Kormilda College Darwin NT | Term 1 Edition 4 | 17 March 2011

1 of 4

Kormilda College from its Christian foundation and commitment to excellence seeks to inspire its students to be life-long learners who act with compassion and justice through their understanding of others, and who develop the wisdom and courage to shape the future.

NEWSKormildaONE step towards tomorrow

March

Fri 18Worlds Greatest Shave andPARCS Middle School GirlS NETBALL - Marrara Indoor Stadium 8.45am to 2pm, andPARCS Middle School Boys Rugby League Freds Pass Reserve 8:45am to 2pm

Sat 19 to Sat 26Trinity College Cricket Tour

Tue 22 Seniors Football Match3:15 to 4:30 at the Bottom OvalParents welcome!

Thu 24 Middle School Assembly8.50 to 9.30amParents welcome!

Sat 26 Tiwi Islands AFL Grand Final

Mon 28 Year 7 Camp InformationNight Year 7 Parents and students Auditorium 7pm to 8pm andPARCS Middle School Basketball - Marrara Indoor Stadium 8.45am to 2pm

Tue 29Kormilda Sports Day All day. Compulsory for all students. Reminder - wear sports uniform, and a hat. Bring a water bottle. Parents welcome.

Wed 30Boarders Travel Home andPARCS Senior School Basketball Marrara Indoor Stadium 8.45am to 2pm

Fri 1 APRILLast day of term for students

Wed 13 APRILFirst day of term for students

On NAPLAN and MySchool From our Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

As many of you would be aware, the Myschool website was launched earlier this month. This is the site that publishes information regarding NAPLAN results. Sadly, interpreting the NAPLAN information out of context, the lo-cal press has since published league tables of Darwin schools which has prompted some queries from our parents.

Last year when individual students results were forwarded on to parents, I included a letter that reminded parents that Kormilda College has a large number of Indigenous students from remote communities enrolled, and for whom the College provides a variety of different programmes. Those pro-grammes allow these students to successfully complete either the NTCET or VET qualifications in the Senior School. Although many of these students have reading abilities that can be up to six years behind their chronological age, they are required to sit the NAPLAN test for their year level. This has an impact on our overall results. The table below shows the data for Year 9 mainstream students at the College; meaning data that excludes the results of students from remote communities.

Kormilda College Average Score (NAPLAN)

Australian Average 2010

Similar Schools

2010 Yr 9 Numeracy 609 585 567Yr 9 Reading 594 574 559Yr 9 Writing 570 568 550Yr 9 Spelling 575 579 564Yr 9 Grammar & Punctuation

588 579 562

This tells a very different story to that promoted in the NT News. Additionally the graph below shows the improvement in the average grade for our mainstream students when the current achievements of Year 9 is compared to their results for NAPLAN in Year 7, 2008. Cont’d page 2...

Young Achiever Awards - Finalist Congratulations to Jack Fuge (Year 12) on becoming a finalist in the Science and Engineering Award category of the Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards 2011. Jack was chosen from several aspiring young people as one of the top three in the Northern Territory for this category. Jack will attend the Presentation evening in Darwin on April 2nd where the winners will be announced.

2 of 4

Stay StrongTen students particpated in a mo-tivational music workshop with singer songwriter Shellie Morris last week. Shellie was here as part of the Vibe 3 on 3 National Indigenous Basketball Competition to write and record a song with our students. The finished song, entitled Stay

Strong was performed live at the Basketball Competition on Friday 11th March. Our budding song writers are: Tyrone Burns, Shane Dhamarrandji, Cameron Dhurrkay, Gavin Dhurrkay, Wanya Dhurrkay, Jessie Rogers, Karleen Andrews, Layla Bukulatjpi, Minitji Dhurrkay and Revonna Ganygulpa.

