The Kilmore inTernaTional School · TKIS Newsletter Issue 4, 2020 - Page 3 careerS UPDaTe Elizabeth...

The Kilmore inTernaTional School

newSleTTer

Issue 7 - July-August 2020

on-site and remote learning provisions for term 3

Content

Welcome 2Year 11 Return 3Careers Update 3Mathematics Competition 4Public Speaking & Debating 5CPR Training 5IB Update 6Year 5 Writing Samples 6International Office Update 8Boarding House Update 9Congratulations 9 Year 11 Wellbeing 10 General Notices 12 Connect with us 13

Front cover image credit:Chloe Smith Photography

Contact: Kristy MacdonaldEmail: [email protected]

The Kilmore International School40 White Street KilmoreVIC 3764 Australia

Tel: (03) 5782 2211Fax: (03) 5782 2525Email: [email protected]

welcomeIt was with great optimism and hope that after the return to school at the end of Term 2, the words ‘Remote Learning’ would be far behind us. Yet, for most of us, here we are again! Although this is far from ideal, we know we can do this. And while we have no choice but to follow the guidance and abide by the restrictions in place, we may as well take from this situation as many positives as we can. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover from difficulties. This time is certainly a difficult one, but we will all come out the other side more resilient that when we went in.

Remote Learning 2.0 saw many changes in the Primary School. Time was spent preparing ‘packs’ for each student, students would be working to a more structured, albeit adjusted, timetable and more ‘face-to-face’ teaching taking place. It has been fabulous to hear reports from teachers, families, and the students themselves, saying that the transition to remote learning this term was, for the most part, seamless.

Just a reminder about teaching and learning expectations in the primary school:Each student will be given an ‘adjusted’ timetable for Term 3, with a weekly timetable and run down of classes/activities provided. All primary classes will be set the following four tasks each day (please allow for some flexibility as changes may be required).

1. Literacy – which over the week may include a variety of: spelling; grammar; handwriting; reading and comprehension tasks and writing activities.2. Numeracy – which over the week may include a variety of: Mathletics/Khan Academy; topic based lessons; project work; assessments or tests3. Other – which over the week may include: IDL topic based lessons and tasks; Wellbeing and Mindfulness activities; I.P for Year 5 & 6 students4. Specialists – One specialist activity each day – across the week each class will have one lesson of: Art, PE, Science; Music and Language B (Indonesian or Chinese). These specialist classes will take place at the same time each week. A specialist timetable has been provided to your child.

It is expected that students attend all scheduled meetings with their teachers. They are just the same as attending a lesson in a classroom. These meetings may be where content is explicitly taught, or detail and information about activities are explained with an opportunity for questions and clarification provided.

Please contact your child’s teacher if there are any difficulties or concerns with your child attending their remote learning classes.

I will leave you with a thought provided by one of our Year 6 students: “When we research history, we learn about things such as wars, important people, inventions, the Bubonic Plague etc. Isn’t it amazing to think, that in years to come, students will be researching what we went through with Covid-19. We are a part of that history!”

Julie DaniellsPrimary School Coordinator

TKIS Newsletter Issue 4, 2020 -

careerS UPDaTe

Elizabeth McCormickCareers & Higher Education [email protected]

July-August Update from the Careers Office

virtual open days• University of Melbourne Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 September• Monash Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 August; Monday 31 August • RMIT Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 August 2020• LaTrobe Bendigo 23 August• Deakin Sunday 16 August• Swinburne Continuous Open Day from 12 August• Google (university name) Open Day and then REGISTER to get the link

monash faculty WebinarsGo online and register https://www.monash.edu/news/events

Wednesday 12 August EngineeringWednesday 19 August Information Technology

And lots of others!!!! If you miss the webinar you can watch the recording.

Year 11 & 12 reTUrn To SemeSTerOn Tuesday 14 July, Year 11 and Year 12 IB students returned to school after three weeks of holidays to continue their second semester studies.

Our first Year 11 extended homeroom was held on the Friday of the first week. Each homeroom displayed a presentation of effective study methods, which will support and improve students’ studies for the future. These study methods include retrieval practice, dual coding, elaboration, concrete examples and spaced practice. Some students reflected that it was helpful, but it is difficult to be motivated, while other students reflected they thought the methods will be helpful if practised every day.

