August 8, 2022 | News
KHS Newsletter : 05 August
5th August 2022
After 2 years of COVID-induced postponement,
and even some last-minute pressure caused by external factors (managed superbly by Teacher-in-charge Jodie Cox), the ski camp was finally underway very early on Monday morning this week. We acknowledge Jodie’s optimism and enormous effort and also thank our HPE staff Shannan Merrett and Ryan Eddy, for enabling such a wonderful experience for our students.
These last couple of weeks have been careers and pathways-focused for our middle years students. The Morrisby Interviews last week were an opportunity for our Year 9s to discover more about careers that they may wish to aim for. Thank you to all staff who ensured the smooth running of the Morrisby interviews last week, especially our Career Pathways staff Lizzie Trembath, Gayle James, the library staff, and the general office staff. This week the Old Senior Study was the venue for Year 10 Course Counselling. It was great to see the serious interest and attention shown by students as they engaged in discussions with the Year 10 Careers teachers about their subject selections and potential pathways.
The interviews for places in the 2022 School for Student Leadership (happening in Term 4) commenced this week in the Student Leadership Team Lounge, and will continue next week. Best wishes to all the candidates. It is a special feature that our 2021 SSL students are conducting interviews: Ava Coleman, Caitlyn Merrall, Gabe Weller, Leathan Coates and Jen Girvan. This group of Year 10 students have demonstrated outstanding leadership and teamwork this year, a testament to the impact that SSL can have on young people who participate in the program. We acknowledge their time and effort in conducting these interviews.
Our thanks to Mr Alex Pascoe for organising and running the Australian Maths Competition this week, which involved nearly 40 students from Years 7 to 10. We have many students who are passionate about Mathematics, and inspiring teachers who are helping them to thrive in this area. Lastly thanks to everyone for your ongoing effort to work hard, do your best and stay resilient. This week I heard a lovely story from a local resident who regularly walks past our school with her young daughter; the sign at the front on Epping Street often has a message which sparks thoughtful conversations. I would to thank our Student Leadership Team members for sharing these words of wisdom with our community:
Believe you can, and you’re halfway there!
Ana Rees – Principal
Year 8 Humanities
Last week in Year 8 Humanities we have continued to study the Renaissance, looking at a range of topics including society, science and technology, art, and women & children.
On Friday classes tried their hands at creating some Da Vinci self-supporting bridges with great success! Go team!
Mr Rickwood
Chess Club
The chess club tournament has now been completed with a tense grand final face off between Samson B (Year 8) and Felix C (Year 7). Well done to both boys for getting to the grand Final and congratulations to Samson who was able to win the battle.
Well done to all the participants over the last few weeks. We look forward to the next tournament in Term 4!
Mr Rickwood again
Year 9 Soup Kitchen Trip
Across the country from 1st to 7th August communities are holding events to raise awareness of the impact of Homelessness in Australia. On Tuesday 2nd August a small group of Year 9 students from KHS attended the Kyneton Mechanics Institute to participate in a pop-up soup kitchen put on by the team of housing support workers from Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health.
Twelve students enjoyed soup, sausage rolls and sweet treats while listening to a ukulele band and chatting with community members and support workers about issues surrounding homelessness. Further, students collected information on homelessness and many chose knitted garments such as beanies and scarves to take home.
Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health support people who are experiencing housing crises in the Macedon Ranges. This ties in with the current unit on homelessnesss being taught in Year 9 Homegroup. The homegroup team hope to have representatives from the housing team come to talk to our Year 9 students to further develop their understanding of the impact of homelessness and strategies in place to support people at risk of a housing crisis.
Further plans are for students to work in their homegroups to create events and activities to raise money and awareness of the homelessness. Watch this space for pop-up food events and other fun activities.
Jane Strickland
Year 7 Science
Year 7 students explored forces and their effects this term in science.
They built a “Marble Run” that took the longest time for the marble to reach the ground, which was a lot of fun to watch!
Ms Quynh
The Marble Runs in action!
