As we near the end of term, I hope our school community is travelling well and have enjoyed a positive start to the school year.

Academic Excellence program

There have been lots of activites, events and excursions for our academic excellence program recently.  Our primary program is in full swing, with a welcome afternoon tea for parents, and applications and testing is already underway for the 2026 school intake.  Our students have participated in a range of seminars recently to support their learning.

Kalamunda Show

This will be held on Friday 11 April and Saturday 12April.  Our KSHS music students will be featured on Friday Night.

P&C fundraiser

The P&C will be running a secondhand book stall at the Kalamunda Show and are looking for donations of books.  These can be dropped off to the front office at the school.  If you are interested in helping out or want any further information please contact the P&C via email (kshspc.president@gmail.com) or contact the school on 92923 6400.

Parent Teacher meeting – change of date

Pleae be aware that our planned parent teacher meeting will now move to 30 April (Wed of Week 1 Term 2) due to parking restrictions starting 5pm Tuesday 8^th April.  There will be no access to the KPAC carparks or access via the oval gates from this time until 14^th April, impacting parking and drop off and pick up of students.

Leavers Jackets

Our Year 12s were very excited to see an early arrival of their Leavers Jackets in Week 6.  While the weather is still a little warm, they are looking forward to having these ready for the cooler weather to set in.

School photos

These are now completed with new photographers this year (Fotoworks) and we thank everyone involved in helping coordinating this.  This is our 2025 Year 12 group having their special photo.

P&C Canteen – Spriggy Schools

Just a reminder that the school canteen has changed their online ordering to a new system – Spriggy Schools.

P&C EAT program

Our wonderful P&C have been running their EAT (Ethnic and Traditional foods) program through the Healthways grant to introduce our school community to healthy snacks from different cultures.  They participated in the recent Year 7 Information evening along with complementing our Harmony day activities recently.

Partnership with Kalamunda Secondary Education Support Centre

Recently our Year 12 Certificate in Sport and Recreation students participated in running the Kalability Cricket Carnival for Education Support Centres across Perth.  They umpired and officiated the games accommodating the modified rules.  We received such positive feedback on how well they conducted themselves and it is a credit to our students and staff.

Hyperfest

In Week 6 we were treated to a special lunchtime concert as part of Hyperfest with Mariae Cassandra (Winner of the 2024 triplej unearthed competition).  This event is in partnership with ECU and an opportunity for our students to learn about courses on offer through this university – including WAPPA.

Building update

We continue to see steady progress on the teaching block with the outside scaffolding being peeled back to reveal the new building.

Storm

Like many in the hills, we were impacted by the recent storm, with some water damage to a few areas of the school.  Thank you to all our staff and students for their patience as we navigated this, and it is good to see everything return to normal.

Year 7 Swim trials and House Carnival

Unfortunately, due to the storm and availability of the Kalamunda Swimming pool both these events were disrupted.  The Year 7 swim trials were cancelled, however we managed to at short notice run our House Swim Carnival a day earlier than planned.  While numbers were down a little this year, those that attended enjoyed participating in this competition.

ANZAC DAY

ANZAC assembly

This year our ANZAC assembly will be held on Tuesday 8 April at 10.30am.  Parents are welcome to attend – please register https://www.trybooking.com/DAJEK to assist us with our planning.

Connect

Just a reminder that this is our main communication hub for our class teachers and year and program coordinators to place important information with each year group having their own page.

Italy Trip

We wish our Italian and Art students all the best as they head off on their trip to Italy for the last 2 weeks of term.  They have an amazing tour planned to experience some highlights of the cultural and artistic elements of this country.

Wishing everyone all the best for the rest of term and the upcoming school holidays.

This year all our parent school board members are continuing their terms on the School Board and we welcomed our new school Captains, Freya Pivac and Ryan Thomas as our student representatives for 2025.

The school board meets twice a term and these are some of the topics we covered in our first meeting for the year.

• Welcoming our new School Captains,
• Roadmap for 2025
• Finance update
• Enrolment and census data
• Building update
• Review of Year 12 2024 data
• Review of Business Plan 2023- 2025 targets

In our next meeting we will be reviewing the school’s  Annual Report 2024.

Place your canteen orders online with  Spriggy Schools

We are excited to announce the introduction of a new online lunch ordering system called Spriggy Schools as from 07/02/2025.

Spriggy Schools will make lunch orders more convenient for both families and the canteen.

