where I have been studying a Diploma in Early Childhood. I have been working with children since 2013. After many rewarding years in the childcare industry I have been giving the opportunity to work in high school.

I am very passionate in following the student’s development; I love helping them feeling safe in a fun and stimulated environment while helping them to achieve their Italian goals.

Looking forward to meeting all of you and experiencing this journey together.

A presto
Francesca Ardino

Japanese language assistant

Konnichiwa (Hello)

My name is Mami Hibino. I am a Japanese language assistant for this 

year.  
I am from Tokyo, Japan. I have been in Perth for 3 years and I am real

thern area of Japan. Because the town where I was born was called Makomanai, my parents took one of the Chinese characters from the town for my name. 
Mami’s ‘Ma’ comes from the place name, also it means ‘truth.’  Mami’s ‘mi’ means ‘look’ or ‘see’ so my name means ‘look for the truth.’ 

ly enjoying living here.
I mostly grew up in Tokyo but I was born in Hokkaido which is in the Nor

Mami sounds like ‘mummy’ but it does not mean mother and it is common female name!

My hobby is playing music. I mostly play the piano or Sanshin which is an Okinawan traditional instrument a bit like a banjo.
I also dance Okinawan dance. It would be great if I can share these Japanese cultures with students.
I was a kindergarten teacher for 9 and a half years in Japan. I really like interacting with people. I hope I can help students to improve their Japanese language and help them enjoy it!

Mami Hibino

Indonesian language assistants

Hi Kalamunda Senior High School!!

I am Julianty Sihombing, you all can call me Ibu Julia. I am so exciting to be part of this school. I will be an Indonesian language assistant for this whole year to assist Ibu Kuldeep in teaching Bahasa, looking forward to meet you all.

I live in Pinjarra and have been living in Australia for over 7 years. I have three beautiful children, 2 boys and 1 girl.

I am Indonesian and was born in Medan, it is in North Sumatera. Beautiful place I like to go in Medan is Lake Toba, it is amazing lake which happened naturally by Volcano. I spent my childhood and my school in Medan. It quite big and busy city to live but I love my home town.

Looking forward to meet and to know you all.

Regards

Ibu Julia

Hello, my name is Astri. I am originally from East Java and I have been living in Mandurah since 2009. I used to be an English teacher in Yogyakarta, Jakarta and Denpasar. I also taught Indonesian for expatriates in a mining company in South Kalimantan. One of the expats proposed to me and then became my husband. I love teaching and sharing knowledge and culture with others. I am looking forward to creating and sharing great moments at Kalamunda Senior High School.

Sampai Jumpa Nanti :)

Welcome to the Mathematics Learning Area for 2021!

There have been a few changes this year with Debbie Yeoh taking a well-deserved break and Jessica Millar taking on a Deputy Principal role. We have welcomed Tom Byrne, Jason Lei, Katie Halder and Matt Schultz to our team for 2021. The team is as follows:

Our year has started with some Start Smart Workshops, presented by Chantelle Deluca.  This program, funded by the Commonwealth Bank, aims to develop students’ financial literacy around smart choices, smart spending, smart earning, and smart enterprise.  This is the third year we have participated in these seminars and trust that our students have been able to glean some practical hints and tips about being smart with their money.

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 links. 

All students continue to have access to Mathspace [http://mathspace.co/] in 2021, and it has been great to see many taking advantage of this wonderful resource to assist with their learning. Please contact your child’s teacher if login details have been forgotten over the summer holidays.

Maths Homework Club continues again this year on Wednesday afternoons between 3pm - 4pm in A5. Students from all years are encouraged to come along and study with support from members of our team. 

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

Alanna Webb
Head of Mathematics Learning Area

Firstly I would like to welcome all new music students to the music program! Although it was an odd start to the year, we seem to be on track now. We have some exciting events this year and some new performance opportunities also including our first “Rock Night” to be held at the end of Term 3.

In Week 4 we had about 150 music student photographs taken and I would like to thank Alex Stevens and Musikal for helping out on the day, organising shirts and general helping out.

Musikal met for the first time this year on 18 February and it was fantastic to welcome so many new faces. Musikal is currently looking into fund raising for some replacement percussion gear and there is also a focus on supporting not only school based music events but also supporting our music students performing in the broader community. Felicity Kingston will be coordinating this role of supporting community performances. As always if anyone has any questions contact myself, Michelle Vivian or Alex Stevens in the music department or through the Musikal mailing list.

Hopefully everyone in music is already on the mailing list, if you are not let me know and we will add you!

Lastly on Monday 22 February I was lucky enough to get hold of Carla Geneve. She met with my aspiring singer song writing musicians and spoke about her experiences in the music industry. Later at lunch time Carla performed a set. It was a fantastic opportunity for all involved!

We have much to look forward to this year with music camp, concerts and events so stay posted!

Many thanks

Marcus Roberts
Director of Music

Head lice

Head lice are tiny insect parasites that live on your head and feed on your scalp. Head lice are spread by head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice. This kind of contact includes doing group work, playing, or hugging.

Tips for preventing head lice

• Check your child’s hair regularly for head lice and eggs (‘nits’). Use a metal fine tooth ‘nit’ comb and plenty of hair conditioner applied to the dry hair, to make the task easier and more effective.
• Tie long hair back. Braid long hair and/or put it up if possible.
• Consider applying hair gel or mousse. These do not prevent or repel lice but may help to keep stray hair strands from contact with other heads.
• Avoid sharing combs or brushes.
• Remind your child to avoid head-to-head contact with other children, e.g. when working at the computer with others, or when hugging.

For more information visit http://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/Head-lice

Lousie Jonker
Community Health Nurse