Issue Two: Term One 2022
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
Reflecting on our first term of the 2022 school year it would be easy to focus solely on the challenges we have faced. I want to take this opportunity to thank all members of our community for the resilience shown in the face of adversity.
There have been many wonderful events and achievements this term and I will highlight some of these. Our camping and outdoor education program is back in 2022 with this term our Gubbi’s (Year 5 and 6), Middle School (Years 7 to 9) and Year 11 all attending their respective camps.
In the area of sport our Interschool sporting program has commenced with KC versing Groves Christian College in the sports of Touch Football and Volleyball. KCFA also entered several teams in Futsal Competitions throughout the term.
In The Arts, preparations for our school musical: Legally Blonde continue to gain momentum. The musical will be held at the Lingo Lin Performing Arts Theatre at Ormiston College with an evening show on Saturday 20 August, and a matinee and evening show on Sunday 21 August. Please save the date so you can support the efforts of our talented students and staff.
Our Student Council Representatives for 2022 have all been appointed and the Student Council has run their first big event for the year being the World’s Greatest Shave event. It was a wonderful day made all the better by a performance from the College’s Rock Band with a special guest appearance by its drummer and old collegian, Cailan Sprott. Our Rock Band program in our primary and middle school has also commenced this year.
Finally, we ran a very successful Open Day on Saturday with over 150 families attending. My thanks to the students who volunteered their time to act as ambassadors for the College on Saturday.
I wish all of our students a safe and happy holiday and look forward to welcoming them back on Tuesday 19th April for the start of Term Two.
Happy Easter.
Glenn Johnson
Deputy Principal's Message
Invictus Wellbeing Conference
We are thrilled to announce that our quintessential Kimberley College event - Invictus - is back. Pertinently entitled ‘to Thrive & Flourish’, our two-day Wellbeing Conference will take place across Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd April, 2022, with a DJ and food stalls on hand to mark the close of the Invictus celebrations.
Across the two days, students (Prep - Year 12) will participate in a wide range of wellbeing presentations, workshops and experiences delivered by external experts in their respective fields as well as wellbeing activities facilitated by our wonderful teaching staff.
Given the challenges that we continue to face - locally and globally - our Invictus Wellbeing Conference provides a timely opportunity to pause, reconnect with self and others as well as strengthen our personal & social capabilities.
Our keynote speaker, Melinda Tankard-Reist, is an exceptional individual. She is an author, speaker, media commentator, blogger and advocate for young people. Alongside her male colleague Dan Principe, she will run presentations across our Year 9 - 12 landscape on:
Navigating a Se*ed Up World
Melinda will help young women to dissect negative cultural messages that contribute in harmful ways to how they view themselves, their bodies, relationships and their social & emotional development. She will empower young women and help them to rise up to make a difference. Dan will support boys to rise above toxic messages about masculinity, resist the ‘bystander’ effect, challenge violence against women and choose to become men of integrity.
These presentations will promote and enhance:
Critical media literacy skills
Positive mental health
Porn harms literacy
Personal development/health
Respect-based relationships
Values-based approach to sexuality
Enhance healthy choices
Social justice outcomes
Melinda and Dan will run a Gubbi Gubbi workshop on positive bodies:
You’re OK just the way you are
A presentation for primary school level using multimedia to explore messages children receive about their bodies and worth in an age-appropriate way. Melinda will help your younger students identify and separate good messages from negatives messages and recognise that they are valuable and acceptable as they are. A special activity to end the session provides a fun and interactive way of reinforcing key learnings.
This presentation will help Gubbi students to develop:
- Critical media literacy skills
- Positive mental and physical health
- Personal development
- Respect-based relationships (boundaries/OK to say ‘no’)
We are delighted that Melinda will also run a parent presentation (on Thursday 21st April, 6 pm - 7:15 pm, in the Auditorium):
Navigating a se*ed-up world: How can we help our children resist harmful messages from media + pop culture and aspire to respectful relationships?
Have you noticed that your young person seems to be growing up too fast? That they are worried about their appearance and more aware of se*ual issues at earlier stages? Children and young people are bombarded with hyperse*ualised messages from media and popular culture. Even small children are worried about their looks and physical appearance, shaped and conditioned at the earliest of ages by a dominant message that tells them they have to be ‘hot’ be liked and accepted. How can we address this toxic culture and raise happy, healthy and resilient young people who value their dignity and self-worth and aspire to relationships based on respect and authentic connection? Melinda will provide practical tips and resources to help us achieve this. Daniel will also contribute to the parent’s session on his work especially with young men.
Tickets for this event are available at the Trybooking link below. Our Auditorium has limited capacity so, if you are interested in attending this event, please book soon to avoid disappointment.
Here is a link to see Melinda and Dan talk about their message:
We look forward to sharing our Thrive and Flourish Invictus Wellbeing Conference experience with you.
Striving to develop and demonstrate our Waffo Spirit
We can always count on students and staff members to put 100% into fundraising activities. The energy and commitment demonstrated at the World’s Greatest Shave event on Friday 25 March was no exception. Striving to develop and demonstrate Waffo is an integral part of who we are.
The aesthetic greens of our campus were injected with shades of orange and blue as students whole heartedly embraced the free dress day theme. Within our Primary School, students danced enthusiastically with big smiles on their faces whilst waiting to get their hair colour sprayed by the older students.
At break time, Ms. K Cooper and her wonderful senior students put on a sausage sizzle. Crowds amassed outside the kitchen to participate in this feast. There was real connection as students from across the College came together to eat food in their shared identity and commitment to raise funds for the Leukemia Foundation.
