From the Principal
There are a lot of challenging and confronting events happening in the world at the moment.
Last week in e-news our Wellbeing Hub published some ideas on how to help our community cope with war. It is well worth reading if you have not already done so - here is the link https://kiconline.kardinia.vic.edu.au/d2l/le/news/12435/127780/view?ou=12435. There are always some great articles and advice at the Wellbeing Hub.
To counteract all the negative news, I subscribe to a weekly newsletter called Future Crunch which puts out stories of hope and positivity about real world breakthroughs, innovations and occurrences that speak about some of the really great changes being made in our world. Today I thought I would share with you one of those stories which was recently published by UNESCO which is that “globally, there are 50 million more girls in school today than there were in 2015. Completion rates for girls have increased from 86% to 89% in primary school, and from 54% to 61% in high school. There are five million more girls completing each level of education every year now compared to seven years ago.”
Given we all value and recognise the importance of education, I thought this was great news to share. One of Future Crunch’s tag lines is “Bad news happens suddenly. Good news happens slowly.” Maybe this is worth sharing with our children as well, that yes, there are some terrible things happening in our world and they are front and centre in the news, but there are also some great things happening quietly in the background and some amazing people doing wonderful work to make a positive difference.
Finally, a big shout out to our Year 12 students and their families who are now in the throes of VCE and IB exams. Wishing them all the very best over the coming weeks.
From the Acting Head of Senior School
Both IB and VCE exams have commenced, with many students already have completed multiple exams. Thank-you to all the staff and students who so generously work around room changes and interruptions to allow exams to occur in a quiet, calm environment.
On Monday we hosted our annual Year 10 Leadership Program, with Year 10 students working alongside their Heads of House to consider what leadership means to them, leading others and leading in different situations. The students were also lucky enough to enjoy a pizza lunch. They now have the opportunity to apply to be Peer Leaders in 2024, and to support our incoming Year 7 students.
Last term we had the Man Cave at school, working with our Year 9 boys and also presenting to a group of parents. The Man Cave has just shared the details of their new four-week affirmative consent program, called Is This OK, which will be facilitated through The Cave on Twitch. The program, appropriate for Year 7 students and above, is designed to educated teenage boys on respect, healthy relationships, consent and the new affirmative consent model that is now law in Victoria. Twitch is an online live streaming platform that is extremely popular among young men. The program will be led by the Man Cave and delivered with other youth organisations including AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring), Minus 18 (LGBTQIA+ youth empowerment) and Elephant Ed (consent and sex education). The program is funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, through its ‘Supporting Young People to Understand Affirmative Consent’ program.
The first episode will be streamed live on The Cave on Twitch at 6pm on Thursday 2nd November. There’s also a PlayStation 5 that one lucky participant will win by tuning in.
From the Head of Junior School
Year 5 Camp
Today our Year 5 students embarked on their camp. Students are sleeping in tents at the Grove campus and venturing to various activities on the coast, including surfing, canoeing and bike riding. Thank you to all staff who have organised the camp and who are supporting students on this exciting adventure.
Student Free Days
Please be reminded that Monday 6 November and Tuesday 7 November are student free days. Junior School teachers will be engaging in professional learning over these days. Students will return to school on Wednesday 8 November.
Japanese Week
This year Japanese Week is in Week 8 of this term. This is always an exciting week on the Junior School calendar as fun and engaging Japanese activities are planned across the school.
Parent Information Sessions
The following parent information sessions are planned for the coming weeks. Further information will be emailed directly to parents of students soon, but for now, you may like to save the following dates that apply to you.
- Kindergarten Information Session 2024 – Wednesday 15 November
- Year 5 Grove Information Session 2024 – Thursday 16 November
- Foundation Year Information Session 2024 – Thursday 23 November
Junior School Orientation Day
Orientation Day for all 2024 FY-Y6 students will be Wednesday 29 November. On this day students will get to meet their 2024 classmates and teachers. Further information will be shared with families closer to the time.
Christmas Picnic
The Junior School Christmas Picnic will be held from 5.30-7.30pm on Thursday 30 November in the Katsumata Centre and will feature local favourites the Mik Maks, among other performances. Parents and students are invited to bring a picnic, spread out with friends, and enjoy the festivities.
