KINGYSPIRIT Newsletter ISSUE 5 | TERM 3 | WEEK 10 | 22 September 2025

2025 Senior State Wind Band

Congratulations to Austin Kirkup (Year 11) and Bodhi Kirkup (Year 12) who recently took part in the 2025 Senior State Wind Band.

The State Wind Band, coordinated by The Arts Unit, consisted of 54 students from 33 different public high schools across NSW. The students engaged in an intensive weekend rehearsal before taking to the Sydney Opera House stage, performing two challenging pieces in front of sold-out audiences as a part of the Festival of Instrumental Music. The students are to be commended on their musical achievements as well as the positive manner in which they represented their schools.

HSC Drama

Congratulations to Lily Harding on Drama Works Selection

We are proud to announce that Lily Harding was selected to perform her HSC Individual Performance piece at Drama Works, held at Byron Theatre on 10th September. Drama Works is a prestigious showcase featuring nominated works from the Far North Coast region, highlighting outstanding student achievements in drama.

This is a tremendous accomplishment for Lily and a testament to her talent and dedication. We congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition and wish her continued success in her future performances.

Congratulations to Lily Harding, Sage Monniot-Kerr, and Ben Delaney on Their OnSTAGE Nomination

We are delighted to congratulate Lily Harding, Sage Monniot-Kerr, and Ben Delaney for being nominated to perform their HSC Group Performance piece at OnSTAGE. OnSTAGE is an annual showcase celebrating the best HSC Drama performances and individual projects from across New South Wales.

This prestigious event will be held at the Seymour Centre from Saturday, 7 February to Friday, 13 February 2026. Being selected for OnSTAGE is a remarkable achievement and reflects the exceptional talent and hard work of these students.

We wish them all the best as they prepare to represent our school on this esteemed platform.

Year 10 Child Studies Expo

Congratulations to our year 10 child studies class for bringing their careers expo assessment to life. All their hard work paid off.

Dance Excellence visits Home Of The Arts

The Dance Excellence students travelled up to HOTA last week to see the Tony Award winning musical In the Heights, written by Lin Manuel Miranda. For many students this was their first time seeing a live performance and they were not disappointed. The show was incredibly entertaining and the students were excellent audience members.

NSW State Dance Festival

Congratulations to our wonderful Kingscliff High School dancers that performed at the NSW State Dance Festival in Sydney this week. Delilah, Jade, Nevaeh and Mabel all did an amazing job and made us so proud.

Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council Junior Rangers Program

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Years 9 and 10 are participating in the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council Junior Rangers Program. This has given them the opportunity to connect with their culture, land, and local community.

Students given the opportunity and experience to nurture a strong connection to country and culture, while also teaching valuable environmental stewardship skills.

• Local stories and sacred sites — deepening their cultural knowledge and respect.
• Bush tucker tasting — connecting with traditional food sources.
• Environmental protection — understanding why caring for their country is vital.
• Tree planting and seeding — hands-on conservation work with Coastcare & Elders.
• Impact of sand mining and local ecology — gaining awareness of environmental challenges and biodiversity.

Wellbeing

Throughout this term, three groups of talented Year 9 and 10 students participated in a film project delivered by Kingscliff Rotary Club. Their challenge was to create a 3-5 minute film around the theme Towards Respectful Relationships- First Step, Self Respect.

This workshop helped our students to develop their strengths and skills in areas such as teamwork, communication, making, creating, developing and presenting films to challenge teenage audience's awareness of respectful relationships. Two prizes will be up for grabs next term when the films are judged by a panel of community members, as well as students at Kingscliff High School.

Well done to these talented students who worked really hard to produce 3 films with very important messages around respectful relationships, and we look forward to announcing our winners next term!

E-Safety

Dear Parents/Carers

Refer to information below from the eSafety Commissioner.

Join eSafety’s expert-led webinar to understand how AI tools are evolving, and how young people are exploring and adopting them.

In just 45 minutes, we’ll explore how deepfakes, digitally-generated images and AI tools are being misused to harm young people. You’ll walk away with practical tools to support your child’s wellbeing in a digital world.

Date:

Tuesday 21 October, 12:00pm to 1:15pm (AEDT)

You’ll learn:

• how AI technologies are being used and misused and why understanding their use matters
• how new technologies are impacting children and young people
• steps you can take to increase awareness and support your child

This session is ideal for parents and carers of children in both upper primary and secondary school.

Register here

https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/8173705016387641949

Interested in spending winter in Japan?