Steps to get started: 

1. Go to www.spriggyschools.com.au to register and download the app. 

1. Add a profile for each of your children, making sure you select Kalamunda Senior High School and your child’s year. 

1. Start placing lunch orders! You can place orders up to 1 week in advance. 

If you have any questions, please contact Spriggy Schools via their webchat on the website or in the app.

The KSHS P&C is welcoming new members. We would love to meet you.

It would be wonderful to have some enthusiastic parents join us bringing fresh ideas and perspectives. 

Amongst other things the P&C manages the canteen, has regular events (currently focusing on our EAT program), is involved in the Kalamunda Show (books stall) and runs the sausage sizzle at the athletics carnival. 

Please contact our secretary, Natalie - kshspc.secretary@gmail.com if interested or come along to our next meeting on Tuesday 13th May.

 Andrea Doust

President

Kalamunda Senior High School P&C

Dear Parents, 

Time is running out!

While photo day has come and gone, the excitement of capturing those precious moments continues. Your school photos are currently in the process of being finalised, but fear not! Online ordering is still available for a limited time.

Take advantage of the extended photo day pre-print pricing until Wednesday, April 9^th, 2025, and save on postage and late order fees.

Use your child's specific access key here or scan the QR code below.

If you haven't received your child's access key, reach out to the school directly, and they will be able to provide it for you.

Don't miss out! Secure your online orders ASAP before the deadline hits. 

Public consultation has now opened for the proposed changes to the Transperth Bus Route 307 in Bushmead.

Transperth is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Bus Route 307 in Bushmead.
Route 307 is proposed to be rerouted away from a section of Ridge Hill Road and onto Broadmeadows Drive and Sadler Drive in Bushmead.
The new alignment along Broadmeadows Drive and Sadler Drive would provide increased access to public transport to a greater catchment area and residents within Bushmead.
No bus stops would be missed with the rerouting off Ridge Hill Road, however new bus stops would be placed along Broadmeadows Drive and Sadler Drive on the new route alignment.
There will be no changes to route frequency or operating hours.
To view the proposed changes to this bus route and/or make a submission please visit My Say Transport via the following link: www.mysaytransport.wa.gov.au
The consultation period will open on Monday 31 March 2025 and will close at 5pm on Tuesday 22 April 2025. After this date, Transperth will analyse the feedback received throughout the consultation period and make changes where required.

World's Greatest Shave

I would like to let the participants and wonderful supporters of the students who participated in this year's World's Greatest Shave know that they raised $5,154 for the fight to beat blood cancer!  Outstanding Roisin, Tamsin, Archie, Lachy and Owen.  Thank you all for your courage and suppoet to the cause.  To everyone who gave to the students and teams, a HUGE THANKYOU!  

Thank you to all the staff especially Paul and Jaimie, our groundsmen, our amazing front office ladies and not forgetting our student councillors for cooking and counting the lollies for the lolly jar competition.  Thank you Mr Pettit for leading the team and to the amazing teachers who cooked to support the cake stall.  

Many thanks to EVERYONE who donated so generously to this wonderful cause bringing the community together and to cheer on Charli and Luka for their courage in their fight.  We standby and walk with YOU.

Desi Chapman

Chaplain

Mark Pettit
Year 11 and 12 Program Coordinator

It has been a busy start to the year in the English Department. As we watch the new build make exciting progress, we eagerly anticipate moving into our new home. In the classroom, the students are off to an excellent start and most students have settled into their new year group with a positive mindset. Congratulations to all Year 7 and 9 students who have recently completed their NAPLAN tests. It is a huge undertaking for our school community and most students conducted themselves with maturity and tried their best in every test.

Year 9 English students Charlotte Warbuton, Joseph Palmer and Jodie Mikosza attended the Fremantle Literature Centre on Tuesday 25th March to attend a workshop with published YA author Meg Caddy. The ‘Young Writers’ program offers workshops for aspiring creative writers four times a year. Writers and illustrators present inspiring and informative workshops around: world-building, fantasy, crime fiction, historical fiction, classic mystery, graphic novels, science fiction… the list goes on! Three students from Kalamunda High attended this time around and were treated to a fun-filled day of practical activities and wise advice from this inspiring and prolific recent Creative Writing PhD graduate (Curtin University). We look forward to the next round of workshops in Term 2. Thanks to Ms Stokes for organising this special occasion for our aspiring writers and Dr Aslett for supervising the students.

