Issue 6 Term 2 2020

Throughout Weeks 7 and 8 Kildare held the inaugural Interhouse Netball Tournament with each House entering a team from a variety of year levels to compete in a Round Robin format. 

The Tournament concluded with a finals day where we saw Nagle defeat Chanel for 3rd place and Delany defeat Brigid in the grand final. Congratulations Delany! 

It was wonderful to see so many students come together from all year levels to enjoy the tournament, represent their House or cheer on their friends. The entire tournament was considered a huge success and we are already planning more tournaments to continue the healthy rivalry between the College Houses.

Our weekly sporting teams have been training hard each week. We are yet to receive full confirmation on a starting date for this competition; however early Term 3 is looking promising. 

We thank all parents and carers for their ongoing support in these uncertain times and allowing your daughters to continue attending trainings in preparation for a start date. 

Statewide trials (previously called Knockout Sport) are starting to take place for Netball and Soccer. Throughout Term 3 Kildare is aiming to enter three Netball and two Soccer teams, a Volleyball, Badminton and an Aussie Rules team.

Miss Smith is happy to report that Kildare Sport is back, and is really excited to assist with developing your daughters' skills and team work in many ways, while keeping them physically active with their friends.

Catherine Smith
Sports Development Officer

Students in the Year 7 Art classes have blossomed into true artists. They were challenged to use Art as a form of expression to raise awareness about injured koalas and the loss of their food sources during the Kangaroo Island fires. Their inspiration was an Australian artist, Jessie Breakwell, who created a painting of a Koala called “Keith”, which she sold to raise funds and raise awareness around this issue.

The creative journey enabled students to learn about the elements of Art within the artwork by the famous artist Henri Matisse, who inspires Jessie to work in her unique style. They have learnt the value and significance of colour, experimented with different painting tools, and creatively used a variety of techniques to produce their interpretation of “Keith”.

Each piece of work is thoughtfully planned, has its own unique style that is fun, bold and upbeat to grab the viewer's attention to enable them to stop and think about the koalas on Kangaroo Island.

This work is amazing! Students have been very brave to produce skilled and meaningful pieces of work.

Verity Clark
Art Teacher

We hope that your daughter has told you about the Activity Sessions we have had running over the second half of the term. The aim of these activities has been to continue building peer relationships in a fun, less formal way, especially as we have not been able to go out on excursions. 

In Week 5 we hosted Quiz Shows that tested students' general knowledge including information about  Kildare. The second activity we ran was a Multi-Sports activity in House groups which included spontaneous sports such as soccer, lacrosse, hockey and netball. The engagement in the activities and feedback from the students has been extremely positive and everyone has had a great time. 

This week students have been participating in an Amazing Race. Students will be in small groups to see which team can quickly solve a series of riddles and complete associated activities. The students who have participated in the activities this week have had great fun and really enjoyed the chance to be 'off timetable' and be active. 

Kim Thomas
Middle Years Coordinator

It was with much excitement and enthusiasm that the Gym and Dance studio at Kildare College were transformed into medieval wonderlands. Year 8 students have recently been studying Medieval Europe and learning what it would have been like to live as a person in the medieval era. Some studied lords and ladies, while others focused on the more humble peasant class.

To celebrate their newfound knowledge, students dressed up in their medieval regalia and showed off their creativity. On the day, we saw a variety of characters including ladies, peasants, rats, archers, knights, and even a dragon. While dressed in character, students rotated through a serious of medieval activities where they learnt how to dance a medieval jig, how to survive the Black Death, and how to race with an egg on a spoon like a professional.

To conclude the festivities the Year 8 HUMS teachers and a selection of talented students banded together to re-enact the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamlin – complete with the (fake) drowning of several rats and naughty children. The highlight of the show was by far the acting of two guards who were sure they both had the other’s lines.

The afternoon was full of laughter and fun, and should be one for the students to remember. Next year when the cloud of COVID-19 has lifted, we will be able to again host our infamous full day Medieval Fair complete with pig on the spit and real life historical re-enactors.

Anne Molinaro
HUMS Team

This is our fourth year running with our threatened flora project collaboration with the Seed Conservation Centre based at the laboratories in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The collaboration is part the Kildare College Enlight Program where eight students from Years 8 to 10 are extended in their Science studies. This unique collaboration not only provides an engaging learning experience and addresses the broader needs of students, but connects the core curriculum with the real world. 

For any school program to assure the high academic achievement of students, there should be an active partnership between the school and community to address the social and personal, as well as the academic needs of young people. Studies have shown that collaborative programs like this one, have positive results on higher academic achievement, attitudes of students, higher aspirations and credits earned, more positive mental health, and increase the number of youth who go on to tertiary studies.

This term, our partners, Dr. Jenny Guerin and Dr. Daniel Duval, from the Seed Conservation Centre,collaborated with Kildare College to assist the students deflask five threatened native orchid species that we have been working on for the last two years. Deflasking is the process whereby seedlings that have been produced in laboratory conditions are removed from the flask and ‘introduced’ to standard orchid nursery conditions.100+ critically endangered native terrestrial orchids - Caladenia xanthochila, Caladenia argocalla, Thylemitra cyanapicata, Pterostylis cycnocephala and Pterostylis psammophila were deflasked in the space of two hours. Much of the laboratory work required  to get the plants to this stage has been done over the last two years by Kildare College students, from isolating and culturing specific symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi, to plating the seeds on petri dishes in aseptic conditions, and then germinating them in a growth incubator. 

Many of the plants grown in flasks have been held here at Kildare College in our plant growth room that has artificial grow lights, an incubator and a laminar flow cabinet. This is quite a rarity for secondary schools to have this specialised equipment to propagate plants with specific requirements such as terrestrial orchids, in large numbers.

Paul Beltrame
Learning Leader

As a College, Kildare is always looking at ways to support the students to improve in their learning. Recently the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results were released. The PISA measures 15 year olds’ reading, Mathematics, Science knowledge, and skills to meet life challenges. The test not only improves our understanding of learning environments and students’ attitudes to learning but looks at students’ growth mindset. 

Those who believe skill improvement is based on dedication and hard work, develop a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Those with healthier growth mindsets had better motivation to master tasks and self-efficacy and could set more ambitious learning goals for themselves.

All students can develop in these areas, with the support of parents and teachers to reach their potential. Two Ted Talks by Angela Lee Duckworth Grit: The power of passion and perseverance and Carol Dweck The Power of believing that you can improve are helpful to watch. 

The core values of Kildare encourage our students to be open to growth so they can successfully navigate and contribute to the ongoing and emerging needs of our world. The heritage of St Brigid and Bishop Daniel Delany help shape young women of Strength and Gentleness and we encourage the students to have the courage to move outside their comfort zones and go beyond their boundaries.

A growth mindset:

• Recognises that our abilities can be developed and we improve through practice
• Views critical feedback as a chance to improve
• Embraces challenging tasks and the need to work hard to improve
• Views obstacles as a chance to experiment and solve problems
• Has a focus on the journey of continual improvement
• Views creative risks as a way to improve and innovate

As our students are approaching the mid-year break, there is a sense of joy in the community, with events starting up once again and restrictions slowly lifting.

Raymond Kropinski
Senior Years Coordinator

It’s hard to believe that the term is nearly over. Holidays are only a couple of weeks away. Some of us are finding that we have just settled into a routine and then the holidays will be upon us again. On the other hand, some of us are ready for the holidays to roll round, so we can have a bit of a rest. 

Some days it may be hard to get out of bed because we are warm and cosy. To help overcome the challenge of getting your daughter moving in the morning, there are a range of strategies listed below.

• Give encouragement. Letting your daughter know that she is loved and capable, will help improve her self-confidence and willingness to go to school.
• Actively listening to her when she talks about her day and what is going on for her at school.
• Ask your daughter what she is learning in class and draw links between what they are learning and how this may apply in the world of work.
• Ask your daughter if she needs any help with her homework, and be involved where you can.
• Stay positive and negotiate resolutions. 

If, when chatting with your daughter, you become concerned about anything, please contact her Pastoral Care Teacher or House Leader and we will work together to find ways to overcome any challenges.

