achievement - kilvington grammar...

Winter 2011

achievement the Kilvington way

editor’s notes

contents

2 Leila Road, Ormond Victoria 3204Telephone (03) 9578 6231Facsimile (03) 9578 3378Email [email protected] kilvington.vic.edu.au

CONTRIBUTIONS:

We would like to thank all the members of the community who

have contributed articles and information for this edition of K News,

including Grant Dawson, Jon Charlton, Teresa Deshon, Jacqui

Goldenberg, Caitlin O’Leary, Celia Gall, Dr Andrea Douglas, Karen

Bryce, Kristy Mortimer, Matt Brinson, Sarah Holper, Angela Ngo,

Kate Clinnick, Monique Collins, Bianca Mohan, Julianna Dubinsky,

Stephanie Moorhouse, Sololia Tesema, Tim Roberts, Annie Opray,

Lisa Carroll, Ellie Payne, Carissa Roussety, Alison Stroud, Emily

Donnelly, Revata Ilanko, Martine Walls and Michele Moorhouse.

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED Academic excellence at Kilvington 03

fROm ThE pRINCIpal Kilvington’s mission 07

ChaIRmaN’S REpORT Coeducational Kilvington 08

SChOOl CampS An integral part of Kilvington’s curriculum 09

RENOVaTION RECIpE Launching the ‘Eat, learn & play’ Appeal 10

aChIEVEmENTS Lunch at the Press Club, Top Designs and more… 12

ThE aRTS Fame: the Musical 14

STaff pROfIlES Introducing…Kristy Mortimer and Matt Brinson 16

kIlVINgTON CaRNIVal An outstanding success 18

paRENTS’ & fRIENDS’ aSSOCIaTION Mother’s Day, new Committee and more 19

OlD kIlVONIaNS Keeping in touch with Old Kilvonians 20

REUNIONS Reliving the memories 22

kEy DaTES fOR yOUR DIaRy Important 2011 dates to keep in mind 23

It’s often said that happiness lies in one’s ability

to understand one’s aspirations, and having the

courage to pursue one’s dreams and achieve personal

ambitions – whatever they might be.

In 1944, Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book

Modelling Agency, told modelling hopeful Norma Jean

Baker: ’You’d better learn secretarial work or else get

married.’ Had Norma accepted that advice and gave up

her dream of becoming an actress...she would have

never become Marilyn Monroe.

In 1962, four young musicians from a group called

‘The Beatles’ played their first record audition for the

executives of the Decca recording Company. The

executives were unimpressed, turning down the group

because they ’didn’t like their sound.’ ‘Groups of guitars

were on the way out‘, the Record Executives said. How

wrong they turned out to be!

The journey toward achievement can be full of

excitement, creative effort and the joy of the final

victory. Yet more than is often thought, success can

only be achieved through trials, tribulations and hard

work. The confidence and courage to go on, regardless

of major setbacks, are paramount in this journey. It also

helps to be surrounded by people who share your vision

and attitude toward life – this makes a huge difference

to our ability to gain inner strength, build up confidence,

avoid fear and continue tirelessly pursuing our dreams.

Kilvington has a strong, resilient community that supports all its members

and encourages them to exceed their own expectations. Following the

philosophy that personal achievement is largely the product of steadily

raising one’s levels of aspiration, expectation...and perspiration, our

students and staff are always encouraged to ’explore, dream and discover’.

This inspirational School spirit is evident on every page of the

current edition of K News. It can be expressed by individual success in

pursuing a career goal, such as the story of Old Kilvonian Andrea Douglas

in ’Under the Microscope‘ (see page 20); or the remarkable golfing

success for 11-year-old Shanaiah Fernando (story on page 13); or our

2010 students’ experience of getting into their dream university courses

(feature story on page 5); or Year 9 students’ experience of overcoming

their fear of scaling a formidable wall (read about this on page 9).

Personal success stories inevitably make a big contribution to every team

victory. The accomplishments of each of the sixty students performing

in Fame: the Musical (see the story on pages 14–15) produced an electrifying performance that was greatly

appreciated by audiences over three nights earlier this year.

The March School Carnival represented a proud achievement for a group of committed parents who organised

this year’s event in a very short space of time. The event’s success was largely due to their incredible dedication,

based on a desire to create a truly enjoyable community day and display Kilvington’s many strengths to the

public. The willingness of many students, staff and other community members to help with this event made

the Carnival a day to remember for all. (Read about the event on page 18).

The many inspirational stories of Kilvington students in this issue of K News are testament to our School’s focus

on achievement and excellence. I look forward to bringing you many more success stories in future editions.

Mrs Bo Rutecki

EDITOR

‘Sail away from the Safe harbor.

CatCh the trade windS in your SailS.

explore. dream. diSCover.’ – mark twain

02 | kilvington news

driven to succeed…

academic excellence at kilvingtonSarah holper – fulfilling her deStiny

Sarah hoper is kilvington’s 2010 School Dux, awarded

for achieving a perfect 99.95 ENTER score.

Sarah understood the importance of VCE for her future,

and had been always careful to remain ahead of the

game. although she found year 12 intense, she ‘never

felt overwhelmed.’ To current VCE students, she

advises: ‘If you keep on top of homework, you don’t

need to cram.’

Sarah has always known where she’s headed and how

to get there. Choosing her VCE subjects was easy,

‘because I had pretty defined interests. I was mainly

interested in Science, but also languages – and was

particularly keen on keeping up my french so that

I could travel overseas.’ Throughout VCE, she kept

her major goal in view. ‘Ever since I’ve been at

kilvington, I’ve wanted to do med’, Sarah says.

Now enrolled in monash University’s Bachelor of

medicine and Surgery, Sarah is quickly learning how

to handle university. The atmosphere is completely

different from school. She enjoys the increased

freedom. ‘I love it’, she exclaims. ‘It’s more suited to

the way that I learn, especially when you’ve worked

for thirteen years in order to do a particular course.’

Sarah fondly remembers her time at kilvington.

‘The small classes were great – firstly, because you

got individual attention, but also because they

were so close-knit…it wasn’t embarrassing to ask a

question.’ help was always at hand, as ‘the teachers

were passionate and dedicated.’

Sarah’s transition to university has been

surprisingly smooth: in the first week, her entire

class attended ‘a compulsory orientation camp,

during which we got to know everyone.’ and,

dispelling the myth that university life involves

constant nose-to-the-grindstone labour, Sarah

found the workload a pleasant surprise. ‘I have much

more spare time in uni than I did in year 12 to do

the things I want – such as meet friends, go to the

movies, or see comedy festival shows’, she says.

When asked whom she admires, Sarah is

straightforward. ‘all those who have some sort of

drive and follow through with it – people who want

to do something, and take steps to achieve it.’

