As we near the end of term – we wish our students and families all the best for the upcoming holidays.

WorldSkills Competition

Congratulations to Megan Schwinkowski who recently represented WA in the National WorldSkills Competition in the Commercial Cookery category. The competition was held over 3 days bringing together 15 talented Year 12 students from across Australia to take on a series of culinary challenges. Each competitor prepared a variety of set menu items within strict time limits—balancing technical precision with creative flair. While certain components were mandatory, students were able to design their own menus and bring their unique style to each dish.

Competitors faced real-world kitchen challenges, including last-minute ingredient changes, tight timeframes, and the watchful eyes of professional chef judges. Megan handled it all with professionalism, representing both Western Australia and our school with pride. Congratulations to Megan for your hard work, dedication and inspiration to us all.

KPA Showcase

Congratulations to our KPA students for their showcase earlier this term. We regularly receive such positive feedback from the audience.

“We attended the Showcase last night as our two granddaughters were participating. Congratulations on an amazing event! We absolutely loved it! Please pass on our congratulations to pupils and staff on these fantastic performances.”

Rehearsals are already underway for the annual musical – this year our students will be performing in Shrek the Musical Jr.

Public School Review

Earlier this term we underwent our Public School Review which involved submitting a self-assessment followed by a validation visit by a Public School Review Director and a secondary Principal peer spent the day speaking with 70 representatives of our school community including 53 staff, 11 students and 6 parents and community members.

We were very proud to receive an outstanding review with our submission being described as exemplary. We have received a rare 5-year return which demonstrates confidence in the school’s achievement across all domains of the standard for Public School Review. You can read the full report on our school website. Please click here to access report 

Humanities excursions to Parliament House

Our Humanities students have been studying civics and citizenship and these Year 9 students recently visited Parliament house where our local member Adam Hort MLA was very generous with his time and spoke at length with the students, answering their many questions.

Staff student matches

As part of our school community spirit staff and students have been participating in friendly staff vs students sporting activities over lunchtime.

Our soccer teams have been continuing their soccer competition this term with some very successful matches.

Try-a-Trade

Many of our students have had the opportunity to try different trades over a number of events covering carpentry, brick-laying, tiling, construction,

Hydrogen Grand Prix

Congratulations to our students who recently participated in the Hydrogen Grand Prix challenge – our students were placed 7th overall against a very competitive field. Well done.

Exams and Workplace Learning

Through Weeks 6 -7 our Year 10 – 12 students have undertaken their Semester 1 exams. These will form important information for students, parents and staff as they prepare for the upcoming term. Over this time many of students have the opportunity to undertake Workplace Learning in a range of different workplaces. Sophia received amazing feedback from her placement at Woodbridge PS where she was assigned to the music Department and made an incredible impression with the teacher and children around her.

Valuing our volunteers

Congratulations to our Ed Connect volunteer Bill who has been working at our school now for 5 years. We held a special morning team to celebrate with a presentation from Leonie Forrest the North East Metropolitan Area Manager. Ed Connect are always happy to facilitate volunteering opportunities and if you are interested in volunteering at our school or elsewhere please email EdConnect on call them on 1800 668 550.

Toilet update

The toilets on our A wing are now back in working order after a re-routing of the sewer line around one of our established trees.

STEM Showcase

Recently our school hosted our annual STEM showcase which saw 10 local primary and secondary schools in our Bibbulmun Network participate in creative robotic and engineering challenges. Students worked in teams to develop their skills in critical, creative and problem solving skills and to Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver and Debrief on an engineering challenge.

This year’s theme was oceans and students built a boat to hold a load as part of the engineering challenge.

Building update

We are very excited about the imminent completion of the new teaching block. Students will be moving in early next term and we currently have furniture being delivered in preparation.

Music mid-year concert

Monday night we had the mid-year music concert. It was an amazing showcase of musical talents to rival Katy Perry! Thank you to Marcus, Michelle, Steve, Tashana, Bronwyn, Robin, and Peter for all their efforts in teaching our students and for their support guiding their performances.

Quiz Night

We held a very successful Quiz Night last Friday where we raised over $10 000. Thank you to all our parents, staff, sponsors and community members who contributed to this fundraising event. It was a wonderful evening of community spirit.

Year 6 – Transition visits

Week 6 saw our primary students join us for their transition visits where they took part in a range of different classes including Home Economics and Outdoor Education. We look forward to welcoming our incoming Year 7s later in the year on our Orientation Day on 28th November and encourage all parents to finalise enrolments for the upcoming year.

