But you are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
God’s special possession,
that you may declare the praises of God
who called you out of darkness
into God’s wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

Over the past fortnight we have heard in our Sunday gospels Jesus’ proclamation of a world based around values that are very different from our own. Zacchaeus is a prominent tax collector (Lk 19:1 – 10) and thus a reviled member of Jewish community, and yet Jesus welcomed him into the Kingdom of God, primarily because of his repentance and the strength of his faith. Last week, Jesus proclaimed the God of life, not death (Lk 20:27-38). Not for the only time, Jesus leaves the Sadducees astonished at his wisdom and authority. In many ways Kilbreda College is also called to proclaim a world that is counter cultural and to challenge our students to build a world in keeping with Jesus’ mission, and in so doing, to plant the seeds that will one day grow into the Kingdom of God.

This week, the Year 8 students completed their time in the Foreshore Program for 2022. During the Foreshore Program our students have been picking up rubbish with a sense of enthusiasm that I am sure their parents would celebrate were it to be found at home! Sometimes it was very cold, sometimes it was very hot, but always it was fun! Congratulations to our Sustainability Leader, Dr Sarah Avitabile, who prepared the students each week and made sure that there was an appropriate combination of learning and enjoyment throughout the semester.

Student Reflection

At the start of Term 3, Year 8 students had the opportunity to put their names forth to be a part of the Foreshore Program. I was one of the chosen people who got in to the program. Being part of the program meant that we would go to the beach at the start of lunch and meet two staff members from the Kingston City Council and they would give us a project to help the environment. Some of the things that we did was pick up rubbish along the beach, plant vegetation, weed, water the plants and go to the nursery to learn about the different types of plants. This was a great learning experience on all of the native plants and why it’s so important that we keep our eco-system clean.

Megan Singleton
Year 8

As we look forward to the end of the academic year, I wish all Year 8 students well as they plan their entry into the annual ‘Year 8 Dance Battle’ – surely the highlight of Term 4 and perhaps the year. Stay tuned!

Bill Fitzsimons
Level Leader: Year 8