That description sounds an awful lot like

Sarah herself.

In may, Sarah attended the 2010 VCE premier’s

awards ceremony, during which she was presented

with two awards: a french award and a Top all

Rounder VCE award. It was a very proud moment for

Sarah, her family and, of course, the School.

approximately 50,000 students across the State sat

VCE exams last year, with only 20 receiving the

highest aTaR.

‘I admire all those who have some sort of drive and

follow through with it.’ Sarah Holper, OK 2010

| 03

foCuS on aCademiC exCellenCe

Kilvington Grammar School has a strong focus on

academia and our students and staff work very hard

throughout the secondary schooling years to achieve

success at VCE level. VCE success does not just come

from one year of hard work: excellent teaching as well

as solid study and work habits are developed over time

starting from Year 7. Knowledge and skills are refined

over a number of years, so that when students reach

Year 12 they are intellectually and emotionally ready

for the demands and challenges of the VCE.

Kilvington‘s educational philosophy begins and ends

with each student’s uniqueness within the School

community. Deputy Principal Teresa Deshon says,

‘We celebrate all students’ individuality, and the

value they bring to our learning community.

Kilvington teachers always take into account whom

they are teaching, not just what they are teaching:

our aim is to help each student move smoothly

along the learning continuum.’

Supporting individual learning

Kilvington teachers understand their students.

They are experts in their specific disciplines, and are

able to match teaching styles to student needs. Every

classroom provides students with meaningful access

to course content: teachers frequently use visual/

graphical organisers, group work, role plays, oral

presentations, textual, visual and auditory class

materials, and Information Communication

Technology (ICT). Students are frequently offered a

personalised choice of tasks and activities.

Students, in Year 11 and 12 in particular, are exposed to

a more adult style of teaching and learning where

classroom environments, both in operation and tone,

balance the seriousness about schoolwork with

flexibility, engagement and celebration of success.

The operation of our VCE classrooms enables students

and teachers to share responsibility so that the

environment maximises learning for each member.

learning partnerShipS

To ensure effective student-teacher partnerships,

Kilvington features a number of programs designed

to maximise VCE students’ learning opportunities.

A two-week VCE ’Transition‘ program, which operates

at the end of Term 4, gives Year 10 and 11 students a

head start by outlining the work to be undertaken.

As a result, Kilvington VCE students return more

focused after the summer holidays.

During Transition, VCE students attend a series

of seminars and workshops related to Study Skills,

Goal Setting and Time Management. The School uses

experts to further equip students with skills and

strategies to achieve their personal best whilst

coping with the challenges of VCE.

The Supervised Study Room is a successful initiative

which allows VCE students with ’free‘ sessions to study

in a peaceful, supervised environment. This facility

helps students study, revise and seek assistance during

‘free’ sessions, reduce the amount of home study time

required and balance school and home life.

Kilvington’s cocurricular Academic Clubs provide

Senior students with opportunities for one-to-one

Mathematics and English tutoring. Of particular value

to VCE English students is the Term 2 and 3 Essay

Club, in which they develop essay writing skills in

preparation for the English Exam.

This year’s VCE English classes will benefit greatly

from the services of Alice Pung, acclaimed writer

and lawyer, who is working with Kilvington in an

author-in-residence capacity. Ms Pung edited and

contributed to Growing Up Asian in Australia, which

is currently being studied by Year 12s. This May,

Ms Pung conducted a series of writing workshops

and lectures that helped students prepare for

their written assessments.

praCtiSe, praCtiSe, praCtiSe!

Two formal practice examination periods for Year 12

students occur during Kilvington’s academic year.

Teachers conduct and mark trial exams under official

conditions, giving students the chance to review

course content and exam techniques.

The three-hour practice General Achievement Test

(GAT), administered in both Year 11 and 12, provides

students with independent feedback from an

accredited external marker and gives them valuable

experience with VCAA exam format. These VCE Exam

Success programs comprehensively prepare Year 11

and 12 students for examinations.

ConCluSion

Whilst Kilvington recognises the importance of

achieving an excellent VCE score, the School equally

emphasises each student’s personal and intellectual

growth. The knowledge and skills gained through

a Kilvington education help students become

successful lifelong learners.

Teresa Deshon

DEpuTy pRIncIpal

For many students, the years of primary and secondary education culminate in VCE.

The work done during these two years is vital for their future careers, and sustained

focus is paramount.

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) provides diverse pathways to tertiary study,

training or employment. The VCE is awarded to most Victorian students on satisfactory

completion of secondary education. There are over 90 VCE subjects, all of which can

be studied from Year 10 to Year 12. This range encompasses Unit 1 & 2 and Unit 3 & 4 subjects,

which are assessed both internally by schools and externally by Victorian Curriculum

and Assessment Authority (VCAA) examinations. Unit 3 & 4 students receive a study score

out of 50, from which the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre (VTAC) calculates each

student’s Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

vCethe crucial years


angela ngo

– a fine balanCe

Angela Ngo thrives on

challenge, and her dedication

was rewarded with

outstanding results. So, what’s

her secret? ‘My own timetable

included time to relax and

time to study’, she says.

‘After Miss Cleghorn told me to “let your brain relax”,

I found things much easier.’ Work still takes priority,

however: ‘If you’re chilling too much, you’re

not doing your best.’

Angela urges VCE students to ‘use your resources’.

At Kilvington, ‘the teachers are willing to stay after

school, during lunchtimes and holidays to help

you…so don’t feel stupid asking for help.’ Above all,

she appreciated Kilvington’s ‘smaller classes, which

gave the teachers more opportunity to provide

one-on-one assistance.’

Accepting a university place was a big decision for

Angela, who turned down an Accounting Cadetship

because she was ‘not ready to work five days a week

and study as well.’ She’s currently enrolled in

Commerce at Monash, while doing a Biomed

subject ‘to keep my options open.’

Angela found university’s increased freedom ‘quite

a shock to the system’, and initially struggled ‘to find

the motivation to get everything done.’ Yet her

determination is paying off: although she finds

Biomed challenging, for example, she’s determined

‘to stick with it until the end of the year.’

This hardworking personality is coupled

with a social conscience: she feels strongly about

society’s unhealthy obsession with ‘slim, toned

and beautiful women’, which is ‘causing girls

to have low self-esteem.’ As a result, she

observes, ‘many teenage girls look up to the

wrong role models.’

Angela sees teachers as far better examples.

She strongly believes that ‘educators don’t get

enough credit for how much they help society’,

and greatly admires their efforts ‘to form a safe and

pleasant environment for students.’ Whatever

path Angela takes, she’s certain to change things

for the better.

