Kiara College Newsletter - July 2023
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Principal's Message
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On-Country Cultural Learning at Point Walter
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College Ball a Glamorous Event for Senior Students
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Year 10 Information Session - A Big Success!!
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Basketball Superstar!
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A Big Thank You to Mick Wainwright
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Indigenous Veterans Commemorative Service
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Great Turnout for Parent Teacher Meetings
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Supporting Lockridge Primary School with their NAIDOC Celebrations
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Anzac Day - Lest We Forget
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New additions to the College Farm
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Great Team Spirit at the Year 10 Netball Lightning Carnival
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Walk for Reconciliation
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A Competitive & Action Packed Day for Clontarf Academy Basketball Carnival
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Exciting Results at the Junior Volleyball Carnival
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Kiara College Proud Hosts of the Primary School's Winter Lightning Carnival
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Bindari (Thunderstorm) Unleashed at the Perth Concert Hall
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Learning About Aboriginal Culture in Noongar Language Classes
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Creating Family Heirlooms in Building & Construction Class
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Follow the Dream Students Explore the Museum
Principal's Message
Kaya to parents, caregivers, students and Kiara College staff.
As we commence Term 3, I wish to reflect on Term 2, which is often the busiest and most productive for students and staff. I would like to acknowledge your contribution to the progress and achievement of our students. This was evident when you received student reports via Connect. Thank you to those who took up the opportunity to meet at Reporting Night end of Term 2 to discuss goal setting, course changes and alignment to needs, or the provision of extra service to improve outcomes for our students.
There are some staff changes which will take full effect in semester 2. One of our Associate Principals Jodee Vause won and has taken up the position of Principal at Northam Senior High School. On behalf of staff, students, and the Kiara community, I would like to extend our sincere thanks for Jodee’s commitment, dedication, and leadership over the past three years. Jodee has led in numerous projects, interventions, and curriculum improvements, whilst managing the complex portfolio of timetabling and Senior School. Much of our current documentation and publicly available documents was formulated and designed by Jodee. Additionally, she has led in the inception and development of $1m grant being expended in enhancing STEM in our College. Jodee was also the Program Director for the very successful School Production “Feathers” which exemplified her commitment to the enrichment of school life and was a massively successful and well patronised event.
Further staffing updates include:
- Nuno Oliviera continues his acting position as Deputy Principal at Derby District High School.
- Leonie Richardson continues her acting role as Associate Principal at Ellenbrook Secondary College,
- We farewell Talicia Jetta (manager of Shooting Stars) and welcome Gemma Nelson, and
- Kezia Hamer returns from maternity leave.
Once again there have been numerous incursions and excursions including: Performance and Perth Concert Hall, ABCN Goals Leadership Program, Aboriginal cultural excursions, Big Picture Education professional learning, College photos, RAC B-smart talks, STEM Careers Expo, just to mention a few.
And as an update on one of the last aspects of our building program currently under progressing - the initial phase of an extensive shaded area in the courtyard between Administration and Mathematics is under construction. This will provide a large shaded area for students to enjoy, and is architecturally designed around the Noongar six seasons gardens.
As always, we continue on a pathway of continuous improvement in providing the best possible educational opportunities for our students. We aim for equity across all platforms of learning for our students and, to achieve this, provide customised pathways to cater for diversity and need.
Thank you to parents, caregivers and family for your continued support. This enables change and improvement. The partnership between College and Community is one that we endeavour to build and foster into the future.
Best wishes to all students, families, and caregivers for a successful Semester 2.
Warm regards.
GRANT BROWN
Principal Kiara College
On-Country Cultural Learning at Point Walter
Follow the Dream students from Kiara College, Hampton Senior High School, Morley Senior High School and Dianella Secondary College went on an on-country cultural learning excursion with Wadjak Noongar Elder, Uncle Noel Nannup, at Point Water (Noongar name is Djoondalup, where the suburb ‘Joondalup’ received its name from).
