Cunderdin District High School

Term 2 2026 Newsletter

"STRIVE TO BE YOUR BEST'

From the Admin Team - Mr Arnott, Mrs Dowd and Mr Jasper

As we come to the end of another busy and rewarding term, we would like to congratulate all of our students and staff on their hard work, resilience and the many achievements celebrated throughout the past eleven weeks. Like every school, this term has presented its share of challenges, but it has also highlighted the strength of our school community and the willingness of staff, students and families to work together to ensure that learning continues to thrive.

Our students have represented Cunderdin District High School with pride at a range of events. Highlights have included the Secondary and Primary West Coast Fever Cups, with congratulations to Green Year 5/6 for taking out the Primary competition, the Primary Winter Carnival in Quairading, the Secondary Winter Carnival in Dowerin, the NAIDOC Unity March in Northam, and our annual Faction Cross Country. These events provided wonderful opportunities for students to challenge themselves, demonstrate sportsmanship and work together as a team.

Learning beyond the classroom has also been a feature of the term. Students enjoyed participating in National Simultaneous Storytime, our Year 3/4 Assembly showcased the excellent learning taking place in those classrooms, and our Auslan excursion to Dowerin provided valuable opportunities for students to strengthen their communication skills and engage with the wider community.

This term has also brought staffing challenges, particularly with several longer-term relief requirements. We would like to sincerely thank our teaching and support staff who have willingly stepped in to cover classes and support colleagues whenever needed, ensuring minimal disruption to student learning. We also extend a warm thank you to Mrs Paula Vallesi, who joined our team for the final two weeks of the term and provided invaluable support to our students and staff.

We are pleased to share some exciting staffing news as we continue to strengthen the educational opportunities available for our students. We warmly welcome Mrs Nicole Smallacombe, who has been appointed to our Year 2/3 classroom. At the time of writing, we are also finalising the appointment of a Secondary Generalist teacher. This appointment will allow us to further enhance our secondary program by splitting the Year 7/8 class for Mathematics and Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), providing greater support for students completing SIDE courses, and introducing Primary Science as a specialist learning area. We are also delighted that Mrs Carrol Kowald will continue delivering Auslan to our primary students throughout Term 3.

While there have been many positives to celebrate, we are disappointed by a small number of student behaviours that have not reflected the high expectations we hold at Cunderdin District High School. Our school has always maintained high expectations for student behaviour, as we know that respectful relationships and positive learning environments benefit every child. We are actively working with the families of those students, alongside behaviour support specialists, to address these concerns and ensure that our high standards continue to be upheld. We appreciate the support of our wider school community as we work together to help every student succeed.

Semester reports have now been distributed to families. With the Department of Education reducing reporting requirements, these reports provide an overview of student achievement and progress. If you would like more detailed feedback about your child's learning, we encourage you to make an appointment with your child's classroom teacher. Parent-teacher interviews on Thursday 23 July provide an excellent opportunity to discuss your child's progress, celebrate successes and identify areas for continued growth.

Students return for the start of Term 3 on Tuesday 21 July. We would also like to remind families that entries for the Florence Moore Short Story Writing Competition close on Friday 31 July, so we encourage all aspiring authors to submit their work. Looking ahead, Book Week is fast approaching, with our annual Book Week Parade taking place on 26 August. It's never too early to start planning those creative costumes!

We wish all of our students and families a safe, restful and enjoyable holiday break. Thank you for your continued support throughout the term. Together, we have navigated challenges, celebrated successes and continued to put the learning and wellbeing of our students first. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for another exciting term of learning.

Kindy with Mrs Freind

What a wonderful term we have had in Kindy!

We started the term by celebrating our mums and the special women in our lives with our much-loved Mother’s Day Pamper Day. The children loved spoiling their special guests with a relaxing "spa" experience, where mums enjoyed having their hair styled, nails painted and even received a gentle massage. The morning was topped off with a lovely morning tea and a cuppa, creating some very special memories for everyone involved.

Throughout the term, our students have been busy developing their literacy and numeracy skills. In literacy, we have focused on identifying initial sounds, clapping and counting syllables, and exploring rhyming words through games, songs, and stories. In numeracy, we have been practising counting forwards and backwards from 10, creating and extending patterns, learning positional language, and investigating a variety of 2D shapes.

