21 February 2025

From the Principal

Four weeks into the first term, students are settling well into routines and their studies. While their engagement with learning is important (and I’ll refer to this next article) so too is their engagement to wellbeing, through activities within the school and outside of the classroom.

During each students’ time at Kenmore SHS, they are immersed in our PERMAH wellbeing framework. Those new to PERMA(H) should reference Martin Selligmans Positive Psychology

During our first term, it would be no surprise that we are honing in on “R” for “Relationships” as our students get to know teachers and class members. Building the cultural environment within our classes and our school, is important to nurturing their wellbeing, growth and success, by working harmoniously with one another. We know that positive relationships build the environment conducive to learning and thriving.

This term we are also emphasizing our value of Respect which pairs seamlessly with PERMA(H) our Relationships focus.

“We are committed to being considerate of those around us, demonstrating kindness, empathy and understanding of others’ differences.”

We are recognizing that how we show up to others can impact them in a positive way. We show up positively by:

• Using kind words and showing kind actions
• Contributing to a positive environment
• Upholding rules, procedures and practices
• Wearing our uniform correctly and with pride
• Being polite, considerate and well-mannered
• Caring for our surroundings and facilities

We also lean into  Character Strengths These are attributes we all have, but embrace to different degrees. There are 24. Again, it’s no coincidence that we link the character strengths of “kindness” to Respect and “self-regulation” to Relationships, as we focus on these in our wellbeing programs this term and complete the term with a focus on a kindness campaign.

Valentine’s Day, 14^th February

Valentine’s Day is a tradition at Kenmore SHS. It serves so much more than the relationship between two people. Here our student leaders; particularly in the Culture portfolio, have an opportunity to ignite joy and a sense of connection or belonging, another one of our values.

Our student leaders coordinate serenades, the purchasing of gifts of affection and the morning is awash with a refreshing sense of happiness across the school. Our value of Belonging is celebrated throughout the day, spring boarding many positive emotions and memories.

Mr Paul Robertson
Your proud Executive Principal

Starting the School Year on a Positive Note

As we embark on a new academic year, it's essential to set the stage for success and personal growth. Here are some strategies to help students and parent/carers begin the year positively:

1. Establish Consistent Routines at home
   A stable daily routine fosters a sense of security and readiness for learning. Ensure students have regular bedtimes, wake-up schedules, and designated study periods. Preparing school materials and packing lunches the night before can alleviate morning stress. Remembering the laptop is to be charged each night.
2. Set Clear Goals
   Encourage students to articulate their academic and personal objectives for the year. Setting specific, measurable, and attainable goals provides direction and motivation. Discuss these aims together to support and monitor progress.
3. Create an Organised Learning Environment at home
   Designate a quiet, clutter-free area at home for homework and study sessions. An organized space enhances focus and productivity, making it easier for students to engage with their assignments. The assessment planners have been sent to students and we encourage you to put this on the fridge and do a Term planner.
4. Foster Open Communication with class teachers and Head of Year
   Maintain regular dialogue between students, parents, and teachers. Open communication ensures that concerns are addressed promptly and that everyone is aligned in supporting the student's educational journey.
5. Encourage Active Participation
   Motivate students to engage in extracurricular activities, clubs, or sports. Active participation fosters a sense of community, builds social skills, and enriches the overall school experience.
6. Embrace a Positive Mindset
   Cultivate an environment where challenges are viewed as opportunities for growth. Encouraging a positive mindset helps students navigate obstacles with resilience and optimism.
   

By implementing these strategies, we can create a supportive and enriching atmosphere that paves the way for a successful and fulfilling school year. If parents are looking for resources I encourage you to go to the Health and Wellbeing Hub on our school website Health and Wellbeing Hub - Resources include: Eat Move Sleep, Healthy Headspace, Mindfulness, Organisation and Study Skills, Respectful Relationships.

There are excellent resources on the Reach Out website -   https://au.reachout.com/study-work-and-money/school-and-study/how-to-start-the-school-year-strong

For Year 7 Parents – Reach Out has multiple resources on transitioning to high school. I encourage parents to take the time to use these resources to support your young person.

Karla Pope
Deputy Principal – Year 7

Year 11 Convention at University of Queensland: Shaping Futures and Inspiring Dreams

On the morning of February 14th, Year 11 students from Kenmore State High School attended the Year 11 Convention at the University of Queensland. This event provided students with opportunities to explore future academic and career pathways.

Deputy Principal Drew Jell opened the day with an introduction to senior schooling and the prospects ahead. He encouraged students to embrace challenges and take ownership of their academic journey.

