Newsletter Term 3 Week 10 2023

Principals Report

Farewell Year 12

Year 12 are having their final formal lessons in the next few days, next week we bid farewell to our year 12 cohort and recognize those who have made significant contributions to our school community through awards for academic excellence, athletic achievements, exemplary citizenship, and outstanding leadership. Choosing recipients for each accolade was a challenging task, given the abundance of deserving and talented students at Killarney Heights High School.

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) stands as a highly esteemed qualification. Attaining the HSC is a moment of honor, as it is a widely acknowledged credential that paves the way for future employment opportunities and admission to universities and other educational institutions. These students have rightfully earned this distinction through their tireless dedication, and it is now time for a well-deserved celebration.

It's been truly gratifying to witness the return of traditional year 12 celebrations, I was particularly impressed by outstanding quality of Showcase, where their practical projects were displayed. This was one of the best I have seen and amazed that these works continue to evolve and impress.

At Killarney Heights, our academic and well-being programs are rooted in positive psychology and the growth mindset. These initiatives have played a pivotal role in nurturing exceptional young individuals who not only value respect, connection, and protection but are also encouraged to explore their limits, fostering resilience, perseverance and a commitment to excellence.

Every day, throughout the school year, our educators labour tirelessly to enhance the educational outcomes of each and every student. We provide care and support to guide students toward realizing their full potential. While we acknowledge that not every student may attain the highest academic honours, our commitment lies in ensuring that each student strives to perform at their very best, thus securing a productive and successful future for all.

Hayley Emmerton
Principal

Dates to Remember

Changes to Mobile Phone Policy

Many of you would have heard that the NSW Government has announced that they are restricting student use of mobile phones in all NSW public schools from Term 4 this year. KHHS is well-positioned to respond to this announcement as our current policy requires students in years 7-10 to use a Yondr pouch to secure their mobile phone for the duration of the day.

 While our current policy will remain in place for students in years 7-10, we have made some changes to our ‘Lock Up; Look Up’ policy in order to align with the Government’s new approach to mobile phones in schools. These changes are as follows:

• From term 4, 2023 year 11/12 students will be required to keep their phones away in their bags for the duration of the school day.
• From term 1 2024, all students in years 7-11 will be required to use a Yondr pouch to secure their mobile phone for the duration of each school day.
• From term 1 2025, all students in years 7-12 will be required to use a Yondr pouch to secure their mobile phones for the duration of each school day. 

While we will continue to refine our procedures throughout this first year of implementation, we are happy to report a significant reduction in instances of phone related disruptions to teaching and learning. This means that our classrooms are more settled and students are better able to achieve that un-interrupted focus required for deep learning.

We are proud of the positive outcomes that our 'Lock up; Look Up' policy has achieved and are confident that the extension will further strengthen its impact. As always, your continued support and cooperation are essential as we strive to provide the best possible education for our students. Tackling complex issues like this is always a team effort, requiring a partnership between teachers, students and parents so we appreciate your efforts to model appropriate boundaries with regards to phone use at home.

Senior Executive

Absences and Leave

Please see below for the process of Absence for Assessment Tasks and Leave during term time.  All policies can be found in the Subject Assessment Booklets on the website. 

Absence for Assessment Tasks 

Students must ensure that their Assessment Tasks are submitted on the due date. In all cases, where a student does not submit or attend an Assessment Task, they must complete an Illness/Misadventure form. If a student is absent for all or part of the due date or the school day prior to the due date, they must complete an Illness/Misadventure form.  Failure to follow these procedures will result in a mark of zero being awarded.  

If a student is aware that they will be absent for an Assessment Task due to extra-curricular school and sporting commitments they must give notice of their leave as soon as possible. The task should be handed in prior to the due date in these cases, unless an alternative date has been negotiated with the Head Teacher and an Illness/Misadventure form is completed.  

