26 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal’s Desk

I wish a warm welcome to you all, especially new parents to the Kent Street community. I also extend a special thank you to everyone who has engaged with the P&C or School Board this year. It is through your contributions that we can be assured of providing the quality of service you are seeking.

P&C

I welcome Tracy Bishop as our new P&C President. She is joined by Kirrilly Owen as Vice President, Sarah Brinkmann as Secretary and Sara Robertson as Treasurer. We also have four executive members in Di Owen, Gillian Pirie, Cyan Plenderleith and Hana Byambadash. Our representative from SPOCK – Supportive Parents of Cricket Kids – is Alison Welburn. We are actively looking for a representative from the other sub-committee of the P&C – the Aviation Support Group.

We are also seeking interested folk to be involved in the school canteen. A canteen committee led by our Hospitality teacher, Ingrid Hills, will consist of interested staff, students and parents. If you have a background in catering or an interest in food, please contact Ingrid via email at Ingrid.Hills@education.wa.edu.au to express your interest in being involved. Meetings will not be too time consuming. Of course, any parent or grandparent is welcome to volunteer to serve in the school canteen on occasion. Please call Tracy Ellis on 9262 0553 if you would like to know more about what this involves.

School Board

We held our first meeting of 2018 on Tuesday 27 February and welcomed some new faces to the team. Ably led by our Chairperson, Graeme Eley, we are pleased to welcome a new community member in Vanessa Elliott and two new parent representatives in Sarah Brinkmann and Natalie Ciccone. Along with Deanne Poole, who is serving another term on the board, this team have a wealth of experience that promises to help us continue to grow from strength to strength.

Year 12 - 2017

It is fitting in the first newsletter of the year that we formally acknowledge the achievements of our 2017 leavers. Congratulations are extended to our ATAR Dux, Alexandria Armit, and our VET Dux, Jasmine Drakeley for their fine achievements. Alexandra was presented with a Certificate of Distinction by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority and joins our 95+ Club for her excellent ATAR. Other impressive achievements include Bradley Hudson, who was shortlisted for the Beasley Medal in VET, receiving a Certificate of Excellence from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority. A further 12 students gained a Certificate of Merit. They are Harshini Raj, Harrison Elkins, Edward Fox, Brynn Jacoben, Ryan Keswick, Lee-An Lu, Danielle Miaris, Amy Partington, David Peacock, Patrick Slattery, Hayden Turton and Lachlan Wotherspoon.

I trust that our current Year 12s will look to this list and aspire to achieve to the same heights if not better in 2018. They and the Year 11s have had a good start to the year with the Start Right, Finish Strong conference which provides them with the building blocks to actively engage in their learning and establish a good study regime early. I wish them all the success for this year.

Kath Ward
Principal

From the Manager Corporate Services

Payment of Contributions and Charges

Thank you to those families who have paid their 2018 Voluntary Contributions and Charges. School Contributions enable the school to purchase essential resources to assist in the best possible educational outcomes for our students. Account statements were sent out in February.

The incentive prizes of 6 x $100 OfficeMax vouchers was drawn 8 December 2017. The winners were Thomi Bernoulli, Wan Li Bian, Sylvia Blakeway, Sophie Litherland, Jaiden Mullan and Haoxi Zheng. We have some new incentive prizes for the payment of voluntary contributions and charges by the end of Term 1, four family movie passes (2 adult and 4 children).

Wan Li Bian, Year 10 and Jaiden Mullan, Year 7 student - two of the $100 OfficeMax vouchers winners

Senior School Charges (Year 11 and 12), Specialist Program Charges (Year 7 to 12) and Elective Charges (Year 9 and 10) are compulsory as per Department of Education Policy. Unpaid compulsory charges up to December 2017 were referred to our debt collection agency in February.

The school offers a variety of payment options:

• Qkr app (preferred online payment method), cash, cheque, EFTPOS including credit card facilities (credit card payments are also able to be phoned through).
• Direct deposit to our bank account: BSB: 066128 A/C No: 00900195
• (Please ensure that the following format is adhered to, this will ensure the correct account is credited: (EG: If you are paying contributions & charges please enter Joe Smith Yr 8 CC)
• BPay: Code and reference are listed on account statements
• Arrange a payment plan. If you have any queries or would like to set up a payment plan, please contact the Finance Officer – Julianne Vaitekenas on 9262 0500.

Year 7 – 9 Parent Teacher Interviews

The Year 7 - 9 Parent Teacher afternoon has been scheduled for Wednesday 4 April 2018 from 1.00pm to 6.00pm to give parents the opportunity to discuss their child's progress with teachers. The school will have an early close, with all students finishing at 12.30pm.

Details of login and booking instructions have been emailed to Year 7 - 9 parents with access to the booking system available from 8.00am Wednesday 28 March 2018.

Twist, Knot and Wrap

Towards the end of 2017, Mrs Kelly’s Year 10 Fashion-Art class was asked to create a garment from recycled Shibori (a Japanese resist dyeing technique, which produces patterns on fabric).

We spent four constructive lessons twisting, knotting and wrapping pieces of the Shibori fabric, rope, twine and string onto mannequins to develop unique textile designs. On Friday afternoon, after the school day was done, we would go home with sore fingers from sewing, weaving, embellishing and attaching elements to our garments.

The end result was worth it and we are all very pleased with our efforts.

Libby Allsopp and Mikayla Mullan
(on behalf of the Year 10 Fashion – Art students 2017)

Interschool Swimming Carnival

Students took part in the Interschool Swimming Carnival on Monday 12 March at HBF Stadium. Every student who attended represented the school in the best possible way and were awesome!

Our swimmers went above and beyond our expectations of them to ensure that we stay in “C Division” for 2019. Our best performers were Cameron Fawcett who was runner up for Year 10 Boys and Bella Edmiston who was the Year 8 Girls Champion.

Year 12 Swimming Captains, Iain Thomas & Michaella Giuttari with Year 8 Champion Bella Edmiston.

Fashion Workshop 2018

It is always a pleasure to hold the annual Fashion Workshop for the incoming Year 7 Fashion and Design students. It is an opportunity for the students and staff to get to know each other through art and hospitality.

Afternoon tea is always a highlight. Special thanks to our older students who joined us to share their stories and have conversations about their Fashion experiences.

The 2018 circle skirts or capes were decorated by using the textures of treasures found around the school grounds. We found water grates, metal lids and storm water covers to apply paint with rollers and press the paint onto the fabric, immortalising parts of the school for ever within our designs! During the term these prints will be added to with free style stitching and then sewn ready to wear at the Design Expo.

In addition, there was an “earthing” exercise where students painted their feet, felt the strength of the earth and walked together to decorate fabric. The footprints represent the coming together of our group and will be stitched into a wall hanging to celebrate our journey as a group.

Thank you to all the parents and care givers who arrived early to view the students’ workbooks and introduce themselves, no program can thrive without a team effort.

Mrs Ingrid Hills
Home Economics Teacher

Japanese Exchange Student 2018

This year we welcome Rikuto Kawada to Kent Street.

Rikuto is from Yokohama, Japan. He is attending Kent Street until November this year and his personal goal is to improve his English skills.

Rikuto has already received a very warm welcome from the students and he will share his knowledge of the Japanese culture.

Ruth Tateishi
Japanese Teacher

Nanollose – Gary Case

Gary Case from Nanollose Technologies presented “The Future Direction in Fibre Production” to the Fashion and Design students. Gary told of his journey which led him to discover the new Plant-FreeTM cellulose fibre from alcohol waste products. It started from a batch of wine making that went wrong, and then with creative problem solving skills Plant-FreeTM cellulose fibre was made.

Plant FreeTM cellulose does not involve the felling of trees or require the use of arable land or its associated use of irrigation, pesticides and other resource intensive inputs. Plant-FreeTM cellulose is a more environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional forms of plant-based cellulose.

Students found the presentation eye-opening and thought provoking on future direction in fibre production and affecting positive change towards a more sustainable future in fashion design and production.

A huge thank you to Price Waterhouse for providing sponsorship to enabled this valuable learning opportunity.

Year 11 and 12 Materials Students

WA Women’s Hall of Fame – Suzy Urbaniak

Kent Street is very proud to announce that Science Teacher, Suzy Urbaniak has been inducted into the WA Women's Hall of Fame. Suzy won the Prime Minister's Science Teacher of the Year Award in 2016 and continues to inspire our students through innovative teaching.

Suzy Urbaniak with her Hall of Fame cake in the staffroom.

Martine Harris- Essence Design

In the last week of 2017 former student Martine Harris (Arnold) visited Fashion and Design students and spent time telling her fashion story since completing school at Kent Street in 1996. Martine is now the owner and chief designer at Essence Design. Martine answered the students’ questions about the Fashion industry, her time at Kent Street, the growth of her business across America, Asia and Europe and her award winning designs.

We have been very fortunate to have Martine reach out to the school and donate many gowns that the she encourages the students to use to create their own designs ideas.

Year 11/12 Cert II Visual Art - Sculptures by the Sea Excursion

The Year 11 and 12 students who study Certificate II Visual Art went on excursion on the 13 March 2018 to see the beautiful Sculptures by the Sea at Cottesloe Beach. On this excursion we viewed and took photographs of the unique, sometimes, abstract art.

Our tasks included drawing sculptures of our choice which would be added to our portfolio and be continued during class. We also completed a handout ‘assessing the risks and hazards’.

Despite the heat, the excursion was a good way to expand our imagination and creativity, providing us with inspiration for our art studies. Our thanks to our teachers, Ms Kelly and Ms Hawes for this opportunity.

Sophie Martorana
Year 12 student

Year 12 Chemistry Excursion

On Friday 16 March the Year 12 Chemistry students were given a fantastic opportunity to see some industrial chemical processes in action. They were given hands on experience in the creation of shampoos and how the chemical industry fights to prevent the spread of fungi and other virus in their products.

This excursion was aimed at creating a greater awareness of Chemical Science for the students, providing them with an understanding of how industrial chemistry processes are used in the creation and manufacture of everyday products.

During this excursion the students were introduced to various techniques and strategies, gaining hands on experiences in the production of cosmetic goods.

Undertaking this excursion to further develop and compliment their science analysis and industry awareness. They also developed their science understanding to describe and explain how these products have been manufactured using stainable materials and do not impacts the environment as a result of human influences.

Oisin McFadden
Chemistry Teacher

2018 Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh Award recognises individual setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement in young people ages 14-25. The award is divided into 3 levels; Bronze, Silver and Gold. With gold being the highest award that can be achieved. All three levels require a completion of the four main sections to finish that level of the award. They are skill, service, physical recreation and adventurous journey. For Bronzes, the minimum requirement to finish off the sections is 3 months plus the major (6 months). For the Silvers, they are required to complete 6 months of every section, with no major. Lastly, for the Golds their minimum requirement is 12 months.

At the end of last year it was arranged for the Dukes to have a vertical homeroom with Ms Urbaniak. During homeroom, for the past 8 weeks of the term, we have been organising our next adventurous journey to walk the Cape to Cape track. The adventurous journey is a team journey, done over the weekend. Bronzes are expected to participate in at least 10 hours of purposeful effort, whereas 21 hours are expected of the Silvers. The planning, preparation and risks assessments are all expected to be done by the team themselves, while an assessor is only there to supervise. This gives participants space to improve their leadership and other skills, such as communication. While writing up the preparation, it is a must to keep in mind food, costs, transport, accommodation, packing list and itinerary. Risk assessments are a detailed procedure of how a situation is going to be managed if suddenly something unexpected happens. Participants are required to all know this procedure and be able to do their best to help when needed. Bushwalking is the main activity done, and national parks are usually areas that we choose to conduct the journeys in. The team which are going on the upcoming adventurous journey, starting on May 11, are planning and preparing all these things.

