Issue 4 – June 2019
Newsletter Articles
- Principal’s Report
- Senior School Report
- Year 11 Report
- Year 10 Report
- Middle School Report
- Year 9 Report
- Year 8 Report
- Year 7 Report
- Student Services Report
- Kalamunda Performing Arts
- Italian Update
- Bahasa Indonesia - Incursion Year 7s
- Health, Outdoor and Physical Education news
- A message from the Community Health Nurse
- Maths Update
- English Update
- Science Update
- Track your child’s bus or train trip live
- Class of 1975 -1979 Kalamunda SHS 40 Year Reunion
- City of Kalamunda’s Connecting Communities
Principal’s Report
The term has flown past and it is not long now until our mid-year holidays
Cause to be proud
Further news for Emma Strelein, who is being offered a range of US College Basketball Scholarship options for 2021 at the moment. We wish her all the best as she makes some big decisions.
We also wish Felix and Zachary Kingston all the best as they represent WA in Baseball in the National Intermediate League Championships in Victoria.
Congratulations
To our Concert Band under the leadership of music teacher Peter Hind. The band have been invited to play at the upcoming Opus 2019, a concert showcasing exceptional musical performances from some of Western Australia’s most outstanding public school students at the Perth Concert Hall. Peter has composed a piece entitled The Message Stick, which represents hope for reconciliation bringing together elements of traditional Aboriginal music with a concert band.
Annual Quiz Night
This will be held on Saturday 28 June at 7pm in the school gymnasium. It is not too late to book at table and help support our school.
Save the date
This year our KPA students will be performing the musical The Little Mermaid Jr. It will be an amazing production and each year these students raise the bar. Make sure you come along to this event Saturday 3 Aug and Sunday 4 Aug. Tickets will be available 1 July 2019 through trybooking.
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=517895&
National Excellence in Teaching Awards
ASG and the NEiTA Foundation are offering a chance for families to nominate a teacher who you feel is an exceptional professional. Perhaps they are talented, committed, caring, innovative, passionate and/or dedicated. If you would like the opportunity to show your recognition to some of our staff, I would encourage you to nominate them online.
https://www.asg.com.au/about-asg/neita
Farewell
We recently farewelled Debi Craig who will be retiring from her position at the school. Debi has been a both a Science and Mathematics teacher here since 2008 and our school community wishes her all the very best for the future. We welcome Gemma Laskey who will take on Debi’s classes for the rest of the year.
Welcome to new staff and students
We also welcome a number of new students to the school: Jazmyn Francis, Anna Hopkins, Kiah Parker, Lochy Parker, Taliah Parker, Seth Sabine and Lachlan Walker.
Holiday wishes
I wish all our families a wonderful midyear break and look forward to seeing our students safely back for Term 3. I will be taking the last week of term on LSL and Melissa Shepherd will be acting principal while I am on leave. We also wish Susan Archdall all the best for her LSL for the first 6 weeks of Term 3, and welcome Scott Henry who will be replacing her during this time.
Helen Deacon
Principal
Senior School Report
Term 2 is not far off being complete and the year is moving along at quite a pace. As our Senior School students progress into Semester 2, this is the best time to review and reconsider how to effectively finish off the year.
It was pleasing to see that the Year 11 and 12 exams ran smoothly, even though there was a lot of sickness around this year. I was impressed with the overall attitude of all students, who presented punctually and were organised for each of their exams.
For students who participated in work placements over this period, hopefully the students had the opportunity to further develop their work ready skills, enhancing their capacity to move into the world of work in the future.
Upon receipt of Semester 1 reports students will need to apply themselves to the areas requiring improvement, as they work towards the achievement of their WACE. Please heed the advice and warnings; it is not too late for every student to make any change for the better.
Our Year 12 students need to be especially vigilant in these preceding weeks to get every mark they can, resulting in the best grades possible. Please be reminded that every student needs a good life balance, making sure health, study and extra curricula activities are given fair time allowance. It is never too late to make minor modifications to get a better overall result, ensuring all assessments are completed and handed in is a really good place to start.