Reward Activities

As we finish the last week of term we will be holding our Reward Activities for students with Good Standing. We are very proud of the vast majority of our students who always demonstrate positive behaviour, attend regularly and uphold our school values.

Semester 1 – Academic Reports

Year 10, 11 and 12 Semester 1 reports will be emailed by the end of Week 10 this term and Year 7, 8 and 9 reports will be emailed by the end of Week 1 next term. A reminder that we have transitioned to a single comment overall by our mentor teachers to provide general feedback on your child’s engagement in learning. This along with the grades and ratings for attitude, behaviour and effort for each subject will hopefully give you a summary of the semesters’ result. We encourage our parents to make a time to meet with teachers early next term in our parent teacher meetings.

Parent teacher meeting – 31 July

The date for our next parent teacher meeting will be Wednesday 31 July (4-7pm) in Week 2 of next term. Information about booking times will be sent out to parents early next term.

Year 10 Course selection

A reminder that our Year 10 student have been preparing for their course selections, with information sessions about the range of courses on offer. We are always proud of our wide course offerings and tailored approach for our Year 11 and 12 students. Information about online selections will be distributed in the last week of term and selections are due at the end of the first week in Term 3.

WA Student Assistance Payment (WASAP)

Just a final reminder that all secondary school students are eligible for a $250 payment through the WA Student Assistance Payment. To submit your claim visit www.education.wa.edu.au/wasap. If you need assistance please contact the school.

Contributions and Charges

We encourage all parents to finalise their payments for the 2025 school year or contact us to arrange a payment plan.

I wish everyone all the best for a relaxing Term 2 holiday break.

Helen Deacon

Principal

School Board update

The school board meets twice a term and provides an important governance role overseeing the planning, financial management, school programs and student achievement.

At our last meeting the board reviewed the available Semester One student academic data and School Culture Survey data which was collected for our recent Public School Review.

We were excited to learn that our school has received a 5 year return for the Public School Review and look forward to reading the report when it is available.

Ongoing monitoring of the financial position of the school and review of parent contributions and charges collection rates is undertaken at each meeting. 

We look forward to the upcoming completion of the new teaching block next term and the opportunity for our school community to view the new building.

Shireen Pivac (School Board Chair)

The P&C is a small but active group of parents who are passionate about supporting the school community. We always welcome new parents along to our meetings which are held twice a term (Tuesdays – Weeks 3 and 7).

Our current project is the EAT program which stands for “Ethnic and Traditional” foods. We received funding through a Healthways Grant for this program and have been participating in a range of fun activities in the school to promote healthy eating in a range of cultural cuisines. Next term we will participate in the NAIDOC day activities on 25th July, providing free food samples based on indigenous ingredients. More events are planned. Follow us on Instagram @eatprojectkshs.

If you would like to know any further details about the P&C activities, please contact me via email - kshspc.president@gmail.com.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 5th August at 6.30pm in the school administration building.

Andrea Doust (KSHS P&C President)

Term 2 will soon be finished, and before we know it, the Class of 2025 will be bidding us a fond farewell. They have completed their Semester 1 exams and are well and truly into Semester 2, the final semester of schooling.

Reports will soon be sent out. Please note it is not too late for every student to make the required change for the better so if their any concerns with grades then please tell them to come and see either Mr Bennett or myself so we can be up front with them and let them know what they need to improve so they can reach their final goal.

Our Year 12 students need to be especially focussed in these preceding weeks to get every mark they can, resulting in the best grades achievable. Please be reminded particularly at this time, that every student needs a good life balance, making sure health, study and extra curricula activities are given sensible time allowance. Leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of getting a better overall result, make any adjustments minor or major, ensure every assessment is completed and handed in, this is a particularly good place to start being the beginning of Semester 2.

One of the most crucial things is attendance. If students aren’t here they will fall behind and it is really hard to play catch up at this stage of the year. Some of you will already have received a letter about attendance and Good Standing and I will be meeting with Year 12 students in the last week of term 2 who are at risk of losing their Good Standing because of attendance. If they lose their Good Standing, they will have to enter into an agreement to regain it in time for the school ball.

Can I also remind Year 12 students along with parents, that Connect is a vital part of school communication. A lot of information is available on Connect so please make some time to check any updates or reminders. Please contact me if you have any concerns on 9293 6400.

As we move into Term 3 I just want to point out some key dates for our Year 12’s.

