News

Mia Ferraretto, Kildare College 2023 Old Scholar, has been changed ‘For Good’ after experiencing the transformative Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp (KCBBC) in Oklahoma, an elite growth experience for young performers. After participating in the bootcamp for a second time after successful auditions, Mia also received the 110% Kristi Award in recognition for her dedication, enthusiasm and commitment to the Performing Arts. This year, the Bootcamp featured a total of 65 students from 21 states and six countries.

“If I had to sum up the KCBBC in one word, it would be people,” Mia states. “The focus is on learning and growing, not only the craft of performance, but the whole self.” Mia not only connected with other performers from across the world, but was also mentored by industry professionals including Emmy and Tony Award winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth, well known for her role as the inaugural Glinda in the Broadway Musical, Wicked, and Kenny Ortega, film maker and choreographer who directed the High School Musical trilogy. Mia shares “To experience the 11-day KCBBC twice and to win the 110% Kristi Award was incredible and such a surprise. I am so grateful for the endless support and love shown by all the faculty and campers.” Full of memorable experiences, one of Mia’s highlights from the bootcamp was working with Stars on Stage. Comprised of young performers with special needs, this creative collaboration turned into a magical performance at the end of camp showcase, leaving an indelible mark on Mia. Lara Teeter, Head of Musical Theatre at Webster University and KCBBC Co-Director, expresses “Mia's greatest potential for the Broadway industry goes way beyond her talent! It is her tenacity and grit that will provide her with a place on Broadway.”

Mia’s journey into musical theatre began early, inspired by seeing Matilda when she was 10 years old. She says, “There’s something so surreal about building a character and being able to express them through music and movement.” Mia’s passion for the performing arts since flourished throughout her education at Kildare College, being heavily involved in Dance, Drama, Music and the College Musical, being awarded multiple subject Duxes and a Merit. She also continues to volunteer at Kildare College, supporting and coaching students performing in the College Musical. “I wouldn’t be where I am personally and performing-wise if I didn’t have those experiences at Kildare, empowering me to reach my full potential,” Mia shares.

Performing in musicals professionally and always being involved in the performing arts is Mia’s dream. Now pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at the Elder Conservatorium, Mia teaches singing and continues her dance training, open to any opportunity that may arise commenting “I have learnt to trust the process and always lead with kindness, I am so grateful for KCBBC and I hope to pass on what I have learnt to others around me.”

Tina Neate, Principal of Kildare College, congratulates Mia, stating that “We are so proud of Mia’s outstanding accomplishments. She is the definition of determination, talent and is an example of courage to our students who look to pursue opportunities within the Performing Arts.” Kildare College is set to open a new Performing Arts and Wellbeing Centre in 2026, fostering and catering for further opportunities at the College for students passionate about the Performing Arts.

The STEM MAD Competition is an annual celebration of excellence in STEM at Catholic Schools, empowering students to be critical and creative thinkers. Held on Friday 2 August 2024 at the UniSA, students from 8 Secondary South Australian schools showcased projects at the State competition. All three Kildare College Year 8 and 9 student teams were successful in receiving a place to showcase their work at the event; with the Kildare College Year 8 students winning first place and the Year 9 team winning third place in the secondary years category; crowning them as South Australian Winners for the second consecutive year.  

Amelie, Navya and Rui showcased a high level of innovation; being awarded First Place for their creation of a Micro-Filter Force, a device that successfully filters micro-plastics from water. This project is connected to the environment and sustainability of ecosystems, being able to reduce pollution in water. 

Digital Innovation Coordinator, Nicholas Kellett-Southby, and STEM / Science Curriculum Coordinator, Marie Booth, state, “Students have demonstrated remarkable perseverance, ingenuity and STEM excellence, with a focus on reducing microplastics in water at the heart of their innovative design". The Micro-Filter Force was a 5-month project that involved comprehensive scientific research into ferrofluids and microplastics, and 3D modelling and prototype design. The students will soon compete in the national competition in Brisbane.  

With great enthusiasm and passion, Kildare students ventured to Nido, a local Early Learning School.

Their mission: To enrich and inspire young minds in our community.

Their challenge: To answer the question, ' How can we design an initiative for 3 and 4-year-olds to better our local community?’

Over 100 Year 9 students joined forces and formed small groups, each armed with creativity and a desire to make a positive impact. They developed activities and designed 20-minute sessions, aimed at enriching the development of young minds; targeting specific learning outcomes such as improved motor skills, enhanced memory, expanded general knowledge, and the generation of creativity. Every child participated in multiple activities during six visits from Kildare, and the outcomes were nothing short of extraordinary, recognising the significance of nurturing a love for learning from an early age.

Carolyn Whitton, People and Quality Leader at Nido, says ‘This experience by Kildare is a first for Nido in South Australia. We saw great benefits for both Kildare students and Nido children with discussion about the possibility of a traineeship in the Childcare Sector which excited the Kildare students. We would love to continue our partnership with Kildare. This experience was a confidence builder for all involved; learning to communicate in various ways leads to improved social skills and language development.

The Year 9 Kildare College RISE students embraced the opportunity to spark curiosity and nurture skills in young minds. Raymond Kropinski, Director of Teaching and Learning at Kildare College, says ‘This special program did not just enrich the children at Nido, it sparked a profound sense of purpose; fostering leadership, empathy, teamwork and social responsibility in our Year 9 students. They are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders shaping tomorrow.’

Proving their talent for STEM, Kildare College Year 8 students, Bianca, Prabhjit and Sophie are entrepreneurs in the making; being awarded for their creation of a Specialised Air Purifying Ecosystem. Successfully reducing levels of carbon dioxide in the air, the system was designed to solve long term negative effects from the greenhouse gas in highly used areas. 

Held on 17 August 2023 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, The STEM Make A Difference (MAD) Competition is a celebration of excellence in STEM at CESA schools, empowering students to be critical and creative thinkers. Students from 16 South Australian schools showcased their projects at the state competition in two major categories; Years 3-6 (Primary) and Years 7-12 (Secondary). The Year 8 Kildare College students won first place for the secondary category and also the People’s Choice Award. 

Lecturer and PhD Researcher at UniSA, Maria Vieira, one of the judges at STEM MAD, says, “Kildare College was selected based on the exceptional quality of its solutions presented. The participating students left a striking impression by showcasing an impressive mastery of the STEM subject, including exceptional coding. Their ideas were articulated with confidence and genuine enthusiasm, providing a comprehensive view of how their solution could make a difference".

The Specialised Air Purifying Ecosystem was a 5-month project that involved comprehensive research of pollutants, plants that remove chemicals, coding, Mathematics, Science, soldering, Engineering, photosynthesis and the design and building of the working prototype. Winning the state competition; the students will soon compete in Melbourne in a chance to be crowned the national winners. Good luck!

Talented Year 7 Scholarship student, Alannah, has once again proven her expertise in the world of dance by winning the prestigious Sir Robert Helpmann Award at the esteemed Royal Academy of Dance SA Awards. This incredible achievement marks the second consecutive year she has secured the Eileen Hogarth Award for most potential, a testament to her dedication and artistry.

The Royal Academy of Dance SA Awards attracted 115 participants from Grade 2 to Solo Seal, with the event being the longest running of its kind in Australia. Adjudicated by renowned guest teacher, Melissa McCabe, the Awards celebrate the exceptional dance talent in South Australia and recognise the passion and skill of local dancers who often go on to have remarkable careers both nationally and internationally.

Alannah's success is a source of inspiration for aspiring dancers as she gracefully took centre stage at the Awards, impressing judges and spectators alike. Her passion for ballet and her love for performing and competing, shine through, making her a well-deserved recipient of these awards.

Sue Nairn, Dance Key Teacher at Kildare College, expressed her heartfelt congratulations to Alannah, recognising not only her current achievements but also the boundless potential that lies ahead for her. With her dedication and talent, Alannah is poised to make a significant impact in the world of Performing Arts. As the recipient of the Kildare College St Brigid Performing Arts Scholarship in 2022, she has had the opportunity to explore and study her passion for dance at the College, where she has excelled as part of the Special Entry Dance class.

The College takes great pride in Alannah's achievements and eagerly looks forward to her growth and development as a student at Kildare. 

Kildare College has been on a winning streak in various Statewide Sports over the past few weeks, leaving a trail of triumph in basketball, netball, volleyball, and soccer.

The Year 7/8 Soccer team, under the skilled guidance of Coach Tara Piro, demonstrated their prowess on the field by conquering the opposition in their opening round of Statewide matches. Their impressive skills and teamwork were evident as they emerged victorious.
Not to be outdone, the Year 9/10 Soccer team showed exceptional determination, securing wins against thier opposition to advance to the next round. The team received coaching from two talented Year 11 students, Zariah and Marley, who skillfully led them to victory.
The Kildare Basketball team emerged as true champions, displaying both athleticism and teamwork throughout a series of high-quality matches. Guided by their adept coach, Martin Wockel, the basketballers unwavering dedication contributed significantly to their remarkable success.

Their journey to the top involved three intense main round matches, with the Kildare team emerging victorious in each encounter. However, it was the heart-stopping clash against their next opponents that truly tested their resolve. The fate of their path to the finals hung in the balance until a dramatic penalty situation. As the timer expired, an extra two minutes were granted, giving the team a chance to secure victory by a single point. Rising to the occasion, they advanced to the semi-finals where their exceptional teamwork propelled them forward to the Grand Final. In this closely contested battle, the basketballers delivered a masterful performance, ultimately claiming the Championship title.

The College takes immense pride in its students outstanding achievements in Statewide Sports, and their success serves as a testament to the dedication, talent, and hard work fostered within the Kildare community.

Kildare College's Performing Arts students transported audiences back in time to the 1990s with their electrifying showcase, Planet 90s, a performance that left over 1400 guests mesmerised and thrilled. The collaborative dance and music extravaganza, held at Futures Entertainment Centre, featured the extraordinary talents of students from Years 7 to 12, making it one of the College's most significant events to date.

Planet 90s celebrated the very essence of the era, embracing its innovative rap, moody rock, wild fashion, and infectious pop jams. The students fearlessly took on the challenge of infusing the iconic 90s favourites with fresh and imaginative touches, creating a show that was both nostalgic and cutting-edge.

The dancers from Kildare College showcased their remarkable skills, flawlessly executing challenging choreography that left the audience in awe. Their energy, precision, and contagious enthusiasm shone brightly on stage, captivating everyone who witnessed their performances.

The College's talented musicians took the audience on a musical journey, delivering energetic renditions of classic 90s songs with brilliant harmonies and exceptional instrumental performances. The magical essence of the decade was brought to life, leaving no doubt about the depth of talent within the student body.

Not only did local primary school students have the privilege of attending a special matinee session, but their excitement and appreciation for the show were evident. Teachers and students alike were full of praise for the exceptional level of talent displayed, and the event's seamless organization and warm hospitality.

Beyond the spectacle of the performance, music, and dance productions play a vital role in the holistic education of students. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, these productions instil valuable skills such as teamwork, handling pressure, meeting deadlines, and accepting constructive criticism. Such opportunities enrich the educational journey of students, empowering them as performers and equipping them with essential skills for success in the world of performing arts.

The success of Planet 90s is a testament to Kildare College's commitment to nurturing the artistic spirit of its students, and the performances serve as a source of pride for the entire community. As the applause fades, the memories of this outstanding showcase will undoubtedly live on, inspiring and empowering young performers for years to come.

To celebrate Reconciliation Week, today we had some very special guests visit our College to participate in a Liturgy led by our Nunga Group. This year’s theme for Reconciliation Week is, ‘Be a voice for Generations’. It was important for our aboriginal students to share more of themselves and their culture with the College community to inspire us all to be a voice for generations. 

The Liturgy integrated Aboriginal Spirituality with our Catholic Tradition, bringing a special connectedness and authenticity. We welcomed a respected member of the Kaurna community, Jamie Goldsmith to the College, where he played the didgeridoo to open the Liturgy, accompanied by some of our talented dancers. As a Kaurna man, he was able to Welcome us to Country. The other highlight of the Liturgy was the students sharing their own personal Acknowledgement to Country, displaying the different nations they belong to, showing the diversity of our Indigenous students. Vocal ensembles also showcased their talents to bring the Liturgy together.

The Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, the Most Reverend Archbishop Patrick O’Regan joined us for his first visit to Kildare, since he was installed in 2020. Representatives from Kildare Ministries and Catholic Education South Australia joined us, as well as John Neate, former Kildare College Principal, and Chair of the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools. It was such a special occasion, to not only come together as a community, but stand with Indigenous Australians in our plight to bring raise awareness and be inspired to have courageous conversations, to be a voice for generations, where reconciliation and equality in Australia can be celebrated.  

We are thrilled to announce that Kildare College has been honoured with a prestigious award through Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) in the category of Innovative Program for our exceptional Graduate Program.

This recognition is a testament to our desire to develop Early Career Teachers (ECTs) by providing them with opportunities for professional growth and development, ensuring they can thrive and make meaningful contributions to the College community. 

The CESA award serves as validation of Kildare’s dedicated approach in attracting and retaining exceptional educators. It is a moment of immense pride and gratitude as we celebrate this significant achievement, one that reinforces Kildare’s reputation as a trailblazer in innovation. 

Over the past two years, the College has successfully recruited and integrated over 15 Early Career Teachers (ECTs). Due to the number of early graduates coming to Kildare we established the Kildare Graduate Program in 2022. Through the Graduate Program, the ECTs have been provided with many opportunities for professional growth and development, ensuring they can thrive and make meaningful contributions to the College community. 

Kildare’s Graduate Program is a research-based, innovative, high-impact approach that supports the Early Career Teachers’ transition to competent, capable, and dynamic professionals. Initiated by the Leadership Team and developed by the Future Innovation Coaches, the program’s foundation is built upon the College’s Core Values and extensive research. It is aligned with the AITSL framework, enabling graduates to develop their pedagogical knowledge and skills consistently and sequentially and build towards moving from provisional to full registration as a qualified teacher. 

The program’s effectiveness is further evidenced by its ability to make a significant contribution to Catholic Education, supporting teachers to build strong relationships, manage their classrooms effectively, and continuously improve their teaching practice. Through support and resources, ECTs become competent, capable, and dynamic professionals who have an immediate impact on student learning and meaningfully contribute to all aspects of College life.  

Today was the day! Rain or shine, on Friday of Week 2, we, the Kildare Student Leadership Team walked 23km in solidarity with the Childhood Cancer Association. By partaking in this fundraiser, we endeavour to embody the essence of Courage – our Core Value for 2023. By walking in solidarity for those who are the most courageous, we hoped to support families with their ongoing battle.

The walk kicked off at 11.30am following an opening ceremony, where we welcomed special guests to our community.

We thank all our special guests for their attendance and for supporting such a worthy cause.

The walk continued until 4.30pm when all 8 members of the Student Leadership Team had successfully completed the 23km walk – 92 laps of the College oval. Students were given the opportunity to show their support by walking at lunch time, wearing blue, pink or yellow accessories, purchasing from the BBQ or the Boost Juice van.

Our previous fundraising goal of $1,500 was achieved in just 5 days, leading us to create a stretch goal of $3,000. We are delighted to announce that the funds raised for The Childhood Cancer Association stands at over $3,400. We can’t wait to share the final amount raised with you next week.

As Student Leaders, we have been absolutely overwhelmed by support. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to sincerely thank the community for your generosity for such a deserving cause. We hope we’ve inspired YOU to be courageous to make a change for those in our community who need or most.

Thank you again,
The 2023 Student Leadership Team

Investing in developing our student leaders’ skills is an important aspect of an all-girls’ education and recently our Senior Years’ leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Conference and the National Young Leaders Day.

Students learnt about the concept that it is natural to think of ‘self-first’ but leaders need to shift their thinking to ‘others first’. They were able to participate and collaborate with students from other schools across South Australia and challenge the stereotypes around leadership. They discussed how to shift from commanding and assertive leadership to kind, self-aware and inclusive leadership. The students were able to participate and engage in a number of workshops on offer, such as ‘How to make every student feel valued’, ‘How to get everybody participating in big events’ and ‘How to replace conflict with unity’.

As well as participating in a variety of workshops, students also had the opportunity to listen to high profile Australians speaking about their leadership journey, including their challenges and successes, and providing insight about what it takes to make and be a great leader. Students were encouraged to reflect on what impact they can make.

It was great to see our student leaders engaged and enthusiastic about how they can implement principles learnt throughout the workshops at the College. We look forward to seeing their growth over 2023 and beyond.

Rachel Gregor
Chanel House Leader

On the 17 of March two Year 12 students and two staff members attended a Women in Sport brunch at the National Wine Centre. The event was organised by Adelaide University Sport and hosted by radio presenter Ali Clarke.

