Big Picture Academy

Outlearning and Learning Through Internships has been a huge focus for our Big Picture students in Term 3. One of the main components of Big Picture is ensuring that our students are involved in experiences that allow them to explore their passions and engage with the community and our Year 9 students are just beginning to dip their toes into the domain of LTI’s, with students going out to explore the working world in childcare and mechanics.  

Our Year 10 students were highly commended for leading NAIDOC games at Pelaw Main Public School and have been invited to other learning institutions to conduct these activities which promotes leadership and teamwork. Year 10 have also been working hard on their Gateway Exhibitions and this is the time for our students to truly reflect on their learning experiences and journey from the past two years. 

Year 11 have been working as a team to construct the first Big Picture Academy Showcase to demonstrate their learning to the school and the community. This event is the first of its kind and next year will feature all four advisories exhibiting their work.  

Our Year 12 students are almost finished their learning journey and are working hard to finalise their Senior Thesis Portfolio. We wish them well in their final few weeks and in all future post school endeavours! 

It is also that time of year where we begin the process of inviting Year 8 students to express their interest in joining the Big Picture Academy for 2023. We will be talking to Year 8 students during Week 8, providing them with enrolment information and discussing the application process, which will include the requirements students must undertake to apply. Information will also be forthcoming to all parents of Year 8 students. We wish all students applying for the 2023 Big Picture cohort the best of luck! 

Year 12 BPA 

With only 3 weeks left of school for the Year 12 Advisory, the students have been working hard on their Senior Thesis Portfolio and utilising as many resources as possible before they venture out into adulthood. This term we have had a focus on quality relationships in the community and how each individual plays a role in shaping the future. Year 12 has collected clothes from the other Big Picture advisories and donated them to Carrie's Place at Maitland. These opportunities have allowed for them to further build connections within their local community and understand the importance of creating positive network systems.  

They have worked closely with careers advisor Jen to take on as many opportunities as possible, with students participating in the YES Tafe Programs. We have students out on Animal Studies, Community Relations and Hairdressing and Barbering!  

Several year 12’s have stepped out of their comfort zone in Learning Through Internships and shadow days that have allowed them to explore a multitude of possible career pathways. Such as Cessnock Dog Grooming and Hair Tique on Lang.  

Our year 11s are following hot on their tails with many successfully landing part-time and full-time jobs and working hard to pursue their dreams! We love to see them branching out into the workforce and giving it their best effort.  

We hope to finish their year 12 studies off with as many positive opportunities as possible and wish them all the best in their post-school ventures!  

Year 11 BPA 

During Term 3, the Year 11 Big Picture Academy has been busy participating in Outlearning experiences and organising the Big Picture Academy Showcase which will be held on the 14th of September. 

On the 22nd of August, the Year 11 Big Picture Academy Advisory spent the day at Warners Bay as an Outlearning experience. 

The students organised the experience under the leadership of Olivia McDonald. The students began the day at Ice Skating. Although, some were apprehensive to begin with they were demonstrating the same skills as Torvill and Dean by the end of the hour. James Gibson was the star on the ice. They then went to the Esplanade for lunch in which James and Zac demonstrated their stone skipping skills on the lake.

It was then off to Dullboys to see if Robbo could bowl as good as she spruked all week. We took up 3 lanes and it was obvious at the start that Robbo would not be a winner today. The students had a great day out building the Advisory and just having fun. A big thankyou to Steve for driving the bus. 

This term has been a busy term with the Year 11 Advisory organising a Big Picture Academy Showcase on the 14th of September. This has never been organised at KKHS before and will enable students to demonstrate their learning to both the school community and the public. This will be a showcase of students work and will be a legacy project for years to come in the Big Picture Academy. 

On Tuesday the 30th of August, Gabrielle Abshilava from Snowy Hydro came into the Advisory to talk to about resume, cover letters and going for interviews. This is a necessary aspect of BPA as Learning Through Internships are an imperative part of the Big Picture Design. Gabrielle is in HR through Snowy Hydro and works in both Newcastle and Cooma as her job requires. Students found this insightful and as a result learned some valuable knowledge in regard to applying for a job and how to gain employment. 

On Wednesday the 31st of August students experienced ‘Courage to Care’. This was an opportunity for students to listen to a Holocaust survivor speak about their experiences in the way and how important it is to be an ‘Upstander’ and not a ‘Bystander’. Courage to Care presents survivors who have survived because of an ‘Upstander’. William Cooper a First Nations person was one man who started a protest and presented a petition to the German Consulate against the treatment of Jews in Germany. In 2017 his Grandson took his petition to the Consulate, and they accepted it with an apology to William Cooper. Irena Sendler saved over 2,500 children and Nicholas Winton 669 children. The message from this was ‘Everyone can to an upstander and have to Courage to Care. 

Year 10 BPA 

This term has been a full on term with students continuing their journey in their educational path way. Students are currently in the process of completing their Gateway Exhibition. The Gateway exhibition is the final and most important project of the students junior schooling in Big Picture. This task will assist students to plan, prepare, design and create a Gateway Exhibition which is truly reflective of your efforts here in Big Picture. Students are excited about reflecting on their journey so far. 

We currently have Lorissa Peterson, Samuel Tedd, Megan Gough, Keara Ball and Tahlea Frank out on their Learning Through Internships while knuckling down in their Gateway. Much credit to these students going out into the workforce while doing their work at school. 

We also have Hannah White, Abby Stauffer, Phillip Farnham Farley and Justin Hasler out doing YES Program at TAFE to further their education in their passions and interests. So far we have had great feedback from both students and the TAFE with their progression. We are very proud of these students going out of their comfort zone. 

As an advisory, we were asked by Pelaw Main Public School to run some Aboriginal Games to their students for NAIDOC week. The students of the public school had an amazing time and our students had the opportunity to use their leadership skills to use. It is amazing experience for our students to do some out learning and using their social skills in our local community.  

Not long to go until the end of term but I am very proud of the effort the students are putting in to become the best versions of themselves. 

Year 9 BPA 

The year 9 Big Picture Academy advisory has seen the students starting to take the next step in their time Big Picture, which is beginning to leave school to learn via the Learning Through internship (LTI) part of the design. Two students have successfully begun their placements related to their passions and aspirations.  

Now that we have reached term 3 the students are really starting to have a firm grasp of what is involved in the Big Picture Academy and how to design a personal interest project with significant depth. Projects underway this term include fitness and diet regimes for aspiring motorbike racers, the creation of a food truck business, music through the decades (1950s – present) and the conservation of Tasmanian devils. It is always inspiring to learn more about student passions and their knowledge about these areas of interest. 

Reading is another key part of the Big Picture Academy and in year 9 students are required to read at least three books and produce some work around these texts. As an advisory we have started to read the classic “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson. A tale of adventure, pirates and treasure. So far the advisory have been interested in the unique language and characters we have encountered.