Newsletter Term 2 Week 3 2023

Principals Report

Dear Parents and Carers

Vaping is not a problem just confined to the community, we are aware that students are vaping at school, however arresting this behaviour is difficult. We believe that this is happening in the bathrooms and unfortunately it is a problem that has no simple solution. Extra teachers have been placed on duty near the bathrooms and as well as this security cameras have been installed on the walkways to the bathrooms, as obviously we are not allowed to film in bathrooms. As opposed to cigarettes that have a distinct smell, vaping has an odour that is similar to deodorant or perfumes, thus catching the perpetrators is almost impossible.

We do not want to close the bathrooms, as this punishes all students.  

One option is to install Vape detectors, however this would be a significant cost, with the quote at almost $20 000, as they require cabling and a number of detectors in each of the 4 bathrooms. I will take this to the P&C  for discussion at next weeks meeting.

Hayley Emmerton
Principal

The Dangers of Vaping and How Parents Can Protect Their Children 

Vaping is a growing concern that affects the health and well-being of our students. Vaping, the use of electronic cigarettes, has become a prevalent issue among teenagers, and it is essential for parents to be informed about the dangers it poses. 

Understanding the Dangers of Vaping 
Vaping has gained popularity among young people due to its appealing flavours, discrete nature, and the perception that it is less harmful than traditional cigarettes. However, it is crucial to recognize the potential risks associated with vaping: 

Health Effects: Vaping exposes young people to harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray. Many also contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can have detrimental effects on the developing adolescent brain. Moreover, the inhalation of aerosols produced by e-cigarettes can lead to respiratory problems and lung damage. 

Gateway to Smoking: Studies have indicated that vaping can serve as a gateway to traditional cigarette smoking, increasing the likelihood that young vapers will transition to tobacco products. 

Social and Emotional Impact: Vaping can impact young people's social and emotional well-being. Peer pressure, the desire to fit in, and the fear of missing out may contribute to the adoption of vaping among teenagers. 

Steps Parents Can Take to Prevent Vaping 
As parents, there are several proactive measures you can take to protect your children from the dangers of vaping: 

Education and Communication: Talk openly with your children about the risks and consequences of vaping. Ensure they understand the health hazards and equip them with accurate information to make informed decisions. 

Set a Good Example: Be mindful of your own behaviour. If you smoke or vape, consider quitting or at least avoiding these habits in the presence of your children. Lead by example and encourage a smoke-free environment at home. 

Establish Rules and Boundaries: Clearly communicate your expectations regarding vaping. Set clear rules about the use of electronic cigarettes and reinforce the importance of abstinence. 

Encourage Healthy Coping Mechanisms: Help your children explore healthy alternatives to deal with stress and peer pressure. Encourage their participation in sports, hobbies, and creative outlets to channel their energy positively. 

Stay Involved: Keep an eye on your child's activities and social circle. Maintain open lines of communication with their teachers, school staff, and other parents to stay informed and address any concerns promptly. 

Latest Changes in Australian Law 
It is already illegal to sell vapes to under 18-year-olds, yet convenience stores and online retailers have flouted these regulations by falsely selling nicotine-containing products as “nicotine-free”. Unfortunately, many stores still sell vapes containing nicotine to our children. When I have discovered the point of sale, I have reported these stores to the police, however they have little authority over the sale of vapes as this is under the jurisdiction of the Liquor and Gaming authority. 

Recently, the Federal government has taken steps to address the rise of vaping among young people. The Australian government will ban the importation of non-prescription vaping products – including those that do not contain nicotine. Minimum quality standards for vapes will be introduced, including restricting flavours, colours and other ingredients. 

As parents, we play a crucial role in guiding and protecting our children. By staying informed about the dangers of vaping and taking proactive steps to prevent it, we can help ensure our children grow up healthy and make informed decisions about their well-being. 

Dates to Remember

Deputy Principals Report

Helping young people advocate for themselves

As young people move through their schooling, they will inevitably face challenges and obstacles in their school lives. Parents often want to protect their children from these difficulties and solve their problems for them and while this is certainly appropriate at times, it is vital that we are also teaching young people to advocate for themselves.

If your young person is experiencing a challenge here at school - whether it is about class placement, assessment marks, homework tasks, friendship conflict or any of the common obstacles young people face – we encourage you to support them to approach a member of staff themselves in the first instance.