Please feel free to call me at any stage with any questions or concerns.

Mark Pettit

Year 11 and 12 Program Coordinator

Can you believe it is nearly the end of Term 2?  Holidays start for students on Saturday 5^th July.  Hopefully everyone will get some much-needed down time after a busy term.

The Year 7 students have been immersing themselves in the curriculum.  They have been completing wonderful projects for HASS for their research into ‘The World of Work’.  I have seen some very impressive posters. For Science, students have been looking into Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Sources for their latest assessment.

At this time in their high school careers, students should be thinking about building good study habits to support their learning at school. This could be discussing lesson content at home, doing some reading or completing homework. Mathspace is available for all students to practice Maths skills and STILE for Science.

At the end of the term, we will be acknowledging the students who have maintained their Good Standing with a trip to the movies. We are always pleased to recognise the students who follow our school values, wearing our uniform with pride and showing respect and courtesy for others in the school community.

Year 12 ATAR English and Literature Conference

On Wednesday, June 18 the Year 12 ATAR English and Literature students headed out in the rain to Curtin University to attend a range of lectures related to the syllabus and exam preparation. They were treated to some engaging, practical and inspiring talks from a range of teachers and professors on the topics of postcolonial literature, speculative fiction, creative non-fiction and examination skills. The Literature students were lucky enough to experience our very own Ms Stokes presenting her lecture on how to approach the Literature exam. Our students conducted themselves in an exceptional manner and expressed their enthusiasm for the speakers and the take-home messages from the day.

 Young Writers Collective

On Tuesday 20^th of May five inquisitive students: Charlotte Warburton, Jodie Mikosza, Joseph Palmer, Scarlett and Grier Courtenay, attended the Young Writer's Collective at the Fremantle Literature Centre with guest speaker, Western Australian author Alexander Thorpe. In the seminar, the students put on their detective hats and dove into the genre of crime fiction. They started with 'whodunnit' scenarios, where they created mystery scenarios with an array of suspects. They used Thorpe's method of 'the reverse skeleton' which involved planning a crime narrative with motives, detectives and a trail of breadcrumb clues. Their stories included a wide range of plots including Jodie's minor crime of tax evasion to Joseph's more intense murder with a twist! Students said they enjoyed the experience and were delighted by the curious nature of crime fiction. 

 Year 7 Poetry In-Action Incursion

The Year 7s recently experienced the Poets Quest incursion to discover how themes and messages are communicated through poetry. They were treated to an engaging performance that showed different styles of poetry and how the use of poetic devices can help you become the Ultimate Rhyme Lord. Both students and staff had a great time and the Year 7s were an exceptional audience.

 Year 7 Poetry

To build on their understanding of representation of place in Australian poetry, Year 7 students from Ms Pescodd’s class wrote haiku poems based on the current Noongar season (Makuru). After learning about the different seasons they went on a silent nature walk around the school where they made observations of the effects of the season on the natural environment with a focus on applying descriptive and sensory language in their haikus.

 Year 9 Science Fiction

The year 9 students have been working hard on writing science fiction stories this semester. One standout example is below, from Jax Hannah.

WA Parliament, Electoral Education Centre and Law Courts Excursion

On Friday 23^rd May, about 50 intrepid Year 9 students attended the WA Parliament and the Electoral Education Centre of WA.

The WA Parliament is a significant and powerful place in the lives of all Western Australians and it was great to be able to visit this centre of power. Students spent time in both chambers of the Parliament and learnt about the process of passing a bill into law. Stories of the history of the building were shared and the students were able to see photos of previous Premiers of Western Australia and other significant political figures from our great state.

The Electoral Education Centre of WA provided students with a clever introduction to the process of elections through a mock election process. Students found themselves in a mock television studio where reports about the election were being broadcasted. The timing of our visit could not have been better considering the state and federal elections having been held recently. This gave all students an insight and understanding of this very important process in our democracy.

Towards the end of the excursion, we had the pleasure of meeting with the newest local member of parliament, Mr Adam Hort MLA. Mr Hort generously spent time answering many questions from our Year 9 students on the steps of the parliament.  A week later, Mr Hort visited Year 9 classes at Kalamunda SHS to meet those students who weren’t on the excursion.  He has very kindly offered to visit again to meet with more students and reinforce to them the importance of holding members of parliament to account and ensure they represent the interests of the electorate. We thank Mr Hort for taking the time to speak with us and wish him success as he represents the electorate of Kalamunda over the next 4 years.

