Assistant Principals' Update
VCE 2018 Results
We would like to extend our congratulations to the Class of 2018 and are pleased to report that just under 25% of our students achieved an ATAR above 80, placing them in the top 20% of the state, and 8.7% of our students achieved a study score of 90 or above, placing them in the top 10% of the state.
We were delighted to welcome back selected students from the Class of 2018 and their families to the Commencement of Year Assembly on Wednesday 13 February. We recognised those students who achieved an ATAR of 80 or above and individual students who achieved the highest study score over 40 in the subject cohort. A study score of 40 or higher placed them in the top 9% of students in the state.
We are also very proud to announce that the 2018 Dux Proxime is Eliza Dalton with an ATAR score of 98.5 and the 2018 College Dux is Ciara Murray with an ATAR score of 99.25 They are both commended for their outstanding level of commitment and dedication towards their studies which led to exceptional results.
The names of award recipients for achieving an ATAR score of 80 or above are outlined below. We have also published the names and subjects of all students who received a study score of 40 or above.
ATAR of 80 or above
Madison Abdilla-Hill, Katherine Blain, Hayley Boicovitis, Lucie Calvez, Monica Casaceli, Ruby Clohesy, Charlotte Coletti, Eliza Dalton, Lucy Devlin, Jamie Dickinson, Alexandria Douglas, Rachel Ebert, Ava Hattam, Abby-Rose Hunter, Jenna Jansen Van Rensburg, Livinia Jochim, Maddison McDonald, Kate Moffatt, Ciara Murray, Caroline Nguyen, Finley Nicholls, Isabella Nielsen, Rachel O'Hehir, Dayna Ortland, Ruby Paterno, Annaliese Rogers, Hayley Smith, Amelia Stutterd-Walsh, Emily Waltzer, Emma Westerman, Taniesha Wilson, Tahlia Worrell and Vivian Yan
Study Score of 40 or above
ART - Isobel King
BIOLOGY - Ciara Murray
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT - Rachel O'Herir , Dayna Ortland, Hayley Boicovitis, Emma Westerman and Isabella Griffiths
CHEMISTRY - Ciara Murray
DANCE - Lily Stubbs and Molly Campbell
DRAMA - Nicholas Gale and Eliza Dalton
ENGLISH - Annaliese Rogers, Ava Hattam, Katherine Blaine and Monica Casaceli
ENGLISH LANGUAGE - Eliza Dalton, Ciara Murray, Caroline Nguyen and Jenna Jansen Van Rensburg
FOOD STUDIES - Madison Abdilla-Hill and Isabella Nielsen
HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT - Madison Abdilla-Hill, Eliza Dalton, Emma Westerman, Samantha Pritchett, Livinia Jochim and Natalie Miller
LANGUAGES: GREEK - Despina Nianiakos
LEGAL STUDIES - Nadia Johnson
MATHS: FURTHER MATHEMATICS - Jenna Jansen Van Rensburg, Caroline Nguyen and Jessica Quinn
MEDIA - Ava Hattam and Tegan Welsh
PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Rachel Ebert, Carlone Nguyen, Annaliese and Jenna Van Rensburg
PRODUCT DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY - Jamie Dickinson and Stephanie Clifford
PSYCHOLOGY - Emma Chamberlain, Madison Abdilla-Hill, Alexandria Douglas, Ruby McMaster, Rachel Ebert and Hayley Smith
SPORT AND RECREATION - Holly Davies, Alexandria Douglas, Abbey McNamara, Madeileen Tobin and Annaliese Rogers
STUDIO ARTS 4 - Eliza Dalton and Ava Hattam
Creative Cloud Subscription
Adobe Creative Cloud was listed on the 2019 Booklist as a compulsory purchase for all Year 7 and 8 students and for certain Year 9 to 12 Elective subjects.
Creative Cloud is a set of applications and services from Adobe Systems that gives subscribers access to a collection of software used for graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, along with a set of mobile applications and also some optional cloud services.
It has come to our attention that some families did not purchase the subscription through Campion Education and so we are in the process of organising a system for parent/carers to purchase the subscription for their daughter though the College. We will also open this offer to all students who may not specifically require it for their subjects but would still like to have the suite of applications available to them on their laptop.
The price for students is $21.45 for an annual subscription. Information on how to purchase the Creative Cloud licence will be circulated soon via updates on PAM.
2019 VCE Procedures and Policies
It was wonderful to see so many families in attendance at the recent VCE Information Evening. Mrs Melanie Marsh (Senior Pathways Coordinator) went through many of the new procedures and documentation requirements that are being implemented in 2019 regarding SACS and SATs.
Each student has received a hard copy of the VCE Student Handbook and students and their parents/ carers are encouraged to make themselves familiar with the contents of this handbook.
Another new initiative this year is scheduling some SACs on a Monday Day 6 afternoon between 2:30pm and 4:30pm. Students are advised to avoid accepting work shifts or making appointments before 4.30pm on Day 6. If a student is required to complete a task at this time she will receive advance notice.
I also wish to remind families that failure to attend the SAC task on the set day and time, due to an unauthorised absence, will result in a zero score being awarded for that task. Please be aware that SACS will not be rescheduled for family holidays. This applies to all Unit 1- 4 VCE/VET subjects and if the student does not attend, it will be deemed an unauthorised absence.
