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Kardinia eNews – Wednesday 1 December 2021

Home Kardinia eNews – Wednesday 1 December 2021

From the Principal

My last e-news article of 2021 and it seems quite surreal that the end of the year is upon us. It has been an extremely challenging year on so many fronts. At the same time, upon reflection, there have also been so many positive, uplifting moments and, on balance, these have outweighed the challenges. 

I maintain a realistic optimism that next year will be even brighter. The term realistic optimism is defined by researcher Magari (2014) as “a way of thinking and a way of life that can give good prospects to the future even if a person encounters various difficulties”.  A great example of realistic optimism is the quote attributed to former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (2012) where he stated that “part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward”.  

As planning for the 2022 school year is well underway, we are certainly working on moving forward. I know that as a result of the challenges of the last two years there are matters that will need to be addressed as we move towards a new normal. I am also very aware that there are still difficulties to be faced. However, the realistic optimist also knows that we need to keep looking to the future, planning for new and exciting opportunities for our students and maintaining our efforts at continuous improvement. 

For now, I just want to thank all the members of our school community for the way you have supported each other and our team through the last 12 months. May you all remain safe and well over the holiday period. I look forward to seeing our returning families in the New Year and for those of you who are leaving us at the end of the year, I wish you all the very best for the future. 

From the Head of Senior School

Dear Parents and Students,
We are almost at the end of a difficult year. Classes for all students in years 7-10 will finish at 3.20pm on Tuesday, 7 December.

Year 11
Year 11 students will complete their year 11-12 Orientation programme on Friday which will be their last school day this year.

Year 10
This week year 10 students are enjoying one or more aspects of the “Year 10 Experience”. The ‘experience’ has a number of options including an extended camping/hiking experience and community and environmental service.

Reports
Semester 2 reports will be available from 17 December.

Study Awards
At the end of each semester, it is our usual practice to present study awards for outstanding application and academic excellence. We will do so again this semester, despite the interruptions presented by remote learning. However, the awardees will not be acknowledged until the first Senior School assembly in the new year.

Uniform Change
From the beginning of term one next year students in year 7-12 may opt to wear a summer shirt. This is a short-sleeve shirt with a straight cut hem, and no tails. It will be worn outside the shorts or trousers. Students who opt to wear a long-sleeve shirt or a jumper over their shirt must still tuck it in.

Finally I am sure you will join me in wishing all teachers and other staff a happy, restful and well deserved break.

From the Head of Junior School

Today was Orientation Day in the Junior School. This is always an exciting day as students get to meet their classmates and teachers for next year. There was most definitely a buzz in the air today as the students moved off to their 2022 Learning Groups.

Next Monday 6 December we will be hosting the Year 6 Graduation Ceremony. We are excited to be able to invite Year 6 parents to watch the ceremony live. We will also be live streaming this event so Junior School students can watch the ceremony from their classrooms.

The following day, Tuesday 7 December, is our final day of the year for students. Known as Celebration Day, this is an opportunity for students and teachers to reflect on the year and celebrate all of the achievements made. The day will start with a FY-Y6 assembly where we will announce various award winners, get to watch some live musical performances and farewell students and staff moving on next year. The finish time for this day is the normal time of 3.00pm for Kindergarten students and 3.20pm for FY-Y6 students.

Congratulations to Junior School parent Smita Bhamdari who has recently published a children’s book called ‘The Spirit of Diwali’. Smita has donated a copy to the Junior School Inquiry Centre which will be available for students to borrow soon. Thank you Smita! 

As this is the last eNews for the year, I would like to congratulate all students for their significant efforts in 2021. Despite the hardships we all faced, I think our learners excelled beyond our expectations. I would like to thank all of our Junior School parents and caregivers too. You have been relied upon to support students at home during lockdown, and then helped students adjust to a return to face-to-face learning on numerous occasions, often with different restrictions in place each time. I do hope all of our parents and caregivers get a chance to reflect on your own significant achievements this year and find some time to celebrate as well.

In 2022 we have a lot to look forward to. Hopefully we will be able to avoid significant periods of remote learning and can enjoy lots of time together on campus. I am excited to be able to move into a new Lower Primary building in the first half of next year, and eagerly await the construction of the new Upper Primary building in the second half of the year.

Have a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to seeing our 2022 community in Term 1 next year. To those moving on from Kardinia, safe travels and good luck. 