We were excited to welcome Nurse Jasper into our classroom to teach us all about the importance of looking after our ears, nose, and throat. As part of this learning, we participated in the BBC (Breath, Blow and Cough) Program, helping us understand how to stay healthy and prevent the spread of germs.

A highlight of the term has been our inquiry into insects. We were very fortunate to borrow Mrs Dowd’s stick insects and learn all about how to care for them. The children explored the life cycle of stick insects, discovered the features that make up an insect, and enjoyed observing these fascinating creatures up close. To extend our learning, we went on a nature bush walk to search for insects in their natural habitat. The children were excited to spot a variety of bugs and apply their new knowledge in the real world.

As the term comes to an end, we are looking forward to our Kindy Assembly in Week 11. The children have been working hard to learn songs and are excited to showcase their singing talents. We have also been learning some AUSLAN signs, which will be incorporated into our performance. We can't wait to share our learning and celebrate all that we have achieved this term with our families.

We are incredibly proud of all the learning, growth, and enthusiasm our Kindy students have shown throughout the term!

Kindy happenings

Pre-primary and Year 1 Class with Miss Reynders

Room 1/2 has continued to build on their strong start with a busy and productive Term 2. Students have remained committed to their learning across all areas of the school day, showing perseverance and a willingness to challenge themselves.

Our Class Focus 

This term, we have maintained a strong focus on being safe and caring, with an emphasis on interacting in positive and respectful ways. Students have been working hard to support one another, communicate kindly, and make thoughtful choices, helping to create a cooperative and inclusive classroom environment.

Writing

In writing this term, we have been focusing on narrative texts, learning how to include key elements such as a character, setting, problem, and solution. Through our Talk for Writing program, we have explored The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has helped students understand story structure and sequence while building their confidence in retelling and creating their own stories.

More recently, we have begun exploring information reports, with a focus on interesting facts about butterflies, allowing students to build their knowledge while practising informative writing.

Mathematics

In Mathematics this term, students have been developing their skills in addition and subtraction to 10 and beyond, while strengthening their understanding of part–part–whole relationships. We have also focused on number names and subitising to build confidence with numbers.

Students have explored money by identifying Australian coins and notes and their value and have been introduced to fractions through recognising equal parts such as halves. It has been great to see their growing confidence across these areas.

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

In HASS this term, students have been exploring the concepts of past, present, and future. We have looked at how things have changed over time by investigating toys, communication, and school life. Students have enjoyed comparing what these were like in the past to how they are today and discussing how they might look in the future.

Art

In Art this term, students have revisited the elements of art and explored using a variety of materials. They have been learning about both 2D and 3D art, experimenting with different ways to create and present their ideas.

Digital Technology

In Digital Technologies this term, students have been introduced to algorithms and data. They have been learning how to follow and create simple step-by-step instructions, as well as exploring how information can be collected, organised, and represented in different ways.

Health

In Health this term, students have been learning about emotions and strategies to help regulate their feelings. We have also explored the importance of healthy eating and maintaining good hygiene habits to support overall wellbeing.

Pre-Primary & Year 1 Class Activities

Year 1/2 Classroom happenings with Mrs Chant

We are already halfway through the year and time has flown by! The year 1/2 class have been very busy learning.

Mathematics

In Mathematics we have had a strong focus on addition and subtraction. We have explored multiple ways to add and subtract one and two-digit numbers. Students have used hundred charts, number lines and MAB blocks to assist with their calculations. Our Ninja Maths continues to be a highlight of our Mathematics lessons with everyone showing improvement with their basic number fact fluency. Students have also shown a keen interest in learning their multiplication tables and have been challenging themselves to recall the two-times tables this term.

English

We have been reading The Most Magnificent Thing this term for English. It is about a young girl who has many attempts at inventing something for her dog. We learnt a lot about planning and inventing and the importance of not giving up.  Our Talk 4 Writing story was called Morgan and his Magical Maths Underpants. It was about a boy who had trouble getting his maths correct until his mum bought him some special underpants.  We had a lot of fun changing the story to be about girl who couldn’t swim. After we changed it as a class, we then innovated individual stories to be about our own chosen character who couldn’t do something.

Humanities and Social Sciences

For HASS this term we have again been looking into history. We had a time machine in our classroom that helped transport us back hundreds of years and had us looking at and comparing technology over time. This included communication technology, transport technology and household technology. Everyone was surprised about how some of our current inventions originated and how old some of them are. Did you know that the first dishwasher was invented in 1886, but the first electric washing machine wasn’t invented until 1908?

