Term 2 Week 10
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
I write this article having just returned from our Primary Athletics Carnival. It was a fantastic day and great to see our younger students engaged in physical activity: learning and having fun. It was also great to welcome our parents back for this event this year.
I also had the pleasure last week of attending the BPAC Dance Eistedfodd on Friday night to watch our KC teams in action. My thanks to our team of dedicated teachers and coaches. I am in awe of their achievements and the fantastic culture they have created in our dance program. The adults and students alike were exhibiting a mix of exhilaration and exhaustion after what was a huge week for them all.
One of the key pillars of our strategic plan is the support and development of our teaching teams. Research consistently shows the greatest effect on improving student learning outcomes comes from investment in the development of teachers. We started the year with a full day of training on our authentic pedagogical framework – The New Art and Science of Teaching. In Term Two we continued this focus with a dedicated day of training on building student engagement with Mathematics. In Term Three our Middle School and Senior School teachers will undertake a full day program on Growth Coaching.
I wish all of our students a safe and happy holiday and look forward to welcoming them back on Tuesday 13th July for the start of Term Three.
Parent Survey
I have included below two graphics from our recently completed parent survey. The first presents the responses to the question of why you chose KC for your child and provides us with information on what is important to our parents.
The graphic below provides a provides a summary of the total responses grouped by key area. Results are ranked from highest to lowest based on the satisfaction score. I was very pleased to see we had no areas in the yellow; however, we are unpacking the responses to the survey in detail as a team to ensure we are responding to the valuable feedback provided.
The graphic below shows a comparison for each of these key areas with our last survey in 2019.
Deputy Principal's Message
Getting Ready for Semester Two
With great anticipation, the mid-year school holiday has finally arrived. Whilst the importance of family, friends and rest is advocated during this time, the latter is often overlooked. Rest can reduce stress, improve focus and overall health; it is a necessity (not luxury) when it comes to wellbeing. Professional athletes, religious leaders and academic researchers hold rest - and separation from the everyday busyness of life - in such high regard. I am not convinced that lying on the sofa plugged in to a device receiving dopamine hits constitutes the kind of rest envisaged. Unplug yourself, step outside and strive to be fully ‘present’ within yourself and to the people around you.
Getting Ready
As we prepare for a return to school, we need to support each other to be ‘school-ready.’ This includes having the correct uniform, adhering to the grooming standards, organizing resources/materials, setting the alarm clock for a prompt arrival as well as developing an awareness of the rhythm of Term 3.
Students return to school on Tuesday 13 July. On Wednesday 14 July we have a special NAIDOC whole school assembly with the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dance Company. Thursday 15 July marks school photo day for our Primary School as well as for our teams across the whole College. Please ensure that students (who anticipate photos) arrive smart and in formal attire on this day. Please refer to our Kimberley College App for all the important calendar dates for the term.
1 -2 -3 Magic & Emotion Coaching
Within our Primary School, teachers utilize 1 – 2 – 3 Magic & Emotion Coaching as a behavior management framework. Aligned with the College’s restorative approach, it supports the development of student capacity to regulate their own emotion and manage behavior.
During Term Three, we are offering the 1 – 2 – 3 Magic & Emotion Coaching Parenting Course to our primary parents/carers. The course teaches parents/carers of 2 – 12-year-olds how to manage their child’s difficult behavior using less talk and less emotion … helping their child to develop frustration tolerance as well as learning to resolve family conflict quietly. The duration of the course is 6 hours, taught across three evenings between 5 – 7pm. The dates are: Wednesday 4, 18 and 25 August. Refreshments and course materials are provided. If you are interested, and able to commit to the three dates, please follow the link below. The closing date to register your interest is Monday 5 July 2021. The course is free of charge.
Year 10 Camp
We are very excited about the upcoming Year 10 camp at the Midginbil Eco Resort in Northern NSW on 21 – 23 July, 2021. It promises to be a challenging and fun camp; developing student character and bringing the cohort closer together prior to them embarking on their Year 11/12 journey. Camps are a compulsory component of Kimberley College; we would love to see all students participate. If you are a Year 10 parent/carer, please ensure that you have checked the medical details on Parent Lounge and provided consent for your child to attend. If there are any questions/concerns, please contact your child’s pastoral care teacher.