School Photographs

Our annual school photos have been taken and are now ready to order. Arthur Reed Photos uses an online ordering system where you can view your photos prior to ordering. On photo day all students received a flyer which includes a code unique to them. You will require this 2021 code to register online and view your photos.

If you have already registered, you will receive an email or SMS from Arthur Reed Photos with a link to view your photos. If you have not yet registered, please go to order.arphotos.com.au and enter your code to complete your order. If you have misplaced your registration code, please contact the Arthur Reed Photos customer service team directly on 5243 4390 (option 1)  or customerservice@arphotos.com.au Please note that you will need to register online with your 2021 photo code to gain access to this year’s images.

All photo packages are being sent home in 2021, so please ensure that you enter the correct details and nominated shipping address upon checkout. If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 (option 1) or email customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Senior School Booklists

Senior School Booklists are available via the links below. Books can be ordered at www.campion.com.au using the code ‘YQ8R’. You can also source textbooks from a supplier of your choice.  

Immunisation Reminder

Any Year 7 & 10 students who missed their school-based vaccinations this year while learning from home can still catch up before the end of the year.

Catch up appointments available at Barwon health immunisation service via this link or contact your GP.

For more information see:
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/immunisation-in-secondary-schools#immunisation-for-secondary-school-students-is-important

From the Head of Wellbeing JS

It’s been our absolute pleasure to welcome Bailey and Mel from Therapy Animals Australia onsite over the last few weeks. Early in the year, we had Marty and Jen visit us and then we were expecting his brother, Teddy, to join us this term. Unfortunately, on the first day he was due to visit, Teddy was under the weather so Bailey has stepped in for us for the rest of the year! You can see how happy the students were to meet him.  

As I’ve mentioned before, research into the effects of therapy dogs in schools is showing a range of benefits including an increase in school attendance,  gain in confidence, and decrease in learner anxiety behaviours, resulting in improved learning outcomes such as an increase in reading and writing levels. Our focus with Bailey whilst he’s here for what’s left of the year, is simply spreading happiness, whether it be by students stroking his velvet-soft ears or being proud to show him their work and read to him. So far, he’s joined in some Maths activities in Y6, shared Circle Time in Y4 and listened to FY students read. He even made himself at home with some of the SS students in the Wellbeing Hub. It’s been an absolute pleasure to see the smiles on everyone’s faces.  

     

Japanese News

The fabulous GoKIC program is coming to an end for the year, with its’ last session being held on December 9th. Students have enjoyed connecting with students from our sister school, Gotemba Nishi High School, over Zoom where they’ve conversed with each other in both Japanese and English.

Students have also been practising some fun Japanese dances in class, including the ‘Arugo Rhythm Excercise’ and ‘Wash Your Hands’, as pictured below.

 

Camp Australia News

Please see the below pdf files about bookings and information for parents:

Your OSHC bookings open for 2022 flyer

Parent-Info-Leaflet-2021

School TV

Talking to your teenager about alcohol consumption and the potential dangers associated with it can be tricky and overwhelming. However, no matter how difficult this conversation may be, it is an important one to have in order to ensure the safety of our young people. 

The legal drinking age in all Australian states and territories is 18 years, however this does not deter some adolescents from experimenting with alcohol. Health experts say that young people are at greater risk of alcohol-related harm than adults as it increases the risk of damage to their developing brain. It is a substance that affects their body, behaviour and decision-making abilities, highlighting the importance of preventing or limiting your teenager’s alcohol use. 

End of school and the impending festive season may be a cause for celebration for many teenagers ready to party and wanting to put this year behind them. However, the impact of the pandemic has experts concerned that these celebrations may involve excessive alcohol consumption and result in risky behaviour. Parent and carers can help minimise these risks by influencing sensible drinking habits. It is important to outline the rules and boundaries around age-appropriate alcohol consumption and what the legal implications may be. Although many teenagers are fully aware of the dangers, they put more value on the reward than adults. 

Start the conversation today. Parents and carers need to educate their children on when, where and how to drink responsibly. 

If you require further guidance or information, contact the Alcohol and Drug Foundation Helpline on 1300 85 85 84 for free confidential support. 

Click here to watch this episode: 

https://kardinia.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-having-alcohol-discussion-au 

Kardinia International College

PO Box 17
Geelong, Victoria 3220

+61 3 5278 9999
kardinia@kardinia.vic.edu.au

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