From the Principal - Catherine Lockhart
This evening, I am delighted to be attending not only the opening of the College Art Show 2025 but also the official opening of the School of Visual Arts.
The transformation of this building from our Lower Primary Building only a few years ago, to our new School of Visual Arts has been marvellous. The architecture and new features, blended with the original building, are very impressive, as are the sustainable features of the building such as lighting controls and improved heating and cooling systems. What makes the building truly amazing is the moveable feast of student work displayed throughout the building. I encourage one and all to come along and view these brilliant works of art. The Art Show is open until 13 November.
On a very different note, as many of you are aware, the Australian Government will introduce the Social Media Delay on 10 December 2025, preventing under-16s from creating or maintaining social media accounts. The responsibility now lies with tech companies to ensure platforms are restricted to users aged 16 and over. Schools and teachers are not responsible for verifying student access; however, we will continue to model safe, responsible digital use.
To help our families navigate this new online environment, we will be holding an online Parent and Student Cybersafety Evening on Tuesday 25 November led by The Cybersafety Project.
We will also be putting posts in our student bulletins and providing posters and graphics in student spaces. The Wellbeing Hub will highlight positive offline activities that encourage connection, balance and wellbeing.
Kardinia will continue to provide guidance as the Social Media Delay comes into effect to ensure all students, staff and families understand the change and feel supported. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
From the Head of Senior School - Kath O'Neill
Students from our Social Justice Committee are excited to be holding a silent auction at the end of November to raise funds for a permaculture project in Timor Leste.
We’re currently seeking donations from local businesses or individuals to make this event a success. If you know someone who might be able to contribute, please contact me via email k.oneill@kardinia.vic.edu.au.
Your support will help our students make a positive impact on another community, and we’d be very grateful.
From the Acting Head of Junior School - Geoff Geddes
Dear families,
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful long weekend. This week I would like to wish our Year two students and staff all the best for their camp this Friday night. Students will spend the day engaged in Outdoor Education activities, then sleep at school on Friday night. This is our youngest group of campers, and it is certainly an unforgettable experience for them. Best of luck to the staff that are supporting this important experience for our students.
Science Connection with the senior school
Last Wednesday at lunchtime, we held our first joint science buddy sessions with several Year 10 and 11 students in the Senior School science rooms.
The program not only empowers Year 10 and 11 students to lead hands-on science sessions for our younger peers, but it inspires curiosity and a love for learning by sharing their enthusiasm for science with junior students.
During the biology digital microscope session, we encouraged our Year 1 and 2 junior learners to explore and ask questions, fostering a genuine love for discovery and science. The students found items from the garden and had the ability to look at these through a device that magnified specimens up to 35x their actual size.
This week, a group of our senior primary students will venture to the Senior School science rooms and investigate the living organisms in pond water samples through the college microscopes.
These sessions create meaningful connections with our junior and senior students through interactive teaching and enthusiastic leadership to make science accessible.
Casual Clothes - Lead by our Student Action Committee.
'On the 21st of November we will be having a casual clothes day with a touch of black or gold as well as a gold coin donation, to support Uganda Conservation Foundation. This is an action organised by some passionate Year 5 students. Uganda Wildlife supports action against poaching and has a rescue unit to support a variety of wildlife in Uganda. Even though Uganda is far from us here in Geelong, the whole ecosystems and conservation is important to humans everywhere. We hope you can join us to support this action.'
From the Student Action Committee
Senior School Art Show - Opening Night tonight!
Tonight is the night, opening night for the 2025 Senior School Art Show - the first to be held in the new School of Visual Arts!
Come along to share in the awards night - 6-9pm. All welcome.
The exhibition will be open from Thursday 6 to Thursday 13 November, 9am-5pm. All visitors during these business hours must visit Main Reception to sign in, where directions to the School of Visual Arts will be provided.
