From the Acting Principal - Paul Dowie
Over the coming days, our students will commemorate ANZAC Day.
ANZAC Day holds deep significance for Australians and grew out of the bravery and sacrifice of those who served during World War I. It is a time for remembrance and reflection. It is an opportunity to remember the over 103,000 Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives for our country. The term “ANZAC” represents not only those who fought in WWI but all 1.5 million service men and women who have served Australia in various conflicts, wars, and peacekeeping operations.
On ANZAC Day, we remember not only military actions but also the enduring legacy of these remarkable individuals. The qualities displayed by our service men and women are termed collectively as our “Anzac Spirit”, which continues to shape Australia’s identity and how Australians view their past and future.
Courage and Resilience:
The Anzacs displayed immense courage in the face of adversity. Their willingness to confront danger and adversity is a central theme of Anzac Day.
Their resilience teaches us about facing challenges with determination and bravery.
Unity and Mateship:
The Anzac Spirit emphasises mateship—the bond between comrades. The spirit of equality and fairness is a hallmark of the Anzac legend. Regardless of rank or background, soldiers stood side by side, emphasising the value of every individual.
This unity reminds us of the importance of supporting one another in times of need.
Reflection on War’s Impact:
While reflecting on ANZAC Day, we are encouraged to think with empathy and understanding of the sacrifices made by those who served.
We should also reflect on the impact of war on individuals, families, and communities.
The saying “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is a powerful statement on why we should ponder the horrible and lasting cost of war.
Spending time reflecting on the “Anzac Spirit” with our children is worthwhile and, equally, making ANZAC Day a time to recommit to working towards peace and unity in this world is to truly honour those who have gone before us.
From the Head of Senior School - Kath O'Neill
Due to predicted rain today, the Senior School made some changes to the ANZAC Assembly we had planned for this morning. The assembly has been filmed and will be shared with students in Tutor Groups on Friday morning. We were so grateful to have past student Adam Roksa join us for our ANZAC Assembly this morning. Adam is a Senior Ammunition Proof Officer with the Australian Army and also has a Bachelor of Chemistry and a Masters of Systems Engineering. He shared his own reflections on the importance of ANZAC Day in our culture. Adam also spoke with students about his experiences and career progression in the Defence Force. Adam was supported by one of our Year 9 students, Max Nyeholt, who is an Airforce Cadet, and who also read the Ode. Thanks to KIC Brass, under the direction of Mel Humphrey, for their musical contributions, and particularly to Angus Fairlie for playing the Last Post. We have many students in the Senior School who will be participating in marches and services tomorrow and we wish them all the very best for their efforts.
A reminder to all Senior School parents that we have Paul Dillon at the College on Wednesday evening next week, for a session called ‘Teens, parties, alcohol and vapes: What do parents need to know?’ We’ve had an exceptional response to this from parents already and I strongly encourage parents to attend. Paul Dillon has been working in drug and alcohol education for over 25 years and is highly regarded by our students and staff alike. Please see the e-mail sent last week to RSVP.
The CCC is running a parent social event on Thursday next week, May 2, which is a Trivia Night. This is a great opportunity to come along and meet other parents from the College Community, as well as showing off the random facts that we all have stored away! Please see the advertisement for the session in this eNews for ticket bookings.
From the Acting Head of Junior School - Geoff Geddes
Dear families,
We have had another exciting and eventful week in the Junior School.
Resilience and the Year 3 Assembly
As an IB school, we focus on developing skills that will support our students as lifelong learners and change makers. We describe these skills as the IB Approaches to Learning. There are five skill areas that remain constant from Kinder to Year 6, these skills are a focus in all subject areas. The five skill areas are Communication, Social, Research, Self-Management and Thinking Skills.
Resilience is one of the skills that sits within the Self-Management Skills. As I watched our Year 3 students stepping onto the stage during Monday’s assembly, I couldn’t help but think about the resilience on display. Back stage was a mixture of excitement, nervousness and fear. Congratulations to all students that presented to the large audience, you demonstrated great resilience as you stepped onto the stage, even when it felt difficult.
Congratulations also to all the Year 3 students that were involved in the How the World Works unit which was being shared.
Please click on the image below to view a video of the unit's learning experiences.
Foundation Year Sharing the Planet Field Trip
On Tuesday our amazing Foundation Year students travelled to the Common Ground Project to continue their research into how living things depend on each other to survive and thrive. The students are planning to put their learning into practice in their own Foundation Year Garden.
State bronze and a state team selection
Congratulations to our boys relay team for bringing home a bronze medal from the State Swimming Championships in Melbourne. Well done Hugh, Jimmy, Campbell and Zac. Jimmy also took 5th place in the individual freestyle. Thank you to all the boys for representing the school with such pride and determination.
Congratulations also to Isabelle McDermott for making it into the state gymnastics team. Your hard work is certainly paying off.
ANZAC Day
Last week Vin Healy shared some ANZAC stories with our year 5 and year 6 students. Vin is a singer song writer who has an interest in the history of the ANZAC. Vin shared his process for song writing and also some important stories relating to the ANZAC spirit in different parts of the world.
Please be reminded that Thursday is the ANZAC day public holiday.
On Friday we will conduct a ceremony for all Junior School students under our Lone Pine tree.
Upper Primary Athletics Day
Congratulations to all students that competed in the Upper Primary Athletics day this morning. A wonderful time was had by all.
Mother's Day Biggest Morning Tea Fund Raiser
KIC Connect are looking forward to welcoming you to a morning tea on May 10 in our Junior School Conference room. Please see the details on the flyer below.
Are You Interested In Becoming a Homestay Parent?