Wishing you a wonderfully restful and reenergizing break.
We look forward to our students returning to the College in Semester Two.
STEM News
In week 8, year 9 and 10 students attended this year's Science and Engineering Challenge (SEC) at Griffith University's Nathan campus. The SEC is a nationwide STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) outreach program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities, and sponsors. Students were put into eight groups, each group doing a different type of STEM challenge. The day included design and build challenges involving bridges, earthquake-proof apartment blocks, water turbines, solutions to power management, and applications of digital communication. Our students worked extremely well in their teams and represented the school with pride.
This week, year 10 and 12 students will attend the Queensland Institute of Medical Research lecture series on Genetics. They will listen to experts from the Cancer Control Group, the Functional Genetics Groups, the Statistical Genetics Group, and the Cancer Genetics Group present some of their exciting research.
Year 11 Mathematical Methods students have started building their knowledge of rates of change through an investigation using Sphero robots. The data that has been collected will be used to introduce many of the foundational concepts that underpin the work that we do for the rest of the course.
Finally, we would like to remind year 12 students who study Mathematical Methods, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics of the Academic Boot Camps offered by Griffith University during the September holidays. Each course runs for four days with one offering in the first week of the holiday at the Gold Coast campus and another offering in the second week of the holiday at Logan campus. According to Griffith University, the aim of each course is to improve confidence and understanding in senior science and maths subject areas, reducing anxiety around assessment and preparing students for future tertiary study. More information regarding the courses and registration can be found through the following link.
Bradford Hood - Head of Faculty
Middle School News
Another term has come to a close and I am proud to say that the Middle School students showed perseverance on school camps, shaved their heads in support of the Cancer Foundation. Cheered, ran, jumped at the Athletics Carnival, walked many, many kilometres for the Kokoda Challenge and our Dance and KCFA teams shone at competitions. But never fear, there are many more opportunities to get involved next term. So rest up over the break and we look forward to seeing you all next term.
Margherite Rigden - Middle School Coordinator
Primary School News
Happy Holidays! What an exciting term we have had, and the last week has been jammed-packed with fantastic activities and learning experiences. We are all definitely ready for a rest these school holidays!
Celebration of Learning Assembly
On Wednesday 22nd June, the Primary School had its ‘Celebration of Learning Assembly’ where we got to discover all of the incredible learning that had occurred across the Primary School in Term Three. We had a very special Traditional Indigenous Welcome and Gingerbread Man presentation from Kokomini, six very confident Kokowara representatives sharing their weather reports, an exhibit of multiple celebration from around the world from Waka Waka, and Maths pizza projects, titled "Frac-Tony's Super Pizzeria", and a shoe lace procedure from the Gubbi Gubbi students. To conclude our assembly, we welcomed our Primary Development Team to the stage to present their first ever dance performance. They presented their "Juicy Wiggle," routine with energy and huge smiles!
What have we been up to?
Along with whole school presentations, we also had many classroom-based celebrations. On Monday 21st June, the Kokomini students presented their ‘Gingerbread Man’ performance to an audience of family and friends. They were so confident and had learnt all of their songs by heart. On Wednesday, the Waka Waka students invited their parents in to view their Passion Projects, which included a special drone launch and lots of exciting PowerPoints, posters, dioramas and even a Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir cartoon. In Kokowara, after having fun exploring Wacky Weather throughout the term, the students had a chance to show off their brainy work and present their weather reports to family and friends! The class worked incredibly hard to plan these performances and they did an amazing job!
Primary Athletics Carnival
Finally, on Thursday 24th June we had our much-anticipated Primary Athletics Carnival, and what a day it was! Although there was the threat of rain, our spirits could not be dampened and Mother Nature held off long enough for us to enjoy the day. The students gave their best in a number of field events, and showed off the skills they had been practising throughout the term with Miss Tassan, Mrs Brushe, and Miss Smallhorn. The event was concluded with some sprints, where the students raced towards the finish line and their cheering teachers - who were armed with hundreds of ice blocks!
Throughout all of these events, we have been so lucky to have so many family members and friends join in our celebrations. We are grateful for your on-going support. We wish you all a happy and restful holiday.