Science

During Science lessons this term, we have studied water as an important resource on Earth. Students explored the many forms and uses of water, created posters demonstrating ways to conserve water, and learned about the water cycle by designing and creating their own models. More recently, we transformed into astronauts and explored our vast solar system. Students created their own mnemonics to remember the order of the planets, developed a scaled solar system to demonstrate the immense distances between them, and completed research projects on individual planets.

Art

In Art, students have thoroughly enjoyed creating a variety of clay sculptures this term. They have worked with both air-drying and kiln-fired clay to create pinch pots, sheep, turtles, and, finally, their own unique clay masterpieces. Students experimented with a range of clay tools to create texture and learned joining techniques to securely attach clay pieces together.

Technology

In Technology, we have focused on developing students’ proficiency with Microsoft Word and Google tools. Students practised opening new and existing documents, typing, copying and pasting images from the internet, and saving their work correctly. We are also continuing to improve typing fluency and accuracy through regular practice.

Class activities with Mrs Chant

Year 3/4 Classroom with Miss Harper

What a busy and exciting term it has been! Term 2 has been filled with learning and lots of memorable experiences. Students have participated in a range of school events, including the Dowerin Auslan Day excursion and our Year 3/4 assembly item. Students worked hard to learn and perform a line dance to Cotton Eye Joe and did an amazing job on the day. Beyond these special events, we have packed a lot into our classroom learning this term. 

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have been developing their understanding of fractions and strengthening their addition, subtraction, and multiplication skills. They have worked hard to apply these concepts in a variety of activities and have shown enthusiasm and growth throughout the term. 

English

In Literacy, we finished reading our class novel Matilda by Roald Dahl and enjoyed exploring the characters, themes, and events throughout the story. Students worked on developing their narrative writing by creating exciting and detailed sentences using descriptive language and carefully chosen vocabulary to engage their readers. They also enjoyed making fairy bread and then used the experience to help them write clear and detailed procedures. It was a memorable way to develop their understanding of procedural writing and the importance of giving clear, step-by-step instructions. 

Humanities and Social Sciences

In HASS, we explored the importance of rules and laws within our community. Students worked collaboratively to create a class constitution and participated in thoughtful discussions about what life might be like in a world without rules and laws. We were also fortunate to welcome the local Shire President and CEO, who spoke to students about the local government and their role within the community.  

Art

In Art, students explored the styles and techniques of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jen Stark. They experimented with colour, pattern, and texture in their own creative works and enjoyed getting hands-on with papier-mâché projects at the end of the term. 

It has been wonderful to see the growth, creativity, and enthusiasm shown by all students this Term. I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday break, and I look forward to another fantastic term ahead. 

Year 3/4 Art Activities

Year 5/6 Classroom with Mr Hill

It has been another busy and rewarding few weeks in the Year 5/6 classroom, with students engaging in a wide range of hands-on learning experiences across the curriculum.  In Literacy, our focus has been on exploring the power of picture books. We have enjoyed studying texts ranging from the fun and rhythmic Wholey Cow book about fractions through to powerful stories such as Flight and Footpath Flowers, which communicate important messages through both words and illustrations. Students investigated how authors and illustrators use colour to create mood, camera angles and framing to develop characters, page layouts to guide the reader, and page turns to build suspense. Alongside this, students explored a range of literary devices including alliteration, idioms, synonyms, antonyms, spoonerisms, metaphors, similes, personification and onomatopoeia. They applied these techniques while planning, drafting, illustrating, and refining their own picture books before creating their final published versions in Canva.  Mathematics has linked closely with our literacy work as students explored fractions through real-world and story-based contexts. Learning included equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, improper fractions, and multiplying and dividing fractions through practical games and collaborative problem-solving activities.  In Design & Technology, and Art, the class was fortunate to have Jake and Jacob, with the assistance of Bodie, introduce everyone to the art of paper plane design. Students followed the engineering design process by researching designs, constructing prototypes, testing their planes, evaluating the results and refining their designs before a final flying challenge, with distances measured using trundle wheels.  We have also been incredibly fortunate to work alongside Mrs Paola Vallesi over the past few weeks while Mr Cameron Hill has been away from school. Students have designed and created their own denim bags, learning valuable sewing and textile skills while measuring, cutting, assembling and decorating their projects. For many students this was their first experience using a sewing machine, and they should be extremely proud of the creativity, perseverance and craftsmanship they demonstrated throughout the project.  The Year 5/6 students have continued to embrace new challenges, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills grow across so many different learning areas. 

