The 2022 school year is almost at an end – and what a year it has been! We give thanks for the life together we have shared here at Kilbreda College this year. We would, of course, like to thank each student for her enthusiasm, for her dedication to learning and achieving her personal best, and for her determination to live out and express this year’s College value of ‘Compassion – Walking with and having empathy for all.’  Each day our students joyously live out the College motto of Strength and Kindliness – truly wonderful presents that they gift our community with that we can reflect on this Christmas.

During 2022, our community has enjoyed so many wonderful highlights and we look back with great pride at the many and various ways in which we have come together to engage, celebrate, pray, reflect, support, welcome, educate and entertain. From our Opening School Mass, to our outstanding Art and Design Exhibition, from our Student Leadership initiatives to our ‘Write a Book in a Day’ feats, from our International Women’s Day Breakfast to our Year 12 Graduation celebrations – 2022 has been a year of significant achievements. 

Communities do not come together, stay together and work together in a happenstance way. We have this richly diverse college community because of the deliberate efforts of so many to nurture relationships and live out our Kildare Ministries values in a tangible and impactful way.  In doing so, we continue to honour the work of the Brigidine Sisters who recognised the fundamental role that education plays in spiritual, personal, social and intellectual development.  Thank you for your endeavours to nurture and nourish this gift of community that the Brigidine Sisters have bestowed on us.

The lovely, long summer holidays are on our doorstep which is great news for all. What the holiday season looks like, and can be, is vastly different from family to family. Regardless of these differences, our students need some ‘down time’ – time to rest, time to recharge their minds and bodies, time to read and ‘green time’ rather than ‘screen time.’ They need time to be ‘bored’ so that they can be creative in finding constructive things to do and to think about. They need time to reflect on the year and time to reflect on how fortunate they are and show gratitude for all their blessings. Our students also need time to have fun and to be engaged in enjoyable events with both family and friends and to experience the Christmas traditions that each family has developed. Traditions are important to a child’s wellbeing. They lend a certain spirit that nurtures the family connection and can provide a sense of belonging. 

While time out from the regular school routine during holidays is generally very beneficial, this lack of routine and lack of regular peer social contact can unfortunately cause stress for some students. Holidays can be a time when, due to family circumstances or other events, things are not as easy as we would like them to be. Holidays may also present a challenge for families as to how to manage activities and ensure that children are provided with the right number of activities to keep them engaged, but also provide the right amount of down time; sometimes finding the balance is difficult. To support parents in the quest of making summer holidays enjoyable for all we have provided several useful articles.

From the wider Kilbreda family to each of your families we wish you all every grace and blessing for this coming Christmas period and pray that the spirit of joy and promise seen, heard and felt in the newborn Jesus lives in your hearts at this special time. Whether you are heading to the beach for some salt water therapy, the mountains or just staying local, have a safe and restful holiday break. 

We wish the Class of 2022 all the best for their future endeavours and we look forward to welcoming our current Year 7 to 11 students back to the College to commence the 2023 academic year on Wednesday 1 February.

College Co-Captains

We spoke to our College Co-Captains about their time at the College, what’s important and what Courage means to them. Enjoy getting to know Sienna Koop and Rachel Jones.

Rachel Jones

What is important to you about being College Co-Captain?

To me, being a College Co-Captain is being the role model and inspiration that I looked up too. It means being visible and active within the College community. To me, if I can leave a lasting impact on even one person within the Kilbreda College community, it means that I lived the motto of Strength and Kindliness everyday at school. College Co-Captain means to be present and supportive of everyone around you, you don’t have to always be in the spotlight, but it’s the cheering from the sidelines that enables students to feel supported and appreciated in what they do. As College Co-Captain, it is important to show continued love and support to all aspects of Kilbreda life and the many opportunities and experiences students will be apart of. 

What strengths do you bring to this role?

I bring a sense of relatability to my role. This helps to connect to students on a deeper level and grow meaningful connections. I understand the importance of connecting to both students and teachers and through past experiences, I have been able to do so. This has enabled me to learn a lot from many people. I carry the lessons I have learnt from those around me and bring them to my role to create a positive impact. Through the many opportunities I have taken within Kilbreda, I am able to aid, support and give advice to students who want to join the musicals or who are interested in leadership roles. I ensure everyone is listened to and all ideas are taken into consideration. I strongly believe in collaboration and enjoy listening to others and working as a team to bring an idea to life. 

What does our 2023 value of Courage mean to you in the school context?

To me the theme of Courage is to give everything a go. It means to step out of your comfort zone and take the opportunities around you. However, it also means to stand up for what is right and speak out when there is injustice. Furthermore, Courage doesn’t have to just mean to publicly speak or perform, but can even just be to ask a question, introduce yourself to someone new or catch public transport for the first time! Courage is displayed in everyday actions, not just in big moments, and for this, I think that everyone should be congratulated on their everyday courage. 

Sienna Koop

What is the most valuable lesson your Kilbreda education has taught you?

Kilbreda has taught me a variety of important lessons. However, the most important one is how to be a team player in the context of a classroom. Sometimes it is difficult to understand things from someone else’s perspective and see things from a different point of view. However, that is exactly how you have to see things in a classroom. Understanding that learning means a variety of different things to different people is so important to ensuring everybody has the best opportunity at success and learning effectively. You have to communicate with others and allow them to do the same to ensure that success is achieved collectively, rather than individually. These skills also feature in real life situations, such as sporting teams and work environments, where you gradually learn that the way you see life is completely different to the way the person next to you sees life.

What do you want to accomplish as a College Co-Captain?

As a College Co-Captain, I would love to see more unity amongst our College community. Having a united school not just within year levels, but amongst the school as a full community, is extremely important to achieving a variety of things. A growing community can help a person to grow individually and ideally, learn from others. This will ultimately make Kilbreda a much more welcoming place, where people feel they can grow both personally and collectively.

As a College Co-Captain, I also hope to minimise limiting self beliefs and improve people’s perceptions of themselves. We regularly place ourselves in situations where we feel that nothing we do is good enough, so raising awareness that a variety of people are in the same boat and learning how to navigate these feelings is extremely important to growing as a person.

What are your plans for life beyond the gates of Kilbreda?

Once I graduate, I hope to study a double degree of Midwifery and Nursing at Monash University. I would also love to travel before beginning university, as well as gaining my qualifications as a swimming instructor. I am excited to involve myself in things I am passionate about more regularly, such as playing netball and spending time with my friends and family.

Stephanie Smyth
Assistant Principal: Wellbeing and Engagement