Other than the planning of the adventurous journey, also at the end of last year, the idea of Rubbish Rangers was proposed, where students use their own time to do some community service by picking up rubbish around the school. We have a map of the school and it is divided into areas which are taken up by a group of two, who pick up rubbish at recess or lunch, maybe even both. Other than the simple task of picking up rubbish, we have gone further and decide to weigh the rubbish collected in different areas of the school and convert them all into useful data. This is counted towards the service section where participants are being acknowledged for doing service for our community.

If anyone else is interested please ask our award leader, Ms Urbaniak, about joining!

EES Yilgarn Craton Field Trip

On the March long weekend, the Year 12 EES class embarked on their Yilgarn Craton Field Trip. It was a sensational five days full of learning in #therealclassroom. From the Gnamma holes at Wave Rock to the Western Areas mine site to the beaches of Fitzgerald River National Park there was always something to be discovered about the world around us.

Enriched with the beauty of our country and empowered by knowledge, we are grateful for the opportunity we’ve been given.

Jordan Mollenoyux, Vinodaarshini Vigneswaran, Lucy Howe, Ryan Wade, Ethan Hunt, Jared Hazeldean, Simon Wells and Eamon Pascoe

Year 11 Certificate II in Hospitality

The Year 11 students completing a Certificate II in Hospitality iced more than 200 pink cupcakes to raise money for our annual Pink Stumps Day. Well done and they were delicious !

Image: 20180316_092919.jpeg

Hospitality is a Certificate II course offered to students who have a passion for food, delivered over two years. The course requires the service of food to clients in a safe and hygienic manner.

The hospitality classes have made a productive start to the year with two functions catered for already. The Year 11’s created an afternoon tea for the Year 7 Fashion Workshop as can be seen in this newsletter.

In addition, both years were lucky enough to be involved in catering for a Staff function funded by the Social Club. They are to be congratulated on their enthusiasm and the professional way that the food was presented.

Mrs Ingrid Hills
Home Economics teacher

Year 8 Student Achievement

Year 8 student Bella Edmiston was busy over the Christmas school holidays. Bella swam at the South Australian State Swimming Championships and was fortunate enough to win 2 Bronze medals (100 & 200 Breaststroke). She is now currently ranked No#1 in Western Australia for 12 year old girls in 100 and 200 meter breaststroke. Congratulations Bella !

Runner up Apprentice of the Year

2017 Year 12 student Connor Frearson recently won ‘Runner Up Apprentice of the Year’ (HGT) Australia wide. The award ceremony was held at the Perth Arena. Connor was the first School Based Apprentice from our FLP Program. He has secured a job to complete his chef apprenticeship at Murdoch University Tavern. Needless to say, the FLP team are very proud of him. His statement as soon as he walked into the class recently was: “I am so grateful for what FLP has done for me”. This, added to Bradley Hudson’s VET Certificate of Excellence, has proved such a big reward for the whole program.

The FLP Team

Community Surf Life Saving

Certificate II in Outdoor Education

On Wednesday 7 March 2018 the Year 12’s went to Leighton Beach to achieve our Community Surf Life Saving Certificate. To render us proper life savers, we had to endure a lengthy amount of physical testing and first aid practice. The physical testing consisted of a 200 metre swim in under 5 minutes and a “Run Swim Run” which is a 100 metre run, followed by a 100 metre swim and then a 100 metre run to finish it off.

