25 July 2025

From the Principal

Welcome to Term 3! I hope the recent break provided families with a chance to rest, recharge and reconnect.

As we begin the new term, there is a sense of renewed energy across the school. Staff have returned with a strong focus on high-quality teaching and learning, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead for all students — whether in the classroom, on the stage, on the sports field, or in our myriad co-curricular activities.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. We look forward to another successful term of learning and growth at Kenmore.

Report Cards – What Do They Mean for Parents and Students?

At Kenmore State High School, we know that parents play a powerful role in their child’s education. As a student’s first teachers, you are key partners in the learning journey.

Following a productive semester, report cards were issued in Week 10 of Term 2. These reports provide more than just grades — they offer a snapshot in time, giving students the opportunity to reflect, reset, and plan their next steps. While feedback is regularly provided in class, a report card is a chance to take a step back and ask: How am I progressing? What’s working? Where can I grow?

Students are encouraged to view report cards not just as an endpoint, but as a springboard for improvement. Each piece of assessment is a learning opportunity. We encourage students to celebrate their successes and also ask themselves:

• What can I do better?
• What don’t I understand yet — and how can I learn it?
• What does good work look like?
• What does the best work look like?
• How can I improve on my last effort?

To support these conversations at home, education researcher and author Dr Lyn Sharratt suggests five powerful questions parents can ask:

• What did you learn today?
• How did you do?
• What did you do if you didn’t understand?
• How can you improve your learning?
• What are you most proud of?

By encouraging regular reflection and open conversations about learning, we can continue to build a strong, supportive partnership between home and school — helping each student strive for personal growth.

For any enquiries about report cards, please contact the school office on 3327 1555 during business hours.

Semester 2 Assessment Planners

To support families with planning and time management, all students were emailed a copy of their Semester 2 Assessment Planner on Monday 21 July. Parents can also view these on their QParents App.

This planner outlines all scheduled assessments, including draft due dates, through to the end of 2025. We encourage you to sit down with your child to review the schedule, discuss their upcoming workload, and ensure key dates are recorded in their school calendar or diary.

Many families find it helpful to print a copy of the planner and keep it in a visible, easily accessible place at home as a reference throughout the term.

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews

In Term 3, we will hold the second round of Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews for 2025. Further details will be shared via email, our website, and Facebook early this term. We hope you can join us for these valuable conversations.

School Opinion Surveys – we invite your feedback

Also this term, the annual Department of Education School Opinion Surveys will be conducted. All families, staff, and students in Years 8 and 11 will be invited to participate. One parent/caregiver per family will receive an email from the Department of Education (not the school) with a link to the parent/caregiver Survey. We encourage you to take this opportunity to share your feedback on what the school is doing well and where we can improve.

Thank you

Kenmore is a wonderfully vibrant school and it’s important to thank and acknowledge all staff, students and parents who have coordinated events and activities inside and outside the classroom this term so far. These initiatives play a significant role in shaping the culture of the school and fostering a sense of belonging for our students. Your commitment does not go unnoticed and is genuinely appreciated. Thank you to those involved in some of our more recent Kenmore SHS events – you can see photos and more information later in this edition of our newsletter or on our various social media platforms.

• Tasmania Choir Workshop (held over the school holidays)
• German Exchange Program (hosting students from Engelsburg)
• Year 7 100 Days Celebration
• Year 7 & 9 Ken-X Workshops in collaboration with BOP Industries
• Year 9 & 10 HOD Subject Talks
• Pedagogy Coaches Planning Day
• Year 11 Fashion Excursion
• Year 7 – 12 Vaping Seminars

Mr Matthew McCarthy
Acting Executive Principal

Student Leaders Update

Academic

On Monday of Week 3, the Academic Portfolio will be hosting a Year 10 subject forum which gives all Year 10 students a chance to talk to current students of every senior subject. Thanks to all students who have volunteered their time to be involved.

Community & Environment

The popularity of Picture This has exploded having received over 100 entries into our 2nd Round category of Flora. Congratulations to Ynez our winner of Round 2. Round 3 is underway and our category is Landscapes.

Cultural

KAN Week (Kenmore All Nations) is coming up in just a couple of weeks, pay attention to see what exciting activities the Cultural Portfolio has planned to showcase our wonderful multicultural community.