Sharon Andrews
Head of Senior School
Year 11 Report
Students in Year 11 have recently completed their ATAR exams, been on Workplace Learning or working on packages at home via Connect. I hope all students were successful, able to gain valuable skills and experience from their involvement and improve their capacity to move into in their chosen future pathway.
The Year 11s academic progress has been reviewed and those who may need support or to change courses in order to succeed in Year 11 and continue their studies into Year 12 have had letters sent home. If you have any concerns about your child’s studies, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
There are a number of Year 11 students currently out of appropriate school uniform. This is recorded and can lead to a loss of Good Standing. Good Standing is required in order to attend rewards and the school ball in 2020.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me, your child’s Mentor Teacher or Learning Area Teacher if you have any questions. Nicole.sijka@education.wa.edu.au
Nicole Sijka
Year 11 Coordinator
Year 10 Report
Firstly, I would like to congratulate our students on their conduct and maturity during examination week. As we are nearing the end of the semester, this is a good opportunity for students to reflect on what they have achieved so far. This is also a good time to be having conversations with your child about their future goals, and what they need to do to achieve them.
I would also like to congratulate the 15 students who attended the Try a Trade program at Skillhire in Forrestfield during Week 7. This was a four day course where students had the opportunity to try bricklaying, woodwork, and complete their White Card. They worked so well that they completed their projects early and had to be given extra work to do. I visited the students towards the end of their course and the feedback from the trainer at Skillhire, and the students themselves, was extremely positive. Well done Year 10s!
Now that exams are over and we are back to normal timetable, I have been catching up with students to update their attendance records. Should you receive notification that your student has any unexplained absences please get in touch with our attendance officer Colleen Hockley, or myself, so that we can ensure Good Standing is maintained.
I wish you all the best for the upcoming holidays and look forward to seeing our students back next term refreshed and ready for Semester 2.
As ever should you have any questions or concerns regarding your student please do not hesitate to contact me.
Karen Stuart
Year 10 Coordinator
Middle School Report
As we near the end of the semester I want to thank all the staff for their efforts with our Year 7s, 8s and 9s over the first semester. There have been a whole range of excursions, carnivals and activities that have taken place which makes Kalamunda SHS the vibrant and busy campus that it is. Early next term we have Kalamunda Day so our Year 7 cohort will experience this for the first time.
Year 7s
Now that they have had a semester at high school we will be expecting our Year 7 cohort to continue to improve in their application of our five Values. They all play a major role in the student journey at Kalamunda SHS so we make no apologies for really pushing these with the students next semester. They only have a semester to go and they will not be the youngest in the school and we will expect them to show the incoming Year 7s what it means to be a Kalamunda SHS student.
Primary Transition
I really need to thank all of the staff (especially our Year 7 Team, The Arts Learning Area and Science Learning Area) for all of their help with Transition over the past two weeks. We had six of our local intake schools bring their Year 6 classes and spend a day with us while they got a taste of High School.
In Term 4 (29 November to be exact) we have our Orientation Day where we bring all of the incoming Year 6 students into the school for a day. They get to meet their mentor teacher for 2020 and have a really good look at the school and have a day that will make day one a little less stressful.
Year Coordinators
Just a reminder that we are really lucky to have three amazing Year Coordinators on hand to help support our students as they navigate Middle School. Ms Archdall in Year7, Mr Meaden in Year 8 and Mrs Morris (formerly known as Ms Cheetham) in Year 9. They are amazing supports for not only students but also parents and they are here to help. If you have any questions, concerns or you just want to check on something they are a great source of information.
