From the Principal

In this last fortnight we found ourselves very quickly making the transition to remote learning once again.  Fortunately, we have all become quite adept at being flexible, adjusting or changing what we had planned, and learning and working from home.  While staff and students made this transition quite smoothly, we were all very pleased to be back at the College within a few days.

We were delighted to welcome many special guests to our first College Assembly for 2021 which was held this morning.  They included past Principals, representatives of Kildare Ministries, Kildare Education Ministries and our Stewardship Council, Principals of neighbouring schools, and of course, members of the Class of 2020 and family members of Kilbreda students.  At the Assembly, we celebrated the academic achievements of students in 2020 and commissioned our student leaders for 2021.  While we acknowledged the students who achieved the high scores in the Victorian Certificate of Education last year, the entire Class of 2020 deserves our recognition having attained the best VCE results on record for Kilbreda College, leading to the College being ranked 8th out of the 96 Catholic secondary schools in Victoria.  

As a cohort, the Class of 2020 were quite remarkable young women – they remained positive despite the many challenges and disappointments they faced during their final year, showed great resilience, supported, encouraged and challenged each other to be their best. I think that we can all look to them as wonderful examples of what can be achieved when you maintain a positive attitude, work collaboratively with others and work hard to achieve your personal goals!  In her acceptance speech as Dux of 2020, Zoe Withers shared the strategies she found to be most beneficial, which included the “one thing” principle. Each morning she asked herself, “What is the one thing that I can do today that is going to have the most positive impact on my ATAR?” While Zoe asked herself this in terms of her ATAR, this question could, of course, be asked in relation to anything of importance to us, such as:

What is the one thing that I can do today that is going to have the most positive impact on…

…my health and wellbeing?

… my school community?

…my family and friends?

…the environment?

…someone/people who are suffering?

Last Wednesday, marked the beginning of the Church season of Lent - a period of 40 days in which Christians reflect on Jesus’ words and example and prepare to celebrate his death and resurrection at Easter time.  Lent is a time for repentance, reconciliation and renewal. It is also a time that is traditionally associated with fasting.  Below you will find the words of Pope Francis who encourages a different type of fasting, that being from certain behaviours and attitudes etc.  

Perhaps we can all ask ourselves each day during Lent, “What is the one thing that I can do today that is going to have the most positive impact on others?”

One of the ways in which we can reach out to others and help end poverty is to donate generously to Project Compassion. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal which serves to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.  Further information about how to support Project Compassion this Lent is contained within this newsletter.

We Pray For

We ask for your prayers for members of our community and their families who have recently lost loved ones:

Craig Weir

Father of Chaelynne Weir 

(Past Pupil - Class of 2020)

Leo Gamble

Father of Jennifer Gamble 

(Staff)

We pray that our loving God hold them gently in the palm of His hand.

Nicole Mangelsdorf

Principal