Compassion – Walking with and Having Empathy for All

It was a privilege this week to attend the Year 10 and VCE Unit 1/2 Music Concert. All the students demonstrated the courage to perform their individual pieces to an intimate audience. They also performed as a group, displaying collaboration and commitment.

Being part of an ensemble means that you have to work as a team. The stronger players need to encourage those who are still building their skills. Working cohesively as a group provides the best opportunity for individuals to shine and perform at their best. Supporting one another at various times throughout the piece means walking alongside each member of the ensemble and enabling individual talents to combine to perform beautiful music.

“For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form one body, so it is with Christ.”
1 Corinthians 12:12

Library Hours During the Holiday Break

Please note that there has been a change to the advertised Library hours during the first week of the upcoming school holidays.

Due to the announcement of a Memorial Public Holiday to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 22 September, the Library will not be open on this day for study.

The Library hours will now be:

Monday 19 September – 8.00am to 3.30pm
Tuesday 20 September – 8.00am to 3.30pm
Wednesday 21 September – 8.00am to 3.30pm
Thursday 22 September – CLOSED
Friday 23 September – CLOSED

During the second week of the holidays students may utilise Room 49 (Year 8 area) as a quiet study place before or in-between exams. Room 49 will be open from 9.00am to 3.30pm.

VCE Unit 3/4 Trial Examinations

Trial examinations will be conducted in the Mary Dalton Hall during the second week of the upcoming school holidays, Monday 26 September to Friday 30 September. All students studying a scored Unit 3/4 subject are expected to attend.

Trial examinations are an important way to prepare for the VCAA examinations. Timing of the examinations, the experience of the examination setting, and external feedback will assist our students to familiarise themselves with the requirements and expectations of the VCAA examinations.

VCE Unit 3/4 Revision Lectures

Revision lectures are a great way to prepare for the end of year examinations. Below are some sessions that have been organised by the College (with details provided to students from their subject teacher).

National Catholic Education Conference

The National Catholic Education Conference last week hosted the STEM MAD National Finals as part of the conference. Three Kilbreda Teams had earned their way into the final showcase. All three products created by Kilbreda students were inspired by their desire to help others who experienced difficulties in their lives. It was also inspiring to see the projects from other students (both primary and secondary aged) around Australia, everything from ecological cane toad catchers, solar ovens for those experiencing homelessness and safety shelters for victims of domestic violence.

Gabrielle Smyth (Year 10) was a student panellist for the closing keynote address on Tuesday afternoon, she spoke well about the impact of technology on the lives of young people, both positive and negative, and the hope for the future of young people. The keynote speaker was Dr Jordan Nguyen, an engineer who uses his talents to make a difference in the lives of others. I would encourage you to read about Jordan and the work that he has done for those who experience challenging medical conditions and how his innovations have enabled people to live their lives with purpose and fulfillment. A documentary that followed one of Jordan’s projects is available on Clickview ‘Becoming Superhuman’, it is well worth a watch.

Community by Design – Student Reflections

On Thursday 1 September six Year 10 students from Kilbreda travelled to Mentone Girls Grammar to engage in an enrichment program with other local schools. The focus of the day was loneliness in the community and what we can do as young people to help reduce social isolation. We were all split up on different tables to meet students from different schools and it was a really great opportunity to get to know and collaborate with some new people. – Lola

We listened to insightful talks and panel presentations about loneliness in our community, what it is and how we can find a solution. We collaborated in groups with other local school students and together came up with ways we as young people can help reduce social isolation. This day was a great opportunity to learn about issues in today’s society whilst also getting to know and interact with new people. – Jess

It was an amazing opportunity, and we learnt a lot about the prevalence of loneliness and social isolation in communities. Did you know 1 in 4 Australians is lonely or has experienced loneliness? As part of the workshop, we each got to work in a group with students from other schools to come up with an idea to solve loneliness in communities. We had to make a video pitch and send it to the Council. The day was great to meet many new people and learn a lot more about hidden issues in our community. – Bridgette

We spent the day in mixed groups collaborating on various solutions centred around the focus of the day – loneliness within communities and why it exists. Although meeting new people is usually a nerve-wracking experience for me, the day was a lot of fun, and it was great to meet and get to know the other students there. – Isobel

We heard from a presenter on the differences between social isolation and loneliness, as well as from a panel of community members who work particularly with those who suffer from loneliness. The objective was to come up with some creative ways to enhance community connection and then produce a video explaining our ideas to present to the local government. Overall, it was an incredible experience in which we not only met new people but also enhanced our knowledge. – Alicia   

We had the opportunity to collaborate with each other and come up with some ideas on how we can resolve the issue of loneliness in the community. We were given the chance to hear from many guest speakers who hold important roles in their community and how they are working to reduce loneliness. Overall, I thought it was an amazing experience where we were exposed to new people and new ideas. – Caitlyn

Living with Compassion

In response to the College value of ‘Compassion’ there will be a collection of items in the first two weeks of Term 4 to donate to the Salvation Army. Donations of Shampoo and Conditioner, Toothbrush and Toothpaste, Deodorant, Perfume, Hair ties, Hair brushes etc. will be accepted to create packs for people who are experiencing homelessness and will be distributed via the Salvation Army Café. There will be a collection point in each Homeroom.

Donations will be collected from the Monday 3 October to Friday 14 October.

Jane Ward
Assistant Principal: Learning and Teaching