Kardinia International College provides a very successful overseas student program for students from years 7-12. Our program is growing and we are looking for more people interested in becoming Homestay Parents.
Our Homestay families provide a caring and nurturing environment for our overseas students and are remunerated for undertaking this role.
For more information about Homestay please contact Homestay Coordinator Yuting Zhao on y.zhao@kardinia.vic.edu.au
Mothers Day Classic
Every year thousand of people come together to start their Mothers’ day with purpose.
Kardinia has been uniting to support and inspire our community to be part of this joyous event. On Mothers’ Day, Sunday May 12 our Kardinia International College community will come together in the event at Oval 3 East Geelong Reserve Eastern Park for the events. While this is not a school activity and we ask parents to accompany their children we would like to encourage you all to be there to:
WALK
- 4km - 8:50am - Embrace & Honour
- 8km - 9:00am
- 4km - 9:10am
RUN
- 8km - 7:50am
- 4km - 8:00am
We want to celebrate and remember those touched by breast and ovarian cancer and to raise life- saving funds for research.
This is our seventh year as a community supporting this initiative, let’s make it a big one.
Join our team or donate https://www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/fundraisers/kardiniainternationalcollege
Cross Aged Tutoring
Do you need help with your homework?
Would you like to work with an older peer to get better at your subjects.
A clever, determined and caring group of young people, supported by members of staff are coming together on Wednesday after school from 3.40 pm until 5.00 pm in the Learning Commons to help you with your homework.
The Tutors are from years 10-12 . We will support anyone to do their homework from grade 5- year 12.
Community Engagement and Foundation News
Parent Social Evening - Trivia Night!
Next Thursday 2 May is the CCC Trivia Night for Kardinia Parents! The event will be held at Murphy’s in Aberdeen Street, between 6 pm - 9 pm. Trivia Groups of 10 are signed up at 6 pm for a 6:30 pm start. Come along to meet other new parents and catch up with Kardinia friends. Tickets are only $15 pp for our Trivia Event with food and drinks at own expense. We’d love to see you there! https://events.humanitix.com/ccc-trivia-night
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to alumnae Bridget Sweeney (Class of 2018), Dr Erin Hoare (Class of 2007) and Alex Haby (Class of 2017).
Bridget joins the staff this term as Art Assistant. After graduating from Kardinia, Bridget travelled and worked overseas before completing a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences at Deakin in 2023. While working as a Support Worker and Art Instructor, she has continued to pursue her own interests in acrylic painting.
Bridget is currently studying a Master of Counselling at Swinburne University with the goal of working in schools, eventually specialising in the Art Therapy space.
The Kardinians welcome back alumna Dr Erin Hoare (Class of 2007) as a psychologist, based in the Well-Being Hub. Erin is also a current parent and an AFLW Cats player.
Alex Haby joins the Junior School team as a Learning Support Officer. She has a BEd, majoring in the International Baccalaureate & Literature, in addition to a Diploma of Events Management.
We are delighted to have these alumnae join the staff!
Kardinians - Calling all past KIC musicians
How awesome was it being a musician at KIC! What's stopping you from being part of this again "One Night in May"?
Calling all musos to the Piano Bar on Tuesday 21 May, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, for the launch of Square 1’s latest EP - "Get It Again". Alumni band 'Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds' will also be performing, and we will end the evening with an 'all in' ensemble performance, with all our alumni musicians joining in to play “Master Blaster” by Stevie Wonder and “Fishies” by The Cat Empire!
What a night!
Tickets - $20 Adult & $15 Student. Under 18's must be accompanied by an adult.
If you were a past musician at Kardinia, please click:
https://forms.office.com/r/MpcWZSjbWN
Congratulating Coco! Kardinians Footy Tipping Round 5 Winner
She did it again! The winner of the 2024 Kardinians Footy Tipping Round 5 $20 Prize is Year 12 student Coco Warita! Congratulations again Coco!
Fiona Russell - Community Engagement & Foundation Coordinator
From the Archives
The 2005 ANZAC Day Service
In 2005 Kardinia International College marked Anzac Day with the College’s first gathering in the newly established Amphitheatre. The service included a speech from a returned serviceman, a dramatic dance from several senior primary students and Anthony and Marco Tuimaka reading memoirs from their grandfather Robert Sillett’s RAAF Logbook.
Fiona Russell - College Archivist
School TV - Trauma Recovery
When children experience trauma, it profoundly disrupts their sense of safety and normalcy, manifesting in significant emotional and behavioural changes. Exposure to a traumatic event can cause young people to experience stress, anxiety, and potential trauma, particularly when the event receives ongoing media coverage. Parents observing their children struggle with trauma's aftermath often find the experience distressing. To aid recovery, parents can support their child by creating a nurturing environment, thereby helping them regain a sense of security and encouraging resilience. It is crucial for parents to remain actively involved in their child’s healing process, recognising that each child’s response to trauma is unique and requires personalised supportive strategies.
The impact of trauma is unpredictable, and therefore recovery timelines vary widely among young people. Depending on the age of the child, younger children may exhibit regressive behaviours, while older children often show signs of withdrawal and agitation. Parents and carers need to monitor what information their children are accessing and manage their exposure to help minimise emotional distress.
Understanding how trauma affects brain function can help in addressing the psychological aftermath. The brain stores traumatic events as powerful emotional memories, influencing behaviour through mechanisms beyond conscious awareness. For effective trauma management, it is vital for caregivers to recognise the signs of trauma, maintain open communication, and help children differentiate between controllable and uncontrollable aspects of their experiences. By equipping children with coping strategies for dealing with uncertainty, parents can significantly aid their children's ability to overcome trauma and foster long-term emotional resilience.
Click here to watch this episode: https://kardinia.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-trauma-recovery
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