This past week alot has been going on.  Our Year 7 students have returned from their transition camp, which has provided them with a fantastic opportunity to solidify relationships and the friendships that they have started to forge, and to engage in activities that challenged them to be brave but not always perfect. Throughout the Year 7 Camp, students were encouraged to take measured risks and try new things. This enabled them to gain a greater understanding of themselves and each other.  It was brilliant to share in the excitement of the Talent Show and to witness all students participating joyously in their class acts and enthusiastically and proactively encouraging and supporting each other. Thank you to the staff who accompanied our Year 7 students on their camp. Thank you to our Year 7 students for the spirit with which they entered the program of the camp. Thank you to our parents/carers for dropping off and picking up some tired children on Wednesday afternoon and for the work you did in preparing them for the camp.

International Day of Happiness

On Monday 20 March, we acknowledged the International Day of Happiness.  This year’s theme was “Be mindful.  Be grateful.  Be kind.” As part of the day, we focused our efforts on the power of being ‘other person centred’ and the ripple effect this has on collective happiness. Our SRC led several initiatives that encouraged us to reflect on how we can bring sunshine to others and who brings sunshine to our lives at our ‘Sunshine flagpole’.  This included some priming questions to build intention around how we can cultivate happiness in our own lives and the lives of others, such as:

• What does happiness mean to you?
• Where is your sunny place?
• Who brings sunshine to your life?  How?
• What makes you feel happy?
• How can you bring sunshine to the lives of others?

It was a real privilege to see our students beaming from the inside out as they tied blue ribbon in each other’s hair and watched the Flagpole explode with sunshine.

Harmony Week

Harmony Week is a much-anticipated annual event at Kilbreda. Regardless of different genders, cultures, backgrounds and religious faith traditions, fun was had, experiences shared, new respect forged, and new friends made. This morning, the College was awash with the colour orange as students participated in an extraordinary assembly on themes of peace and harmony, with prayers, stories, reflections, and music encouraging students to live each day the Harmony Day theme of ‘Everyone Belongs.’  A highlight of the assembly was students leading prayer in their families’ native languages.  Thank you to the following students for their willingness to translate and read out prayers:  Eliza Skorin (Vietnamese), Lara Mhanna (Arabic), Olivia Papadakis (Greek), Daniela Chung (Spanish), Freya Jomon and Indira Alappatt (Indian) and Sarah Hannan (Irish).  Thank you to our wonderful community action leaders who designed and led our Harmony Week initiatives, including Ava Busuttil, Mia Wilson, Gabrielle Smyth, Alicia Noble, Blainee Sanford, Zara Solomon, Emily Gamble, Amelia Presnell and Taylah Bell.  Many thanks to Brooke Corcoran (Year 11) who delivered an outstanding presentation on the importance of Harmony Week and how we can create beautiful pockets of harmony and unity which transcends difference and diversity.

As Week 8 in the life of a Kilbreda student comes to an end, and the cheers and celebrations of Year 7 Camp, the completion of NAPLAN testing, Legally Blonde rehearsals, Diving victories and VCE VM Enrichment Days have subsided, I wonder how many students have stopped to celebrate their achievements, big or small, over the past few weeks and what they would perhaps like to improve on?  Whether it was their results in assessment tasks throughout the term, or their performance at the CGSAV Swimming Carnival or that they are trying new cocurricular activities, exploring a new friendship group or activity, or simply navigating the complexities of adolescence, either way, challenges are an inevitable part of anything new and it is important to remember that becoming skilled or an expert in anything takes time, patience and practice.  When I chat to our students about what they are doing now, so many of them say “I can’t do that”, or “I’m not good at that”, I always take this opportunity to challenge them to add “yet”?  I would encourage all parents/carers to do the same to assist our students to develop a growth mindset and the resilience to get through the disappointments of life.

I hope that your child is taking advantage of the many learning opportunities the College provides and is appreciating all of the vibrancy, colour, life and deep connections that bind this wonderful College community.

I look forward to meeting you as the year unfolds and continuing to support your child to flourish.

Stephanie Smyth
Assistant Principal: Wellbeing and Engagement