Stay StrongTen students particpated in a mo-tivational music workshop with singer songwriter Shellie Morris last week. Shellie was here as part of the Vibe 3 on 3 National Indigenous Basketball Competition to write and record a song with our students. The finished song, entitled

the Basketball Competition on Friday 11th March. Our budding song writers are: Tyrone Burns, Shane Dhamarrandji, Cameron Dhurrkay, Gavin Dhurrkay, Wanya Dhurrkay, Jessie Rogers, Karleen Andrews, Layla Bukulatjpi, Minitji Layla Bukulatjpi, Minitji Dhurrkay and Revonna Ganygulpa.

Shellie Morris and students singing up a storm as they enjoy the experience of writing their

own song.

SchoolAid - Flood AppealWith others in mind, Kormilda students set about fundraising for the SchoolAid Flood Appeal this term. The Casual Clothes Day raised $385 from gold coin donations. Valentine’s Day (delayed thanks to Cyclone Carlos) saw our Year 12 Leadership group raise $293, and then it was the old Aussie BBQ, a popular get together organised by our SRC that topped the fundraising up by another $358! The entire College, boarding and day students really supported the fundraising. $1,036 has now been donated to the SchoolAid Flood Appeal. Special thanks to Mrs Sara Alexopoulos, Mrs Joanne Moo, Middle School Leadership Group, College Captains Chloe Moo and Nik Alexopoulos, the Year 12 Leadership Group and to the SRC.

Cont’d from Page 1

The bar on the left is the average grade for the Year 7 cohort in 2008, the bar on the right shows the average two years later in Year 9 for that same cohort. As you can see our students have made significant progress over the intervening years between NAPLAN tests.

That said, we also celebrate the progress that our Indigenous students have made. The College uses the Accelerated Literacy programme as the basis for the delivery of literacy in the Middle School. Students are tested at the beginning of the year to assess their literacy levels and are then tested again at the end of

the year to assess progress. This testing showed that while 39% of students had progressed in their reading age by one year, 25% had progressed in their reading age by three years. This progress by these students was very satisfactory, and we will continue to work towards our Indigenous students developing literacy levels that will enable them to be successful in mainstream.

I hope that you would share with us in celebrating the success of all of our students.

Elsabe BottAssistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Some of our Year 10s enjoying their casual day!

3 of 4

RUBGY News Fifteen Kormilda students took part in the Indigenous 10s Rugby Competition last week. Our senior boys won their division and five Kormilda boys made selection for the Australia-wide competition to be held in Alice Springs mid semester. Congratulations to all of our aspiring Rugby professionals. Those selected for the Australia-wide competition were: Scott McDinny, Tyrone Burns, Austin Barney, Clay Holt and Gerraye Maher. The competition saw teams from the Katherine and Palmerston High Schools, Kormilda and O’Loughlin Colleges compete with the an additional ‘cluster’ team made up of players from across all the schools (which is the team that our Junior Boys played in).

Sports Day Kormilda College is holding its annual Sports Day on Tuesday 29 March. This whole-school event is an opportunity for all students to participate in a vast range of sport and leisure activities with the focus on friendly competition and enjoyment. All students will be encouraged to join in. Activities will include soccer, netball, touch football, basketball, AFL, chess, board games, Theatresports and even Sing Star Karaoke.

All students should wear their House Sports uniform that day. While sunscreen and iced water will be available please ensure your son or daughter brings a hat, sunscreen and their own water bottle. The carnival starts at 8:35am and is to be held on the College grounds.

Parents, you are invited! We would love to see you here on Sports Day. Lunch will be between 10:30am and 12:30 am in the quadrangle with a tug-o-war, fundraising, music and entertainment. A presentation assembly will commence at 2:30 pm in the gymnasium where the most successful House will be awarded the Sports Day Award for 2011. Students will be dismissed at 2:50pm.

Sports Day

Congratulations to the Kormilda College U16 NTFL girls. Playing for the Tiwi Bombers, a combination of boarding students from St John’s College and Kormilda, the team made it all the way through to the Grand Final to take out the season crown last weekend against the Arnhem Crows. The Grand Final was played at TIO Stadium as a curtain raiser for the NTFL Women’s Grand Final. The girls played a mighty game taking an easy lead in the first half but Arnhem fought back

in the second half only losing by three points. Best on Ground were: Diedrie Austral, Annabelle Dunn, and Jessie Ward. Our NTFL girls are: Diedrie Austral (C), Annabelle Dunn, Jade Dunn, Maggie Dodd, Amanda Gumbula, Christisha Anzac, Connie Dhurrkay, Sharna Austral, Chrisney Holcombe, Shari Gumbula, Chantelle Rosewood, Vasati Dhurrkay, Sarima Laurie. The girls will continue to play in the Schools Sports Ready Cup over the next few weeks.