The students learnt about the cultural significance of the area and Uncle Noel’s family connections to the area. They then walked down to the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) where students either learnt or were reminded of how to follow cultural protocols when arriving at a body of water on Noongar boodjar (country). This involved letting the Waugal know of our presence and ensuring safe passage of the area while visiting.
Students were shown local geographies of the Derbal Yerrigan through Uncle Noel’s drawings in the sand. Uncle Noel discussed the other rivers and water sources that flow into the Derbal Yerrigan and illustrated how traditional Noongar dance grounds relate to where the rivers meet the Derbal Yerrigan. They were then shown the simple way Wadjak people would traditionally catch a duck for mereny (food).
Students made string from reeds along the river and were were shown how the string can be made into a snare for catching different food sources. They were told how Point Walter was traditionally a Women’s area, and directly across the river was a traditional Men’s area. In both respective areas today, there is an all-girls school and an all-boys school. The people who planned the locations of the schools were unaware of the cultural history designating one side of the river to women, and the other to men.
During the day, Uncle Noel discussed his working life and university education with the students, and shared how it empowered him throughout his life.
All students displayed exemplary behaviour and were deeply respectful when listening and yarning with Uncle Noel throughout the day.
College Ball a Glamorous Event for Senior Students
Our Year 11 and 12 students had a wonderful time at this year's College Ball.
Held at the Novotel Perth Langley, it was a night to be remembered by all that attended.
Congratulations to Belle of the Ball, Kayla Davey, and Beau of the Ball, J-Iverson Inguito.
Year 10 Information Session - A Big Success!!
We had a fantastic turnout for the Year 10 Information Session with many parents, caregivers, and students gathering in the library to listen to some important information regarding WACE requirements, study options, career pathways for Year 11, 2024 etc. Staff went into detail about each of the study options, what WACE is, why it is important, and what students need to achieve to receive their WACE.
We also heard from Jhae, Kiara College Year 12 student, who is currently doing a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations at TAFE Joondalup, and Cody, former Big Picture Education student. Both shared their experiences of their individual journeys, how much they are enjoying what they are doing, what has and hasn't worked for them, and their plans post-secondary school.
All who attended thoroughly enjoyed the information session, and feedback as they left was that they now felt more confident talking to their child about their options for next year. It was definitely well worth attending, and has opened many conversations for our students.
Basketball Superstar!
There are 12,600 x 15-17 year old young men registered to play basketball in Western Australia.Of that, only 40 are chosen to represent their state at the Australian championships. That is a 1 in 315 change of being selected - 0.32%!!
Making an U/16 or U/18 state basketball side requires mental toughness, resilience, self-confidence, passion, hard work, and an ability to deal with high levels of stress. Year 9 student, Marley Sam, has achieved this feat and will be playing in the national tournament during the next school holidays with the carnival being held in WA at Warwick Stadium.For over 75 years, the Lions Institute has been giving back through an array of community-based programs and initiatives. With over 1,200 clubs and 25,000 members throughout Australia, they are proud supporters of youth in our community.In recognition of Marley's success, the Lions Institute, represented by Mick Wainwright, attended a special assembly today to present Marley with a cheque for $2,500 that will be used to support his basketball.
Congratulations Marley, we look forward to following your successes and wish you luck at the upcoming basketball championships.
Marley update - Marley played a great game in July, winning Defensive Player of the Tournament at the U16 Foot Locker National Championships. His stats average for the game were 6 steals, 10 points, and 5.3 assists - impressive play by Marley, and he was well deserving of the recognition he received. (Statistics and photo from Basketball)
A Big Thank You to Mick Wainwright
Mick Wainwright has been, and continues to be, a big supporter of Kiara College. As a long-standng Board member and Lions Institute representative, he has always supported our endeavours as a school.
Mick joined the Lockridge Secondary High School Council in 2006, and continued as a Board member when we became an Independent Public School in 2015 (and also renamed Kiara College).