Wellbeing Hub News
TONIGHT! 7pm AEST | 8pm AEDT Click here to register
Insight Article: You Find What You’re Looking For: Changing the Way We See Our Kids
Have you ever noticed how, when you're thinking about buying a certain kind of car, you suddenly see it everywhere? It’s not a coincidence. Psychologists call it selective attention—we tend to notice what we’re already focused on. As parents, we do this with our children. If you’ve had a rough day and your child is dragging their feet, mumbling, or rolling their eyes… you start seeing only those behaviours. Before you know it, every interaction feels like a battle. You expect the worst—and that’s all you see.
For children and teenagers, there is no doubt that the Internet can be an excellent resource for information, communication and entertainment, but more and more Australian parents are concerned about excessive time online.
Today's youth are the early settlers in a remarkable new world. Unfortunately, parents feel as though they are shut out of this world, often not knowing, nor understanding, what happens in this online environment.
It is up to parents to monitor, not just what their children do online, but also the length of time they spend online. Many of the online games children play have parental controls. However, parents do not always choose to use them. Banning is not the answer. A better strategy is to give kids access, but be informed, set some rules, monitor and supervise. To ignore this responsibility could create significant psychological and social problems for their children in years to come.
Community Engagement and Foundation News
THIS WEEK - Class of 2024 – 1 Year Reunion
Celebrate your first year beyond Kardinia with your classmates and teachers. Share stories, laughs, and memories from your first steps into the world beyond school.
Date: Friday 7 November
Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Tickets to this reunion are complimentary, but RSVPs are essential for entry. Please book your place via The Kardinians alumni platform. Head to EVENTS https://kardinians.com/ or contact f.russell@kardinia.vic.edu.au for more information.
Let’s celebrate the friendships, the milestones, and the memories that make Kardinia International College such a special place. We can’t wait to welcome you back!
THIS WEEK - Bloom and Brunch
Join us for a vibrant morning of community, nature, and connection! Kardinia International College invites all K–12 families to take part in our Community Wildflower Planting Day at beautiful Serendip Park.
Together, we’ll help enhance the local environment by planting native wildflowers that attract beneficial insects and support biodiversity.
Date: Sunday 9 November 2025
Time: 10:00am – 12:00 noon
Location: Serendip Park
BBQ Brunch Provided! Tickets available at: https://events.humanitix.com/bloom-and-brunch
What to Bring:
- Gardening gloves
- Trowels
- SunSmart clothing and sturdy footwear
- Water bottle
We’ll be planting:
- Chrysocephalum apiculatum
- Eryngium ovinum
- Calocephalus citreus
- Rytidosperma caespitosum
- Rytidosperma setaceum
Thank you for supporting this Community event, hosted by the College Community Council (CCC) and supported by the college sustainability teams - Earthcore and the Planeteers.
THANK YOU – World Teachers’ Day
A heartfelt thank you to the College Community Council (CCC) for sweetening our morning with delicious donuts and brownies in celebration of World Teachers’ Day!
To our incredible team of 330 staff members — your dedication, passion, and daily contributions are what make Kardinia International College such an inspiring and exceptional place to learn and grow. We appreciate you!
Fiona Russell - Community Engagement and Foundation Coordinator
From the Archives
Past Community Planting Events
Kardinia International College is proud to be home to several heritage-listed trees, originally planted by the first residents of Morongo House. Over the past 30 years, the college has cultivated an inspiring and vibrant environment.
In its early years, the Kardinia community came together through weekend working bees, where parents enthusiastically dug, raked, shaped, and planted across the campus. Their efforts brought to life cherished spaces such as the Japanese Garden, the Amphitheatre, the driveways, and the Junior School gardens—each a living tribute to the dedication and spirit of our community.
This weekend, families and staff will gather at Serendip Sanctuary in Lara for our ‘Bloom & Brunch’ event. As stewards of the environment, we embrace this opportunity to give back to nature and leave our corner of the world a little better than we found it.
Fiona Russell - College Archivist
