Message from 

the Principal

A note from the Governor of NSW

Last week I received a warm note of appreciation and encouragement for all the work schools have been doing in supporting our students throughout what has been a particularly challenging and unsettling year. Her Excellency Governor Margaret Beazley AC QC also wrote a delightful letter to our Year 12 students, wishing them well and commending them for their resilience and positive approach in what has been a year of missed opportunities for many. 

She identified one of the important goals of education as being the preparation for some of the many challenges that life presents. Our students have responded so positively and constructively to all that has confronted them this year. I strongly believe their regional background, where families are constantly challenged by the fluctuations of weather, markets, and nature has provided them with greater perspective and a grounded approach to life. These are wonderful attributes to possess and ones which will equip them well for their journeys ahead.

Our Year 12’s have recently completed their HSC Trials and have only a few weeks of formal schooling ahead of them. An exciting future lies before them, one filled with so much possibility and opportunity. The Governor concluded her note to our Year 12’s with the following message:

“Congratulations for ‘sticking with it’ and thank you for the way you have responded to this difficult year. This Coronavirus period will pass. The future is yours to shape and as I meet young people around New South Wales I know that in your hands, our community will be in good hands.”

And I fully support the Governor’s sentiment and perspective. We are very proud of our Year 12 cohort.

With the conclusion of our Year 12’s schooling comes the passing of the baton to our Year 11’s who will soon assume the role of Leaders and Senior students within the Kinross Wolaroi Community. Appropriately, our changing of the guard takes place in Spring, a season of renewal and rebirth, a magical time of colour, life and anticipation. It is time for new vision and inspiration as we embrace fresh opportunities for the future. 

At our recent Year 11 meeting I had the pleasure of announcing our new School Prefects for 2020-2021. Our leaders have been selected by their peers and the School’s staff following a detailed application and interview process. All our Senior students have the opportunity to lead, to set an example in their conduct, relationships, sport, academic work and desire to make our School a better place. Leadership is not about position or wearing a badge, it is about service and making a contribution to the lives of others.

I am delighted to announce our Prefects for 2020-2021:

• Bethany Bell
• Ziggy Jackson-Le Couteur
• Emily L’Estrange
• Zac Lewis
• Phoebe Litchfield
• Jin Luechai (Boarding)
• Jemma Luelf (Boarding)
• Josie Mitchell
• Bella Scammell
• Charlie Southwell
   
• Ella Andrews – Deputy Head Prefect
• Will Rawson – Deputy Head Prefect
   
• Jess Mosely – Head Prefect
• James Thompson – Head Prefect

I am sure you will join with me in wishing them all the best as they strive to serve the students of our fine School.

Congratulations - Wonderful news! 

OnSTAGE nominations

Yesterday we were advised by NESA of five individual Drama performances which have been nominated for possible inclusion in OnSTAGE, a selection of performances and individual projects from the HSC. Congratulations go to the following Year 12 students for their outstanding individual performances:

Xanthe Booth for ‘I Tonya’; Laura Cockerill for ‘Fool for Love’; Ondine Slack-Smith for ‘Dog Eat Dog’; Sophie Starr for ‘D.I.D. He Do It?’. 

This is a fabulous achievement and a great credit to our students and their teacher, Ms Alex Dunkley.

ABC Heywire Grant

Last night our Director of TREE, Mrs Sue-Ann Gavin attended a Virtual Grant Awards ceremony, presented by ABC Heywire. Mrs Gavin has been successful in receiving a grant for a project she has called ‘We need farmers’. The details of the project are outlined below:

1. Engage with community stakeholders. Local farmers, producers, abattoirs, sustainable small market growers, wineries, orchardists. We have so many amazing contributors to our TREE program currently. These stakeholders will work with the Stage 5 Agriculture students to create teaching and learning material for the Stage 1 students, they will act as Industry Mentors to ensure the development of the material is accurate. Agriculture students will learn first-hand the roles and processes from our farming community.
2. Stage 1 will embark on 'farming' experiences as fieldwork activities. They will see firsthand the animals, crops, food and material that go into the products they consume on a daily basis.
3. Stage 5 Agriculture will create learning tools, worksheets, videos, jigsaws, board games, etc. that they will share and use in conjunction with the 'farm' visits. These resources will be developed by the Senior Students but created with industry experts. Utilising the diverse skill set within our local community we will have the Agriculture students work with a graphic designer and video making to produce high quality, shareable resources to engage the Stage 1 student with why ‘We Need Farmers’. The FRRR funds will contribute to the development of these resources.
4. Stage 1 and Stage 5 students will work through these units and resources, which will coincide with farm visits and experiences to ensure that our Stage 1 students understand why ‘We Need Farmers’ and our Senior students feel validated as to why they have chosen to study Agriculture.

For 22 years ABC Heywire has given young people in regional Australia a platform to share their stories and ideas with the nation. Each year 50 young people are chosen to attend the ABC Heywire Regional Youth Summit and develop ideas to make life even better in Regional Australia. The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and their donor partners support the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants, which back community organisations to implement ideas from the Summit, and make a positive impact in regional, rural and remote communities.

