Welcome to Year 9

The energy and zest with which the Year 9s have welcomed the new school year has been infectious. Their first month of Year 9 is over – that is quite frightening! During the month of February they have been outstanding.

I have seen the character strengths in individuals and collectively in Homerooms. The students have been curious, honest and brave. They have shown kindness to each other, a love of learning and humility.

I have had the pleasure of visiting Café Culture and seeing the delicious food the students made during the lesson. The pride they had, and rightly so, in their product was a delight to witness. Their knowledge of their recipes, equipment and produce made me think of the possibility of future contestants on MasterChef. I suggest we watch this space in years to come!

Additionally, I had the privilege to work with some of the students from the Duke of Ed class as they learnt a new skill. A group of students have decided to learn to crochet and their enthusiasm and passion to learn the skill have been extraordinary. I witnessed the character strengths of creativity, perseverance and appreciation of beauty and excellence in their words and actions. They soon realised they had a superstar crocheter among them as Grace Joseph gave generously of her time to assist the students and to display some of her final products. The students were in awe of Grace’s skill and could see that anything is possible for them as they learn this new skill.

The Fit for Life students were engaged in a bout of boxing when I visited this class. The looks on their faces when Mrs Clark was explaining some of the steps said it all. The one I shall remember was when the student without the pads had to duck whilst the student with the pads had to do a sweep with their right or left arm over the top of the other student’s head. Never have students ducked so deeply to ensure they were not accidentally collected on the way through. The laughs and smiles told a thousand stories and the trust in their peer was exemplary.

At our Year Level Assembly on the first day of the year, I read the book “Maybe: A story of endless potential in all of us” by Kobi Yamada, to the students. No one is ever too old for a story and the message in this book is timeless. The Year 9s are now travelling along with the character of the story as they complete their third year of secondary schooling. As the opening line of the story is “Have you ever wondered why you are here?”, we all have no matter our age, but we all need to be reminded, and particularly the Year 9 students, “You are the only you there ever has been or ever will be. You have so much to offer.”

Student Reflections

Q&A with Year 9

After a long break away from school, it only seemed right to start off with a Q&A about the holidays and starting school again. Students were asked questions about their holidays, as well as the challenges and excitement about starting Year 9. This year, we start our first exams, get to be in the Kildare Centre, and participate in BRIDGES.

Let’s hear from some of the students in Year 9…

Q: What was your highlight of the summer holidays?

A: The highlight of my summer holidays was spending time with my family and friends and going to the beach all the time. I enjoyed going away to Echuca during the summer break and spending Christmas with my family.

Scarlett, Year 9 K4

Q: What was the best thing about returning to school?

A: Coming back to school after the holidays is a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and catch up on what you did on the holidays. Getting back into a routine and focus on new learning goals is also a great part in coming back to school.

Ella Syme, Year 9 K6

Q: What was the hardest thing about returning to school?

A: The hardest thing about coming back to school was definitely getting used to getting up early and learning your routine again.

Verity Perks, Year 9 K5

Q: What is the biggest difference between Years 8 and 9 so far?

A: The biggest difference transitioning to Year 9 is being in a big/new space, and having all the lockers together. The electives are also really cool. I do VCD and Forensic Science. And next semester I will do Young People and the Law, and Duke of Ed (which I am really excited about!!). There are lots of opportunities for everyone to explore their passions.

Sophie Sheppard, Year 9 K5

Q: What is the best thing about 2025 for you at this stage? School related or not.

A: Right now, the best thing about 2025 for me was being a ball kid at the Australian Open! It was a really cool experience and I loved getting to go into the city every day.

Sophie Donnelly, Year 9 K4

Kiera Blackmore

Year 9 K4

Spotlights on:

BRIDGES

BRIDGES is a program that only the Year 9s of Kilbreda participate in. This term in BRIDGES we are focusing on Bridges to Change. This means looking at all of the ways we can change the world, big or small. At the start of the year in Headstart, we looked at creating resumes that could help us change the world as we get a job. I asked some questions to Mrs d’Offay, the BRIDGES Coordinator, to help us get to know BRIDGES. 

1. Why are we doing BRIDGES?

Because learning shouldn’t just be about textbooks and tests – it should be about solving real-world problems, stepping outside the classroom, and making an impact! BRIDGES is designed to challenge you, push you out of your comfort zone, and get you thinking about the world in new and exciting ways. It’s about building skills, confidence, and a sense of purpose – not just for school but for life. Most importantly, BRIDGES reflects the values of Kildare Ministries and the Living Justice, Living Peace Charter. This means engaging in compassionate action, standing in solidarity with those in need, and becoming agents of change. Through this program, we’re not just learning – we’re working to make the world a more just and peaceful place.

2. What should we look forward to this year in BRIDGES? Is there anything exciting planned?

Absolutely! Get ready for inspiring guest speakers, hands-on projects, and opportunities to tackle real-world challenges. You’ll be working in teams, diving into creative problem-solving, and exploring the world beyond the classroom. 

This year, some of the exciting highlights include:

• A city immersion experience where you’ll explore Melbourne from a whole new perspective, meet experts, and see social justice issues up close.
• A chance to work with local organisations to create projects that have a lasting impact.
• Creative problem-solving workshops that help you think critically and compassionately about the world.
• A year-level app that focuses on teamwork and building community as a whole.

