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November 22, 2024 | News
22nd November 2024
From The Principal
Dear Parents, Carers, and Students
The end of another busy and rewarding year is rapidly approaching. Here are some highlights from recent events and achievements at our school.
2024 School Magazine – Columns
The 2024 edition of our school magazine, Columns, has been published, and I’ve just had the pleasure of reading it through. It’s a wonderful record of the year—celebrating the many activities, successes, and stories that have shaped our school community. Thank you to Columns Editor Stephen McDonald and the many students and staff members who contributed to this outstanding publication.
Energy Breakthrough – Human Powered Vehicle Teams
Some of you may have read the recent article in the Midland Express about our Human Powered Vehicle teams, who will be participating in this year’s Energy Breakthrough in Maryborough this weekend. A huge congratulations to the 16 students and their team coordinator, Ms. DeMoel, for their dedication and hard work. Their preparation has been extensive, from constructing their recumbent vehicles to developing presentations and undergoing rigorous training for the race. We are very grateful to the local businesses who have supported our teams through their sponsorship. We wish our KHS Racers all the best and look forward to hearing about their successes!
Student Led Conferences and Exams
This week has also marked a significant milestone for our Years 7 to 9 students, who participated in our Student Led Conferences on Thursday and Friday. These conferences provide an excellent opportunity for students to showcase the highlights of their learning achievements and reflect on their progress. It’s always inspiring to see our students take ownership of their learning and proudly share their journey with their families.
Meanwhile, our Year 10 and 11 students have completed their exams this week, which are a key part of their academic year. These assessments mark the conclusion of this phase before the start of the Begin 2025 program, which will see students transition into their new classes and timetables for the next two weeks of the term.
VCE Exams and Year 12 Valedictory Dinner
Our Year 12 students have now completed their VCE exams, and we wish them all the best as they await their results. This is a significant time for them, and we share in their anticipation as they prepare to take the next step in their journey.
On Friday, 22nd November, we will celebrate the graduation of our Year 12 students and their families at the annual Valedictory Dinner. This event marks a major milestone in the lives of our students and provides a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge their perseverance and commitment. It is a joyous occasion for all involved, and we look forward to celebrating this achievement with them.
Looking Ahead
As we enter the final stretch of the year, I want to thank all of our students, staff, and families for their ongoing support. Best wishes to all our students and staff as they step into next year’s Begin 2025 program. We are preparing for Orientation Day in a fortnight’s time, and looking forward with excitement to welcoming our incoming Year 7 students.
Warm regards,
Ana Rees
Principal
Final Assemblies for 2024
On Tuesday our Year 7s assembled for their last assembly of 2024. Mr Turnbull handed out awards to some amazing students who achieved great things! It was the passing of the baton as Mr Turnbull said farewell as their Year Level Leader and we welcomed Ms Stone as their Year Level Leader for next year. Our year level captains gave a lovely speech about how well the Year 7s have done and how proud we are of them! We wish them all the best for 2025 and look forward to them being the ‘seniors’ of the Boomerang!
Mr Turnbull & Ms Gunter
On Wednesday we gathered our Year 8s for their final assembly of the year! We would like to wish them all the best for their big move to the Middle Years. It has been an absolute pleasure watching these wonderful students grow from tiny Year 7s to confident Year 8s. Mr Comben will be their Year Level Leader again next year and is looking forward to supporting these students with this transition. We have had a lot of laughs and learnt a lot together!!
Ms Gunter and Mr Comben
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VCE-VM Program
We are celebrating a 100% pass rate of our VCE-VM students!
These students having been working tirelessly to ensure they complete all the outcomes VCE-VM requires, and with this being the first iteration of Kyneton High School’s program this is an amazing result! Huge thank you to their VCE-VM teaching team:
Kate Rantall
Literacy (YR11 & 12)
Emma Stone
Numeracy (YR12)
Gareth Rowe
Personal Development Skills (YR11 & 12)
Megan DeMoel
Numeracy and Work Related Skills (YR11)
Special thank you to our Education Support Staff, Anne-Maree James, who went above and beyond to help every student, especially those needing more support. Congratulations to the students for their hard work, perseverance and crossing the finish line of their Secondary School journey! We are so proud of you all!
7D’s Life Of Wu Zetian
7D have been learning about Ancient China with Ms. Dalley. A group of 6 students were particularly interested in Wu Zetian as the first and only empress of China, so they decided to role play her life. Here is the story…
Empress from
660-705
Confucius believed that women shouldn’t be leaders, but because of her beauty, nobility, and education from her father (Aria Stagoll), Wu Zetian (Clem Nelms) caught the attention of Emperor Tai Tsung (Arkie Simpson-Purdon) and became one of his concubines.