The panel consisted of the following four members Noelle Smit, CEO and founder of Teamgage helping teams improve the way they work together as well as a Board Director for Netball South Australia / Adelaide Thunderbirds and UoA alumni.Commonwealth Games athlete and 2022 South Australian Young Professional Engineer of the Year, and UoA alumni Margaret Gayen. Socceroo, Football Analyst on Network 10 and Ambassador for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Bruce Djite and UoA alumni and former Australian Hockey representative and 2022 Australian Female Space Leader of the Year, Sarah Cannard.

The panel raised some great points around Women in Sport highlighting the differences with men, the struggles women face and balancing work and sport. The students were able to connect with organisations from Adelaide University and meet some inspiring people in the world of Sport.  

Alicia Whitton
Physical / Outdoor Education Curriculum Coordinator

Today we came together as a College community to give thanks to God for the beginning of the academic year.

Our theme for our Mass was Courage, our Core Value for 2023. The readings in the Mass called us to understand our place in the world, to be brave enough to ask for what we need, while reminding us that Jesus is with us every step of the way.

We were blessed to have celebrated with Fr Mathew, at his last College mass as well as welcome special guests, Peter Houlahan, Executive Officer of Kildare Education Ministries, Renee Oberin, Mission Leader from Kildare Ministries, Kathy McEvoy, Co-Chair of the Trustees and Jo Coonan, Chair of the Stewardship Council.

As a staff, we committed ourselves to the girls we teach and serve, to help them become the best they can be. Our Prefects were acknowledged and presented with their badges for their contribution to our College, as well as the Year 12 students. Our Year 11 Peer Support Leaders were also presented with badges and the Year 7 students were welcomed into our College community with a gift. It was a beautiful celebration to begin the year and remind us of our infinite potential.  

Bianca Bruno
Liturgy Coordinator

Families are the primary educators of their children and so it was with great enthusiasm that we welcomed the families of our Year 7 and Year 12 students to the Tullow Centre last week. The evenings were marked by a strong, positive sense of community.

Our Year 7 families met their daughter’s House Leader and Pastoral Care teacher, to discuss how students have settled into their secondary education at Kildare and answer any questions. We were so pleased to have so many families join us and begin to build a relationship with our staff. The Pastoral Care teacher plays an integral role in students’ lives at Kildare and we value working in partnership with our families.

The next evening, our Year 12 families joined us, as their daughters begin their final year at Kildare. Communication between families and the College is key to a successful year. The Practice Manager of Developing Minds Psychology, Clinical Psychologist, Kirrilie Smout, joined us, making some salient points about approaches to parenting these emerging adults. Kirrilie will be returning to Kildare throughout the year to provide workshops to our Class of 2023.

We’re looking forward to sustained period of connections and productivity for our Year 7 and Year 12 students as Term 1 reveals itself.

Angelica Paussa and Greg Larwood 
Middle Years Coordinator and Senior Years Coordinator

Recently, the Kildare College Community gathered at the Norwood Swimming Centre for the first Swimming Carnival in a number of years. We were blessed with warm weather and students were able to enjoy a day in the pool.

There was great excitement in the air as the day started off with competitive races and followed with novelty events such as Water Polo, Noodle Relay and Duck and Dive. House spirit was alive and well as students cheered each other on in all the competition. 

Each of the Houses came up with entertaining chants that were enjoyed by everyone. On the day Chanel claimed the Spirit Cup and congratulations to Nagle for their first ever Championship win.

Thank you to all students who attended the day and to the staff who helped make it the success it was! We look forward to our next Swimming Carnival.

Hayley Edwards
Co-Curricular Sports and Activities Officer

We welcomed families back to Kildare for our Academic Awards Assembly where we celebrated the achievements of our Class of 2022 and Semester 2 Academic and Endeavour Award recipients in Years 8-11. 

It has been a little while since we have been able to have families join us for this event and the Brigidine Centre Gymnasium was filled to capacity. The assembly began with dancers, current Year 12 students and Stage 2 Dance Dux recipients, Mia and Emily, joined by one of our Special Entry Dance students, Alannah (Year 7), performing a beautifully choreographed piece depicting Courage – speaking and acting with integrity, our 2023 Core Value. 

Our College Dux, Mia Hodge, provided sage advice to current students, acknowledging the support of her teachers and family, the importance of being organised and especially making the most of the drafting process. 

We were also entertained by our talented musicians who had everyone tapping along to their amazing harmonies and a video capturing the highlights of 2022 was a fitting conclusion to our celebrations. 

It is so wonderful to have families back with us and we are especially proud of all students who strive to be the best they can be. 

Michelle Camilleri
Deputy Principal

For her social enterprise 'Just to let you know you’re not alone', Lara created a set of cutlery for people recovering from an eating disorder, that have kind, supporting words and affirmations laser engraved on the handles. 30% of the profits are being donated to the Butterfly Foundation, the national charity supporting people living with an eating disorder or body image issues.

“People who have or who are recovering from an eating disorder can feel quite lonely,” Lara said. “These words will let them know they’re not alone, and provide subtle support through their journey.”

The Butterfly Foundation have shared Lara’s business content on their social media platforms, while the Women’s & Children's Hospital Foundation have funded the purchase of some cutlery sets to give to patients on discharge as a gift to take home.

“I would like to expand the business further, and source my own materials and equipment and scale up production,” Lara said. She also hopes to offer customisable options in the future.

Focusing on sustainability, each set is made from reusable bamboo, and also comes with a card outlining the mission of the enterprise and other words as distractions for the user when they are struggling.

Lara was one of two winners of the Shark Tank held at the College. Tina Neate, Principal, said, “The judges accredited the win to the passion Lara displayed during her pitch, as well as the alignment to the Colleges Core Values and Living Justice Living Peace Charter.”

The Future Anything program develops students’ business and enterprise skills, with students required to create a product, build a prototype, evaluate production costs, profit and loss, retail price and marketing strategy. Feedback after each round is used to further refine the concept, to create a sustainable business model moving forward.

Over 50 schools participate nationally in the Future Anything program annually, which culminates with a Shark Tank style National Finals round. Kildare College has had students represent the College at the National Finals each year for the last three years, with a student reaching the Grand Final in 2020 and 2021.

After entering the 2022 Future Anything competition, Lara won the Semi Final round, progressing through to the National Finals which were held in Brisbane this week. She was also the recipient of the People's Choice award, as voted by the public! 

We applaud all of the students for their extraordinary work and in particular the Year 12 students - who have completed their final major piece.
Congratulations to all.

Traditionally held as a whole College community event, we reformatted the event to be held in a more intimate House setting with a pre-recorded presentation with award winners presented their certificates in front of their peers. Certificates were awarded for:

• Academic
• Endeavour
• Maths Pathway
• Peer Support

Our Academic Awards are presented to students who achieve excellent results across most of their subjects whilst the Principal Endeavour Awards acknowledge students who have been recognised for their consistent effort and positive attitude towards learning. The Maths Pathway Awards recognise Growth, Effort or 100% accuracy whilst the Peer Support Awards thank our students who have welcomed our new students into the community through their engagement with them in activities throughout Semester 1.

 Zoe (Year 7) and Caitlin (Year 8 ) entered the photography category and were both selected as prize winners. Congratulations on your outstanding work Zoe and Caitlin!

This week across the College students have been involved in many different Visual Art activities, centred around the Japanese Artist, Yayoi Kusama. A group of students from Years 7-12 were immersed in Yayoi’s instillation piece, ‘The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descend into The Heavens’ on display at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Students also visited the MOD Gallery exhibition, ‘Reveal the Unseen, Discover Invisibility’ which explored ideas around the constant cameras watching society, as well as how Visual Art can express contemporary issues such as deep time, and the connection we have with where we live.

As Yayoi, the focus Artist is known for her immersive polka dot instillations, students were able to explore this by painting an instillation art piece, taking photos with polka dot inspired filters, drawing Yayoi’s famous dot mushrooms and be a part of adding to a stand-in wall mural. Visual Arts Week was a chance for students to meet and connect with others who are interested in this diverse and creative learning area. The area of Visual Arts allows students to reflect critically on their own experiences as well as discover how they can express and communicate these through the many forms that are Visual Art. 

Today, our College celebrated Cultural Awareness Day. Students shared recipes, cooked food, enjoyed activities, danced along to music and wore outfits of their choice, to recognise and highlight the richness of our world’s culture.

As part of their learning through Activate, an entrepreneurial learning program facilitated in partnership with Future Anything in Year 9 PBL, all students were involved in the inaugural Enterprise Display. This allowed students to make their products public, and showcase their creative and innovative business ideas that make the world a better place.

Making their products public is an essential step in the Project Based Learning cycle as they allow student work to become discussible; other students, teachers, and the wider community are involved, transforming the students’ work into food for thought. 

Before the Covid pandemic, over 130,000 people in South Australia were living below the poverty line. Unfortunately, with job losses, increasing inflation and health impacts, this figure has been rising. Many South Australians are choosing between shelter and food, and charities who offer support services are struggling to meet the increase in demand. 

This year, ‘Compassion; walking with and having empathy for all’ is our central Core Value at the College. Compassion is about breaking down barriers and taking action to help those in need. With this in mind, and in support of the Vinnies Winter Appeal, Living Justice | Living Peace sought donations of non-perishable food items from our families, students, and staff. The response from our community was incredibly heart-warming and many people gave generously. Our Houses competed for the most donations (well-done Nagle for collecting 126 donations) and our ESO staff lined the halls of the admin building! Well over 500 donations were collected!

The Living Justice | Living Peace Group would like to thank everyone who participated for their incredible generosity.

We are so grateful to be a part of such a compassionate family here at Kildare.

Entrepreneurial learning develops the skills needed to meet the global challenges of the twenty-first century; preparing students to work in a dynamic, rapidly changing global environment. Kildare College is committed to preparing our students for this through Activate; a program facilitated in partnership with Future Anything in Year 9 PBL. 

Activate provides agency to students by allowing them to learn in the role of an entrepreneur, by pitching an innovative, scalable, and sustainable Social Enterprise that makes the world a better place around a problem they are passionate about solving. Through this, students develop themselves across six key Future Capabilities: 

• Problem-solving
• Communication 
• Innovation 
• Adaptive mindset 
• Collaboration  
• Critical thinking. 

These future capabilities are all transferrable to other subjects and life beyond the Kildare College gates, allowing students to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century.

Congratulations to Mia (Year 11) for being accepted into the Class of Cabaret Program! Mia has been able to further develop performance skills through masterclasses and workshops with professional artists, culminating in a performance at Adelaide Cabaret Festival events, even gaining SACE credits along the way.

Congratulations to Mia.

The students had an exciting visit from Animals Anonymous, where they had a hands-on experience with native Australian animals of all shapes, sizes, scales, fur and feathers! Students were able to see and interact with some of Australia’s most endangered species, and learn about animal adaptations that help them survive in their wild environment, life cycles of the animals, ecology, conservation and how important it is that we play our part to protect it.

During the presentations students got to meet a bettong, a squirrel glider, a pygmy python, a knob tailed gecko, a Murray darling python and a tawny frog mouth. 

We thank Animals Anonymous for their amazing work and hope to use the information for helping to care for our Australian natives in the future. 

Viewed by students from eight local primary schools and an audience of family and friends, our dance students across Years 7 to 12, with actors from our drama department entertained and dazzled us for two full days of performances.

With colour, passion, and a tapestry of dance styles, ‘Bohemian Dreams’ was a kaleidoscope of utopian philosophies and idealistic social values.  In a show about love, compassion, and a reinterpretation of the world through a lens of vibrancy, the work endeavoured to set students free; challenging them, and the audience, to view the world as a reflection of our freedom and choice, of our togetherness and connectedness, of our shared experience, our love and humanity.  

The entire cast is to be commended for the commitment and the effort they brought to each performance. Their energy and enthusiasm was infectious as the audience greeted each routine with excited applause.  The feedback from primary school visitors was they they were blown away with the performers’ expression, passion, colourful costumes, and inspiration to pursue their own Performing Arts journey. To know that we have inspired others, makes us truly proud of our Kildare students – a wonderful achievement in challenging circumstances.  

Thank you to everyone involved in this year’s production. We hope you enjoyed the show!

Recently, we were thrilled to welcome Susan McLean to Kildare College. Susan is Australia’s leading expert in the areas of cybersafety and young people and was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years. With the explosion of cyber technology and cyberbullying emerging as a prominent issue confronting the safety and wellbeing of young people within our wider community in recent years, we thought it would be a valuable opportunity for our Middle Years students to have Susan address them about the importance of safe online practices and the serious implications of the contrary. 

As always, Susan did not fail to deliver! With an eclectic mix of her dry humour, forthright facts, and resolute realism, Susan captivated our College community, clearly conveying many pertinent messages around the importance of staying cyber safe and maintaining a good digital reputation. We are so grateful to have had Susan join us at Kildare College and are hopeful that her crucial messages around being cybersafe will continue to resonate with your daughters for the years to come. 

Auditions began with a group audition. The students learnt a short section of the music and choreography for the finale song and performed it for the panel with such enthusiasm and excitement, the room was glowing! The solo auditions continued throughout the day, and they were wonderful; these talented students really made the panel’s job hard as there were so many choices for the roles in this beautiful show.

The cast was announced on Wednesday 16 June and the room exploded with cheering and excitement. When auditioning for something like this, unfortunately, it isn’t possible for every student to be cast in the roles that they really want but the panel was so impressed and humbled by all the students’ support and encouragement of each other and the energy they brought to the process.  

Behind the scenes there has been a lot happening. Students and staff have been raising their hands, keen to help out and, with the phrase ‘many hands make light work’ in mind, we are so happy to accept any and all help! We will be organising a meeting very soon with everyone that would like to help out to start a plan for backstage, costumes, props, sets and all things Seussical!

Rehearsals have begun and it’s going so well!

When we first started planning the Innovation Hub, the Tullow Centre, the criteria was as follows:

Point of difference – a girls’ school with facilities to offer woodwork and metalwork
Innovation, Creativity and Construction are to be at the forefront of the design 
A building that prepared students for the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace with a centre focussed on flexibility, collaboration, skillful communication, and problem-solving skills.

This week after starting the build only 13 months ago, the latest building on the Kildare landscape is now operational and just incredible. Even through the complexities of Covid, the building has been delivered on time and on budget!  

This incredible building designed by Walter Brooke Architects and built by Sarah Constructions is truly a space that inspires creativity, construction and innovation and allows our students to learn in an innovative, interactive learning environment reflective of society’s modern, divergent, flexible, and dynamic thinking.  

Since 1966 when the Brigidine Sisters arrived in Adelaide and laid the first foundations for Kildare, the focus has always been on the academic and wellbeing needs of our students. History has shown us that the first Brigidine Sisters were regarded as risk-takers, resilient and demonstrated that by being creative, innovative, and brave, (and continue to be) anything is possible. In 1807, six women in response to an invitation from Daniel Delany and established the Brigidine Sisters in Tullow, Ireland.  Hence, the new building is named the ‘Tullow Centre’ because we are celebrating and acknowledging the incredible work of all who have been and are part of the Brigidine story.   

We are super excited for our students as we know that this building will present many tremendous opportunities for our College community, and now it is time to start! 

Unfortunately, a few of our musicians were not able to be with us for the performance and to help with their songs, Mr McGlone and Mrs Bramble filled their places and performed. The students were missed terribly, and we look forward to them being able to perform in our upcoming ‘Live @ The Gov’ performance.

A special mention goes to our amazing Year 8 student – Hannah Connelly whose incredible saxophone playing wowed the audience especially her fantastic solos in INXS’ ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ and the iconic ‘Walking On Sunshine’ originally released by Katrina and The Waves. Supporting Hannah was the tuneful saxophone playing of Mr Crosby.

There was wonderful feedback from the audience and the excitement backstage grew to a peak at the end of the show with the full cast backstage singing and playing the song ‘Riptide’ which is becoming a bit of a tradition for our Year 10 students. Such a beautiful display of the students bonding and celebrating their achievements through the gift of music. 

Sister Brigid Arthur csb AO

Co-Founder and Project Coordinator of the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP).

Sister Brigid was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to social welfare, particularly asylum seekers and refugees, and to Catholic education.

Sister Brigid has assisted thousands of asylum seekers through her work at BASP over the past 20 years. Established in 2001, BASP aims to ensure that ‘every person, irrespective of age, race, gender or religion has the right to live safely, free from persecution’. In practical terms, BASP offers a multitude of support services through assisting with training and employment, counselling, provision of food and accommodation and so much more. Sister Brigid is an incredible example of someone that truly lives out our College motto of ‘Strength and Gentleness’, not only day-to-day at BASP but through her selfless work as a Litigation Guardian, helping to represent vulnerable individuals in need.