Not only does this typically result in the issue being resolved more quickly, it also allows young people to develop valuable skills in advocacy, communication, diplomacy and conflict resolution. When young people learn to speak up for themselves, they gain a sense of empowerment and control over their lives, and they become more adept at handling difficult situations and managing their emotions.

We recognise that these types of conversations may be difficult or intimidating for young people so we do encourage you to rehearse these interactions at home first. Guide them through the process of identifying the problem, considering the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders and brainstorming a range of possible solutions. By discussing the right words to use and role-playing the best ways to approach difficult conversations, we support young people to develop assertive communication skills.

Ultimately, when you encourage your young to speak up and take ownership of their own problems, you are showing them that you trust and respect them and assisting them to be responsible, mature and independent members of our community.

Compulsory School Attendance

Over the course of the past few years, we have had such a disrupted time with Covid, Illness and policy around student sickness and misadventure. The Wellbeing team have been following up and devising strategies to help benefit student engagement, wellbeing and attendance here at Killarney Heights High School.  As part of maintaining consistent environments within the school it is important to have a discussion with your child and family in regard to schooling and attendance. 
Benefits of attending school regularly are: 

• develop a sense of belonging
• develop and maintain friendships
• be more engaged at school
• progress with their learning
• be more aware of career and life options.

The NSW government reiterates that attendance required for High School students should be at 90% attendance. If you wish to view this, it can be found on the Parent Portal under your child's profile.

Some tips and strategies to help boost attendance are:

Family based 

• Promote benefits of attendance at home. 
• Ensure the child arrives on time and is ready to participate. 
• Set routine. Bed and wake up time consistent each day. 
• Pack school bag and prepare for school the previous night.  
• Turn off electronic devices an hour before bed 
• Rewards. Short term and long term 
• Follow up with GP or another medical professional 
• Plan any necessary appointments outside of school hours where possible 
• Communicate any absences to the school (within 7 days of the first day of absence). This may include providing a note from a GP where appropriate 

Student based 

• Follow routine. Bed and wake up time consistent each day. 
• Pack school bag and prepare for school the previous night. 
• Discuss with teacher/ school any issues that may arise regarding school. Ask for help.
•  Eat breakfast 
• Attempt to take part in classroom activities 
• Join extracurricular activities. Join a school group or team. 
• Tell your parents 3 good things that occurred at school each day.
  

Please see the compulsory attendance policy below, which provides more detail and information. If you have any concerns or issues please let us know. 

School Musical

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences around the world with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching script by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience! 

An eclectic group of six young teens vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of ever more complex (and some potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life-repudiating "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box. 

A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful journey of comedic genius. The cast of the 2023 Killarney Heights High School Production have been working assiduously since the end of Term 3 2022, to bring this piece to life. The cast performed to local Public Schools at the end of last term with great success. Our fast-paced crowd pleaser of a production will have you jumping out of your seat, declaring it an instant favourite! 

Performance dates: 
Wed 31^st May, Thurs 1^st June and Fri 2^nd June.
7pm – 9pm 
Killarney Heights HS, Crossley Hall.

Tickets from Ticketebo: https://www.ticketebo.com.au/killarneymusical2023

Adults $20 
Children $10 
Children under 5 are free

Languages

Japanese Penpal Update

Students in years 9-12 Japanese have been communicating with their penpals in Japan. For some students, this is the 3rd year they have communicated with the same person! This term, we sent a range of letters on different topics, including personal histories, daily routines, guides to living in Australia and the impact of learning Japanese on students' lives. Students put a lot of effort into presenting their letters and work nicely for their penpals. We are looking forward to receiving their replies! 

In May, Year 10 students of Japanese visited the Nihongo Tanken Centre for an immersive language experience. They played a variety of entertaining and energetic Japanese language games in a purpose built, traditional Japanese house. Students enjoyed working in teams to gain points, with the winners being the Spring and Autumn teams. ありがとうございました to Year 10 students for their active participation on the day.

PDHPE

Cross Country

It was a blistery day for the cross country this year, with it being the coldest day recorded for May. Well done to all our participants in the run and the extra sporting activities that were held on the day. The top ten students will be heading to Zone on the 25th of May. 

AFL Knockout

Congratulations to our Opens AFL boys team who have progressed to the next level of the statewide knockout competition. The boys have been undefeated in their first 5 matches.

The Run Beyond Project

On Wednesday mornings, some of you have seen countless students pounding the street. These students are part of the Run Beyond Project. They are practising resilience, commitment, community, fundraising and goal setting. We have students from across all year groups and teachers who have set the goal of running 21km or 12km in the Kiama Coastal Classic. The 21km group meets at 6.45 am for their training runs. 