The day included an interactive presentation on the 'Future of Work' by Karina from the University of Queensland. Karina discussed emerging career trends, employment shifts, and the importance of adaptability in the professional world.

Students had two options to deepen their experience. The first was a guided campus tour, offering insight into university life and various faculties. From lecture halls to research facilities, students gained exposure to academic environments and potential future studies. The second was to attend a lecture delivered by Professor Keith Chappell on “Behind the Scenes of UQ’s COVID Vaccine”.

Students heard from past students of Kenmore about how to look after yourself and be successful in Year 11 & 12. Then finally 'Mates that Count' presentation focused on interpersonal skills and strengthening connections among students. Over 250 students participated, engaging in discussions and activities that encouraged collaboration beyond the classroom.

At the end of the day, students left with a clearer understanding of their future possibilities. The Year 11 Convention provided them with knowledge and insights to help navigate their next steps in education and career planning. With lots of Valentines Day cheer thrown into the day.

Sarah Graham
Head of Year 11

What’s on in The Arts

Music

This year marks another exciting chapter for music at Kenmore! With a fresh line-up of ensembles, a brand-new music uniform, and highlights such as Choral Fanfare and the highly anticipated Music Study Tour in July, our students will have countless opportunities to showcase their talents throughout the year.

We also welcome our new brass Instrumental Music teacher, Angela Prescott to our program. 

Year 7-9 students in our Music Extension (MEX) Program are looking forward to participating in an upcoming Kaboom Percussion workshop on March 7th, while Year 10 MEX students recently participated in an interactive workshop "Fundamentals of Jazz" with professional musicians from the Jazz Music Institute (JMI) to gain further knowledge and understanding of jazz as they embark on a Jazz Music unit of study this term.

Musical 2025:

Get ready for an unforgettable experience! The 2025 musical is none other than The Little Mermaid, and even at this early stage, it’s shaping up to be a spectacular show! With over 150 talented students involved – from actors and musicians to dancers – the energy is already buzzing in rehearsals, and we’re having an absolute blast working with these stars of the future! We can't wait to bring you the magic of this iconic musical, filled with the songs you know and love, like Under the Sea!

Mark your calendars – performances are coming your way on 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th May, so stay tuned for more exciting updates as we dive closer to showtime! Don’t miss out on this sea of talent!

Year 11 Drama:

In Unit One, the Year 11 Drama students are exploring storytelling through the lens of Verbatim Theatre. This style focuses on works built directly from real-life, using ‘voice prints’ or word-for-word dialogue and reactions to create an authentic recreation of true events.

This week, the students have created their own piece of Verbatim Theatre, inspired by a Kit-Kat. They were asked a series of questions and recorded their individual responses, which were shared with the class. The students then constructed these responses into a poem, and brought it to life using voice and movement.

Jo Willett
Head of Department – The Arts

Science Faculty Updates

The science faculty has hit the ground running this year as we launch into 2025! This year we are delighted to welcome Dr Andrew King (Physics, Engineering, Science and Maths), Daljit Singh Kaur (Biology) and Isabella Mazzer (Chemistry, Science and Maths) into the science faculty. Some students may also get to meet Kristin Dunn who is our Turn-To-Teaching Intern for the year under the supervision of Keryn Harris and James Vidotto. Welcome!

Junior Science

The learning has kicked off in all of our junior science classes. Year 7s launch into the Biology unit on Species diversity, classification and food webs. Year 8s start with the Physics unit focusing on energy transfers and transformations. Year 9 being their learning with Earth and Space science by exploring plate tectonics and the social impact of earthquakes, volcanos and tsunamis. Throughout the year we will highlight different year levels.

7M are off to a great start on their food webs assignment for this term!

Year 8 classes were testing how much energy is lost each time a ball bounces on the ground and whether a golf ball, tennis ball, ping pong ball or bouncy ball have the most amount of energy.

Year 12 Science in Practice

Our year 12 students have started their unit on “disease” and have been learning a variety of microbiology skills to culture different strains of commonly-found bacteria. They are investigating how effective different hand sanitisers and antiseptic solutions are at killing the bacteria. We have some future microbiologists in this class!

Science and Engineering Extra-curricular opportunities

Across the year we get notified of many wonderful activities/workshops/camps/experiences aimed at inspiring our next generation of Scientists and Engineers.

Kenmore SHS has had many students accepted into these programs across the years and students return invigorated and excited about the potential career paths they can aim for. The table below is a list of dates that have been announced. Any further opportunities that we are notified of, will be advertised via student emails and future newsletters.