Recently Mick retired from the College Board and, in recognition of his lengthy support and commitment to Kiara College, he was presented with a Kiara College jacket by our Principal, Grant Brown.
Indigenous Veterans Commemorative Service
Some of our students were invited to the Indigenous Veterans Commemorative Service in Kings Park. The commemorative ceremony honoured those Indigenous Australians who have served in the Australian forces since 1901, and is hosted by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association.
Students Dean, Mirakai, Diontae, Mark, Lesley, Shane, Travis and Xander, along with former student Jhett, danced and were accompanied by our Moorditj Maaman AIEO, Rolly, and didgeridoo player, Michael.
Tyris, Colin, Shirley, Caitlyn, Jacinta, Tanaya, and Jessie formed a guard of honour as dignitaries walked through to the Flame of Remembrance, and Trina and Ella presented our wreath where they were met by Senator Dorinda Cox.
Great Turnout for Parent Teacher Meetings
Semester 1 Parent Teacher Meetings went very well with many parents and caregivers coming in to catch up with their child's teachers. Held in the Performing Arts Centre, it was a busy evening with parents keen to discuss their child's progress, their achievements, and what areas they need to work on inSemester 2.
We encourage families to attend meetings such as this one as they are a great way to catch up with teachers and support staff, and our staff love getting the opportunity to say hello.
Supporting Lockridge Primary School with their NAIDOC Celebrations
Some of our Aboriginal students helped open Lockridge Primary School's NAIDOC celebrations with a traditional dance performance. Many of them were former Lockridge Primary School students, and it was great for them to share their culture while supporting the primary school.
After the assembly, they stayed to run dance workshops for the students.
Anzac Day - Lest We Forget
Students and Staff joined our special guests The Honourable Dave Kelly MP, Mr Bruce Sherborne (Kiara College Board), Mr Andrew Robertson (Bassendean RSL Eastern Regional), Ms Claire Ford (The Smith Family), for our Anzac Day Assembly.
The Assembly was respectful and honoured all those who have died, been wounded, who have served, and who still serve to defend Australia and our way of life.
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Lest We Forget
New additions to the College Farm
We have had many lambs born over the last few months, including 2 sets of quads!!
Our students have loved having the opportunity to look after so many lambs, as well as spending time with our very friendly goats.
Fun fact - having lamb quads is a one-in-a-million chance, and for them all to be healthy is even rarer, so we we are feeling extremely lucky to have 2 sets born in such a short space of time!!
Great Team Spirit at the Year 10 Netball Lightning Carnival
Our Year 10 girl's netball team participated in a Lightning Carnival in which they played 5 games of netball. The girls won 1 game and lost 4 however they put up a fight in each game and played very strongly as a team.
They showed great resilience to push through each game and end on a great high by beating Ellenbrook Senior High School.
The girls were a credit to Kiara College and should be very proud of their efforts, displaying great teamwork, netball, and leadership skills throughout the whole day!
Walk for Reconciliation
42 students from Year 10, Big Picture Learning, Shooting Stars, and Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies attended the 2023 Walk for Reconciliation at Kaarta Koomba (Kings Park). Students had an opportunity to connect to Boodja (country) and celebrate Noongar culture through truth-telling, dancing, arts, creative workshops and song.
The walk started out with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony by Herbert Bropho and Neville Collard. From here, everyone split into women, men and non-binary groups to walk defined routes through the park before coming together to learn more about the Voice to Parliament.
Students were well-behaved, polite, respectful and engaged. There were some great conversations about Closing the Gap for educational, justice and medical outcomes, being a positive voice within our community, and discussions about what can be done to reconcile the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non-Aboriginal people.
A Competitive & Action Packed Day for Clontarf Academy Basketball Carnival
After a soft opening in Term 1, the Kiara College Clontarf Academy hit the ground running in Term 2 to gain hosting rights for the WA Central North Region Junior Basketball Carnival at Warwick Stadium.
Weeks of planning paid off with the stage set for a fantastic day of basketball at the impressive Warwick Stadium. Eight Academies with a total of 14 teams participating made for a jam-packed day of high quality basketball.