Below is a recent article from The Age article depicting Sister Brigid’s work:

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/welcome-strangers-queen-s-birthday-honour-for-asylum-seeker-advocate-20220609-p5asdw.html

Please take some time to click on the link in recognition of the extraordinary work that Brigid is doing. We continue to be inspired by Sister Brigid.  We follow in her footsteps as we continuously seek justice and make the needs of the vulnerable paramount.

Sister Angela Ryan csb OAM

Sister Angela was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the Catholic Church of Australia.

Sister Angela Ryan is committed to the education of girls and Catholic education. She was President of Congregational Leaders in Victoria and Australia and has undertaken financial leadership roles for the Brigidine Sisters. She has worked with the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) in industrial relations and planning and held the positions of Director of Catholic Church Insurance, Trustee Director of Catholic Super and Trustee Director of the National Catholic Superannuation Fund.

As Executive Officer of the National Committee for Professional Standards from 2000 to 2012, Angela was at the forefront of the Church’s dealings with, and response to, issues of abuse within the Australian Church.  Angela was recognised for her contribution to the Catholic mission through education, governance and leadership with an Honorary Doctorate from ACU in 2009 and in 2012 she received a Papal award.  Both awards were for the work with victims of child abuse.

Sister Angela has forged a path that our College community strives to follow. Like her, we will continue to take action and make a difference. We will be courageous and speak and act with integrity.

Students embraced the opportunity to work together to meet a series of challenges that included a low ropes course, rock climbing, canoeing, vertical challenges, archery and the dreaded giant swing. The most exciting, and possibly scary part of the camp included holding Monty, the six-foot carpet python. Students participated in a quiz on the first night which included friendly rivalry and some fierce competition. 

Across many of the activities, it became clear that our students were going to get the most out of the experience with everybody giving the challenges a go. Above all it was excellent to see everyone offering words of encouragement to their peers, many pats on the back and high fives. Our second day finished off with a night walk and a movie night.

Students boarded buses for the long drive home, perhaps a little weary but hopefully proud of all they had accomplished over the 3 days in Wellington.

The evening started with the Year 10 students presenting two different stories that provoked the audience to think and to reflect. Appointment Required explored issues of time, place and the unknown, whilst New Year’s Resolution showed how far people will go to achieve their resolutions. 

They were followed by the Senior Drama class performance of Gap Year, which saw a group of young travellers exploring London on their gap year, along with all the challenges that arise. Stories of missed flights, missed opportunities, new adventures, badgers, looking for a Prince, hearts being broken, discovering history, lost passports, chasing dreams, how hot British coffee is, car accidents and the chance to reinvent themselves were skillfully and engagingly presented to an enthusiastic audience.

We would like to thank the cast and crew for all their hard work, bringing these stories to the stage, as well as all those that supported them during the process.

Activities were run during every lunch, as well as an engaging PC quiz to test student’s Italian general knowledge. 

On Monday, students went back to the year 79 A.D. to re-create the volcanic eruption of Pompeii’s Mount Vesuvius using the Elephants Toothpaste experiment. On Tuesday, students created their own Carnevale masks from the Venetian, Neapolitan and Sicilian Renaissance era using feathers, sequence, and glitter. On Wednesday, students participated in Italian card games such as Briscola and Scopa. On Thursday, Leonardo da Vinci’s design for the self-supporting bridge was brought back to life as students attempted to create the famous bridge out of pop sticks held together by only compression. Finally, on Friday students indulged on a traditional Italian donut know as a ‘Zeppole’ which coincidentally fell on International Donut Day. Students also participated in an indoor soccer tournament during each lunch where every house played it out with their peers cheering them on. 

Overall a very successful Italian Week, and we cannot wait to bring it back in 2023! 

Congratulations to Sienna (Year 9), who has been selected for the Australian Women’s Youth Invitational Baseball Camp.

Held in April, this 5-day camp will bring together 30 of the top females in baseball under 16-years of age, from all over Australia. Sienna looks forward to the opportunity to learn and develop in the Catcher position, from the best coaches in Australia and meet like minded peers who are as passionate about the sport as she is. Have fun Sienna!

To support and enrich learning for our Year 7 STEM "Our Place in Space" unit, students engaged in a session inside the StarLab planetarium. This inflatable Science theatre immersion uses brand new technology to project digital images of almost anything in space. Students zoom past the moon to explore the stars, planets, comets, nebulae and other galaxies.

A final session was also opened up to inquisitive Year 8-12 students. 

During their space exploration experience students looked more in depth at the difference between starry night sky between winter and summer. They learnt how the First nations people learnt when emu eggs were ready to be harvested and how the first European travellers used the stars to help them navigate south to Australia. We also looked how the Earth's tilt and movement around the Sun gives us our seasons. 

Nicole Martin
Curriculum Coordinator Science and STEM

World Robotics Day was celebrated at the beginning of April . Students were involved in a Kahoot Quiz during morning PC, as well as a Lego Robot challenge at lunchtime, which was won by two very persistent Year 7 students!

This is the first time Kildare has offered Robotics as a subject for Years 10 and 11 students. These students, along with other students interested in Robotics and Engineering attended an excursion to the Flinders Tonsley campus. This visit allowed students to learn about what courses the University has to offer in these areas and what Robotics and Engineering  students are currently working on.

Students engaged in a workshop with Zumo Robots as well as talking with the engineers who are creating a fully automated boat. Along with this, students toured the state-of-the-art facilities the campus has on offer for their Robotics students. 

Kara Steward
Visual Arts, Design and Technologht Curriculum Coordinator

As we approach the end of the school term and take time to reflect on the last eleven weeks, there is so much for us to be grateful for in the Middle Years, both for what has been and for what is to come. Term 1 has been a very busy term, filled with many activities and events for our Middle Years students, all of which have been underpinned by the wonderful, heart-warming sense of hope, joy, comradery, celebration and love that has permeated across all aspects of our Middle Years family this year.

Our Year 9 students kept cool and enjoyed a day of fun in the sun at Waterworld in Week 8. Students came together to race one another down the waterslides, hold hands as they leapt into the deep end of the pool and squeezed their way through the toddlers wading pool. Last week, it was our Year 7 students' turn to escape to nature and they enjoyed a sandcastle competition and hot chip lunch at Point Malcolm. The festivities for our Year 8 students continued this week, as the students excitedly boarded the buses to enjoy a private movie screening at the Regal Theatre.

We are absolutely thrilled that our students both embraced and enthusiastically engaged with each event with a genuine sense of energy and excitement! It was lots of fun to take some time away from our everyday routines to enjoy some time together, nurture relationships and have some fun. Staff also enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with their students in a relaxed setting and joined in with the fun activities on these wonderful days! Undoubtedly, it has been a busy term filled with many activities and events in the Middle Years, and we are so thankful for the abundance of smiles & laughter shared, connections consolidated, new friendships formed, and await in eager anticipation the many more Middle Years Fun Days to come this year!

As we approach the season of Easter, wishing you and your families a safe and Happy Easter! May we be granted time, rest and peace to count our blessings and enjoy time with our loved ones and may this Easter season bring hope for new beginnings and blessings of love, peace and joy for us all.

Go gently and stay well.

Angelica Paussa
Middle Years Coordinator

Homework Club has had a long tradition at Kildare College with many students taking advantage of attending the Resource Centre on any weekday afternoon to get a head start on homework set for the evening. 

The Homework Club has always had a supervising teacher involved to assist students with any queries that they may have, but as Term 1 draws to an end, a major change has been implemented. Starting in Week 10 and continuing throughout the year, we are thrilled to introduce Peer Mentors to the Homework Club. 

Peer Mentors are current Years 11 and 12 students who have volunteered their time to assist Middle Years students in Homework Club. The Peer Mentors have strengths in different learning areas and whilst they volunteered for the program based on specific areas of skill and interest, such as Maths, they are already proving to be invaluable in a number of areas including general study skills, drafting and editing assistance and formatting in all subject areas.

As one Year 7 student told us one afternoon "I got a 7/7 on my test. I need to tell my Mentor because she helped me on Tuesday to study for it".

The Peer Mentors will continue to assist Middle Years students on various afternoons in Homework Club throughout the year.

Rebecca Sarvas
Future Innovations Coach

Design and Technology Week included celebrating World Home Economics Day while also getting students involved in a range of activities each day in subject areas such as Food Technology, Fabric Technology, Metalwork and Child Studies.

The area of Design and Technology allows students to express creativity, be hands    on learners and explore the design process, which leads to an outcome based approach to learning.

Students enjoyed exploring and participating in Design and Technology Week, with many younger students getting a taste of subjects they can pursue throughout their educational journey at Kildare 

Old scholar Aimee Pope, visited as a guest Baker Apprentice to show students cupcake piping and decorating techniques; this was greatly enjoyed by all.

Kara Steward
Curriculm Coordinator 

Hurrah! 

The Year 8 Medieval Fair was, once again, a huge success! Our students rose to the occasion and dressed in brilliant costumes to enjoy a variety of activities and celebrations.

This year they enthusiastically engaged in calligraphy, jousting, juggling, dancing, bocce, quiots, and some plague catching.

After a busy morning of activities, we feasted upon a delicious lunch, before the HASS teachers put on a captivating drama production for the students. 

It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces, and the students give every activity a go. 

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making the day so memorable! 

Emma Hughes
Curriculum Coordinator Humanities

As we finish the term we come to the significant events of Holy week. These events, culminating with the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, are at the centre of our Christian faith.

Before his capture, on the Thursday night, Jesus had a last meal with his Disciples. During the course of the evening he washed their feet. The washing of feet before a meal was a common practice in first century Palestine. People wore sandals in desert conditions and so feet would get dirty. When they sat to eat, they usually sat on the floor and shared a meal from a common bowl. Feet, therefore, needed to be washed as they were in very close proximity to hands and food. Nevertheless, feet were more than just washed. As walking was the principal mode of transport and sandals were not the most comfortable, it was common to have sore and aching feet.

It was, therefore, a common practice to have, strategically placed along major roads, places where people could get their feet attended to. They were washed, massaged and ultimately restored so that people would be in a better position to continue their journeys. What would have been unusual for the disciples on this night was that Jesus was the one attending to their feet. Traditionally, this service was performed by servants or slaves. Jesus was in fact teaching them a lesson, that just as his purpose was to serve others, then once he was gone, their purpose also, was to serve others.

There may have been, however, more to it than just this.

At this meal, Jesus instigated for us the Eucharist. The meal of everlasting life. He taught us that when we gather we should remember him and learn from his teachings and actions. When we receive the Eucharist, we are in fact saying that we believe in the eternal life of Jesus and wish it also for ourselves. He is the bread from heaven and will nourish us eternally. In receiving the Eucharist we are saying to Jesus that we want him to be a part of our lives and we want to be a part of his, thus, we want to share in his everlasting life.

The life of a Christian is a journey. Along the way, we are faced with challenges, we get tired and worn out and, at times, we are tempted to give up. But, just as people in first century Palestine got their sore and aching feet restored so that their journeys could continue, so the Eucharist is a place of restoration for us. It is a place that Jesus provided for us to restore our soul so that we can continue our Christian journey. It is in the Eucharist that we get strength to continue.

May the hope that comes with Easter be forever a part of your journeys.

Enrico Caprioli
APRIM

For Year 10 student Paige, attending Kildare College was never in the picture for her future, nor did she know that it was even an option!

Paige believes that 'Kildare College chose me'.  A proud Indigenous person from the Arabana mob, and raised by her mother, Paige was awarded an Indigenous Scholarship and commenced her education at the College in 2019. Paige fell in love with the College after participating in a College Tour, and was immediately able to picture herself walking through the gates of the College. She believes that higher level intervention and spirituality led her on the path to where she is today.

At the College, Paige enjoys Music, using it as a medium to express herself in different ways, and finding happiness in the shared experiences it offers through listening, performing and practicing. Her involvement in extra-curricular activities such as the music nights and vocal ensemble are some of the happiest things she enjoys at the College.

Paige is also involved in the Living Justice | Living Peace and Nunga Groups, and enjoys sharing these learning opportunities and developing strong relationships with her like-minded peers.

With a happy disposition and forever a smile on her face, Paige hopes to complete further study and work in the medical field as a General Sugeon when she finishes her College education. In her spare time, she is working on launching her own small business.

Paige has appreciated the support and guidance of her teachers, education support officers, and counsellors, who are only too willing to assist her when she has needed them. As a student, Paige has learnt that 'you are always accepted at Kildare College', and has enjoyed the experience of the welcoming and hospitable environment, humbled that she has found her place, on 'Her Journey' at the College.

Kildare is renowned for being a student-centred College, where the students are consulted in decision making that directly relates to them, including which subjects they might like to study in the future.

In line with the objective to remain forward thinking and future focused, the College has sent a survey to students with a list of trending curriculum subjects that the College is considering offering in the future.

“The introduction of the Tullow Centre as a hub for innovation has been a pivotal moment in the history of the College, as it has allowed us to stop and really consider where we are heading as a College, and what we need to offer our students in order to remain innovative and offer contemporary curriculum choices for our students,” says Tina Neate, Principal.

Ray Kropinski, Director of Teaching and Learning who is leading this process, says: “The way we teach our students has changed, whereby we’re not teaching just knowledge anymore, but the skills required for our students to thrive in the ever-changing world. Subjects that were previously important are becoming less so, in relation to the jobs of the future and what our young women will experience when they enter the workforce”. Furthermore, he adds: “By reviewing our current Senior Years subjects, we can refine the curriculum further to meet our students’ needs and purposes, allowing them to truly become a learner of the future”.

Subjects being considered include: Robotics; Jewellery Construction; Renewable Energy; Coding; Data Modelling; Health and Wellbeing; Politics, Power and People, and further exploration into establishing links and pathways with Australian Universities and leading South Australian Industries.

The Tullow Centre, a $6.4m building where a number of these subjects will be studied, is due to open in Semester 2, 2022.

In a year of great transformation and growth, Kildare College welcoming the largest cohort of students to the College in its history, and launched a new organisational structure centred on future innovation, appointing three staff members to the positions of Future Innovation Coach. 

With over 670 students now attending the Holden Hill College, offering innovative and dynamic curriculum choices with a wealth of educational opportunities and experiences for the students, remains a chief priority.

Principal, Tina Neate, says: “It was critically important to update our organisational structure and appoint the Future Innovation Coaches in 2022. Their role is centred on developing school improvement in teaching and learning and focusing on incorporating contemporary and future-focused skills.”

The Future Innovation Coach roles have been implemented with the intention of creating a College culture, whereby students are nurtured and positioned to be drivers of their own success. The Coaches will play an essential role in innovation in education, the performance culture of the College, using data to inform teaching practices and improve student outcomes. From this, students will be able to take responsibility for their learning and wellbeing, be positive risk-takers and achieve personal excellence.

Future Innovation Coach, Rebecca Sarvas, says: “We’re not only looking at what skills the students require for the jobs of the future, but also what life skills they need to support their future choices.”

Tina also says: “We’re excited by the impact that these positions will have on the future growth and strategy of the College, and look forward to sharing goals and developments when they are available”.

Furthermore, Tina suggested: “It wouldn’t be unreasonable to see further development of the Digital Technologies and Media curriculums, even Languages, Robotics, and Space Technology for example, while also exploring humanitarian and self-development opportunities”.

Catering for a myriad of individual skills and talents continues to be a key focus area at Kildare College in 2022, with the introduction of a Specialist Dance Program for students entering Year 7. A revised Gifted Education program will also ensure students are accelerated, extended and enriched through their learning. Students in Year 9 also have the chance this year to explore the Arch D Radio and Podcasting course, a medium that will enhance skills and creative opportunities.

Kildare College would like to recognise and congratulate Sophia Keys as the worthy recipient of the inaugural Muriel Matters Award. Sophia has been an integral member of the Living Justice Group since Year 9. 

She is a self-starter and initiated many activities that motivated students to be part of awareness raising activities. Sophia is a fierce advocate for women, promoting awareness about human trafficking and domestic violence so that other students can be change agents.

Sophia was a key driver in arranging a guest speaker from White Ribbon and hosted a week of activities about domestic violence. She is selfless in her approach, taking on responsibility humbly while maintaining an excellent work ethic and mature approach to life outside of Kildare.

Michelle Camilleri
Deputy Principal

This week we gathered to celebrate and enjoy the Kildare College Sports Day at St Alban’s Reserve at Clearview.  The day was full of friendly rivalry and joy as students gave their all for their House.  

Congratulations to Chanel House who won the Spirit Cup, and Delany House, the overall winners on the day.

Congratulations to our Individual Year Level Champions on their outstanding results:

Year 7: Georgia Zammit-Hoppo (Chanel)
Year 8: Chelsea Hussel (Chanel)
Year 9: Lauren Poole (Chanel)
Year 10: Holly Kosir (Delany)
Year 11: Tamsyn Nation (Delany)
Year 12: Scarlett Dredge (Nagle)

Overall Sports Day Champion
Georgia Zammit-Hoppo Year 7 (Chanel)

A special thank you to all the staff who helped make Sports Day a success, and to the Parents and Friends Committee for your continued support, and expert cooking skills on the BBQ.

Carmine Caruso
Sports Development Officer

Academic Awards

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Endeavour Awards

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Maths Pathway Awards

It is with great pleasure that we award Abbigail Schmidt the Order of Australia Association SA Branch, Student Citizenship Award for her community service, and her effort to promote and demonstrate the attributes required to receive one of the awards.

To receive this award, the student needed to exhibit some of the following:

• Leadership qualities
• Outstanding citizenship displayed by assisting groups in need
• Demonstration of skills in organisation, management and communication

We congratulate Abbigail on her wonderful achievement.

Michelle Camilleri
Deputy Principal

Dear Families 

Next week marks Week 5 of Term 1 and we sincerely thank you for your wonderful support. 

The Education Minister, on the advice of the Chief Public Health Officer, has now confirmed that a number of College activities that have been on hold this year, may resume from next week with a further easing of activity restrictions expected to be announced for Week 9 of Term 1.   

From Monday 28 February 2022, we look forward to the following: 

• Interschool sporting competitions 
• Extra-curricular activities include but are not limited to choir and instrumental lessons 
• Day excursions and incursions 
• Outdoor assemblies and masses 

Unfortunately, school camps (except those required as part of the curriculum for SACE subjects) remain on hold for Weeks 5-8 inclusive.  

From next week, essential volunteers approved by the Principal may return to the College, and families and visitors may attend the College grounds for specific outdoor events only, including but not limited to Sports Day and weekend sport.  

Except for these specific outdoor events, families and visitors are asked to continue to avoid attending the College. 

Where it is essential for volunteers, families or visitors to attend Kildare, they should continue to check-in using our COVID SAfe QR code and to wear a mask while indoors.  

A number of COVID-19 controls will remain unchanged as follows: 

Face masks continue to be required when indoors for all staff, adult visitors and secondary students. 

• The current testing, isolating and quarantining approach remains unchanged including management of and notification of classroom close contacts. 
• Natural ventilation will continue to be maximised.   
• No events involving families or visitors may be held indoors (except College tours for prospective families).  

The most important ongoing control against COVID-19 impacting our College community is for students, staff and visitors to stay home if they are unwell.  

If your daughter displays even mild symptoms associated with COVID-19, please arrange for a PCR test and follow SA Health directions. If your daughter is confirmed as COVID-19 positive, please contact the College immediately. If we are notified that a person who attended the College subsequently learns they are COVID-19 positive, we will communicate this with classroom contacts in line with the approach approved by SA Health.  

If your daughter is absent due to COVID-19, the College will, as is usual, make best endeavours to support her learning continuity.  

Kildare will continue to follow the advice of Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) and SA Health in order to minimise the potential for entry into and transmission of COVID-19 in our College environment.  

Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the College. 

Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to apply necessary COVID controls to keep our community safe. 

Best wishes always 

Tina Neate
Principal

The first unit of work our Year 10 Science classes are exploring this year is looking at Genetics and what makes us who we are.

We have started off this unit by exploring the structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and the genetic information which it contains that is responsible for the development and function of organisms.

As part of this learning our Year 10 students completed a practical experiment where they used common materials to isolate the DNA in strawberries. To do this, they used materials such as a detergent which was able to break down the cells in the strawberries, salt to separate the proteins from the DNA and alcohol to clump the DNA together, allowing the DNA to be visible to the students.

Once the DNA was isolated in their mixture, the students were able to use their scientific inquiry skills to investigate the DNA from the strawberries. 

The students had a fantastic time working together in the lab to complete this practical and further enhance their knowledge of DNA.

Marie Greco
Science Teacher

Year 7 Art students had the opportunity to have the full observational drawing experience in class last week.

Students were able to use easels, a range of drawing mediums, from charcoal, conte, soft pastel as well as using an eraser as a medium to make marks and lines on their work.

Students created drawings using time limits to eliminate the expectation of a polished and perfect drawing, and to ensure they were drawing what they could "see" rather than making assumptions. 

We all know what an apple looks like, but looking carefully at the apple that is in front of you is a real skill. Learning how to move your eyes from your drawing to the apple and back to your drawing constantly was a strong focus of the task.

All students should be proud of their efforts, as their drawings were of a very high standard.

Verity Clark
Art Teacher

With only one percent of Australia’s carpentry workforce being female*, the reimagined Material Solutions component of the Stage 2 Design, Digital Technologies and Engineering subject is just another example of how Kildare College is breaking down stereotypes and bringing Future Focussed learning directly to its students.

Offered for the first time in 2021, students followed the Design Engineering process and fundamentals of Inquiry Based Learning, to design and then manufacture their own projects. And there wasn’t a bookcase or table in sight!

Each student was required to design and create their own project, based on their own interest and passion. They learnt the techniques required to complete their project, as well as collaborate with experts and develop their critical thinking and analysis skills.

Student Shayla, a passionate skateboarder, chose to make her own skateboard, seeking out a professional skateboard maker as her mentor throughout the project. Shayla initially created a template and prototype board to ensure the correct weight and balance. A critical error in the production of the final piece required Shayla to redesign the board, resulting in a lighter design that was easier to manouver. Experimenting with different resins and materials, Shayla created her own grip, and using the process of pyrography transferred her self-drawn artwork onto the timber.

Another student, Sara, chose to make a chess set using Huon Pine and Western Myall woods. Sara used the wood turning machine to create each separate piece by hand, presenting the completed set in a beautifully crafted timber box.

Throughout the process, students received expert assistance from the Chief Demonstrator at the Northern Turners Association, to develop their fine motor skills, using chisels and other tools to complete the more intricate work. Students also used heavier machinery like the wood turning machine and routers, to complete their projects.

Principal Tina Neate says “it’s about providing a holistic education, one that allows the students to have the opportunities to follow their own interests and passions, and the results have been exceptional”.

“It opens up another pathway into engineering for the students, to pursue a STEM career if they choose. We are delighted to be able to offer this subject to our students at Kildare”.

It was evident throughout the year that the students enjoyed the subject. Olivia, who created a concert eukele, receiving a SACE Merit Award for the subject, an A+ grade that places her in the top 1% of students in the State. Olivia will receive her award at Government House in February.

*Australian Government Statistics referenced in https://www.woodreview.com.au/news/the-pink-chippy-breaking-down-barriers.

In a recent news article published by the Advertiser Newspaper*, which outlined the fees for all Catholic Schools, it showed that Kildare College is the most affordable Catholic School in the city hub.

Kildare is committed to maintaining a fee structure that is competitive, while allowing students to experience a contemporary and innovative curriculum offerings. Conscious of the impact of COVID-19 and in the true Brigidine nature of the College, fees in 2022 were held at $5100 for Year 12 for the fourth year in a row; considerably lower than the neighbouring schools.

Our affordable fees have enabled Kildare’s masterplan to continue to evolve. The newest building on the Kildare landscape, a $6.4 million innovation hub called the “Tullow Centre” will be ready for full occupancy in Semester 2 of 2022. It will be a space that will inspire creativity, construction and innovation and gives students the opportunity to learn in an innovative, interactive learning environment reflective of society's modern, divergent, flexible, and dynamic thinking. This comes 3 years after the College spent $4.5 million on a performing arts and sports centre, namely the Brigidine Centre, and redesigned several of the other learning spaces.

Kildare’s pedagogy and teaching practices remain contemporary and innovative, ensuring the students are being taught the skills and knowledge they need for the jobs of the future. The inaugural Material Solutions (Woodwork) class was offered in 2021, opening another pathway into engineering for the students to pursue a STEM career if they choose, as well as breaking down the stereotype of a female learner. A SACE Merit Award was achieved by one student in the class, placing her in the top 1% of students in the State.

The 2021 SACE results are also testament to the high level education received at the College. It was reported that 91.3% of the grades of the Class of 2021 were in the A and B grade bands, well above the Catholic Schools average of 78.3%, and continuing an upward trend on previous years.

Catering for individual skills and talents will be a key focus area in 2022, with the introduction of a Specialist Dance Program for students entering Year 7. A revised Gifted Education program will also ensure students are accelerated, extended and enriched through their learning. Students in Year 9 also have the chance this year to explore the Arch D Radio and Podcasting course, a medium that will enhance skills and creative opportunities.

Located in Holden Hill, 7km from Adelaide’s CBD with view of the Adelaide foothills, Kildare College is an continues to be a fantastic educational choice for female secondary school students in Adelaide.

*https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/education-south-australia/the-schools-where-youll-pay-less-in-2022-catholic-education-south-australia-reveals-fee-freeze-falls/news-story/50480d4542c005fce9897fb9da113d66

The evening provided an opportunity for students to momentarily divert attention away from upcoming assessments and stresses associated with Years 11 and 12. It was a night where students were able to reconnect with each other, and to further develop friendships and connections highlighting how grateful we are to be part of such an amazing community.

Students spent most of the night dancing under the fairy lights and joining in with crowd favourites such as the ‘Nutbush’ and ‘Zorba’, right up to the final song at 11:00pm.

The work of the Formal Committee, who began working collaboratively in Term 4 last year, and planning the event down to the to the finest detail, did not go unnoticed on the night. The students had a wonderful night and have memories of their Formal that will last forever.

It is evident where Khyleesha, one of Kildare's College Captains for 2022, gets her strong leadership skills and passion for social justice from, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Last week, Vicky Welgraven, a proud Adnyamathanha woman from the Northern Flinders Ranges SA (Khyleesha's mother), was honoured in the ‘Australia Day 2022 Honours List’ and appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for ‘Significant Service to Women through Social Welfare Organisations, and to Indigenous Health’. Vicky is an advocate and champion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) women, ensuring their interests are represented and their voices are heard.

“My mum has always inspired me to be an advocate for change and to lead by example; it is amazing to see her rewarded for all her hard work,” Khyleesha said. “I am so proud of her as a woman, a mother and a leader. She inspires me every day to be the best person I can be.”

In her leadership role as College Captain, Khyleesha hopes to foster a safe and friendly community with strong spirit, support and connectedness. Taking learnings from her mother's work, Khyleesha hopes to inspire future leaders within Kildare College and to teach and inspire our current generation of students.

Vicky said, "I have always believed that women should have a voice and be represented. I am honoured to have been recognised so publicly for the work that I do. The fact that Khyleesha, in her role as College Captain, can now also empower and enact change, I could not be more excited for her future and those of her peers."

Vicky has an extensive biography of achievements and is the first South Australian Aboriginal woman to be appointed to the role of Australia Day Ambassador. Her achievements are nothing short of incredible and we are honoured to have Vicky involved in the Kildare College community. Her powerful and heartfelt messages have had a positive impact on staff and students.

Caitlin Anchor, from Kildare College’s Class of 2021, can add another accolade to her list of final-year achievements, receiving the Adelaide University Principals’ Scholarship this week.

In what was a stellar end to her schooling, Caitlin received a Subject DUX Award for each of the five SACE Subjects studied in 2021. Upon receiving her SACE results in December, she was awarded DUX of the College achieving a University Entrance Score of 99.85, on the same day as being awarded a Governor of South Australia Commendation – Excellence Award 2021.

The Adelaide University Principals’ Scholarships are awarded annually and provided a $5,000 contribution to the students Undergraduate degree at the University of Adelaide.

Upon receiving the award, Caitlin said “I cannot express how much this means to me, and how it will help me with my studies this year”, also paying tribute to the Year 12 teachers who put in additional time to assist Caitlin through the year, attributing their hard work and dedication as a reflection of her achievements.

Caitlin will study a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) at Adelaide University in 2022.

Tina Neate, Principal, added “This is wonderful news for Caitlin. We wish her, and our other students from the Class of 2021, all the best for their futures”.

During her time at the College, Caitlin was a Peer Support Leader and a College Tour Guide, touring prospective families around the College. She was an active member of the Living Justice Group, always acting with integrity and grace to become an agent of change. She was also an active participant in a range of extracurricular activities, including the Arts Showcase, Catholic Schools Music Festival, Strings Program, Resource Centre Volunteer and Premiers Reading Challenge.

Dear Kildare Families

Thank you so much for your support and understanding as we continue to prepare for the start of our College year.

Below is some information that has recently been provided by SA Health and Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) on how to manage cases of COVID-19 in Catholic Education South Australia schools, preschools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres from 31 January 2022. 

The new arrangements recognise the importance of providing quality education and care for our children and students while minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Schools, preschools and ECEC centres will remain open if there is a case of COVID-19 under the new arrangements.

Parents and caregivers are a key part of the success of the plan and we request that you notify us immediately if your child tests positive to COVID-19.

If a student or teacher in your child’s class/room tests positive for COVID-19, they will be deemed a classroom contact and the following will occur:

• We will notify all parents in that class/room of the positive case
• All students and children without symptoms can continue attending school, preschool and childcare. No rapid antigen testing will be required.
• If your child develops any symptoms (even mild) please keep them home from school, preschool, childcare and get a COVID-19 test.

Any student who has worked 1:1 with a COVID positive ESO (for more than 15mins, indoors, in close proximity and where face masks are not able to be worn) will be asked to complete 7 days of ‘test to stay’ rapid antigen testing each morning before attending school, preschool or childcare. We will provide you with the testing kits at no charge. Students that test positive must not attend school, preschool or childcare.

Alternatively, if you don’t want your child to complete the 7-day testing, they can quarantine for 7 days. During this time, where feasible, we will provide access to learning resources for your child.  In addition to this, the Department for Education is developing online learning resources to be accessible to all students in Reception to Year 10 that can be self-served during any period of quarantine.

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has recommended that classroom contacts should avoid the following between days 1 to 7 of exposure:

• Attendance at OSHC where possible
• Attending extra-curricular-based activities for 7 days (such as camps, excursions, interschool sport, combined choir etc – noting most of these activities have been temporarily suspended until Week 5).

An infographic showing the specific Testing Isolating and Quarantine for School Settings is shown on page 3.

Our staff will also undergo 7 days of ‘test to stay’ rapid antigen testing in the event that they are in a classroom with a student or colleague who tests positive.

It’s vitally important that you please:

• keep your child/children home if they are:
  • unwell
  • experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms
  • any other member of the household has COVID-19
  • they are a close contact for a person who has COVID-19 and are required to quarantine

• notify us asap if your child/ren tests positive for COVID-19
• let your child know that they will be required to wear a face mask while indoors at school if they are in Years 7 to 12 (and indoor mask wearing is also strongly recommended for children in Years 3-6).

These new settings will be in place until the end of Week 4 of Term 1. However, with the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, this may be reviewed or changed if and when needed. As always, we must remain flexible and responsive.

I understand you may have a lot of questions about this information. We’ll continue to provide you information as soon as we have it.

Thank you for your understanding and support in implementing these temporary measures as we continue to adjust to this rapidly changing pandemic.

If you have any immediate queries in relation to this correspondence, please let me know.

Best wishes always

Tina Neate
Principal

Dear Kildare Families

Welcome to 2022 and to the Year of Compassion.

Every year we focus on one of our six core values. The core value for 2022 is Compassion – Walking with and having empathy for all. This is a fitting core value to focus on as we navigate the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic together.

Despite the current restrictions and it is not the way we thought we would be starting our new College year, we are still super excited for 2022. Since learning about the State Government’s announcement, we have been busy behind the scenes preparing and redeveloping innovative experiences for our College community.

We have many incredible projects planned this year, including the opening of the Tullow Centre in Semester 2 but in the interim for the start of the year, please take note of the following:

New Staff Members to Kildare College

We welcome 678 students across all year levels and 17 new staff members to our College community this year.

We are delighted to welcome the following new positions and staff members:

Start of the Year Arrangements

Monday 31 January and Tuesday 1 February 2022

Monday 31 January and Tuesday 1 February 2022 are student free days, providing time for staff to prepare for Term 1 teaching and learning.

For these dates, we ask that families make arrangements for the care of your daughter/s as you would for any other student free days.

For families who are unable to make alternative arrangements, your daughter/s may attend school for supervision on these dates. Please note that the College bus will not operate on these days.

If your daughter needs to attend Kildare on these days please click here and complete the form by Friday 21 January.

Wednesday 2 February 2022

In keeping with our culture of welcoming new students to the College and building connections with each other, NEW students only will participate in their Orientation Day. We will be in contact closer to the date regarding drop-off protocols to minimise the amount of families on site. The bus service will be available for the morning pick up, however families will need to make arrangements for afternoon pick up.

Thursday 3 February to Friday 11 February 2022

Face to face learning

• Year 7, 8, and Year 12 students will be expected to attend school for face-to-face learning from Thursday 3 February.

• Where a student who is required to attend for face-to-face learning is absent for any days in Week 1 or 2 the school will, as is usual, make best endeavours to support student learning continuity. However, as teachers will be engaged in face to face teaching of their classes, they will not be readily available to support students who are absent from school.

Online Learning

• Our Year 9-11 students will be undertaking online learning from Thursday 3 February to Friday, 11 February inclusive. We have excellent processes in place to support our students learning online. More information will be provided later.

• Vulnerable students and students whose families are unable to resolve appropriate supervision arrangements for online learning at home during this period, should attend school and supervision for online learning will be made available.

Please let us know by clicking here and completing the form by Friday 21 January.

College Activities

Our College and all Catholic Education SA schools are following the advice of SA Health in order to minimise the potential for entry of COVID-19 into our school environment.

Weeks 1-4

• College Sports (other than Physical Education classes) and other extra-curricular activities (eg instrumental tuition, ensembles) will be put on hold
• Assemblies, masses and other gatherings will be postponed
• Entry to our school site will be confined to essential visitors only (who will be required to wear a mask and check in using our COVID Safe QR code.

We will continue to provide you with information and support as we all adjust to the approach that has been adopted by our State.

Should you have any queries in relation to this correspondence families are encouraged to contact the College.

We are very much looking forward to sharing our Year of Compassion with you. A year where compassion, kindness, empathy and community are at the centre of all that we do.

We thank you again for choosing Kildare. It is an absolute privilege working in partnership with you and your daughter so that together we can continue to provide an exceptional education for your daughter.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of the school holidays.

Thank you so much for your support.

Tina Neate
Principal

Kildare College student Caitlin Anchor has been awarded a Governor of South Australia Commendation – Excellence Award 2021.

Caitlin was no exception to the thousands of other students across South Australia who were eagerly awaiting their results today. Achieving a University Entrance Score of 99.85, Caitlin was also announced as the DUX of Kildare College.

Prior to this, Caitlin had also won the title of Dux of Subject for each of the five subjects she completed this year.

Tina Neate, Princpal, said “We are exceptionally proud of Caitlin and her achievements this year. This just adds an extra level of excitement to already fabulous results”. Tina also went on to say, “this year’s cohort has demonstrated a determined dedication to their learning through resilience, courage and a strong commitment to achieving success. Our students are to be highly commended for their efforts across all subject areas”.

During her time at the College, Caitlin was a Peer Support Leaver and a College Tour Guide, touring prospective families around the College. She was an active member of the Living Justice Group, always acting with integrity and grace to become an agent of change. She was also an active participant in a range of extracurricular activities, including the Arts Showcase, Schols Music Festival, Strings Program, Resource Centre Volunteer and Premiers Reading Challenge.

Caitlin was one of 30 recipients of these awards in the State, and one of 11 from a Catholic School.

We are absolutely delighted to share with you the Year 12 results for our graduating class of 2021 from the SACE Board of South Australia. This year’s cohort has demonstrated a determined dedication to their learning through resilience, courage and a strong commitment to achieving success.

Our students are to be highly commended for their efforts across all subject areas with 100% SACE completion. We are very proud of all our students. This outstanding accomplishment is a testament to the devoted teachers who have guided and supported our students throughout their final year of schooling, as well as the love provided by their families.

We are extremely honoured to announce that the 2021 Dux of Kildare College is Caitlin Anchor who achieved an outstanding University Entrance Score of 99.85. We would also like to acknowledge our Proxime Accessit (runner up), En Qi (Angie) Lim who achieved an incredible University Entrance Score of 98.30. Congratulations to Caitlin and Angie on their remarkable individual achievements.

We would also like to share the following wonderful achievements with you:

Results Highlights

• 100% SACE completion
• 100% of our students received all A and B grades in 21 subject areas
• 194 A Grades were awarded to our students across all subject areas
• 77% of students achieved only A and B grades.

Subject Merits – Top 1% of the State

• Ancient Studies
• Business Innovation
• General Mathematics
• Material Solutions
• 2 x Religion Studies (10 credit)

Subject Highlights

100% of our students received all A and B grades in these subjects

• Business Innovation
• Child Studies
• Dance
• English
• Essential English
• English Literary Studies
• Integrated Learning A
• Integrated Learning B (20 credit)
• Humanities and the Community
• Mathematical Methods
• Music Explorations
• Music Performance - Ensemble
• Music Performance - Solo
• Material Solutions
• Nutrition
• Religious Education (20 credits)
• Specialist Mathematics
• Work and the Community
• Women’s Studies

Congratulations to our 2021 graduating students and we wish them all the best as they transition into their future pathways.

Best wishes always

Tina Neate
Principal

The first half of Term 4 is an incredibly busy time for our Senior Years students.

We have some wonderful and joyous celebrations with our Year 12 students, including a Graduation Mass, Farewell Breakfast and Assembly before they prepared for their final exams.

This week we also had our final celebration as a cohort at our 2021 Graduation Dinner held at the National Wine Centre. The dinner was a lovely way to come together as a year level community for a final time, celebrating the hard work put in by students, families and staff both this year and throughout their time at Kildare College.

The final Year 12 SACE results will be released in mid December and we are so proud of all that has been achieved. We wish the Class of 2021 all the best for their future journeys.

The Year 11 students have also been finishing off their final exams, which concludes their first formal year of SACE. During Week 7 they will participate in Stage 2 Orientation to become familiar with the requirements of their chosen Year 12 subjects.

Our Year 10 students have been busy finalising their final assignments and preparing for their exams to take place during Week 7, before heading into a well-deserved summer break.

We wish all of our Senior Years Students a happy and safe holiday!

Emma Ward
Senior Years Coordinator

The Grand Final for the Year 8/9 Knockout Basketball team took place at the Wayville Sports Centre. Six of the best Year 8/9 School Girls’ Basketball teams in the state battled it out to crown one overall champion. Each team played a total of five round-robin games, and based on their results, would determine which playoff final they would make it through to.

Kildare started the day with a hard-fought win against Charles Campbell, 13 -10. Holly Kosir got Kildare off to the greatest of starts, scoring the first bucket of the day which allowed the momentum to carry on from there. Charles Campbell were relentless with their pressure, and kept hitting back on the scoreboard whenever Kildare looked to break the game apart. Fortunately though for Kildare, Trinity Smith’s trickery and Paige Mofflin’s deadeye shooting, seemed inevitably too much for Charles Campbell to handle.

In the second game, Kildare matched up against the eventual champions of the Tournament, Unity College. Kildare took the game on with vigour and the toughness we have come to expect from them. They managed to create myriad of opportunities-- however, Unity proved to be way too strong defensively, and the majority of Kildare’s attempts at goal were continually thwarted by Unity’s relentless defensive efforts. The game ended in favour of Unity 18 – 5.

Kildare were able to lift their spirits again with a convincing win in the third game against Woodville. Zariah Sideris starred in this encounter as the 6th, coming off the bench to make an amazing impact as she did all tournament, with her trademark catch and shoot plays. The final score for this game was Kildare 20 – 6 Woodville.

The fourth game was another tough challenge for Kildare, matching up in this round with the eventual runner-up of this tournament; Unley High School. Kildare started off lively and looked ready for the tough game that was about to ensue. Unfortunately though, Kildare’s defensive stalwart Charli Hazelhurst was fouled out of the game early. This really seemed to open the game up for Unley as they made the most of Charli’s absence. Lily Sparkhall did her best to rally her troops with her positive leadership, and it motivated the team enough to make an impressive comeback. However, it ultimately was not enough. In what was a very close game, Kildare unfortunately lost their chance of making the 1st place playoff game, losing to Unley 11 – 8.

The fifth game was now very important for Kildare. A win would send them into the 3rd place playoff final, with a loss inevitably pooling them into the 5th place playoff final. Fortunately, Kildare were red hot this game, and came out with the win Paige Mofflin started with a bang, pulling up to hit a three-pointer in the first shot of the game. Trinity Smith was also dominant again, amassing an impressive total of 12 points for the game. Nurioopta were physical but Kildare were ultimately too polished for them, winning the match 17 – 11. This rewarded Kildare with a chance at claiming 3rd place for the entire Knockout competition.

The Final game and the 3rd place playoff final for Kildare was scheduled to be against newly found rivals; Nurioopta High School. Kildare already had one hand on the 3rd place title, having just defeated Nurioopta in the previous game, and entered the game brimming with confidence. But Kildare knew that they wouldn’t get the desired result from confidence alone and they did not allow themselves to get too complacent. They remained focused and determined to execute the game plan that gave them the victory in the previous game; and execute the game plan they did… Marley Mogg gave an inspired performance from the bench in this one, grabbing rebounds both defensively and offensively and dishing the ball to the likes of Mofflin and West who hammered home points, swish after swish. This bout was over at half time, and Kildare cruised to a victory 25 – 15 to claim 3rd place accolades for the 2021 Statewide 8/9 Girls Basketball competition!!!

Special mentions go to Ms Cocks for her exceptional work as coach all tournament. And also, to Matilda Giro and Charli Dissel for their amazing efforts as scorers, equipment managers and supporters!

Carmine Caruso 
Sports Development Officer

Our Middle Years community continued to grow in Term 4 as we welcomed our 2022 Year 7 and 8 students to the College for their Transition Days and their parents to our Parent Information evening. 

Led by Kathy Hennig, our Transition Coordinator, these events held in November give our newest students a chance to experience the College, meet new friends and have their first taste of high school life. We saw over 150 students spend the day meeting teachers, completing tours and experiencing a range of team building activities.

The Transition Days were supported by our new Peer Support Leaders for 2022. These young leaders worked with the Year 6 and 7 students throughout the four days, leading them in activities, tours and being there as their guides through their first experience of our College.

Our Peer Support Leaders showed their skills to quickly build meaningful relationships and guide our newest students in what it means to be a member of the Kildare community. These leaders were further supported in their work by a number of guides from our Miiddle Years cohort who were quick to answer questions, give direction and support the transitioning students.

Jack Monaghan
Acting Middle Years Coordinator

Year 9 Students participated in a beach clean-up of the coastline, in a bid to find rubbish to repurpose into Kinetic Art pieces for their final Project Based Learning (PBL) unit for 2021.

Although the weather stopped us from scouring Henley Beach, students collected items from Semaphore and Glenelg to use for their project.

Whilst the clean-up did not result in a lot of rubbish collected, students appreciated our clean environment and will tie the theme of sustainability and the beach ecosystem into their pieces.

Stay tuned to see the student's Kinetic Art pieces later this term. 

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

Having worked with Wendy a representative from KESAB last term, the Environmental Group were keen to put their new-found knowledge and skills around sustainability to good use.

Using our recently purchased beeswax wraps kit, the group got underway creating colourful wraps to be included in the lunchboxes for children who find themselves in crisis shelters.

The willing workers were proud to be able to contribute to a really worthwhile cause. Kildare College is very proud of the commitment the students have shown this year in promoting the need for a more sustainable environment and look forward to their work continuing.

Angie Selga, Hayley McAteer, Linda Dolling, Gabbi Rigney and Lil Mader
Environmental Group

Year 7 students have been designing and creating pencil cases using a variety of decorative stitches and buttons.

As the students have further developed their sewing machine skills, they have been able to experiment with the range of stitch settings and how they can incorporate them into their own designs.

Designs have included garden, beach and geometric pattern themes. 

Kara Steward
Design and Technology Teacher 

Dear Families 

You may have seen in the media the recent SA Government Direction concerning COVID-19 vaccinations for staff in schools and Early Childhood Education Care settings. 

Kildare has acted quickly to inform our staff of these new requirements. It has been our previous position that for the safety of students and the community, those who are eligible, ought to be vaccinated where possible.  

The SA Government Direction now specifies that staff in all schools and education and care settings must have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination by 10 December 2021 and show evidence of a booking for their second dose.  

The Direction also extends to volunteers (including Stewardship Council and Committee members) and any unpaid workers. 

It does not apply to students and parents who are incidental visitors to the school. 

You would appreciate that the 2 year journey we have experienced in dealing with the pandemic has resulted in numerous strategies and compliance measures implemented for the safety of students, families and staff. 

Throughout the pandemic we have been absolutely lock-step in following the advice of the SA Chief Public Health Officer as it relates to the schooling sector. The Catholic Education Office has strong direct liaison with the SA Department for Education which has meant that each sector has been remarkably consistent in the messaging over health measures adopted at school sites. 

We will continue to monitor and act upon any relevant advice and make staff aware of this new government law. 

If more information comes to hand that has an impact on the wider school community, I will keep you informed. 

Yours sincerely

Tina Neate
Principal

The Year 10 Fashion Design students have been busy creating oversized hoodies.

Students showed their creativity by using different fabric patterns, applique and lining the hoods with fluffy material. This task gave students the opportunity to expand on their existing sewing skills and create a product which will get a lot of wear during the cooler months!

Alana Durka
Hospitality and Design Teacher

Year 7 Students were visited by an Educator from SA Water, to follow the story of a drop of water's journey to their tap through an interactive presentation.

The incursion reiterated the importance of water as a resource, tied in key concepts learnt throughout a previous unit, Chemical Sciences, as well as providing foundational understanding for their next topic, Water in the World. 

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

“It was great to meet other Indigenous people and listen to their stories…….”

Nunga Group students joined other students from various Catholic Schools to explore what it means to be thriving people and leaders in our schools and the wider community.

The event was held at Carclew a cultural organisation which provides young people with opportunities to participate in arts, dance, and storytelling activities.

The day was hosted by CESA, and workshops were provided and facilitated by Indigenous cultural artists; the sessions are intended to support students in broadening their understanding of Australia's history and more importantly further develop their sense of pride in culture and identity.

Angie Selga, Gabbi Rigney and Linda Dolling
Nunga Group

"When women flee – they generally don’t stop to make sure they have the children’s lunchboxes.”

After the recent campaign to raise awareness about the importance of developing healthy relationships and the social impacts created by domestic violence, the Living Justice Group followed the campaign by launching a very deserving cause.

The aim was to gain support from the College community by encouraging families to donate new lunchboxes for children in crisis shelters.

The lunchboxes included, snacks, affirmation cards, sensory toys, friendship bracelets, beeswax wraps made by Kildare students and more.

We had the privilege of welcoming Ortal, a representative from the Vinnies Crisis Centre, who met with the Living Justice Group to receive the many donations. She shared with the students that often, children in shelters look forward to just getting back to a normal routine, and the lunchboxes will certainly help them.

Angie Selga, Mrs Dolling, and Emma Lewis
The Living Justice Group

The Kildare community have always shown great generosity when it comes to donating to those less fortunate; the Living Justice Group are again seeking your help to create the Lunchboxes-for-Learning for children who finds themselves living in crisis shelters when their mums need to leave unhealthy relationships.

Many students have seen the lunchbox examples during Tuesday morning's house meetings - if you can help by donating any of the following - new lunchboxes, fidget toys, small soft toys, snack containers etc it would be greatly appreciated.

Tote Bags for New Mums - the Living Justice captains also showed examples of the tote bags during Tuesday's House meeting. These are for new mums in the WCH who are flown down from the APY Lands; they often arrive with very little so the tote bags will really help - if you can help by donating any of the following - shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, body wash, deodorants, sanitary pads, new face washers, dummies, baby singlets, newborn nappies etc. any donations would be greatly appreciated.

The Living Justice Group

Year 9 PBL Classes engaged in their first of a series of hands-on workshops with James 'Jimmy' Dodd, a renowned local artist, to grasp the concepts of kinetic art for their upcoming and final project for 2021.

Students were challenged to create a drawing bot to enter a 'Dance Party' which was unique, aesthetically pleasing, and had a persona. The drawing bot itself was the kinetic component which created art as it moved about on its Texta legs.

Students will use the concepts of kinetic art learnt in this initial workshop to apply to their own kinetic art piece which has a focus on sustainability. 

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

Last year, the University of Adelaide offered an entry program based on Year 11 results. This was due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the concerns for senior school students and their learning.

To apply for the scheme, students had to submit their best Year 11 subject results and preference an Adelaide University course as #1 in their SATAC Application. If students met the standards that had been set by the university, an early conditional offer was made, conditional to students still receiving an ATAR and completing prerequisite subjects. Not all courses were applicable for the Year 11 Results Entry Offers, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Allied Health and Nursing, however, most courses were available for students to choose from. Due to the success of the program in 2020, (as well as continued COVID-19 disruptions), the University of Adelaide decided to undertake this program again this year.

Kildare College is thrilled to share the news that 41 students applied to be considered for early offers based on Year 11 results and all were successful in receiving a conditional offer. Courses offered to our Year 12 students included Bachelor of Science (Advanced), Bachelor of Health and Medical Science (Advanced), Bachelor of Creative Arts, Bachelor of Criminology, Bachelor of Arts (Film Studies), Bachelor of Psychology (Advanced) (Honours), Bachelor of International Relations, Bachelor or Laws (single and double degrees), Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Science and Bachelor of Psychological Science.

Congratulations to all students involved and good luck to the students who have chosen to take advantage of the Flinders University Year 11 Grades Entry Program that will release offers in mid November.

Rebecca Sarvas
Learning Leader

Year 9 STEM Leaders facilitated an interactive design thinking workshop with Year 5 students from Saint David's at Kildare College this term.

Students engaged with the hands on ‘Oil Spill’ challenge which poses the difficult task to clean up the simulated disaster while learning about its effect on wildlife. 

This challenge links to many future STEM careers, spreads awareness of our human impact on the environment, and inspires the leaders of tomorrow that to be a part of the solution is vital to our future on this planet. 

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

National Semi-Finals

As part of the Future Anything unit for PBL, every Year 9 student had the opportunity to enter National Finals and compete for the chance to win $10,000 worth of prizes to help kickstart their social enterprise.

Out of the 40 students selected to go through to the National Semi-Finals, from over 200 applicants, Kildare College had 2 students shortlisted, Lerisa and Joslyn. Kildare is one of two Colleges in South Australia that made it to the National Semi-Finals for Future Anything in 2021.

Lerisa and Joslyn blew the judges and audiences away with their pitches; Lerisa scored herself the People's Choice Award and will hopefully be selected as a wildcard to go through to the National Grand Final. Joslyn is through to the National Grand Final as she won her semi-finals round; she also took home the People's Choice Award.

Stay tuned for information on how to livestream the National Finals and a huge congratulations to both Lerisa and Joslyn - Nothing is impossible for a Kildare girl!

Julia Groutsch 
Learning Leader

We welcome you all to Term 4 as we hit the ground running with events, excursions and fantastic learning opportunities for our students. We recently farewelled the Year 12 students from their lessons and time at the College to prepare for their final exams and they have entrusted the leadership responsibilities onto our Year 11 students.

2022 Subjects

We are in the final processes of organising our subjects for 2022 and it is an exciting time as we look forward to the opening of the Tullow Centre. There are a number of new initiatives being planned for our students in 2022, including expanding the self-defence program into Year 8, opportunities to work with robotics and podcasting sessions in the Middle and Senior Years.

Subject Excursions

We have a number of excursions taking place across subjects. These excursions enrich the learning experiences of our students and bring real world connections to students' everyday learning. Outdoor Education have been out on the water with the Year 9 students learning some new kayaking skills and have begun studying kinetic art through PBL. The Year 8 students have been climbing walls. Our Year 10 students have learnt the importance of road safety with the RAA, and there have been many other adventures with Italian, Leadership courses through the Australian Defence Force and the Youth Changemakers Conference.

We look forward to sharing many more learning experiences and memories with you through the remainder of the year.

Raymond Kropinski
Director of Teaching and Learnig

Last term,  Kildare College music students had the incredible opportunity to perform on stage at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, as part of the Catholic Schools Music Festival.

Students performed 'Listen to the Music' by the Doobie Brothers and had the whole audience dancing and clapping in their seats. 

A special mention to Abby Jones and Grace Farina, who played in the Catholic Schools Music Festival Rhythm Section on all four nights of the Festival.

Hannah King
Music Teacher

Students wanting to pursue Dance related careers post school now have an extra advantage thanks to a new Specialist Year 7 Dance Program being introduced at Kildare College in 2022.

Recognising a niche in the education market, Kildare College Principal Tina Neate said, “We already enjoy an outstanding reputation as a Performing Arts College, with our students performing at the highest levels and achieving amazing success in the industry after they complete their studies”.

To be introduced in 2022, 25 students will have the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Year 7 Specialist Dance Program, after having successfully auditioned for the program. Dance styles studied as part of course work include jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, classical ballet, musical theatre and cultural dance. Students will also study theoretical topics including safe dance practices, anatomy, dance in historical and contemporary contexts and choreographic processes.

The program is designed to meet the needs of students identified as having high potential in the field of Dance, offering unique educational opportunities in performance and creative endeavours.

The specialised dance program includes fitness disciplines such as pilates/yoga, nutrition and techniques associated with dance performance.

“We are offering a specialist program that accelerates these opportunities and focuses the talent in our students who have a natural aptitude for Performing Arts” said Principal Tina Neate. “We are very excited by the opportunities that this presents for our students and the College community”.

Students will perform and represent the College throughout the year at events such as Open Days, Community events, College functions, Dance Competitions, Pageants and more.

Click here for further information on the Special Entry Dance Program.

Year 12 student Lila Weidenbach participated in the SA state finals of the Australian Teenage Fashion and Arts Festival.

Lila entered three formal dresses that she had designed and sewn. She was later asked if she had any other completed designs, so she was also able to submit two entries in the Casual Wear category. Of her five outfits Lila submitted, she was awarded 2nd place in Formal Wear, 2nd place in Casual Wear and 3rd place in Formal Wear. She was also awarded the overall Encouragement Award for Year 11–12.

Congratulations on a wonderful achievement.

Construction of a new $6.4m Innovation Hub at Kildare College has commenced, as the College enters the next phase of its evolving masterplan.

Named the “Tullow Centre”, the new building will be a space that inspires creativity, construction and innovation and gives students the opportunity to learn in an innovative, interactive learning environment reflective of society's modern, divergent, flexible, and dynamic thinking. It will be a place where technology, imagination and innovation merge to create new solutions to old problems. Where breaking with conventional wisdom is not only encouraged, but it is expected of the students.

The new building, located on the Lyons Road side of the campus in Holden Hill, will replace an existing building used for Drama and Music, and will include a:

• Construction area used for metal/wood/plastics/cement/resin and/or acrylics, such as jewellery or metal work, and inclusive of a spray painting area;
• Digital technology room;
• STEM room with options for 3D printing, laser cutting and soldering;
• Science Lab.

The upper level will include:

• A media suite with green screens and soundproofing ideal for podcasting and film editing;
• An auditorium arena;
• Three general learning areas that can be utilised together or separately, and open onto an expansive terrace area.

Break out spaces and flexible learning areas for students, administration areas for staff and amenities will also be included in the build.

Tina Neate, Principal, says “We are excited by the opportunities that this new building presents for our students. We can offer innovative curriculum opportunities, like woodwork, not previously available at all-girls’ Colleges. We’re breaking down stereotypes and preparing our students for the jobs of the future.”

The build itself will encapsulate innovation. The facade will feature a canopy constructed of glass solar panels linked to a digital read out screen within the Lobby space. Students will see energy production in action and make real time decisions as to energy usage and impact.

The Tullow Centre will be the second new building constructed at the College in recent years. In 2019, $4.5m was spent on the Brigidine Centre which houses a gymnasium, dance studio, music rooms and classrooms, constructed in response to growing enrolments and the incorporation of Year 7 into the high school parameter.

Kildare College understands the benefits of providing an education that enhances confidence, resilience and success in an all-girls’ learning environment. The new building will enable Kildare to continually reflect upon pedagogy, teaching frameworks and learning environments to forge ahead of the learning needs of 21st century students.

The Tullow Centre is named in honour of the Brigidine Sisters, in continuing to share the history and story of Kildare and in highlighting the values of the Sisters, preparing students for life beyond the College and being future ready.

Tina Neate, Principal, says, “History has shown us that the first Brigidine Sisters were risk-takers, resilient, and demonstrated that by being creative, innovative and brave, anything is possible…we are celebrating and acknowledging the incredible work of all who have been and are part of our Brigidine story.”

The build is expected to be completed by Term 3, 2022.

The true beauty and wonder of nature is perfectly summed up in some of South Australia’s native orchids.

In Kildare College’s native garden, the Wirra, we have some stunning ones in flower currently, like the donkey orchid seen in the photograph. This photograph was taken last week from the Wirra.

In South Australia, there are more than 350 species of native orchids. They play an important role in nature – knowing how many there are and where they are found can give us an indication of the environment’s health.

However, some of these fascinating plants are endangered, including this delicate looking donkey orchid. With its two big ‘ears’ (which are actually flower petals), you may be able to see why this species is known as a donkey orchid.

Around the world, most orchids grow on rock surfaces, trees or on other host plants. The technical name for this trait is ‘epiphytic’. SA orchids are unusual though, because they grow directly in the ground.

Orchids can be pollinated by native bees, native wasps, native flies, ants and fungus gnats, or they can self-pollinate, which means they don’t need assistance to reproduce.

Different orchids flower at different times of the year. But with some species being as small as 2 cm, you could easily walk straight past them – or even worse, tread on them by accident.

At Kildare College, we have our own Orchid Club which meets each Friday at lunch to maintain the orchids we have in a purpose build shadehouse. One of the best orchid experts in Australia, Les Nesbitt, has mentored our students for the past six years in learning how to propagate and care for orchids. We also collaborate with the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in saving some of the most endangered orchids in the world from extinction. We have been collaborating in this project for over five years now and we have had amazing success.

Paul Beltrame
Learning Leader

Over the last few weeks, Kildare has hosted the SAPSASA Year 6/7 AFL North-East team trials coached by one of our Physical Education teachers, Miss McAteer. 

Students from other schools in the North-East district including St Pius X, St Paul's Lutheran, Dernancourt Primary and Northfield Primary School came in numbers to Kildare to earn themselves a spot on the team.

Thank you to all students who trialled. It is with great pride that we announce the 11 talented Year 7 students from Kildare College have been selected as part of the squad of 16. 

• Mia Pamula
• Keira Pignataro
• Poppy-Mae Downing
• Erin Richter
• Christie Cooper
• Anika Sos
• Lilliana Savocchia
• Maddison Hasler
• Lucy Roberts
• Amy Kosir
• Alyssa Naseby

The students showed great skill and enthusiasm with a variety of playing experience. Miss McAteer stated, "What got them over the line was their willingness to give it a go and try their hardest in every contest. They showed great teamwork and leadership skills and I look forward to coaching the team over the next few weeks to refine their skills even further."

The team will take part in two more training sessions before the competition over three days in November.

Hayley McAteer
Coach

It has been great for our Year 9 STEM Leaders to get back to running face to face interactive workshops at partnered Catholic Primary Schools. We were treated to a breakfast to celebrate Women in STEM at St Monica’s Parish School, Walkerville.

Kildare STEM Leaders facilitated the ‘tallest paper tower’ challenge for students to engage in while discussing what we love about STEM over croissants. The Year 3 students were victorious with their tower, made from only 30 sheets of A4 paper and tape, measuring just over 45cm and supporting a can of food for 30 seconds.

The Year 9 STEM Leaders then supported Year 4 students with Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing, and to hold a stomp rocket competition.

We finished our visit to engage in some problem solving with Year 6s who were designing a game on Scratch around a social issue of their choice for their See-Judge-Act inquiry in Religion.

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

The wonderful Year 11 and 12 Drama class have spent the past 12 weeks rehearsing in preparation for the live performance of the 'I’m not Henry Lawson’s Mother'.

The production tells the story of Louisa Lawson, a woman devoted to challenging gender sterotypes and empowering society. Despite the confines of a mental asylum, Louisa is determined to share and inspire the world throught her newspaper and poetry.

The students displayed incredible passion, devotion and commitment and have made the College community proud.  

Congratulations to all the students involved and thank you for a tremendous year. 

Carolina Salvo
Drama Teacher

Kildare College Music Department took us back to the 70s with a nostalgic peformace of hit songs by Queen, AC/DC, The Jackson 5 and many more.

Our Brigidine Centre gymnasium was transformed into a live music venue with amazing lighting and sound. After a hiatus in 2021, we were so happy that our music students were able to perform after all their rehearsals. The audience clapped and sang with the students to the many beats from their youth.

They entertained us with two matinees and two evening performances which were sold out. 

Well done to the musicians on a wonderful 70s collaboration.

Russell McGlone and Hannah King
Music Teachers

The Future Anything Shark Tank presentations were held at Kildare College. The panel, consisting of Dana Wortley MP, Member for Torrens, Carly Didcote, Community Capacity Coordinator, City of Tea Tree Gully, and Lil Mader, Business Manager, Kildare College, had the great pleasure and privilege to judge the social enterprises that were created by Year 9 students as part of their Future Anything unit in PBL. 

The panel noted the extremely high standard of all presentations and presenters, and congratulate all for their dedication to wanting to make the world a better place, by addressing an important issue in our society. Additionally, the students demonstrated a deep connection and understanding of the College's Core Values through their enterprise; Wonder, Courage, Hospitality, Hope, Compassion, and Justice.

Each social enterprise had great merit and all were very worthy contenders. Congratulations to Joslyn Field who received the highest overall score with her social enterprise, 'Sole Movement', which focuses on mental health in athletes. We are all very proud of all the students and thank their PBL teachers for their hard work behind the scenes.

We will now move onto the next stage and compete with other schools. We wish the students who have entered all the best in the National Finals.

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

Joslyn and Angelina individually created a short video for the Project Based Learning 'Lifting our Voices' project which aimed to inspire others to consider how we can use our voices to effect change on a human rights violation of their own choice. Angelina focused her project on Disability Rights, whereas Joslyn centred hers around Gender Inequality in Sport. 

Dr Iris Iwanicki, a Board Member of the Graham F. Peace Foundation judged the presentations at the College’s Finals. Joslyn and Angelina were awarded joint first place for their projects out of the 112 students in their year level. 

For their work with this project, Joslyn and Angelina were nominated for the 'Change Maker' award for the 2021 City of Tea Tree Gully's Youth Achievement Awards as both students demonstrated innovative thinking which has had a positive impact within their community.

Joslyn and Angelina were selected as finalists for this category and were awarded runners up. 

Congratulations, Kildare College is so proud of you both. 

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

A group of 40 Year 10 students were fortunate enough to attend the P.A.R.T.Y Program run by SA Health. The P.A.R.T.Y program is an innovative and interactive program that educates young people on how to Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y). Experienced trauma professionals and trauma survivors worked with the Year 10 student to educate and show them the consequences of risk-taking decisions.

We started the day by learning about the effects of alcohol related and risk taking activities, led by Belinda and Marie – nurses who work in the Emergency and Intensive Care Departments at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. We were also visited by Tom, a local paramedic, who walked us through the what occurs and how emergency workers respond to accidents.

Students then participated in an emergency room simulation, where they worked on a patient who had been involved in a traumatic experience. Students were given an insight about the roles different staff play in supporting young people and their families when involved in traumatic experiences.

After lunch, students learnt about the after-effects of traumatic accidents and how patients are supported through life changing consequences.

The P.A.R.T.Y program was very beneficial and worthwhile for the students who participated. It provided them with confronting, but informative understanding of the life-long impacts that risk- taking behaviours can have. The students involved, took away an important message, from what was an invaluable learning experience.

Emma Ward
Senior Years Coordinator

Kildare College Dancers Shine in the 2021 Production of ‘80’s Mixtape’

Kildare Dancers took to the stage in our 2021 Dance Production of ‘80’s Mixtape’ at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Ngunyawayiti Space. The show had many memorable moments, and we were delighted to finally be back in front of a live audience after last year's hiatus.

Featuring a fantastic soundtrack from artists such as Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Wham, Paula Abdul, Boy George and Starship, this year’s dance production had audiences clapping and bopping along to their favourite 80s tunes. The fun didn’t stop with the music! Costumes were just as you would imagine at a 80s themed event, neon, crazy, shiny, and over-the-top with colour. Our favourite gimmicks also got some limelight with Pac-Man and the good old Rubik’s Cube featuring in some of the larger ensemble routines.

A special thank you to old scholars, Sofia Ferraretto and Olivia Urbaniak for filling in at short notice. Charlotte Lewis, our Year 12 Dancer unfortunately had to withdraw with news of surgery required for a foot injury. We were so looking forward to Charlotte's final performance on stage with Kildare but are looking forward to see where her dancing takes her next year and beyond. 

'80s Mixtape' was created to simply bring some fun and entertainment back to the stage.  Narrated beautifully by Katya Zirnsak (Year 9 Drama student), we reminisced about heavy retro phones, cassette tapes, video rentals, and of course, poked some fun at 80s fashion!

Over the five performances presented to audiences of primary school students, family, friends and College staff, we were blown away with the professionalism of our dancers and their ability to engage with the audience in each show. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of students who are strongly committed to their craft.

Congratulations to the cast and crew and well done on all performances. It is always a privilege to direct such a fantastic group of talented young students.

Sue Nairn and Julia Horne
Dance Teachers

Baking Club have whipped up many recipes for different themes this term. We started with an Asian themed afternoon making Pandan Waffles and Pot Sticker Dumplings, these were a hit with pops of colour and flavour.

At the most recent Baking Club we travelled back in time to create some classic vintage recipes including passionfruit shortcake, butterfly cupcakes, honey joys and mini cob dips! This really showed how food is like fashion, and the nature of recipes often depends on the era in which they were popular. 

Kara Steward and Alana Durka
Home Economics Teachers

Year 10 Art students had the opportunity to experience ‘The Van Gogh Alive’ held in North Adelaide. What an amazing and unique visual experience this was! A plethora of yellow, and beautiful close ups of Vincent Van Gogh’s painting and drawings, enhanced his distinct painting techniques and subject matter.

This inspired the class to experience observational painting in the classroom with everyday objects. Students also attended the Hope Valley Reservoir as further enrichment for painting, 'what they can see' in their own works. 

As a class they will continue to develop knowledge and experience of observational painting, just like Vincent Van Gogh and create a refined final painting, derived by observing carefully, exactly 'what is front of you'.

Verity Clark
Art Teacher

Year 12 Students, Anusha, Angie and Salma, participated in a National Titration Competition at the UniSA City East Hetzel Laboratory.

The students had to complete a titration to determine an unknown amount of a particular substance. Two students had tiny percentage errors which saw them receive 2 gold badges, and one student had a slightly bigger percentage error and received a silver badge.

The individual efforts of the students was great, and the team scores will be taken into consideration when comparing scores nationally. 

The students really enjoyed the day and were glad that they participated in the competition. 

Ester Beltrame
Chemistry and Mathematics Teacher

After our recent excursion to various landfill and recycle centres with KESAB staff, the Environmental Group and Year 8 students currently studying sustainability, were invited to participate in a bees-wax wraps making session.

Wendy from KESAB explained why sustainable wraps like those we made are friendly to the environment; they can be cleaned and reused, have a life expectancy of approximately 12 months, and can be re-waxed. More importantly, they are a better alternative than plastic cling wrap.  

The colourful wraps include hand drawn designs as well as brightly coloured patterns; they are made with all cotton fabric and brush-coated with organic beeswax. The group intend to sell the wraps on Brigidine Day – so look out for them!

Angie Selga
Environmental Committee

Students in the Year 12 Child Studies class have investigated the importance of children developing problem solving skills through play. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength. It allows children to create and explore a world they can make mistakes in and learn from.

Technologic toys allow children to further develop these skills, while also developing problem solving strategies. The simplest form of technology is the development and use of basic tools to apply skills, techniques or knowledge.

The Year 12 students used their research to design and create a range of technologic toys including: magnetic fishing games, alphabet maze, puzzles, a shopping kit, a weather station, a clock puzzle and weaving kits. Students used a range of materials and utilised their own technology, such as sewing machines and laser cutters, to create safe and inclusive toys that promote problem-solving thinking.

The Year 12 students develop their own problem-solving skills to create original and outstanding toys, and demonstrate clear understandings of how to practically apply their research.

Emma Ward
Child Studies Teacher

Katie Joyce from Cadence Pilates ran a Mat Pilates class with the students in Year 9. The students have been learning about fitness components, training methods and training principles.

Throughout the unit the students have been exposed to many different types of fitness and a Pilates class was a great way to conclude the unit.

The students had a lot of fun, embraced the challenge, and expressed how great it was to experience a type of training no one had done before.

Alicia Whitton
PE Teacher

The environmental committee participated in a day out with KESAB, to further develop our knowledge around recycling and more importantly gain ideas about how to improve Kildare’s sustainability and waste management.

The group took a guided tour with Wendy from KESAB around various landfill and recycling centres. It was really interesting to see firsthand the methods used to recycled household rubbish and items into reusable objects.

On our return to The Parks Recreation Centre, Wendy helped better educate us about what should go into the various waste and recycle bins; it was very interesting to learn how easy it can be to recycle our household and school waste properly.

As a bit of fun, we all participated in a recycling relay to test our understanding of what we had learned about recycling and waste management. Overall, the day was a huge success and very informative; the students gained insight about what happens behind the scenes in the recycling process. This definitely helped educate everyone about how we can improve our school environment and consider the sustainability of resources.

Angie Selga
Enviromental Committee

Battling through a tough schedule consisting of 5 separate games in one day, Kildare finished the round robin tournament with an impressive 3 wins and 2 losses!

After a shaky start and an unfortunate bus delay that affected preparation for their first game, the players rallied brilliantly to win the last 3 games of the day. Their mighty effort puts them in contention to make it to the next round of the knockout phase! 

Coach Molly Hynes had this to say about the student’s effort: "I was able to coach the amazing Year 7 Basketball team. By the 3rd game, the team began to display great teamwork gaining their first win of the day, 18-8 playing Northfield. From there, Kildare won their 4th game 10-2 playing Aldgate. For the final game, the score was close, but the team pushed through winning 13-10.

We are all so proud of the team for their exceptional sportsmanship and for representing Kildare throughout the day."

"What a fantastic effort!" 

Carmine Caruso
Sports Development Officer

 Kildare College vs Nurioopta High School 

A beautiful sunny morning and a magnificent Thebarton Oval deck welcomed our Kildare for their big dance; the AFL knockout Grand Final!

It was perfect conditions for footy and our team approached the first bounce with excitement, energy and determination. Nurioopta made an impressive start with early consecutive goals. The match was a battle until the very end, and a calamity of injuries for Kildare unfortunately made it too difficult to bridge the early gap that Nurioopta set.

The team never gave up though and showed some inspiring grit, even when all the chips were down, to push through to the last siren and show everyone why they were deserved Grand Finalists. 

Georgina, our runner for the day, had this account of yesterday's game:  

"Before getting out on the field, coaches Miss McAteer and Miss Hughes gave the team a good pep talk. Kildare did not have the best first quarter which got into their heads, but they kept playing which is all we could ask for. The second quarter was much better and we managed to get a score on the board. Everyone was trying their best and had lots of encouraging words. 

By half time, unfortunately there were a few injuries and we were left with no subs. In the third quarter Kildare was still giving it their all and stopped Nurioopta from kicking any goals. In the last quarter the Superstar Liv scored the goal of the game. Overall, the team gave it everything they could and unfortunately could not bring home the flag. 

Miss McAteer and Miss Hughes are so proud of the team and cannot wait to bring home the flag next year!"

Carmine Caroso
Sports Developemtn Officer

Congratulations to our Year 9 debate team for their win against Nazareth Catholic College in their fourth debate for the season.

Students Kavishi, Abby and Katya presented compelling arguments against establishing a nuclear waste storage facility in regional Australia, elegantly rebutting their opposition and impressing the adjudicator. 

Please wish them luck for the next round where they will be arguing that the Julie Bishop barbie doll sends the wrong message!

Linda Dolling and Zefi Pezos
Debating Coaches

Kildare College students Hannah and Celeste competed at the 2021 State Short Course Championships with the Tea Tree Gully Swimming Club. 

Celeste made the finals in both the 100m and 200m Breaststroke and set a new club record, and Hannah won silver in the 200m Freestyle relay.

Congratulations to our amazing swimmers.

Bianca Parker
Sports Development Officer

Kildare students Annabelle, Dannika and Anna were nominated by their soccer coach to try out for the FSA under 13 State Development Squad Program.

All three students have been accepted into the squad and after weeks of training will compete in a tornament in October. This tournament will determine who will make into the State Team.

What a wonderful opportunity for our students.

Good luck!

Bianca Parker
Sports Development Officer

In Term 2 AusCycling and the South Australian Sports Institute conducted talent identification testing here at Kildare on Watt bikes, which are power based training machines that are unique to individuals' fitness levels.

Our students, Inidianna Forster and Isabella de Dear tested exceptionally well and have been invited to be a part of AusCycling 6-month track cycling program that will start in September.

Happy Cycling!

Bianca Parker
Sports Development Officer

On Sunday 8 August we celebrate the feast day of St Mary MacKillop, Australia’s only saint.

Born in Melbourne in 1842 from Scottish parents, she is best known for her activities in South Australia. Along with Fr Julian Tenison-Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, a congregation of religious sisters that established schools throughout Australia.

Her aim was to provide education to all people, especially the poor who would otherwise not be educated. Schools were established throughout cities, but particularly in rural areas. MacKillop, and her sisters, were also involved with orphanages, neglected children, girls in danger and the ill. Her work is still very much remembered today and her work with educating children was of great significance to Catholic education in this country.

Mary MacKillop displayed great strength and compassion, and her love for God and her endeavour to follow the teachings of Jesus meant that she had a great love for the poor, the deprived and the despised in her community, and great courage to do something about it.

We give thanks to St Mary MacKillop for showing us that all people are capable of displaying great courage and can therefore make a difference in the lives of others. She taught us also to deeply reflect on what is important in life.

“My dear child we must do all we can for the honour and glory of God” (Memories of Mary by those who knew her)

Enrico Caprioli
APRIM

It was a pleasure to be able to accompany the Year 10 students on two Career Event days at the end of Term 2.

The hilly Flinders University campus was the location for Day 1 with students undertaking an introductory presentation and then participating in four workshops - Law, Psychology, Palaeontology and Allied Health to gain an understanding of some university courses and career pathways.

Day 2 saw the Year 10 students meeting on the green lawns of the University of Adelaide. After a presentation focussing on university life and a campus tour, students engaged in two workshops of their choice to investigate possible interests. Psychology, International Relations, Chemical Engineering and Microbiology activities provided many interesting interactions.

Thank you to the universities and accompanying staff who made these days possible and to the Year 10 students for their willingness to take part in many new experiences.

Rebecca Sarvas
Careers Coordinator

“Warming the homeless holistically…….inside and out”

As winter approaches and the weather rapidly gets colder it is time to consider those less fortunate; especially the homeless who find themselves sleeping rough and in need of warm blankets, clothing and a nourishing meal.

Over the past week the Living Justice Group reached out to families and the College community seeking donations to help those in need. The group would just like to say a huge thank you to the many students, families and staff who got behind the drive so generously - the response has been nothing short of amazing. 

There will be many homeless people, and women and children housed in shelters, who will sleep better thanks to the many donations of warm clothing and food; the group cannot thank you enough!

Angie Selga, Linda Dolling, and Emma Lewis
The Living Justice Group

The Year 10 and Year 12 students studying Italian this year attended the Italian Immersion Camp. The students immersed themselves in the Italian language and culture and participated in various activities during the three day camp.The theme for the camp is 'Italian migration and their impact on a community in South Australia'.

The camp began with a visit to the Migration Museum where we were given an informative talk, by David our Italian guide, on the migration of Italians into South Australia. We then travelled to Victor Harbor to our accommodation. and began to unpack the information obtained. Here we are able to settle in and write the information obtained during the day in our booklets. We played Italian games, cooked Italian food and watched a film on Italian migration, Love’s Brother.

McLaren Vale became our focus on day two of our camp. Here we had the opportunity to see and taste the real impact of Italian Migration on McLaren Vale. Anna Rogers talked to us about the contribution Italian migrants have made on the centre of McLaren Vale township in the form of the Piazza Delle Valle, a square funded by the 2.2 million dollars raised by the Italian community. This is an amazing achievement and gift to the township, a meeting place where one can relax and enjoy the alfresco lifestyle with friends and family. Truly Italian!

We visited Diana Olives and had a tour of how olive oil is made. The Santopalato Cooking School teaches students how to cook authentic Italian food. We made tortellini with a tomato sauce and enjoyed Sicilian Street food and for desert Bomboloni. Delicious!

The evening was spent at the Bocce Club learning and playing Bocce, a popular Italian game and sharing an Italian meal with the locals.

It was an amazing experience and a time to learn and reflect on all things Italian. An experience the students and teachers will remember with fondness!

Anna Peek, Angelica Paussa and Anne Molinaro
Italian Teachers

Well, we didn’t quite make it to Emaaus, but we experienced a nice walk on our way to our venue for the  Year 8 Retreat.

The road to Emmaus is a story about two disciples leaving Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. They were two shattered people after seeing their mentor, friend and teacher tortured and put to death. They would also have been a bit worried about what might happen to them. On their journey to Emmaus they meet a stranger and they explained to him the events of the last few days. Then, this stranger explained to them, the scriptures and how the events of the last few days were meant to happen.

When they got to Emmaus they sat down to share a meal, and it was in the breaking of the bread that they came to realise that their companion was the risen Jesus. They recognised him in the breaking of the bread.

It was while on the road to Emmaus that their lives were transformed. Their eyes were opened to scripture and their hearts rejoiced in the encounter with the risen Jesus.

Due to the number of students in Year 8, we held two retreats. Our walk to each venue provided an opportunity for students to have their lives transformed. The story of the two disciples was unpacked during HUMS lessons and it was brought to a closure before we left. While on the 'road' students were given an opportunity to discuss the significance of their encounters with their God, and with each other. When you walk with someone, you talk. It was an opportunity to enter into the lives of others, to get to know them better and to get to understand others better.

Enrico Caprioli
APRIM

Using their knowledge of combustion reactions, rate theory, and methods to measure energy changes, our Year 12 Chemistry students designed their own experiments to investigate this question.

Students worked in groups and individually to plan, trial and improve their methods. Initial results show that good airflow is critical for a hot BBQ. Students will analyse their data in the coming days.

They are well on their way to becoming BBQ cooking experts.

Sally Morgan
Chemistry Teacher

Last week was crazy hair round for our Year 9 debating team – Kavishi, Abby and Katya. The team arrived at the venue in high spirits, sporting some absolutely fabulous hairstyles!

Debating against Trinity College, our Year 9 team represented Kildare College with professionalism and poise. Despite their ‘crazy’ hairstyles, students succinctly rebutted the opposing team, developed highly persuasive arguments and presented with style and confidence.

We are so proud of how they have improved over the season and look forward to the next debate. Wish us luck!  

Linda Dolling and Zefi Pezos 
Debating coaches 

Baking Club trialled three recipes found on TikTok! These recipes were cloud bread, moosh-mellow brownies and ricotta and egg yolk pasta.

The challenge with these recipes was that the recipe ingredients and method were from a very short TikTok video. Students had to problem-solve by refining some of the details themselves. The recipes had a great outcome and were a lot of fun to make along the way.

This shows how much technology and new social media platforms can impact many areas of life and cause trends even with what we eat!

Kara Steward, Alana Duka and Julia Grouch

Our budding Year 9 actors took to the stage recently performing a "mash up" of the iconic Red Riding Hood fairy tale, but with a very big twist! 

We took to the road and performed to Grade 3 and 4 students at St Francis of Assisi Primary and Thorndon Park Primary. 

So along with Ms Red Riding Hood we met her sisters Medium Purple and Big Blue, fell in love with Fairy G and got to know the front and back half of Oswald and Gerald - fire breathing dragons! So many other memorable characters met Ms Hood along her travels to find the love of her life, or at least go to the movies with him!

Congratulations to the Year 9 Semester 1 Drama class, for their wonderful performances.

Katrhy Hennig
Drama Teacher

Students from Year 8B and 8D participated in an excursion to the Art Gallery of South Australia. Students viewed the current exhibition of Clarice Beckett an Australian landscape artist, who has a modernist style using tonalism as her technique.

Students had the opportunity to tour some of the permanent works in the gallery that were also landscapes painted by Australian artists including more female artists, including Dorrit Black.

Students will now create their own landscape painting using this excursion as their source of inspiration.

Verity Clark
Art Teacher

Our three very enthusiastic Year 9 debaters – Abby, Katya and Kavishi, started off the debating season with a bang. With their oratory skills in full throttle, the negative team debated against Portside Christian School regarding the controversial topic, “That the Prime Minister should make a 'State of the Union' speech.”

Winning by a convincing three points, Kavishi clearly outlined the definition of the topic and the team’s motion, as well as providing very good rebuttal against the first affirmative speaker. Abby demonstrated poise when rebutting against the second affirmative speaker and included a range of outstanding persuasive devices in her speech, while our third speaker, Katya elegantly concluded with a polished speech, reinforcing the team’s stance.

As affirmative team, our next topic is that the “NYPD should get Spot back.” The debate will be held at Nazareth Catholic College on Thursday 27 May at 8:15pm. We are once again looking forward to seeing the team in action.

Well done team!

Zefi Pezos and Linda Beck
Debating Coaches

After an early start, and a long day of travel the Year 11 and 12 Physics classes arrived at Arkaroola. The journey was punctuated with stops at Pt Augusta, Hawker and then Copley, where the roads turned to dirt and we navigated our way to our final destination of Arkaroola Village.

Day 2 was the Ridgetop Tour, which included looking at radioactive hot spots (which were confirmed with a Geiger counter), a geological seminar and many stops to view the magnificent landscape with our wonderful tour guides. As guests of Doug Sprigg, he generously extended what is usually a half day tour into a full day tour, and we were most appreciative of this opportunity.

Along the tour we came to an interesting anomaly. A hole dug by miners that at some points of the day sucks in air, and at other times expels air. This was a point of the students’ investigation and the students began by looking at the flow rates of the air, checking for radioactive activity, taking the temperature, pressure, and electrical readings to see if they could deconstruct the problem. While the solution has not been explained yet, the students used proper scientific exploration methods to investigate (basically take as many measurements as you can) and will come up with some potential models for the phenomena throughout the coming term.  After the tour, some students took some R&R while others went on a hike up to Griselda hill (named after Doug’s mother).

That best part was yet to come. After dinner, the clouds parted, and the night sky twinkled. We were able to identify many of the stars and constellations by eye. This is the true beauty of Arkaroola as it has some of the lowest light pollution in the world. As such, stars that are not normally possible to view in the city were out in force. Through the digital telescope, we were able to view nebulae, globular clusters, spiral galaxies, and giant stars in amazing detail.

The next day our Year 11 students investigated the intensity drop off, of different forms of radiation with respect to distance, while the Year 12 students looked at the relationship between fluorescent intensity of rocks and their temperature. The rocks glow under ultraviolet light and depending on the chemical makeup, will fluoresce at different colours. Interspersed with deep learning were other activities that included escape rooms, fitness and some rest and relaxation to soak up the magnificent environment.

Doug, our host took us on a short hike up to two telescopes, one owned privately and the other owned by NASA. We also saw the giant artwork of a Trilobite made out of rocks, created by Doug’s father. We returned later that evening and using a spectroscopic lens, we looked at the light of the stars, Sirius and Canopus to name a few, and then diffracted the light into its constituents. By doing this we were able to determine the chemical makeup of the distant stars.

Students participated in a moving liturgy, outside with the mountains surrounding us, around a fire while the sun began to set. As the liturgy continued, the stars came out and we had time to reflect on the land, ourselves, and the experiences that we have shared.

Dinner was a barbecue under the stars with the Arkaroola Village. Surrounded by colourful lights, the smell of the food, and good company, the dinner was an absolute delight. Doug gave a speech to the entirety of Arkaroola and was extremely complimentary about Kildare and our wonderful student ambassadors.

Arkaroola was definitely a trip of a lifetime and we would like to acknowledge the support and participation of Kildare staff Anthony Vottari, Tania Pullin and Kim Thomas who willingly attended and worked with the students throughout the trip. We would also like to acknowledge the generosity extended to us by Doug Sprigg. This trip would not have been possible without the sponsorship of.Heathgate Resources. The students were amazing in their engagement, excitement, and their manners. They are a reflection of Kildare and they made us proud.

Nicholas Kellett-Southby
Physics Teacher

For a bit of company fun and friendly competition, Fluor Engineers Challenge each other every year in a global, company-wide engineering competition. In 2015, Fluor decided to bring the spirit of their yearly employee competition to students. The Fluor Engineering Challenge is designed and created by real-life engineers to help students experience how engineers design solutions and to show students first-hand how fun engineering can be.

Students in Year 7 STEM are currently participating in the Fluor Follow the Flow Challenge. In groups, by engaging in the Engineering Design Process, students design, build and test their model of a terraced irrigation system that uses flowing water to transport plastic beads.

This project is inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces, 2,000-year-old structures carved into mountainsides in the Philippines.

As it is a challenge, groups in each core class are competing against each other to be crowned the 2021 challenge winners!

Julia Groutsch
Learning Leader

Students are well into their second and third learning cycles of the year and we are seeing some very impressive growth rates. To ensure that you stay informed about your daughter’s learning, we encourage you to log into SEQTA, and visit the mathematics assessment page where your daughter will record her growth, effort and accuracy rates as well as her learning goal for the upcoming cycle.

To provide you even more feedback on your daughters mathematics learning you will soon receive an email with your Maths Pathway log in details. This will enable you to have specific information on your daughters test results, what she is currently working on and a live mapping of her mathematical knowledge against the Australian Curriculum. Once you receive the email, please log in, have a look at the information provided for you and feel free to chat with your daughter’s Mathematics teacher at her upcoming learning review.

Kim Thomas
Maths Pathways Coordinator

It has all been happening in the Middle Years this term. The Year 8 students travelled to Victor Harbor for their camps during Weeks 5 and 6. Our focus for the camp is building connections and it is a fantastic way for students to further strengthen existing friendships and to develop new ones with each other.

Students participated in a wide variety of activities all of which focused on team building. They spent time on the beach, and while the ‘Capture the Flag’ game became very competitive, it was amazing to see each team cheering and supporting their teammates.

Back at camp, students were able to step outside of their comfort zone on the Flying Kiwi, which was the favourite activity by far. They competed in water obstacles, an amazing race, a survivor challenge and another challenge where half of the group were blindfolded and had to rely on their team mates to help them complete the course.

The evenings were action packed as well. Our amazing Peer Support Leaders organised a variety of activities for the first night with lots of fun and laughter. It was so wonderful to see our Year 11 students in their leadership roles as Big Sisters. Their care and compassion was demonstrated throughout each of the camps and our Year 8 students were grateful they were there. On the second night we hosted a Quiz night which everyone enjoyed.

Many students commented that they were tired but had a great time!

Kim Thomas
Middle Years Coordinator

Each week brings opportunities that we can celebrate, and challenges that we may sometimes find difficult to overcome. Helping and supporting students to develop resilience can equip them with the tools to reduce the impact that challenging situations may bring.

When we help young people cultivate an approach to life that views challenges and obstacles as a critical part of success, we help them develop resilience, which is more than just coping. When you are resilient, you are more prepared to seek new ways to overcome challenges and achieve goals.

In Week 5 the Year 10 cohort participated in an interactive resilience workshop run by Urban Youth, focusing on how students can develop skills that allow them to increase knowledge of and identify stress, manage challenging situations, develop coping skills and encourage positive self-talk. Students were able to identify their strengths and the skills used in situations where they felt successful and identify how these can be transferred to situations they find challenging.

Resilience is a skill that can be developed and built on when we develop attitudes that focus on self-respect, social and organisational skills, and positive thinking habits. We cannot always avoid challenging times, but we can support adolescents to develop the skills to bounce forward when faced with adversity.

Students who are resilient display the following skills, all of which can be learnt and developed:

• Emotional awareness and the ability to regulate their own emotions and recognise others' emotions
• Control over their impulses
• Have optimistic and flexible thinking
• Display empathy to others
• Believe that they can be successful
• Are willing to seek help when needed

Resilience is like a muscle, the more we use and develop these skills, the better and stronger we will be. It is derived from the ways that we learn to think and act when we are faced with obstacles. Resilience enables us to emerge from challenging experiences with a positive sense of ourselves and our futures.

Students can continue to develop their skills of resilience by:

• Making connections with others who care about them
• Practising positive thinking when faced with challenging situations
• Developing realistic goals that they can move towards in small and regular steps
• Taking decisive actions rather than detaching from challenging situations
• Looking for opportunities for self-discovery and identify strengths used in situations of success
• Developing and nurturing a positive self-view
• Keeping things in perspective and maintain a hopeful outlook
• Taking care of themselves by engaging in activities that they enjoy and find relaxing

Resilience is essential for human thriving and is an ability necessary for the development of healthy, adaptable young people. When adolescents are resilient, they have the ability to adapt to difficult circumstances and continue to thrive and learn from challenging situations.

Emma Ward
Senior Years Coordinator

Throughout the past few weeks, Ms Fairweather’s Year 8 Art class have been learning about a drawing technique called continuous line – this technique requires students to draw with one continuous line or stroke using a drawing tool, without lifting it from the page.

Students began drawing portraits of their peers by applying continuous line. Students then had the challenge of applying this same technique using only a single length of wire.

Students use a portrait printed from the internet to help them recreate the contours of the face in wire. The wire sculptures are still a work in progress and students will paint the bases and embellish them with their choice of flowers and/or shells.  

Amy Fairweather
Art and DesignTeacher

Over the past few weeks the Year 7 students have been creating animal collages inspired by the quirky and iconic works of Australian Artist, Pete Cromer.

Students had to select their favourite Australian animal and recreate it using Cromer's style.

Students also had to create their own paper using various watercolour techniques, to help create contrast and interest in their works. 

Amy Fairweather
Art and Design Teacher

To provide an opportunity for students to connect with one another and help develop friendships, the Year 7 students headed off to Pt Malcolm for the day.

The first part of the day saw the students on the beach building sandcastles with the theme of Wonder.

We ventured up to the park for a hot chip lunch and afterwards students had fun playing in the park. 

Kim Thomas
Middle Years Coordinator

Although the Enlight Threatened Flora student group could not visit and work alongside the scientists based at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens last year due to the pandemic, it did not prevent us collaborating with them on saving a threatened local native orchid. We decided to focus our work on one particular species, the veined spider orchid.

All laboratory work was conducted at Kildare, using our specialised equipment to propagate the orchids. We were able to collaborate with the scientists via zoom meetings, emails and numerous phone calls. The College is fortunate to have equipment such as a laminar flow cabinet, a tissue culture room and a germination chamber to carry out the intensive and specialised work required in germinating and propagating most terrestrial orchids.

We were highly successful in extracting, isolating and culturing the specific mycorrhizal fungus that the seed of the plant requires to germinate. We were then successful in growing the plants first on agar plates and then in flasks - all under sterile conditions. In the photographs you can see a member of the Enlight Threatened Flora Group, Abigael, holding and viewing flasks containing seedlings of the threatened orchid, the veined spider orchid, in the College's plant tissue growth room.

Paul Beltrame
Learning Leader

Last Friday, 215 students and their guests gathered at Donato Function Centre for the highly-anticipated Senior Years ‘Garden Party’ Formal.

The evening provided an opportunity for students to momentarily divert attention away from upcoming assessments and stresses associated with Years 11 and 12. It also allowed students a moment to reconnect with each other, further developing friendships and connections within the Senior Years, highlighting how grateful we are to be part of such an amazing community at Kildare College and how the memories we make now will last forever!

The work of the Formal Committee, who began planning and working collaboratively in 2020 with staff, to plan the event down to the finest details did not go unnoticed on the night. Thank you to the students involved in the Formal Committee who worked together to make the Formal a success.  

Emma Ward
Senior Years Coordinator

The Year 7 students from our Textile classes have been involved in creating 'Pocket Hearts' using eco-friendly materials, for the ‘1000 Hearts Kindness Project’.

This project was started in 2016 by Sarah De Jonge, as a way to spread love and compassion. The idea of the project is that the little textile hearts are placed in public places for people in the community to take. They are to keep in your pocket and are a reminder of hope and love. There is a global network of "heartists" and now Kildare is a part of this movement. 

Textiles Teachers

The Year 11 Food and Hospitality students have been busy exploring the benefits of a plant-based diet and they had the opportunity to create a plant-based meal of their own.

Some of the wonderful dishes that they produced were, shitake and pumpkin dumplings, BBQ jackfruit dumplings, spicy buffalo cauliflower and garlic naan bread. 

Alana Durka 
Hospitality and Design Teacher

To add to the existing totems in the College Wirra Garden, Year 9 Art and Nunga Group students inspired by a visit to Tandanya’s ‘Atnwengenp’ –  Our Place exhibition, have been designing, creating and painting black and white themed poles. 

Under the guidance of Chris Crabbin (First Nations Artist) they are producing amazing work.

Indigenous Focus Team

Our student leaders are role models, who support and are a voice for the student body, who uphold and promote the Kildare Ministries' values of Wonder, Justice, Courage, Hospitality, Hope and Compassion.

The 2021 student leadership process commenced during Term 3 and has recently concluded to finalise all student leadership positions.

The calibre of applications for the College Captains this year was outstanding. The students' written applications and interviews showed their commitment and vision to student leadership and their willingness to be a voice for their peers.

Our new student leaders, led by our 2021 College Captains, Mia Larkin and Laura Lines, were introduced at a recent assembly and we would like to congratulate the following students on their success in obtaining a leadership position.

2021 Student Leaders

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank the students for applying and acknowledge the 2020 student leaders' contribution to our College. We are very lucky to be blessed with so many students with such refined leadership qualities.

Raymond Kropinski
Senior Year Coordinator

This term the Year 7 students collaboratively assisted in giving the Wellbeing Wall a colourful makeover!

Lead by UniSA Social Work placement students Mikaela and Samara, students were taught about the power of affirmations, positive statements and how they can help to challenge and overcome negative thoughts, which can lead to positive change and behaviours.  

The Year 7 students wrote a small message or comment to promote positivity and these messages were placed on the wall for the rest of the College community to reflect upon. 

The Wellbeing Wall is located in the Counsellors and Social Worker corridor and has already received a lot of positive responses from staff and students across all year levels.

Mia Davies
College Social Worker

Taleah Parker, one of our Year 11 students, is currently undertaking a traineeship with the Scentre Group, enabling her to complete a Certificate III in Business as part of her senior school studies.

We were thrilled to learn that Taleah was an integral part of the NAIDOC Week events at Westfield Tea Tree Plaza as part of her traineeship, participating in a live broadcast.

Feedback indicated that she was "amazing" but we already knew that!

Rebecca Sarvas 
Careers Coordinator

Farewell to our Year 12s

We have had some wonderful celebrations with our Year 12 students over the past week. Starting with our beautiful and reverent Graduation Mass, the family breakfast and then our farewell assembly. 

Each event was a lovely way to say farewell to our students as they complete their final assignments and sit their end of year exams. It certainly has been an eventful year for them and we wish them all the best. Their results will be released late December, just before Christmas.

Raymond Kropinski
Senior Years Coordinator

We were delighted to welcome Musician Erin Foy of the 10/27th Royal South Australian Regiment Band to present the Long Tan and Future Innovators Awards for 2020 at our Farewell Assembly.

The Long Tan Awards are sponsored each year by the Australian Defence Force; they were introduced to acknowledge the bravery of men and women who served in Vietnam. The awards also recognise courage and leadership shown by young men during the Battle of Long Tan in times of adversity. Today these Australian Defence Force awards are given in recognition of students who also show leadership and teamwork skills; not only in their school but also the wider community. Both our recipients have shown outstanding contributions not only to Kildare but also communities beyond the College. 

Year 10 recipient  Dallas Reynolds
Year 12 recipient  Amelia Perilli

The Australian Defence Force is encouraging the next generation of innovators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers; bright Australian students who are succeeding in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Achievement in STEM opens a range of exciting opportunities; you could find yourself working with innovative technologies and helping shape our nation’s future. Being recognised as an ADF Future Innovator shows that you have what it takes to make a big difference.

Students are awarded on their ability to demonstrate innovation and motivation for learning in the fields of STEM while highlighting the value the Navy, Army and Air Force place on STEM skills and STEM career opportunities within Defence.  

Year 10 recipient  Isabella Oswald
Year 12 recipient  Charlie Glen

Congratulations to Year 10 student Khyleesha Welgraven, who graduated last week from the Inspiring Teens Leadership Program. This program involved action-learning leadership skills around social, environmental and economic issues that affect us locally and globally.

Khyleesha was one of sixteen students who participated in the program during the last three months. The students were engaging with different non-profit organisations to help solve real community issues and enable them to develop leadership skills. Khyleesha and her team’s project was to raise awareness for ‘In2EdAfrica’, an organisation that is supporting online learning opportunities for vulnerable students in African schools.

Khyleesha’s team received the Community Leadership Award for raising the most awareness through the number ‘likes’ received for their online post.

Gabbi Rigney
indigenous Support

Late last term our Year 8/9 Netball Team walked away from Priceline Stadium as State Champions! 

A huge congratulations to all players who put in many training sessions across the semester and were rewarded for all their hard work. The team came out on top by 3 points in the Grand Final against a strong country team who have been playing together for a very long time, all the more reason to congratulate the Kildare Team. Now to defend…

Catherine Smith
Sports Development Officer