Leave during term time 

The Department of Education does not support family holidays during term. Leave taken for this purpose does not qualify for a misadventure. Students may submit hand in tasks prior to leaving however exams and tests will not be rescheduled and the student will receive a mark of zero if they are absent on the day the task is scheduled. In this situation, the student still needs to complete the task at a time and in a manner determined by the Head Teacher in order to meet course outcomes.  For assessments due or undertaken upon return from leave, students are expected to complete the task and will not be eligible for consideration of marks or an extension. 

Aspire Awards

On the 31^st of August we had the pleasure of inviting some of Killarney Heights HS amazing students and parents to the ASPIRE morning tea awards. This is a fantastic opportunity that our school has to acknowledge and showcase the wonderful work our students have achieved in Semester One this year. 
Accompanied by our fantastic Principal, Deputy Principals and our terrific Year Advisers, they all discussed the amazing achievements being accomplished while striving for greatness in everything we do as a community here at Killarney Heights.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients, thank you to our parents for their continued support and aligned collegiality with the school. Special mention goes to our hard-working well-being team whose unwavering support and expertise help each and every day for our students is truly remarkable. 

HSC Showcase

Thank you to all who came to support Year 12 in the presentation of their major works in Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Textiles and Multimedia. It was a wonderful night and a huge crowd! Good luck to all Year 12s in their practical exams this term.

photo credit: Hugo Meynert

HSIE

UBS Finance Academy

Congratulations to Shreya Prajapati who was successful in being selected to attend the UBS Finance Academy taking place over 3 days in the September holidays. This highly competitive three day program will see her travel to the UBS Sydney office to join Yr 11 students from a number of other schools in collaborating on issues in the world of banking and finance. Shreya will be provided with the opportunity to meet with and discuss a range of issues with interesting and inspirational people from a variety of sectors and industries. Shreya will gain an understanding of examples of innovative companies and practices whilst developing potential future opportunities.

Well done Shreya, we look forward to hearing about your experience.

HSIE Faculty

Languages

Japanese

Over the past month, a Japanese university student, Hazuki, has been coming to Japanese classes from years 8-12. Hazuki is from Nara in Japan and is here to experience an Australian workplace. She has made resources on Japanese culture and talked about her hometown, house and university life to our students. She has also provided assistance in class, helping students with written tasks. Her kindness and understanding have been much appreciated, as well as her insights into life in Japan. We will miss her when she goes home! 

Stephanie Rosier-Takeuchi
Japanese Teacher

PDHPE

U15's Knockout Basketball

On Tuesday the 29^th of August, 12 boys from years 8 through to year 10 participated in the finals for the Sydney North, U15's Basketball competition at Terrigal.

With dominant performances shown earlier in the year, the boys came into the day quietly confident and full of energy. The team were set to play 2 games on the day, however Ashfield Boys High School forfeited meaning the boys were straight through to the semi-finals. While this extra wait meant that the team was well rested, the nerves remained high until tip off later in the day.

KHHS versed Terrigal High School, a school which won the competition in prior years, and won the Open Boys competition earlier in the year.

The game remained close all the way through, with the final score finishing 55-64 to Terrigal. Some stand out performances from; Nikola Valkovic, Cameron South, Saxon Flack, Zach Chen and Jai Jansen kept the scores very close, however, Terrigal was just too good on the day.

KHHS finished 3^rd in the Sydney North competition.

A special thanks to parents Rowena Flack, and Erik Jansen for transporting, managing and coaching the boys on the day, the sacrifice of your time improved the experience of the day.

Well done lads.

Beau Yang

U15's Knockout Soccer - A Narrow loss in the Area Final

In a closely contested soccer match, Killarney suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Powerhouse St Augustine’s. Despite lacking in height Killarney was matching the effort of the private school during the first half, displaying skill and determination to prevent the high amount of possession from the visitors.

