Hello and welcome to the half-way point of Term 3.

Emergency Management Plan

Your daughter(s) may have come home with news that we had another Lockdown Drill this week. These are an important aspect of safety here at the College. The girls were very patient, as we checked buildings, doors and windows, staying quiet under their desks. Thanks to everyone for ensuring this was a successful drill.

Subject Selections

The selection of subjects for 2023 has now closed. It has been a very smooth process this year. Now begin the discussions regarding 2023 and beyond.

Work Experience week is quickly approaching for our Year 10 students, Monday 29th August to Friday 2nd September. Queries can be directed to your daughter's Homeroom teacher or the Year 10 YYL, Elissa Galante, or to the Careers Practitioner, Zoe Anderson.

Student Committees

A part of our work in the Organisation Office is to work with student committees on their whole school activities.

I would like to make special mention of the Sustainability students who, last week, promoted, so well, the Sustainability and Environment Week to the school community. Student interest in how we can care for the environment and continue to be more conscious of our choices regarding the use and disposal of plastics, paper, cardboard and food is ever growing, which is due, in no small part, to the leadership within the students themselves.

Today, August 19 is an important day for Year 7 2024 students, as enrolment applications will close. Interviews of these Grade 5 students will commence tomorrow and conclude next Saturday.

Reminders for the home calendar:

September 7 (3.30pm - 6.30pm) and September 8 (12.00pm - 8.00pm) will be Years 7-11 Parent, Teacher and Student Learning Conversations online. Information regarding the required links and meeting times will be sent to parents in the coming weeks.

A reminder also that Brigidine Day will be held on the last day of term, September 16, with students dismissed at the normal time of 3.05pm.

Reminder to Parents:

We are not allowed to administer any medication to students without a medical plan.

ALUMNI NEWS

Last Sunday we welcomed back some members of the class of 2002, who were all amazed by how quickly the past twenty years had passed.

Kylie Taberner and I were pleased to see that some of their children also accompanied them. Two of the ex-students were visiting from London, with others still in the local area and a few living inter-state.

There was great excitement and surprise from them when they first walked into Tullow, shocked that the Rosemary Oval was gone and such a beautiful building stood in its place. They spoke of the portable buildings in the area where the student drop off is and the fact that they had never seen the Kilmaire building.

They were impressed by the layout of the Helen Toohey building and how open and modern it was.

They were pleased by the difference in the library and the fact that it has evolved past having hundreds of books.

There was also great excitement and reminiscing to see some areas that were nearly the same. There were great oohs and aahs in the Science Discovery Centre and at the site of the new VCE Centre and Kennedy Hall.

It was wonderful to be able to host a group of our alumni and be able to make connections with them again.

Best wishes for the coming week.

Loreto Cannon

Assistant Principal - Engagement, Operations & Transition

Please note that the following information was sent to all parents in an EdSmart slip on Thursday.

Dear Students, Families and Staff,

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS): Monday 29 August – Friday 16 September 2022

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices.

A significant and formal way in which we engage and gather data is through MACSSIS, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys.

MACSSIS is a set of surveys that have been built specifically for Catholic schools in Melbourne by the Learning Services team at MACS, in partnership with researchers at Learning First and in wide consultation with principals in our schools.

In 2022, students, families and staff are invited to participate in MACSSIS via our secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys.

The MACSSIS survey platform is operated by an independent supplier, ORIMA Research Pty Ltd. The platform meets with the high security and privacy standards for handling student and school data. Participating schools are in the process of updating their privacy policy to ensure school communities are fully informed and protected.

Students at our school will be provided with supervised sessions, where teachers are on hand to help and answer any questions. Families and staff can complete the survey anytime over the three-week window via an emailed link and password. However, can parents please note that there will be a “Family Friendly” ONLINE session at 6.30pm on Monday 5th September (information will come soon).

Our community’s opinions are critical to understanding how our school is performing – MACSSIS is a key data source for guiding the ongoing work to improve our school.

All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support the work we are already doing to improve our school. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate, or withdraw from the survey at any point before, during or after completion of the survey. Please notify the school if your child does not wish to participate.

If you would like more information, please contact the school.

Yours sincerely,

Sally Buick

Principal

Killester College Guided Tours

The first Monday of each month – 9.00am.

To book a tour, go to the Killester Website and click the "Tour Bookings" on the Homepage.

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Important Dates

Monday 22 August - Celebration Week

- Year 7&8 PE- Springvale Indoor Sports (In class time)

Tuesday 23 August - SCSA Netball @ Parkville JUNIORS only

- Year 7&8 PE- Springvale Indoor Sports (In class time)

- Year 11 VCAL Incursion P1&2

Wednesday 24 August - Drama Festival (After School) Tullow

- Year 10 P&F Excursion- All day- Monash Gallery of Art (FS)

- Year 10 PE P1&2 Rollerskating Excursion (EM)

- Year 9 Shrine Excursion P1-6

Thursday 25 August - Junior SEGAP

- Women in the Bible session- Accreditation Chapel

- Year 10 P4 Road Smart Incursion (In homerooms)

- Year 11 Indonesian Excursion (FC) Otao Kitchen Cooking School

- Year 12 P4 Resilience/Meditation/Growth Mindset Session

Friday 26 August - Futsal Championships Training/lunchtime @ Springvale

- Women In Construction Experience Day P1-4

- Year 11 VCAL Incursion P3&4

- Year 8 PE- Springvale Indoor Sports (In class time)

Saturday 27 August - Interviews for 2024 Day 2

Monday 29 August - Year 10 Work Experience Week

- Futsal Championships Training/lunchtime @ Springvale

Tuesday 30 August - Music Excursion BH (After chool) Arts centre

- Year 8 PE- Springvale Indoor Sports (In class time)

- Year 9 Swimming

- Year 10 PE P3&4 Rollerskating Excursion

- Year 11 SAR P4-6 MCG Excursion

Friday 2 September - Futsal Championships Training/lunchtime @ Springvale

- Year 11&12 VCAL P3&4 Incursion

Learn To Speak English While You Make New Friends

Are you too shy to talk to people because you cannot speak English very well? Well you can improve your English because Killester College runs a ‘Conversational English Class for adults’ every Monday morning at 10:00am till 12:00pm during school term, for parents, family members and friends. Classes are fun, where you are safe to try your new language skills in a friendly place. You will learn words that you may use everyday while at the same time make new friends who will encourage you to talk in English. We also talk about things that are happening in our community.

We would love you to join us to help improve your English and at the same time have lots of fun. Mondays 10.00am till 12.00pm in the Family Learning Centre at Killester College. Please contact Loreto Cannon at the College or via email at lcannon@killester.vic.edu.au to book. We hope to see you there.

Jacqui Adams

Volunteer Tutor Conversational English

Maths