Secretly, she was having an affair with Tai Tsung’s son, Gaozong (Silki Di Maggio), so when Tai Tsung died, she became a nun, then married Gaozong as his first wife. They had 2 sons (Aria, Arkie) and 1 daughter (Ivie Plambeck), so when Gaozong died of a stroke, Wu Zetian took over some of the responsibility and allowed her sons to rule as emperors.
After some time, she became tired of being the ‘power behind the throne’, and crowned herself as the first empress of China.
As empress, she reduced taxes, promoted women’s roles in society and introduced a work system based on merit, not social status.
Please enjoy this epic dramatisation.
Written by Silki and Ivie
Camera: Sam Oborne
Year 9 And 10 Indonesian
The Year 9 and 10 students had a cooking class this term, making Javanese Opor Curry using Bu Kiky’s family recipe from Java, Dadar Gulung served with vanilla ice cream and fresh jackfruit as well as a variety of sweet and savoury spring rolls.
Opor is a traditional Javanese dish cooked in coconut milk, often served during special occasions like Lebaran (Eid). Originating from Central Java, it has a rich, creamy texture. One important step in making opor is simmering the dish, which allows the spices and herbs—such as lemongrass, galangal, and bay leaves—to blend together and enhance the flavour.
Big thanks to many staff who have helped out during the cooking process. It was a festival of Indonesian Food celebrating different kinds of spices and aromatics.
Bu Kiky
The key to making opor is browning aromatics, such as shallots, garlic, and ginger, in low heat for around 15-20 minutes before adding other ingredients. As you cook, the aroma fills the kitchen with a warm, comforting scent. The fresh, citrusy smell of lemongrass, the warmth of ginger, and the richness of coconut milk create a delicate yet flavourful fragrance.
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Hello everyone
November 25th marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a crucial time for us to unite in our commitment to end violence in all its forms. This campaign serves as a powerful reminder that gender-based violence is not just a women’s issue; it is a human rights issue that affects us all.
Every day, countless individuals face violence simply because of their gender. This violence can take many forms—physical, emotional, sexual, and economic—and it can happen in our homes, workplaces, and communities. It is a violation of human dignity and an affront to our shared values of equality and respect.
As we embark on these 16 days, let us recognize the importance of listening to the voices of survivors. Their experiences are a testament to the urgent need for change. We must support them, amplify their stories, and ensure that their pain leads to meaningful action.
This campaign is not just about raising awareness; it’s about fostering a culture of zero tolerance toward violence. We must challenge harmful stereotypes, educate ourselves and others, and advocate for policies that protect the rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender.
I encourage each of you to take action during these 16 days and beyond. Share information, attend events, volunteer with organizations working to combat gender-based violence, and engage in conversations that promote understanding and respect.
Together, we can create a world where everyone—regardless of gender—can live free from violence and fear. Let us stand together, support one another, and work tirelessly to end all forms of gender-based violence. Thank you for your dedication to this important cause.
Clover Duffin
Diversity Captain
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Year 8 Drama
8C Hamming It Up
A picture paints a thousand words
Which is good because I am struggling to put words to this lot.
Afloat In A Boat
9 Outdoor Ed Sailing Camp
Oh, the terrible stress
of being in Year 9…
Meanwhile, Over In The Kitchen
And They’re Racing!
They’re ACTUALLY racing… RIGHT NOW! The KHS Human Powered Vehicle Racing team is in Maryborough this weekend, competing at the big event! The Newsletter was published too early for any photos, but here’s an early report on the team’s adventures so far from Billie Jimson:
At 4:45 pm on Thursday the 21st of November, a group of students hopped on a bus with Ms DeMoel to head to Maryborough for the Energy Breakthrough. It was 33 degrees by the time we arrived at 6pm and we had to work hard as a team to set up the marquees and then our own tents and swags in the heat.
We were setting up for about 2 hours before we started getting dinner ready. It was burgers on the menu and after we’d all eaten, Mr Oliveri showed up and started setting up his own swag. It finally cooled down when it got dark but the campsite was still very noisy. Nobody got a very good night’s sleep, and the train that left the station next to us at 2:50 AM didn’t help either.
This morning Mr Spencer arrived to help us stick the sponsor stickers on both of the trikes, and the students were taken to get registered. It’s already 26 degrees at 9:48 and we’ve had to start snacking on ice to avoid heat stroke. It is so much fun.
Watch this space in the next KHS Newsletter for the full report from Megan and the team!
If you can’t wait for that, live race results are being posted at the
Energy Breakthrough website.
In the meantime, please head over to the Midland Express for their article and photo of the team’s vehicle having a test drive.