The first half was all St Augustine’s with the majority of chances but the defence of GK Lachlan Tapper, defenders: Marko Oreb, Seok McGee, Nate Evans and Patrick Charlton nullified every opportunity. Around 30 family and friends were treated to some intense midfield battles and quick transitions with Richard Kupec, Mateo Matousek and Hamzey Marouk producing havoc and interruptions to the constant attacks. The half ended deadlocked and holding the visitors to no goals was amazing considering coming into this match this school scored 27 goals and only conceded one.

As the second half kicked off, the intensity of the match only increased. St Augustine’s began to press harder and were rewarded for their efforts in the 65th minute when they finally broke through with a header from a corner. A well-timed through cross found the visitors striker in a favorable position, and with a composed finish, they headed the ball into the back of the net, putting their team in the lead.

After conceding the goal, Killarney had 15 minutes to equalise and this was the period of time that Killarney started to attack. After dropping a defender Killarney changed the formation to 3-4-3 and the game changed to our favour. The next 10 minutes Killarney fought relentlessly to equalize and created several scoring opportunities, with their forwards Tobia Dupree, Ben Suen, Rami Albert and Milo Lombardo and midfielders making incisive runs and taking shots on goal. With 5 mins remaining a crowd member interrupted the game and was handed a yellow card and asked to leave the area. This disruption happened at a crucial moment which was disappointing and the home team were defeated 1-0, they displayed high levels of maturity in making it this far as St Augustine’s went on to make the final 4 in the Country.

Special thanks go to all the supporters and year 10 helpers Leo Hammond and Alex Carr.

Zeke Desiatnik

State Athletics Championship

The 13 Years girls relay team ran in the 4 x 100m relay in the CHS Championship at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on 6th September and came 3rd place in the final receiving the Bronze medal. The team consisted of Naomi Krajancic, Harriet Aiken, Mio Irisawa and Mariel Buckland.

Ultimate Frisbee

Term 3 was meant to be Frisbee Fever - with Year 7 teams for the Northern Beaches Gala Day and both Junior and Senior State Championships run by NSW Ultimate. However, a rain cancelled event and a Year 9 team dropping out of State Champs signalled a lull... it seemed there was room for new blood on the frisbee field.

... Then along came 11 fresh faced and fast Year 7 girls, all bringing with them athletic talent from a range of different sports. They showed interest on a Thursday, had their first training on Friday and went off to play schools from all around Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast the following Monday.

After a first game loss to the competition favourites, Hurlstone Agricultural, the girls' game started to click... so much so, they went on to win every other game and landed in the 3 vs 4 Bronze Medal match at the end of the day... and won it 4-0!

They not only improved out of sight, but had a great time doing it. Check out the video diary of their day below. (Not much game footage I'm afraid)

Anyone who's keen for some Frisbee in their lives, consider the opportunities below and ask Mrs Adlard (in the English staffroom) if you want any further information.

• Frisbee Fridays - casual pick up game on the oval at lunch, staff and students welcome
• Manly Juniors League, Wednesday evenings T4 and T1, 2023 (primary and high school divisions)
• Manly Social League, Wednesday nights Oct-March, Senior students / Adult comp
• 1-day Holiday Camp - Thursday 28 Sept (more for junior years, plenty of Year 7/8 players currently registered)
• Sydney Women's Hat - T4 2023, TBC
• Sydney Youth Hat, ELS Hall, Ryde - April 2024
• U18 NSW Trials - April 2024
• AYUC - Australian Youth Ultimate Championships - July 2024

​*** EDIT - Killarney also sent 35 keen Year 9 and 10 students to the Senior State Championships, also at Meadowbank Park, on Monday August 28. What a fun and tiring day! Thanks to Mr Parsons for being a super coach and to our ex-student coach volunteers. Note to self... take more photos and videos next time!

Kath Adlard
English/Ultimate Frisbee

Science

Science Week!

In week 5 we celebrated Science Week with a variety of activities around the school. The theme was innovations for the future. Students attended movie screenings during lunch, with titles that suited the science futures theme. Free popcorn was provided for their enjoyment. 