Kate ClinniCK

– defying expeCtationS

Kate’s always taken the road less

travelled. This year, she decided

to defer her place in an Arts and

Science Degree at the University

of Sydney to take a gap year.

But Kate isn’t planning to

visit picturesque locations.

‘In August, I’m leaving to go to Romania’, she says.

‘My first month there is a journalism placement with

an English-language magazine called The Village.

If I’m lucky, one of my pieces will get in.’ Her plans don’t

end there. ‘Two months after that, I’m doing a Care

placement. I’ve requested to work with children – but

at this stage I’m not sure how old they are, or exactly

where it will be.’

Kate used innovative study techniques during her final

year. ‘I bought cue cards with a ring binder and made

really detailed notes of everything – my mum quizzed

me on them every other day’, she recalls. Practical

experience came in handy, too, because ‘If you’re doing

a language, it helps having someone you can talk over

the phone with.’ Parents aren’t always the answer,

though ‘Sometimes their pronunciation just makes

you laugh!’, she says.

During exams, Kate did everything possible to maintain

focus. ‘I avoided the Common Room and listened to my

iPod to block everything else out,’ she remembers. And

contrary to popular belief, Kate advises current students

’not to cram too hard the night before – if you’re too

tired, you’ll do badly.’ No matter how hard you study,

she notes that ‘if you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going

to get a good score.’

Kilvington’s study initiatives helped Kate immensely

during VCE. ‘They started a study room just for Year

Twelves,’ she says. ‘It helped that you had to go there

during free periods, as it forced you to study.’ Kate found

Kilvington’s teachers extremely helpful. ‘A lot of us had

mentors, and my Literature teacher would take us out to

lunch to see how we were doing. During holidays,

teachers would often come in for extra time. My Maths

teacher, Ms Cole, was really good at this – but I felt really

bad when I saw that she had her foot in a cast!’

Kate’s now busy working as a Receptionist for the

Brighton Yacht Club, and is about to take on another

part-time job. Although her gap year’s just getting

started, Kate’s already well on her way.

angela harriSon

– graCe under preSSure

Angela has always maintained a

packed schedule, and VCE didn’t

slow her down one bit. ‘I’m a big

advocate for balance’, she says.

‘I wouldn’t have done as well if

I’d stopped all my other interests

– I had an amazing year with friends

and activities, so was always in a positive frame of mind.’

Angela remembers the challenge to stay cool, calm and

collected. ‘I’m a stresser, but I think it’s important to be

able to sit back and look at the bigger picture. Obviously

everything was very important, but on a larger scale it

wasn’t the be all and end all’, she recalls. And when the

pressure started to rise, Angela had some sure-fire

remedies to keep the jitters at bay. ‘I played sport a lot,

and took part in debating and productions – that was

a great release of stress.’

Now enrolled in a Science Scholars’ Degree at Monash

University, Angela acknowledges that her new life has

required significant changes. ‘It’s a lot more independent,

with lots of people that you don’t know and probably

won’t see again.’ The contrast with Kilvington’s caring

environment couldn’t be clearer. ‘School is more about

you, as everyone is working to help you achieve your

best. At uni, they can’t focus on the individual.’

Although it’s a challenge keeping track of old friends,

Angela believes it’s worth the effort. ‘I do keep in touch

with quite a few of them. I miss them a lot, but we see

each other quite regularly – a few are at Monash, so

we can have lunch.’ And although meeting people was

difficult initially, ‘once I established some friends it was

all good’, she says. Yet Angela acknowledges the

uniqueness of the friendships she made at Kilvington:

‘You take for granted the connections you’ve made…

it’s hard to develop such a deep connection again.’

Though an optimist, Angela is also aware of the

difficulties facing today’s youth. ‘I think there is a lot

of pressure put on young people today. The world is

getting more fast-paced, and it’s easy to lose sight of

what’s important, what it all means in the end, and

why you’re doing it.’

Angela has already made tentative plans. ‘I’m pretty

confident that I’ll go on to do an Honours degree and

a PhD – although I’m not sure yet whether I want to

stay in a lab for my whole life’, she says. Angela may

not have mapped out her future, but she’s heading

there with confidence.

our 2010 high achieverslast year, we had a very impressive student cohort. The following students

performed exceptionally well at vCe level, and are now moving on to

make their marks in their areas of interest – further proof that a kilvington

education is the ideal preparation for life!

| 05

The outstanding 2010 VCE results exemplify Kilvington’s commitment to academic excellence. We also

acknowledge the efforts of our dedicated teachers, who have guided these students’ fruitful learning journeys.

Three Kilvington students received ATAR scores over 99 this year – a superb result. Special congratulations go to

Sarah Holper, who achieved a perfect VCE score of 99.95, including the maximum score of 50 in English, French

and Further Mathematics.

Kilvington’s 2010 VCE results are:

•ThehighestATAR(AustralianTertiaryAdmissionRank)was99.95

•6%ofstudentswereinthetop1%ofthestate



•27%ofstudyscoreswereover40

Kilvington is one of Victoria’s highest-achieving schools, demonstrating the dedication and commitment

of Kilvington’s students and teachers.

Universities

Courses

excellent 2010 VCE class results

The thorough preparation received by Kilvington students

leaves them particularly well-equipped to deal with the

unique challenges they will encounter in a tertiary

education environment. Many tertiary destinations in

2010 continue the previous trend of Kilvington students

choosing a wide variety of courses and places to study.

2010 tertiary destinations

Agriculture

Architecture

Arts

Arts/Science

Arts/Commerce

Arts /Law

Beauty Therapy

Biomedical Science/Commerce

Biomedicine

Commerce

Commerce/Law

Commerce/Science

Commercial Cookery

Media

Psychology

Health Science

Physiotherapy

Medicine

Osteopathy

Nursing

Paramedicine

Photography

Science

Soclal Science

Real Estate

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A new mission statement was

created for Kilvington last year, in

order to commemorate the move

to coeducation and explain the

School’s educational philosophy.

As each concept in this mission statement is integral

to the whole, I would like to elaborate on the individual

elements that form a Kilvington education.

aCademiC exCellenCe

Kilvington is renowned for its impressive record of

academic excellence, with last year’s exceptional Year

12 VCE results strongly continuing in this tradition.

Our graduate VCE Class of 2010 performed

superbly,with41%ofstudentsachievingascoreof

over 90 on the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank

(ATAR),24%ofstudentsachievingascoreofover95,

and27%ofallstudyscoresover40.Wecongratulate

our VCE Class of 2010, and thank our dedicated

teaching staff for supporting these outstanding

academic achievements.