Modern History
Essay: Samson Briscomb
The anti-apartheid movement strove to utilise every peaceful channel available in order to gain freedom from the institutionalised discrimination created by the South African government. The anti-apartheid movement used a vast array of non-violent methods to create change. Despite the terrible discrimination and horrifyingly unequal treatment they were subjected to, the movement remained peaceful for as long as possible. However the transition into military protest was a reaction to the South African government’s own increasingly violent resistance rather than the true exhaustion of all peaceful strategies.
The anti-apartheid movement used an extensive and diverse range of tactics to achieve their goals during the segregation era from 1948-1961. One of the first major organised anti-apartheid protests was the defiance campaign which began on the 26th June, 1952. 52 non-white activists, including Nelson Mandela, marched on Boksburg, intentionally breaking discriminatory laws, before all being arrested. This marked the beginning of a movement which would involve boycotting, protesting and the breaking of apartheid laws and would eventually see the ANC’s membership increase from 20,000 to 100,000. However, while the defiance campaign generated publicity, it was unsuccessful at creating changes, and the movement was ended just a year later in 1953 by chief Albert Luthuli. It was clear that this kind of protest could not generate the momentum needed to end apartheid, so the anti-apartheid movement used a number of new strategies. One method used to try to create change was through the ideological revolution created by Steve Biko. Biko propagated the idea of the Black Consciousness movement which believed in the pride and dignity for all black South Africans, with Biko stating that “(a) black man should… depend on himself for his freedom…” As a part of this movement Biko co-founded the South African Students’ Organisation in 1968 and the group went on to complete many non-violent protests in the years to come. However, Biko was killed in 1977 while detained by police, causing mass outrage across the country and proving once again that non-violence was not working at preventing harm against black South Africans. It is obvious that the anti-apartheid movement tried many peaceful strategies for change with limited success.
Despite the actions against them, the anti-apartheid movement remained non-violent for as long as was feasibly possible. While the defiance campaign generated some growth, it was outweighed by the government’s response. The introduction of laws such as the criminal law amendment Act which allowed the arrest of any person involved with anti-apartheid protests and the Public Safety Act which allowed emergency powers to bypass laws in order to quell resistance, were successful in diminishing the defiance campaign’s effort. In addition to these being introduced in 1953, people’s personal lives were also affected by the government’s banning of more than 10 black South Africans meeting at a time. When the ANC and its allies published the Freedom Charter in 1955, it directly protested these new restrictions, demanding the right “to speak, to organise and to meet together…”, but this was once again met with resistance. 156 activists were arrested during the treason trials which lasted from 1956-1961 and this greatly slowed the progress of the anti-apartheid movement. Any action that the movement took was met with legislation, resistance and new regulations. Still, the movement continued to use new peaceful methods until what Fanie du Toit refers to as the “day-to-day violence” against black South Africans became too strong to ignore.
However, the change to militaristic protest by the anti-apartheid movement was a reaction to the events happening to them, rather than the fact the peaceful protest would not be successful. One of the best examples of this was the ANC’s response to the Sharpeville massacre on the 21st of March, 1960. The PAXC organised 7000 peaceful protesters to break passbook laws and the police opened fire, killing 69 people, causing major riots in South Africa and creating outrage across the world. Soon after, Nelson Mandela led the recreation of MK, the ANC’s military group on the 16th December, 1961. This was a clear reaction to the recent events of Sharpeville and others and while Mandela said at the time they “had no alternative to armed and violent resistance”, the ending of apartheid proves that violence was not the only way forward. Tom Lodge describes the “international social movement” first started by Sharpeville, to be key because it “help(ed) shape post-apartheid settlement.” This international pressure was far more integral to the ending of the apartheid system than the sabotage movement perpetrated by MK. While the change to military was not necessary in the fall of apartheid, it was impossible for the sufferings of black South Africans to continue without retaliation.
Because of the large number of non-violent strategies used by the anti—apartheid movement, despite the massive counter reactions of the South African government and considering the motive of the transition to violent protest, the anti-apartheid movement attempted to use every peaceful means available to them before resorting to violence.
Samson – An excellent essay. The specificity of evidence, especially considering it is all memorised, demonstrates how hard you worked.
Next time: The view from Rocco DiMaggio
Basketball
On Thursday the 31st of October the Year 7 boys basketball team went to play the second level regionals in Coburg. They played 3 games throughout the day, they unfortunately lost all 3 games against some really good oppositional schools in Epping, Thornbury and Viewbank. The students competed hard all day and tried their best. This event ended the school sports year for 2024. We thank Mr Eddy for his organisation of this event and staff attendees in Mr Brohm and Ms Wallace. Special thanks to student Jai Cairnes for volunteering his time to coach the students. Overall we are really proud of our team.
