Prospectus
History and Tradition Killester College was established in 1955 by the Brigidine Sisters who recognised the need for a Catholic Girls School in the area. Originally staffed by the order, the Sisters set about ensuring the vision of Daniel Delany and the mission of the patron saint, St Brigid, was firmly embedded in the College operations. In 2014 the Sisters passed governance of the College to Kildare Education Ministries and whose continued focus is ensuring the values of compassion, justice, hope, wonder, hospitality and courage are at the heart of all we do. We believe we are called to ‘learn with wonder, lead with courage and live with compassion. Over the decades the College has grown to its current enrolment of approx 970 students from Years 7-12 and a staff of 124. The curriculum has evolved to ensure that our students are offered every opportunity to equip them with the foundation to help them excel in their chosen field beyond the College. We are dedicated to ensuring that our students’ question ‘why’ and ‘ how’ so they can be the voice for compassion, peace and change in our everchallenging landscape. We are incredibly proud of our rich multicultural and multi-faith learning environment which adds to the vibrancy of our College.
“A community where all are welcomed and valued”
Religious Education Enrolment at Killester College is an invitation to ‘come and see’. We offer an education in the Catholic tradition that links us to our Brigidine heritage taking our inspiration from the person of Jesus Christ with an appreciation of other faiths and cultures. It has a vision with its roots in an ancient tradition yet open to new expressions and structures that arise in response to new needs in our world. This underpins the Kildare Education Ministries Living Justice Living Peace Charter which guides all of our work for a “just education,” and for justice education. The school offers both formal and informal opportunities for expressing faith. We strive to bear witness to gospel values through our day-to-day responses to school experiences, interactions and relationships. The Religious Education Program offers students, irrespective of their understanding or belief, the potential to be engaged in meaningful ways in learning about faith and spirituality. Values, scripture, prayer and liturgy in the Catholic tradition permeate the life of the school. We aim to develop young people who understand and appreciate religious values, who are positive about life, who have a sense of their own worth and of their contribution to the world.
Curriculum Statement Learning at Killester College is purposeful, engaging and just. These three principles inform how we learn and teach, what we learn and teach and why we learn and teach. Killester College aims to offer educational experiences that develop creativity, initiative and a love for learning. The curriculum aims to provide a broad education to assist each student in understanding the world in which they live. Underlying our curriculum is an approach by teachers to explicitly develop in our students: engagement, assertiveness and resilience, and to promote an awareness of gender issues and personal spirituality.
Wonder Commencing in 2022 for Years 7, 8 & 9 classes, WONDER is an education program that empowers student agency and active learning. One day a week, students in these threeyear levels immerse themselves in rigorous learning that develops contemporary skills to equip them for a rapidly changing world. Students continue to engage withthe 9 key learning areas but are also aware of how all learning includes sustainability, Australia’s engagement with Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. The program will also address the Victorian Curriculum general capabilities and have a focus on literacy, numeracy and ICT capability. Teachers will guide, instruct, provide expertise and ‘walk beside’ students as they develop their own goals and explore their own passions. Every term the Wonder units culminate with a showcase of student achievements.
“Learning develops the whole person”
Foundation Years Years 7 & 8 At Killester, we believe it is important to understand a student’s primary school experience in order to plan for a successful transition into secondary school. We have strong links with a number of local primary schools, including a shared understanding regarding curriculum, the needs of adolescents, cross-age curriculum activities and shared resources. We have an extensive, supportive and well-implemented transition program supporting the students both academically and socially. It underpins our foundation curriculum programs. The broad goals of the Year 7 program are to: • continue to develop students overall wellbeing • raise the standard of literacy, numeracy and the quality of output for all students in all subjects. • ensure that we support all students in all subjects in order to help them to close the gap on key skills and knowledge required. • engage and enrich learning and begin to develop an understanding in students of how they best learn. • engage students in learning that is relevant to them and their world The broad goals of the Year 8 program are to: • continue to develop students overall wellbeing • consolidate the foundations of Year 7 learning and understanding and move students beyond their learning comfort levels. • offer challenges to develop higher-order thinking, creative and critical thinking, increased standards, and a sense of self-worth through learning about themselves and the world in which they live. • Allow students to explore their passions and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others
Independent Learning Year 9 At Year 9 students experience a year of challenge and awakened awareness of their role in their own learning. The broad goals of the Year 9 program are that: • our students become more engaged in their learning - in learning which is relevant and empowering. • students take more responsibility for their own learning. • the curriculum which is taught is academically rigorous. • the emphasis will be on student learning, rather than on the teacher teaching. • students develop their ability to make informed choices about what and how they best learn. • the curriculum should be differentiated as much as possible to bring out every student’s potential. • digital technology would be used to a large extent in enabling and empowering student learning.
Engaged Empowered Independent
The Pathway Years Years 10, 11 & 12
In Year 10 the World of Work is explored through Work Education week and Work Experience. The curriculum begins to offer more choices and students can undertake a VCE or VET subject while a range of electives begins to specifically introduce more specialised subjects leading to Years 11 and 12.
• success
Pathways are mapped out in a one-on-one interview with the Careers Coordinator and each student is assisted to choose her VCE or VCAL subjects for her final secondary years. Killester encourages parents to participate and to take an active role in their daughter’s Pathway selection, by providing current information. This process is supported by the Morrisby Careers Profiling Report undertaken by all Year 10 students.
Killester supports all students to select a Pathway that best suits their interests and abilities therefore their learning becomes more purposeful and future focussed.
The curriculum emphasises a strong link between independent learning, skill and knowledge awareness and requirements pertaining to the VCE or VCAL Pathways.
Pathways planning aims to broaden each student’s options through the making of informed choices.
At Year 11 students are individually encouraged to recognise their learning strengths and preferences. There are opportunities also available for students to select a Vocational Education and Training (VETiS) course, offered either at Killester or with an external provider. A key feature of a VETiS program is it enhances and develops a student’s interests that allow for learning to take place in a variety of environments.
The Pathways Years are underpinned by the ideals of: • flexibility • options • diversity
This involves: • Consultation and conversation with significant people in the student’s life • Research into Pathways options • Realistic assessment of strengths • Recognition of each student’s likes and wants
Killester also works in a Partnership Program with Tertiary Institutions to provide ongoing opportunities to gain experience and broaden students’ knowledge of post-secondary possibilities. Killester encourages the pursuit of a diverse range of Pathways so that all students have a smooth transition to life beyond Killester. At Year 12 students are supported with the higher demands of subject knowledge and skills, time management and prioritising. Advisory teachers and subject teachers work closely with individual students to offer a variety of delivery modes that best suit individual student learning and pathway needs.
Student Services Learning Diversity and Additional Support ‘Learning diversity’ refers to the infinite variety of life experiences and attributes that learners bring with them to school.(Allways A guide to support ALL Learners, in ALL WAYS, ALWAYS, MACS, Jan 2021). Killester College is committed to ensuring we meet the needs of all our learners and offers the following programs to support our students. • Study Enhancement - Additional literacy support in place of LOTE • Personalised Learning Plans • BOOST - Homework Club • Reading Intervention Program • Additional assessment services • Support for ATSI student • Support for Students with a Refugee Background • Senior Learning Hub - senior students have access to additional support from VCE teachers • In-class Learning Support Officers support • Programs for Highly Accomplished students including “Book in a Day” • Transition program which includes a Pre orientation day and PSG meetings before students commence in Year 7 • Regular Program Support Meetings with parents Parents are invited to contact the Leader of Inclusive Learning to discuss any aspect of their daughter’s learning.
Caring Supportive Individualised
Student Services Wellbeing We believe education is ‘student-centered’ and that all young people should be offered equal opportunities to learn. It is crucial all students experience success, feel valued and experience a sense of belonging to the school community. Trusting and supportive relationships between students, parents and staff are essential for this. We are committed to fostering the wellbeing and developing students as a whole person. At the center of our Pastoral Care Program are our Homeroom Teachers and Year Level Leaders, who support our students through fostering positive relationships and daily interactions that seek to develop our students’ social and emotional capabilities. However, it is the responsibility of all staff to foster students’ wellbeing and this is reflected in our whole school approach to wellbeing.
Student Leadership At Killester our student leadership program is based on the ‘service leadership model’ found in the Gospels. Leadership should draw students outward, inviting them to look not just at their own needs but at those in the immediate, national and global communities. Students are encouraged to be active members of the school community by their involvement in the many extra-curricular and cross-age activities available to them during and after school hours. Student leadership is offered at all year levels, with opportunities for Year 7-12 students for elected membership of the following Committees: • Student Council Committee • Community Service Committee • Celebrations Committee • Sports Committee • Arts Committee • House Leaders (Brigid, Chisholm, MacKillop & Romero) • Sustainability & Environment Committee • VCAL Leaders • Music Leaders • Peer Support - Year 10 students conducting support activities for Year 7 students • Participation and Leadership (PAL) Program • Lunchtime extra-curricular activities conducted by Year 12 students • Justice and Democracy Program Centred on Social Justice issues • St Vincent de Paul Committee supporting those in our community.
Extension Activities At Killester College we aim to enrich, extend and deepen student learning through a diverse range of activities and opportunities across all learning areas:
Arts
Mathematics
• Theatre visits - internal and external • Gallery and Exhibition excursions • Biennial School Production • Biennial Arts and Technology show • Music Soirees • Music Extravaganzas • Tullow music lunchtime showcases • Instrumental Music • Music camp • Choirs • Bands • Theatresports competitions • Dance events
• National Maths Competition • Maths workshops
English • Visiting writers • In-school performances • Extensive incursion and excursion program of events • Debating • Public speaking competitions and events • Bookclub
• Wallara visits - Year 8 • School Community Partnerships - Year 9 • Building Bridges - Year 10 • Retreat - Year 11 and 12 • Justice and Democracy • St Vincent De Paul • Joey’s Van - Year 12 • St Kilda Mum’s Project
Health and Physical Education
Technology
• Outdoor Education camps • Wide range of Interschool and Inter-House Sports • Rally Days - Year 7- 8 • Outdoor Activity Days • Self-defense training • Fitness programs • First Aid courses
• Maker Space • Coding club • Hospitality and Catering for school events • Hospitality venue visits • Fashion week events • Biennial Arts and Technology
Humanities • Wide-ranging and extensive excursion and incursion program • Politics club • Connections with War Memorial services • Work Experience - Year 10
Languages • Languages activity and awareness week • Languages camps • Visiting first language speakers program - Year 12 • Cultural dances of the world • International Language Perfect Competition • Extensive excursion and incursion program
Science • International Science Perfect Competition • National Chemistry Quiz • STEAM activities • Science Week • RACV Energy Breakthrough (Human Powered Vehicle)
Religious Education
We welcome young people and their families to be part of a community that will respect, support and challenges us to grow and to contribute to making a better world. Killester College seeks to create a dynamic learning environment that provides a strong, progressive education in the Catholic tradition, preparing students to successfully navigate and contribute to the ongoing and emerging needs of our world. Inspired by the rich heritage of St Brigid and Bishop Daniel Delany under the auspices of Kildare Education Ministries, and immersed in Gospel values, we seek to shape young people of Strength and Kindliness who have courage and are generous of heart.
433 Springvale Road, Springvale 3171
E
principal@killester.vic.edu.au
www.killester.vic.edu.au
Print Design Australia 1800 720 100
P 9547 5000