Back at school, in the classroom, our teachers have been working hard to create engaging lessons for our students. In Year 7, the newest members of our school community have been writing fantasy fiction and learning about persuasive devices in politics. Our Year 8s have been learning about superheroes and are now writing stories about people they regard as heroes in their own lives. The Year 9 students have been doing a genre study on Science Fiction. They have been reading and viewing Science Fiction texts and now they have a chance to write their own short stories. The Year 10s have studied Of Mice and Men and are now doing a research project on representation. In upper school, the Year 11 ATAR studies have been enjoying a film study of Barbie. The 11 General students have been learning about iconic characters and crime fiction, and the foundation students have been writing letters to people they admire. The Year 12 ATAR students have been studying the 2014 play Black Diggers and the 12 General students have been investigating the future of work and analysing news articles. In Literature, the Year 12 students have been studying the novel White Tiger and the Year 11 students have been studying Jasper Jones.

Nicolee McNally

HOLA - English

Salve!  – Hello!

March, March…steadily march…like Roman legionnaires, the Inter’ soccer players have trampled on their rivals, maintaining the lead in Serie A. Napoli is still in second place, while Atalanta and Bologna are in third and fourth spots, respectively. Meanwhile, in Thailand and in Australia, the MotoGP and Formula One seasons have started. Ducati is leading the Riders', Teams', and Manufacturers' standings. Let’s see whether they can keep the good work up.

Well then, se non ti piace lo sport – If you don't like sport – maybe you will find the FAI Spring Days interesting (22^nd - 23^rd March). In fact, little-known places such as villas, manufacturing sites, castles, and palaces are open to the public. Check this video out to have an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m64IlzHdWRY. FAI is the acronym for Fondo Ambientale Italiano – National Trust for Italy – a non-profit foundation for the protection of the historical, natural and artistic heritage in Italy. Don’t miss the FAI Autumn Days if you are travelling to Italy in October! However, if you are not going to Italy (yet), have at least a taste of it by joining us at the Italian Club. This month’s special was penne al ragù di agnello – penne with lamb-based meat sauce.

Anyway, let’s go back to where we started...I mean…marched. The 15^th of March is the anniversary of the conspiracy against Giulio Cesare – Julius Caesar. There is a word in English and another one in German that come from the word Cesare. The first student to submit the correct answer(s) will get a little premio – prize. To submit, go on Connect/Italian newsletter 2025/Discussions. Middle School and Senior compete separately. The prizes will be given during the Italian Club on Friday, April 11th.

Ci vediamo, buona giornata! –  See you, have a good day!

I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mrs Sunitha Tokala, who has joined the team whilst Mrs Tempest has gone on Maternity Leave.  I hope that everyone has made her feel welcome.

On 14 March, the Mathematics team celebrated international Pi Day. Once again, the team modelled their new shirts for 2025.  Pi is an irrational number that is pivotal in Mathematics as it is used when dealing with all things circular. Did you know that the record for reciting the greatest number of decimal places of Pi was achieved by Rajveer Meena in 2015?  He was able to recite 70,000 decimal places!

It was nice to be able to celebrate this special day in a small way and we hope that everyone enjoyed exploring pi.  I have attached photographs showing highlights from some of the class activities. 

By now, all students will have completed at least one assessment.  Please check Connect to see how your child is progressing.  Don’t forget that students have access to Mathspace, where they can work on any content that has been covered in class.

Alanna Webb

Head of Mathematics Learning Area

On Saturday 15th March, several of our music students were among 14 acts who delivered outstanding performances at 'Perth Hills Live Music Association' under 18 Open Mic Night. Tahlia Riley won best original song. Isaac Durling, Taleah Parker and Sofia Morrison all performed solo. Year 11 Rock Band 'Skeptic' performed brilliantly and won best band.

Many of our KSHS musicians often perform in the community at events such as this and the Kalamunda Farmers Markets. Up coming on Friday 11 April selected KSHS music students will be performing at the annual Kalamunda Show from 5-8pm.

On Friday 28March, several music and KPA students performed at an assembly at Falls Road Primary School. Students involved included Sophie Dunne, Hannah Bennett, Siobhan Findlay, Ella Gannaway, Tamsin Jerry, Kaia Johnsen, Nia Postans and Madeline Ward. It is fantastic to keep these connections with out feeder primary schools and showcase the talent that we have here in abundance at KSHS.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ANIMALS

What is better than marshmallows? Answer: making them into animals.

Year 10 students were tasked with building model animals to visualize how the genotype directs the phenotype in real life inheritance.  The end result, known as ‘Zazzles’, proved a big hit with all.

The next, and final step, was probably predation.