Sport

The senior basketball competition has become one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, and it kicks off again in Week 3! Head down to the activity centre at 2nd Break on Thursdays and Fridays to see all of the teams battle it out for the coveted trophy. Our junior soccer competition also kicks off in Week 4, this was hotly contested last year and we expect the same again.

Student Representative Council

Late last term the SRC received feedback from the student body about preferences for extra lunch time seating around the school, and we have committed funds to support implementation late in 2025. SRC would also like to thank students and the community for all of your support of our fundraising efforts for Day for Dolly, Cancer Council, and Anzac Day fundraisers.

Carter Smith
Shadow Head of Year

Student Achievement

Madison Nowlan

Congratulations to Madison who competed in the U14 Girls' Hockey State Championships in Toowoomba over the school holidays as the goalkeeper for the Brisbane 1 rep team. They placed second in Division 1. Madison was awarded Goalkeeper of the Tournament and selected in the Queensland Embers team to compete at the Nationals in October this year.

Year 11 Update

Fostering Belonging Through Connection, Purpose, and Growth

As we progress through Term 3, we remain focused on supporting Year 11 students in building strong foundations for success—academically, socially, and emotionally. At Kenmore State High School, the value of Belonging is central to our work. This term’s key events have been designed to strengthen student connection, confidence, and future readiness.

Reflecting and Planning for Success

During Week 2, students engaged in a reflective goal-setting activity as part of their Wellbeing Lesson. Using their TrackEd profiles, they reviewed their Semester 1 academic results and set clear goals for improvement in Semester 2. This regular practice supports students in taking ownership of their learning while reinforcing a sense of purpose and progress.

Students have also received a digital copy of their Semester 2 Assessment Planner, which outlines all scheduled assessment dates, including key checkpoints through to the end of the year. We encourage families to discuss this planner together, helping students manage their time effectively and stay on track. Many families find it helpful to print and display this planner at home as a visual reminder.

Vaping Education Seminar

Also in Week 2, Year 11 students attended an evidence-based seminar presented by Teen Challenge Australia, titled #NotEvenOnce. The session explored the health risks and legal implications of vaping and substance use, while promoting informed, responsible decision-making. The presentation was tailored for the Year 11 cohort and aligned with our broader focus on student wellbeing and community responsibility.

Key Events – Term 3 Highlights

A number of important events are scheduled this term to support both academic progress and student engagement. Highlights include:

• Week 6 – Future Connections Event

Year 11 students will have the opportunity to engage with industry professionals during our final Future Connections event for the year. This initiative supports career exploration and provides valuable insights into real-world pathways and post-school options.

• Week 8 – Year 11 Exam Block

The Year 11 Exam Block begins in Week 8. This marks the final assessment period for most subjects in Year 11 and provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning and progress to date. Students are encouraged to begin revision early and make use of available academic support.

• Week 10 – RYDA Road Safety Program

In the final week of term, students will participate in the RYDA Road Safety Education Program. This initiative is designed to prepare young people for the responsibilities of driving and passenger safety, promoting informed and responsible decision-making.

Our goal is to ensure all Year 11 students feel supported and connected through every stage of their journey. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sarah Graham
Head of Year 11

Young Entrepreneur’s Challenge

In Term 2, Week 9, our Year 9 and 10 Business Enterprise students took part in the annual Young Entrepreneur’s Challenge, proudly hosted right here at Kenmore State High School. This event saw students pitch business proposals—ranging from sustainable dog toys to customised confectionery—showcasing creativity and marketing flair.

The night kicked off with a bustling trade show, where parents and guests explored each team’s display and voted for their favourite stall. A huge thank you to the many families who attended—your enthusiasm and support helped make the evening such a memorable occasion. The evening was made even more enjoyable thanks to the delicious catering provided by our talented Year 12 Hospitality students.

We were also privileged to welcome two expert guest judges—Ally Fulton (Deloitte) and Jarred Turner (Future Anything)—who brought a wealth of experience and insight to the judging process.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners:

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year (1st Place): Ecobite Dog Toys – Hera and Eva
• Runner-Up: Candy Coated – Georgia, Ruby, and Elena
• People’s Choice Award: Paw Project – Nathalie, Grace, and Ariyanaa

Well done to all students who participated and a shout out to Business Enterprise teachers Ms Rayner and Macoun for all of their work in setting-up the event.