The School continues to offer engaging and

creative learning programs. We have recently

introduced new and innovative projects entitled

Writing In and For the Community, LEGO Mindstorms

and Our Sustainable World. The latter aims

to help students understand the importance of

sustainability through environmental management

and conservation, ecosystem services, eco-buildings/

cities, ethical consumerism, green technologies and

renewable energy.

a Caring family Community

Kilvington fosters a uniquely caring, family-oriented

community, with teachers and students providing a

warm welcome to all those attending or visiting the

School. Boys attending Kilvington’s Junior School for the

first time have benefited immensely from Kilvington’s

open and friendly attitude to new arrivals. We are proud

of our students’ efforts to look out for one another.

The Kilvington Carnival, and Open Day, in March

was a genuine family affair and an outstanding

success, with hundreds of people visiting the School.

It was fantastic to see so many students and parents

participating in activities and enjoying themselves

on the day. I can’t remember ever having seen so many

people camping on the Green or strolling around the

School. It was most encouraging to have over 100

families register for a tour, confirming the high level of

public interest in coeducational Kilvington. I would like

to thank all parents and students for attending the

Carnival or for volunteering on one of our Open Days.

Particularly warm thanks go to all members of the PFA

Organising Committee for their hard work – and to the

weather for smiling on us!

Strength of CharaCter

Kilvington students are known for their respect,

compassion and kindness toward others. We strive to

cultivate young people of depth, strength, integrity and

character, and it is immensely rewarding to see these

valuable personal qualities emerging in our students.

Kilvington’s educational program provides students with

the opportunities to develop the diverse skills and

personal qualities needed for lifelong success. The

School’s innovative curriculum provides a wide selection

of activities and a variety of cocurricular programs,

Performing Arts and sport. Students are given many

opportunities to develop their creative and analytical

thinking abilities, as well as their communication and

collaborative skills. Our recent camps provided good

examples of Kilvington giving students the chance to

experience different environments, learn outside the

classroom, and build their self-confidence and leadership

capacity. Kilvington’s ambitious educational scope

reflects our holistic approach to teaching young

people, based on a firm belief in the importance of

a well-rounded character.

Coeducational Kilvington is off to a wonderful start.

Our emphasis is on academic excellence within a

strong, caring and family-friendly community culture.

Our belief in instilling excellence of character in young

people has struck a chord, both with current community

members and many parents who are new to the School.

Our mission statement genuinely reflects who we are in

the present, and the School we aspire to be in the future.

Jon charlton

pRIncIpal

missionKilvington’s

’our mission is to inspire students to strive for academic excellence, and to nurture their aspirations in a caring, family-oriented community to become people of depth, strength, integrity and character.’

| 07

2011 iS proving to be another buSy and exCiting year.

The Board has been delighted with the reception that the reintroduction

of boys has been met with. During the Kilvington Carnival alone, we conducted

over one hundred tours for prospective students. The many positive comments

and messages of support we received during this time have been extremely

heartening. As we had anticipated, many parents are indeed looking for a

mid-sized coeducational private school, in which their children can strive for

academic excellence and grow into people of depth, strength, integrity and

character within a family-oriented community. By responding to the increased

level of opportunity and choice demanded by today’s parents, Kilvington

Grammar School perfectly fills this need.

The Board has identified six key goals to achieve over the next four years. They focus

on providing a creative teaching and learning environment at Kilvington, which

continues to foster academic and personal excellence. These goals are dependent

on Kilvington’s continuing ability to attract and retain quality teachers, as teaching

excellence is the single most powerful influence on student achievement outside

each student’s ability.

These goals also include a plan for future facilities development. To cater for rising

enrolment levels and modern learning styles, the Board is constantly seeking

opportunities to improve Kilvington’s facilities. The latest project is the

refurbishment of the Food Technology Centre. Funded by the Victorian Independent

Schools Block Grant Authority (BGA), in conjunction with bank borrowings,

the project will completely rejuvenate the facility and greatly benefit our Food

Technology students. The School is now seeking financial support for this project

from the School community. Throughout 2011, the Board will be overseeing

preparation of the next ‘School Masterplan’, which will form the blueprint for

building work over the next 10–15 years.

On your behalf, we offer our thanks to three Board members who have left the

Kilvington Board after its latest Annual General Meeting in April after contributing

many years of hard work and commitment: Paul Holper, John Allin and David Dean.

Their admirable dedication to our School, along with their unflagging loyalty and

hard work – particularly during the past months of major change – have been

greatly appreciated. David Collier also recently left the Board after one year of

service, and we thank him for his contributions over that year.

Finally, I would like to offer my personal thanks and congratulations to all

those who have helped make the first part of Kilvington’s coeducational journey

so successful. I am very much looking forward to accompanying you on the

next stage of the adventure.

Grant Dawson

chaIR Of ThE BOaRD

Kilvington

Coeducational kilvington has

received an overwhelmingly positive

public response: media coverage

has been extensive, enquiries

have tripled in the past six months,

and open Morning attendance

has tripled.

coeducational


schoolcamps

School camp has been an integral part of Kilvington’s

curriculum for many years. Much thought and

preparation goes into the development of the camp

program to ensure the location and activities are

appropriate for each age level. It is vital that each camp

contains a balance of challenging physical activities,

group sessions and relaxation time.

Mrs Martine Walls, the Academic Dean of Physical

Education and Health and Fysh House Dean, attended

the Year 9 camp at the Cathedral Ranges, where the

girls went hiking and rock climbing. ‘Many students

initially feel out of their comfort zone, but they face

the challenges with courage and often achieve more

than they thought possible’, she said. Mrs Walls

commented that individuals gain confidence from

the group as they see each other attain success.

Students also develop a level of tolerance of people’s

differences and bond as a team. Martine went on to

say, ’The resilience shown on camps is just fantastic,

and it improves our students’ ability to bounce

back when things get tough.’

This year’s destinations included Canberra, Lorne,

Sorrento, the Grampians, Anglesea, Waratah Bay and

the Cathedral Ranges. Some students sleep in tents,

others in bungalows, and a lucky few in the relative

comfort of a guesthouse. Several tried to master the

art of surfing or African tribal dancing; others learnt to relax with tai chi and yoga.

Some sat in the hallowed chambers of Federal Parliament; others crouched in a

kayak trying to stay upright. Special friendships and memories are formed at camp

each year. Our Year 12 students spent a sentimental afternoon reminiscing about the

camping experiences they have had since they started at Kilvington. Students from

Year 3 to VCE rate their camp experiences very highly, saying:

‘It was too short.’

’I got to know other kids in the class, not just my close friends.’

’I learned it’s about respect.’

’It was awesome; I don’t get to fly interstate every day.’

’Seeing all the poppies at the War Memorial made me sad.’

’Finally I stood up and surfed, only for a couple of seconds, but it still counts.’

’The food was pretty good, especially the chocolate pudding.’