Our Certificate II in Tourism students recently took part in an exciting excursion to the WA Tourism Information Centre and a Perth history and street art walking tour. The experience provided valuable insights into the many career paths within the tourism industry, from booking service advisors and tour guides to media management roles.

Students found the day both informative and engaging, with many gaining a new appreciation for the hidden history and art within the city. One student reflected, "The walking tour was very entertaining, and I learnt so much about Perth that I never knew existed!" Another noted how the excursion highlighted the flexibility and adventure that a career in tourism can offer, with some expressing interest in exploring tour guiding further—particularly in remote and nature-based settings like Ningaloo and Margaret River.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with students recommending the experience for future tourism students. A few even suggested expanding the excursion to Fremantle or other unique tourism destinations in WA.

A big thank you to the WA Tourism Information Centre team and our knowledgeable tour guide Adie from Oh Hey! WA for making this an inspiring and insightful day!

Hi to all parents

Please find below some information about resources provided by the school for studens to access for research and enjoyment both at school and at home.  

If any assistance is needed, please do not hesitate to contact the library Monday - Friday between 8am and 4pm.

World Book Online is available to staff and students at school and at home using the following link https://worldbookonline.com 

         username - kalamundashs         password - kalamundashs

World Book Online is available on multiple devices.  World Book Online offers accessibility features that can make research easier for students, especially those who prefer digital tools over physical books.  There are many options for students like, articles can be read out, page formatting like enlarging text, dictionary and citing articles in multiple formats. 

ClickView is an online platform used at school for research and includes videos and T.V. shows that are available on multiple devices.  All content is age appropriate for students and can be accessed at school or at home using their normal school log in details.  Please view the flyers below put out by ClickView for more information.

Seven Ways to Shift Your Difficult Emotions

A new book gives guidance on research-based ways to manage our emotions more effectively without suppressing them.

There are times when my emotions really get in my way. When I perform on stage, fear of failure makes my heart race and throat clench. Or when a friend says something hurtful to me, I can’t stop ruminating about it. Neuroscientist Ethan Kross’s new book, Shift, offers another way forward that’s both respectful of our emotions and helpful for managing them effectively. “The goal is not to run from negative emotions, or pursue only the feel-good ones, but to be able to shift: experience all of them, learn from them, and, when needed, move easily from one emotional state into another,” he writes.

Why we need emotional management skills

We all experience both positive and negative emotions that rise up in response to our experiences, and science is clear that these help us stay safe, healthy, and happy. For example, if we are out alone at night and hear a sudden noise, we’ll feel a rush of fear that focuses our attention and prepares us physically to respond to perceived danger.

But, while fear can be useful in dangerous situations, we can also overreact with too much fear—or not be able to recover from the emotion when it’s no longer needed. That’s why it’s important to find ways to be more emotionally nimble; honouring our feelings but not being thwarted by them.

Research finds that when people have good emotional skills, they enjoy more fulfilling relationships, do better at school and work, are physically and psychologically healthier, and find more life satisfaction, he writes. There’s another good reason to learn emotional management, according to Kross: Emotions are contagious, and they can spread to those around us. If we are more able to manage things like fear, sadness, and worry—and nurture feelings of happiness, excitement, or gratitude—we will affect people around us in positive ways.

Of course, no one can expect to feel good all of the time. Nor should we tamp down negative feelings indiscriminately using false positivity, he argues. It’s more about recognizing when we’re stuck (our emotions are too intense or lasting too long) and nudging ourselves in a different direction. 

How to shift our emotions

1. Harness your senses. We experience our world through our senses—touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell—and our emotions are deeply connected to our sensory experience, often below our conscious awareness. If we want to shift our emotions, we can deliberately add sensory experiences to shift us in a different direction.

For example, if we are feeling lonely or sad, and we feel stuck in that emotion, we can put on happy music, take time to smell a rose, walk on the beach barefoot, watch a beautiful sunset, or take a bite of a delicious treat. Since it’s easy to engage our senses without a lot of thought, it can be a very effective way to take us out of a sticky emotion.

“When we use the primitive pathways of sensation, we access a relatively effortless way to shift,” writes Kross.

2. Change your focus. While many experts say that it’s bad to turn away from our distressing feelings, Kross disagrees with this as an overarching principle. As long as you are not chronicallyavoiding difficult emotions, he argues, it can be good to take a break from them by focusing your attention elsewhere.

Most emotions are short-lived and fade with time, he argues, and don’t require us to hold on tightly to them. So, distancing ourselves can help us to avoid reacting to difficult feelings by doing something we’ll regret later—like sending a nasty email when we’re angry or bingeing on snack food when we’re bored. Being flexible about using distraction to lessen the intensity of our emotions and allow time to pass can be a good way to help regulate difficult feelings.

