Kambalda West District High School

Welcome back to KWDHS for the 2019 school year. We have had a fabulous start to the year  and as we wander through classrooms it has been terrific to see all students happy, safe and engaged in learning.

Teachers work in teams at KWDHS to collaboratively plan teaching and learning programs for all students. This does mean that your child may have more than one teacher for different subject areas. To make sure that you are fully aware of who is teaching your child/ren and how this is managed we are holding ‘Welcome to Kambalda West’ Parent Afternoon/ BBQ on Wednesday 20th February between 4 and 6 pm. Of course, parents are always welcome to make an interview time with their child’s teachers at any time throughout the school year. There will be a sausage Sizzle and Leadership students will be running games and activities for children to give parents time to have a chat with the teacher.

As in previous years we have experienced some staff changes. We have 2 new staff joining us this year. All have been working hard over the past weeks to ensure that they are fully prepared for their KWDHS experience. We welcome Miss Zoe Patterson who is teaching Years 5 and 6 in Room 15, and Miss Lauren Vogler, in Room 5 teaching Years 1 and 2. We would also like to welcome Mr Tony Ambrose, Secondary Maths and Design/Technologies Teacher to our school.

For families interested in more involvement with the school please remember the P&C Meetings are held in Week 2 and Week 7 of each term at 9 am in the Parent Room (Room 9) Meetings are typically no more than an half hour and your voice can make a big difference. Another alternative is the Canteen. The Canteen operates on Wednesdays and Friday and Marita could always do with an extra pair of hands to help out!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

On Entry Testing

On- Entry Assessment for Pre- Primary to Year 2 students will be underway from Week Three until Week Six. The main purpose of this assessment program is to provide teachers with information about each child’s current skills and understandings to support the planning and delivery of targeted and intentional learning programs, reflective of each child’s needs and capabilities. Further details will be sent to families via Skoolbag.

REACH Rewards

Has your child told you about our new school wide rewards system in Primary? If not, ask them! Every Primary student now has their own ‘REACH Passport’ where they can earn stamps for demonstrating our five values. For every five stamps they earn they receive a reward- stickers, prizes and value certificates. Your child may have also earned a ‘Goldie’ already this year, where they have been spotted demonstrating one of our REACH values by any member of staff. It has been fantastic seeing so many students visit the office to receive their passport stamps or return their ‘Goldie’ slips for the raffle draw!!

Primary Assemblies

Please note that primary assemblies will be held every three weeks during 2019. This term our assemblies will be held on Wednesdays of Weeks 4, 7, and 10 at 1:45pm in the Hub. These dates are marked on our school term planner.

Before School

Parents and carers of Kindy and Pre-Primary students, please refrain from entering the ECE gates until classroom doors open at 8:30am. This allows our staff time to prepare the area for the day’s activities. All playground areas are out of bounds before and after school for safety reasons as there is no supervision of students. Years 1-6 students should be in the Hub if they arrive early where they are supervised by Ms Tisdell from 8:10am. Families of Kindy and Pre-Primary children are welcome to wait with their children in the Undercover Area near Breakfast Club until the gates open at 8:30am.

Lastly, a reminder that the riding of bikes and scooters on school grounds is not permitted. Students and parents are please asked to dismount and walk their bikes on and off school grounds for your safety.

What a fantastic start to 2019!

Welcome back to the commencement of the 2019 school year. I would especially like to welcome our Year 7 students and parents/guardians who are transitioning into a secondary school environment for the first time. Welcome also to those students and parents/guardians who are new to our secondary school.

I would also like to welcome Mr Ambrose to the secondary teaching staff at Kambalda West District High School. Mr Ambrose joins us from Kununurra District High School and will be teaching mathematics and technologies.

Congratulations to our secondary students who have transitioned back into their school day with what appears to be very little effort. As I have been talking to students and conducting classroom visits it has been pleasing to see the high levels of engagement by them with their studies. Discussions with students at recess and lunch has been positive and it is pleasing to see that they are engaging well with their peers. It is evident that there is a strong and positive culture developing within our secondary students. Keep up the great work.

The progress that I have witnessed in our secondary students over the past 12 months reminded me of the following quote by Martin Luther King Jr:

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”

The progress made in the past 12 months within the secondary section of Kambalda West District High School is tangible, it is positive and it is a credit to the staff, students, and parents/guardians of our secondary students. It is important to acknowledge where we have come from, celebrate where we are, but importantly understand that our journey of improvement continues every single day.

In 2019, the focus for the secondary teaching staff and secondary students will be an explicit focus on improving academic rigour, student achievement and progress. There will continue to be a focus on the use of high engagement instructional strategies as well as the use of cooperative learning strategies in all secondary classes. To ensure that our students are better prepared for their senior school years we will be introducing end of semester exams in Mathematics, English, Science, and Humanities.

There have been some small changes to our timetable structure in 2019 that will also provide an educational experience designed to maximize opportunities for student engagement. In Year 7 & 8 students will be engaging in their elective course in single sex classes. This decision was made to ensure that teachers will provide a learning experiences that is customised to those particular students.

Next week will see the first of our student led secondary assemblies held for the year. These assemblies will focus on recognising those students who have demonstrated academic success as well as those who uphold our school values on a consistent basis. I look forward to sharing with you the positive stories as the year progresses.

In Week 7 of this term parents/guardians will be provided with an interim report from their child’s secondary teachers. This report will give you an overview of how your child has settled into school this year and importantly how they are tracking academically. These reports will be emailed home to parents and guardians, please contact the school to update your contact details to ensure that you receive this report on time.

The key to student success at school is very much founded on developing a strong partnership between parents/guardians, the student and their teachers. Research clearly identifies that where this partnership exists strong progress can be made on achieving positive educational and social-emotional outcomes for students at school. I strongly encourage you to contact your child’s teachers to check on how your child is progressing and also to identify ways in which the teacher and you can work together for the benefit of your child.

As always I am very happy to meet with you should you have a concern or query about your child or the educational programs offered at Kambalda West District High School. Please feel free to contact the school and ask to speak with me or make an appointment to meet in person.  

If you have not already done so, please like our school Facebook page so that we can share with you the fantastic work of your child and our students.

My name is Zoe Patterson and I have recently moved from Perth to the goldfields to take up teaching year 5/6 at Kambalda West. I am a social, energetic person who enjoys reading as much as I love the outdoors.  My favourite colour is yellow and I am a big fan of Harry Potter and the Fremantle Dockers.  My favourite subject to teach is maths. 

Hello, I'm Tony Ambrose and I'm the new Mathematics Teacher at Kambalda West District High School.

I have been a teacher now for five years, having previously taught Maths at Kununurra and several high schools in the Bunbury area.  I came late to teaching, not attending university until I was 44. Prior to teaching, I was in the recruitment industry, helping people and businesses find the right person for the right job. Before that, I spent 20 years in Transport & Logistics, doing many jobs, from FedEx driver to fleet controller for a division of Toll. 

I believe my extensive and varied work history helps me bring a 'real-world' dimension to my teaching. I emphasize resilience and problem solving to my students, as I believe in a rapidly changing world, those skills will always be valuable.

When not teaching, I am a basketball tragic and enjoy watching the NBA. I enjoy model making, having started doing it at an early age. Also, I have played Role Playing Games, on and off, for many years and hope to start a Dungeons and Dragons group in town.

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