NTFL Champions

The Clontarf Foundation has arrived at Kormilda College with two staff – Charlie Shannon and Cameron Ilett already working full time on site setting up a programme to commence at the start of Term 2. A not-for-profit organisation, the Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, self esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and by doing so, equip them to participate more meaningfully in society. Cameron has already commenced an AFL training programme on Thursday afternoons and members of the Academy will get the opportunity to play games against brother academies from Casuarina Senior College and Sanderson Middle School before the term break. In Term 2, when the programme is in full swing there will be three training sessions per week, regular games and induction camps to Jabiru and Katherine. While the programme is aimed at Indigenous students, all Kormilda students are welcome to attend the football training sessions and Clontarf staff will also support the College sport programme, particularly our AFL team.

The Clontarf Foundation staff would like to thank the College for the opportunity to come and set up a programme and for the overwhelming support that has been given by staff since their arrival.

Clontarf Foundation has arrived at Kormilda!

Kormilda College • Berrimah Rd • PO Box 241 • Berrimah NT • 0828 • Tel. 08 8922 1611 • Facsimile 08 8947 0792Email admin@kormilda.nt.edu.au • www.kormilda.nt.edu.au

ABN: 84 325 837 304 • ACN: 009 652 886 • CRICOS: 00971D

4 of 4

Kormilda College Darwin NT | Term 1 Edition 4 | 17 March 2011

Thank you, Lord for good

friendships. They help us to see more clearly the kind of God

you are.

Harmony Day becomes Harmony Week at Kormilda

We are celebrating Harmony Day all this week! There’s a Harmony Day Quiz in Tutorial class every morning, with fabulous (and delicious) class prizes to be won, and at lunchtimes there’s Soccer and AFL, movies and even Tug-o-War so everyone can get involved. Indoors, the Library staff have been showing us how to make Origami Cranes which have become a symbol of world peace through the story of Saduko Saki, a Japanese girl who died from radiation poisoning as a result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Special thanks to those guest speakers who kindly joined us today to address each of the year groups. Thank you to Helen Richmond and her group of Nungalinya students, Rev. Thresi Mauboy, Rev. Brian Worth who is the Berrimah Prison Chaplain, The Very Reverend Jeremy Greaves, Anglican Dean of Darwin and Imam from the Darwin Mosque. Tomorrow will be another big day at the College with our Shave for a Cure fundraising for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Day students vs Boarding students - just one of many fun filled Tug-o-War combinations

held on HarmonyTuesday.

AFL fun on Harmony

Wednesday

Year 10 Exchange Program - A Great Opportunity

The Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Program is offering Year 10 students one full scholar-ship and two half scholarships for exchange in semester 2, 2011. The scholarship includes inter-national and domestic airfares, volunteer host family, school enrolment, and insurance. The exchanges are to France, Germany, Italy or Spain. This is a wonderful opportunity for any student now in Year 10. For further information talk to Janice Lee in our Career Centre or email your name, address, phone number and school name to:scceaust@scce.co.au and ask for a scholarship application kit. You will be required to submit an essay on a particular topic by March 25 2011. Winners will be announced on April 15.

Day students vs Boarding students - just one Day students vs Boarding students - just one

Tennis Championships

Recently eight Northern Territory tennis players, including Kormilda’s Emily Moo pictured right, went to compete in the Renmark Grasscourt Championships in South Australia. The Grasscourt Championships were followed by the Optus 14s Junior Australian Grasscourt Championships in MIldura. At the competition Emily was ranked 13th, winning four out of six singles matches. She said: I travel interstate five or six times a year for competition and get to know people from all around Australia and New Zealand.