Susan Archdall – Susan.Archdall@education.wa.edu.au
Ashley Meaden – Ashley.Meaden@education.wa.edu.au
Laura Morris – Laura.Cheetham@education.wa.edu.au
Mark Pettit
Head of Middle School
Year 9 Report
It has been a very busy time around the school over the last month and I have been impressed by the resilience the Year 9s have shown with all the changes happening as well as the respect shown towards those completing exams.
During Week 7, students in good standing were invited to attend the Year 8 and 9 Rewards Day to be held on the Thursday, Week 10. It will be a fantastic day with the students watching the new ‘Toy Story 4’ movie, followed by a pizza lunch. I am looking forward to sharing the day with the students and celebrating a job well done this term.
However, there are a number of students out of uniform and not behaving appropriately in our community. Uniform, behaviour and attendance are all monitored continually and has already led to some students losing their good standing. There are opportunities for students to earn back their good standing. Students are encouraged to make a meeting to discuss their good standing and an improvement target.
If you have any queries or concerns please feel free to contact me. The best form of communication is via email at laura.cheetham@education.wa.edu.au
Laura Morris
Year 9 Coordinator
Year 8 Report
I am pleased to report that the Year 8 cohort continues to grow in size and numbers with new enrolments at the school but also in productivity and resilience. Students are beginning to demonstrate positive behaviours towards teachers, parents and members of the community – congratulations!
Attendance Rates
Please be advised the communication I sent regarding the Attendance Policy is for your information and to be used as a guide. We expect students to attend school 90-100% of the time and all absences to be accounted for and reported upon. This is to provide duty-of-care for your child and to promote school values. Please contact myself direct if you need any assistance on this matter or the Attendance Officer – Colleen Hockley to explain specific absences that have occurred.
Good Standing
Well done to ALL students who have maintained their Good Standing for Semester 1. This demonstrates the pride and the love of learning of all students within the cohort who have achieved this. To acknowledge their fantastic efforts, we have organised a reward day and invitations have been dispersed to students already. If you need to check on your child’s Good Standing please contact me and I am happy to discuss any query which you may have.
PLEASE NOTE: Good Standing and Attendance Contracts are to be used as a tool to improve attendance, behaviour and uniform requirements. We are always building upon and maintain our high-standards at Kalamunda SHS and would like your support in this.
Student and Community Acknowledgements
We would like to congratulate Felix and Zachary Kingston for being selected to represent WA for Baseball and they will be competing in the Nationals over in Mildura, VIC.
And…
Ben Lynch on his National Motorbike Racing Championships.
As a school we promote the individual and their interests within the community and outside the greater school area – well done and safe travels!
PARENTS: Please email me if your child has an upcoming award or achievement we can mention in the News Review.
Please enjoy your upcoming holidays and keep safe.
Kind regards
Ashley Meaden
Year 8 Coordinator
“Christopher Gardner: Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right?” – The Pursuit of Happiness
Year 7 Report
It was fantastic to head into the city for the Year 7 Humanities excursion. Over two days, 250 students and 12 staff visited the Frances Burt Law Education Centre. With a focus on Civics and Citizenship, students completed and empty courtroom activity in the Supreme Court and then attended either the Magistrates Court or the District Court to watch a real trial in progress.
After fish and chips on Elizabeth Quay, students completed a Liveability Study including two field sketches and an infrastructure scavenger hunt. This excursion was the perfect culmination to the Geography Liveability topic and a great way to kick off the Civics and Citizenship unit. Students get a real hands-on perspective from being able to visit the actual places they have read about and studied.
Susan Archdall
Year 7 Coordinator





Student Services Report
Good Standing
The Good Standing report has just been completed and letters have been sent home to parents. Thank you to Mr Stott for overseeing this process while I have been away from school.
Attendance
It is important for students to regularly attend school as per the Education Act. Many parents however have requested information on school refusal, anxiety and attendance and how they can assist their child. Please see below for information.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Student Services team at any time if you have concerns regarding your child.
