Term 4 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Report

As we reach the midpoint of the final term, I am proud to reflect on all that our school community has accomplished this year. It has been a time of growth, learning, and connection and I am grateful for the dedication and hard work of our students, staff, and families.

In these final five weeks, our focus remains on supporting each student’s success. We are working to ensure that students are fully prepared for any upcoming assessment tasks as well as supporting our Grade 10 students’ transition into Grade 11, other training opportunities or work. Similarly, we are focused on ensuring a smooth transition for our incoming 2025 Grade 7 cohort and I have personally enjoyed getting to know students, families, and primary school staff at the various transition activities.

End-of-Year celebrations

We have recently communicated extensively with our Grade 10 families about their activities and events over the final few weeks of term. Please reach out to your young person’s Community Teacher or to Ms Kumar if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing many of you at some of the final events, including the dinner arrivals and final assembly.

Close to the end of the year there will also be award assemblies for other grades. All families will be invited and are encouraged to attend these, with the whole year group. Families of young people receiving an award will also be informed of this when recipients are finalised.

SASS sessions

The Sexual Assault Support Service is a wonderful organisation in Tasmania. Their education-outreach program is outstanding and over the past two weeks staff and all Grade 9/10 students have benefited from the delivery of their CaRE program (Consent and Relationships Education).

Tasmania was one of the first jurisdictions in Tasmania to adopt a legal notion of affirmative consent and Legal Aide Tasmania defines it concisely: Consent to sex - Tasmania Legal Aid

Although having conversations with teens about sex and consent can be awkward for some, it is of crucial importance. I am very pleased that we were able to provide this learning to students. I encourage families to keep the conversation going at home and think that you will find the SASS resources useful to that end: Resources

2025 Senior Leaders

Following an application process in Term 3, I can now announce Kingston High School’s 2025 Grade 10 Senior Leaders:

Jackson B

Willow M

Christa C

Luca M

Mem A

Alice S

Kayla McP

Lucille de la M

I want to thank these students for having the courage to put themselves forward to serve their school and note that for some, official duties have already begun with them representing the school at transition events and the Kingston Remembrance Day ceremony.

Our 2024 strategic work:

The Kingston Code

One piece of significant strategic work this year that is about to come to fruition is the co-construction of an aspirational statement of expected behaviours in our learning community, which we are calling the Kingston Code.

• Through extensive consultation with students, staff, and the School Association we now have a values-aligned, statement of expected behaviours. Over coming years, The Kingston Code will be used as a frame for discussions, as an aspirational target and as a guide and inspiration for all students as to exactly what it means to be a successful student by demonstrating responsibility, courage, growth, respect, and connection.

Family satisfaction survey data and Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey

As I have communicated before, our strategic work in 2024 has been framed in three priority areas:

Priority 1: High expectations for teaching and learning

Priority 2: High expectations of and for student support and a positive, safe and orderly school culture

Priority 3: High expectations for systems, communication and connection

One important measure regarding our success in Priority 2 was the family satisfaction survey results and the Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey. I have good news to report in this respect.

• There has been a 3% increase in the percentage of students reporting high wellbeing in the ‘I feel safe at school’ measure.
• Similarly, there is significant improvement in family data related to the question, ‘My child feels safe at this school’. Staff also report an increase in their perception that our students feel safe at school.
• Suspension rates in the latter half of the year are significantly lower than the start of the year and the same time last year, indicating more of our students are meeting our high expectation more often and that our other interventions are proving successful.

In relation to Priority 3, families report a much stronger response to the question, ‘This school is well organised’ and that our staff regularly communicate with you regarding your young person’s learning progress.

I am incredibly proud of the work of the entire team throughout 2024. These are just a few data-points that indicate an improving school culture and climate.

This data also points to areas for future focus and development and will be captured in the school’s 2025 strategic planning documents as they are finalised over the coming months.

If you are interested in having an impact on the future direction of the school and enjoy discussions about strategy and organisational change, I encourage you to consider joining the School Association in 2025.

New Principal in 2025

I know most of you received my email from late in Term 3. I again want to congratulate Mr Lachlan Joyce on his appointment to the role in 2025. Mr Joyce has most recently led Dover District School through a period of significant improvement and has been working closely with me over the past few weeks regarding staff and strategic planning for 2025. I know that Mr Joyce will hit the ground running and that he looks forward to meeting as many new and returning families as soon as possible.

I am very grateful for my time and experience at Kingston High School. Thank you for entrusting us with your children. I am sure they are in good hands with our caring and knowledgeable staff.

We look forward to finishing the year well and we’re excited for all the celebrations and achievements that lie ahead.