Catherine Johnston
Assistant Principal:
Learning and Teaching
Year 7 Transition
On Wednesday 20 February, our new Year 7 students commenced the Peer Support Program. The Peer Support Program is designed to assist our Year 7 students to make a smooth and successful transition to our College community whilst helping them to develop the understanding and skills needed to lead a safe and happy life. This year we have 47 Year 10/11 students who have been trained as Peer Support Leaders. Each Day 8 during Semester 1, two Peer Support Leaders meet with a small group of Year 7 students to explore issues including building connections and developing friendships, optimism, resilience, managing conflict, decision-making, values and life at Kilbreda College. Each Day 3, the Peer Support Leaders meet from 8.00am – 8.40am to debrief the previous week’s session and to plan and design the upcoming session with the support of a supervising teacher.
Years 8 & 9 Student Leadership Program
On Tuesday 19 February, we acknowledged and celebrated our Year 8 and 9 student leaders with an induction assembly for our Community Action Leaders, Faith and Justice Leaders, Health and Wellbeing Leaders and Sustainability Leaders. Jade Wise of Year 9 hosted this student-led assembly, which highlighted the talent that exists within the walls of our red brick school. During this assembly, our student leaders spoke about the importance of building community through each of us making individual efforts to connect. They also encouraged each other to consider how they can make a difference and act upon the many opportunities available to be part of our school’s strong and vibrant community.
I wish the following students the best of luck and personal strength as they begin their leadership journey.
Community Action Leaders
Leaders: Shannen Carty and Francesca Malignaggi
Health and Wellbeing Leaders
Leaders: Alice Merchant and Maddison Selacki
Faith and Justice Leaders
Leaders: Ella Bater and Gladys Mpakame
Sustainability Leaders
Leaders: Sarah Donlon, Alexia Ritzert and Maddison Torpey
Random Acts of Kindness Day
Random Acts of Kindness Day
On Monday 18 February, our Year 8 & 9 Health and Wellbeing leaders implemented a range of initiatives within the school to promote the importance of living out our College motto of ‘Strength and Kindliness.’ The leaders worked with representatives of Kingston Youth Services to spread joy through the yard at lunchtime and to empower students to adopt the ‘Pay It Forward’ mentality through games and activities.
House Spirit
Teamwork, participation and community are essential elements of our House System. All students and staff are placed in one of our four Houses, which are Brigid, Delany, Kildare and Tullow. A key focus of our Year 12 Student Leadership Team this year is to strengthen House Spirit and cultivate a strong sense of House pride and culture. On Tuesday 19 February, our Year 12 House Captains led spirited assemblies that focused on the upcoming House Swimming Carnival, which will be held at Carnegie Pool on Wednesday 6 March. House chants were enthusiastically practised, the importance of high student participation and striving to achieve one’s best were emphasised with a rainbow of friendship and camaraderie on full display. Congratulations must go to our Year 12 students, in particular our House Captains who have stepped up and contributed significantly to their House efforts.
International Women’s Day Breakfast
On Friday 8 March, Kilbreda College will host an International Women’s Day Breakfast to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women. The theme for this year’s breakfast will be #BalanceforBetter – a call to action for driving gender balance across the world and to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive. We are pleased to welcome Dr Mayumi Purvis, a Kilbreda College Past Pupil of Distinction awardee as our Guest Speaker. Mayumi is currently lecturing in ethics at Monash University, as well as working with Peter Mac Cancer Centre and Melbourne University on the development of an end-of-life course. In addition to this work, Mayumi volunteers in aged care as a counsellor, providing end of life care and delivering dignity therapy. Mayumi is also involved in a project centred on ‘volunteer companioning’ that sees her working with nine other brilliant women from around Australia to bring Australia, a U.S. based program called ‘no one dies alone.’
Kilbreda College invites all students and a significant woman in their life to join us for breakfast on Friday 8 March from 7.15am – 8.30am in the Sister Mary Dalton Hall. Please book tickets for this event via the following link
By attending this International Women’s Day Breakfast, you will be supporting the work of the College’s Brigid’s Cloak initiative in providing much needed support to vulnerable and marginalised members of our community.
Parenting Insights
From time to time, I share the work of Australian parenting expert, Michael Grose. Michael has recently shared an excellent article about developing the leadership abilities of our young people. It is timely and practical and the tips he shares can be adapted to any age. You can read the article here.
Stephanie Smyth
Assistant Principal:
Wellbeing and Engagement
Professional Learning- Engaging our Learners
The College recently hosted Andrew Douch, an education consultant and presenter, and teacher with 22 years' classroom experience. Well known for his innovative approaches to teaching and learning, he helps teachers amplify their impact on student learning by inspiring new thinking about teaching effectively in a technology-rich world.
Andrew led his workshop ‘Tools for Engagement’ with teaching and Learning Diversity staff, exploring various apps and software tools we can use to engage students in many aspects of learning. He demonstrated ways in which educators can use technology, such as Virtual Reality, green screen filming and podcasting to enhance learning both in and out of the classroom.
During our Day 6 Professional Learning afternoons, teachers will be experimenting, deepening our understanding of student engagement in learning and exploring ways in which we can create a culture of interest and curiosity.
Wayne Murrill
Assistant Principal:
Staff Learning and Development