Kristy Shepherdson – Primary School Coordinator
Ready, Steady, Cook!
This term in Gubbi Gubbi, we have focused on the theme of ‘Spoonful of Sugar’. Students have been looking at fractions and procedural texts and using these skills to prepare for Rich Task. In Rich task, we have all been working very hard to prepare for the ‘Ready, Steady, Cook!’ task. Gubbi Gubbi looked at the five food groups and meticulously planned a meal to incorporate them all. Everyone formed cooking groups, and we saw teams such as the Spice Girls, the Galaxy Squirrels, the Cool Veggies, and Salad Mums competing to prepare and construct their meals. The day was a huge success, and the whole of Gubbi Gubbi would love to thank all the parents, teachers, and teacher aides who came together to ensure that everyone got a chance to make their meal. We all had a wonderful construction and preparation day and it was exciting to see Gubbi’s hard work come together.
Gubbi Gubbi Teachers
Art News
Year 11 Visual Art in Practice students focused on street art and the work of contemporary street artists. They individually created and evaluated a community artwork/mural that supports and informs the public on a social or cultural issue. The outcomes are impressive as a variety of messages and visual elements can be seen.
KC Dance Eisteddfod
Congratulations to our primary, middle, and senior dance performance teams for their participation in the Ipswich and BPAC Eisteddfods last week. The teams performed exceptionally well and were able to take home several wins throughout the course of the week.
A special congratulations to our senior performance team who won the “Most Outstanding Senior School Award” at the Ipswich Eisteddfod.
We wish them the best for their final eisteddfod in Term 3 and look forward to celebrating their success at our Annual Dance Showcase on August 26 at Ormiston College. Tickets for the event will go on sale early next term, more information to come.
Ipswich Eisteddfod Placements
Primary School
2nd – Primary Lyrical B
3rd – Primary Jazz B
VHC – Primary Lyrical A
Middle School
1st – Middle School Contemporary
3rd – Middle School Lyrical
VHC – Middle School Jazz
VHC – Middle School Hip Hop
Senior School
1st – Senior Jazz A
1st – Senior Lyrical B
1st – Senior Hip Hop
2nd – Senior Lyrical A
2nd – Senior Contemporary A
2nd – Senior Entertainment
3rd – Senior Jazz B
VHC – Senior Contemporary C
HC – Senior Contemporary B
BPAC Eisteddfod Placements
Primary School
1st – Primary Jazz B
3rd – Primary Jazz A
VHC – Primary Lyrical B
HC – Primary Lyrical A
Middle School
1st – Middle School Lyrical
2nd – Middle School Hip Hop
VHC – Middle School Jazz
HC – Middle School Contemporary
Senior School
2nd – Senior Jazz A
3rd – Senior Lyrical B
3rd – Senior Choreography
3rd – Senior Hip Hop
VHC – Senior Lyrical A
VHC – Senior Contemporary A
VHC - Senior Contemporary B
VHC – Senior Jazz B
From our Counsellor
What is assessment anxiety?
Assessment anxiety is defined as a common and often normal stress reaction experienced before, during and sometimes after exams. Assessment anxiety presents an issue when it is intense, continues over time and impedes academic performance.
In other words, a certain level of assessment anxiety is actually a common and often normal response to sitting exams or writing assessments. Some degree of nervous energy and tension is generally required to motivate us to study for, and complete exams and perform well – it is important to remember assessment anxiety is not all bad.
So, the short answer is that most people have a level of anxiety relating to exams that is normal, but this can become problematic when anxiety impedes our ability to attend, engage with or perform on exams due to its effects and symptoms.
Click on the link below to read more.
Klynton Kelly-Bolt
Admin News
The accuracy of family details in our system is imperative to ensure you recieve all relevant information and to allow us to contact you when needed. Please check that everything is correct by accessing the Parent Lounge. You can also access Parent Lounge using our new App.
Just a reminder that all student absences require a reason. We are still recording many unexplained absences every day. If you receive our automated text message please respond promptly and let us know why your child is absent so we can correct the records.
Golf
Carbrook Golf Club holiday and Term 3 programs