The SLC members are always happy to help students remain motivated and strive to increase morale.

We would like to thank Dr Cheema and all the Homeroom teachers for their contributions to the Year 11 cohort throughout this year. We are looking forward to our journey throughout Semester Two!

Compiled by:Yuk Ying Zhang (Joycelyn)Student leader – Publications Committee 2020Year 11 at TKIS

- TKIS Newsletter Issue 4, 2020

maThemaTicS challengeStudents at The Kilmore International School love Mathematics and no better example of this was evident when 44 of our students participated in this year’s Australian Mathematics Competition held on Thursday the 30th of July.

For well over twenty years our school has taken part in this competition and last year we were honoured to have several students achieve scores that placed them within the top 1% of candidates within the state. This year, due to health restrictions, only students in Years 11 & 12 were able to sit the paper. However, when more details become available, regarding full student return, we will look to extend the competition to all students in Years 3-10.

The photo shows Sijun (Lynda) Liu working sagely through the tricky questions posed.

Paul SzcuzrHead of Mathematics


PUblic SPeaKing SUcceSSUn voice

The Kilmore International School is proud to announce that five of our very talent students represented the school at the UN Voice State Final 2020. Congratulations to Benyamin Littooij, Aarushi Sodhi, Maddison Ling, Harrison Hill and Grace Heywood on your success. Harrison Hill, who was awarded first place in the competition for his insightful and well delivered speech, will go on to represent The Kilmore International School at the National Competition to be held next year.

dav public speaking

We also extend our warm congratulations to Benyamin Littooij and Aarushi Sodhi who competed in the second round of the DAV Public Speaking Competition on Friday 24th July. We will know the results on August 17th when the judges have had the chance to listen to all the recorded entries.

dav debating

Despite these challenging times, the DAV has continued to run the School’s Debating Competition via Zoom and Teams. Last week Year 11 students Charlie Attard, Navtej Luthra and Jamie Ryan faced Siena College in a Secret Topic Debate. The topic, “That casting in the entertainment industry should reflection society” was released an hour prior to the debate. The students were able to develop some compelling arguments in support of the motion but narrowly lost by only one point.

Our Year 9 Team also debated via Zoom and had the added challenge of liaising with each other remotely. Maddison Ling, Kim Wang and Ryan Haque provided excellent arguments in favour of the motion “That we should embrace the cashless economy”, beating Siena College. This was the team’s third consecutive win in the competition; if they win the next two rounds, they will qualify for the finals later in the year. Congratulations to Ryan who won Best Speaker in this debate.

Anglea GowerTeacher, Head of Language A

cPr Training Staff completed CPR Training recently.

Thank you to the School Nurses for making these arrangements and ensuring that despite the restrictions, we could still complete this very important qualification.


ib UPDaTe

iBdp challenges and successes

Students in Year 11 and 12 commenced Term 3 with a mission to return to a sense of normality in their education. Classes resumed with a more spacious feel and the scent of disinfectant and sanitizer and, more recently, colourful masks have appeared. Beneath them lie the brave faces of students doing their best to thrive under these new conditions. We should all be very proud of their resilience and optimism for they are emerging in the spirit of the IBDP: they are caring, reflective and principled thinkers who “recognize their common humanity” and are helping to “create a better world” through their actions.

Despite the challenges to regular routines such as CAS opportunities and experimental work, among others, staff and students have found creative ways to use technology and the current climate to overcome the changes to school life. Year 11 students have responded to Covid-19 by organising a CAS experience that aims to make 100 masks for donation to an asylum seekers’ support group. Following this initial plan, there is the opportunity to make more and package them with a small bottle of sanitizer for sale and to donate funds to other charities doing important work with affected people in the community. Students also committed to making a short video that shows our school to students of Soksan International School in Cambodia, the school visited in January by our students. This is an example of the generous and creative work of our senior students.

Also this term, as Year 12 students completed their IBDP Extended Essay (EE), Year 11 students commenced their EE journey with a presentation and received their EE Handbook. Both the handbook and the PowerPoint presentation can be accessed by students on Teams. The first step in this process is to consider topics and areas of interest that will motivate them in the research and development of this 4000-word, university style essay - excellent preparation for their tertiary future! The EE is a Core task and is compulsory in the aim of achieving the Diploma. Students must submit their proposed topics by the end of week 5 (14th August).