Classical Studies
Alpine Ski Camp 2022
Finally our school ski camp was able to proceed after 3 years or rescheduling due to Covid. There were ups and downs, but overall the students had a great time learning to ski and snow board the alps. Thank you to all staff and volunteers for making this fantastic opportunity possible for our students.
Year 11 Chemistry
The year 11 Chemistry class began exploring reactions in water this semester.
So far we have looked at precipitation and acid-base reactions,
which involved handling tiny volumes of interesting solutions and observing
some vibrant colour changes.
Ms Quynh
Inter-School Basketball
On Wednesday the 27th of July, the Year 9/10 Intermediate male and female basketball teams competed in the Inter-School Sports competition. The boys played three games and won their second, putting on a classy show. Mr Eddy reported that Sports Captain Lachlan Witkowski of Year 10 was the star of that game. Joel Turner and Matt Black, both of Year 9, were the other stars on the court on the day. The whole team played well and enjoyed the day.
As reported by Jen Girvan of Year 10:
“We won two out of three games! Only lost the last game by two points and we beat Sacred Heart 😉
Jaz Young of Year 7 was the star shooter and Ella Jeffrey of Year 10 was a great team leader and captain. Kisha Monleon and Leini Kingston both of Year 10 were great team players too.” 😊
Kobe Pitts of Year 7 and Mr Bedford were all smiles reporting the monster effort the Year 7 boys team were involved in on Monday 01/08. The boys played 5 games and Kobe said that “While we didn’t win, we had a fun day and it was good to represent our school.”
“Us boys went out and played great as a team in interschool basketball on Wednesday. We won one of three games but played great. It was a great day”. – Lachie Witkowski, Year 10
“We played five games in a row, with five minutes between each game. They showed excellent stamina, and were two points away from winning their last game against Craigieburn.” – Mr Bedford
Student Leadership
SLT Sustainability Captains – take the lead in establishing more sustainable practices!
For a number of years now, we have been doing our best to be sustainable in our classrooms. One of the things we have done consistently well, has been to maintain paper and cardboard recycling.
With new recycle bins now required across the school, the SLT Sustainability Captains have been busy making use of recyclable materials themselves and looking for better ways to create a more sustainable school environment overall!
By recycling the strong and sturdy Samsung Air Purifier boxes, we now no longer need to purchase new recycling boxes! With the help of other students, our Sustainability Captains Olivia Hedge Year 10, Marley Hordern-Reddin Year 9 and Oliver May Year 8, have been busy painting the boxes and stencilling logos so that everyone is clear of their intended use.
However, the students are looking to improve the process by extending our recycling of paper/cardboard to also include plastics and aluminium. This has been one of Olivia Hedge’s initiatives. Olivia has been strongly campaigning for us to move toward mixed waste recycling for some time now. In fact at the end of last year, the bin/waste audit that Olivia did yielded the following results that just cant be ignored:
The amount of rubbish we produce is equal to the amount of recyclable material we produce, as a school.
That being the case, with the boxes painted, the SLT are now working with our Business Manager Kevin Tootell to identify possible sources of recycle bins that can be picked up and emptied. Once that is achieved, our Sustainability Captains will then create of roster whereby students empty and sort recycle bins once per week.
Well done students, we look forward to supporting you to achieve your goals!
Mr Hill
Year 10 Food & Hospitality
The blueberry and ricotta pancakes were really good, the class had a great but messy time making them and they were delicious. They are so easy to make and even better to eat!
Ava Coleman
In cooking for the last few weeks, we have made rocky road, Gozleme and blueberry and feta pancakes. We went for a walk down the road to Kyneton community house to have a look at their kitchen and went to the KHS garden to look at the vegetables growing. We learnt about health and safety skills, learnt knife skills and practised on an onion and a carrot.
Emily Bailey
In cooking we made a rocky road. We went down to the community house in Kyneton. We also made gozleme, which is a savoury Turkish stuffed turnover. It had silverbeet and feta stuffing. Then we made blueberry and ricotta pancakes. We just made dumpling wrappers to prepare for Monday when we make the dumplings.
Mariska Pondeljak
Library News
August is Poetry Month!!!!!
The Library has some fun activities running to celebrate everything ‘poetry’!
📚 Create ‘blackout’ poetry
📚 Create Book Spine poetry
📚 Create a ‘found’ poem at the Poetry Creation Station
📚 Have your works displayed in the Library for others to read
Go to https://poets.org/text/poems-kids to find a favourite poem to put on the back wall.
There will be a prize for the best poem from all these activities, so get creative, put your name on your poems, and show the Library staff your work.
We encourage you to take part and have fun during the month of August!
Francesca
Year 12 VCAL Twilight Market
Building Program
The Big Pour
Lots of action on JULY 25th: Trucks descended en masse for the whole day, delivering the cement to form the upstairs floor of the new STE(A)M building. Kevin Tootell braved a grimly cold & wet Monday and took the whirly bird out to record the Big Pour.
A short flight around the work site showing before and after the Big Pour on 25th of June. Dronework: Kevin Tootell
Careers And Pathways
Dates to Diarise in Term 3
VTAC Year 12 Guides 2023
What is VET in the VCE?
Casper Entry Requirements for Teacher Qualifications
The University of Melbourne Principal’s Scholarship
UAC Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS)
Virtual Tour through Learning Spaces at ANU
STEM Hub
Education Degrees in 3.5 Years at RMIT
Studying Nutrition at ACU
News from Federation University
Bachelor of Psychological Science
Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Information Engineering) (Honours)
Studying a Common First Year in Engineering
Cyber Security Courses in Victoria in 2022
Human Resources Courses in Victoria in 2022
Snapshot of The University of Sydney in 2022
Ms Trembath
Open Days and Early Entry schemes
Students in Year 10-12 are encouraged to attend Uni and TAFE Open Days. Visiting now can be fun and very helpful with pathway planning!
Additionally, Year 11 and 12 students should look at access, early entry and guaranteed entry programs for places they are interested in attending. Some places offer programs for Year 11 and most Uni and TAFE institutions have a program for Year 12 students. Some are listed in the attachment but for some institutions students will need to visit individual websites.
VTAC applications (for Victorian university and some TAFE entry in 2023) open on the 1st of August. Timely applications close on 29th of September. All students applying through VTAC, should also consider a SEAS application (special entry and access scheme). These also open on the 1st of August and close for good on the 8th of October.
Check out VTAC now! https://www.vtac.edu.au/
Further updates will be made on Year level google classrooms.
Ms Trembath
KHS Co-Curricular Activities Schedule
Recess Activities:
MONDAY RECESS | TUESDAY RECESS | WEDNESDAY RECESS | THURSDAY RECESS | FRIDAY RECESS |
Boxing Club and Gym w/ Mr Hill / Mr Merret & Boxing Club Captains: Yr 12 Tyreese Simons Yr 11 Angus Spear & Gym Captains: Yr 11 Luke Masko Yr 10 Cameron Egan | Boxing Club and Gym w/ Mr Hill & Boxing Club Captains: Yr 12 Tyreese Simons Yr 11 Angus Spear & Gym Captains: Yr 11 Luke Masko Yr 10 Cameron Egan | Boxing Club and Gym w/ Mr Hill / Mr Oliveri & Boxing Club Captains: Yr 12 Tyreese Simons Yr 11 Angus Spear & Gym Captains: Yr 11 Luke Masko Yr 10 Cameron Egan | Boxing Club and Gym w/ Mr Hill / Mr Eddy & Boxing Club Captains: Yr 12 Tyreese Simons Yr 11 Angus Spear & Gym Captains: Yr 11 Luke Masko Yr 10 Cameron Egan | Boxing Club and Gym w/ Mr Hill & Boxing Club Captains: Yr 12 Tyreese Simons Yr 11 Angus Spear & Gym Captains: Yr 11 Luke Masko Yr 10 Cameron Egan |
Chess Club in B7 w/ Mr Rickwood / Mr Shepherd & Yr 11 Chess Club Captain Jackson Guy-Baker | Year 8 Basketball Training KSAC Stadium w/ Mr Eddy / Mr Merrett | |||
Mindful Mondays in Library w/ Andrea our Nurse | Literature Club in SL3 w/ Ms Nelms | Craft Club in LIbrary w/ Ms Sharpe Ms Matthews & Francesca our Librarian |
Lunchtime Activities:
MONDAY LUNCHTIME | TUESDAY LUNCHTIME | WEDNESDAY LUNCHTIME | THURSDAY LUNCHTIME | FRIDAY LUNCHTIME |
Drama Club in Performing Arts Studio w/ Mrs Turpie & Performing Arts Captain Lana Hughes Yr 11 | PC Building Club in B3 w/ Tom | Dungeons and Dragons for Year 7s in B7 w/ D&D Club Captains: Zoe Patros Yr 12 Liam Gilbert Yr 11 Liam McKee Yr 9 | SLT Meeting in Lounge | Dungeons and Dragons for Year 7s in B7 w/ D&D Club Captains: Zoe Patros Yr 12 Liam Gilbert Yr 11 Liam McKee Yr 9 |
Gaming Club in B8 w/ Gaming Club Captain Zoe Patros Yr 12 | Dungeons and Dragons Main Group 1 in B7 w/ Ms Daws & Club Captains | Girls Only Gym w/ Liz & Yr 12 House Captain Elyse Putyra | Dungeons and Dragons Main Group 1 in B7 w/ Ms Daws & Club Captains | Staff Vs. Yr 10 Students Basketball Match in KSAC w/ Mr Swan & an All Star line up of other KHS Staff |
Magic the Gathering Card Game in B8 w/ MAT | Dungeons and Dragons Main Group 2 in B8 w/ MAT and Club Captains | !!!Surprise your eyes!!! Mystery video in the Library w/ Stephen | Dungeons and Dragons Main Group 2 in B8 w/ MAT & Club Captains | Magic the Gathering Card Game in B8 w/ MAT |
Pride Crew (fortnightly) in B3 w/ Gareth | Table Tennis Club in Hall w/ Ms Nguyen | Book Club in Library w/ Francesca our LIbrarian |
Head Start
The Victorian Government have recently announced that the HEADSTART Apprenticeships and Traineeships program will continue for another 4 years and will be available to all Government Secondary Schools across the State. Since the program began in 2019 HEADSTART staff have supported over 1900 students statewide.
HEADSTART is a pathway allowing students to undertake a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship whilst also progressing towards the completion of their Year 12 qualification.
BENEFITS OF THE HEADSTART MODEL
• Suitable students are matched with a suitable employer who will mentor students throughout their apprenticeship or traineeship
• We aim for all students to undertake a work trial with the employer to ensure this is a good fit before commencement of an apprenticeship or traineeship
• Students receive ongoing one-on-one support from the HEADSTART Coordinator both at school and in the workplace
• We focus on priority industries that may lead to genuine long-term employment opportunities
• A flexible school timetable that will allow students time on the job and time to continue with their school studies
• HEADSTART staff work with schools to ensure the student is being supported to achieve their goals
• A students time within the workplace and training can increase each year in order to support significant progression through the apprenticeship or traineeship
If you would like to know more about the HEADSTART Apprenticeships and Traineeships program, or if you are an employer wanting to know more information about offering an opportunity to a student please contact your schools HEADSTART Coordinator below or speak with the careers team.
Kelli Hewton | Cluster Director (Acting) | Head Start Coordinator
M: 0428 998 261 E: kelli.hewton@education.vic.gov.au
SCHOOL NOTICES
Uniform – Very good to excellent condition
Academic Short Sleeved Shirts: $20 each
1 sized 30
1 sized 40
1 sized 42
Sport Polo Top: 1 sized XL $25 (near new)
Tailored Pants:
2 sized 107 $30 each
Tailored Shorts:
2 sized 107 $25 each
Sport Shorts:
2 sized Large $25 each
Please contact the KHS Office.
Practise GAT : Tuesday 16th August
To all Year 12 VCE Students, Year 12 Senior VCAL Students and Year 11 Students completing a Year 12 Unit 3-4 scored Subject
The Senior Years Team will be conducting a Practice GAT on Tuesday 16th August from 9.30am to 3.00pm. All students enrolled in one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 sequence, and all Senior VCAL students will be required to sit the Practice GAT. The Practice GAT is being held to give students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new requirements of this test. The Practice GAT is being held on the same day as Parent/Teacher Interviews, to ensure that normal classes are not impacted.
There are key changes to the GAT this year. Students will this year have their literacy and numeracy skills measured against new standards in a redeveloped GAT. The GAT is now being split into two sections. Section A will assess literacy and numeracy skills. Section B will assess skills in mathematics, science, technology, the arts and humanities, with an increased focus on critical and creative thinking skills. VCAL students will complete Section A of the GAT and VCE students will complete Section A and Section B of the GAT. VCAL students are able to leave after they have completed Section A of the Practice GAT which will finish at 11.45am. Remaining students will be required at school until 3.00pm. We will be completing the Practice GAT under the same conditions as the actual GAT, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 7th September.
The Practice GAT is compulsory and all impacted students are expected to attend on this day. Parent / Carer support of this is greatly appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Senior Years Team if you require any further information regarding the Practice GAT.
Annette Brown
Pathways / Senior Years Administration
2023 Subject Selection
Students from Year 8 to Year 11 are in the process of choosing their subjects for 2023! Year 10 into 11 students are having their one-one-one course counselling sessions for their 2023 pathways, and Year 8 and 9 students are having course counselling sessions in their Homegroups. The Subject Selection websites are listed below and include wonderful videos that have been prepared by teachers. We really encourage students to check out these websites to gain an insight and understanding of the subjects they can select next year. A reminder that students are being sent an email to their school account with the EDVAL link and student code. Students are to log into EDVAL to select their 2023 subjects.
TIMELINE REMINDER:
Year 10 into 11 Course Counselling Sessions: Monday 1st to Friday 5th August
Year 9 into 10 Accelerated Program Applications due: Monday 8th August
All Subject Selections due on Edval: Friday 19th August
SUBJECT SELECTION WEBSITE LINKS:
Senior Years 2023 Subject Selection Website: https://sites.google.com/education.vic.gov.au/khssenioryearssubjectselection/welcome
Year 10 2023 Subject Selection Website: https://sites.google.com/education.vic.gov.au/khsyear10subjectselection2023/home
Year 9 2023 Subject Selection Website: https://sites.google.com/education.vic.gov.au/khs-year-9-subject-selection-2/home
Annette Brown
Smoking And Vaping
Information from the Department of Education
Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects of smoking and vaping.
Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.
The Department of Education and Training has collated resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping, and some suggestions about how to talk to your child about vaping, and where to get support.
This includes a video from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne with tips for parents for starting a conversation with teenagers about vaping.
KHS Yearbook
COLUMNS 2021
If you paid for your yearbook last year (Columns 2021) and did not collect it at the end of the year, we’ve kept it for you! Just drop over to the Library and ask for your copy.
If you forgot to pay for the yearbook and have been kicking yourself ever since, don’t fret! We have extra copies for sale at the discount price of $20. You’ll need to arrange payment through the school office, but it’s as simple as rocking up to the front door with your shiny $20 note (or shiny money card if you prefer) and taking a copy home with you.
COLUMNS 2022
2022 will be the 99th year of the KHS Yearbook.
Don’t miss out on your piece of KHS history!
Cost of the Yearbook: $25
If you ticked “YES” to receiving the Yearbook this year, don’t forget to also pay at the Office.
Please have a look at our short video promo for Columns 2022. It’s a dazzling dive though the pages of KHS history, and we hope you’ll agree your family won’t want to miss out on your glossy souvenir of the year at KHS.
Coming up…
Some dates for the diary
Wednesday 3rd August | Australian Maths Competition |
Monday 8th August | Year 8&9 into 9&10 Subject selection opens |
Wednesday 10th August | Year 12 Post-secondary pathways – Webinar for families 6.30 pm. |
Thursday 11th August | All levels sports : Division athletics |
Monday 15th August – Friday 19th August | Science week |
Tuesday 16th August | Parent teacher interviews 10.30 am. – 6.30 pm. Practise GAT |
Thursday 18th August | Studio art excursion |
Friday 19th August | Year 8 Geology excursion |
Wednesday 24th August | Year 11 Fit2Drive |
Thursday 25th August | School Council |
Friday 26th August | Wear it purple day |
Kid x Plus is a free youth leadership project delivered by Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health in partnership with Sunbury Aboriginal Corporation and with support from Hume City Council’s Community Grants program and Sunbury Downs College.
Kid x Plus hosts an annual youth-lead event, where young people (9-25 years of age) are provided a platform to speak out about the issues that matter to them.
Further information about Kid x Plus can be found at: https://sunburycobaw.org.au/kid-x-plus/
Study Club is an initiative by Squishy Minnie Bookstore, Kyneton Community House,
and the Victorian Government. It is open to all high school age students from the
Macedon Ranges.
It is held at Squishy Minnie on Thursdays from 3:45pm to 6pm during term times.
Study Club is a place for young people to do their homework or study. They are invited to do
their own thing or work together. It is an opportunity to find a quiet place to study, to get
extra help, share skills, strategies, and ideas or simply access the internet.
Also starting in term two, Kyneton Community House, with the support of the Victorian
Government, is running Folio Cub. It is open to all year 10 and VCE students from the
Macedon Rangers. It will be run at KCH’s new location, 35 High Street, Kyneton, on Tuesdays
from 3:45-6pm, starting May 10th, also during term times.
Folio Club is a place where young people have an opportunity to work on their art folio.
They will have access to some art materials and the internet. They can share skills, and
bounce ideas off each other. We aim to provide students with opportunities to visit galleries
and have local artists drop in and discuss their practice.
In term two, Study Club and Folio Club will be facilitated by me, Jacquilyne Smith. I am a
retired teacher and a local to the Kyneton Community. I have a bachelor’s degree in Fine
Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. I have also studied English Literature,
Archaeology, Sociology and Film Studies at the Australian National University. I have taught
Art (7-12), Humanities, Textiles, and Literacy at Kurunjang Secondary College and Kyneton
High School. I am now a practicing artist.
Youth Leadership Opportunities
Macedon Ranges Shire Council Youth Services is launching a remodelled Youth Ambassadors Program in 2022. It is a great leadership opportunity for young people in the shire to expand their skills, be a voice for young people and have projects they care about made into a reality. Below is some information about the Youth Ambassadors Program. More information is available on the website at www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/leadership
YOUTH AMBASSADORS PROGRAM 2022
The Youth Ambassadors Program is a youth leadership initiative that amplifies the voices of young people, and supports projects that young people are passionate about. The program helps young people to realise their leadership potential by building their leadership skills and peer to peer and community connections. Young people aged 15-25 who live, work or study in the Macedon Ranges are eligible to participate in the program.
In 2020/21 we reviewed and remodelled our Youth Ambassador program to ensure the activities it offers are relevant, and useful for young People in the Shire. In 2022, there are two main ways young people can participate in the Youth Ambassadors program: GREEN MEANS GO and LEADERS IN THE LOOP.
GREEN MEANS GO
Got a passion project you want to get started, or one you want to keep go, go, going? GREEN MEANS GO gives dollars and project support to young people looking to do just that.
• Supports young people in pursuing projects they are passionate about
• Offers financial support of up to $1000 for selected projects
• Offers worker time and skills support through a series of project ‘cluster’ workshops
• Participants can apply by pitching their projects through our Green Means Go ‘Pitch’ Portal
LEADERS IN THE LOOP
Know what young people want and want to tell us? LEADERS IN THE LOOP gives young people a seat and a say at the Council and community consultation table.
• Supports young leaders by bringing them into consultation and decision making loops
• Enables young leaders to feedback directly to decision makers in the community
• Offers remuneration to young leaders for their time and input, into consultations
• Participants can apply by registering their interest through the Leaders in the Loop portal
Applications are now open for Green Means Go and Leaders in the Loop: www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/leadership
KYNETON HIGH SCHOOL