Troy Wheeler
Head of Department – Humanities

German Immersion Recap

Year 9 German Immersion

Year 9 GIP biology class revising human body systems by drawing all of the organs that they could remember in the correct positions on an outline of their body. Students added labels and functions in German to show what they could recall. This was in preparation for their term 3 Biology unit.

Enterprise German

In term 2 in grade 9 German Immersion, we have participated in the Enterprise German Project.  It was a great experience, and we learned lots.  As a part of this task, we picked a German company and researched about them.  We even had the opportunity to meet some of the staff from these companies over Teams!  We had a lot of fun over this term, especially with the filming of an ad for a new product.  It was even better as we could work with our friends and classmates.  These ads will then be submitted into a competition, versing other groups from different schools, to win a prize!  We can’t wait to see everyone’s final product!

From Nienke, Keira and Gabi

Unternehmen Deutsch (Enterprise German) is an annual competition run by the Goethe-Institut which promotes the collaboration between schools and German companies or Australian companies with a relationship to German speaking countries within the region.

Engelsburg Exchange

On Tuesday 24th June the Languages department and the year 11 German students and their families welcomed the Engelsburg Gymnasium students and their teachers to Kenmore. After living with these students and their families in Kassel/Germany in November, the Kenmore students were excited to introduce their buddies into their homes and their Australian way of life. We officially welcomed them with a breakfast including speeches and Australian treats such as vegemite scrolls, fairy bread and Tim Tams. The German students took part in the athletics carnival and spend the holidays with our Kenmore families before attending a range of classes We will be very sad when they leave at the end of this week. 

We would like to thank Kenmore State High School, the teachers, students and parents for making our exchange program such a wonderful experience. Your warm welcome and support made us feel at home and enriched our understanding of Australian culture. We are grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow together through this exchange. We will never forget this time and we look forward to having Year 10 German Immersion students in Kassel at the end of the year.

Chrissie Geuthner
Head of Department – Languages and International

Science Recap

Junior Science

This term our junior science students will be launching into the topics of:

Year 7 – The effects of forces acting on objects
Year 8 – Plate tectonics, volcanos, earthquakes and the rock cycle
Year 9 – Ecology, homeostasis and the immune system

All students will have an assignment as part of their summative assessment for the term. As part of study skill development, we highly encourage students to use class time effectively, look at the exemplar provided and engage with the resources designed to help understand the criteria they will be marked on. Seeking support from the resources or their teachers early, will often save the stress when submission deadlines are close. Homework club is another great option too for students to be able to access support on their assignments.

Year 12 Sciences

As our dedicated and hard-working year 12s are in the final stages of completing their Internal Assessment pieces for each subject, the focus will shift to the External Exams. Throughout the courses at school, our teachers use a variety of strategies and methods in preparing students for the external exams including focus questions, exam question practice and interleaved memory activities. For students wanting another way of revising and preparing, in the September holidays Griffith University is offering Academic Bootcamps for a variety of subjects in either online or face-to-face formats. These can be an ideal way for students to boost their understanding of the content as they continue their exam preparation. For more details, go to 

SPARQ-Ed Research Immersion Program

Every year we have many enthusiastic Kenmore SHS students attend the SPARQ-Ed Research Immersion Program, where students get to work in a laboratory setting with real scientists and undertake work that goes towards genuine research programs. It can be a fascinating insight into the world of science research. They have both a Junior (7-9) and Senior (10-12) program with a variety of dates throughout the year. You still have time to apply if you are interested! For more information about the program, dates, costs and application forms, head to the link below.

12 Science in Practice

We finally made it to a long-awaited and exciting day – CHEESE DAY! Our year 12 Science in Practice class got to see the science behind “Curds and Whey” and connect to Little Miss Muffet’s nursery rhyme by making their very own Mozzarella and Camembert Cheese. The students make the cheese as part of their Practical Project – their final assessment for the subject. Providing the Camembert maturation and ripening process goes well over the next 6 weeks, we aim to enter the cheese into the EKKA’s “Schools on Show” Cheese competition. The Mozzarella groups were able to evaluate the success of their cheese and compare it to commercially bought Mozzarella. They were surprised how close they got to the texture and flavour of the real thing!

