Kardinia eNews - Wednesday 12 March 2025

From the Head of Senior School - Kath O'Neill

While it’s a shortened week thanks to the Labour Day Public Holiday, we have still already had a huge number of events and activities in the Senior School.

Some of the students involved in the ITSAC (Innovation and Technology Student Advisory Committee) have headed to Beijing, where they will be presenting at a conference. We wish them all the best.

We have had House Assemblies to focus on the organisation of House Athletics next week, the third of our compulsory whole Senior School activities this term. There are activities on the day for all students, regardless of whether they are competing in formal events or not, and all students are expected to attend. The House Athletics Cup will no doubt be a hard-fought battle and I’m very much looking forward to seeing some fabulous house spirit on the day.

Finally, NAPLAN commenced today for Senior School students in Years 7 and 9, and our Duke of Edinburgh Gold students are currently exploring Maria Island in Tasmania completing the ‘Adventurous Journey’ part of the award where they will learn about the history of the island, and explore it by foot, bike and in the water.

From the Acting Head of Junior School - Izabella Haby

KICOnline information for Junior School: Subject Information

‘How do I find out about what my child is learning’?

This week, we will guide you on where to find information about the different subjects your child is studying.

1. Log in to KICOnline.
2. Go to Junior School, then find your child’s year level.
3. Explore the resources provided by the teachers.

Next week’s focus, ‘How do I check my child’s timetable’?

If you encounter any issues logging in, please contact IT for assistance on - helpdesk@kardinia.vic.edu.au

NAPLAN: This week students in Year 3 and 5 will participate in the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). These assessments are online except for the Year 3 Writing component.

Parent Helper Workshop:

Thank you to Nikki Petyanszki, Katie Steele and Scott Peel for their presentation last week. Thank you to the parents who were able to give up some of their time learning about being a helper in the room. We look forward to welcoming you to the rooms soon.

Parent Workshop: Understanding the Primary Years Program (PYP)

Thank you to the parents who have signed up for this Thursday’s workshop. The session runs from 6.30pm-8.00pm in the Junior School Conference Room and will be led by the PYP Coordinator, Geoff Geddes.

Upper Primary Cross-Country - Barwon Valley Park, Monday 17 March

Students in Upper Primary will be participating in the Cross-Country event at Barwon Valley Park from 9.00pm-12.00pm. We look forward to seeing our parent community cheering on the students as they run past. If you have any further questions, please contact Scott Russell on s.russell@kardinia.vic.edu.au

Congratulations to these students:

Six Kardinia International College students braved 2 days of extremely tough competition in very hot conditions at the Little Athletics Victoria State Track and Field Championships in Cranbourne on the long weekend.

Estelle R Year 5 competed in the U11 girls javelin and although not throwing her personal best (PB) was able to achieve an impressive 15th place in the state with a throw of 12.38m.

Angus R Year 4 competed in the U10 boys 1100m walk and achieved 7th place in the state and smashed his PB by 35 seconds to score an impressive time of 6min 22.68 seconds.

Cruz T Year 7 competed in 3 events: U13 boys high jump, triple jump and 80m hurdles. With fierce competition, he achieved an impressive 17th place in the state for high jump. He placed 21st in triple jump with a jump of 9.44m and ran a solid race in hurdles, coming a clear 1st in his heat and achieving a wonderful personal best result of 12th in the state with a time of 13.87.

Rocco T Year 5 competed with an extremely competitive field in the U11 boys 80m hurdles and long jump. He reached 9th in the state in hurdles with a personal best time of 13.74 and 12th in the state for long jump with a jump of 4.14m.

Lily A Year 5 competed in the U11 girls 1500m. Even though it was 8.38am Sunday morning, it was already very warm. Lily was amongst fierce competition but in true Armstrong style, Lily achieved an impressive 14th position in the state with a personal best time of 5 min 47.36 seconds.