I look forward to an exciting 2025!

Leisha Richardson
Head of Department – Science

Valentines Day – Love is in the Air

Last week at Kenmore, love was truly in the air as we celebrated Valentine's Day last Friday.

It was wonderful to see everyone sporting their red, white, and pink outfits, celebrating the day of love with friends.

The Senior Serenaders had an incredible time visiting classrooms, singing, and distributing roses, balloons, teddy bears and heartfelt cards from that special someone.

A big thank you to our leaders who dedicated their lunch breaks to sell roses, balloons, teddy bears, serenades, and cards to the entire school.

This year's sales exceeded last year's, with 40 roses and 168 serenades sold!

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent-Teacher interviews will be conducted from 2.00pm – 7.00pm Thursday 20^th March 2025 in S block. Interviews will be of 9 minutes duration.

To allow for this to occur, students will finish school at 1pm on Thursday. Southern Cross Buses have been organised for an early pick up that day.

Bookings will be available via the usual booking system and an email will been sent to families with these instructions in Week 6.

Bookings will open on the 4^th March and close on the 13^th March.

Most of our staff will be available for the 5 hour block, but if due to uncontrollable circumstances they are not, they will be in touch with their availability for consultation.

If you do miss an opportunity to meet with them, please feel free to email them so they can get in contact with you also.

Please also ensure you allow for ample time to park and get to your interview.

We look forward to seeing you there to partner with you in your young person’s learning journey.

Karina Cole
Deputy Principal – Year 8

Parent Daughter Breakfast – Save the Date

Our annual International Women's Day Parent & Daughter Breakfast is on Friday 7 March with guest speaker – Professor Kylie Tucker. Professor Kylie Tucker is the Director of Teaching and Learning in the UQ School of Biomedical Sciences. Kylie is a researcher, a teacher and an inspirational human.

The breakfast is an opportunity to meet other parents and students, celebrate women’s achievements and discuss challenges still faced, and how together we can #MarchForward - on International Women's Day (IWD) and beyond.

Registrations open on: Wednesday, 26^th February 2025

Finance

Student Resource Scheme

Final payment for the Student Resource Scheme is due by 28 February 2025.  Alternatively, if you choose to pay in Term Instalments, a minimum $100.00 deposit is required now, with the final instalment payment due by 18 July 2025 (Week 1, Term 3).  Parents/Carers experiencing financial difficulties can contact finance to discuss payment options on (07) 3327 1503 or at finance@kenmoreshs.eq.edu.au

2025 Music Ensemble Fees

Invoices for the 2025 Music Ensemble fees have been emailed to parents.  Final payment for the 2025 Instrumental / Vocal Music Program is due by 7 March 2025 (If Instalment Payments have been selected on the agreement form, payment of the final instalment is due by 18 July 2025).

Upcoming Excursions - Payment is required 1 week prior to all excursions.   

• Year 7 Ken-X Future Anything incursion - $50.00 due by 26 February 2025
• Year 11 Health Camp - $269.00 due by 26 February 2025
• Year 8 GIEP Camp – $260.00 payment due by 16 February 2025
• Year 9 GIEP Camp - $285.00 payment due by 21 February 2025
• Kaboom Drumming - $9.00 payment due by 28 February 2025
• Tasmania Music Study Tour - $1955.00 due by 4 April 2025

Methods of payment are:

• BPoint (click link in BPOINT box to make payment for individual invoice) *Preferred Method*
• QParent
• Qkr! App
• EFT - using Student ID as reference.  If payment is made via the internet, please ensure relevant forms are sent in to the school office, via email to finance@kenmoreshs.eq.edu.au.  The school bank details are as follows:

BSB:                      064-152
Account No:       00090103

Account Name: Kenmore SHS

Reference:         Student EQ ID             

• In person at the office using EFTPOS from 8.00am to 1.50pm
• Phone payment using credit/debit card via BPOINT 1300 631 073.  Please quote CRN and invoice number from the BPOINT box on the left of the statement.
• Please contact the school if interested in starting a payment plan

Please contact the finance team if you have any queries regarding these matters on 3327 1503, or via email to finance@kenmoreshs.eq.edu.au

Julie Taylor
Business Manager

From the P&C Association

P&C Association

The P&C meets at 7.00pm in the PLC (or via Zoom) on the 3rd Tuesday of the month unless it falls in school holidays.  You are welcome to become a member whether you can attend meetings or not. An application form to join the P&C is attached. 

It is now time for current members to consider renewing your P&C membership as all memberships lapse at the AGM in March. 