Amanda Morton
Manager Student Services
Kalamunda Performing Arts
I hope those that attended the KPA Showcase at the end of Term 1 enjoyed the performances by the students. We had a lot of fun putting it together for the audience and I was proud of the range and diversity of the performances. We have a lot of talent in KPA.
Our Year 7 KPA students have been rehearsing their drama performance throughout Term 2, ‘Ales of a Pencil Case’, and it has been wonderful to see their creativity at work. There have been some amazing costume creations, and the students have demonstrated excellent use of verbal and non-verbal communication skills as we begin exploring the elements of drama.
The KPA students from Year 8, 9 and 10 have been hard at work this term, learning choreography and songs for our upcoming presentation of ‘The Little Mermaid’. It’s all looking wonderful as it starts to take shape. The classroom is filling up with costumes, props and set pieces and we are excited to share the performance with you. Miss Vivian has been running weekly vocal workshops in preparation for the performance, and the singing is sounding beautiful.
Anna Head
Kalamunda Performing Arts General Coordinator
Italian Update
The Little Italian School Excursion
This term Year 9 Italian students had the opportunity to learn how make and cook tagliatelle. We were given a demonstration by Tania and Flavia on how to make authentic pasta using flour, egg and a pinch of salt. After the demonstration we were given the challenge to make our own pasta then knead and use the dough in a pasta making machine. The beautiful contemporary Italian farm house style surroundings made us feel like we were in Italy. Being able to make and cook tagliatelle was a good Italian experience. As we prepared our pasta we listened to Italian music which made the experience more enjoyable and relaxing. The freshness and quality of the pasta were delightful. You can really tell the difference between fresh pasta in comparison to packet pasta. After this authentic learning experience, we visited Siennas in Leederville and had real Italian ice cream. The gelato maker from Naples came and spoke to us about the importance of gelato in Italian culture and the many weird and wonderful flavours that you can get in Naples. He also explained the difference between ice cream and gelato. Italian gelato is made with less sugar, more cream and actually has more air in it. A healthier option!
Some of the things we enjoyed were…
- how delicious the pasta was;
- how lovely Tania and Flavia were;
- trying homemade pasta for the first time;
- knowing what work went into making the pasta;
- and mainly just being able to make and eat freshly cooked pasta;
- spending time with Signora Pennington and Benedetta;
- socialising with our Italian class mates; and
- drinking Italian coffee and eating Italian chocolates after our meal.
@the_little_italian_school
By Alannah & Samantha
Year 9 Students





Italian Incursion - Opera style!
Certiciate II and III Italian students participated in a magnificent incursion involving the WA Opera Company. This incursion was also a way to expose students to another genre of music and also an awareness of how intercultural competency is of such importance in this type of industry. Two singers and a pianist shared their stories in an intimate musical journey of their life. The students learnt about how Opera impacted their lives personally and professionally. They also spoke about the beauty of knowing another language and how it has helped them in performing arts and also throughout their travels. The trio performed their opera repertoire and musical theatre works such as O Mio Babbino Caro, Somewhere over the Rainbow, excerpt from Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story and so much more! This work supports the West Australian Music Curriculum and encourages students to express and quantify their thoughts and feelings. This incursion included a multifunctional stepladder which transformed from a balcony to a bridge – certainly demonstrating innovative use of design and even a tap dancing tenor!
I look forward to our extravagant Opera Night!


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Certificate III Italian Excursion: Sorrentos and Ferrari Barbagallo Excursion
Certificate III Italian students enjoyed their excursion to Northbridge and Osborne Park learning about two different types of industries and the link to Italian language and culture. Firstly, we arrived at Sorrentos, Northbridge. We had a specially designed menu and students ordered their foods and drinks in Italian. Many had penne arrabiata, some had gnocchi and others had a traditional wood fired pizza. The chef and owner took the time to teach us about how their business started and how the Italian community flourished in Northbridge in the 1940s.