Mikayla W Year 5 competed in U11 girls 200m, triple jump, 100m and long jump. She placed 21st in the state for 200m with a time of 32.12. U11 girls triple jump was full of nail-biting suspense, with the initial 3 jumps of the top competitors delivering results that had them within 1-2cm of each other. Mikayla was the final competitor to jump in the 4th and final round and pulled off a massive PB of 9.32m to become U11 Girls State Triple Jump Champion. Mikayla made the call to scratch from the 100m due to a nagging injury and wanted to save herself for long jump. Again, more suspense with Mikayla sitting in 3rd position before the 4th and final round. Massive jumps were achieved in this round by her competitors and pushed Mikayla to an impressive position of 4th in the state with a PB jump of 4.27m.

We are not only impressed by these amazing results but also the resilience of these competitors in tough conditions and their sportsmanship throughout the weekend. They should all be very proud of themselves.

A Note from The Finance Department - CSEF Newsletter Information

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) and School Savings Bonus (SSB)

The CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps, and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF.  The allowance is paid directly to the school to use only towards expenses relating to camps, excursions, or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student for 2025 is:

• $154 for primary school students

• $256 for secondary school students.

If you applied for the CSEF at Kardinia International College in 2024, you do not need to complete an application form in 2025 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances, (i.e. new student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools in 2025, or you did not apply for CSEF at Kardinia International College in 2024, changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commenced at the school in 2025)

If a form was not lodged in 2024, parents or legal guardians are required to complete a CSEF application form and lodge it with their child’s school for processing.

Application forms are available through the below links.

• Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund application form

• CSEF application form – 16 years and over (for mature minors)

• CSEF application form – 16 years and over (requiring parent/carer permission)

Application forms should be completed and lodged with Kardinia International College as soon as possible.  Final date for Kardinia International College to accept and process applications is 4 July 2025. Forms must be submitted to Kardinia International College no later than 3 July 2025.

Please email completed application form to accounts@kardinia.vic.gov.au

School Savings Bonus – Non-Government Schools:

School Savings Bonus of $400 is available for students attending Non-Government Schools if they are eligible for CSEF in 2025 and have not already received SSB through a government school in 2024.

There is not a separate application process for the SSB, if you complete the CSEF application process and are eligible for CSEF you will also be eligible for SSB.

Mothers' Day Classic

Attention Kardinia International Community!

We are excited to invite you to participate in the Mother's Day Classic Fun Run in Geelong on Sunday, May 11, 2025. This event is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together, support a great cause, and make a difference in the fight against breast and ovarian cancer. It is not a school event, and parents are asked to participate with their children, we would love to see you there!!

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, May 11, 2025

Location: Eastern Park, Geelong

Distances and Times:

8km Run: 7:50am

4km Run: 8:00am

4km Walk: 8:50am

8km Walk: 9:10am

How to Register: Visit the Mother's Day Classic Geelong page to sign up. Join our team by visiting the Kardinia International College Team page.

Here is the link to join the team: https://www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/join/kardiniainternationalcollege

And here is the link to view our Team’s page: https://www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/fundraisers/kardiniainternationalcollege

For more information about the event and to register, go to the Mother's Day Classic website. View our team’s progress on the Kardinia International College Fundraising Page.

Why Participate?

Support Lifesaving Research: All funds raised go towards breast and ovarian cancer research.

Community Spirit: Join your friends, family, and fellow Kardinia International College members in a fun and meaningful event.

Health and Fitness: Enjoy a beautiful day out while staying active.

Additional Information:

Parking: Available near Eastern Park. Please refer to local maps for details.

Public Transport: The closest train station is Geelong Railway Station. Bus routes 30 and 60 will get you close to the event village.

Accessibility: The course is wheelchair and pram friendly.

Let's show our Kardinia International College spirit and make a positive impact together! For any questions or further information, please contact Aron Pitout, Fin Mirams, Surry Burch and Will Standish.

You might like to train with Charlotte N's Running Club on Wednesdays…

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sport News

GISSA Swimming and Diving Championships

An amazing effort by the Kardinia International College swimming squad was showcased at this year's GISSA Swimming and Diving Championships, taking home 3 out of 4 shields - Junior Girls, Senior Boys and Senior Girls - along with the overall Championship title!