Scholarship Registrations
Academic and Music Scholarship registrations for 2025 are now open! Registration forms and more information can be found on our website or by clicking the image below.
Registrations will close in early February 2024. (No late applications will be accepted).
Arts News
Congratulations to all students and staff who were involved in the Art Show last week.
The People’s Choice Award votes have been counted and I am thrilled to announce that we have two winners! Congratulations to…
Joanna Wang for her charcoal portrait of Norm Stanley “In the Wind”
Sachi Bridgeford for her environmental sculptural work “Consequences”
A special congratulations to the following students who took home our prestigious awards last week:
Senior Art Award
Joanna Wang for “Norm”
Junior Art Award
Anouk Ord
Senior Visual Communication & Design Award
Sachi Bridgeford
Junior Visual Communication & Design Award
India Lillas
Photography Award
Nicole Bauza for “Pride, Prejudice, Persecution”
Junior Photography Award
Lucy McIlvena
Media Award
Harriet Deppeler for “The Shadows in My Town Fibre”
Textile & Fabrics Award
Lucy Reid for “The Permanent Shirt”
3D Sculpture Award
Sachi Bridgeford for “Consequences”
Highly commended:
Nicole Bauza for “Mortality’s Embrace”
Eva Darcy for “A Child’s Eye”
Nikita Ginoski for “An Ode to Childhood”
Bella Campbell for “Self Portrait”
Esther Mathers for “There’s more than meets the eye”
Lucy Reid for “Ways of Life”
Joanna Wang for “In The Wind”
Sport News
Gippsland Judo Tournament
On Sunday the 22nd of October six intrepid members of the judo club journeyed to Drouin in Gippsland. Nicolas Carter, Addi Cromb and Will Cromb comprised our “Mosquito Fleet” while Hudson Drew, Ellie Shanahan and coach Alex Vukadinovic were our senior competitors. Our visiting senior coach from Japan, Mizuho Sonoda, led all the competitors in a group warm up, then our junior judoka took to the mat. All three won at least one bout in their groups. Nicolas Carter won a Bronze medal in his first tournament, while Will Cromb won Silver. Our two senior students also met with success. Both Hudson and Ellie fought very hard against some tough opponents. Ellie won a Gold medal, while Hudson won a Bronze and two Silver medals fighting in three separate divisions.
All in all I was bursting with pride at the teams’ achievements, which made a fairly long drive (on a windy day!) all the more worthwhile. The team has another tournament next weekend, then the KIC cup on the 24th of November.
Careers News
Dear Parent & Students,
Please click on the links below to find some resource guides that might be useful for you in the coming weeks and months as you are making decisions about your future pathway options.
- Change of Preference Guide
- School Leaver Tool Kit
- Apprenticeships & Traineeships
- Applying for Uni
- Getting a job
- Scholarships Guide
- Uni at school – for students who have completed early year 12 subject and wish to continue to study in that subject at a higher university level.
Contact careers@kardinia.vic.edu.au or use the booking link to make an appointment with a KIC Career Practitioner if you need some support KIC CAREERS BOOKING SYSTEM
Best wishes from The KIC Careers Team
Year 6 PYP Actions
Wellbeing Resources
Exam season has well and truly arrived for students of all ages. Click on the video above to find some useful tips on how to tackle exam stress and anxiety from parenting author and educator Maggie Dent.
Find more resources and support on our Wellbeing Hub page on KICOnline here.
Community Engagement and Foundation News
The Reunion!
The Combined 5 -, 10 -, 15 - & 20 - Year Reunion for the Classes of 2018, 2013, 2008 & 2003!
A crowd of approximately 200 alumni attended the combined reunion at ‘Meet Me At Mary’s’ last Friday night. It was a fabulous night!
Alumni College Tour
This week - The Class of 2022 - 1 Year Reunion
The 1 Year Reunion for the Class of 2022 will be held this Friday 27 October. This free event is for registered members and is the first official reunion since graduation! We’d love to see our 2022 Alumni and hear about your adventures over the last 12 months!
Please note that Tickets are complimentary but are essential for entry. Please log onto https://kardinians.com/ for further information, to complete your RSVP and obtain your ticket to this event.
