23 November 2018

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal’s Desk

Term four is notoriously busy as we mark our way to the end of the year and prepare for the following one to come. We will be farewelling some staff – not many – and taking on new people as we continue to grow. Our student numbers for the new Year 7s in 2019 is looking very positive indeed and this is good for the whole school community. Our goal of reaching about 1100 in student numbers will ensure that we have the financial capacity to provide the full range of options to really cater for individual need whilst staying small enough to ensure that students feel part of the Kent Street family. To that end, we look forward to welcoming current Year 6s to our Orientation Day on Wednesday 28 November.

EV Challenge

I had the pleasure of journeying up the hill on a Saturday afternoon to Wundowie to see our team compete in the EV Challenge. As a first attempt to have built an electronic vehicle and race against a sea of other schools, it was a proud moment for us to gain a podium place. I know that Mr Thurstun was excited to see his team of students fare so well and Miss Heeney is hoping to get an all girls team to take part next year. Watch this space!

Anniversary celebrations

Last weekend Collier Primary School celebrated their 70th anniversary with a fete. Kent Street was invited to host a stall and we took the opportunity to showcase some impressive school talent via a static fashion display and live music. Several of our students wowed the crowd with their singing and guitar playing. To have Elvis in the building was a real treat too! Thanks go to Mr Sanderco and the participating music students.

Year Book

Our Year 12s completed their secondary education in style at our leavers’ night and the WACE exams are also now finished. The Year Book has arrived and it celebrates a wide range of achievements from across all year groups whilst also honouring our leaving class and their achievements. This year we have outdone ourselves as the Year Book includes a free app which you can download to your mobile phone then use as a scanner over 20 different parts of the book to view live action – students singing, acting, flying the school’s simulator and much, much more. For only $24, this full colour memento of 2018 is an absolute bargain. Thanks go to Mrs Butler for her excellent coordination of the Year Book once again. If you didn’t pre-order a book and do want one, please pay $24 at the front desk.

Summer break

As this is the last newsletter of the year, I take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy summer break. I look forward to seeing you all in the new school 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. Account reminders were sent in May, August and October.

Statements have recently been sent out based on subjects that students are currently timetabled for in 2019. Accounts will not actually be charged until February 2019. Any changes to timetabled subjects may change the final amount to be charged.

Families who have paid $300 or more by 7 December 2018 will go in to the draw to win one of six $100 OfficeMax vouchers. Personal Items Requirements lists have been sent home with current students. The lists are also available on our website. Orders placed with OfficeMax will be home delivered free up until 16 December 2018.

Our collection rate for Year 7-10 Voluntary Contributions currently stands at 71%. The collection rate for Year 7-12 compulsory charges is 74% as opposed to 85% for 2017. Without your assistance in paying the Voluntary Contributions and Charges, we are not able to provide the best possible educational outcomes for our students.

WARNING: The school uses a debt collection agency.

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 are referred to our debt collection agency in February each year.

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.

Graduation Day

Congratulations – Former student Marcus Harris

Congratulations to former student 2009 Kent Street Cricket’s very own Marcus Harris on his selection in the Australian test squad. A lot of hard work and runs has been rewarded. Now let the real hard work and fun begin. Fingers crossed you make your debut in Adelaide with the 5 Highs squad there to watch it happen.

Japanese Exchange Program – Osaka High School

A big thank you to the parents who opened their homes to the Japanese students and made them feel part of their family in our exchange last term.

I was also very impressed with all our students who made our visitors feel very welcomed in our school community.

Also a special thanks to all staff at Kent Street Senior High School for enabling the Japanese students to see the amazing subjects we have to offer at Kent Street Senior High School.

Ruth Tateishi
Japanese Teacher

Hosting a Japanese Student

Hosting a Japanese student was an amazing opportunity. I made a new friend for life and experienced more Japanese culture. Seia fitted into our family perfectly.

We spent the weekend together visiting Cohunu Koala Park and the beach.

It was such a positive experience. I can’t wait to travel to Japan in December with the school tour and be reunited with my friend and experience her culture and lifestyle.

Kelsi Dockery
Year 10 student

Language Perfect Competition

Congratulations to Kiran Letchford who won the highest level “Elite Award“ in the World Championship competition. He answered 10,012 questions!

