Newsletter 8 2015 - Kurri Kurri High School

Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
Making the Best of Ourselves
Deakin and Stanford Streets
Kurri Kurri 2327
Ph. 4937 1877
www.kurrikurri.hs.education.nsw.gov.au/
Fax. 4937 3773
Number 8
The Principal (Rel)- Mrs Glasson
11 December 2015
Student of the Term - Jed Kinch Year 10
Jed Kinch of Year 10 has been awarded Term 3 student of the
Term. Jed is a polite, cooperative student who is very active
within the school community. Jed is able to maintain a high
level of academic achievement whilst dedicating hours of his
own time preparing musical items for school assemblies, as
well as fort occasions when he is called upon to represent
Kurri Kurri High School outside of school hours at musical
performances in the wider community.
As the year comes to a close, we have celebrated with our
annual awards night recognising academic, sporting and
individual achievements. Congratulations to all students who
received awards on the night, you are a credit to yourselves
and should be proud of yourselves and your school.
Looking back at the year we have had, there is so much to
recognise. Many of our showpiece annual events continue to
grow, including the Annual Business Breakfast, the Nostalgia
High Tea, Edfest and MADD nights. At these events, we
continue to see the fabulous work of our students hosting,
catering, performing and presenting their talents. Of course,
none of these events would be possible without the ongoing
support and dedication of the team of staff we have here at
KKHS.
Jed also gave generously of his time to learn musical items to
perform in support of fellow students who were completing
Music for their Higher School Certificate. Congratulations to
Jed on this fine achievement.
This Term’s award has been generously provided by Coles
Kurri Kurri and we thank them for their ongoing support.
Our local community plays such an important role in our
school life, throughout 2015 no less than 120 business and
organisations have worked with the students at KKHS. Such
strong community links can only increase our student’s
opportunities and understanding of the post school world.
2015 has seen the classroom and community work together
through a variety of programs. These programs include: Speed
Careering Days, Authentic Assessment, HiP Days @ Sebel
Kirkton Park, the AIM high program with University of
Newcastle, Links to Learning – Youth Express and the
Community links program run by Jobs Quest. Guest Speakers
have worked with students in Child Care, Legal Studies, year 9
Science, Leadership, and years 11 and 12 StepUp workshops.
Aboriginal artists have shared their skill to create a mural with
students from across all our LMG schools, and CAPA has had
workshops in Hip Hop, drama, photography and music. All
these events bring the real world to the classroom along with
people who inspire and encourage our students.
There has once again been excellence on the sporting field;
with National titles in Futsal, representative teams in rugby
league, soccer, netball, cricket and bowling as well as
individual athletic performances to be proud of.
2015 has been an incredibly successful year for the students
and staff at KKHS. We should be justly proud of the
achievements and excellence that so many of our students
have worked so hard for. On this note, as we head into the
Summer break I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and
look forward to working with you all again in 2016.
Important Dates
16th December 2015
HSC Results Released
16th December 2015
Last day of term for al students
17-18 December 2015
Staff development days
18th December 2015
Summer Holidays Commence
27 January 2016
Staff Development Day
28 January 2016
Term 1 commences Years 7, 11 &
12 students
29 January 2016
Term 1 commences Years 8, 9 &
10 students
8 February 2016
Senior student information
night—6pm
9 February 2016
School Photos
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
Deputy Principal Report Stage 4 - Mr Hope
Deputy Principal Report cont’d….
As we approach the end of the school year, it is important to
start the planning process for next year. In 2016 our Academic
Enrichment Program will once again see two targeted classes
aimed at supporting and extending our new Year 7 students.
Overall 48 students completed a written application and then
formal interview process to demonstrate their high levels of
achievement throughout primary school
of their education and prepare them for attending job
interviews in the future.
Senior executive members Mrs Glasson, Mrs Andrews and Mrs
James-Cliff along with Head Teachers Mrs Weir, Mrs Edwards,
Ms Dunlevie, Mrs Upfold, Mrs Atkinson and Mr Taylor were all
involved in interviewing potential candidates for the 7W and
7O classes. Now that classes have been finalised all students
have been notified and I can officially congratulate successful
students and also comment on the high level of student
achievement potential that was demonstrate throughout the
interviews.
I can also congratulate students in our current 7M class who
have been working hard throughout the year on a variety of
different programs such as Quicksmart and Multi-lit with the
help of various School Learning Support Officers and also with
the support of Mrs O’Halloran who joined our successful
Learning and Support Team this year. Mrs O’Halloran is an
expert primary school teacher who works with students to
improve their literacy and numeracy skills. All students in this
class who engaged with the program saw their reading and
writing skills improve, with some students seeing gains of up
to 4 years. This is a huge achievement and all students and
staff involved in these programs should be congratulated for
their hard work and commitment to improving the basic skills
of our students.
Finally for our year 7 students moving into year 8 next year
will see the introduction of a targeted performing arts class.
This class will utilise all the fantastic opportunities already
offered through our Creative and Performing Arts class
including workshops and excursion. This program will aim to
foster and support the development of new and advanced
skills through sport time. A big thank you to Ms Dunlevie for
all her hard work in this initiative.
Finally, can I take this time to congratulate all students in
year7 and 8 for all their hard work and their commitment to
their learning throughout 2015. I wish all students and families
a happy and safe holiday period.
Deputy Principal Report Stage 5 - Mrs James-Cliff
Term 4 is nearly to an end and we have been quite busy. Years
9 and 10 have finished their formal assessment and final
exams and yearly reports are due for distribution in Week 10.
The Authentic Assessment program, which was conducted in
Week 8, was highly successful with students regularly
commenting on what a rewarding and valuable experience it
was. Likewise, the staff, student and community panel
representatives were extremely impressed with the way in
which students conducted themselves and reflected on their
learning during this process. Congratulations to all involved in
the organisation of Authentic Assessment this year, it really is
an exceptional way to help students recognise the relevance
On the topic of employment, I was fortunate to be involved in
the Hunter Valley Youth Unemployment Symposium organised
by Cessnock City Council on Tuesday, November 24th. I was
heartened to see the genuine concern and motivation from a
wide range of participants, including students from a range of
local high schools, who demonstrated a real commitment to
bringing this issue to the forefront and finding realistic
solutions to improve the employment prospects of young
people in our local area. I look forward to hearing more about
these strategies as they come to fruition.
During Week 9, Year 10 students were required to complete
the All My Own Work modules which are mandatory
preparation for students entering senior schooling. If any
students did not complete these modules, they will need to
arrange a time to catch up with Mrs Andrews or Mrs Field in
the Learning Centre.
MADD night on Thursday, December 3rd also saw enthusiastic
participation from Kurri Kurri High School students, including a
number of students in Years 9 and 10. This was an extremely
positive way for our CAPA department to finish the year off by
showcasing the many talented students that Kurri Kurri High
School has in relation to the creative and performing arts.
Many thanks to the CAPA staff for their hard work and
dedication in bringing this event together.
Thursday, December 10th will see Year 10 students attend
their Citizenship Celebration in the school gymnasium and this
is also a positive way for students to finish off their school year
and celebrate reaching this important education milestone.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas holiday break and I
look forward to another exciting year at Kvurri Kurri High
School in 2016. Mrs James- Cliff.
Deputy Principal Report Stage 6 - Mrs Andrews
As another busy year draws to an end, we can reflect on the
many wonderful achievements of our students. I would to
thank parents, students, staff and the community for their
input and support to our school. I would also like to
acknowledge the outstanding contribution to the school from
our P & C association and thank them for their efforts and the
many generous donations that they regularly give to a number
of programs that operate for the students at Kurri Kurri High
School.
Congratulations to all students who received awards at our
Annual Awards Night and to those who have represented the
school during the year in a very positive manner. Throughout
2015 there have been many events and accomplishments
academically and in sport, cultural activities, creative and
performing arts, public speaking and school and community
citizenship.
Year 12 students of 2015 will be anxiously awaiting their HSC
results and we wish them well as they prepare for future
career paths. We look forward to hearing of the outcomes.
Students in Year 11 2015 have moved into their HSC courses
during Term 4 and are now working towards the completion
of the HSC requirements for their subjects of study.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
Deputy Principal Report cont’d...
Authentic Assessment 2015 - Ms Taylor
Community members, students and staff involved in the
Authentic Assessment program spoke very highly of the
thoughtful comments made by Year 10 students during the
interviews and the fine way that students presented
themselves. Congratulations to the Year 10 students who
completed Authentic Assessment presentations.
Once again our Year 10 Authentic Assessment Program was a
huge success with 150 students completing their interviews
over the three days. With two more interviews scheduled this
week this represents 100% participation which is a testament
to the value placed on this rich reflective experience. Thirty
seven High Distinctions were awarded this year which is an
excellent outcome for those who thoughtfully and honestly
articulated an understanding of their learning.
Year 10 students have been completing the units of study of
“All My Own Work”. This is a requirement by the BOSTES and
must be completed before a student begins the Preliminary
Course in Year 11. The All My Own Work modules are
designed to assist senior students in their study for the HSC
and guide students to use the principles and practices of good
scholarship. This includes understanding and valuing ethical
practices when locating and using information as part of study
procedures.
The holiday period is often a time when families replace
uniform. It is important that students have the correct
footwear for participation in practical subjects. When
purchasing shoes, please ensure that they have leather uppers
and that they protect the top of the foot completely.
Best wishes to everyone in our school community for a happy
Christmas and safe holiday.
We had a wide variety of community representatives this year
who are essential to the process. Kurri Kurri High School is
most grateful to those who gave their time to support our
Year 10 students through what can be a daunting
interview. Community panel members were consistently
impressed with the honesty of our students as well as with
their capacity to respond to challenging questions which
required students to draw connections between school
learning and post school environments.
Our Year 9 students were outstanding school
representatives. They were professional, helpful and actively
engaged in all aspects of the program. The three day program
could not have run so efficiently and smoothly were it not for
the multiple people working tirelessly behind the scenes. In
particular thanks must go to Ms Stewart, Mrs Gammage and
the library staff, Mrs Sutherland (CLO) , Mrs Field and the
Learning Centre Team, Canteen staff and all who participated
over the course of the program.
French Cooking - Miss Mason LOTE
Bonjour tous le monde! (Hello everyone!)
As part of their study on French culture and Christmas habits,
year seven students of French were treated to a cooking day
where we made traditional French Christmas cookies!
Bredelas are from the French province of Alsace, and are
handed out to friends and family members around Christmas
to share the love. Students were free to decorate as they liked
with cinnamon sugar, sprinkles and food colouring once we
remembered it!
A great time was had by all, and many thanks go to Deb and
Mrs Owen from TAS who organised all the technical aspects of
the day.
Amities (love from)
Madame Mason
-
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
English - Mrs Douglas
11th December 2015
Reading 4 Life program - Mrs Weir HT Welfare
The mature and moving piece of poetry below was submitted
by Year 7 Student Chloe Lambert. We felt we should share
her talent with you.
If I showed you my teardrops,
Would you collect them like rain?
And store them in jars
Labelled as “Pain’?
Would you follow their tracks,
From my eyes, down my cheeks?
As they say the words I’m scared to speak.
Would you stop them with kisses?
Bring their flow to a halt.
As you teach me that pain,
Isn’t always my fault.
If I showed you my teardrops,
Would you show me your own?
And learn though we’re lonely,
We are never alone.
QUICKSMART
In an earlier newsletter this year, we told you about ten of our
Year 10 students who have been involved with a Reading 4
Life program facilitated by Learning Links, each Wednesday at
Kurri Kurri Public School, throughout Term 4. These students
were given training by Learning Links in how to teach their
younger counterparts, year 4 students from Kurri Kurri Public
School, and make reading fun for them. During the training
they engaged in role play and were given examples of
difficulties they may face and how to overcome them.
It was a great opportunity for our students to link up with the
Primary school and support them in their learning to improve
their reading skills. In the 45-minute session, the year 10
students take the year four students through warm-up reading
exercises, rhyming, compound words, reading a book of their
choice and cool down with a board game. Our students fill out
a booklet indicating how the primary student went for their
teacher and parent to see.
The teacher and the parent then work on certain aspects with
the student and provide comments to assist the year 10
student. The following week the students work on things they
struggled with the week before, and only progress once they
are confident enough.
Quicksmart is a program that has been running at Kurri Kurri
High School for the last six years. Quicksmart provides
intensive learning support to students who are experiencing
difficulties in Numeracy. The aim of the program is to support
students to “speed up” their basic skills in numeracy. It is
essentially a practice program that helps students to better
know and understand basic number facts and problem solving
skills. Improvements in these basic skills benefit students in all
areas of their learning.
This experience has just not helped the year 4 students with
their Reading but also the ability to build a positive rapport
with older students within the local community. I would like
to thank and commend the following students for their
participation in the program: Jessica Eades, Hannah Dobing,
Victoria maples, Ebony Keeley, Isadora Pearson, Oscar Harvey,
Emily McGowan-Crook, Macaila Page, Savannah Grine, Torrie
Beveridge and Kevin Cook.
It has been well received by the students, and the confidence
that they have built throughout the program has been
immeasurable.
Reports from University of New England have shown strong
growth for these students which equates in some cases to
years of growth and development.
The students who participate in Quicksmart are withdrawn
from class three times per week every week. Marnie Benic and
Wendy Hernon our Quicksmart facilitators have built a
positive repour with all students involved and with their
commitment and enthusiasm this program all students have
experienced success.
If you would like to make new
friends or get involved in a
community project, come along
to Cessnock Community
Every Wednesday at 10.30am at the CYCOS building,
49D Aberdare Rd, Cessnock.
On the second Wednesday of each month our meeting will be held
in the D.I.Y. area at Bunnings Cessnock
For more information please contact Marjorie 0437 368 123
Email: cessnockwomensshed@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ccwshed
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
IOTAS Concert and Year 12 Leavers - IO Class Mrs R Conway
Bunnings Visit to give us our Worm Farm - I.O. Class Story
On Wednesday 21st October the IO support class performed in
the annual IOTAS Concert and Year 12 Graduation Ceremony
at Newcastle Panthers Club with support classes from
eighteen Hunter High Schools.
Sue and Catherine from Bunnings came to school to bring us a
worm farm. Bunnings gave it to us for free. They showed us
how to set up the worm farm and how to look after it. We get
vege scraps from the cooking rooms to feed the worms once a
week.
The concert is an excellent opportunity for students with
disabilities to perform on stage and celebrate their diverse
skills in front of a supportive audience. Our students were
delighted with the attendance of students from the IM class
who provided encouragement and enjoyment. An enormous
thank you to Brittany Flack, for her enthusiasm and confidence
to perform at the last minute, replacing an absent class
member. Congratulations to Luke, Jessica, Hayden, Aggy and
Ethan for their dedication during rehearsals and their talented
dance to Technotronic’s song -Pump up the Jam.
There was also a reporter from the Cessnock Advertiser asking
questions and taking a photo of us with the year Eleven
Construction class students. The construction students with
their teacher Mr Hall made for us two wooden vegetable
gardens. We have now planted lettuces, cherry tomatoes,
basil, parsley and coriander. We will give the food we grow to
the cooking classes.
We all enjoyed working together to make these gardens.
The IOTAS concert also celebrated the graduation of sixty year
12 leavers from support classes, two being KKHS year 12
leavers Chloe Cameron and Joshua Bennett. Chloe and Joshua
have thoroughly enjoyed their transition experience this term
with the Endeavour Group at Cessnock. We wish them all the
very best for a bright and successful future.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
Dreamtime Story
By Emily Lloyd
2015
Mrs L’Green
Sistaspeak has been busy this year. We have been reading
stories of Uluru and Dreamtime stories and the girls have
been writing their own dreamtime stories. Sistas developed
cover letters and a resume and practised our interview
techniques. We enjoyed practicing our clapping stick skills
and made some songs to play together. We also have been
developing our Aboriginal artworks to hang in the school.
Earlier in the year we designed a menu and costed it per
person and then had a fun and yummy cooking day.
Thank you girls for another pleasurable year and I look
forward to next year when we welcome our Year 7 and 8
Aboriginal girl students into our groups.
Once where the earth was flat and completely covered with
dirt a herd of Emu’s were scouring for whatever food they
could, shrubs were very scarce and most of the food the
Emus found was given to the younger brothers and sisters.
Jumba was so hungry and envious of his younger brothers
and sisters getting to eat the yummiest leaves, leaving him
and his friends the tasteless parts. One day Jumba and his
friends were so hungry that they decided to leave the herd so
they could get to the shrubs before the rest. The herd leader
Zunna learned of the betrayal of his cousins and was very
angry and disappointed in them as now the younger Emu’s
started to starve. Jumba and his friends were getting fat and
sluggish as they would not leave any food for anyone else.
Zunna’s youngest son was very hungry and could hardly walk,
and then one very hot sunny day Zunna’s son fell asleep and
did not wake. Zunna was so heartbroken that he cast a spell
on Jumba and his friends. The runaway Emus had gotten so
fat and large they towered over everything around them. As
soon as Zunna’s spell was cast Jumba and his friends
crumbled to the dirt ground and their feather backs
transformed the earth, growing trees full of leaves and
creating hills and mountains.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
NSW Variety Grants
Year 8 Boys: Rock and Water Program - Mr Berry
Two of our students
have
been
very
fortunate this term to
have received grants from
Variety NSW. These grants have
enabled them to purchase a
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet
each which will give them
valuable support at school and in
their learning.
During term 4, Rock and Water has been running with a small
group of Year 8 boys every Monday in the hall. The program
is aimed at improving student’s self-confidence, self-control
and Communication skills.
Variety provides grants on a case
by case basis to children up to 18
years of age who are sick, have
special
needs
or
are
disadvantaged. Grants can be
for a range of equipment or
programs.
For Tahlia and Jacob, both have a diagnosis which impacts on
their ability to write and complete tasks easily. By having
access to their very own device, they each now have a
support which will allow them to learn more effectively and
reach their full potential.
Each week students are taught different skills including how
to avoid confrontations, walking away from a negative
situations and how to defend themselves from physical
attacks. Rock and Water has been a great success this term,
with students learning to control their emotions, be
confident, be strong and communicate effectively with their
peers.
Due to the program’s success, students will be going on an
excursion to Tree Tops Adventure Park at Minmi. On the day
they will be able to put into practice some of the skills they
have learnt throughout the term.
Next year Rock and Water will be offered to a larger number
of students in Years7, 8 and 9 with the aim of creating a
strong cohort of students trained in Rock and Water to be
leaders within the school.
The devices themselves, have been chosen for their
compatibility with the Department of Education and BOSTES
requirements and will also benefit from the additional
support of the schools’ own IT department.
When Cancer Comes Along - Canteen Workshop
Kurri Kurri High School was fortunate enough earlier this term
to be involved in a pilot program being run by Canteen. This
interactive workshop was aimed at increasing cancer
awareness, education and providing advice on how to
support friends with a cancer diagnosis in their community.
Some of the topics workshopped included: Myths about
Cancer, Early Warning Signs, the Impact of a Cancer Diagnosis
and Where to go for Support.
The program is targeted towards Year 9 and 10 students and
we had a group of year 9 attend. With so many families
within our community affected in one way or another by
Cancer, this initiative has come about to provide appropriate
information and help young people understand this disease in
a better light. It was great to see and hear our students all
actively participating and coming away from the session with
knowledge that they can apply within their own
circumstances.
Students who participated: Riley Johnson, Tailor Huntington,
Bryce Shultz, Zak Stevens, Nick Gordon, Ashley York, Sam
Grills, Liam Martin, Bailey Skelton, Jacob Irving, Boden Hallett.
Sydney Observatory Visit - Miss Lynch & Jack Whyburn Yr 10
On the 1st of December this
year, a select group of Year
10 Science students had the
opportunity to attend the
Sydney Observatory for a
night visit and tour.
Although the trip did
encounter some cloud
cover that prevented us
from seeing anything in the
sky
with
the
large
computerised telescope, the trip was still beneficial as it
showed many students the technology and careers that are
involved in the field of astronomy and astrophysics. The
students got to see the life cycle of stars unfold in a 3D
journey through space and time as well as observe certain
constellations in the digital planetarium. Sydney Observatory
is also home to a range of historical astronomical artefacts
that the students were able to look at prior to our tour
beginning. Miss Lynch and Mr Oakwood would like to thank
all the students for attending this excursion and especially the
parents that picked them up back at school at 12.30am on
our return.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
CAPA News - F DunlevieHT CAPA
11th December 2015
Cessnock Mayoral Photography Challenge
It’s the final countdown! School is almost out for summer and
I think CAPA students and staff are looking forward to a welldeserved holiday. It has been an incredible term and year in
CAPA with lots of wonderful opportunities for all to develop
skills and learn new tricks! I would like to take this opportunity
to thank the CAPA staff for all their hard work and creativity.
Also, congratulations to all the students who participated in
the variety of workshops, competitions, exhibitions, concerts,
show and excursions on offer this year. I’m extremely proud of
all the fantastic things students and staff have achieved this
year.
This term didn’t disappoint, with a number of activities offered
to students to take their learning beyond the classroom and
experience new things. Here is what went on term 4.
ARTEXPRESS Nominations
It is with great pleasure
that the CAPA faculty can
announce that Emily
O’Brien and Teneille
Wyborn from this year’s
year 12 Visual Arts class
have been nominated for
the 2016 ARTEXPRESS
Exhibition. Emily’s Body
of Work consisted of six
portraits (paintings) of
famous
musicians.
Teneille’s Body of Work
consisted
of
three
detailed
drawings
showing
her
Nona’s
metamorphosis
throughout life.
ARTEXPRESS is an annual
series of exhibitions of exemplary artworks created by New
South Wales Visual Arts students for the Higher School
Certificate examination. The exhibition at the Art Gallery of
New South Wales is just one element of the ARTEXPRESS
program.
Exhibitions are chosen by curators to form a comprehensive
exhibition that showcases all expressive forms. The bodies of
work are selected to complement each other and work as an
entire show. Nominated works are those that have been
identified through a rigorous examination process as excellent
examples of students' investigations of art making practice.
The ARTEXPRESS exhibitions are curated from this pool of
works.
This year several of the year 8 photography students entered
images into the Mayoral Photography Challenge. This year’s
theme was ‘Change’. Over 200 works were entered across the
categories. Olivia Page and Emily Watson worked on an image
together showing social change in their generation. The
image received third place in the high school category. The
prize money for this category is $100. Well done girls!
Belvoir Street Theatre Excursion Mortido
On Thursday 26th
November
13
mature and creative
year 12 students
made the journey
to Sydney to see
Belvoir
Theatre
Company’s
latest
production
‘Mortido’. The play
covered
multiple
serious themes such
as drug abuse, the
cycle of addiction
and mental health.
Students thoroughly
the work and will be able to draw on the performance in both
their drama and extension English subjects.
Fun fact: Mortido is a Freudian term referring to the energy
surrounding those destined to die.
Hip Hop Workshop
This is a rare, prestigious nomination.
Excursion to the Sydney Symphony
Elective Music students were treated to the amazing singing of
Broadway star Audra McDonald and the Sydney Symphony
orchestra this month. This was the last of our series of
engaging Meet the Music concerts to the Sydney Opera House
this year. Audra sang a varied program of classic and
contemporary Broadway hits including Rodgers &
Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim and Kate
Miller-Heidke. Students had a great time!
PepC came back this term to work with year 9 and 10 dance
students to create a funky hip hop dance for MADD night. The
girls worked incredibly hard for 3 hours with the highly
energetic PepC. They should be very proud of their efforts, as
they produced a fantastic dance that was very entertaining
and taught them a new technique.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
CAPA News cont’d…...
Kurri Kurri Public Recording Project
Students from Kurri Kurri Public and our Year 9 Sound and
Stage Production class joined up this term to record two songs
as part of KKPS’s PBL Launch. KKPS students, as part of their
Positive Behaviour for Learning project, created two songs
with their choir - “We’re a PBL School til the End” and “Do the
Aussie Five”. Our musicians from Year 9 created a backing
performance for them and we recorded the whole
performance in our recording studio. This coincided with the
Sound and Stage Production class learning about recording
through our amazing recording studio.
MADD Night
Operation Art acquisition for the permanent collection.
From the four entries
submitted for this year’s
Operation
Art
Exhibition
Chelsie Boyle’s entry has been
chosen to be acquired for
perpetual display. This is an
outstanding achievement for
the Year 7 student. Chelsie’s
painting titled “My Favourite
Number” involved her using a
range of advanced painting
techniques.
Muso’s Corner Scholarship
Congratulations
to
Chloe
Myers who was the successful
winner of the Musos Corner
scholarship. Musos Corner
has generously donated $1000
to a year 11 CAPA student for
the last 3yrs to a talented
CAPA
student
who
is
committed,
passionate
and wanting to pursue further studies and a career in their
chosen performing art. The scholarship is to support their
studies during their HSC and assist with paying for resources,
tutoring, workshops, and equipment.
MADD Night is a fantastic way to end the year and an
opportunity to showcase out talented students and staff.
Congratulations to all involved. We are fortunate that we have
the support of local businesses that kindly donate prizes for
our raffles. A big thank you to the following business for their
contribution, Scott’s Prime Meats, Beauty on Lang, Coles,
Beautiful Blooms, Kurri Klip n Kurl, Sugarman Espresso and
Khodary’s Pharmacy.
The proceeds from our fundraising goes towards specialist
equipment, costumes and awards. Each of the following
students received $50 and medal for their commitment,
dedication and contribution to CAPA throughout the year.
Dance: Talia Ostermann, Chloe Musgrave; Drama: Olivia Page
and Isadora Pearce; Music: Jack Shanks and Cameron Parker;
Ceramics: Maddison James; Photography: Max Hemsworth;
Visual Arts: Shae Hunter, and Laila Corke.
It has been a wonderfully, busy and rewarding year! I hope
everyone has a fantastic summer holiday and wish you all a
Merry Christmas.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
Relay for Life Adventure – Mrs Standing
GOLD
Excursion
Mrs L’Green
On Friday 27th November Gold Star students celebrated their
achievements throughout the year. The excursion is invite
only and is subsidized by the P&C. Our day began at Mayfield
Ten Pin Bowling where Lauren Gardiner of Year 10
demonstrated her bowling skills and she even beat Mr Derry’s
score. We then made or way to Lambton Swimming pool to
enjoy the pool, slides and inflatable. Mrs Douglas seemed to
enjoy hosing the students down on the inflatable and by the
end of the day we were all ready for a nap. A great day was
had by all. Thank You to all the students, your fantastic
behaviour and beautiful manners were appreciated, and
commented on by the pool staff. Thanks to Mrs Douglas for
the organisation, Mr Derry, Mrs Lynch and Mr Berry for your
supervision on the day.
A little know fact, Mrs Standing is a trainee Pyro-technician. It
means I am about 1 year into approximately 3 years of
training to become a licenced pyro-technician. On the
weekend of the 24/25 of October, I participated in a very
special way at Relay for Life in Singleton. I got to light
fireworks that were set of to mark the closing ceremony.
So what does that mean, as you can see in the photo, lots of
protective gear is worn to keep us safe. We start by laying out
the items that will explode, noting where possible the colours
to try and make them different. As a crew we are some of the
only ones hand-lighting the fireworks in NSW. It means that
almost every explosion of colour you see has been individually
chosen to fire at that moment. Other crews use electrical
wiring kits and time the fireworks.
As part of the fundraising I did for Relay this year, I attempted
a little unsuccessfully to auction off a names on fireworks.
The photos below show what these looked like and there is a
photo of one of the hearts exploding. Well done to the
photographer on that it takes real skill.
In a final note I need to say “No one should ever play with
fireworks – they are an explosive, if you ever find them you
need to hand them to the police or a fireman”.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
A BIG Thank you- Miss Tucker Sport Coordinator
11th December 2015
P.E and Representative Sport News - Mr Derry HT PDHPE
Thank you to the businesses that have supported the School
Sports program in 2015:
* Cessnock City Council
* iGym Kurri Kurri
* Kurri Kurri Bowling Club and
* Cessnock PCYC
You have provided opportunities to our students that they
may not have had without your support.
School Sport Organisation for 2016.
Permission to Leave the School Grounds:
All students in Years 7-10 (in 2016) should have received a
‘Permission to Leave the School Grounds’ note which needs to
be returned to the front office by the end of Week 1 2016 in
order for students to have access to a full range of sporting
opportunities.
Year 7 & 8 Sport - Wednesday:
Year 7 and 8 students will be randomly placed in sport groups
for 2016. Students will stay in these groups for the whole year
and participate in sports such as basketball, netball, soccer,
touch and oz-tag in five week blocks. Sport will start on
Wednesday 3rd February.
Year 9 & 10 Sport - Thursday:
Year 9 and 10 students will have the opportunity to select they
sport in the last two weeks of 2015 and will have the
opportunity to change their selection in Week 1 2016. After
this time there are no further changes, except in exceptional
circumstances such as illness or injury that lasts longer than 3
weeks. Sports lists will be published during Week 1. Sport will
start on Thursday 4th February.
Illness or Injury:
If your child is unable to participate in sport they must bring a
note from home. In 2016, students must take this note to
their sports teacher and they will modify the activity so that
the student can participate or the student will help with
scoring or umpiring. If your child has an illness or injury that
lasts longer than 3 weeks they must see Miss Tucker as soon
as possible with a note that describes what the child is able to
do or not do so they can be moved to a more suitable activity.
Hot Weather:
Term 1 is a hot term. Please make sure your child has a drink
bottle, hat and sunscreen on sport days.
Wow time flies. The last sport report for the year. KKHS has
kept its sporting credentials intact right the way up to the end
of the year with some impressive results. At the recent awards
night we celebrated many of these achievements, including
our House Champions for swimming and athletics for 2015.
Congratulations goes to Kyeema, well done on a great effort.
In inter-school sport we have had some mixed results.
Unfortunately our stranglehold on the Ten Pin Bowling High
Schools Challenge is over but only because one of our players
didn’t show up on the day. It was left to Blain Solomons,
Tiarna Pont and Mikayla King to fly the flag for KKHS and they
did this very well. In fact Blain top scored on the day with a
whopping score of 238.
In the Year 7/8 Netball and Cricket Gala Day’s, KKHS did very
well. Our Year 7 Netball Girls beat all other schools in the zone
to take the title while our Year 7 Cricket Boys finished second
overall winning 3 out of 4 games on the day.
In other news, 56 lucky
students went down to
Sydney Olympic Park to
see the last round of the
V8
Supercars.
The
educational focus was that
racing should only take
place at the track, if you
have a CAMS licence, and
not the streets. A great
day was had by all,
watching
2
practice
sessions and mingling with
the drivers. I personally
was very lucky to meet
Renea Gracie, the only
Australian female Supercar
driver to compete this year at Bathurst and chat to her about
being the only female in a male dominated sport. Hopefully
she will secure a drive in the Dunlop development series for
2016.
Speaking of 2016, I will be stepping down for 12 months as
Representative Sport Organiser to make way for Ms Gavenlock
who I am sure will do a superb job. I would like to take this
opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a festive
New Year. Best Wishes, Mr Derry.
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Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
11th December 2015
DO YOU LIVE IN HEDDON GRETA AND
WITHIN THE RADIUS TO RECEIVE A FREE
PASS FOR BUS TRAVEL?
With the Hunter Express Way cutting through the route to
school, parents/care givers are advised that they can apply for
an exemption to receive a pass to avoid their children walking
over the Express Way exit roundabout for safety reasons.
Simply go to www.transportnsw.info/school-students.com.au
and complete the online application for subsidised travel. You
will be able to include a statement in the form which states the
reason why you need to make the application.
Kurri Kurri High School Newsletter
Deakin and Stanford Streets
Kurri Kurri 2327
POSTAGE
PAID
AUSTRALIA
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