Year 7 classes had the privilege of walking through an exhibition and peer marking an impressive collection of scientific models constructed by out Investigating Science classes. These models were created and submitted for an assessment task and had been designed to educate younger students about a variety of scientific concepts.  Year 3 students visited from Killarney Primary to conduct some destructive testing of materials in our Science Labs.  

During Thursday lunch students participated in Escape rooms, one escape room had challenges themed around Hydrogen, the fuel of the future, and one challenged students to solve problems and riddles relating to foods of the future. All week science themed colouring sheets were available in the library. It was fantastic to see so many students engaged and involved in celebrating Science! 

Miss Jacinda Jamieson
Head Teacher Science

Sustainability Squad

What a wonderful team we have here in our Killarney Heights High School community. As we near the end of the term the Greenhouse has come together. The Science Teachers built the frame and paneling, the Sustainability Squad and Year 10 students completed the rubber insulation, and the Rise Boys built the foundation.

With the composting initiative well underway after the addition of two new bins, and starting to produce fertile soil just in time for Spring, now is the perfect time to add some natives to our lovely new Greenhouse. The plants have been sourced from the local council, and will be fertilised with the school-made compost.

Donations of various kinds are still very welcome to support the teams involved, including native plants, old gardening tools, and offers of labour assistance. A Big thank you to our local community for the positive encouragement we've received.

Pictured: Ms Wiyana, Ms Roper & Mr Dempsey

Ms Wiyana 
Y10 Year Advisor

Year 11 Australian Museum Excursion

On the 11^th of August, the Year 11 Earth and Environment Science class visited the Australian Museum in Darlinghurst Sydney. As a class, we rode the train together from Chatswood Station to Town Hall and walked to the Australian Museum. Our Museum host greeted us and directed the class to Hintze Hall.

Students started their learning journey by studying the Mahn Fisher Women installation, followed by a comparison of various First Nation Peoples' resources and their Connection to the Country. Next was the new Mineral Exhibition where we were greeted by a beautifully preserved Stromatolite cross-section, at roughly 2.7 billion years old, it is one of the oldest examples of life on Earth. Students completed a self-paced mineral scavenger hunt, a mineral classification activity, and studied meteorite samples. Following this, they made their way to study the geological formations, fossils of Australia, and the Earth's ages past. The class had a chance to explore and interact with the Climate exhibition to predict future climate changes in Australia and their impacts on not only biodiversity, weather, and climate but also people and the economy. We had many informative discussions with Museum volunteers and experts about possible scientific solutions to present issues.

After a big day, the class walked back to Town Hall station together to catch the train back to Chatswood station.

Ms Wiyana
Earth and Environmental Science

Wellbeing

This month on SchoolTV - Respectful Relationships

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month's edition

Youth Health & Wellness E-Network

This monthly email includes links to youth health related events, information and resources. NSLHD Health Promotion collates this information to assist organisations supporting the health and wellbeing of young people in the Northern Sydney area. 

Professionals Supporting Young People

Digital Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Educators, eSafety Commissioner. This webinar will help you to identify the key opportunities and challenges facing children and young people online (NESA accredited). Wednesday 6th September, 7.30pm-9pm. Free.

Online Harmful Sexual Behaviours, Misinformation & Emerging Technologies, eSafety Commissioner. This webinar offers evidence-based targeted advice to identify and understand the impact of online harmful sexual behaviour, while providing the skills to keep students safe online (NES accredited). Monday 11th September, 3.30pm-5pm. Free.

Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention - Blended Learning, BlackDog Institute. This blended learning workshop aims to increase health professionals’ skill and confidence in taking a detailed suicide history and developing a collaborative management plan to increase the safety of people planning suicide. Online via zoom, Friday 15th September, 9am-3pm. Cost: $75.

Short Mental Health Interventions: Making Our Practices Nuerodiversity Friendly, BlackDog Institute. In this 30 minute webinar, Dr Jan Orman will be joined by Dr Sarah Barker to discuss a framework for making consultations more comfortable for the neurodiversity within our communities. Suitable for allied health professionals, Counsellors and GPs. Saturday 26th September at 12.30pm-1pm or 6pm-6.30pm. Free.