The culmination of the day, the World’s Greatest Shave assembly, brought the whole College community together in the undercover area. The rock band ignited the spirit of the crowd and maintained high levels of energy throughout the assembly. Staff members Ms. D Cooper, Ms. Percasky and Mr. Balea were armed with clippers and ready to shave the heads of our student volunteers. Huge congratulations to our courageous and compassionate students: Austin McCosker, Priya Kumar, Saxon Walters, Ash Hartikainen, Jenson Cooper, Archie Cornelius, Max Hutchinson, Flynn Wickens, Miles Sutherland and Ethan Cheeseman. You have made your College community very proud.
High-level energy and a strong sense of connection permeated the day. It was a powerful way to see students and staff members so engaged in raising awareness and funds in support of the Leukemia Foundation.
Well done to our Student Council Exec and SRC members for planning and running the whole day!
Getting ready for Term Two
As we move into the final week of Term One, and lethargy kicks in, it is easy to get sloppy with uniform and grooming standards. As a College, we will continue to adopt a consistent and persistent approach when it comes to supporting students to maintain high standards of dress.
In order to ensure that everyone is set up for success in Term Two, and there are no issues to detract from the important business of teaching & learning, please support our young people to align with the College expectations.
Here’s a snapshot:
Uniform
- Take pride in your uniform
- Wear formal uniform unless required to wear sport uniform
- Converse and skate shoes are not part of any uniform
Bag
- KC backpack is your main bag for school
Hair
- Of one natural colour, worn off the face
- If long, tied back in a pony tail at the back of the head (not on top)
- No extreme styles. Mullets, two-tone hair and dreadlocks are examples of extreme styles
Jewellery
- One pair of studs or small hoops; one piercing in each ear lobe only
- No other piercings
- A standard watch; no smart watches
- No other jewellery
Makeup
- Light concealer only
Tattoos
- Tattoos are not permitted at school
- If a student has a tattoo, it must remain completely covered at all times
Thank you for your support with this. Have a wonderful break.
Janine Parkinson
Senior School News
Term 1, 2022 – Mabo A reflection
It’s getting old, mentioning how many curveballs a term, semester or year has thrown at us. Rather, I’d like to reflect on our first term in Mabo with a positive light, as we conclude.
There’s nothing that brings as much pride to a teacher as seeing such a high number of students respect them by reflecting the school’s standards when the student doesn’t know their being supervised. Reaching deadlines, always wearing the correct uniform, working autonomously, being thanked for lessons, picking up litter that someone else dropped and well wishing for a safe weekend are all daily demonstrations that what the teachers are doing, matters. This term, there wasn’t a single Friday that teachers left the school without students wishing them a safe weekend. When returning after an isolation period, Mabo teachers were welcomed back and students expressed how much they were missed. While certainty about what’s around the corner is getting smaller, it appears that politeness and manners are getting bigger.
The seniors can be seen sporting their new jerseys for 2022. This means that the Mabo staff will be working out how new and unusual nicknames fit the wearer.
The year 11 students are now exploring what their subject choices mean for their future. The topic of life after school starts to take on a significant meaning full of possibilities and wonder (and anxiety).
The year 10 students have been taking up study skill sessions to prepare them for the next two years. Civil rights and gun control is now transitioning to ancient cradles of civilisation and poetry.
I hope all Mabonauts have a safe holiday as the weather slowly starts allowing Queenslanders to wear more than one thin layer. The Mabo teaching team looks forward to term 2.
Jordan Smith
Yunupingu News
It has been an extremely busy term for the Yunupingu students. Despite our continued battle with COVID and our unexpected weather event causing floods, our students have demonstrated true resilience and persistence. We have continued to celebrate many things this term. Our year 10 students have settled into the faculty nicely and most of them have now completed their first internal assessment.
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
The year 10 FTV class studied music videos and students have all made their own music video to a song of their choice. The drama students have studied a range of concepts including Verbatim Theater and Epic Theater. The dance students performed with enthusiasm to complete their first performance. In 11 FTV they explored movie trailers and have planned and filmed their own trailer for a movie idea they came up with. Year 12 FTV students explored multi-platform participatory media. They developed an interactive TV show idea where the audience can participate in the story world through things like social media. Students filmed the pilot episode of their TV show. Year 11 and 12 dancers worked hard to produce their own choreographed pieces and successfully completed their second internal assessment.
Year 12 Visual Art students' first internal assessment was to create written and visual responses which communicate the personal connection they have made with the stimulus: 'Is Identity Given or Created?' They have created some very impressive experimental pieces which reflect their interpretations of the stimulus. Our senior drama students have begun rehearsals for our KC drama play that will hit the stage late next term. Rehearsals are going well and we have a very enthusiastic cast of year 10,11 and 12s. Last year's version of ‘KC Goes Wrong’ was an absolute laugh and we are looking forward to this year's production of ‘Sinderreller Goes Rong’.
Our Year 11 students enjoyed camp in week 8. Despite the ordinary weather, they managed to have fun and make memories they will never forget. Our year 12 students have been working hard towards completing their second internal assessment. They are officially halfway with only two terms to go before external exams.
On Thursday 31st March we attended our annual welcome dinner and musical event. Students and teachers took a bus to South Bank where we enjoyed a lovely dinner at Brooklyn Depot before walking over to QPAC to see the hit musical Frozen. The night was filled with excitement as we finally got to experience live theater and art culture. The musical reignited the students' passion for the arts and we witnessed many discussions about careers in the creative arts. It was lovely to see our students enjoy a live theater experience. We missed those students who couldn’t attend because of COVID and will be sure to provide further arts experiences next term.
Our students are looking forward to many events showcasing and celebrating their talents in term 2. Some of these include our arts assembly, eisteddfods, art competitions and our KC senior drama play.
Elizabeth Wagenkencht - Head of the Arts
Middle School News
The term that was then wasn’t then was…..Our middle school children will have yarns to tell when they reflect on Term One 2022. Their tales of “back in my day…” will impress future generations as they retell the nightmare that was COVID, the natural deluge of rain that flooded the local roads and stopped school for a week, along with the tragic stories of those at war.