When might turning away not be healthy? If you always avoid feelings and don’t learn from them, says Kross. In that case, distraction is unlikely to do the trick. But if that’s not the case, then walking away from a conflict or picking up a juicy novel may do you more good than you think. It might help you to later approach tricky situations more calmly and have an easier time figuring out what to do next.

3. Alter your perspective. Reframing how you think about an upsetting experience can help you alter your perspective and tone down emotional reactivity. For example, if your wife shows up late to dinner and you feel angry about it, consider the possibility that her lateness isn’t about disrespecting you but is rather about being kept late by her boss. That will likely make you feel differently about the situation.

Though reframing is a very effective tool—and is often used in cognitive behavioural therapy, for example—it can take time and effort we may not readily have access to, says Kross.

“To reframe a situation, we often need to look at it from a different vantage point so we can shift our thoughts about it,” he writes. “The problem is, when we are washed over by negative feelings, we tend to narrowly focus on the problem at hand.”

Because of this, Kross suggests a shortcut for reframing: talking to yourself as if you were someone else. For example, if you’re nervous about an upcoming interview, you might tell yourself something like, “Hey, I know you’re worried, but it’s also an exciting opportunity for you. And, if you don’t get this job, no worries. Something better will come along.”

“Self-distancing” like this has been found to help people tone down problematic emotions in many situations, such as “when people are reflecting on past heartache or future worries and when they grapple with negative feelings in the heat of the moment after a date or big interview,” writes Kross.

4. Change your location. Our outer circumstances are constantly affecting our emotions, both directly and indirectly, writes Kross. Therefore, learning ways to change them deliberately can affect our emotional reactions in positive ways.

For example, if you are stressed about a work assignment and unable to focus, taking a short walk in the woods or in a quiet neighbourhood might calm you quickly, allowing you to think straight. Alternatively, you can add things to your space that soothe you, like a nice photo of a loved one or a beautiful flowering plant that sits on your desk.

If you have a chronic emotional issue that’s keeping you from reaching your goals, says Kross, you can ask yourself, “What [in your environment] is taxing you, draining you, tempting you, pulling you away from the things you want to do, the person you want to be?” Identifying these things can spark ideas of how to change it to better support you.

5. Reach out to the right people for guidance. We all need people in our lives to help us through hard times—someone to talk to who can make us feel better. But often, writes Kross, the people we choose to confide in add fuel to our emotional fire without offering perspective, which likely won’t shift us in the right direction.

“There are two key ways other people can help us when we go to them for emotional support: They can satisfy our core need for empathy and validation, on the one hand, and they can help us shift our perspective, on the other,” he writes. “We routinely balance this formula incorrectly, failing to strike a balance between these two critical elements.”

Kross says that identifying people in your life who provide you with the right blend of kind, empathic support and good advice is very helpful for managing difficult emotions. Of course, that’s what therapists are for; but if one isn’t available to you, then you can turn to a good friend or family member or anyone with those skills.

6. Find a culture that suits you. Our cultural backgrounds affect how we feel about our emotions and how we handle them, writes Kross. Whether we’re talking about a national culture or the culture of the groups to which we belong, we should be conscious of the messages we are receiving and whether or not they are helping us with our emotional lives.

In some cases, it might be good to find a culture that will support your own emotional needs—whether that’s a religious group, a sports team, a therapy group, or something else. Only you can decide what you need, though, and it may take some reflection and trial and error to figure that out.

7. Practice helps. Sometimes when we are overwrought, it may be hard to reach for these tools easily. That’s why Kross encourages people to practice the techniques in less emotionally charged situations, to see how they work for you. He also offers tips on what to do if you feel stuck or something isn’t working well.

His goal isn’t to provide a one-size-fits-all or to eliminate all negative emotion from your life, but to help you find the right tools to nudge yourself emotionally when that’s what you need. Learning to manage your emotions better will not only improve your own well-being and success in life, it will also help those around you.

“How we handle [our emotions] shapes everything from the unfolding of a single day in our own individual lives, to our children’s emotional world, to our workplaces and communities, to political conflicts that unfold around the globe,” he writes. “It’s for these reasons that I genuinely believe that understanding how to manage our emotions is one of the greatest challenges we face.”

By Jill Suttie | February 4, 2025

Greater Good Magazine; science based insights for a meaningful life

By Aundraea Stevens

Convenor of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee