From the Principal
Kildare Ministries Prayer (2014)
May the Flame of Kildare Ministries inspire and support us.
May there be unity and purpose in our gathering.
May there be wisdom in our discernment.
May there be strength and compassion in our decisions.
May there be light and energy for our journey.
May the God who has called us to guide and enrich us all.
Amen
As the College continues to engage the students in a wide variety of learning opportunities, I give thanks to all members of our College in being proactive and a supportive body to the College. Fortunately, over the past few weeks I have also visited a range of classes and thoroughly enjoyed the time to share in the student’s learning. There are a wide variety of students being energetic, engaged, looking for ways to connect their learning to the real world, as well as being ready to show how well they are learning.
Over recent weeks, I have interviewed many Year 10 students through the SET Plan process, as well as interviews for girls applying for the Senior School Academic Scholarship to begin in 2024. The College received over 23 Year 9 student applications for Senior Scholarship in Science, Maths and Technologies, and The Arts and Humanities. Again, the truly enthralling ways students talk of themselves and their school is wonderful. Our young people are displaying very high levels of skills in critiquing information, evaluating positions and articulating outcomes that are very impressive.
Mission Day – Assembly Friday 15 September
Congratulations to all students and presenters at the final Mass, information sessions and House presentations for this term. It is always wonderful to share in celebrating the efforts and achievements of so many students. The energy and enthusiasm for the College through their engagement is something to savour. With all the Houses learning and engaging in a variety of ‘mission activities’ the high standards of learning and achievement were on display. We are blessed as a community to have students and teachers walking the same learning path together.
Awards and Acknowledgement Evening
It is my pleasure to invite members of the community to our Annual Awards and Acknowledgement Evening at 7:00 pm on Thursday 19 October at the Riverlife Centre in Seventeen Mile Rocks. This is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate with joy and gratitude, the achievements of the College and its students who have provided so much during 2023. Our guest speaker this year is Ms Brigida Corte-Real (graduate and College Captain, 2012) who after completing her law degree has worked in a variety of areas where social justice is key. Further details will be published early next term regarding parent and family attendance.
I wish everyone a warm and relaxing break over the holidays and look forward to everyone returning refreshed on the 3 October.
God Bless,
Brendan Cahill
Principal
News from the Acting Dean of Learning
Looking Back on the Term
Term 3 is always a very busy time in the life of any school. This term at Brigidine College there have been many events which have been held to welcome the community into our gates and experience what it is like to be apart of this very busy community. The term started with information evenings for subjects selection, a pathways expo and parent- teacher interviews. These invaluable meetings serve as a bridge between home and the school. They have provided families the opportunities to gain deeper insight into student progress and pathway for the future.
Throughout the term all year levels have continued to develop and learn in both core and enrichment subjects. This has culminated in a busy assessment period in the last few weeks, where students have been challenged to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.
In the last two weeks of school the Year 12 students have been participating in Mock exams, preparing them for their final school assessment, external exam, which occur from the 23rd of October for 3 and a half weeks.
As holidays start, this break in the academic calendar serve as more than just an intermission in the school year. The holidays play a vital part in developing well-rounded your people.
During holidays, students get a well-deserved break from academic pressure, allowing them to recharge and regain their energy. It’s a time for reflection, goal-setting, and planning for the future.
Beyond academics, holidays are opportunities for indulging in hobbies, exploring new interests, and nurturing creativity, self-confidence, and a sense of purpose. It allows space and time to engage in extracurricular activities that can enhance a greater sense of belonging.
Most importantly, school holidays provide precious moments for our children to spend quality time with their families where shared experiences and lasting memories are made. This family time positively impacts mental health and overall well-being.
So as the term ends, please spend some time reflecting on the progress that has been made and use the holiday time to reset and connect.
Korryn Swindail-Hill
Acting Dean of Learning
News from our Dean of Faith and Formation
Mission Update
Recently, First Nations’ support worker, and former Australian Rugby league player, Yvonne O’Neill, came to the Mirrabooka Club to run a workshop on how to tell your personal story through art and symbol.
The “Paint and Sip” for staff wellbeing session will be facilitated by Christina Esdaile, former Brigidine teacher, on the beauty and meditative power of mandalas.
This year, Brigidine College is privileged to welcome Bishop Tim Norton, the new auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane, to our community for our Mission Day Celebrations. He will bring new insight into what it means to be an Inclusive Community of Faith. We are very grateful for this opportunity for our staff and students to spend time with Brisbane’s most recently ordained bishop.
Andrew Beiers
Dean of Faith and Formation
News from our Languages Department
The Languages Department, especially Japanese students have had a very exciting and meaningful Term.
The College hosted approximately 130 students from our sister school Otsuma-Tama High School from Tokyo on 20th and 27th July. Our students had some interactive lessons with them and exchanged Japanese and Australian snacks at MT and Lunch time. From 23rd to 25th of August, another sister school, Kamakura Women’s University High School, stayed and experienced “Brigo school life” with their buddies. Our Yr 9 and Yr 10 Japanese students acted as buddies to look after their Japanese students very well. Here are some students’ reflections:
“I will learn English hard and come back to Australia and see you, hope to see you in Japan 🙂 ” My buddy told me that on last day will never forget!
Olivia Cudlipp ( Yr 10)
Japanese students were very well mannered and very open towards us being their buddies they even exchanged a gift thanking for the care. They talked about how they enjoyed having this experience and said they would work harder on their English to come back to Australia.
Natash Booth ( Yr 10)
I enjoyed the multiple exchange programs with the Japanese students as it gave me opportunity to connect with girls from a different culture and show them around our school. They helped me with my Japanese, and we got to share food together as a farewell which was really fun!
-Angela Kelly, (Year 10)
Being visited by Japanese students was a great experience where I was able to make friends and try different treats from Japan. All the students were lovely and brought us gifts to keep, as well as helping me in my own Japanese learning! I will miss my buddy Haruka and hope that we can have visitors at Brigidine again soon.
Molly Clements (Year 10)
News from Cocurricular Arts
The Queensland Catholic Schools’ and Colleges’ Music Festival (QCMF) is a major event on the annual calendar for over 110 Catholic schools, held over 4 days each year at Villanova College. It showcases the wonderful diverse range of performers from all around QLD with close to 600 ensembles performing throughout the festival. Brigidine College students did an outstanding job sharing their talent and passion for music whilst walking away with some very exciting results. College Choir received a Gold Award for their performance and Junior Choir, Cantare, Woodwind Ensemble, Dolce Flute Ensemble and the String Ensemble all came away with a Silver Award. Wonderful results from the hard work and dedication the students have put into their rehearsals over the past few months.
Our Chickens moved to school!
Many thanks to the Raben family who have been looking after our chicks. Today they were big enough to come to school and have moved into their splendid coop. Many thanks to Maintenace for putting it together. The Environment Club used the money raised at the 2nd hand clothing sale on Environment Day to buy the Coop and the BBQ fundraiser last week to buy seed.
We’ve had two training sessions for Club members today, leaning about chicken care, control and cleaning. All the refuse will go straight into our mulcher. Recycled paper is being shredded and used in the nesting box and tuckshop is contributing scraps. The chickens had a special treat with watermelon rind on their first day. The Lettice leaves didn’t seem to be as popular.
Caring for small animals and recycling paper and scraps is a good lesson in small time agriculture. It is also calming to watch animals, and our chickens are really cute.
Jess Persich, Mission Captain 2024
The Archbishop’s Pastoral Statement on the Referendum
The Archbishop has issued a Pastoral Statement on the Referendum. For further information, please click on the link.
