Expanding Horizons: The Significance of Travel for Young Minds

In our fast-paced and interconnected world, the importance of travel for young people is immeasurable. Beyond the sheer joy of exploring new places, traveling provides a multitude of benefits that contribute to personal, educational and cultural growth.

This term, senior Italian and French language classes are reflecting on the profound impact of travel on the lives of young people. In the initial lessons, it was heartening to discover that a significant number of Kilbreda girls have a genuine desire for traveling and most importantly they see it as a crucial aspect of their personal development.

Traveling, among other things, encourages young people to appreciate and respect the unique differences that shape each person. It also aids in building resilience and independence, shaping individuals into well-rounded, culturally aware and adaptable global citizens. We are fortunate to have families who invest in such enriching experiences.

Over the next four weeks, our focus will shift towards gaining an understanding of how to be a sustainable and responsible traveler. Recognising that travel is one of the world’s largest industries means that the impact on the planet is huge!

Please take a minute to reflect on these questions:

• Are we selfish or responsible travelers?
• Do we remember sustainable practices when away from home or we put them aside when is holiday time?
• Are our habits supportive of local traditions, culture, and respectful of the environment or do we just follow the mass without questioning our behavior?

Where possible, especially when traveling in non-English speaking countries, please encourage your children to learn phrases and words in the local language. It is a little gesture, but very a very meaningful part of a learner’s attitude which we encourage all the time at Kilbreda.

In conclusion, let’s remember that being responsible travelers does not preclude relaxation and fun. It is entirely possible to enjoy our traveling for leisure / holidays while caring for our planet

Let’s hope 2024 is a year full of new experiences and exciting discoveries!

Giovanni Di Fabrizio
Learning Leader: Languages

French

Year 8 French

Year 8 French has kicked off the year enthusiastically with the learning of two new songs and a game. The first song, a catchy one that some past pupil parents might recall, is “Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire?” Students have been singing along and then leaping to their feet in a Mexican wave when their birth month is mentioned.

The other, “Ma Famille”, is obviously a song introducing family members, sung to the tune of the well-known French classic ‘Alouette‘. But, instead of talking about the plucking of a poor chicken before it’s eaten, this version helps students to learn about our families. They have also been introduced to the age old Kilbreda tradition of Ashurbanipal, a game which is useful in the learning of numbers and it has been embraced with glee. A healthy spirit of competition has developed, particularly in Room 51, with students Mienge and Belle, and others vying for the top position in online activities on ‘Wordwall’.

Damian Smith
Teacher

Japanese

JLTAV Japanese Calligraphy Competition

Yuhan Huang (Class of 2023) came second in the Year 11 and 12 Pencil Division of the JLTAV Calligraphy competition. The participants were required to make their own “Haiku” (poetry in Japanese) on the topic of transport and write beautifully.

Yuhan’s prize and certificate arrived after the holidays. Congratulations Yuhan!

Miho Yamanaka
Teacher

Learning a New Language

I have never studied Japanese until now. So far, I have enjoyed the class because it is welcoming and peaceful. Over the past few weeks, we have learnt the Hiragana alphabet. I am very interested in the culture, but I didn’t know much about the language. I am excited to learn more. I am surprised how easy it has been to pick up a new language, it is fun and simple. Education Perfect is a great tool that we have been using in class, it helps us put our lessons into practice. I can’t wait to see how much I will understand at the end of the semester.

Grace Winthrop
Year 7