’Walking, walking, walking, so much walking.’

’I wasn’t sure I could do the flying fox, I was really happy when I did.’

’I didn’t have a pillow so I made one myself.’

’Camp Idol with two Justin Biebers was cool.’

At Kilvington, we do everything we can to help our students to become people of

depth, strength, integrity and character. The School Camp Program is an integral

part of achieving this aim.

From afar it resembles a military operation, with bus after bus lining up at the School ready to be loaded

with luggage, sleeping bags and students from all year levels. They depart for different destinations across

Australia, but one thing is for sure: those on board are in for a week they’ll never forget.

| 09

launching the

Renovation RecipeTake a well-worn 26-year-old food Technology centre

with ageing facilities. Stir through a healthy dollop

of school, community and government funding,

and add a big splash of a renowned

architect’s inspired cutting-edge

design. carefully fold in a new

state-of-the-art kitchen to

the mixture, ice with a tasty

outdoor cafe, and garnish with

a picturesque kitchen garden.

for best results, leave to

cool until february

2012…when it can

finally be enjoyed

by Kilvington’s

budding star

chefs!


In Term 4, renovations of the Food Technology Centre

will begin to transform the Centre into a first-class

cooking facility for students. There has never been a

better time to do it. Interest in cooking is at an all-time

high, thanks to popular TV shows such as MasterChef

and My Kitchen Rules. The School’s wide-ranging

curriculum allows students to pursue their individual

passion and interests to the fullest, and this ultra-

modern, superbly-equipped kitchen facility will

allow them to maximise their learning opportunities.

Kilvington’s Food Technology program caters for

all levels: some students will forge careers in the

demanding restaurant and hospitality industries, while

others will enjoy learning the invaluable lifelong skill of

healthy and delicious cooking – it’s all about choice!

Karen Bryce, Kilvington’s Human Development and

Food Technology teacher, is very excited about the

renovation. The uptake of her course has increased

significantly over the years, and she expects the new

facilities will attract even more students. Ms Bryce said,

‘The renovation will provide a wonderful environment

to teach all students the skill of cooking, so they can

prepare nutritious meals both now and in the future.’

Kilvington’s Food Technology program begins in

Year 8, when students learn about food, nutrition,

teamwork in the kitchen, time management and

kitchen safety. International Cuisine is taught in Year 9,

and the emphasis shifts to meal planning in Year 10.

In VCE, the course’s scope expands to incorporate

aspects of food science and composition, product

development, regulations and food industry marketing.

Kilvington’s VCE results for the subject have been

exceptional: recent past students have received the

Premier’s Award for the achievement of a perfect VCE

score, and were invited to display their folios in the

prestigious Top Design exhibition at the Melbourne

Museum. Karen focuses on encouraging maximum

participation, and fostering the attitude that cooking

is a pleasure, not a chore. She chooses guest speakers

who will inspire her students to pursue the unique

challenges and possibilities of hospitality.

One student who has been motivated to pursue a

career as a chef is Monique Collins, who credits her

grandmother with inspiring her to cook. Currently

completing her VCE, Monique’s dream is to become

a pastry chef. This all started in Monique’s early

childhood, when she would make delicious meals

with her grandmother. Interestingly, Monique’s

vegetarianism doesn’t preclude her from preparing

meat-based dishes. She prefers making desserts, though,

as these let her express her creative side. (Her notoriously

sweet tooth might also have something to do with this).

As she says, ’A duck is a duck, but with a dessert you

can create anything!‘ Monique recently met Andriano

Zumbo, the renowned pastry chef, and hopes to gain

a placement with him next year. She’s already working

at a restaurant in Highett and cooking for Homesglen

TAFE’s college restaurant. Monique has excellent

things to say about Kilvington’s Food Technology

Program, and high praise for her teacher.

She credits Ms Bryce for allowing her to ‘not

only explore her culinary ambitions, but also

for helping when a stubborn sugar-coated pan

refused to cooperate.’ Even though the Food

Technology Centre renovation won’t be finished

before she graduates, Monique is chuffed that it

will allow future Kilvington students to scale even

more spectacular culinary heights!

we would liKe to aCKnowledge

and thanK all donorS for their Kind

donationS (deCember 2010 – april 2011).