The Early Bird Discount for the Ayusa Winter Camp in Japan 2026 is available until September 30, 2025. Students who apply by this date will receive USD 500 off the program fee.

Please note that the program is open to all high school students worldwide, regardless of whether you have prior Japanese learning experience.

📌 Key Program Details

• Dates: January 6 – 18, 2026
• Location: Tokyo, Japan
• Program Fee: $2,700 USD (apply by Sept. 30, 2025 to receive a $500 Early Bird Discount)
• Eligibility: Open to all high school students globally, with or without a Japanese learning background

✨ Why Join?

• Explore Tokyo through cultural tours, workshops, and hands-on activities
• Experience life as a Japanese student during a local school visit
• Build friendships with peers from around the world
• Gain independence, confidence, and a true global perspective

This camp will provide students with lasting memories, meaningful cultural exchange, and valuable personal growth.

Sport

Sport Selection – Term 4 (Open Week 10)

All students in Years 7–10 are required to select a sport for Term 4. This includes students enrolled in the Sports Excellence program.

The link to make your selection will be sent to your school email. Please ensure you open the email, follow the link, and choose your preferred sport.

Important changes to Sport in Term 4:

🔸 Sport will take place in the morning, immediately after Homeroom.

🔸 The gym will only be available to Year 9–10 students.

🔸 Sports with fewer than 15 students will not run. In this case, affected students will be required to reselect a different sport.

Sport Ex

A big thanks to everyone that supported our Sport Ex BBQs throughout the year. We were able to get a 1 Futsal goal, now the teams can train with the proper size goal. Thank you!

Sport Ex Team

Combined High Schools Athletics

Some pictures of our talented athletes from CHS Athletics last week.

• Ruby Power Long jump
• Amelia Ella 400m
• Boys Relay Team
• Rory Mackay Hurdles

big picture

BIG PICTURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

When Lillie joined Big Picture at the end of Year 10, she found it very challenging to unlearn some of the habits of traditional schooling. Throughout her time, she has had to discover that the Big Picture design for learning isn’t about competing with others, relying on a teacher for direction, or measuring success through grades and test results. A big learning curve for Lillie has been understanding that asking for support and learning from others doesn’t mean “I’m stupid”, it’s a collaborative strength. Now, in her final year of Big Picture, Lillie is thriving. She independently drives her own learning, seeks support when she needs an extra push, and sees every opportunity, no matter how scary, as a chance for growth. In just two years, she has blossomed into a confident young woman with clear aspirations for her future.

Project Work: Lillie’s interests have always centred around education and health, joining Big Picture with a passion for working with babies and mothers. Through her project work, Lillie has learnt not only about midwifery and health but also about her strengths and how she learns best. She loves to write and be creative in her work, she is hands on and learns best in collaborative settings. Every project Lillie has worked on has also been designed to be both educational and visually engaging. As part of her project work Lillie has developed her communications skills. She has conducted several interviews with professionals in midwifery, education and nursing. She has conducted meetings and liaised over emails building a network of mentors who continue to provide her with advice and academic guidance. Her project work has included writing biographies about the professionals she has interviewed, creating along with teaching a lesson on the stages of labour and birthing to our Year 9 and 10 Child Studies students. She has also conducted research and collaborated with practicing Midwives to inform the development of an evidence-based manual for high school students on midwifery as a career. Lillie has also written a research report with a focus on pregnant women and mothers guided by the driving question – What do women know about technology in health care?

Leaving to Learn: Lillie has fully embraced the real-world learning aspect of Big Picture, gaining invaluable experience across both education and health settings. She has completed internships at Cherubs and Pippies Early Learning Centres, Bogangar Public School, and Tweed Coast Hospital, each one strengthening her skills and confirming her career path. Beyond internships, some of her earlier real world experiences included her involvement in the Tweed Heads library mums and bubs reading sessions and she also attended an antenatal workshop, further expanding her understanding of child and maternal health. Lily has continued to build both her practical qualifications and academic confidence in Big Picture, by studying a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care with TAFE NSW and completing the UniStart program with Southern Cross University.

Personal Growth and Future Aspirations: In just two years in Big Picture, Lillie has transformed from a student who always doubted herself, into one who approaches learning with determination and self-belief. She has become more confident both in and out of school, strengthened her communication and organisational skills, and embraced risk taking and feedback as opportunities for growth. Looking ahead, with the strong foundation she has built in Big Picture and the mentors she has connected with in the health industry, Lillie is ready to take the next step toward her dream career, aspiring to study Nursing and Midwifery at university when she finishes school.

Big Picture Learning Australia