But amongst the chaos, there was learning, laughter, experiences, connections, adjustments, and fun. Kimberley College students are well-known for their resilient, calm, and determined nature. We love a challenge as it allows us to think creatively, build self-reliance, self-esteem, and resilience.
Although delayed, the year began with our eights and nines welcoming our new sevens into the boats and the culture of Kimberley College. They did this with open arms and very quickly, the 2022 boats were settled and established, taking on the flavour of our new teaching teams for the year.
We welcomed new staff to the middle school this term and are enjoying a multicultural vibe as we embrace Mr Tangi Montfort from France in Barada, Mr Thomas Dixon from England in Lama and Mr Justin Smith from Scarborough in Maikulan! We are excited to learn and work alongside our new staff members as we share new ideas and continue to grow and create a positive learning environment rich with experience and interactions in the middle school that embrace students’ academic, social and emotional journeys.
We had to forgo a few of our favourite things this term, such as the swimming carnival. Events like this usually would allow us to compete, celebrate and cheer together as a whole middle school. However, there are plenty more opportunities coming our way that will bring us back together as an entire middle school shortly.
We are looking forward to those opportunities to share some fun and laughter on the sporting field. All is not lost, however, as the term still presented many many opportunities for our middle school kids to rally behind and get involved and engage in their school community:
Debating, Kokoda, Musical, Public Speaking, district Swimming, District Cross Country, KCFA comps, Volley Comps, Touch Football comps, Open Day student representatives, World’s Greatest Shave, Camp, Student Council, Peer Mentoring.
STUDENT COUNCIL
Our Year Twelve Student Council Leaders kicked off the year with some inspiring and entertaining videos to introduce themselves and encourage our middle schoolers to sign up and represent their boats. We had an overwhelming response from our Middle school students and had to conduct speeches and elections to choose our representatives. Having a voice, representing the student body and being a part of the decisions that build and shape our school is an excellent opportunity for students to invest in their learning environment. We congratulate our 2022 Middle School Student Representatives.
Cara McMahon, Oliver Scott, Mia Wilkinson, Braeden Del Santo, Olivia Campbell, Leah O’Leary, Mia Gilroy, Nevaeh Tyrrell, Chloe O’Brian, Priya Kumer, Cohen Lowry, Maggie Witham, Piper Kuter and Sophia Polkinghorne.
CAMP FUN
Hi Ho Hi Ho - it's off to camp we finally went - We made it! The rain came out to join us on camp this year but a bit of rain never stopped any child having some fun! In fact it only increased the fun as the mud course was perfectly primed and the dams full to the brim for raft making activities. There was great excitement in the air as we headed off for a most excellent adventure - Camp Thunderbird. Camp is a great time for teachers and students to spend time together outside the classroom, share stories, laugh and get to know each other. The camp experience directly impacts the classroom upon return as a shared experience is very bonding. Trust and care are also established on a deeper level while away from home. One of the greatest gifts that camp gives is the opportunity for children to build trust in their abilities; physically, socially and emotionally. We are aware that many of our students push themselves to go to camp, overcoming nerves and stepping outside their comfort zones. Our pastoral care system is second to none and with the support and care of the KC teachers our students safely enjoyed the camp experience. There were many adventures that were had over the week of camp and children were returned tired, muddy, smelly, but HAPPY. We will let the photos tell the story.
KOKODA
Our KC kids are signing up and preparing to start training sessions in term two ready to challenge themselves at the end of term two in the annual Kokoda Challenge. The Spirit of Kokoda is about embodying Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice. These values take their origin from Australian soldiers who fought on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea during WWII. The Kokoa philosophy encourages students to step outside their comfort zones and with courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice work together to achieve a goal.
We love the Kokoda Challenge because it is not just about getting outside and getting fitter but teaches students about never giving up, acting with integrity, embracing diversity and having each other's backs. It encourages students to think beyond themselves and have a greater cause in mind to help others. It is not about how fast you can complete the challenge but about how fast your team can complete the challenge together. It is about mateship, teamwork, compassion, encouragement, resilience and commitment. We are very proud of all our Kimberley College hikers and excited to see some of our old teams challenging themselves to greater heights as they take on the 48km challenge!
HASS CURRICULUM REFLECTION
This term in Humanities and Social Science we delved into Western society’s view on gender through the eyes of Greek Mythology in our unit ‘Mars and Venus’. Students discovered the role of Greek gods and goddesses and the powerful impact they have had on gender roles and stereotypes in their very own lives today! From analysis of texts to dressing up as Aphrodite, students explored this term’s unit in a variety of ways. Students enjoyed learning, debating and sharing their thoughts and opinions on the role gender stereotypes play in our world, and more specifically, in media texts. For their final task, students had the opportunity to investigate their favourite text, whether a book, film or video game, and analyse the gender stereotypes that were present. From Disney’s classic Cinderella to the latest smash hit teen-fiction, Middle school students delved into the tasks and uncovered the stereotypes and messages behind their favourite books, films and video games!
HEALTH Curriculum
Wellbeing is one of our core values at Kimberley College. As a school we are invested in not just our students' academic learning but our students' whole wellbeing. It is one thing to say that you care about student wellbeing but Kimberley College not only talks the talk but walks the walk. Our whole school design is centered around pastoral care and creating genuine connections with our students and families. These strong relationships create a supportive, safe and secure learning environment where students can explore their social and emotional learning journeys.
This term in Health students focused on the six aspects of healthy well being using the PERMA- H model.
P - Positive Thoughts - understanding that feelings are feelings but how we respond to them is within our control.
E - Engagement - Being present and investing in what you are doing right here and now.