Mr & Mrs H Ahn

Mr & Mrs P Argyriou

Mrs N Bais & Mr A Bais

Mr & Mrs S Bandla

Mr & Mrs A Barnes

Mr & Mrs A Basu

Mr & Mrs M Boschetti

Mr & Mrs J Broadbent

Mr R Broomfield & Ms L Sanders

Mr & Mrs D Burgoine

Mr & Mrs R Burns

Mr & Mrs F Cetrola

Mr & Mrs D Clarke

Mr & Mrs J Clarke

Mr & Mrs P Coburn

Mr & Mrs D Conser

Mr & Mrs N Corke

Mr J Crossingham & Ms A Mora

Mr J Curwen & Dr E Psihogios

Mrs & Mrs S Dayaratna

Mr & Mrs R De Nardis

Mr A Deng & Ms L Zhou

Mr & Mrs M Deng

Mr & Mrs J Dixon

Mr & Mrs M Doyle

Mr & Mrs D Durand

Mr & Mrs B Finnin

Mr & Mrs M Gamble

Mr A Glassel & Ms M Pascoe

Mr Y Gong & Mrs J Wang

Mr X Guo & Ms X Fu

Mr & Mrs J Hedger

Mr & Mrs R Hendy

Mr & Mrs K G Hill

Mr B Hu & Ms Y Zhao

Mr P Ingoldby

Mr & Mrs W James

Mr S Katpadi & Ms S Shenoy

Mr & Mrs P King

Mr & Mrs K Kinoshita

Mr & Mrs N Koh

Mr T Kok & Ms Y Lee

Mr & Mrs J Landwehr

Mr & Mrs J Mackie

Mr & Mrs T Maruno

Mr F Mattea

Ms L Matthews & Mr A Nicholls

Mr & Mrs S Mitrik

Ms B Mohan & Mr R Kurup

Mr & Mrs P Moorhouse

Mr & Mrs M Morris

Mr D Nguyen & Ms A Tran

Ms H Tran & Mr T Nguyen

Mr & Mrs V Nguyen

Mr J Norman & Ms R Whitfield

Mr & Mrs J O’Connor

Mr & Mrs R Odgers

Mr & Mrs P Owen

Mr & Mrs N Palaskas

Mr & Mrs I Palihakkara

Mr & Mrs A Parsamanesh

Mr & Mrs T Percy

Mr & Mrs A Petsis

Mr & Mrs R Pickthall

Mr & Mrs W Pietrzak

Mr & Mrs J Plesar

Mr & Mrs P Rechtman

Mr D Ren & Dr S Wang

Mr & Mrs S Robertson

Mr Z Romanis & Ms G Nadenbousch

Mrs R Salathiel

Mr F Salfate & Ms S Marasco

Mr P Santavanond & Ms S Phromma

Mr B Saville & Ms M McDonald

Mr A Shanks & Ms S Russell

Mr & Mrs T Sioukas

Mr & Mrs D Smith

Mr & Mrs S Smith

Mr & Mrs G Stone

Mr & Mrs S Sullivan

Mr & Mrs A Tabakman

Mr & Mrs W Talbot

Dr & Ms S Thomas

Mr W Tinker & Ms G Volkova

Mr & Mrs G Tsagournos

Mr & Mrs S Tucker

Dr & Mrs D Turner

Ms A Umanskaya & Mr V Volpert

Mr & Mrs J Vouros

Mr & Mrs G Wada

Ms J Wade & Mr T Mankey

Mr & Mrs D Winfield

Mr M Wong & Ms Y Torii

Mr & Mrs J Woods

Mr & Mrs S Wotherspoon

Mr & Dr W Wynter

Mr T Yin & Ms J Lam

Mr & Mrs K Yokota

Mr & Mrs Y Yoshizawa

Mr C Zhang & Ms F Luo

Mr Q Zhang & Ms T Shen

Ms S Zhao

Mr M Zikic & Ms D Johnson

If you would like to help launch Kilvington’s next

generation of superchefs on their way to stardom,

please support the ‘Eat, learn & play’ appeal.

To donate, please fill out the pledge form and use

the reply paid envelope enclosed.

for a confidential conversation about your

contribution, please call Bo Rutecki on 9578 6231

or email [email protected]

On behalf of the current and future ‘Masterchefs’

at Kilvington, we thank you very much!

| 11

exCellenCe in SCienCe

On the evening of Wednesday 9 March, Year 11

students Amelia Barrow, Cher Chen and Loreena Hem

were invited to attend the 2011 Graeme Clark Oration

and Dinner. The Oration was given by Professor Terry

Sejnowski (Professor of Biology and Neuroscience,

University of California, San Diego). His topics were the

workings of the brain, whether we are any closer to

building artificial brains, how our understanding of the

brain is transforming ideas about learning, the role of

social robots and the bionic eye.

Amelia, Cher and Loreena were invited, along with

four students from other schools as guests of VESKI

(Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and

Innovation) having been recognised as science

students of excellence from their entries in the BHP

Billiton 2010 Science Awards. The evening gave the

students a chance to talk one-on-one over dinner, with

eminent science professionals such as the Dean of the

Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne and

the CEO of St Vincent’s Hospital, as well as current

medicine and science university students. A rewarding

and enjoyable night was had by all.

‘art about town’ finaliStS

Late last year, a number of Kilvington students created

artworks to illustrate their local community in the hope

that theirs might be chosen for the front cover of the

Bayside Yellow Pages.

We were lucky enough to have two students reach the

finals and have their artworks on display in an

exhibition at the Gasworks Art Park. Giulia Oppedisano

from Year 11 and our Art Captain Gemma Mattea both

missed out on the cover, but are to be congratulated on

making it to the finals.

achievements

Press Club lunch with Mike QuigleyRecently, Kilvington students taking the Business Management Course were

lucky enough to join Mr Charlton in attending a Melbourne Press Club

luncheon. On this particular occasion, they heard Mr Mike Quigley, the

Executive Chairman of the National Broadband Network, present a speech.

Mr Quigley recently developed a new plan to utilise $36 billion to improve

the current internet across Australia, making it faster, capable of downloading

more megabytes in shorter time, and more efficient in general. The plan

sparked a mixed reaction and much debate in government circles and from

the general public. During his presentation Mr. Quigley addressed some of the

common concerns in an enthusiastic and engaging way, and also clarified

some widespread misconceptions. It was a most interesting and enjoyable

lunch and presentation.


Cultural diverSity weeK in prep

Recently it was Cultural Diversity Week in Victoria.

Many Victorians came together to share aspects of

their culture, faith and language. They also celebrated

the benefits that multiculturalism brings to our State.

During Show and Tell, the Preps shared information

about the cultures within their families. We learnt that

there is a wide variety of cultures within the Prep class,

including Greek, Indian, Welsh, Irish, English and

many more. The Preps finished the week with a

dress-up day to showcase the variety of different outfits

worn by different cultures. During the day we made

fried rice and tried to use chopsticks to eat it. Thank

you to Otto and Kaho from Year 2 who came to give the

Preps a lesson on how to use chopsticks. Learning

about others cultures was part of the Term 1 enquiry

unit titled ‘Who Are We?’

ahoy, me heartieS!

Magenta Kindergarten children have been on a pirate

adventure. Working collaboratively in small groups,

all the students contributed their ideas and skills to

create a wonderful pirate ship – making the bottom of

the boat, a mermaid statue for the front of the boat to

bring the sailors good luck, stripy sails, the Jolly Roger

pirate flag and even a parrot!

Miles, a Year 2 student, was awarded Artist of the Week

for a pirate ship he made in Art Class. Miles explained

to the Magenta students how he created his pirate ship.

This inspired Magenta children to make their own

pirate ships. The pirate adventure continues as

Magenta children make some treasure maps, complete

with the ‘X’ that marks ‘the spot’. Lots of learning is

taking place through this experience including

creative expression, perseverance and the satisfaction

of achievement.

golfing SuCCeSS

Golf can be a game of patience, but Kilvington student

Shanaiah Fernando hasn’t had to wait long for success.

Shanaiah is just 11 years old and she recently won the

Under 18 Victorian State Girls’ Golf Championship.

Shanaiah played some outstanding shots to put

together the winning round against a talented field.

She also competed in the 2011 Stuart Appleby Rookie

Series and was declared the winner of the Under 14

section. Shanaiah will go on to play in the National

titles later in the year and we wish her all the best.

top Designs 2011 One of our 2010 graduates will be represented in

Top Designs 2011. Top Designs is part of the VCE Season

of Excellence presented at the Melbourne Museum,

and will show works by 114 students who were selected

from thousands of applicants.

Rebecca Ponniah’s Unit 3 folio for her Visual

Communication & Design studies was selected to

be part of this Exhibition, which runs at the Melbourne

Museum from 26 March to 26 June.

