Wellbeing and Engagement

Welcome to Term 2.  I trust that you and your families had a very happy Easter and an enjoyable break, surrounded by loved ones and friends. It was great to see all students return to full of energy last week to what is shaping up as a busy term.

We have had a wonderful start to the term.  Our ANZAC Day service commemorated and remembered the fallen. The Year 9 BRIDGES Camp, Duke of Edinburgh expedition, the Year 11 Aspire Day, the relaunch of Kilbreda Dance Company and the various co-curricular activities that have been on offer have provided our students with fantastic opportunities to learn new skills and to strengthen connections with their peers.

This term we have a particular focus on Justice.  On Friday 13 May, several Year 9 and 10 students will be involved in the Kildare Ministries Justice and Peace seminar hosted by the College.  Our Living Justice Leaders are busy preparing for Refugee Week, which will take place later this term, and our Year 9 FIRE Carriers will be involved in an Aboriginal Immersion Camp at Balnarring.

Strengthening our capacity to be a just community where positive relationships flourish and the dignity and rights of all are respected is a key focus of our Pastoral program. On Tuesday 10 May, Brett Lee from Internet Safe Education will deliver an internet safety and cyberbullying presentation to our Year 7 and 8 students. The presentation is designed to challenge students' mindsets and assumptions about the realities of the online world and to empower students with the knowledge they need to act responsibly in the online environment. 

On Wednesday 4 May, the ‘You can sit with me’ program was launched with our Year 7 students. This inclusive and kindness campaign and anti-bullying initiative is designed to support students suffering with anxiety, depression and feelings of isolation and to bring our school community together.  Each Tuesday throughout Term 2, Kingston Youth Services will be present in our school community and will work with our students to promote prosocial behaviour and to facilitate a range of activities designed to strengthen and unite our student body.

Goal Setting

Term 2 can be stressful for our Year 9 to 11 students as they prepare for end of semester exams and for our Year 12 students as they are presented with many challenges.  Kilbreda College works hard to equip students with the necessary tools to support their academic and general wellbeing. This includes working alongside students to assist them to establish short- and long-term goals, and in the process, strategies to allow them to realise them.  Over the past week, students have been encouraged to use the SMART goal framework to create an academic, wellbeing and personal goal for the term.

We know that having goals is unhelpful unless some essential thinking and mindsets are undertaken. This includes:

• Avoiding negative self-talk.  This includes seeing setbacks as opportunities to reset goals, rather than times to tell yourself you are not good enough.
• Comparing yourself to others can be demoralising and hide your own unique pathway.
• If the goals are big, then breaking them into measurable, smaller steps is important.
• Remembering not to invest everything in one goal.
• Ensuring you have goals for more than just academic pursuits.  Thinking and planning for health, wellbeing and for relationships is essential for success now and into the future.

Parents, you are encouraged to have a conversation with your daughter about her goals for the term and to discuss with her ways you may be able to support her to achieve this.  You may also wish to talk to her about essential thinking and mindsets that have been found to be critical in goal attainment.

Student Leadership

Leadership and personal growth programs are key features of life at Kilbreda College.  Our Leadership program is a strengths-based, inclusive program that provides students with the opportunity to practise personal and organisational skills and to provide service to the College community in the area of Living Justice, Community Action, Health and Wellbeing, Student Representative Council and Sustainability (scroll across the table to see the full list).  In 2022, the College received over 120 applications for student leadership positions.  After an extensive application and selection process that included peer voting and group interviews, it is my great pleasure to announce our Year 7 to 12 2022 Student Leadership Team.

Parent Webinar:  Online Digital Safety and Digital Wellbeing for Young People 

Thursday 19 May

6.30pm to 7.30pm

Kingston Youth Services are excited to welcome Martine Oglethorpe for their Term 2 Parent Information night.  Martine is an accredited speaker with the Office of the eSafety Commission of Australia, has a background in secondary education, a Masters in counselling and is a mother to five boys.

Through her personal and professional work with families, she recognises the important role technology plays in the social and emotional wellbeing of young people.

The webinar will include the following key discussion points:

• Social media and self-esteem
• Our brains on devices 
• Cyberbullying and online abuse
• Group chats gone wrong
• Dealing with distractions
• Mindful scrolling
• Managing time online

To register, see details on the flier.

Stephanie Smyth

Assistant Principal:

Wellbeing and Engagement