Year 5/6 Classroom Activities

Secondary English and Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) with Ms Thomas-Smith

Students across Years 7–10 have had a productive term in both English and HASS, engaging with a range of texts and historical topics.

In English, our composite classes have been exploring how stories are communicated across different forms.

  • Year 7/8 students studied The Watertower, analysing how suspense and meaning are created in both the picture book text and its video version.
  • Year 9/10 students focused on Rabbit-Proof Fence, examining the representation of events and themes in written and film formats, with discussions centred on perspective, context, and storytelling techniques.


In HASS (History), each year group has been working through curriculum-specific content:

  • Year 7 – Investigated ancient civilisations, in Australia and throughout the world, focusing on their achievements and lasting influences.
  • Year 8 – Explored the medieval world and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
  • Year 9 – Studied the making of the modern world, including the Industrial Revolution and World War I.
  • Year 10 – Examined the modern world and Australia, with a focus on World War II and its impacts, building into the topic of Rights and Freedoms.

All students completed their semester exams in Week 6, demonstrating their understanding of key concepts and skills developed throughout the term.

Our Year 10 students have also been enjoying their participation in Authority Developed Workplace Learning (ADWPL). Meanwhile, Year 9 students are preparing for work experience next term, an exciting opportunity to explore future pathways and gain valuable real-world experience. We thank all of the employers in Cunderdin, Tammin and Northam who support our programs.

Science and Mathematics with Mrs Tozer

Year 7/8 Science

The year 7/8 class started the term looking at our living world; how scientists classify and organise organisms based on their similarities and differences. We then looked at how organisms interact with each other and researched food chains and food webs of Australian native animals to show feeding relationships in a habitat. We then moved onto rocks, looking at physical properties of different rocks and how they are formed by the processes in the rock cycle.

Year 9/10 Science

Year 9/10 Science started the term finishing our topic on systems and communities; looking at the adaptations of native Australian animals which help them to survive in their habitats and linking these adaptations to some of the internal systems we learnt about in term one. We then moved onto the theory of plate tectonics, looking at the causes of earthquakes and volcanoes. In class and during the term break, students will be working on their individual science investigation and presenting them during National Science Week in term three.

Year 7/8 Maths

The year 7/8 class started the term finishing our topic on geometric reasoning, where students were using the relationships between angles and geometric shapes to find unknown angles and explain their reasoning. After exams, which I thought went well considering it was the first time some students sat exams in high school, we began our topic on mental maths, which is looking at different strategies to solve equations (no calculators) and introducing negative numbers.

Year 9/10 Maths

Year 9/10 Maths started the term finishing financial maths where students learnt about income, tax, investments and loans. After exams we began our topic on number and algebra. We started looking at index laws and are now moving onto algebra.

Year 5/6 Science

In year 5/6 Science we have been looking at space exploration and researching different planets in the solar system. We are now looking at seasons and how they change in relation to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

Year 3/4 Science

The 3/4 class has been looking at rocks and minerals and how people use rocks and minerals every day. We even found out that toothpaste contains rocks! Our research project was on gold mining in Western Australia, and we had a visit from a geologist who works in a gold mine near Dalwallinu. To finish the term we are looking at fossils and how they are formed.

Physical Education with Ms Linton

Physical Education

It has been a busy term in Physical Education with plenty of carnivals and events!

In the primary school, during week 5 students in Years 4-6 competed in hockey, netball and AFL at the Primary Winter Carnival. The Primary Netball Carnival was then in week 10, with three teams from years 3-6 competing. Well done to all students for their effort and sportsmanship across these carnivals!

Secondary students attended their netball carnival in week 3. A combined year 8-10 team represented our school with pride and competed fiercely against other schools. Then the Secondary Winter carnival was held in Dowerin in week 9. Students enjoyed a variety of sports and activities including volleyball, AFL, street hockey, soccer, board games and many more.

We wrapped up the term with the Faction Cross country in week 10. It was wonderful to see students trying their hardest in the challenging conditions and embracing the mud and slippery track! 

Wishing all families a safe and restful holidays and we look forward to the Athletics Carnival in term 3!

Cunderdin District High School