Design Expo

This term on Tuesday 16 October we held our annual Design Expo. Unlike last year, we were blessed with fantastic weather and were able to hold the Expo in the Arts Quadrangle.

The evening enabled students to showcase their work from a number design contexts across the school. On display was art work, wood work, metal work, aeronautics models, photography and media. People were able to view Lego robots, wood burning and 3D printing up close, have photos taken in our “photo booth’ and watch Media Production and Analysis short films.

The hospitality students provided food and the Drama Circus troupe entertained.

Families were treated to acoustic performances while waiting to view the two fashion parades which highlighted the work of Specialist Fashion and Design Course.

This year our Principal Kath Ward, in conjunction with the Design staff, selected a number of outstanding pieces which were then voted on as “People’s Choice”, congratulations to the winner Adam Stowers - Year 12, with his photograph titled “Montage”. Adam received an $100 EFTPOS voucher his efforts.

Other nominees for People’s Choice were:

• Karen Somera – Stippled animal artwork.
• Vui Le – Ceramic bird tile.
• Makeisha Hack – Dogs in space painting AND burned wooden box.
• Amelia Diepeveen – Pin-tuck design.
• Megan Pirie – Masking tape shoe.
• Jasmin Smith – Up-cycled men’s shirt.
• Lizandra Almeida Massari – Pop Art self-portrait.
• Kiana Snashall and Bei Yi Tin – Wearable Art.
• Julian Munday – Two stroke reciprocating machine.
• Maia Collis, Zahara Valasco, Brooklyn Hughes D’Aeth and Alicia Totino – Paper plate dress
• Miguel Gay – Space Jam.
• Aidan Hill – Fire pit.

For our Year 12 Fashion and Design students, the evening was a lovely way to send them off with Certificates of Completion following a celebration of their collection, representing all their years of design excellence at Kent Street Senior High School.

We commend all of the students for their participation and thank the families and staff who attended, we eagerly look forward to our next Design Expo in 2019.

Ms Jodie Hawes
Head of Learning Area – Arts & Languages

Lego League Robotics Competition

On the 17 November, a team of eight Kent Street students attended the regional competition for the First LEGO League robotics competition at St. Stephen’s in Carramar.

Our entry into the competition was motivated by Sanganak Kasare, a former Kent Street student who is now studying Engineering at Curtin University.

Saturday was the opportunity to put our design and engineering efforts to the test against thirty three other teams also gathered there for the day.

The day was long and intense with three rounds of competition on the official tournament tables and judging sessions on the robot design and team cooperation. The team was also grilled on their presentation on solving the problem of fuel in space and on their ideas to aid astronaut exercise.

Our robot didn’t perform as flawlessly as we had hoped, but we did get the Ambitious Robot Design Award which was an awesome recognition for the team’s effort. Already the team is thinking of how to improve the design for next year. Well done team KentoRobo! – Ty Carmichael, Sauban Kidwai, Hayden Mansfield, Jacob Newman, Joel Padua, Elliot Pascoe, Anshul Ramola, and Timothy Yates.

Mr David Pascoe
Mathematics Teacher

Humanities and Social Sciences News

On the 16 October the Year 11 Politics and Law students, as well as two Year 12 Politics and Law students, attended the Francis Burt Law Centre to be shown around the three levels of West Australian courts, the Magistrates Court, the District Court, and the Supreme Court. Mr Dean Curtis led the tours of each court, where we saw various legal processes in action, such as sentencing, multiple criminal trials, and a plea. It was interesting to see what we had learned in class being presented by real lawyers in real courtrooms. It was informative and enlightening to see the sorts of people who end up in the judicial system from various life paths. Overall it was a very educational, as well as fun, experience for all students involved and we would love to go on more excursions like this in the future.

Abbey Bishop
Year 11 student

Year 12 Dinner

Mauritius

Four Year 9 CoRE students have been selected to travel to Mauritius to represent Kent Street SHS at the International Young Person's Plan for the Planet Conference. Students from across Australia and Mauritius will connect to form the first International Young Person's Plan for the Planet, combining their ideas across the 17 United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) to produce a plan for the planet beyond 2050.