The next meeting of the P&C this year will be the AGM on Tuesday 18th March, and this will be followed by a General Meeting.

Tuckshop – Volunteers Urgently Needed

The P&C operates a busy canteen that serves breakfast, morning tea and lunch, five days per week.  Volunteers play a vital role in the running of the tuckshop and we would value your contribution if you could spare a little time to help out, it can be as little as few hours here or there, or as much as a day a month, fortnight or week – any assistance is valuable.  We are currently in need of about 10 extra volunteers.  For the rest of the term I am needing volunteers on: Monday 3^rd March, Tuesday 4^th March, Wednesday 5^th March, Wednesday 12^th March, Monday 24^th March, Tuesday 25^th March, Wednesday 26^th March, Wednesday 2^nd April.  Why not give it a go – it’s a busy but fun day and the tasks are not difficult – you don’t need to have any experience to join the team.  If you could help out please email Sue Abbott at  tuckshop@kenmoreshs.eq.edu.au.

We are also looking particularly for someone who would like to help making sushi on Monday or Thursday mornings from about 7.30 – 8.00am until 9.30am.  We have been making our own sushi for the last few years and it is proving to be very popular, but this is only viable if we have volunteer help, so if you would like to help out with this fun task and notch up another skill, please also email tuckshop@kenmoreshs.eq.edu.au. 

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop is open Mondays and Thursdays 7.30-10.30am.  You can order uniforms online via the QKR payment app.

Environment Group Working Bee

We would like to thank Bruce Dymock and Jeff Wilmer for their passionate care of the Kenmore State High School Environment. Just so you are aware of the amazing work these two gentleman are doing I’d like to share Bruce’s report to the P&C this week, and encourage you to join the working bees and support their efforts:

We have not held a formal working bee since that of Sunday 20th October in line with our revised schedule of holding these activities once per term, rather than monthly. Jeff Willmer, assisted on occasions by me, has undertaken eight informal working bees since that time with the efforts being concentrated on the creek flats just to the north-west of McKay Brook. We have planted 29 native plants such as Ficus Henneana, Ficus Macrophylla (Moreton Bay figs), Ficus Coronata (Sandpaper figs), Ficus Benjamina, Leichhardt trees (Naucleaorientalis) and Melicope elleryana (Pink Evodia). We cut back some large growths of Balloon Vine which resulted in the death of those plants, although there are many other such plants in the area to be attacked.

We have also undertaken some work to maintain our plantings at the north-western end of the oval on the banks of Moggill Creek; these plants have had strong competition from exotic grasses which have grown over the plants and require considerable effort and care to clear (to avoid damaging the native plants). This maintenance also included watering, weeding and mulching of those plantings. Vines such as Madeira Vine will grow over plantings of native shrubs and trees so were also targeted. This environmental pest must be removed from the site and be sent to landfill otherwise the removed plants and shoots will regrow. Jeff recently planted four advanced seedlings at the base of the bank to the west of S Block (where it adjoins the oval). All recent plantings have been regularly watered since planting.

We have not noticed any further episodes of vandalism of our plantings but plead with students and visitors to the School campus (inside or outside of normal school hours) to respect our work to beautify the School surroundings and do our bit towards addressing climate change. In this regard, we also spend considerable effort in collecting rubbish - paper and plastic in particular – that people have discarded onto the ground – we urge students and other community members to place rubbish in the bins or take it home with you – please do not drop it on the ground so someone else has to collect it to avoid it going into the environment, including into our waterways. On each visit I make to the School, I manage to collect a good portion of a shopping bag of such rubbish. Teacher Mr Tom McNicol has organised for students to participate in a Clean-up Australia Day activity of the School grounds on Friday morning, 28^th February and we hope that many students will take advantage of this opportunity to join in this action to improve the environment.

Unfortunately, we have observed that many of the 800 plus plants planted on the bank below S Block through the National Tree Day activity in July last year have not survived the last six months; we believe that this can be attributed to a range of reasons including the seedlings planted being small and immature, the dry conditions in the following few months and poor planting procedures. We will endeavour to replace those plants over the next few months with more advanced seedlings.

We have scheduled the date of Sunday morning, 23 March – the Sunday after the P&C’s AGM - for our next formal working bee and we will remind students and parents of this date closer to that day. Please record this date in your diaries; on that day, we will be working on maintaining existing plantings and extending them where we can.

Bruce Dymock – Group Convenor

Sue Abbott
Community Liaison and Operations Officer

Building a stronger school community through parental involvement