Wellbeing and Engagement 

A consistent and constant message to students through Homeroom, Assemblies, our Religious Education and wellbeing programs, and in every context of school life, is that we are an inclusive community, and as such, we treat each other with a deep respect, kindness and compassion. 

Can we do even better?  Always! And we are certainly working towards this as a school with healthy and respectful relationships, a focus of our Pastoral Program this week.

International Women's Day

On Tuesday 8 March, we celebrated International Women’s Day and focused on the notion of a united voice and resilience.  As part of the day, we reflected on the young women of Kilbreda, past and present students, who have been empowered to have the courage and confidence to lead and serve others and be inspired with a passion for life.  We were invited to call to mind stories of women we know or have known who, in their own ways, have challenged stereotypes, have broken through boundaries that have constrained them and have achieved recognition and equality.  These struggles, be they public or hidden, have demanded much of each woman and often those with whom they are connected.  Alannah Banik and Amelie Monaghan, Year 12 students, reminded us in their powerful presentations of the responsibilities that come from walking in the footsteps of these women – that is, continuing their work wherever we find ourselves.

Congratulations to Amy Goodchild and Shannen Carty, our Year 12 Community Action Leaders, for the fantastic leadership they demonstrated in hosting our International Women’s Day Breakfast.  Congratulations to all students, student leaders and community ambassadors who contributed to our breakfast in some way, whether that be in participating in our video, leading the Acknowledgement to Country and prayer, preparing displays, or extending warm hospitality to all invited guests.

Finally, it was wonderful to conclude our breakfast with a magical rendition of ‘Truly Brave’ by our Senior Choir who were led beautifully by Ms Jo Hilliard.  Thank you to all families who joined us for our International Women’s Day celebrations.

Harmony Week

As a country, Australia is extremely multicultural and relies heavily on migrants to drive our economy. In the week commencing Monday 21 March, we will be celebrating Harmony Week and this will provide us with a unique opportunity, not only to reflect on the value of diversity, but also what contribution we can make to creating a well-functioning multicultural society. 

As part of the week, we will turn our awareness to the 'Close the Gap' campaign that aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.  Most Australians enjoy one of the highest life expectancies of any country in the world – but this is not true for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  Did you know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can expect to live 10 to 17 years less than other Australians?  Babies born to Aboriginal mothers die at more than twice the rate of Australian babies, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience the highest rates of preventable illness such as heart disease and diabetes. At the College. we want to do all we can to support health equality and to call on governments to take real, measurable action to close the gap. We have several activities planned for next Thursday to raise awareness of this campaign.

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence

On Friday 18 March we will encourage all students to ‘take a stand together’ against bullying and violence in the class, in schools and beyond as part of the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. The national definition of bullying for Australian schools is, ‘Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons.  Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).  Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders".  At Kilbreda, each person in the community has the right to feel safe.  Our Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy clearly outlines the processes for student safety and what to do if a student is experiencing bullying, harassment and exclusion.  I would encourage families to talk about this important issue with your daughter/s and to encourage her to speak to her Homeroom teacher, Year Level Leader or the Student Wellbeing Leader if there are any issues.  The ‘Bullying:  No Way!’ website has some excellent information for you to access.

Year 7 Camp

We wish our Year 7 students all the best as they prepare for camp.  We hope that they will find this camp experience to be engaging, challenging and a great deal of fun as they overcome obstacles through grit and persistence, learn the art of collaboration and grow independence.  This will ultimately stand them in good stead beyond next week.

We look forward to connecting with the important issue of justice and inclusion with our students and staff over the coming week.

Please take care and we look forward to catching up with you all soon.

Stephanie Smyth

Assistant Principal:

Wellbeing and Engagement