Support this group and The Run Beyond Project by donating with this link: 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-run-beyond-project-2023-1?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet

Student Achievements

Swimming

Emily and Anthony Ruff competed in the CHS Swimming Championships last week with great results.  Emily gained Silver in 50m Freestyle and three Bronze in the 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly.  Anthony gained Silver in the 50m Freestyle and Bronze in the 100m Freestyle.  Congratulations Emily and Anthony.

They will both be advancing to All Schools State in all of their events on 1st and 2nd June.

Orienteering

Cooper Horley has made it into the team for the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC)  in Romania. This is a huge feet to becoming one of the best Australian junior orienteers in the world to heading over to Europe to compete against the best in the world. 

Support Cooper by donating to this link: https://asf.org.au/projects/cooper-horley---junior-world-orienteering-champs-2023-romania 

Australian Beach Volleyball Schools Cup

Proudly representing KHHS, Ryan Takayasu & Ash Giddins finished 5th in the Year 12 Pairs division. This was a great achievement for the boys as they competed against 21 teams from around Australia. They were drawn in a tough group which contained King's College (who went on to win the gold medal) and Lake Ginninderra College (an ACT team with links to AIS). They fought hard demonstrating perseverance and resilience and made the quarter finals which they lost in a close match that went down to the 3rd set. They finished the tournament on a high, playing off for 5th spot - which they won.

Australian Youth Beach Volleyball Championships

Competing against other states at the Beach Volleyball Nationals, Luca Giddins won a bronze medal representing NSW in the U14 Division. His team went through the Group stages undefeated and were destined for a gold medal however their semi final match was in windy and rainy conditions with the match even being stopped for a period of time due to lightning. Upon restart of the match the team had lost momentum and were unfortunately defeated in a thrilling 3 set match. This loss put them in the bronze medal match, which they won against Queensland's second team.
This was a great experience for Luca, he flew to Coolangatta with the NSW squad and was in camp with them for the duration of the tournament.

A few weeks ago Ash Giddins was selected for the Sydney North region's indoor volleyball team. The team competed in the 2023 NSW CHSSA Secondary Volleyball Championship which took place in Port Macquarie from 20th to 22nd of March 2023.

The event consisted of 9 teams (representing the 9 regions) and the Sydney North region were the Gold medalists for 2023.

This event was also used as a selection process for the NSW Combined High School Indoor Volleyball team. The great news is that Ash was selected to represent the NSWCHS side. The NSWCHS team will compete against NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) and NSW Combined Independent Schools (NSWCIS) in the upcoming NSW All Schools Tri Series Tournament.

Gymnastics

Nick Evanoff was at the Australian Gymnastics Championships.  He captained the NSW team in the Level 8 Opens Division.

Aboriginal Education

Term 2 Events

Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week are two important weeks of celebration and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These weeks are an opportunity for students and staff to engage in a range of activities where they will learn about and recognise the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

National Reconciliation Week is a time for celebrating the cultures, achievements, voices and influence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is an important event that allows us to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year the theme for National Reconciliation Week is ‘Be a Voice For Generations’. 

Students will have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities during weeks 6, 7 and 10 of term 2 to recognise and celebrate these important events. Activities will start on the 26th May for National Sorry Day. Throughout these weeks a variety of activities will take place at the school for students to participate in including; a smoking ceremony, whole school assembly, playing First Nations games in the Quad, screening of First Nations TV and Movies in the library and more. These activities create the opportunity for students to celebrate First Nations perspectives and encourage and support students in learning and understanding the significance of these events. 

Careers

Year 12

UAC

UAC PIN numbers were sent to students via email on the 5th of April. Please keep your UAC PIN number in a safe place and do not share your PIN with other students. Your UAC PIN is emailed to the address you registered with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) or the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (ACT BSSS) on the day that applications open. If you did not receive your PIN please look through your emails again and either reset your PIN or contact UAC on +61 2 9752 0200.

Schemes and Scholarships

Schools Recommendation Schemes (SRS) is one way universities make early offers of undergraduate admission to Year 12 students. They do this by using criteria other than (or in addition to) the ATAR, including Year 11 studies, school’s rating of your aptitudes, Education Access Scheme (EAS) application and ATAR. Please check the UAC website for universities participating in this scheme and be aware that each university sets out its own admission requirements.