Jai Cairnes – Coach
Golf
On Friday the 8th of November, we took 71 Year 10 students to the Kyneton golf course to participate in the KHS Golf Day. The year 10s have spent weeks of class time to learn the skills and refine techniques to use on this day, starting with the key fundamentals of swinging a golf club, to chipping and putting. Students were encouraged to dress up in their ‘best golf attire’. We had many students go to great lengths to get involved and develop costumes specifically for the day.
We were lucky enough to have some volunteers from the Kyneton Golf Club who helped run the day. The students started off with some driving out on the range, chipping and putting practice. This then led into a BBQ for lunch provided for us. The weather was hit and miss for most of the day. It poured rain over lunch and we were worried we wouldn’t be able to get out and play our round of golf. Luckily, the weather stopped and allowed our students to head out onto the course for a 9 hole ambrose competition. Students showed off their skills on the course, with some really good shots made!
We finished the day off with some awards to acknowledge student participation. These were as follows:
Longest Drive Award: Will Stafford
Worst Golfer Award: Peter Norris
Best Dressed Award: Naima Hart (Happy Gilmore)
On Par Award: Jack Fox and Bianca Oborne
Looking forward to running this event again next year already!
Mr Eddy
School Notices
Parent And Carer School Saving Bonus Code Distribution
The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.
From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.
The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.
If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.
Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers. Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities.
To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit www.vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus. A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.
If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au
Parent/Guardian General Information about Head Start
Head Start supports Victorian government secondary students to undertake a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT).
SBATs combine secondary schooling with paid employment and training, and are open to students who are:
– enrolled in Year 10, 11 or 12
– at least 15 years of age
– Australian citizens or permanent residents
Head Start staff are employed in schools to provide information and support regarding SBAT opportunities. A teacher or career adviser in the school might connect your young person with a Head Start staff member who can:
– Present the Head Sart program to their class
– Discuss the Head Start program at an initial 1:1 meeting
– Provide further information and a referral form for your consent
For more information about Head Start, visit www.vic.gov.au/headstart
Coming Events
| Friday November 22nd | Year 7-9 Student led conferences Year 10 & 11 exams Early Start transition day 1b HPV Racing event Valedictory dinner |
| Saturday November 23rd | HPV Racing event |
| Sunday November 24th | HPV Racing event |
| Monday November 25th | Year 10 into 11VM interviews Year 8-12 Begin 2025 |
| Tuesday November 26th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 |
| Wednesday November 27th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 Summer Soiree |
| Thursday November 28th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 School council |
| Friday November 29th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 Year 11 & 12 VM last day |
| Monday December 2nd | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 Year 12 Begin 2025 English excursion |
| Tuesday December 3rd | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 |
| Wednesday December 4th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 |
| Thursday December 5th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 |
| Friday December 6th | Year 8-12 Begin 2025 Year 10 & 11 2024 last day |
| Monday December 9th | Year 7-9 Year Level excursions |
| Tuesday December 10th | 7 Begin 2025 No KHS students at school |
| Wednesday December 11th | Activites |
| Thursday December 12th | Activities School council |
| FridayDecember 13th | Activities |
| Monday December 16th | Activites Clean up the school day |
| Tuesday December 17th | Activities Presentation Night rehearsals Presentation Night 5pm and 6pm |
| Wednesday December 18th | Course counselling |
| Thursday December 19th | Course counselling |
| Friday December 20th | End of year – 1.30pm finish |
Full & Part Time Courses
Now taking enrolments to commence October 2024, or January 2025.
Accredited courses – CII, CIII, CIV, & Diploma Courses in Dance, Dance Teaching, Musical Theatre
All standards welcome – Beginner to Advanced
Day, Night, & Saturday classes available for Part Time students
CRICOS registered for International students
For more information or to enrol:
Email us – dancefac@netspace.net.au
Call us – 03) 9429 9492
Visit our website http://www.dancefactory.com.au/
2 shows only!
An ensemble of amazing parkour, circus and aerial performers from Castlemaine Circus, plus a live circus band.
A one hour show that explores our hyper safe world. Witness those that dare to take risks, explore the edges and break through boundaries.
A family friendly show for all the ages.
*Performed by Castlemaine Circus professional and emerging young artists, including Caz West, Nichola Hall, Flynn Patrao, Cameron Macleman, Mason West, Bek Connors.
*Creative Direction by Asking for Trouble, Luke O’Connor and Christy Flaws.
Music Direction by Justin Marshall.
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Castlemaine Circus.
This project was made possible by the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia.
KYNETON HIGH SCHOOL