After our Italian lunch, we visited the Ferrari Barbagallo Showroom in Osborne Park. This was an unforgettable experience! The Barbagallo Group was founded by brothers Alf and Tony Barbagallo in 1967. From its humble beginnings, Barbagallo has become renowned for expertise in motoring excellence. A marque renowned for its passion and prestige, Barbagallo Ferrari welcomed us to experience the Ferrari Showroom up close and personal. We were immersed in a world of luxury! We were taken inside the design room where we were able to see how customers design their dream Ferrari using an iPad. Inside the design room were samples of seat designs, the colour palette, wheels, breaks and other extra additions. Our guide spoke about how it is beneficial knowing how to speak a Latin based language and needing intercultural awareness when dealing with the main company in Italy and also customers from various cultural backgrounds. Students explored the showroom and were delighted when the guide started the engine of a new Ferrari. The windows vibrated! Students also received a Ferrari folder that had beautiful posters of the latest Ferraris.
After this excursion, students were undoubtedly aware of how Italian language and culture has made an influential impact in our own community and the worldwide!
Una bella giornata pieno di conoscenza e cultura Italiana!





Women’s World Cup
Forza the Matildas! Go the Matildas!
Don’t forget to follow these amazing girls!
Maria Pennington
Teacher in Charge of Languages
Bahasa Indonesia - Incursion Year 7s



Students studying Indonesian had a wonderful experience playing the Angklung on the 9 May. Both classes enjoyed participating in this incursion.
The Angklung is a musical instrument made of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo from. The tubes are curved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves. The frames are held in one hand, whilst the other hand shakes the instrument. This causes a repeating note to sound.
Each of the performers in an Angklung ensemble play just one note or more, but altogether complete melodies are produced. This instrument is popular throughout South-East Asia, but is originated in today’s Indonesia and has been played by the Sudanese for many centuries.
In this workshop students not only learnt about the history of the Angklung but also had an opportunity to play the instruments together to form a melody.
Angklung is a musical instrument originated from the province of West Java (Indonesia), which is made of several bamboo with various sizes that are combined and assembled to become musical instruments.
History of the Angklung
It started in the 12th century in the Kingdom of Sunda in Indonesia. At that time the people of the Kingdom of Sunda believe that by playing the Angklung they can entertain Nyai Sri Pohaci. Nyai Sri Pohaci, the goddess of prosperity for the people of Sunda Kingdom. Nyai Sri Pohaci captivated by the strains of Angklung musical instruments, and she will come down when hearing the sound of the instrument, that will make the land become fertile, so that all crops planted will be productive.
In addition to “inviting” Nyai Sri Pohaci, Angklung was used to raise the spirit of the warrior soldiers. Therefore, in the past the Dutch government (formerly the Dutch had colonized Indonesia) forbade this instrument to be played.
The name Angklung
The word Angklung comes from two words from the Sundanese language, namely angkleung-angkleung meaning floating and klung which is the sound produced by the instrument. In other words Angklung means the sound klung produced by lifting or floating the instrument.
There is another theory which says that angklung comes from two words in Balinese language, that is Angka meaning tone and lung meaning lost. So that angklung can be interpreted as a missing tone.
I would like to mention a big Terima kasih to Pak Jason and Pak Wilfred from Murdoch University, Perth who took time off to come to KSHS and teach my Year 7 students to play the Angklung.
Ibu Kaler
Indonesian Teacher
Health, Outdoor and Physical Education news
The Oudoor Adventure Program students from Years 8, 9 and 10 have all been working hard in lessons with some preparing and undertaking for their first excursion of the year. The Year 7 OAP students participated in the Canning River walk and Indigenous education on the 27 May and have been exploring their skills and knowledge of navigation and ecology in class. The Year 8 OAP students have been busy preparing for their overnight expedition walking the Bibbulmun track with Year 12 Outdoor Recreation students. The Year 9 OAP students have been out and about on mountain bikes, learning the different leadership groups and personal skills. Lastly, the Year 10 OAP group are preparing for their Cape to Cape expedition.
Soccer Program Updates
All three Specialist Soccer Program Teams have continued with great success in their interschool matches this term. The Junior Girls Soccer Team were triumphant against St Brigids College winning their match 5 goals to 4 goals. The Junior Girls also came away with a 2 – 0 win against Melville Senior High School with Stella Pryde and Sophie Eden scoring two spectacular goals in the rain. The Intermediate Boys Soccer Team drew with Mazenod College 2 – 2 with goals from Theo Allan. The Junior Boys Soccer Team also drew 2 – 2 with Mazenod College.
Upcoming Health, Outdoor and Physical Education events
Date |
Event |
Tuesday 18 June |
Girls Interschool Soccer match at Kalamunda Senior High School against Lynwood Senior High School |
Monday 24 June – Tuesday 25 June |
Year 8 Outdoor Adventure Program expedition with Year 12 Outdoor Recreation students |
Tuesday 25 June |
Girls Interschool Soccer match at Kalamunda Senior High School against Cannington Community College |
Friday 28 June |
Year 10 Outdoor Recreation excursion |
Tuesday 2 July |
Year 7 Lightning Carnival |
Friday 5 July |
Ski Trip leaves for Falls Creek |
Alice Hall
Health and Physical Education Teacher
A message from the Community Health Nurse
Sex - talking to your child
Parents often feel uncomfortable raising this topic with their children, but young people need accurate information about sex and sexuality in order to be able to negotiate sexual relationships safely and responsibly, and to become sexually healthy adults.
Your child will hear information from many sources, but as the most influential role model in your child’s life you have an important role to play in imparting your knowledge, sharing your values and ensuring that your child receives information that allows them to make safe and healthy choices.
'Talk soon. Talk often. A guide for parents talking to their kids about sex' is an excellent book that will help you with tricky conversations.
https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/S_T/Talk-soon-Talk-often
Take a look at the ‘Get the Facts’ website and discuss what you see with your child.
http://www.getthefacts.health.wa.gov.au
The 2018 National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health has some interesting information about the sexual health of adolescents. A link to the report can be found in the following article:
https://theconversation.com/around-half-of-17-year-olds-have-had-sex-and-theyre-more-responsible-than-you-think-118337
If you have a concern about your child’s development, please contact your local Community Health Nurse, Louise Jonker on 0438 810 442.
Louise Jonker
Community Health Nurse
Maths Update
The last few weeks have been busy for staff and students, preparing for and marking exams and assessments as we approach the reporting period. Overall, I am happy with the number of students who prepared thoroughly for their assessments, bringing equipment and preparing notes to support them in their tests, and this will be reflected in their Semester 1 reports.
As usual, the Mathematics department have been continuing to look for where Maths can be seen outside of the classroom. The recent news release from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) showing a cut in interest rates has given us plenty to think about. We did some calculations for you.
An average house price may leave you with a $400,000 mortgage on an interest of 4.5%pa on a 30 year repayment. If the interest rate cut of 0.25% were passed on to consumers, families would expect a saving of approximately $21,000. How much could you save on your mortgage? Check that your bank has passed on the full rate to you and if not, ask them for it. Most banks now have a mortgage calculator that you can use to calculate the potential savings. This can be done online without having to enquire or speak to anyone.
Why not discuss this with your children at home to see how it can affect your family – could you save for something important together by the savings on your house? Maybe even a holiday?
Students start learning about percentages in the Maths curriculum at varying stages, to help them understand these concepts that they will be using as adults:
- Year 7 students see the connection between fractions, decimals and percentages calculating common percentages.
- Year 8 students start to investigate percentage increase and decrease looking at sales prices and taxes.
- Year 9 students see simple interest and calculate using interest rate formulas.
- Year 10 students investigate simple into compound interest, looking at varying interest rates and compounding periods. This is the maths behind the mortgage calculations and students look into varying rates for credit cards, investments and loans. This becomes a tricky concept for many but when students see a real-life context it becomes much more exciting, especially if they can see the long term rewards of investing wisely.
I encourage you to continue having these real-life conversations with students to help develop their understanding of numeracy in the real world and engage in their learning process.
Please check Connect regularly to see assessment and class information. If you have any queries, please contact your child’s class teacher or the Head of Learning Area, Jessica Millar.
Jessica Millar
Head of Mathematics Learning Area
English Update
Hello to the parents and caregivers of students of English at Kalamunda SHS.
As we near the end of Semester 1 and the reporting period, many of our students have been completing end-of-semester formal tests and exams. This has meant that English teachers have been burning the midnight oil to ensure class-based assessments and exams are marked and feedback is provided as we launch into our Semester 2 programs.
Most recently, Year 8 students have watched documentaries and have been focusing on the way we can be manipulated through certain filmic codes and documentary conventions. They presented their text evaluation in a structured retrieval chart.
Year 9 students have completed significant research tasks and produced feature articles based on an issue of their choice. They are in the process of presenting their research and their take on the issue via oral presentations.
Year 10 students completed their first formal English exam after studying the fairy tale genre and writing their own fractured fairy tale adaptations.
Year 11 ATAR English students have presented research on iconic images that have had an impact on the world. The range of images selected and the depth to which students went in exploring the significance of their chosen images showed the emergence of an expansive world view for our ATAR pathway group. Year 11 General English students have spent time constructing board games after spending time examining the crime genre.
Year 12 General English students have delved into a unit based on music and song choice entitled ‘The Soundtrack of My Life’. For once, teachers were encouraging students to listen to music in class with the educational purpose of developing skills in lyric analysis and popular text explanation. The Year 12 ATAR students of course have the spectre of their exams approaching. Their penultimate task prior to their Semester 1 exams was an oral presentation based on their close reading of two essays and comparing the ideas presented in each.
The English program at Kalamunda SHS continues to be both rich and challenging at every year level as we encourage our students to examine ideas, explore their own and articulate their responses to the world and the texts around them. If you haven’t already, I would encourage all of the significant adults in our students’ lives to ask them about what they are learning in English and how this is shaping their view of the world. You may be surprised by what you hear.
Tim Bennett
Head of English Learning Area
Science Update



Geology Rocks
We've had real-life ‘rock-hound’ (Robert Campbell-Clause) visit Ms Loxton’s Year 8 class to share what it's like to work as a geologist in Western Australia and how his company goes about mining for gold.
Robert’s company (Regis Resources) operates the Moolart Well gold mine 350 kilometres north-east of Kalgoorlie. Since starting in 2010, the mine has yielded over 600 000 ounces of gold. At $1335 an ounce this represents a value of about 800 million dollars from just that one mine.
This was followed up with a session where students did a ‘fruit cake mining’ laboratory activity involving calculation of mine profitability. The final challenge was to restore the mine site to original condition after complete excavation of our ore. Connor Bostock, Lochlan Rossi, and Khyran Elliot are shown using the electronic balance to accurately weigh their sample.
Lindesay Pound
Science Teacher
Track your child’s bus or train trip live
Following the progress of your child’s trip to school and back has never been easier. With the Transperth app, you’ll know exactly how far away their service is, when it departs and when it has safely reached its destination.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, you simply select the service you want to monitor. As soon as the bus or train starts its trip, a yellow LIVE icon will appear. You can then follow its progress along the route map in real time.
As a bonus, you can also save your regular journeys and routes for quick access.
To make your travel even easier you can link the app to your Transperth My Account. Then you can manage your SmartRider, SmartParker and My Alert subscriptions, all from the same place.
The Transperth app is free and easy to use.
Android and iOS versions are ready for you to download now at the App Store and Google Play.
Class of 1975 -1979 Kalamunda SHS 40 Year Reunion
City of Kalamunda’s Connecting Communities