AARETÉ ('αρετη):

Our journey to be the very best we can be

Every one of us is filled with promise, and it is that single word which is the key to our future. When we talk about promise, we speak of potential, the person we can potentially be if we challenge ourselves to make the right choices, if we have the courage to make the necessary commitment to achieving our goals. We are greatly assisted in realising our potential if we are provided the right support by those around us, by our friends, our parents, our teachers and our community.

Here at KWS we have a dedicated and caring staff and offer a myriad of opportunities for our students to pursue and to challenge themselves. Experiences designed for them to enjoy and to assist their growth as people and citizens.

But we cannot alone bring their potential to fulfilment. A simple yet appropriate phrase that our students must adopt is “if it is to be, it is up to me”. As they grow in the School, the responsibility begins to shift- it has to be “up to you”.

The most articulated value in Ancient Greek culture is ‘Arete’. The word correctly means ‘virtue’, or being the best you can be, reaching your highest potential. Excellence is closely linked to fulfilment; the act of living up to what you are capable of becoming.

Arete is often associated with bravery, but more regularly it is linked to effectiveness. To be a person of the highest effectiveness, a person has to be able to use all of their faculties-their strength, their bravery, their wit, and intelligence. In Classical Greece, Arete was part of the traditional training of a boy in his preparation for manhood; this training included physical training, mental training, spiritual training and training in the virtues of life.

We are a school which is unrepentant in focusing on all four aspects of life. We provide opportunities to participate in a wide range of co-curricular activities; in the critical academic side, we challenge each student to ‘be the best that they can be’, extending all levels of ability, supporting areas of weakness as well as challenging the most able. We focus on the significance of virtues and values in our community and we explore our spiritual dimension to give to one’s life something larger than oneself. It is the greatest good for one to consider virtue every day, for as Socrates reminds us “the unexamined life is not worth living”.

I am very proud of the students of this school. Many understand the concept of Arete, they accept the school’s values, and strive towards the fulfilment of their potential, making the most of the opportunities here at Kinross Wolaroi.

We see this clearly expressed in so many domains of school life such as the wonderful charity initiatives driven by our students, the recent examples of our students’ determination to achieve excellence in their Visual Arts, Textile Design, Drama and Music performance, in Latin competitions, exploring the night skies, in the pool, the equestrian arena and on the sports field.

I encourage all to have courage to strive to be the very best you can be, to achieve your goals and to honour those special gifts that every one of you possess.

An evening under the Stars

Our wildly enthusiastic Year 11 Astronomers recently hosted an evening for staff to gaze upon the heavens. We have a passionate group of students who under the tutelage of Mr Rod Sommerville and members of our Science staff have formed ‘The Year 11 Astro Team’ who explore the universe locating and observing stars and constellations found in the night sky.

Even though we battled some cloud cover, the students were able to locate Mars, Jupitier and Saturn and shared their knowledge of these planets. Four very substantial telescopes were set up on the main oval, each directed towards particular celestial features. As I gazed upon Mars through the telescopic lens, a member of the team guided me to observe the redish tinge surrounding the planet and then infomed me that the colouring was due to the high presense of ferric oxide on the planet – very similar to what we find in central Australia. The enthusiasm demonstrated by the team was inspiring. Being part of the Astro Team not only broadens and deepens our students’ knowledge of science but also develops presentation skills and self confidence. This activity represents just one of the great many activities that are available for our students to explore and enjoy.

Last term, the Astro Team held a very successful evening guiding the boys of Trathen House around the night sky and sharing their knowledge with them; an activity enjoyed by the boys immensly.

The Astro Team will be holding a similar event for their families in the near future and late in the Term will be involved in a public evening organised by Charles Sturt University.

HSC Drama Showcase

Last Thursday evening I had the immense pleasure of being a member of the packed audience to see our Year 12 Drama students perform their Individual and Group Performances. The showcase featured 15 Individual Performances, 4 Group Performances and the display of a Costume Design. What a wonderful demonstration of our students’ talents and Ms Alex Dunkley’s skill and inspiration. We were treated to a complete spectrum of performance ranging from the hilarious to the dark and macabre. The standard of performance right across the board was outstanding and no doubt will delight their examiners. A very special night indeed. Congratulations Year 12 Drama and well done.

Senior Leaders 2018-2019

At our recent Assembly, the School’s Student Leaders for 2018 - 2019 were announced and we congratulate them on this honour and responsibility. Selection was based upon application, interview and student and staff vote. I am delighted with the team that has been assembled and know they will make an outstanding contribution to the life of the School over the coming year.

Head Girl – Emer Spora

Head Boy – Stirling Taylor

Deputy Head Girl – Jorja Griffiths

Deputy Head Boy – Ethan Buesnel

Girl Prefects – Mabel Brockmann, Charlotte Haling and Olivia Mirrington

Boy Prefects – Hugh Aldersley, Bradman Gavin and Benjamin Gillham

I am sure you will join with me in wishing them every success in their future roles.

2019 Student Representative Council

Congratulations to those students who have been elected to represent the SRC to give voice and leadership to the student body. We wish you well as you strive to make our School a finer place.

Year 7: Ella Buesnel, Mack Johnston, Brydee Roll and Hugh Thompson

Year 8: Chanel Knight, Cailin McKay, Matt Shepherd and Josh Sutherland

Year 9: Bethany Bell, Ziggy Jackson Le-Couteur, Lizzie Kwa andJames Thompson

Year 10: Jetta Kennett, Jack Wakem, Henry Williams and Bridget Yeomans

Year 11: Bradman Gavin (Prefect), Ben Gilham, Charlotte Haling and Olivia Mirrington (Prefect)

Congratulations

Pip Mannix – Under 16 National Hockey Selection

Recently, Pip Mannix successfully represented NSW in the National Championships in Brisbane where the NSW team defeated Queensland in the final to claim the Gold Medal. Following Pip’s outstanding performance, she has been named in the Australian Team that will tour Europe next year. An outstanding achievement.

National Latin Exam success

Five KWS students have been awarded gold medals for their performance in the 2018 National Latin Exam (NLE). Over 131,000 students sat for the 2018 Exam from twenty-five countries around the world. At the Year 10 level, gold medals were awarded to Karrah Cisco, Luc Nelson, and Oliver Karaitis who all scored over 90 %. In Year 11, Molly Harris was also awarded gold and was closely followed by Ben Gillham and Ben Bellamy who received silver medals.

In Year 12, Jemima McPhee’s outstanding result and consistently high performance over the last four years have led to a scholarship offer from the NLE organisation towards the cost of tertiary studies.

These are excellent results and reflect the efforts and commitment to excellence shown by these students, and their talented and dedicated teachers, Mr Peter Stevens and Mrs Kate Edwards.

Dr Andrew Parry

Principal

Upcoming Events

HSC Music Recital Evening

String Concert

Industrial Technology Exhibition

Spring Soiree