I hope that all families were able to enjoy a winter break with time to relax and refresh for the term ahead. Hopefully everyone was able to stay dry, safe and well.

Term 3 is the start of a new semester and an opportunity for all students to reflect on their Semester 1/Mid-Course reports and set new learning goals for the year. Students are all encouraged to refocus their attention on improvement and engagement with learning.

We have celebrated a wonderful Education Week. At our assembly we were able to acknowledge NAIDOC week with an amazing smoking ceremony and special appearance from two ex KHS Aboriginal students who have both become accomplished in their chosen careers. At the same event we welcomed our incoming Senior Student Leadership Team to their new roles. This group are outstanding students, role models and budding leaders. We are excited about the year ahead with them leading our student body. In addition, our High Tea was a fabulous event, filled with information sharing, delicious food and rich conversation. It was great to have so many people in attendance.

This is an exciting term for our Year 8 and 10 students as they select their electives and patterns of study for 2023. Our subject selection evening was a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to reconnect with parents. There were fabulous displays about the subject that we are able to offer at Kogarah High School, with teachers giving up their time to have meaningful discussions with students and parents. The school is very lucky to be able to provide a wide variety of subject choices, catering for many areas of student interest.

This is also an exciting term for our Yr 11 students as they complete their Preliminary HSC studies and our Year 12 students as they finish 13 years of schooling. Both year groups have upcoming exams or HSC Trials and should be hard at work preparing for these.

There have been fabulous recent achievements in the sporting arena by our track and field athletes and in particular our football teams both in the state knockout championships and futsal competitions. Our hairdressing program and barbering program have been hard at work developing their skills and practising on both artificial and live models. We have had numerous students engaging in leadership and mentoring programs and have continued our strong connections with the Opera House, building creative skills with Year 8 class groups. These events and many many others are a reminder of the great opportunities that students have at Kogarah High School.

We have had some significant improvements in our facilities over the course of the year and are in the process of a major technology upgrade which will allow faster and more reliable internet capability in 2023. We have also had an additional mural installed which have brightened our PDHPE changeroom space and we have another that will soon be installed in the HSIE block. Unfortunately, we have also seen some vandalism occur and this is incredibly disappointing when we have worked so hard and invested funds to improve the environment for our school community.

At the end of Term 2, the Annual School Report 2021 was published and can be found on our website: https://kogarah-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/. The report highlights the achievements and major investments of the school in 2021.

Our attention to COVID smart measures continues and we have again this term already had numerous cases amongst students and staff. I would remind all families to test regularly and keep students at home if they are displaying any symptoms. Please inform the school if your child is a close contact or tests positive. I have plenty of rapid antigen testing kits available and students can come to the front office or see me to collect these.

We look forward to engaging more regularly with families this term. Please keep informed through our school bytes emails and our Kogarah High School Facebook page.

Vanessa Williams

Principal (relieving)

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to Semester 2, hoping everyone had a restful break and managed to stay safe and well.

Term 3 is a very exciting time with subject selection meetings for Year 8 and Year 10. This is a chance for students and their parents/guardians to look at future subject choices, patterns of study for senior school and post schooling options. This is an important process that takes time and needs to be taken seriously so that the best patterns of study are achieved for all students. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact the school and speak with our Careers Advisor, Year Advisors and or Head Teachers.

We have our next Community Connect Forum for parents and guardians on Wednesday 24^th August, Week 6. The meeting will start at 6pm. Topics that will be covered are a presentation from our English faculty, Semester 2 school directions and tips on preparing for examinations.

Lastly, as we are in the midst of winter, parents and students are reminded of the expectations of correct and full school uniforms. Many students are not wearing the correct school jumper or pants. In particular, hoodies and tights are a significant issue, these are NOT part of the KHS uniform. The wearing of the correct school uniform not only represents our students to the community in a positive light but also shows a willingness to learn and follow the school rules and expectations. Uniforms can be purchased from both the school and Lowes at Rockdale.

I look forward to the rest of the term and meeting many of you at the upcoming Community Connect Forum.

Nicole Best

Deputy Principal