Kardinia eNews - Wednesday 04 June 2025

From the Head of Senior School - Kath O'Neill

On Friday I was lucky enough to attend an excursion with students in Money, Markets and Courts (Level D Humanities), where we visited the Old Melbourne Gaol. While we are very fortunate in our learning environment at Kardinia every day, having the opportunity to learn in another location is very special. I was so proud of our students throughout the day – they were engaged, curious, respectful and willing to participate in every activity through the day, from immersive prison experiences to role plays.

Congratulations to Jennifer (Year 7) and Alice (Year 8) who have both been selected as finalists in the Australian Youth Classical Music Competition. There are very many hours of practice over many years required to reach the standard of these students. We wish them all the best for the finals later this month.

Congratulations also to Sophie (Year 11) who has been selected to represent Victoria in the WorldSkills VETiS competition in Brisbane this month. Sophie has been selected based on her performance in VET Commercial Cookery, a subject she completes as part of her VCE. The National Championships is Australia’s largest vocational education and skills excellence competition, where Sophie will have the opportunity to showcase her talents and benchmark her skills against industry peers on stage. We wish Sophie all the very best for this competition and can’t wait to hear about her experience!

From the Acting Head of Junior School - Nikki Petyanszki

Acknowledging Reconciliation Week

This past week, students have engaged in age-appropriate conversations and a variety of learning engagements to acknowledge Reconciliation Week. The theme of this year’s Reconciliation Week is ‘Bridging Now to Next’. To represent this theme, a display of the leaves that students from K-12 decorated has been placed on the bridge in the Japanese Garden. By placing the decorated leaves on the bridge, we are representing our dedication to walking together in reconciliation. At the Year 4 assembly we were treated to a beautiful musical Acknowledgment of Country. On Friday, the Planeteers student committee worked alongside students in the Senior School to regenerate the Gotemba Student Quad. Students planted 72 native plants in just 50 minutes!

Reconciliation Week invites us to reflect on our shared histories, celebrate the diverse cultures that make our nation unique, and take meaningful steps toward a more inclusive and fair future. Please see photos below of other learning engagements our students participated in.

English Workshop - Thursday 5 June

A reminder that the College will be conducting a parent workshop on Supporting Your Child with Reading at Home. The Workshop will explore:

• Current research concerning the best way to teach reading;

• How to support your children at home and at school;

• How to ask suitable questions to develop your child's understanding of the text they are reading;

• Activities to encourage an enthusiasm for books.

The workshop will be held on:

• Thursday 5 June, 6.30-8pm in the Conference Room in the Upper Primary Building.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a repeat of the Parent Reading Workshop that has been run in previous years, however you are very welcome to attend again if interested.

If you haven’t already replied and would like to come, please RSVP via the link below:

2025 Junior School Parent Reading Workshop

World Environment Day

Tomorrow is World Environment Day. One of our Planteers Leaders, Wil Kennedy-Maddy, would like to share some tips to support sustainable practices. Wil said that “The hope is that our entire school community can be more ecofriendly and help the environment around the school and in public places such as parks and playgrounds. And finally, the actions to take are simple and easy to achieve so more people are likely to follow them.” Thank you, Wil for sharing these ways we can all take action and look after our world.

Five quick tips for World Environment Day

Tip 1: How to save water: You can use a timer to cut your shower time by 1 minute. This will make a big impact particularly during the drought. (Permanent water saving rules (PWSR) - Barwon Water)

Tip 2: How to save energy: Switch to more energy saving light bulbs such as LED light globes. (Top 10 energy saving tips)

Tip 3: How to increase local biodiversity: Plant bird and insect attracting native plants in your garden. (Indigenous plants of the Greater Geelong region - City of Greater Geelong)

Tip 4: How to reduce rubbish: Avoid junk mail in your letter box by adding a “No junk mail” sticker. (Small acts with a big impact | Sustainability Victoria)

Tip 5: How to reduce your food miles: You can buy fresh produce from a farmers’ market near you. This helps the planet and supports local farmers in the drought. (Home | Victorian Farmers' Markets Association | VFMA)

For more quick tips, follow the links above.

Girls in STEM Club

The Year 3-6 Girls in STEM club activities happen every Wednesday at lunch. We have activities that relate to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Activities include creating mechanical hands using our engineering skills and a science experiment with walking water.

Students develop their skills in building their resilience when coming to a challenge, improving their design thinking and developing their problem-solving skills all while collaborating together - Isabella Anketell-Costa

VCE Theatre Studies Production

Join us in supporting our VCE Theatre Studies students in their production of "Small Store of Scares".

Thursday 5 June and Friday 6 June at 7pm in the College Hall. No RSVP necessary - gold coin donation on entry.

Outdoor Education and Experiential Learning News

Sport News

Blazing Trails in the Heat – Junior School District Cross Country Championships

Under a blazing autumn sun and unseasonably warm skies pushing close to 28 degrees, sixty determined Upper Primary students from Middle and Senior Primary laced up their runners and took on the challenge of the Deakin District Cross Country Championships at Eastern Gardens on Thursday, April 24.

With sweat, stamina, and sheer willpower on display, our 9/10-year-olds powered through a tough 2km course, while the 11 and 12/13-year-old competitors faced an even more grueling 3km journey. The heat didn’t hold them back—in fact, it seemed to fuel their fire!

Seven of our young athletes rose to the top, finishing in the top 8 of their respective age categories—a phenomenal effort in such challenging conditions. These students have now earned the honour of representing the College at the upcoming Combined North Geelong and Bellarine Division Cross Country Championships, to be held once again at Eastern Gardens on Tuesday, May 20.

A huge congratulations to every student who participated. Running in near-summer temperatures is no easy feat, and your perseverance and sportsmanship made the College proud. Whether you sprinted across the line or gave it everything to finish strong, your efforts were nothing short of inspiring. Congratulations to all.

Division Cross Country Team

U10 girls: Sailor R 3rd, Pearl R 4th. U10 boys: Billy W 8th. U11 girls: Lily A 3rd, Emily K 4th, Katherine T 5th, Alex K 7th.

Child Safe Standards

At Kardinia, we prioritise the safety and wellbeing of all children, ensuring that they feel comfortable and supported if they ever need to raise a concern or make a complaint. Our complaints process is designed to be child-focused, accessible, and culturally safe, allowing children to speak up without fear of retaliation.

We understand that a safe environment is one where children know their voices will be heard and acted upon. To ensure this, we have clear and transparent processes for managing complaints, and these are communicated to both students and families.

We are committed to responding to concerns promptly and appropriately, while always prioritising the protection and welfare of the child. Additionally, we cooperate with authorities as required to ensure the safety of all involved.

If you have any questions or feedback on how we handle complaints, or if you would like more information on our processes, please contact our Child Safety Protection Officers – the Acting Head of Junior School or Head of Senior School.

Together, we can ensure Kardinia remains a safe and supportive space for every child.

Wellbeing Hub News

Happy Families Live webinar: Wednesday 18 June, 7pm

Rewards are Just Punishments in Reverse!

Using rewards and punishments as a form of discipline was popularised throughout the 1970s as parenting programs began to be developed. And the approach is still popular today, for a couple of reasons. First, because “I was raised like that, and I turned out alright”. And second, it just makes sense. It’s logical to us—perhaps because it’s how our world seems to work. Our approach to discipline is improving. But we still have a long way to go.

Sign up for the webinar here.

To access the Webinar on the night: 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. 

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