All students are to be congratulated for the mature approach they took throughout the excursions and thank go to Ms Davies, Ms Hawkes and Mr Petit for their work in making the excursion a success.

In Week 6, another 50 Year 9s embarked on an excursion to the Law Courts in Perth.  Students made their way to a civil court to learn about the roles of court personnel and participate in a courtroom role play in Perth’s oldest building.  The highlight for the students was to sit in a real court watching proceedings, one group witnessed a sentencing and another group got to witness a jury trial, specifically when they were looking at video evidence. The judge who was present in the Sentencing Court adjourned proceedings to talk with one of the groups and answer the students' questions, which was appreciated by all in attendance. It’s always a fascinating experience for staff and students alike to see the courts in action. 

Our Year 8s spent the first half of Term 2 learning about the free-market forces of supply and demand.  Their dreams came true when they were legitimately allowed to make paper planes and test-fly them.  Once students made their sales pitch to the class, they were gifted with millions of dollars to participate in an auction. The ‘laws’ of demand well and truly took place as fewer and fewer students bid as the prices rose.

This is just a snapshot of the real-life application of the key concepts of our Humanities courses as we work to provide our students with the knowledge to make sense of their rapidly changing world and skills to engender a life-long love of learning.  Year 8s are now immersed in the world of work as Term 2 draws to a close and a key area of interest is the role Artificial Intelligence is having on entry-level jobs.  Future demand for workers will be based on their ‘soft skills’ – such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking.  Thus, we encourage all students to continue their studies of Humanities and Social Sciences as they make their way through to Year 11 and 12.

Year 10 HASS - Pathways to Protection

During Week 5 and 6 Year 10 students were lucky to be able to hear from two guest speakers from the Australian Red Cross. The purpose of the visit was for students to hear about the role Australia plays overseas. The incursion explored important questions such as –

• “What is an asylum seeker and how do people become refugees?”,
• “Is it legal to seek asylum?”,
• “What is Australia’s obligation towards asylum seekers?”, and
• “What is the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee?”.

 It outlined the facts regarding people seeking safety and provides an insight into their journey to Australia. 

The program included a:

• Presentation: covering human rights, United Nations Conventions and facts about the refugee plight within the global and Australian context.
• Simulation activity: an exciting, interactive opportunity for the whole class to imagine what it might be like to flee.

The sessions enabled students to build awareness and understanding about people impacted by migration, with the aim of improving critical thinking skills and developing empathy. The program is designed to help prepare students for an increasingly multicultural society and a world in which people’s lives are affected by issues that transcend national boundaries.

A big thank you to Pat and Mark who spoke to all eight classes of Year 10s.

YEAR 8 EARTH AND SPACE

Mining cookies takes a lot of concentration. The trick is to maximize gold recovery (chocolate chips) by careful extraction from the waste (cookie) in the shortest time possible. Haste makes waste, as our geologists discovered: trying to go too fast loses chip mass to waste. An interesting way to experience the small margin for error in real ore extraction processes.

Also shown: growing crystals in the test tube environment. A good result in this image, but more time (and super-concentration of solute) means bigger and better crystal formation. Adding food colouring to simple sugar solution enhances the effect without altering the crystal shape.

SCIENCE CREATURES

Can you spot the stick insect hiding in the image? It is resting after shedding (and then eating) its exoskeleton after a growth spurt. Available for actual viewing in Sc 3 with Ms. Maritz.

What do school nurses do? School nurses work to prevent illness and promote health across the lifespan by identifying barriers to healthy lifestyles and general wellness.

Supporting young people:

School nurses provide a point of contact for young people to discuss any emotional, psychosocial and ongoing physical health concerns they have.

■We see young people up to the end of high school and are trained in assessing adolescent health needs.

■We can provide brief interventions; assist with access and referral to other services and provide follow-up care.

Students can drop into the school health centre or make appointments to discuss health and wellbeing issues with the nurse. Students can independently seek assistance from the nurse, or can be referred by parents, teachers or student services teams.

Supporting families:

Nurses recognise that schools manage most health needs for their students. Nurses can assist, if required, in supporting families and school staff with health care planning and management for children with complex health needs and/or chronic conditions.

Nurses are aware of and, have connections with extended services in the community. They can be a contact point and advocate for families, providing them with health information and referrals, and information about parenting programs as needed.

More information: School Health Nurses in secondary schools

Five Reasons to Replace Your Doomscrolling With a Hobby

Turning away from technology and cultivating a creative, mindful hobby can bring us a sense of calm and resilience.