Australian Association for Adolescent Health (AAAH) Youth Health Conference 8-10 Nov Adelaide. From $557.

Young People

Youth Employment Workshop – Write a Winning Resume, Lane Cove Council. These Youth Employment Workshop sessions to gain the skills you need to land a job. In the "Write a Winning Resume" workshop you will learn about different resume types and choose one that best suits your job application. Attendees must have a USI before attending, or create one at usi.gov.au. For young peopled aged 14 to 24 years, Tuesday 26th September, 12pm-5pm. Free. Bookings essential.

HSC Take Over, Northern Beaches Library. Take advantage of exclusive out of hours access to the library for HSC students in preparation for your exams. BYO snacks and drinks. 

Parents / Carers

Getting The Most Out Of Gaming, eSafety Commissioner. This 45 minute webinar provides families with strategies for supporting children and young people to have safe, positive experiences when playing games online. Tuesday 12th September, 7.30pm-8.15pm. Free.

Synergy Youth Centre Open Day, Lane Cove Council. Synergy Youth Centre is opening its doors to parents and families from the Lane Cove LGA. Come down and see what's on offer at our Centre; want to find out about our programs, equipment, opening hours and age range? This is the perfect opportunity to find out. A free bbq will be provided on the day. Saturday 16th September, 1pm-4pm. Free.

Teens and Emotional Health, Ku-ring-gai Council. An online webinar to explore the many changes experienced by young people today, the impact of change and loss and learn ways of supporting the young people in your life. Wednesday 20th September, 6.30pm-8pm. Free.

Small Fish, Big Pond Transition to High School Webinar, Lane Cove Council & headspace. Support your child's transition from primary school to high school with information from this interactive webinar. Wednesday 20th September, 6.30pm-7.30pm. Free.

Cyberbullying and Online Drama Video, eSafety Commissioner. This video provides the tools to support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships and what to do if things go wrong. It’s designed for parents and carers of young people aged 11 to 18 years old.

Go4Fun Program, NSW Health. A free nutrition and exercise-based program for children aged 7 to 13 years, and their families. Register for our Term 4 programs in Chatswood and Hornsby, commencing week beginning 9th October 2023.

Listening to Young People, NAPCAN. Brochure.

Upcoming Significant Events

R U OK Day?, Thursday 14th September. This national day is dedicated to inspiring people to ask each other "Are you OK? and support those struggling with life's ups and downs. 

National Child Protection Week, 3rd to 9th September. Webinars of interest may include “Let’s hear from young people: What’s missing from education on relationships, consent and sex? Webinar, Thurs 07th September 10:30am click here to register!

Free Mental Health Month Parent Webinars

KYDS, a local youth development service, are running a series of free webinars for parents, teachers and students for mental health month:

From worriers to warriors: Helping young people with social anxiety

3^rd Oct 1:00pm & 4^th Oct 6:30pm (repeated): https://lu.ma/xgcqlgc8 

Parenting a screenager: Helping young people improve their digital mental health

11^th Oct 6:30pm:  https://lu.ma/1n2g1683 

 From “no” to “go”: Goal-setting and motivation made easy

17^th Oct 1:00pm & 18^th Oct 6:30pm (repeated): https://lu.ma/ek4ct7f5 

Living and thriving with ADHD

 25^th Oct 1:00pm & 2th Oct 6:30pm (repeated): https://lu.ma/vmy3pn9v 

 Small fish, big pond: Managing the transition to high school (KYDS in partnership with Headspace and Lane Cove Council) 

20th Sept 6:30pm: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Small-Fish-Big-Pond-Transition-to-High-School-Webinar-Evening-Session-679838865347 

10th Oct 12:30pm: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Small-Fish-Big-Pond-Transition-to-High-School-Webinar-Day-Session-679857160067  

Aboriginal Education News

Gawura Cultural Awards Recipient 

Congratulations to Will Burton in Year 11 for winning a Gawura Cultural Award for his artwork, he received his award on the 16th September.

Indigenous Literacy Day Bake Sale

In week 9 there was a bake sale to raise money for Indigenous Literacy Day, the funds raised went to the literacy foundation to support First Nations communities in accessing books and funds to help improve literacy outcomes. A group of students from across the school got together after school on Thursday to bake some treats to send. Thank you to those students and staff who came along to help bake and run the sale! 

Duke of Ed

The Silver Duke of Edinburgh recently completed a practice Adventurous Journey. Hiking from Hornsby to Berowra the groups successfully navigated their way through some challenging terrain and made it to Crosslands in the late afternoon.

After sitting round the campfire, the group had an early night as the next day was going to be an uphill battle.

After packing up tents and eating a hearty breakfast the groups set out to Berowra. The weather was perfect for hiking uphill as the groups climbed over 480m of elevation changes before leveling out and the yet more hills just before arriving at the train station.

Careers

Career News for Year 12 Students

UAC PINs

All 2023 NSW HSC and ACT Year 12 applicants have had their UAC PIN emailed to them. To start their application they will need their Year 12 student number (issued through NESA or BSSS) and their UAC PIN. Once they have applied, they can then use their UAC application number and UAC PIN to log in and manage their application. If students are having problems logging in to their UAC application, they can read the PIN FAQs, but the quickest and easiest way for them to get help is to call Customer Service on (02) 9752 0200, 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Students can apply for an early offer through UAC’s Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) once they’ve completed their UAC application.

In addition to submitting an SRS application, students can apply directly to individual institutions for an early offer. The UAC website has a list of institutions that have their own early offer schemes.

Schools Recommendation Scheme closing – 18 September

Student applications for the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) close at 11.59pm on Monday 18 September. School ratings close at 11.59pm on Tuesday 3 October and the first SRS offers will be released on 10 November.

The upcoming UAC Digital webinar Let’s Chat – Applying to the Schools Recommendation Scheme is at 6pm on Wednesday 6 September. It will cover everything schools and students need to know about applying. If you miss it you can also watch the recording on YouTube.

Early bird applications closing – 29 September

Early bird applications close at 11.59pm on Friday 29 September, after which UAC’s processing charge increases significantly. This deadline is not related to early offers.

If you aren’t sure about what you want to study, I encourage you to submit an application and select any five courses. After you've applied you can change your preferences as many times as you like (for free) before offers are made in late December. Year 12 applicants can also 'commit to pay' using BPAY. Payment must be made, however, in order to have their application assessed and receive an offer.

Applications for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) and Equity Scholarships (ES) are all open and application guides are available to download.

Students should apply and provide any required documents for EAS by Thursday 23 November to guarantee they receive their eligibility letter by 14 December (before December Round 2) if they wish to change their preferences, and for their EAS eligibility to be considered in December Round 2. Watch the 'How to apply for EAS' video for step-by-step instructions on completing an EAS application. The upcoming UAC Digital webinar Let’s Chat – Applying for the Educational Access Scheme is at 6pm on Wednesday 4 October. You can also watch the recording on YouTube.

Career News for Year 10 Students

YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE

All Year 10 students are expected to participate in the work experience program which will be in week 5 Term 4 from the 6th – 10^th November.

Students are given the opportunity to learn new skills and pursue areas that they are interested in.  We hope that all students acquire an awareness and understanding of the ‘world of work' and that this knowledge will help them to understand further study and training options.

Students will need to find a placement and return all paperwork to Ms McDermott asap.

All documents can be found on the school website

https://killarney-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/learning-at-our-school/careers.html

Please contact me via email to make an appointment.

Julie.McDermott@det.nsw.edu.au

Band News

Junior Regional Band Tour: A Harmony of Music and Adventure in Wollongong!

Junior Regional Tour was a wonderful success with 54 musicians embarking on a three-day tour to the Wollongong Region.

First stop was a performance at Gwyneville Public School where our 4 ensembles inspired the entire school, receiving a hugely warm response from their impressive performances.

Students worked wonderfully on the first night to rehearse small group items. Working in this format without guidance from a teacher is a real test of maturity and without exception, all groups produced great results.

Day two started with activities at the Cataract Scout Centre and it was no small thing for the students to be participating in water activities in single digit temperatures.

We then travelled to Smith’s Hill High School – the selective high school in the Wollongong area – who hosted KHHS for a brilliant collaboration of seven ensembles (4 from KHHS and 3 from SHHS) culminating in a magnificent performance of Seven Nation Army involving over 100 musicians.

Our third day started with recording for guitar ensemble and highly valuable workshops with guest conductors for strings and concert band, Eric Dunan from the Wollongong Conservatorium.  Guest conductors commented that the KHHS ensembles were a pleasure to work with and were playing at an impressive level.

A brief but highly enjoyable stop at Symbio Wildlife park on the way home completed a memorable tour which was about more than the music – nurturing the talent, character and teamwork which make our young musicians so special.

Particular thanks to Mrs Belson and Mr Peawini as well as the wonderful band committee and Mrs Sam Eakin for tireless efforts in making this tour such a success.

Lazybones Jazz Event

On Tuesday, August 15th, our Big Band performed at Lazy Bones Lounge, a jazz club in Marrickville, supporting a band of professional jazz musicians, the Tuesday Night Jazz Orchestra. It was a great night, and the band was swinging! Neesha Bhagwat and Zoe Humberstone stole the show with their vocal prowess, and Lillian Clark premiered her HSC Big Band composition, ‘Jack of Spades’. The students were thrilled to play at a real jazz club, and are looking forward to their upcoming performances at Chatswood Concourse, and Manly Jazz Festival. 

ASBOF Event- Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival

On Sunday, 27th August, our Symphonic Winds and Big Band performed at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. This event has grown to run over 7 weeks at multiple venues across Sydney. It is a non-competitive festival of music for both primary school and high school ensembles, and each group receives adjudication from music professionals. The groups performed exceptionally, with Symphonic Winds taking out a Silver Award, and Big Band a Bronze Award. They will next perform at the NSSWE Spring Festival on Sunday, September 10th at Chatswood Concourse. Congratulations Symphonic Winds and Big Band!

Symphonic Winds performance at ASBOF was an absolute delight, showcasing the talent and dedication of the young musicians. For those who missed the concert or wish to relive the magic, the videos are now available, offering a chance to witness the remarkable performance and share in the joyous melodies once more.

 [1] Greg Butcher - Music for a Jubilant Occasion: 

[2] Frank Ticheli - Amazing Grace: 

[3] Steven Reineke - Fate of the Gods: 

NSSWE Spring Festival

On Sunday 10th September, Stage Band, Big Band, Concert Band and Symphonic Winds performed at NSSWE’s Spring Festival at Chatswood Concourse. Both Stage Band and Big Band performed at the foot of the Concourse steps for the outdoor jazz event, to a large and appreciative crowd. Concert Band and Symphonic Winds played in the main auditorium for the ticketed event, both playing spectacularly. 

The Northern Sydney Symphonic Wind Ensemble (NSSWE) is an extension program for student musicians who play woodwind, brass or percussion across the Northern Sydney region.

NSSWE is about Community, Performance, Development and Fun! and aims to complement and enhance school band programs by challenging those students who have gained a high degree of musical proficiency.

Providing our music students with opportunities for extension as they perform in professional and public venues, sharing their love of music with like-minded peers and developing their musical skills under the direction of highly qualified conductors.

Killarney Heights High School has a long and close relationship with NSSWE. We hosted their  Music In The Forest event in April, and look forward to working with them more in the future.

Samantha Eakin
Band Coordinator

Community News