Supported by our partners in Australia Post, Coates and Centurion, as well as our Academy staff, the day ran without a hitch with everyone pitching in to score, umpire and coach.
As the day progressed, the cream rose to the top with the Kalgoorlie and Swan View Academies playing off in a tight grand final with Kalgoorlie eventually taking the title.
Well done to all for a great day and here's to many more carnivals for the WA Central North region.
Exciting Results at the Junior Volleyball Carnival
A group of our students competed in the SSWA junior volleyball carnival with a boys team in A division and a girls team in C division.
All students performed extremely well over the course of the day, with the boys finishing the day as the 3rd best team overall and the girls finishing 2nd in C division.
Year 12 students, Jesse and Ethan, along with Year 10 student, Ansherinah, were helpers for the day and are to be commended on their exceptional work and behaviour, as well as their positive and encouraging engagement with the younger students.
Kiara College Proud Hosts of the Primary School's Winter Lightning Carnival
Kiara College Certificate II Sport and Recreation students organised and hosted four of our local Primary Schools onsite at our school to participate in a Winter Sports Lightning Carnival.
Students from Brabham Primary School, Caversham Primary School, Caversham Valley Primary School and Dayton Primary School had fun playing AFL, Netball and Soccer.
Our students were fantastic in setting up the courts and fields, umpiring, scoring and engaging with the students from the Primary Schools' and their staff. The Year 5 & 6 students battled through the cold wind and rain, not stopping play for anything, and all with huge smiles on their faces while they got to experience a day at Kiara College.
We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participating primary schools and we look forward to hosting more events for them in the future.
Bindari (Thunderstorm) Unleashed at the Perth Concert Hall
Some of our senior male students were chosen by Noongar artist and former Kiara College music teacher, Maatakitj (Dr Clint Bracknell), to learn his new songs in Noongar language and perform for Bindari (Thunderstom) at the Perth Concert Hall with the Kronos Quartet as part of the Perth Festival.
Dancer, Rubeun Yorkshire, accompanied our dancers with steps and gestures mimicking a Yongkar (kangaroo) seeking shelter.
Another great opportunity for some of our Aboriginal students to share their culture with the wider community.
Learning About Aboriginal Culture in Noongar Language Classes
Our Noongar Language classes have been busy learning about Reconciliation, National Sorry Day, and language themes.
The Year 10 students had a look at the learning towards Reconciliation with Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal people, and explored the timeline of Reconciliation and the processes that have been taken to get to where we are now.
Year 7 Noongar language students learnt about National Sorry Day. They made Sorry Day flowers and wrote messages to the Stolen Generation on purple hands. Their work was displayed at the Sorry Day Breakfast.
Noongar Language students have also been learning the language themes, 'Boola barna marlak koorliny' (lots of animals moving in the bush), 'Djerap worl-ak koorliny' (birds flying in the sky), and 'Nganyany moort djina-k djinanginy' (my family looking at the start).
In addition to this, students have been collaboratively working together on a mural representing each of themes and these murals will be turned into curtains for the Language Room.
Creating Family Heirlooms in Building & Construction Class
Year 12 student, Kayla, has worked hard in her Building and Construction class and was excited to show the Administration Office Team what she made in Semester 1.
Her storage box is a great example of what our students get to do at Kiara College, and it is something that Kayla and her family will be able to cherish as a family heirloom for future generations.
Follow the Dream Students Explore the Museum
Follow the Dream students from Hampton Senior High School, Dianella Secondary College, Morley Senior High School, and Kiara College went on an excursion to the WA Museum Boola Bardip. Students spent a majority of the time exploring in the Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirin (Our Heart Country Spirit) Gallery.
Some of the interactive displays and videos included Aboriginal Elders and other people the students had met on previous Follow the Dream on-country cultural excursions and camps.
In addition to learning stories of Aboriginal people of Western Australia, students completed a self-guided program through the museum.