In partnership,

David Bryant
Acting Principal

ARC

Term 3 has got off to a busy start in the ARC program. We have hosted a guest speaker from TMEC (Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council) who ran an exciting workshop for our students. You can see students in action here, creating balloon-powered Lego cars, to varying levels of success! Afterwards we unpacked how many jobs were involved in the making of the cars.

Also, this term we have collaborated with the Kingborough Council to set some students up for work readiness. Many of our grade 10s have taken up the opportunity to attend the Kingborough HUB on Fridays to gain valuable work-place certificates, such as the RSA and First Aid cert. This program will be running again next year for ARC students, so let us know if you would like to secure a spot!

Our project work this term has been focused on career development. Students have been exploring their strengths and interests, connecting them to a work industry. They will then identify personal career goals and map out how to achieve their ultimate dream job. Students will ‘apply’ for a real job developing a resume and cover letter and prepare for an in-house interview late this term.

Work based learning has continued apace with now over 70 placements having gone ahead. Particular mention for Alex and Finn who had a valuable experience at Aquenal Marine Environmental Consultancy. The students took samples on the water, tested in the lab and explored the field of marine biology. What a great experience!

Nadia Colquhoun   ARC Coordinator

ARC

FOODS

This term, Grade 7 & Grade 8 students have been enthusiastically creating delicious dishes in their Food, Design & Technology classes. 

Sharni Nichols 

MUSIC

This term has been an exciting and productive one for our Music Department! Students across multiple grades have been diving into creative and collaborative projects, refining their skills, and sharing their passion for music in preparation for key performances.

In Grades 7 to 10, students have been tackling composition tasks with enthusiasm and creativity. Working in groups, they explored how changing elements of music, such as dynamics, tempo, and instrumentation, can transform even simple chord arrangements into expressive pieces. These sessions were not only about composing but also about understanding the depth that different musical elements can add to a piece, making it uniquely their own.

Alongside their compositions, students have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming Twilight Concert on November 28. This annual highlight gives students the chance to perform songs of their choice, showcasing their talents and hard work. Each recess and lunch, you can find dedicated students practicing their pieces to perfect them for the event, eager to make the evening memorable for everyone in attendance.

Adding to the term’s excitement is the upcoming Primary Band Tour, scheduled for early December. Students from the Junior, Senior, and Stage Bands will embark on a two-day tour, performing at five of our feeder primary schools. This is a fantastic opportunity for our musicians to inspire younger students, demonstrating the skills and commitment required to excel in music. It’s always a rewarding experience that leaves a lasting impression on both our performers and their young audiences.

For Grade 10 students, this term has also been about setting future goals as many look toward College Music classes. With this in mind, they have been focusing on strengthening their theoretical knowledge and performance skills. This preparation aims to ensure they feel confident and ready for the next level of music education.

As we wrap up the term, the Music Department celebrates the dedication, growth, and accomplishments of all our young musicians. We would like to thank Instrumental Specialists Catherine Johnston, Simon Cawthorn and Jamie Pregnell for their unending support and attention to detail.

The Music Department would like to express sincere gratitude to all the parents and carers who support our students. Your generosity of time, resources, and encouragement plays a vital role in their musical journey, helping them grow in both skill and confidence. Your unwavering support truly makes a difference, and we are deeply appreciative of all you do to foster a love of music in our school community. Thank you for being an essential part of our students’ success!

John Salter

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Anything I write cannot better convey the outstanding learning and joy our young people take from our Outdoor Education program.

Simon McKenzie

Outdoor Education

ART

Congratulations to Skye D – Grade 10 on her acceptance into the National Gallery of Australia, Summer Art Scholarship.  Skye will represent Tasmania at this national event. 

Skye successfully navigated the rigorous application process and developed a thoughtful, connected, high-quality body of work that deeply honours its subject matter.

Skye

ART - Young Archies Competition

Congratulations to Corrine C for earning a ‘Highly Commended’ award in the Year 9 & 10 Category at the 2024 Young Archies Award Ceremony! Her work, along with other portraits by Kingston High School students, was showcased at the UTAS School of Creative Arts and Media, Hunter Street Hobart in September.

Photo credit: Jonathan Wherrett Photography for the two professional photographs.

The Young Archies Awards

ADMIN OFFICE HOURS

Office hours 8.00am – 4.00pm open daily.

The Uniform Shop is open for additional operating hours commencing Wednesday 29 January 2025. See below.

2025 Uniform Shop Opening Hours

STUDENT SUCCESS

Kayla 9C2, Libby 8D3 and Tegan 9C1 represented Kingston High School recently, competing in the 2024 Tasmanian All Schools Track and Field Tas Competition held at Domain Athletics Centre on 2-3 November 2024. Kayla received a silver medal in sprint hurdles and long jump. Libby has been selected to represent the state in these 2 events in Brisbane next month.

Athletics