It’s a familiar picture for many of us: after a long day at work or school, we find ourselves glued to the couch, phone in hand. Maybe even for hours at a time. What starts as a way to mentally unwind or catch up on the news quickly becomes hours spent compulsively “doomscrolling”- the act of spending an excessive amount of time on social media scrolling through overwhelmingly negative content. A fear of missing out is what drives many of us to continue our repetitive scroll.

While it might feel like doomscrolling helps you to stay informed, research finds that this habit often results in considerable psychological distress. This ultimately leads to lower mental well-being, poorer life satisfaction, and reduced engagement at work or school.

The good news is there are many ways to break this bad habit - and one way people have successfully replaced time on their phones is with a hobby. By making a conscious decision to change a habit - such as picking up your phone and doomscrolling for hours - you can replace it with one that’s more fulfilling.

Having an after-school hobby is linked to better well-being and may play a part in reducing work-related stress. Creative activities in particular are known to encourage a sense of personal fulfilment through developing new skills. Personal fulfilment is important for emotional resilience.

Some of the most beneficial hobbies to try in order to break your doomscrolling habit are those that encourage mindfulness. Doing a hobby mindfully simply means paying attention to what you’re doing and being in the moment - whether that’s colouring, walking, cooking, knitting, or sewing.

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment and experiencing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It’s not necessarily about clearing your mind but about engaging in an activity with your full attention and not being distracted by other thoughts.

Here are just a few ways that mindful hobbies can help you break your doomscrolling habit.

1. They hold positive attention

When you’re focused on a craft, your hands are busy, so you’ll be too engaged to reach for your phone. Creative hobbies that require attention, such as knitting or colouring, can also act as a “flow activity,” where you lose track of time and feel fully immersed in what you’re doing. This can be a great antidote to losing hours doomscrolling.

2. They’re calming

Many people who have a creative hobby say the physical repetitive actions are meditative and calming.

Crafts can also support healthy emotion regulation - our ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences. Soothing your nervous system can counteract tension triggered by doomscrolling.

3. They provide a sense of achievement

Doomscrolling can leave people feeling a loss of control, whereas mindful hobbies provide a sense of control along with tangible results: a colourful drawing, a knitted scarf, or perhaps an embroidered trinket.

Achievement is considered one of the core ingredients of psychological well-being - and is a key remedy to distress.

4. They reduce stress and anxiety

Mindful crafting offers a break from ruminating. Just 10 minutes of regular mindful colouring, at least three times a week for two weeks, can reduce stress, anxiety, and feelings of low mood, alongside improving quality of life.

Creative hobbies can also significantly lower levels of our stress hormone, cortisol, which promotes a sense of relaxation.

5. They offer a sense of belonging

By engaging in a new hobby, you also join a community of people with similar interests. This opens you up to more positive social interactions, and a sense of belonging is linked to better well-being.

Choosing the right hobby

Activities such as colouring, knitting, sewing, and crochet are a good place to start as they involve repetitive, soothing movements along with a sense of achievement. Of course, you should choose a hobby you think you’ll enjoy, as you won’t build new habits doing activities you don’t want to do.

Here are some other things you can do when getting started to give you the best chance of success.

Start small. Actively setting a small and achievable change in behaviour can increase your success in building new, positive habits. So, to begin with, choose a simple project that’s not too hard to complete, such as colouring a single page or knitting a small square. Or set a goal to spend 10 to 20 minutes a day on your hobby after school before reaching for your phone. Early, achievable wins lead to a sense of achievement, and keep you motivated.

Set boundaries around phone use. Create a “no-phone zone” and make time for your hobby. This will help remove temptation to scroll and make a calmer environment for you to craft in.

Be present. Notice the colours, textures, and movements involved in what you’re doing. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your focus back to your activity.

Join a community. Whether online or in person, connecting with others who do the same hobby can increase your sense of belonging and make it even more enjoyable. This can also promote more positive online interactions.

Breaking your doomscrolling habit doesn’t mean you have to abandon social media entirely. But swapping scrolling for mindful hobbies in your free time allows you to set meaningful boundaries and build positive habits. By prioritizing your well-being and engaging with information in a balanced way, your brain gets a “mental break” from all the negative content.

By Emma Palmer-Cooper | February 7, 2025

Greater Good Magazine; science based insights for a meaningful life

By Aundraea Stevens

Convenor of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee