As we come to the end of another year it is incredible to think about all that has happened – as we navigated COVID in the first half of the year and worked hard to return to our usual activities over the second half. I am amazed at how our students, staff and parents have shown such resilience through the year.

Building update

I would like to let you know that the Department of Education has advised that Firm Construction, the builder for our construction project, has entered administration.

I have been advised that the Department of Education’s delivery partner, the Department of Finance, has taken control of the project and is working towards appointing a new builder.

I will provide an update when further information is available and appreciate your patience and understanding.

Valedictory

Congratulations to all our Year 12s who have now finished their formal schooling and are preparing for the new year, whether that be tertiary studies, training or employment. We wished them well at their Valedictory on 18 November and welcomed former student Brooke Tia Silcox who shared her journey beyond Kalamunda with a career in film and law and how her Kalamunda SHS friends ultimately led her to meeting her husband.

On 29 November we welcomed our incoming students who will be a part of our special programs next year. We acknowledged them in a special ceremony with parents and their primary principals.

Special Program Graduations

Our special program coordinators will farewell the Year 10 students in our special programs who will graduate this year. The KPA students were farewelled at their final showcase on 22 November. The Outdoor Adventure Program students will have their awards night on 5 December and the Academic Excellence Program students will have their Awards evening on 12 December. Congratulations to all these students and thank you to their program coordinators.

Health Career Expo

On Monday 28 November our main quad was turned into a mini Health Careers Expo organised by Amanda Moreno Diaz our Career practitioner. We had a large number of stalls showcasing careers in the health profession and we thank all those you participated in the day – including some of our wonderful parents!

Reward Activities

Various reward activities have been organised for our students who have Good Standing. Information about these has been circulated directly to parents and students and I thank all the staff who have organised and will attend these events.

Gifted and Talented – Visual Art Exhibition

The GAT program held thei annual exhibition over the weekend 3-4 Dec in the Gwen Russell Gallery and School Canteen. The Official opening  was on Sat 3 Dec where the tutor awards were announced.  The artworks were also open to the public on Sun 4 Dec and many families took the opportunity to see the amazing work created by our students.

Orientation Day

On 25 November we welcomed our incoming Year 7s for 2023 to the school for their Orientation. It was a wonderful day where students got to meet their teachers and other students in their classes ready for the new year. Thank you to Mark Pettit for organising the day and all our staff who were involved. It was lovely to welcome our parents on the day as well and we look forward to a great partnership over the next 6 years.

Christmas Hampers

Each year Desi our school chaplain coordinates Christmas hampers for our families in need. We encourage our students to bring along non-perishable items to include.

Final assembly

Our final assembly for the year will be held on 13 December at 9am in the gym.  Parents are welcome to attend.

Academic Reports

Please keep an eye out for the final academic reports for the year. These will be available and emailed to families on Friday 2 Dec (for Year 11 students) and Thursday 15 December (for Years 7-10).

Farewells and retirements

As we near the end of the term we farewell those staff who will be retiring, finishing their contracts or moving on to new schools for 2023. 

We acknowledge the many years of service that Phil Henderson has given to our Education Department and more specifically to our Science Department at Kalamunda SHS as Head of Learning Area and then Manager of Operations. Phil has returned from leave for Term 4 before officially retiring at the end of this year. 

We congratulate the following permanent staff who have won positions and promotions in other schools for next year. Ainsley Cusmano will be moving to Carine SHS, Lea Richards to Bob Hawke College and Khojseta Taj to Duncraig SHS.

We thank Koren Bryan, Rachel Walker, Petrina Harley, Claire Connor, Claire Bilskie for their efforts this year in covering fixed term contracts.

We also wish Shaharig Shahbazian, Alex Geneve and Ian McMullen all the best as they take leave next year.

We farewell our language assistants who have been working with us this year – Stevannie Santosa, Miska Duri Suryanita, Alexandra Del Sorbo and Mai Fung– and thank them for their support in enriching our language learning at the school.