Applications are processed by UAC and close 18th September 2023

For more information register for the UAC webinar: Let's Chat – Applying to the Schools Recommendation Scheme 17th May 2023

Educational Access Scheme (EAS) helps students who have experienced significant educational disadvantages. If you would like further information please see the guide from UAC explaining the application process, documentation and deadlines.

Equity Scholarships are awarded to students from low socio-economic backgrounds, particularly those who receive Centrelink income support payments. If you would like further information please see the guide from UAC explaining the application process, documentation and deadlines.

Adjustment factors, previously called bonus points, take into consideration factors to adjust an applicant’s ATAR. Adjustment factors may include:

● Living in a local catchment area
● Performance in certain subjects
● Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
● Being an elite athlete, performer or school captain

Some adjustments such as performance in certain subjects and living in the local catchment area are automatically adjusted through UAC and other factors involve a direct application process. Visit each institution’s website and UAC for further details.

* There are many scholarships available for direct application with individual universities in a wide range of categories. If you are in Year 12 please look at the scholarship page on the website of your preferred university for opportunities and information about eligibility and the application process.

Medicine

If you are intending to apply for medicine please be aware registrations for UCAT 2023 open on 1st March 2023 and close on 17th May 2023. There is a late booking deadline on 31st May 2023.

You can register for UCAT at: https://www.ucat.edu.au/register/booking-a-test/

If you are interested in preparation courses the NIE Intensive UCAT workshops are offered on the following dates. Please see their website to register or search for additional dates.

NSW Sydney 18 Jun 23 Sunday Chatswood (7 spots left)
Live Web Class 20 May 2023 10am - 5pm
Live Web Class 10 Jun 2023 10am - 5pm

Law

If you intend to apply for Law at UNSW you will need to sit the LAT test. Registration opened 1st May and closes 11th August 5pm AEST, with late registration accepted until 6th September 5pm AEST. See further information here.

If you missed the LAT information evening this year you can watch the information delivered in 2022 here.

Year 10 Subject Selection

In Careers lessons we are exploring areas of interest and future careers to inform subject selection for the HSC. Students are learning about different pathways and taking into consideration the requirements for the HSC and ATAR when selecting their subjects. Questions have been thoughtful and focused and there is an air of excitement about what the future holds.

There are changes to ATAR eligibility rules for the 2023 Year 10 cohort. Board Developed courses will no longer be classified as Category A or Category B.  This means that 2023 Year 10 students will be able to study more VET framework courses and have them included in the calculation of their ATAR, in order for it to be included for the ATAR students must do the exam. 

To be eligible for an ATAR in 2025, students will need to study 10 units of HSC courses

These courses must include

● 10 units of Board Developed courses
● 2 units of English
● 3 Board Developed courses of 2 units or greater
● 4 subject areas.

ATAR is then calculated from your

● Best 2 units of English
● Best 8 units form your remaining units

There are a range of webinars available for students and parents. If you miss the dates below the recording will be available online.

11 MAY 2023 UAC webinar: Let's Chat – The ATAR and Subject Selection

6pm | We'll provide helpful tips for Year 10 students and bust some myths about selecting your Year 11 and 12 subjects.
https://uacdigital.easywebinar.live/registration-year102023

31 May 2023 University of Newcastle 2023 Parent info session – Year 10 Subject Selection Webinar 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Register

Jessica Williams
Relieving Careers Advisor

Worlds Greatest Shave

On Thursday June 8 (week 7), KHHS is doing the World's Greatest Shave! We are aiming to raise a total of $5,000, and we need your help!

There will be other events and milestones along the way to raise money for this worthy cause, such as bake sales and a sausage sizzle, so keep your eyes peeled for more details!

Follow the link below to see our team page. You can help by signing up to be one of our brave shavers, or you can simply make a donation (either to the KHHS team or to a specific person on the team).

https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?teamID=142594

PLEASE NOTE: Any students who are intending to shave will have to have a parent sign and return a consent form which can be found here: https://worldsgreatestshave.com/useful-resources#schools

Working Bee

Thank you to all the families who came along to the first grounds working bee for 2023. We had a great turnout with 28 volunteers! We did a big tidy up of all the gardens at the front of the school with lots of weeding, trimming and mulching going on despite the cold and rainy weather. 

Working bees are a great opportunity to connect with fellow families and contribute to the school. All family members are welcome and many hands make light work! KHHS students receive a Killa Award for participating.

Our next working bee will be in term 3, date to be announced.

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