ABC Heywire is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Health; the Department for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications; the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment; the Department of Social Services and AgriFutures Australia. 

Staff appointments

Mrs Claudia McCalman - Senior Years Coordinator 

Mrs Claudia McCalman started at Kinross in 2007 and is well known to the School community. Claudia is an extraordinary English teacher and has been heavily involved in the pastoral and co-curricular life of the School. She has been wonderful in her role as Year 7 Coordinator for the past two years. As Year 7 Coordinator, Claudia established a highly effective framework and her energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the students has had a profound impact upon our Year 7 cohorts as they transition to Senior School. We will be calling for Expressions of Interest for the position of Year 7 Coordinator shortly. 

Mr Bruce Paine - Careers Advisor 

Mr Bruce Paine will commence as Careers Advisor next Term and is well known to the School community, starting his journey here in 1999. Bruce has a strong interest in 'life coaching' and his excellent rapport and rich life experience will see him be highly effective in assisting our students to make considered decisions about their future. He has worked alongside Mrs Kimberley Jones at many careers evenings and has been an outstanding teacher of secondary students for over twenty years. 

Teacher Librarian (Maternity Leave position) – Mrs Lisa Pengilly

Mrs Sophie Grivas is due to go on Maternity Leave later in Term 4 of this year, and I am very pleased to announce that Mrs Lisa Pengilly will take on Sophie’s role, commencing in Term 1/2021. Lisa is very well known to us, being a Junior School teacher at KWS since 1996. Her skills will see her be an asset to the service-oriented Library team who support our students from the Junior School through to Year 12. We wish Sophie all the best for her Maternity Leave, and also Lisa as she branches into another area of our vibrant School.

I am also very pleased to announce the following appointments in the Science Faculty: 

Mrs Catherine Litchfield – Head of Science 

Mrs Catherine Litchfield has accepted the position of ongoing Head of Science, effective immediately. Catherine is well known to the School community and will continue to lead the Science Department with great energy and professionalism. 

Mr Nathan Lewis - 2IC Science 

Mr Nathan Lewis will now move from Acting to ongoing 2IC Science. Nathan has been a valued contributor to our Science Faculty since he commenced at KWS in 2018. Nathan was 2IC Science at Knox Grammar School prior to his arrival at Kinross Wolaroi. 

Mr Caleb Willis - Science Teacher 

Mr Caleb Willis has accepted a permanent teaching role at KWS after joining us to cover Matthew Healey's Long Service Leave. Caleb has made a great impact in the Science Department and I am delighted he can join the KWS staff in a permanent capacity.

Announcement of retirements & resignations

Mrs Michelle Hill - Head of Mathematics 

Mrs Michelle Hill has recently met with me to share her intention to retire from teaching at the end of her year of Long Service Leave. Michelle's original intention was to return to teaching after her Long Service Leave this year, but due to a change in family circumstances, she has made the decision to retire. Michelle will finish with Kinross Wolaroi School at the end of Term 4, 2020 after 35 years of dedicated service to the School. 

Michelle has made a wonderful contribution to the life of the School, starting as a Mathematics teacher in 1985, taking a special interest in the accelerated Maths program and Extension 2 Maths. She has been outstanding in her role as the Head of Mathematics for the last nine years, a period where her subject has flourished at the School. 

Michelle has been a strong advocate for student wellbeing and has contributed to the pastoral life of the School in a number of capacities. She served as the Head of Miller House from 2002 -2006; was the Head of Richards House for 11 years; initiated an Anti-Bullying committee and has been a Peer Support trainer. 

Michelle has been involved in many co-curricular activities over the years and has fulfilled the roles of MIC for Softball and Hockey. She has also accompanied student Hockey tours to Argentina and the UK. 

We wish Michelle many years of good health and happiness as she enjoys a well-deserved retirement at the end of the year. 

Our School is far richer for her contribution.

Mr Tobias Wehr-Candler and Ms Sarah Cook 

I have recently met with Tobias Wehr-Candler and Sarah Cook who have advised me that they wish to resign from their respective roles of Master in Charge of Rowing and Senior Rowing Coach/Athlete Development Coordinator at the conclusion of this Term.

They have greatly appreciated the opportunity to be involved at Kinross Wolaroi and lead our rowing program. They have found this a very difficult decision however the period throughout COVID-19 has been challenging and this combined with starting a family has revealed to them the value of being located where they have the support of their family network. 

Their impact upon our program over the two years they were with us has been significant with some of the highlights being:

• Every member of the KWS Senior Squad winning a medal at the 2019 NSW Schoolgirl and Schoolboy Head of the River
• KWS finishing 3rd at the 2019 Australian National Rowing Championships winning 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medal
• Taking a crew to the UK to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta for the first time in the School’s history
• KWS being presented the 2019 World Rowing Sustainability Award for the collaborative regeneration project at Spring Creek between KWS and Orange City Council.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunities they have afforded our students and I wish them well as they move to Canberra to run the Rowing Program at Canberra Grammar School.

We shall be advertising for a new MIC of Rowing/Coach in the near future.

Dr Andrew Parry 

Principal