R - relationships - understanding the components of healthy relationships
M - meaning - making meaning and understanding purpose
A - accomplishments - feeling successful, making achievable goals
H - healthy - working through the components of healthy living.
Health is one of the most looked forward to subjects as students relish the opportunity to explore these key components through games, discussions and activities. During health students shared, debated and were exposed to tools that can support them on their wellbeing pathway. May I just say some of the activities had us laughing so hard tears rolled down our faces. These kinds of shared experiences are what makes learning so enjoyable.
Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings which lead to positive behaviours.
ENGLISH CURRICULUM REFLECTION
“I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.”
Edgar Allan Poe
This term in English we explored the wonderful world of poetry in our unit ‘Mirror Mirror’. Whilst unknown territory for a lot of students, many dove head first into this magical world and found beauty in words. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to express themselves creatively and learn the powerful art form of poetry. The final task for this term was to not only analyse poetry, but to also write some original pieces with a variety of prompts and inspiration. Take a look at some of the downright mesmerising creations by our Middle School students this term:
Year 8 Jagera student
Unmotivated
Wake up every morning feeling so depressed
Don’t have the motivation to get out of bed and dressed
Feeling gross and tired
My hair all wired
Rain falling, don’t feel inspired
As I think to myself, what matters about today?
Then look outside and think it’s the perfect day to play!
So get out of bed, put your favourite shirt on
There’s a lovely day that is waiting upon
If you find the passion
Do something that makes you happy
Oh the places you’ll go won’t make you unhappy
So get out of bed
Do something productive
And maybe you’ll find you can be truly constructive
Year 8 Lama Lama student
DANCE PARTY
22/2/22 AKA Twosday was a spectacular day, and not simply because it is a palindrome, but because it was dubbed National Dance Party Day by Kimberley College’s Middle School. On this day Middle School students danced their hearts out right across the College at 2:22pm! Perhaps it was the magical powers of this day, but the dance moves were brilliant and the smiles were contagious. What a wonderful moment to share for students and teachers to take a moment to celebrate this once in a blue moon event!
SCIENCE CURRICULUM REFLECTIONS
This term in Science the Middle School students had the amazing opportunity to explore the body systems. Throughout the term they learnt about different types of cells and created their own pancake example of a cell mmm delicious. They got their hands dirty as they created their own 3D model of the brain from a concoction of Deb potatoes and sand…not so tasty. For those brave enough a few, got the chance to get up close to a real lamb's brain, but the highlight for most was the opportunity to dissect a heart. It was a fantastic term of hands-on learning culminating in them donning their doctors white cloak and diagnosing a patient. Students then researched a variety of treatment plans and prevention strategies for their patients. It was a thoroughly enjoyable process of problem solving in the KC classrooms this term.
BEE KEEPING
Bee excited Beecause KC has Bees! This year KC has teamed up with Urban Bee Co to introduce the Beekeeping program into our Middle School Extras program. Students get up close and personal with bees, learning all about the bee keeping process, how to keep the bees healthy, biosecurity and of course processing honey from hive to our tummy. Stay tuned for the sale of KC first honey batch next term. Watch this space and bee on the lookout for exciting bee developments. What a bee-autfiul experience!
DEBATING
This term we kicked off the QDU debating competition for our Year 8 and 9 teams. This year Middle school entered six debating teams across all boats. This is a super effort and we have already achieved success across all year levels. We are super proud and have been inspired by the courage and commitment we have seen in the first couple of rounds. We have started off to a great start and congratulations go to our Jagera year 8 team for their win, and to Barada and Maikulan/Lama year 9 teams for their wins in both their first 2 rounds. What a Fantastic effort. We look forward to our next round debates in Term 2.
Primary School News
Hello Kimberley Primary Community!
Thank you for making me feel so welcome at Kimberley over the last few weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all your children and working creatively through movement, body percussion and singing in Music. We have also been lucky enough to start this week with some new instruments and props. In Kokomini and Kokowara we have been working on beat keeping and rhythm. Our Kokomini's have worked with various songs about different animals and Kokowara have been using body percussion to create 4 beat rhythms and working with the rhyme 'Is the dog at home?'. Over in Waka Waka, we have enjoyed exploring Sea Shanties in connection with the term topic of Pirates. Finally, our Gubbi Gubbi’s have worked with taking a small musical idea and exploring how these ideas can be developed in various ways such as arranging, dynamics, body percussion, voice and found sounds.
I very much look forward to making music with your children again in term 2!
Kathryn - Primary Music
Kokomini
The Minis have continued to learn about the Indigenous people of Australia, comparing life of ‘then’ and ‘now’. Activities have included making paint from natural materials, using charcoal to create family portraits and reading Dreamtime stories and participating in activities related to these stories.
They were brainy scientists as they made lemon volcanoes and explored static electricity. The Minis used their five senses and brainy brains to predict and observe what would happen.
We continued our phonics learning journey as the students focused on s,a,t,p,i,n,m, recognition, formation and the sound the letter makes.
We have loved watching their confidence grow as they practiced their counting to 20 and used tens frames and tally to mark off the day of Kokomini as we count down to our 100 Days of Kokomini Celebration!
The Minis have enjoyed lots of magical stories, poems and activities. These have included Brown Bear, Hop On Pop, Ten Apples on Top, If Elephants Wore Trousers and many more. Their love of stories has shone through as they learned about the different parts of a book, discussed characters and storyline and listened carefully for rhyme.
Mrs T and Mrs Tribs have been so proud of the way the Minis have approached their first term of Big School. They arrive with a smile and are curious and inquisitive learners while also taking time to help a friend or the teachers. Thanks for a great Term One Minis, we are excited for an amazing Term Two.
Kokowara
Wow, what a term it has been! Through the events that we have experienced over the past few weeks, the Kokowara’s have developed their resilience, relationships, and empathy towards others through group work, class discussions and teambuilding activities.
In Rich Task, we have been inquiring into different family dynamics and constructs. This has prompted great discussions in Kokowara where we have talked about similarities and differences between their own and others families.
We have worked really hard to develop our number sense and knowledge by counting to 100, skip counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s. We used our super brains to learn our rainbow facts to twenty and beyond. We have begun to look at our own height in comparison to others where we have focused on length vocabulary when drawing pictures of our families in the class.
In Wonderful Writing, the flooding presented a great discussion about our personal experiences with each other. Through this, we took a journey to plan, draft and create our very first piece of edited writing this year. Look at us go!
Our friend Charlie Confidence has helped us to take risks and give things a go. We have learnt how making mistakes helps us all to learn new things. We have spent a lot of time reconnecting with one another and have continued with our essential agreement to help us have a safe and happy time in Kokowara.
We look forward to seeing you all in Term 2.
Waka Waka
Pirates, pirates, pirates! This term in Waka Waka we have had so much fun discovering and learning about everything to do with pirates. For our Rich Task, the students created their own treasure map designed from the Waka buildings and surroundings. Then they created a set of clues for the Kokowara students to follow and find the treasure. Each Waka student made a treasure chest with special treasure inside for the Kokowaras. The students had so much fun creating these and the Kokowara students enjoyed their treasure hunting.
In the Waka Waka classroom we have been budding authors as we created our own pirate stories. From giant octopus, stealing parrots, lost treasure, giant crabs, and underwater caves, these stories have been so much fun to write and entertaining to read to each other.
Throughout the term we explored different rocks and discovered why the pirates loved gold and gems! We also learnt how the pirates navigated the seas using sundials and the constellations. We had fun making our own pirate slime and growing our own crystals. It has been a wonderful start to 2022 and we can’t wait to see what Term 2 brings.
Gubbi Gubbi
"How is it the end of Term 1 already?" - a question we have been asked multiple times this week by our Gubbi students. What an eventful term it has been in Gubbi Gubbi, with lots of personal goals being met, both in and out of the classroom. The highlight of Term 1 was undoubtedly our three-day camp last week to the Gold Coast Recreation Centre at Tallebudgera. We came together as one big, happy Gubbi Gubbi family, to conquer fears, use strength we didn't realise we had and have the time of our lives surfing, swinging, climbing and shooting (marshmallow arrows). Old friendships were strengthened and new ones were formed, as our PC groups adopted the motto "Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." The children encouraged each other to succeed at tasks they originally thought may have been impossible and were there when it mattered most. The smiles on the children's faces and the memories that were made will last a lifetime. To say we are proud of our Gubbi children, is an understatement. There were many highlights, standout moments and catchphrases we would love to share but how can we narrow it down?! We shall let the photos speak for themselves!
KCFA
We begin 2022 with the Brisbane Metro Futsal Titles after unforeseen circumstances which delayed some of our competitions so far this year.
On the 11th of March, we competed in the group stages to qualify for the finals day held later in the term. We were successful in gaining spots for all our teams. Congratulations to our U13, U16, and U19 boys along with our U13 and U19 girls who all came top 2 in their age groups to qualify.
Our U11 boys and U12 girls and boys competed in the group stage of this event on the 14th March. U12 girls went undefeated for the day scoring 30 goals in 4 games, conceding only 1 goal for the day. The U12 boys finished 2nd in their group out of 6 and qualified for the finals day along with our U12 girls. Unfortunately, the U11 boys played well throughout the day and narrowly missed out on making the finals, coming 3rd.
On the 18th March our U13 boys and girls team, U16 boys and U19 boys and girls team competed in the Brisbane Metro Futsal FInals. The U13 boys, U16 boys, and U19 boys and girls lost their Quarter Final matches today, which eliminated them from the competition.The U13 girls made it to the Semi Finals but unfortunately lost against a very strong opponent.
On the 21st March, we had our last 2 teams compete in the finals stage of the competitionOur U12 boys, unfortunately, lost their Quarter Finals but had a great campaign considering most of the team is new this year. The U12 girls fought hard with no substitutes for the day. They made it to the Grand Finals and put on a great show with some fantastic team goals. In the dying minutes of the game, the opposition scored 2 quick goals which gave them the lead and win.
We are proud of the achievements these girls accomplished and look forward to more experiences and performances like this in the future from all our students.
We also had a total of 28 students get selected to represent QLD City at the 2022 National School Futsal Championships later this year Congratulations to the following students for this achievement:
Primary School Lucas Fraga (GK) Zalia Peterson Taj Hunnam Boston Fisher Charlotte Heron Isaac Santana Sahara Jonata Zahra Ahmed
Middle School William Holme Oliver Steuart Willow Ramsay Elliot Rainbow Sasha Colenbrander Xavier Carpe Daniel De Ruysscher
Senior School Darcy Graham Rhys Morgan Bailey Jackman Aiden Cutmore Aiden Barr Daniel Roberts Jack Scott Connor Damsma (GK) Levi Bouchier Isabella Hargrave Cooper Hein Isbella Hebron Jayden Dinga
We look forward to a huge Term 2, with our Queensland Football Schools League kicking off in week 1 against Pacific Pines SHS.
Scott Shepherd
Life in the Library
Harmony Week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.
During Harmony Week students from across the campus were encouraged to engage with our collaborative mural. Our ‘Where Do You Come From?’ map proved that we are indeed a culturally diverse family here at Kimberley College.
From our Counsellor
COURAGE = Preparation + Commitment + ?
‘Courage is facing and actioning the things we fear.’ For me, that would be going for a swim out in the deep part of the beach rather than sticking to where my feet can. I took up surfing lessons two years ago now to face my initial fear of sharks which I found was exhausting yet empowering. However, to maintain the courage I needed to enact each lesson required effort which, over the fortnight of lessons, was tricky to continually do. You see most surfers get up early in the mornings – I don’t. Surfers have strong upper body strength and a good sense of balance – I don’t. Most surfers live near a beach - again, not me. So, while I could keep giving reasons as to why I couldn’t maintain effort in overcoming my fear of sharks, I decided to look at what I could do that took a bit of effort and may help me overcome my fear. This led me to exercising a bit more to develop strength and start getting up 30 minutes earlier each day. My thinking was “a little bit is better than nothing at all.” And just like that, after a few weeks of maintaining these new habits, that take quite a bit of my effort, I feel stronger and more refreshed each morning.
This got me thinking, if a fear of sharks can be worked on without frequenting a beach each day, could a person’s fear of public speaking or social situations be improved without engaging in the activity head on? My experience tells me – yes. A key component in overcoming a fear can be in the preparation and commitment stages that precede the behavioural activation or exposure. Preparation and commitment themselves may be part of you developing courage. So, regarding a fear of social engagement, one could prepare by rehearsing scripts for expected and unexpected conversations. To prepare for having a particular conversation with a friend, one could practice conversation skills and scripts. One could also prepare for the various consequences of having that conversation. In theory, planning and practicing for something makes the unknowingness of a situation more controllable which typically, creates a sense of calm.
These articles provide further information on what is courage and how you can apply it to your life.
Where in your life could you use a little courage? What really scares you when you think of it? Is it an animal? Is it a person? Is it the prospect of you doing something you have always wanted to do yet have never considered planning for it?
Remember, the most scientifically proven way to reduce anxiety is to… breathe deep slow breaths in and out.
Have you ever googled breathing exercises?
Have you ever searched on Youtube “How to breathe to calm my nerves”?
Controlled breathing can promote physiological changes such as:
Lowered blood pressure, increased energy and a more rational ability to think clearly.
Arts News
Musical News
Our Legally Blonde rehearsals are well and truly underway. We've had singing, dancing, and acting rehearsals taking place across each week, and have loved seeing the energy and excitement students are bringing to our rehearsals. Students have navigated postponed rehearsals and changed schedules throughout the term as we made adjustments for floods and absences. We thank them for their resilience and commitment. As each week passes we are seeing a new piece of the show coming together. We would like to celebrate the students' commitment and passion to this project - their energy and dedication are what makes it all possible!
We also wish to express our endless gratitude to the college's P&F for their tireless and continued efforts to support us and our cast. Our P&F entered us into the draw to receive a grant from Freedom Property to fund the cost of our cast shirts. We would like to send out a huge thank you to all members of our school community who voted for us.
We also wanted to thank Ms Roya who has been working her creative magic to help us design our cast shirt. We look forward to seeing our cast decked out in their Legally Blonde merchandise next term and on stage.
Legally Blonde is a musical about positivity, determination and self confidence. As Vivienne says, 'being true to yourself never goes out of style!'
We can't wait to bring this story to the stage and share its joyful energy with audiences in Term 3.
The Musical Team
Instrumental Music
This term we welcomed back our returning Instrumental Music students and said hello to a few new friendly faces that have joined the program for 2022. We are excited to see the progression of our students’ journeys throughout the year, and their wonderful enthusiasm when it comes to learning music!
Piano Exams
During 2021, a number of Kimberley College piano students worked extremely hard with their teacher Tina Noetzel, towards achieving their goal of sitting an external piano exam. These student exams were held in late November and the results came through in December after school was finished for the year.
The exams are through the Australia and New Zealand Cultural Arts (ANZCA) syllabus and are all in the modern piano music stream. Each student had to prepare performance pieces, technical work (i.e. scales and arpeggios), aural tests, general knowledge and sight reading. The preparation of well-rounded foundational skills, along with the specific exam requirements for the grade, took the full year to prepare.
We are pleased to announce the results were all of a very high standard of achievement with the 4 absolute beginner students receiving the highest mark for Introductory Grade, an Honours result. From the other grades entered the scores go up to First Class Honours, which we had 3 students achieve, as well as 2 Honours students and 1 awarded a Credit. All scores were very high within their band. The students should be very pleased with the outcome, but mostly with their dedication to working hard towards such a long-term goal. Piano is a long-term commitment, as any musical instrument is, but these students have shown they are able to tackle challenges by being dedicated to consistent practice, believing in their own ability, and working hard to achieve this great outcome. The journey doesn’t end here, and we wish them well on their continued musical journey ahead.
Rock Band Program
This term we saw the introduction of our brand-new instrumental music program, ‘Rock Band’.
This program has been designed for beginners to intermediate instrumental students to explore the world of contemporary music in a collaborative setting.
Throughout term one our primary and middle school students have been able to:
- Establish their playing ability with the allocation of a focus instrument, along with the opportunity to ‘taste test’ different instruments.
- Participate in small group lessons within each instrumental specialty to develop basic instrument skills, such as note and chord location, beat, rhythm, instrument specific techniques and knowledge of song structure.
- Collaborate with a small selection of players to rehearse parts together for their chosen repertoire. This term our primary students have chosen the song “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake, and our middle school students have chosen “Wake Me Up” by Avicii and “Scar” by Missy Higgins.
- Learned how to read chord charts, chord shapes and inversions needed for their repertoire as well as to follow regular song structures.
- Participate in two full sessions to bring the Rock Bands together. During that time students have learnt how to set up their instruments, basic PA system knowledge, how to listen to other players and how to work together throughout their performance.
- Participate in a team building exercise which allowed players to perform for their peers with the student audience providing critique and positive feedback to musicians.
We are thrilled to see how passionate our instrumental music students have been in exploring this new kind of collaboration and learning environment. With the harmonious sounds filling our school grounds, we are looking forward to seeing their growth throughout 2022.
Dance Program
Our dance program students have been working extremely hard this term. All of our teams are working towards creating fun and entertaining routines for eisteddfods and our showcase happening in term three. Our first middle and senior eisteddfod will take place early next term at the Sunshine Coast eisteddfod on the 5th and 6th of May. Details for this eisteddfod have now been emailed home. Our primary performance teams will hit the stage in week 9 for their first eisteddfod. Uniforms that were ordered this term are due to arrive mid term two.
It was lovely to see our Certificate III in Dance students working with some of the primary students last week to complete their 'Assist with Dance Teaching' unit. The primary students had a great time and the senior students learnt a great deal from just one lesson. We hope to continue building relationships between the junior and senior dancers.
KC Choirs
Thank you for making me welcome over the last few weeks as the music teacher in both the primary school and middle school. In term 2, there will be two choirs commencing - Junior choir - open to years 3-6 and Senior choir open to all students in years 7-12. The ambition for Choir at KC is to have various in school performances and moving forward, external as well. This is an unauditioned choir and all are welcome. Please simply join for the first rehearsal to register your interest and membership. I hope to see as many smiling and singing faces at choir next term!
Junior Choir (Years 3-6) When: Thursday 8-8:40am Where: Kangaroo room
Senior Choir When: Wednesday 1-1:40pm (second break) Where: Kangaroo room Please bring your food to eat within the first 10 minutes of rehearsal.
Please direct enquiries regarding Kimberley Choir to Kathryn (Primary music) - kathryn.robinson@kimberley.
Kathryn Robinson
Sport Reflection Term 1
This term in Sport, we kicked things off with our competitive swimmers participating in the Pacific District Swimming Carnival. Although our Kimberley College Carnival could not go ahead this year for our middle and senior School, we were excited to see our talented athletes take part in this trial. Six of our students made their way to the Sleeman Sports Complex on Monday 14 February to trial for the South Coast Regionals. These students included Elizabeth Stinga, Indiana Wall, Finn Pocock, Hunter Buckley, Riley Buckley and William Howes. All students outperformed their previous personal bests, which was wonderful to witness.
Indiana Wall, Finn Pocock, Riley Buckley, and William Howes were able to proceed through to the regional trials – the South Coast Swimming Carnival. This was held on Tuesday 8 March at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. It was wonderful to see our swimmers competing at this level.
CROSS COUNTRY
Our annual Competitive Cross Country Carnival took place on Thursday 17 March with students running throughout our school campus. All competitors were able to brave the heat and put their all into their performances on the day. Students who placed within the top 6 in their age group have the opportunity to compete at the Pacific District Cross Country Carnival which will be held on Wednesday 4 May in Term 2
Results for each event have been listed below:
BOYS
11 YEARS
1st - Noah Morris
2nd - Noah Locking
12 YEARS
1st - Hunter Phillips
2nd - Boston Fisher
3rd - Oliver Stewart
13 YEARS
1st - Daniel De Ruysscher
2nd - Chaise Lucas
3rd - Jordan Tam
14 YEARS
1st - Chase Griffin
2nd - BJ Bennett
3rd - Bailey Mills
15 YEARS
1st - Kade Diers-Hahn
2nd - Nathan Drescher
3rd - Spencer Harris
16 YEARS
1st - Brody Lovelock
2nd - Aidan Cutmore
3rd - Ryan Giarratano
17 YEARS
1st - Zane Field
2nd - William Yeo
3rd - Rylan Warrilow
18 YEARS
1st - Haruki Ryles
2nd - Levi Bouchier
3rd - Declan Carter
GIRLS
10 YEARS
1st - Skylah Tennie
11 YEARS
1st - Zalia Peterson
2nd - Brooklynn Giarratano
3rd - Georgia Alderton
12 YEARS
1st - Sahara Jonata
2nd - Zahra Ahmed
3rd - Erica Jung
13 YEARS
1st - Finn Pocock
2nd - Willow Ramsay
3rd - Kathleen Thomas
14 YEARS
1st - Sienna Alexzander
15 YEARS
1st - Amelie Andrews
2nd - Penelope Bensemen
16 YEARS
1st - Sacha Mills
17 YEARS
1st - Leah White
2nd - Charlie-Lee Mazzaracca
Congratulations to all of our cross country competitors
Kimberley Cup Gala Day
This term we were excited to launch our inaugural inter-school competition, the Kimberley Cup, which provided students with the opportunity to participate in a structured sport competition that has the capacity to enhance the physical activity and health and wellbeing for all involved. This competition provided a sense of community and social connectedness for our students, staff and community at large.
The inaugural gala day for the Kimberley Cup Championship was held on Thursday 24 March. This saw our Kimberley College Kookaburras take part in competitions at two separate locations. Our touch football teams competed at Groves Christian College, and our volleyball teams at Mt Warren Sport Centre in a friendly round robin against Groves Christian College. Our middle and senior school students have participated in training sessions each Thursday throughout their elective sessions, with all their hard work culminating in this one-day event.
CHAMPIONS OF 2022 - TERM ONE KIMBERLEY CUP
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Junior Girls - Groves
Junior Boys - Kimberley
Senior Girls - Groves
Senior Boys - Groves
VOLLEYBALL
Junior Girls - Groves
Junior Boys - Groves
Senior Girls - Groves
Senior Boys - Groves
Representative Sport Trials
Many of our students have taken part in Beenleigh Zone, Pacific District and South Coast trials throughout the course of Term 1. We are thrilled to see so many of our young athletes succeeding in rep sport!
Term 1 Competitors
Beenleigh Zone Trial Competitors
FOOTBALL (SOCCER)
Willow Ramsay
RUGBY LEAGUE
Carter Wesche
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Boston Fisher
Mason Buchan
South Coast Trial Competitors
AFL
Cayden Zutt
Lahanna Field
HOCKEY
Lahanna Field
GOLF
Lilli-J Dunn
FOOTBALL (SOCCER)
Isabella Hargrave
Isabella Hebron
Rose Ahmed
Willow Ramsay
RUGBY UNION
Brayden Boylan
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Mason Buchan
Pacific District Trial Competitors
AFL
Cayden Zutt
GOLF
Lilli-J Dunn
RUGBY LEAGUE
Brayden Boylan
Kai Barwick
RUGBY UNION
Brayden Boylan
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Mason Buchan
Important Reminder
If your child has competed in any district, regional or state competitions as well as any other high level competitions throughout Term 1, please let us know as we would love to acknowledge their accomplishments!
Looking Ahead to Term 2 in Sport
COLOUR RUN
We will be holding the School Fun Run as a major fundraising event this year on Friday 13 May! We’re doing it to raise money for school resources and the community. The School Fun-Run BIG SHOW is all about Fun! There will be huge inflatables, and you will get to meet Chase the Cheetah! Think of it as a Fun Run carnival! This will be one of the most exciting days on our school’s calendar, with everyone’s participation the aim, so please make sure they attend on the day and cheer the other kids on!
More information in regards to the event and how to start fundraising was sent out earlier this week. Our goal is for all students to be registered on the schoolfunrun.com.au website and to commence fundraising over the holiday break. We look forward to kicking off another fundraising challenge in WEEK ONE, TERM TWO!
PREMIER SPORTS PROGRAM
We are excited to announce that the Premier Sports that will be competing in our second Kimberley Cup Gala Day of the year will be Basketball and Football (Soccer). These are available for middle and senior students to participate in during their Thursday elective sessions.
CLEVELAND CLASSIC
Kimberley College has been invited by Cleveland District State High School to compete in the Cleveland Basketball Classic in the first and second week of Term 3. Our Premier Sports program will be a good opportunity for students to participate in training sessions with our specialist coach. If your child has elected to compete, please make sure they elect their preference for Thursday electives as basketball.
Important Dates
- Beenleigh Zone Cross Country Carnival Wednesday 20 March
- Pacific District Cross Country Carnival Wednesday 4 May
- Colour Run Friday 13 May
- Middle and Senior School Athletics Carnival Wednesday 3 June
- Kimberley Cup Gala Day 2 Thursday 23 June
KC Open Day
The college once again held its annual Open Day, last Saturday 26 March for prospective families that saw the largest turn out of attendees in recent years, eager to find out more about the Kimberley College DNA.
Luckily, the weather held, and we were able to conduct school tours led by the Principal, Glenn Johnson and Heads of Primary, Middle, and Senior schools and had some great questions in the Q&A session in the auditorium. Topics ranged from mental health support to electives on offer.
Many attendees on the day had heard positive stories about the college from networks they engage with regularly including our parents, students both past and present and other supporters that form our wider school community. As a school, we continue to be grateful and inspired by the support and good will of our families, thank you.
Several KC students volunteered from across our middle and senior school to co-host and participate in the Q&A. This gave prospective families the opportunity to hear from our students and their individual experiences.
Whilst our prep year for 2023 is now full and our Year 7 intake for 2023 is once again proving extremely popular for students from across Logan and Redland, for members of the KC community, it is not too late to enrol your child. We are still taking enrolments for future years via our online enrolment application located on the website.
As always, preference is given to families with students / siblings already enrolled in the school.
If you have any questions, please contact the enrolments team today to discuss options for your family. Tel: 3209 0333 or email: enrolments@kimberley.college
Rene Winton - Registrar
2022 Next Step Survey
The Queensland Government is conducting its annual statewide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2021. The Next Step survey is a brief, confidential survey that gains a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers in the year after they finish Year 12.
Between March and June, all our students who completed Year 12 last year can expect to receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please assist the interviewer with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate.
Thank you for your support of the Next Step survey in 2022.
Further information on Next Step, including results from previous years, is available online (link below) or toll free telephone 1800 068 587.
All things Admin
Dates for 2022 Newsletters - 18 February, 1 April, 29 April, 24 June, 22 July, 16 Sept, 14 October and 25 November
KC Bus - It is the responsibility of students catching the school bus to be at the stop 5 minutes prior to its departure time. Buses will not be sent back for students who have missed the bus due to arriving late to the bus stop.
Translink Bus Card - Please write your child's name on the back of their Translink card as there is no way of identifying who they belong to if found within the school.
Absences and Early Collections - details pertaining to a students absence or an early collection can be sent via:
- our school App,
- a call to 3209 0300 and select the Student Absences option or
- you can email student.absences@
kimberley.college .
There is a link within the Rollcall app, however this is not linked to the school.
When sending an email to class teachers to advise them, please ensure that you also cc in the Student Absences email.
If you are aware of an upcoming appointment, those details can be sent through ahead of time.
When picking up students early please come to the Student Hub to collect them.
Unfortunately, we cannot allow students to sign out and leave without a parent / carer or an emergency contact person being sighted.
Late Arrivals - All students arriving after the first bell (8.40) must go to the Hub and sign in late.
Parking - Please remember that the top carpark is for staff only, the main carpark at the front of the school is for parents.
Parent Lounge - Reminder for all families, have you checked your child's details on the online Parent Lounge Portal this term?
If not, can we please ask you to make sure you check that we have both your most recent address and contact details and any updates to your child's medical information.
It is vital we have access to this information in case of an emergency situation. Help us, to help you.
If you are unsure how to do this, please call 3209 0300 for assistance.
Australian eSports
Flynn Wickens, Yr 12 Unaipon recently competed in the Australian eSports Logan Cup and was the Mario Kart8 overall winner.
