Principal's Update

How wonderful it was to welcome back students in Years 8, 9 and 10 this week as they returned to onsite learning.  Their return marked the first day since 24 June, some four months ago, that all students and staff were together onsite at the College.  This year has certainly been like no other; we had to completely re-imagine learning and teaching almost overnight, endure the challenges of relying on technology and have repeatedly had to adjust to being onsite or working and learning remotely. 

It is often said that through challenge and adversity comes the greatest learning and growth. It is when we face adversity and challenge that we really discover who we are.  As individuals we have grown in resilience and independence, learnt many new skills and become increasingly adaptable to change.  And as a school community, we have been strengthened. Strengthened by our response to this shared experience of adversity, a response which has been marked by showing compassion, understanding, support and kindness to one another. I have always been incredibly proud of our school community, and this year I could not be any prouder of the way in which students and staff have rallied to ensure that we didn’t just survive, but that we did everything we could to thrive as a community. 

As a staff, one of our greatest hopes for our students is that they will embrace the College and Brigidine motto of Strength and Kindliness, together with our core values, and carry these with them as they journey through life. These values of Compassion, Courage, Hope, Hospitality, Justice and Wonder speak to the type of person we are and how we treat others. What I will remember about our experience this year, is that when it mattered most, strength, kindliness and our core values were what shone through!

The Class of 2020

In what is their most significant year of school, our Year 12 students have faced even more challenges than other students due to constantly changing course requirements, assessments and key dates.  Despite this, and the disappointment of not being able to participate in various events in their final year, they have remained positive, shown great resilience, and maintained their focus on achieving their goals.  They have also shown their gratitude, particularly to their teachers, for the support they have received, and they have constantly supported and encouraged each other.  They have shown us what wonderful, strong, kind and considerate young women they have become.

Our College Co-Captains, Kate and Keely, along with the other Year 12 Leaders, maintained their focus on what was their core priority – continuing to strengthen College unity through connection. They recognised how important feeling connected was for our community to thrive during remote learning and committed themselves to doing all they could to facilitate this. Together with student leaders in other year levels, they found varied and creative ways to help students connect, have fun and boost morale. On behalf of all staff and students, I extend a very big ‘thank you’ to our Year 12 Student Leadership Team for their commitment and the significant difference they have made in our community in 2020. 

The Class of 2020 will long be remembered for having to overcome the most challenging of circumstances as they completed their secondary schooling and for having done so with incredible Strength and incredible Kindliness. 

We are incredibly proud of them and thank them for the many gifts and talents they have shared with us over the years.  Each of our Year 12 students has genuinely enriched the Kilbreda College community through their presence and they will be missed! 

To our graduates, I wish each of you all the very best for the weeks, months and years ahead and look forward to hearing about, and celebrating, your journey beyond the gates of Kilbreda in the years to come. As you take this next step in life’s journey, have pride in all that you have achieved; the way in which you responded to the challenges of this year and most importantly be proud of the wonderful young women you have become.  Embrace your future with hearts full of love, hope and courage and always remember to act both with strength and kindliness.  You will always be part of Kilbreda, and Kilbreda will always be a part of you.

This beautiful prayer was read for the girls by Sr Lia Commadeur, at their final gathering as a year level:

A Prayer for Your Journey

Br Damien Price cfc

Life is truly beautiful. Embrace it, nourish it, deeply live it.

God created you unique and beautiful. Thank God every day for ‘the wonder of my being’.

Be more than do.

Forgive and then forgive again.

Laugh and cry, and apologise for neither.

You will make mistakes; we all do. Learn from them and know you will make some of them again and again. 

Be gentle with yourself – so easy to say – but so hard to do.

Walk in forests, dance in the rain, embrace a sunrise and sit in silence with the sunset.

Take one step forward knowing you may go two back… but then take one forward again.

Life is a journey and never a destination.

Dream great dreams.

Let go of cynicism for it hardens the heart.

Be still often.

Listen with the heart more than the ears.

See with the heart and you will let go of fears.

Hope and believe and yet do not hold anything too tightly, for all true freedom needs its wings.

Trust your weakness to lead you to strength. Say ‘no’ to hardness, bitterness and greed and ‘yes’ to love in a thousand faces.

Learn from small children and give the old only from the heart, for they have long since lost a yearning for things.

No regrets, it is as it is.

Better to risk, than to ‘if only’ and better to love, always to love.

Look into eyes and see your brother and your sister in all.

Look to your heart and find a friend.

Love and hug and laugh and cry, for you will not come this way again.

Let God into your heart and He will welcome you home.

Believe in the power within you; believe in the God within you.     

Amen.

Nicole Mangelsdorf

Principal