3. What is the meaning of BRIDGES?

Think of a bridge – it connects two places, allowing people to travel, explore, and discover. That’s exactly what this program is about:

• Bridging the gap between school and the real world.
• Bridging ideas and action – taking what we learn and using it to make a difference.
• Bridging YOU and the future you want to create.

It’s also about building connections – with each other, with communities, and with the values of Kildare Ministries. Just like the Charter encourages us to stand with those who are marginalised, BRIDGES is a program that helps us engage in justice, advocacy and meaningful change.

4. What is going to be different this year from last year’s BRIDGES program?

This year, BRIDGES is evolving to be even more hands-on, engaging and student-led. Here’s what’s new:

• More Real-World Challenges: Instead of just talking about issues, you’ll be working directly with organisations to create real change.
• Student-Led Projects: This year, you’ll have more freedom to design your projects and choose the issues you want to tackle.
• New Guest Speakers and Workshops: We’re bringing in more industry experts, activists and changemakers to inspire and challenge your thinking.
• A Bigger Focus on Creativity and Innovation: Whether it’s through design thinking, storytelling, or hands-on prototypes, you’ll be learning new ways to solve problems and present your ideas.

Most importantly, everything we do in BRIDGES aligns with the values of Kildare Ministries – encouraging us to see injustice, take action, and build a better world.

Sophie Donnelly

Year 9 K4

Pastoral

In the last couple of Pastoral lessons in Year 9 we have been creating plates with images we have chosen that represent us. There was a wide range of images of everyone’s families, favourite foods or colours and the sports they played. Prior to creating the plates we filled out a characteristics quiz and got our top five characteristics. Those five had to be added to our plate. The plates were then displayed around the Homerooms on a “dinner table” which represented each individual in the Homeroom. We were then set to make a creative canvas artwork that represented our Homeroom as a whole. This could have been a bookshelf with each student as a book or a beach with every person as a shell. These activities have really reconnected our cohort after a long and relaxing summer break.

Scarlett

Year 9 K4

42nd Street

Rehearsals for 42nd Street have officially begun!

The cast and crew are made up of students from both Kilbreda and St Bede’s. The story centres around Peggy Sawyer, a young and ambitious chorus girl who gets her big break when the leading lady injures herself right before the opening of a Broadway show. As Peggy steps in to take over the role, she conquers her nerves, wins over the audience, and helps save the production from disaster.

Taking part in a Kilbreda musical is an amazing opportunity to connect with students from different year levels. I love being part of such a vibrant and fun cast. Being in a musical is a fantastic way to express your emotions and passion creatively and productively.

Celeste Healy

Year 9 K6

Sport

The sporting events that were held throughout the first few weeks of Term 1 were full of fun and eventful times with many trials, early morning training sessions for the upcoming CGSAV swimming event and enthusiastic PE classes across Year 9. The year has started with excitement. One of the year’s highlights, the swimming carnival, was held at Oakleigh Recreational Pool, with amazing support, swimmers, teachers and weather – the day was an awesome experience. In Year 9 there were many swimmers who competed in the Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly events, competing and congratulating one another on their amazing achievements throughout the day. The novelty events were also exciting and entertaining, having many interesting and enjoyable events to earn house points and have a great time with friends and fellow classmates. Overall, the day was full of support and positive events and will be a memorable day for many of the Year 9 students. 

Amy Chapman

Year 9 K1

Electives

For electives in Year 9, each student has the opportunity to complete one Religious Education elective from Mission in Action, Living Justice, Women Can Change the World and Culture in Context, as well as two other semester-based electives from Managing Money, Forensic Science, Art, Sport and Food Studies. They also have their additional language elective which they continue from the previous year out of Italian, French and Japanese. Each elective allows students to have the independence to choose a subject that they think they will enjoy learning about the most, to connect with other people in the class with possible same interests, and to continue advancing in studies that they have completed previously.  

I have been given the privilege to continue advancing in my Italian studies with students from previous Italian classes, to explore the new subjects of Forensic Science, which gives us practical and theoretical knowledge in the field, and Managing Money, where we learn about our growing Australian economy and the skills needed to effectively budget, save and invest in our earnings. I have also had the chance to start exploring more advanced topics in the subject of Food Technology, learning how to design and effectively produce products, as well as gaining insight through our curriculum-based RE classes about the role we play in our society regarding living justice and the advocation we can create through our unique faiths and beliefs. I am also looking forward to completing the Fit for Life elective and exploring new interests, skills and information through my various elective classes in Year 9 2025. 

Georgia Athanasiadis

Year 9 K4

Achievements

Congratulations to Neve Hoult from Year 9 K6. Neve has been selected for the Under 16 Victorian Hockey team for 2025.

Congratulations to Zara Thomspon from Year 9 K7. Zara has been selected in the Under 16 Victoria Hockey Development Squad for 2025.

From all the Year 9 students, congratulations, Neve and Zara, and we wish you all the very best with your hockey endeavours!

Maybe Quote for the Month

“You are the only you there ever has been or ever will be. You have so much to offer.”

Maybe written by Kobi Yamada.

Jane Cowan

Level Leader: Year 9