The process of researching and writing the Extended Essay represents the learner profile in action. Being open-minded, principled and reflective are aspects of the student experience within the EE. It provides students with the opportunity to become more internationally minded by engaging with the local and global communities on topics of personal inquiry.

The EE is a challenging and rewarding experience, which prepares students for different pathways beyond the Diploma Programme by developing skills valued by both tertiary education and employers. The EE embodies the essence of an IB education in developing inquiring, critical, lifelong learners.

Year 12 students are in the final stretch of their IBDP journey, with Mock Examinations scheduled for the two weeks between the 14th and 25th of September. These two weeks represent the final IBDP Examination schedule by giving the students an authentic experience of time-management, revision strategies, examination conditions and self-care routines. The schedule will be released to families once confirmed. Until then, students are completing their learning of content in their subjects and consolidating their examination skills. They are also being guided and supported to finalize the submissions of their Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge essay and various Internal Assessments. These will all be uploaded to the IB information system for assessment and/or moderation by IB examiners all over the world.


Deanna KrillisIB Coordinator

Parents are reminded to stay in contact with the IBDP team, especially in cases when students need extra care. With accurate knowledge of the situation, we can work with the IBO to provide appropriate and sensitive support when needed.

Best of luck to all as we navigate the following months with our IBDP students.

tHe misUnderstandingBy Yuchen Chong Yr 5

On one dark dim night near the mansion where Tom, the famous actor lived, there was a cunning and sneaky robber. The robber had a big scar on his pale face and had a hideous tattoo on his left arm which was holding the bloated bag of Tom’s money. The robber ran past a man who was standing at the corner of the mansion. Tom woke up to see his jewels and goods vanished into thin air. “My goodness”, said Tom in unpleasantness, “My money has been stolen!”.

the adventures of lachy and dobbyBy Lachlan Bentley Yr 5Dobby was barking. “Oh no. What now?” announced Lachy. Lachy was alone in the house with his dog. Dobby the small white dog put his nose on the window. Lachy couldn’t see what Dobby was barking at. “Be nice,’’ Lachy said. But Dobby kept barking. “I wish Mum were here. When will she be back? Where is she? Who is here Dobby? Where can we hide? Which way should we go?”

Lachy picked up Dobby and quickly hid behind the coat stand. “Look right over there,” Lachy whispered. “Keep quiet and we might see who will come out of the dark. What can I use to hide us better?” Which one is mum’s coat he thought? Lachy quickly slipped on the coat and hid Dobby in his pocket. Now Lachy could see what had made Dobby bark.

It was something or someone coming towards the front door. As it got closer Lachy could see that it was a tall man, but he couldn’t see his face yet. The man was wearing a big coat with a hood. Lots of thoughts went through Lachy’s mind. Could it be a robber coming here to rob them? Lachy kept cool now. He saw the phone on the table and in a flash picked it up and pushed 000 before putting it back in his coat pocket. ‘I’m right here’ said the person on the phone, ‘So listen carefully’…

Book of flayersBy Cody Faralla Yr 5It was moving day and we had just finished unpacking everything from our old house. My brother who had blond hair and an orange T-shirt stood outside with me outside the front of our new house to take a look at it. It felt like a fresh start, it felt new and homely. There was so much space around us, as our new home was in the middle of a large valley surrounded by trees and bushes. It was mesmerising.

We decided to go and explore the lush surroundings. As we got further and further from the house we saw in the distance an eerie glow. We were drawn towards the light as it seemed to be calling us. All of a sudden we heard what sounded like a deep growl. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing. Abruptly the growling stopped and in the background we could hear our mother calling us for dinner. It was getting dark and we hadn’t realised. My brother and I ran as quickly as we could back toward the house. As we got inside we wondered if we should tell our parents about the glow. But as the night went on, we were distracted and forgot about what we had seen and heard.

Year 5 remoTe learning wriTing SamPleS


inTernaTional oFFice UPDaTeDuring the past winter holidays, the International Office has been working closely with Boarding staff and the school kitchen to provide students staying on campus with cheerful activities. Such as Bubble tea drinking, self-served hot pot, and outdoor BBQ. School staff also participated in and enjoyed the events. Photos were taken of the students during those events and were sent to their parents. Overseas parents were pleased to see the children are having a happy and safe life at the Kilmore International School.