Top Designs showcases works created by students

undertaking Media, VET Interactive Digital Media,

Design and Technology, Food and Technology, Systems

Engineering and Visual Communication & Design.

| 13

Fame:the Musical

a highlight of this year’s musical

calendar was the senior production

of Fame: the Musical. more than

90 students combined with staff

to produce the sensational

musical, which kept the audiences

spellbound during the three

evening performances. Soli Tesema

Rachelle Rechtman, Sarah Bannon, Ann Nguyen and Joanna HillStephanie Moorhouse Juliana Dubinsky Surina Butler

Bianca Mohan


‘Congratulations. fame: the Musical was certainly up to Kilvington’s high standards – we thoroughly enjoyed it. The leads were real standouts and the whole company worked really well together.’ Michele Moorhouse, Mother of Stephanie from Year 11, who played Iris Kelly.

Kilvington’s smashing

Senior production

of fame: the Musical.

Celia Gall, Academic Dean of Performing Arts and Director, called the

show ’spectacular, with wonderful songs, dynamic dances and heart-stopping

chorus numbers.‘ The School also enlisted the valuable help of talented

choreographer Karen Young, who previously appeared in Fame on London’s

West End, as a dancer.

Year 12 student Bianca Mohan, who played fiery Spanish dancer Carmen Diaz,

called performing on stage exhilarating, exciting and nerve-wracking at the

same time. Fame at Kilvington certainly lived up its reputation as a fun,

fast-paced and uplifting show. Year 10 student Julianna Dubinsky was

surprised when she was given a lead role in Fame, as they usually go to Senior

students. She played Nicholas Piazza – a talented actor who falls in love with

Sarina, another student at the prestigious school. Julianna researched her role

as a boy by studying her male friends, including they way they spoke, stood,

walked and talked. This helped her feel at ease on stage, and she had no

problem staying in character during the show. Her biggest challenge was

mastering the lower keys and registers when singing in her role as Nicholas.

Julianna, who has studied music since she was young, now plays piano,

trumpet and guitar. She hopes to combine music with education or law studies

at university, so she can continue to follow her passion after school.

Stephanie Moorhouse from Year 11 played Iris Kelly, a gifted yet insecure ballet

dancer who is worried about being liked by her classmates. She slowly makes

friends, however – especially with Tyrone Jackson, played by Sololia Tesema.

Tyrone is an actor aspiring to big things, but he worries because he finds it very

difficult to study. Both Stephanie and Sololia loved performing in their

respective roles: Stephanie has been studying ballet for many years, and Sololia

has a similar passion for singing. They both rate Fame: the Musical as the best

Kilvington production they have ever seen, and look forward to making time in

their busy VCE schedules for next year’s Senior production.

The backstage crew was instrumental in Fame’s success. Senior students spent

many hours planning the logistics for the production, including the movement

of props on stage. The rehearsal process helped them ensure all went smoothly

during each performance, and they appreciated the audience’s applause just

as much as the stars on the stage did.

Kilvington’s Performing Arts department has produced another triumph for

2011, of which everyone involved can be proud.

Surina Butler Samantha Skerry

| 15

Kristy Mortimer appreciates many of the good

things in life including literature, history, fashion,

architecture, family, and (most importantly!) her

students. After gaining her teaching experience

at some of Victoria’s finest Schools – including MLC,

Melbourne Grammar and St Michael’s Grammar –

Kristy made the decision to become a Year 6

teacher at Kilvington.

As a focused and dedicated student, Kristy was always

drawn to a career in teaching or architecture. She

found growing up in country Victoria to be a

wonderful experience – but she’s equally happy to be

a city-dweller now, and enjoys all that Melbourne has

to offer. As for most of us, Kristy’s day-to-day life

flashes past at a hectic pace: with a full-time job, her

five-year-old daughter Lara, and the renovations for

her Art Deco home currently on the boil, there is not

much spare time left in her day. Even so, Kristy still

tries to make room for pursuits such as reading,

which she has always greatly enjoyed.

Kilvington’s kind and respectful culture suits Kristy

down to the ground. Her own quiet, graceful manner

reflects the School’s core values of depth, strength,

integrity and character. Over the years, Kristy’s travels

have provided her with great insight into human

nature and compassion – especially her time in Israel,

during which she undertook an intense Holocaust

study program.

Kristy sets an extremely high benchmark for her

students in terms of their academic progress, because

she knows that advanced study skills will be absolutely

vital as they enter secondary school. A particularly

good example of Kristy’s innovative and exciting

teaching methods is her ‘Artful Writing Workshop’.

In each of these interactive weekly sessions, Kristy

projects an artwork onto the whiteboard for the whole

class to examine and discuss. Students then follow a

‘thinking routine’, so that they can imagine themselves

transported back to the same point in time as the

painting’s specific setting. Not only do the students get

the chance to exercise their imaginations with this

activity, they also learn exciting lessons about art and

history while they’re enjoying themselves. One Year 6

boy was overheard calling Kristy’s workshop ‘my

favourite – the best class of the week!’

Kristy is thrilled that her daughter Lara loves being in

Prep at Kilvington. Having witnessed the kindness,

courtesy and respect with which the older Kilvington

students treat their younger schoolmates, Kristy is glad

that her child is learning to treat others in the same

way. Now that‘s something to celebrate!

kristy Mortimeryear 6 Teacher

creativityencouraging

‘Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.’ – voltaire, French Philosopher and Author


igniting the spark

When he was younger, Matt Brinson greatly enjoyed

going on camping trips to the beach with his family.

Today, he credits these childhood trips with igniting

his passion for the outdoors and the environment, as

well as for the biological and geographical sciences.

By the time he was in Year 9, Matt had narrowed

down his career choice to being either a veterinarian

or a teacher. His decision was made for him when he

carefully weighed up these two possibilities and

realised he couldn’t handle the thought of having to

put animals down. Many years later, Matt regards

his initial decision to go into teaching as a wise

and fulfilling choice.

Matt is now the Academic Dean of Science at

Kilvington, a title which he can proudly add to his

long and impressive list of qualifications. He is keen

on sparking younger students’ interest in science,

and to further encourage this focus as they mature.

Last year, Matt spent some time working in the

tertiary sector in order to see how well secondary

students were being prepared for university life.

The valuable lessons he learnt during this time have

influenced the way in which he prepares students

for the major transition to tertiary education.

For Matt, teaching is definitely ‘it’ – he gets an

indescribable buzz by inspiring students to love and

appreciate science as much as he does. He hopes that his

infectious passion about the subject will be passed on to

all of his students in some way. Matt keeps a busy

schedule: weekly Science Club meetings, robotics

projects, guest speakers and innovative Science Talent

Search entries are just some of the projects he is working

on with his talented colleagues in Kilvington’s Science

Faculty. There’s plenty of variety, too: Matt recently took

some of his Kilvington students to a presentation where

they were able to meet and chat with the Dean of

Science Faculty at the University of Melbourne. They

also met one of Matt’s old students, who is now busy

working on the Bionic Eye – a life-changing project!