GISSA swimming 2025 showcased some incredible individual swimmers from the College smashing their Personal Best’s and placing top three in all of their events.

Congratulations to the year 12 students who have represented the College for 6 consecutive years! and a big congratulations to Marley B who placed 7th in the GISSA diving competition!

GISSA Intermediate Boys Cricket

The Kardinia International College Intermediate Cricket Team played two T20 games last week in the GISSA cricket competition.
While Christian College and Iona College proved too strong on the day, our team played some fantastic cricket!

ConsentLabs: Parent Information Session

As part of our commitment to equipping our young people with the personal and social skills needed to navigate their adult lives, all Year 10, 11 and 12 students will participate in a 100-minute Personal Development session facilitated by Consent Labs, during week 10 of this term.

The sessions are aimed at teaching students about healthy relationships and issues related to the legal and ethical concerns around consent in a sexual context. Each year level will be addressed separately, with the aim of providing information most relevant to their age group.

In support of these student sessions, we have also invited Consent Labs to provide an online seminar for parents, which will be held on Tuesday 18 March at 6.30pm.

In a 1.5hr online seminar for parents, they will address these key topics:

• Consent Foundations

• Digital Consent

• Consent with Alcohol & Other Drugs

• Recognising & Responding to Sexual Harassment and Assault

They will answer questions, such as:

• How can I keep my children safe, even if I have different views about sex and relationships?

• How can I start a meaningful conversation with my children?

• What are some strategies I can use when discussing these awkward topics?

The seminar details are found below.

Topic: Consent Labs x Kardinia International College Parents and Carers

Time: March 18, 2025, 06:30 PM

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87050229425 Meeting ID: 870 5022 9425

Wellbeing Hub News - TONIGHT, 8pm!

Happy Families Schools, Webinar 1: Emotional Regulation - A Heart-Centred Approach to Supporting Your Child

Meltdowns, outbursts, and challenging behaviours can leave us feeling lost and unsure how to help. It's tough when our kids are struggling with big emotions! What we sometimes forget is that these behaviours usually stem from overwhelming feelings that our children don't yet have the tools to manage.

Emotional Regulation is Dr Justin Coulson’s powerful guide to helping children understand and regulate their emotional world. Once they develop competence with this critical life skill, emotionally intelligent children will feel more confident, perform better at school, have healthier relationships with others, and even be physically healthier.

This presentation will equip parents with a five-step “emotion coaching” process that brings together the very best in emotional intelligence research from Dr John Gottman, the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, and others, to build children’s resilience, increase wellbeing for the whole family, and develop healthier humans. 

Webinar Link:  https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/emotional-regulation/
*Note that the link will only work if you are already signed into our school page using the details provided below.

We will regularly share resources available through our Happy Families membership with you, including Insight Articles and Webinars. You can also access your resources at any time using the below URL (unique to Kardinia) and password.

URL & PASSWORD https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/kic
Password: happykic (We recommend bookmarking this link. You should only need to put the password in once and the site will remember you).

In today's hyper-connected world, young people are constantly exposed to carefully curated snapshots of other people's lives - from picture-perfect holidays and academic achievements to the latest fashion trends and fitness goals. This relentless stream of comparisons, often amplified through social media, creates what is known as comparison culture.

Comparison culture fosters a mindset where individuals constantly evaluate their own worth by measuring themselves against others. This leaves many young people feeling as though they're falling short. For children and adolescents who are still developing their sense of identity, this environment can be especially harmful - contributing to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt and anxiety.

It's important to understand how comparison culture shapes the way children see themselves and their place in the world. When young people constantly compare their appearance, achievements, or social lives to their peers or online influencers, they can develop unrealistic expectations and a distorted sense of self-worth. This can lead to low self-esteem, perfectionism, and a constant need for external validation.

However, through open conversations, positive role modelling, and proactive support, families can empower young people to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world. Encouraging an environment that values individuality, personal effort, and growth - rather than constant comparison or external validation - helps foster a stronger sense of self that allows young people to embrace their unique strengths and identity.

Click here to watch this episode: https://kardinia.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-social-media-comparison-culture-au