English and Humanities

Public Speaking

VCAA Plain English Speaking Award

Last Thursday, Julie Lan (Year 12) and Jaskeerat Kaur (Year 11) represented Killester College in a regional final of the VCAA Plain English Speaking Award at St Bede's College, Mentone. The Plain English Speaking Award requires students to speak clearly and convincingly, in Plain English, on an issue that shows an awareness of a world beyond their immediate environment. Competitors presented a six minute prepared speech and a three minute impromptu speech. Julie and Jaskeerat spoke with flair and confidence and were impressive ambassadors for our College. The girls should be commended for not only their exceptional public speaking skills, but also for the time and effort involved in preparing for the competition.

Geraldine Nunn - Year 10-12 English Learning Area Leader 

Justice and Democracy

Last week the Justice and Democracy students, with their leader, Ms Jacquie Dunstan and myself, went to Clonard in Geelong for a Reconciliation seminar. We met with students from all Victorian Kildare Ministries schools and were led in prayer at the start of the day with an Indigenous reflection on listening and awareness. Indigenous students from Clonard then opened the day with a Welcome to Country dance. A local elder, Norm, who talked about Indigenous culture, inventions and history, followed this. He also gave his perspective on why there needs to be greater efforts made to understand Indigenous history and the need for reconciliation. Norm held us spellbound by his stories and insights into Indigenous culture and inventions such as the boomerang.. There were also heartbreaking stories of families that were ripped apart during the Stolen Generation and some wonderful stories of brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers being reunited. A shared lunch was followed by planning for each individual school as preparation for Reconciliation Week. Our students were inspired by these talks and have made plans to highlight the week through Indigenous colours, art work, posters and film. Thank you to Kildare Education Ministries for the opportunity to understand more about our first people, the oldest culture in the world, some 60,000 years old. There is still much to do to make things right.

Peter O'Neill, Mission and Identity Leader