 A big thank you to our lab technicians, Sandy, Emily and Carolyn for helping make this experience a reality for our Consumer Science unit and to Ms Guymer who is the science teacher who originally advocated for this to be part of our curriculum. It was a “Brie-ly” good idea!

Leisha Richardson
Head of Department – Science

State Budget Student Experience

Recently, Yuna and Liezel of year 12 had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Queensland State Budget Student Experience, hosted by the Premier of Queensland on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 at Parliament House in Brisbane.

This exclusive program welcomed 47 student leaders from across the state to step into the world of government finance and policymaking. Yuna and Liezel was thrilled to take part in interactive workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, and observe the delivery of the State Budget in Parliament.

The day provided a hands-on understanding of economics, fiscal policy and the role of media in shaping public perception. Students also engaged directly with Members of Parliament, government decision-makers and the Premier, gaining valuable insights into how the State Budget impacts everyday life in Queensland.

We are incredibly proud of Yuna and Liezel for representing our school with enthusiasm and curiosity, and we look forward to seeing how this experience inspires future endeavours!

Kenmore State School 125 Year Anniversary

Kenmore State School will be celebrating its 125th Anniversary on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Visit https://events.humanitix.com/125-anniversary to learn more about this exciting milestone.

Homestay Opportunity

Got a spare room? Ever thought of being a Homestay host? Kenmore State High School is seeking homestay families!

Host an international high school student and contribute to the positive memories they will have of their education experience here in Queensland.

In particular Kenmore State High School are looking for families that would take male students.

Kim Lawrence
Homestay Coordinator & ISP Administration

Finance

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

• Year 8 GIP Camp 2025 previously paid date 1-2 August
• Year 11 Hospitality Eat Street $23.00 due 1 August
• Senior Winter Gala Day $34.00 due 22 July
• ICAS Maths Exam $20.95 due 20 August
• Australian Maths Comp $9.00 due 30 July
• GIEP Exchange 2025 bulk invoice 3 $1500 or Payment 3a $583 due 15 July

Year 11 – Evening and Purchase of Senior Jerseys

Invitations to attend the Year 11 Evening and order of Senior Jerseys will be issued to students whose attendance and achievement meets the expectations of the School in Term 4.  The invitation is conditional on having no outstanding monies, and all school resources returned. 

Year 12 Formal – November 2025

The Year 12 Formal is an invitiaton only event conditional on students having no outstanding monies owing and/or outstanding school resources.  Students may not receive an invitation to attend the formal, or may have their invitation withdrawn if deemed necessary by administration.  Overdue invoices are managed under the Department of Education Debt Management Procedure.   

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

The next General Meeting of the P&C will be held next Tuesday 19th August at 7.00pm in the PLC or via Teams.

Tuckshop

The term 3 tuckshop menu is attached – there just a couple of changes this term and fortunately no price increases.

Parents/carers/grandparents – we would love to have you helping out in the tuckshop.  We are urgently in need of at least 10 more volunteers to fill our monthly roster.  Please could you consider if you could give just 1 day a month, or even 1 day a term to support the students and the school in this vital role.  We are also looking for someone who would like to help make sushi on Monday mornings and another volunteer to help make poke bowls on Friday mornings from about 7.30 – 8.00am until 9.30am.  Helping in the tuckshop is a fun and rewarding day with easy tasks that are quickly learned.  Please email tuckshop@kenmoreshs.eq.edu.au if you could help in any way.      

Sue Abbott
Community Liaison and Operations Officer

Building a stronger school community through parental involvement

Kenmore State High School P&C Association

Community Events

Ready for the road

Join the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) for a free workshop geared towards supporting supervisors of learner drivers. This workshop aims to:

• Provide helpful tips and tricks to help foster safer driving habits of new drivers.
• Boost your confidence in guiding learner drivers effectively.
• Cover practical advice, insights into key risks facing new drivers, and tips to avoid common mistakes in the practical driving test.

Our road safety experts will also be available to answer all your questions.

Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity!

How to register

• Scan the pictured QR code.

• Go to the event link below and add your details.

               TMR Road Safety | Humanitix   

We look forward to having you join us for an informative and engaging workshop!

Department of Transport and Main Roads

Saver Plus