Year 9  

On behalf of the Year 9 Home Room Teachers, I would like to say Happy New Year and welcome you to the start of our Year 9 journey. Year 9 is recognised as a pivotal year in education, which is why our college has The Bridges Program, which involves four phases from Terms 1 to 4: Bridges to Change, Bridges to Country, Bridges to City and Bridges to Community.

Please put in your diary the very important Year 9 Information Evening, which will be held on Monday 18 February. The evening will provide vital information about the year ahead for the girls, which involves a country camp in early May.

The school theme for the year is, Hospitality - Welcoming All, one of our pivotal Brigidine and Kildare Ministries values which guide the mission and direction at the College. Our Year 9 theme for the year is, Courage and Engage: we have the courage to engage with self, with others and our community. At our Opening Assembly on Friday, we explored what courage means and how we can put it into action in our continuing exploration of ourselves and through our connections with others. We spoke of the courage it takes to try new things and to challenge ourselves even when it doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable. This is a vital part of ongoing development.

Our Year 9s are very fortunate to have their own exclusive, modern wing of the school, with state-of-the-art classrooms, technology and a break-out space for group work. This space reflects the importance of this year in the girls’ education.

After our assembly, we had a wonderful afternoon playing tabloid sports in class teams. K2, led by Mr Gurowski, was the winning class and rewarded them with a pizza lunch for their teamwork and prowess. All girls are to be congratulated on their energy, effort, camaraderie and positive approach towards the day. After icy poles and a lunch break, the girls enjoyed a performance from the clever and highly entertaining company, Brainstorm Productions, which explored the impact of technology on our world and on our communication with each other.

This week a number of brave students are presenting leadership speeches to the year level, discussing their ideas, initiatives and outstanding leadership qualities in their quest to strive for Middle School Leadership positions. All girls presenting are to be commended for their community spirit, courage and willingness to share their time and talents with others.

Middle School Leadership Applicants

Ella Bater, Alexandra Bonsall, Erin Carroll, Shannen Carty, Sarah Donlon, Madison Gatt, Amy Kennedy, Isabelle La Prade, Francesca Malignaggi, Maddison Torpey, Jade Wise, Holly McDonald, Amelie Monaghan, Gladys Mpakme, Maddison Selacki and Emily Smith.

More about this process and outcome will be presented in the next newsletter. I am so proud of them all for being willing to ‘have a go’ and for having the courage to apply for these leadership positions.

Term 1 is very busy! Along with Mary Poppins auditions, there are many opportunities for the girls. Please note the following dates:

18 February: Year 9 Information Evening

                             SCSA Triathlon

6 March: Ash Wednesday

                   School Swimming Carnival

7 March: SCSA Tennis

8 March: International Women’s Day Breakfast

12 and 14 March: Duke of Edinburgh Camps

28 March: Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

3 April: SCSA Swimming

14 April: Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

Please also note your daughter’s Home Room teacher for the year:

K1: Ms Cate Jacka

K2: Mr Simon Gurowski

K4: Mr David McKail

K5: Mr Stephen Brown

K6: Dr Sarah Avitabile

K7: Mrs Fiona Vella

Best wishes for a wonderful start to the year!

Kath de Bruin

Year 9 Level Leader