Where Are They Now
Julian Zhang - Class of 2013
Julian has come a long way since his time as an international VCE student at Kardinia a decade ago. Initially a reserved overseas student struggling with both his English and coursework, Julian's transformation into a confident young professional was made possible by the support and friendships he found among his peers and staff at Kardinia, as well as his homestay family. Today, Julian is a Fire Safety Engineer at Lucid Consulting Australia and the Chair of Young Engineers Australia - SA. He proudly became an Australian citizen in 2021.
The Kardinians warmly congratulate Julian on his achievements and his Australian Citizenship!
Hilary Harrison-Smith - Class of 2003
Hilary completed an Arts and Law degree and has enjoyed a varied career in marketing, law, project management and operations. Passionate about social justice in the education and technology sectors, Hilary has studied, worked and volunteered internationally, including working for the University of Cambridge and Arm Ltd. Returning to Australia after nearly six years in the UK, she is now Legal Counsel at RMIT University.
Some of Hilary’s overseas highlights include playing ruck in the inaugural University of Cambridge vs Oxford University Women’s Varsity Aussie Rules (AFL) match, coaching a para-Athlete to qualify for the British Rowing Tokyo Olympic Rowing Development Squad, and dining at all 31 University of Cambridge colleges. She still plays and performs as much music as she can and has more recently taught herself the ukulele so that she can entertain her young family.
Hilary’s love for international travel began at KIC while she was a boarder on campus with KIC’s international students, and then later a Home Stay student herself in Japan and Geelong. She has currently travelled to more countries than her age and hopes this trend (and budgeting skills!) continue throughout her life.
The Kardinians are proud of the achievements of our alumni!
The Kardinians appreciate alumni taking the time to share their post-Graduation journey in a 'Where Are They Now" post.
College Community Council (CCC) - Parent Community Event
The College Community Council (CCC) have set the date for the next Parent Community Event!
Get connected, meet other parents and members of the Kardinia College Community, and enjoy food and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere at Murphy's. Thursday 9th November 2023, 7 pm to 9.30 pm. $25.00 per person, drinks at bar prices. To secure your tickets, log on to: https://events.humanitix.com/kardinia-international-college-ccc-canapes-and-drinks
Fiona Russell - Community Engagement & Foundation Coordinator
From the Archives
THE IB DIPLOMA GROUP - 2005
With IB Exams having started this week, involving approximately 60 students, From The Archives looks back on our very first IB Diploma class in 2005. The background also features part of the now demolished W Block, which once stood where the Learning Commons and Senior Centre are situated.
THE EVOLVING KARDINIA INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE SITE
The aerial shot from 1998, highlights the evolution of facilities at Kardinia International College over its 27 year history. On the recent Alumni Tour of the College, memories of the former gravel carpark outside the College Hall and the roundabout were shared, when viewing Centrepoint Cafe and the Junior School Inquiry Centre.
Credits: Map extract - Nick Kerber. Photos - Archive Collection.
Fiona Russell - College Archivist
School TV - Discussing War & Conflict
In our globally connected world, children can often encounter distressing images and stories of war and conflict through the 24-hour news cycle and social media. These experiences can provoke anxiety and fear in young minds whose worldviews are still forming. Traumatic events imprint strong emotional memories that can influence a child's behaviour and perception of danger.
Overexposure to such distressing content can lead to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. Parents and caregivers need to be mindful not to overexpose their children to these events as responses to such trauma can vary among children. Some will show strong emotional reactions, whilst others may seem indifferent or introverted.
Before initiating a conversation with your child, you should first assess your own emotions and comfort level discussing difficult topics. By staying calm and offering physical comfort, you can help your child regulate their own emotions. Children need to feel reassured of their safety as they navigate their way through uncertainty.
Tailor conversations to be appropriate for their age and emotional maturity. Younger children may need simplified explanations that focus on concepts like peace, empathy and cooperation, while older children can delve into historical events, the root causes of conflict, and the complexities of international relations.
In challenging times, children need compassionate adults who offer guidance and support. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in helping children cope with the anxieties stemming from conflict, providing them with hope and understanding in an often-complex world.
Click here to watch this episode: https://kardinia.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-discussing-war-conflict