Elisa HanInternational Liasion, International Office


congraTUlaTionS!

boarDing UPDaTe

Ms Gayle MorganBoarding Manger

We are pleased to have a new boarding student arrive which is a bit of a novelty this year with lock down in place. Girls dormitory was very excited when Betty Year 6 joined us last week. Betty is a lovely young lady and is totally enjoying life here at the school.

We have been busy showing our students how to make masks, we have made many wonderful masks in a variety of shapes and colours. The odd scrunchie and bag has also been slipped in.

Boarders are masters at on-line shopping with the pandemic all staying in house enjoying friendships and the varied activities that the school has to offer.

Weekends you will find, mask making, hip-hop class operating, the music and art room open, lots of jig-saw puzzles and an afternoon basketball match.

Our students were treated to snow on our pupil free day which caused some excitement and stopped the production line of mask making.

Congratulations to Daisy Phan who achieved THIRD-place at the Writing Competition in Commemoration of 70th Korean War in 2020.

Daisy was invited to attend the award ceremony at Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea, Melbourne.

Congratulations Daisy on this fantastic result.


Growth Mindset – Week 1 for Year 11 students

Year 11 homegroups are well equipped with lessons that are required for our students to sharpen skills for learning better at TKIS. Week 1 was focused on Growth Mindset and then followed by six key learning strategies. Students were provided with an example of Growth Mind set and attributes that lead towards it. They were able to compare then fixed mindset attitude with characteristics of growth mindset in order to observe the difference in each of the perspectives.

Having a growth mindset doesn’t mean we have to believe that anyone can become the next Einstein, Mozart or Da Vinci. We must acknowledge that our potential to learn is unbounded and that the power to increase our own abilities is within our control. Approaching things from this perspective creates a real passion for learning and makes us more likely to apply the grit we need to succeed. We become less discouraged by failure and more attentive when we’re struggling. We start to see difficulty as an opportunity to stretch ourselves rather than trying to avoid it.

All these characteristics not only make us more likely to learn new things, but they raise our chances of reaching our goals in our careers and personal lives.

A heartiest thanks to Year 11 homeroom teachers for delivering this with passion in week one.

Year 11 wellbeing

Sonia CheemaBiology Teacher & Head of Year 11

oTher newSOur regional families may see familiar faces on their television screen over the coming weeks. The Kilmore International School will be advertising on the WIN television network, kicking off on Sunday 9 August.


If any students need assistance with information technology issues in this online enironment, contact us via email at [email protected]. We are here to help!

iT DeParTmenT UPDaTe

The administration office would like to remind families to keep us informed if your staudent is absent from school or remote learning sessions.

The team has a number of lost property items available for collection. If you are missing any items, please check in with administration staff.

CareMonkey will soon be rebranded at Operoo. A notice will be issued to families about this change, very soon.

STUDenT SerViceS UPDaTe

enrolmenTS

Enrolments for 2021 and 2022 now openCo-educational, non-denominational, domestic and international day and boarding school

Learn more about our world class international education experienceJoIn US at Australia’s premier IB World School

40 White Street, Kilmore, Victoria www.kilmore.vic.edu.au [email protected] +61 3 57 822 211

Future ready World ready Work ready

Although our uniform is not required at the moment, uniform orders can still be taken. We have added a new line for our Girls uniform. Skorts / Culottes are now available and in stock, valued at $60. They are good quality and great value.

The TKIS 2020 Uniform Code can be found here>>

UniForm UPDaTe

Do you have suggestions for the Newsletter? Do you have work samples that you are proud of and would like produced in the school Newsletter? Have you been involved in extra curricular activities such as art classes or sporting events?

Perhaps you have ideas for the Yearbook and Arts Magazine? If you are a member of the Publications Team, we will be in contact very soon to discuss how we can document what is shaping up to be a very memorable year.

Contact Kristy Macdonald via email [email protected] to make a valuable contribution. We would love to hear from you.

STUDenT Voice


CONNECT with us on social channels

In coming months we will be making improvements to our social media presence. We encourage you to click, view and follow our offical pages to build connections within our school community and beyond.

The Kilmore inTernaTional School · TKIS Newsletter Issue 4, 2020 - Page 3 careerS UPDaTe Elizabeth...

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