You can find more information at raisingchildren.net.au and kidspot.com.au

Kim Thomas
Middle years Coordinator

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, the ability to visit universities and VET providers and undertake Career Week activities has been put on hold. However, our Year 10s were able to visit a Careers Expo…from the comfort of our Kildare College Resource Centre.

Earlier in the year, Torrens University liaised with a range of South Australian and interstate tertiary providers to construct a virtual Careers Expo for Australian students. With each institution offering their own ‘booth’, students are able to use these portals to access videos, course brochures and FAQs, as well as make direct contact with the educational provider.

The Virtual Careers Expo was used as the basis of an Amazing Race/Scavenger Hunt style activity that saw Year 10 students working in small groups to answer a range of questions. Students were given clues to locate information about courses offered by tertiary providers such as Flinders University, University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, TAFE SA, Defence Force Recruiting, Academy of Interactive Education and Torrens University. This allowed them to gain more knowledge about future pathways but also gave a competitive edge…after all, it was a race to move through the clues before the other teams. Congratulations to our two winning teams who researched and answered multiple questions in ten sections about a range of topics including Aviation, Hospitality and Tourism, Forensic Science, Game Development, Medicine and Certificate III qualifications.

I encourage all families to visit the Torren University Virtual Careers Expo by registering at: https://www.torrens.edu.au/about/virtual-careers-expo

Thank you to the Year 10s for their enthusiastic participation and staff members who assisted throughout the afternoon.

Rebecca Sarvas
Careers Counsellor

Miss Salvo’s Year 7 HUMS class have presented their posters, dances and PowerPoints which explored a range of topics about different Ancient Civilisations. 

To celebrate and deepen their understanding, the students also researched recipes associated with their civilisations.  

We are looking forward to continuing our Ancient Worlds' exploration unit and poetry task too.

Miss Salvo
Learing Leader

Students in Year 9 STEM are currently involved in the program 'Future Anything'. This program aims to transform young people’s passion and curiosity into innovative ideas that make their world a better place. 

The students have been busy brainstorming different problems that exist in our schools, homes, local communities and globally throughout our world. These problems are the basis of their ideas to create a social enterprise that makes their world a better place. 

All ideas that the students pitch over the course of this program will be entered into a nationwide competition in which they can win a share of over $10,000 in prizes to kick-start their very own social enterprise business!

JuliaGroutsch
Learning Leader

In recent months many have experienced the difficulties and uncertainty of becoming unemployed, being housebound and deprived of personal contact with friends and loved ones which has been very tough. 

When the Living Justice Group asked the College community to consider the homeless, sleeping rough in the middle of winter, in need of warm clothing and blankets - the Kildare College community really showed their empathy and compassion for others less fortunate. The group would just like to say a huge thank you to the many students, families and staff who got behind the Winter Warmers Drive - the response was nothing short of amazing. There will be many homeless people, women and children housed in shelters, who will sleep warmer this winter thanks to your donations; the group cannot thank you enough!

Mrs Selga, Ms Molinaro, and Mrs Lewis
The Living Justice Group

The Learning Enrichment Team and teachers complete the annual Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) this term. This de-identified data collection provides valuable information that supports teaching, learning and wellbeing of students with a disability that is categorised within the four areas of cognitive, sensory, social emotional and physical.

The NCCD promotes consistency and equity in relation to reporting information for students with a disability who are receiving educational adjustments in Australian schools. It captures the additional support that we as a College provide, to ensure that students with disabilities are able to participate in education on the same basis as their peers.

The NCCD online portal is a single, comprehensive and essential source of updated information relating to this data collection. The portal provides a myriad of information for teachers, families and carers to understand the legal framework and legislation that underpins this data collection. The 2020 Guidelines have been updated in June 2020 to incorporate special provisions in response to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data from the NCCD which is provided to the Australian Government Department of Education by all Australian schools is used to support both state and federal governments to strategically plan policies and funding decisions for ongoing quality assurance and best practice within our schools nationally. Likewise, this annual data collection supports our College to review processes, practices and resources to enable us to continue to be astute and in tune to the needs of our students with various disabilities in an inclusive community such as Kildare College.

For more information visit the NCCD Portal: www.nccd.edu.au

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at the College.

Cherrell Murray
Director of Learning Enrichment