From the Principal
On behalf of all staff at the College, I extend a warm welcome to students, parents and carers to the 2021 school year which, after the challenges of 2020, we are delighted to have been able to commence together onsite at the College. To students and families who have joined the Kilbreda College community this year, we look forward to your participation and contribution to our vibrant learning community.
Our College theme for 2021 is Wonder – celebrating all that is good with joy and gratitude. This core value of the College encourages us to be curious and see beyond, to see the beauty and complexity in all of God’s creation, to contemplate the wonders of God and to celebrate all that is good in our world and lives! We experience wonder and awe in different ways - what might be wonderous for one person may not be for another, but I’m confident that we would agree that when we do experience that feeling of wonder and awe, it is a joyful and often very memorable experience that stays with us. This statement, which I came across recently, resonated with me in regard to this…
‘Take time to wonder; without wonder, life is merely existence.’
As we journey through 2021 there will be many opportunities to contemplate the significance of wonder in our lives. I encourage all students to ‘take time to wonder’, be curious about the world around them and, importantly, be grateful for the many blessings they have.
Our Commencement of the Year Mass was celebrated last week and what a joy it was to have all students and staff gather together for the first time in almost 12 months. We began with the entrance of the Year 7 class of 2021, which is made up of 163 students from 31 different primary schools! Each student brings with them their unique gifts, talents and experiences and we look forward to their contributions to our community and wish them every blessing as they commence this new chapter of their lives.
Our Year 7 students and their families also gathered for our Year 7 Welcome Mass which was celebrated at Our Lady of the Assumption, Cheltenham this week.
The prayer below is an adaptation of the blessing that Fr Peter Matheson gave our Year 7 students, after sharing with them some of the many wonders of Brigid, and her inspiration in our community, during his homily. It is a most fitting prayer for the Kilbreda community as we commence our journey through 2021 together:
May Brigid’s spirit of compassion help us to work together with strength, kindliness and wonder this year.
May Brigid’s example in following Jesus inspire each of us to ’be good news’ and to ’bring good news’ to our family, friends, school and community.
May Brigid’s Oak Tree be a symbol of the courage and comfort for each other and all God’s people during 2021.
May we be inspired by Brigid’s spirit of generosity to reach out to those in need in our school community and beyond.
May the wisdom of Brigid be ours, opening our minds to new learning and guiding us on our journey.
May the sacred flame of Brigid’s lantern shine through us, so that we might be beacons of light and joy in our community.
Best wishes to all for a wonderful year ahead. I look forward to watching our students not only grow but flourish!
We Pray For
We ask for your prayers for members of our community and their families who have recently lost loved ones:
Mary Harmes
Past Staff Member
Joyce Riddiford
Great Grandmother of Blainee Sanford (Year 7)
Gabrielle England
Founding Director of Kildare Education Ministries Board and KEM Board representative at Killester College, Springvale
We pray that our loving God hold them gently in the palm of His hand.
Nicole Mangelsdorf
Principal