Not only will these students have the opportunity to network and experience the SDG's in action through sustainable workshops at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and Mauritiyus Commercial Bank, but, will also investigate specific implementation projects to deliver the Young Mauritian and Young Australian's Plan for the Planet across the 17 SDG's internationally.

Kent Street CoRE would like to recognise and thank all the sponsors of the program.

Year 11 Physics

In October our Year 11 ATAR Physics student group spent the day applying their learning in class to rides and attractions at Adventure World. All students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to apply their learning in the classroom to forces in action and changes in energy.

Hall of Fame

Nominations open for 2019 WA Women's Hall of Fame | Community News Group

WA Women’s Hall of Fame 2018 inductees Ann O’Neill and Suzy Urbaniak encouraged the community to nominate women who have made a difference and been an inspiration to others for the 2019 Hall of Fame.

Electric Vehicle

Perth students have electric vehicles off and racing.

Students who have been learning about the future of cars get their chance to test their electric vehicle creations in a race environment.

Hospitality

It has been an extremely busy end to the year for the Year 11 Hospitality students. Their hard work and enthusiasm over the year has culminated in several highly successful yet invaluable service experiences within our school community. Serving supper at the Design Expo, celebrating the Leavers of 2018 and two separate 3 course sit down luncheons. I have heard the words stressful and fun to describe the experiences and an appreciation has been gained for the efforts put in to such events behind the scenes. A Certificate II in Hospitality is certainly a qualification that offers students realistic experiences and should be regarded highly by employers.

Ingrid Hills

Congratulations – Emerson and Quinn Galic

We are proud to announce that our Year 8 students Emerson and Quinn Galic's band Whildfyre are finalists in the 2018 ACMF National Songwriting Competition. They are in the running for prize money from $700-$1600. Good luck boys!

CoRE in Review 2018

Please click the below link to see our wonderful Select Entry Program – Centre of Resource Excellence (CoRE) year in review.

Kentian News

Combined Committees’ Luncheon

On Thursday 8 November members of the Kentian Society and Scholarship Foundation enjoyed the annual end-of-year lunch in the staffroom of Kent Street SHS. The meal was prepared and served by Hospitality Students.

A very tasty appetiser was followed by a main course of rolled beef with a pesto filling. Dessert was a friand served with mascarpone and fresh strawberries. It was a most enjoyable meal, professionally served by a diligent group of five students. Tables were beautifully set with fresh flowers and greenery.

Major sponsors Marcus Harris, Jim Langford and Lance Maschmedt were special guests.

Kentian Scholarship Foundation Presentations

Eight students were presented with their 2019 Foundation Scholarships on 21 September 2018. The assembly was conducted by former scholarship recipients, with major sponsors Jean and Peter Stokes, Lance Maschmedt and Foundation Board Members presenting the certificates. Morning tea for participants and recipients’ parents followed.

Recipients (L-R): Charlotte Diepeveen , Zoe Britcliffe, Jasmine Holt, Viabhav Khangaonker, Casey Eggleston, Aryan Patwardhan, Li-Anne Long. Absent : Tara Lorber Remskar

Jasmine Holt, Jean & Peter Stokes (Major Donors) and Aryan Patwardhan

Monica Davies. Jocelyn Lim and Sienna Smith(Presenters) with Bill Prince (Foundation Trustee)

Jock Bremner Scholarship for Excellence in Science

Congratulations to Alexandria Bennett and Emily Farr as joint winners of the 2018 Bremner Scholarship. Jock Bremner was an esteemed Science teacher at Kent Street Senior High School from 1950 to 1973 and the annual scholarship endowment was donated by his family. The awards were made by Mr Bremner’s daughter, Jan Miller, at the Year 12 Presentation Night on 25 September 2018.

Alexandria Bennett and Emily Farr

Alexandria Bennett and Emily Farr with Jan Miller.

Aviation News

Flight Simulator

Who wants to try flying? Through the generosity of Oliver Dunkel and family, Kent Street is delighted to announce a partnership with Building Friendships. An impressive flight simulator was delivered to its new home at the school earlier this term in a meticulous operation. Our Aviation students, along with Building Friendships clients will be engaged with flights in this magnificent machine.

Hot Air Balloon

Earlier this term the Year 9 Aviation students participated in an incursion for a hot air balloon experience. It was a fantastic opportunity for all students.