After these tests we went right into demonstrating our ability to rescue someone from open water. We swam 25 metres out into the water and pretended to drown so our buddy could swim out and tow us back in using an array of beach and life-saving equipment (Mostly boogie boards and rescue tubes). Our assessor then got us to demonstrate Land to Sea and Sea to Land signals that we had learnt in class.

Once we were physically exhausted we then took a break and started on our First Aid Practical. We went into our buddy groups and each got given a scenario to deal with (unconscious patient, unconscious diabetic patient, wounds to different areas of the body and fractures / sprains) If our patient had a wound we had to bandage it correctly. If our patient was unconscious we had to follow the correct steps to see if there were any other factors that may have led to their condition.

We had a stop for lunch and were told that we had been the best group to assess. We came home as qualified beach life guards and for most of us having completed our Bronze Medallion last year, we are also qualified pool life guards too.

Simon Wells
Year 12 student

Rottnest Island Excursion

On Wednesday 21 March 2018, the Year 11 and 12 Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation students went on an excursion to Rottnest Island. This is a part of their course which requires them to gain competence in snorkelling, as well as water safety and emergency procedures. Being 36 degrees with very little wind, it was a perfect day for snorkelling at Little Salmon Bay, the shark shipwreck at Henrietta Rocks and the Basin. They were able to practice their snorkelling technique by duck diving to view a variety of coral and fish species, with the Year 12 students coaching the Year 11 students during the day. All students represented Kent Street well through their exceptional behaviour and attitude towards all activities. Well done to all Year 11 and 12 students who attended!

Pink Stumps Day

Friday 16 March 2018 was Kent Street’s 4th edition of Pink Stumps Day, a day to celebrate cricket and raise valued funds for the McGrath Foundation to help provide breast cancer care nurses throughout Australia. The day featured a showpiece cricket game between a team of staff and ex-students against the current students of the school, with pride on the line for both sides. It was fantastic to see the response from the former students this year, with 10 former students returning to the school to don the whites. They included past Kentians from as far back as the graduating class of 1999 all the way through to some of last year’s graduates. It was fantastic to see the pathways they had followed in the game, with three having gone on to play 1st grade district cricket, including Jake Carder who has represented the Cricket Australia XI in the Matador Cup and tour matches against England. All others were still actively playing cricket at various levels of the game, or involved as coaches at the WACA.

In terms of the action on the field, the game may have been a little one sided, with Mr Hugo and Mr Verco’s team selection certainly paying dividends, however, the experience gained by the current students involved in the game was certainly not undervalued. Students had the opportunity to bat with or bowl at cricketers playing at a level they are aspiring to reach and the friendly nature of the day made it one not to forget.

Off the field hot dogs sizzled, juice boxes were drunk, cupcakes consumed and the colour pink was smattered amongst a very supportive school audience that snapped up hats and wrist bands. A massive thank you to all who assisted, from the home economics cupcake bakers, to the SPOCK barbeque maestros and teachers who helped out. The money raised from the day is still being counted, a testament to all who gave so generously, with the estimated final figure to hopefully top 4 figures.

Mr Verco
Cricket Teacher

2018 School Ball

The Kent Street School Ball was held on Saturday 17 March 2018 at the Novotel Langley with a “Secret Garden” theme. The student awards for the evening are for excellent conduct, being sociable within and outside their friendship group and having a generally positive and polite demeanour on the night and are voted by the staff.

• Year 12 Belle – Jocelyn Lim
• Year 12 Beau – Jack Rodney-Hansen
• Year 11 Princess – Meegan Truong
• Year 11 Prince – Malachi Humphries
• Year 12 Best Dressed Girl – Elita Mujokoto
• Year 12 Best Dressed Boy – Hikam Abdirahman
• Year 11 Best Dressed Girl – Rani Win
• Year 11 Best Dressed Boy – Jack Henare-Atkins
• Best Ballroom Dancer Girl – Sienna Smith
• Best Ballroom Dancer Boy – Aryn Miller