Matt lives near the beach, and enjoys walking his

two Jack Russell terriers. He likes to keep fit by

snowboarding and playing beach volleyball, and he’s

also involved in netball: last year, he coached his niece

all the way to the Premiership! Matt is graded as a

‘B Badge’ umpire, and officiates every Tuesday night in

the Waverley Premier League. A keen Vixens follower,

Matt has put his hand up to coach Kilvington’s GSV

team next Term. Because travelling to foreign

countries ranks high on his ‘to do’ list, Matt would love

to be a Getaway presenter if he wasn’t teaching. No

doubt about it: his passion for the subject, inspiring

style and sense of fun would be as much of a hit with

viewers as it is with his students!

Matt Brinsonacademic Dean Of Science

| 17

Carnival

Many people enjoyed the rides and activities,

delicious food and entertaining music. Special thanks

go to David Collier for an outstanding job as the head of

the Organising Committee. He was well supported by a

very capable team including Natasha Boschetti, Chris

McCall, Christine Hassett, Angela Kitney, Caitlin

O’Leary and Jan Pietrzak. This group worked tirelessly

in their areas of responsibility to make the Carnival

such a wonderful and memorable day.

The level of all parents’ and students’ participation

at the Carnival was fantastic. Thanks to the many

parents who helped their own children with a stall,

signed on for sausage sizzle duty, helped with setting

up or sold tickets to rides and all the other activities.

Many students took the initiative to run special stalls

and donate the proceeds to worthy causes; others

performed beautifully on stage; older students

organised fun activities for younger ones or were

involved in taking School Tours or running House

activities, and even found time to help others with

their organising efforts.

Kilvington staff were involved with the Carnival in

many ways, and they deserve thanks for their many

contributions such as organising School Tours,

preparing the grounds and gardens, presenting their

classrooms so well, encouraging their students and

helping with the myriad of details such a day presents.

We warmely thank the Bendigo Bank who provided

a significant donation to the Carnival and the Flight

Centre for their generous Gold Coast Flight giveaway.

Other donations were kindly provided by the

Boschetti Family, Joan Charbonnier, Rita Nachar

and Janice Durand.

Kilvington

The Kilvington Carnival and Open Day was an outstanding success,

with hundreds of people visiting the School.


Mother’s DayWhat better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a little pampering. Families gathered in Dalton Hall

on Saturday 7 May to spoil their Mums with flowers, massages, beautiful photographs and delicious

treats. The students who helped the PFA organisers on the day did a fantastic job of making the Mums

feel very special. There was also a Mother’s Day Stall held the day before for students to choose from

a great selection of gifts to give to their Mum to say ‘thanks for everything.’

Kilvington has enjoyed a momentous beginning to 2011. Boys have

joined the Junior School, and the buzz and excitement is evident throughout

the whole School.

I have recently assumed the role of President of the Kilvington PFA; my daughter began in Year 7 at the School

this year. I look forward to working with the many volunteers throughout the year to organise some wonderful

events and activities. It would be remiss of me not to thank the Committee for all their efforts so far, especially

in relation to the Kilvington Carnival.

memberS of the pfa Committee for 2011 are:

president Caitlin O’Leary

Vice-president Kylie Owen

Treasurer Chris McCall

Secretaries Natasha Boschetti, Leah Lemke

Committee members: Christine Hassett, Kylie & Don Brown, Kay Conser, Catherine Birmingham, Marina Polaskas,

Gabrielle Dutton and Alan Shanks. I would like to thank the above people for volunteering their time and

energy to assist the endeavours of Kilvington and all its students.

The PFA has been busy organising events such as the Mother’s Day celebrations, including a Mother’s Day Stall

and a special Saturday Morning Tea to pamper all Kilvington mothers. We are also working on a social evening

for parents to develop and strengthen friendships within the Kilvington community. Other possible events are

a golf day, as well as the traditional Father’s Day Stall and School Book Stall.

Associations like the PFA thrive when they have a good number of committed people involved. Everyone has

differing demands on their time, but whatever you have to give will help us to achieve great things for the

School and its students. As author Elizabeth Andrew said, ‘Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they

just have the heart.’ I invite you to get involved at the next PFA meeting dates and times are listed on the

website and in the newsletter. I look forward to seeing you there.

caitlin O’leary

pfa pRESIDEnT

Parents’ and Friends’ Association report

New parents welcome morning tea

| 19

keeping in touchwith Old Kilvonians

dr andrea douglaS alwayS enjoyed Studying SCienCe at SChool. She feelS very

Comfortable dealing with numberS and faCtual data, whiCh iSn’t SurpriSing: her dad

waS a Career eConomiSt.

Andrea looks back on her days at Kilvington with fondness, and treasures the close friendships she made at the

School which still endure today. She sees the move to coeducation at Kilvington as a positive, because ’it mirrors

real life, and will teach girls and boys to work well together.’

After graduating, Andrea studied for a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours and a PhD in Forensic

Medicine from Monash University. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration, and is a Graduate of

the Institute of Company Directors. Andrea’s roles have included CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for the

Discovery of Genes for Common Human Diseases, and Senior Researcher at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of

Medical Research, where she studied the molecular biology of breast cancer. She now manages the global

Research and Development product and investment portfolio for CSL, one of Australia’s most successful

companies. Although she sometimes misses spending time in the lab, she calls herself ’fortunate, because I still

get to oversee exciting Australian scientific discoveries, and communicate to global audiences about these

advances.’

Andrea’s prime motivator as a scientist is to help improve people’s quality of life. She lists being involved with the

successful trial of the swine flu vaccine as a career highlight. ’I was so proud to be associated with CSL…the first

company in the world to develop the vaccine to counteract the flu pandemic.‘ Andrea observes that ’from a clinical

and health viewpoint, vaccination is definitely a good thing.’

In her senior management position, Andrea appreciates the positive culture in her workplace and the flexibility

her role offers. Yet as has been reported recently, there is a shortage of students taking up careers in science, as

well as a predominance of males in the field.

Andrea travels regularly for work, both within Australia and overseas. This can pose some challenges,

especially when it comes to making sure all plans are in place for the care of her young son. Her husband,

family and friends are extremely supportive, and her highly organised nature can sometimes provide a source

of amusement: she often creates schedules for her family in readiness for her absence, so that she can travel

knowing all will go smoothly.

Andrea advises current students to base their career on what they enjoy studying at school, especially if they

arenot100%sureofthepaththeywouldliketotake.Andreaadvisesstudentsto‘followwhatenthusesand

ignites your passion, because nine out of ten times if you enjoy something you will do it very well.‘ This is sage

advice, which has served Andrea well over the course of her stellar 25-year science career.

under the microscope

Doctor Andrea Douglas


CongratulationS

Congratulations to the following Old kilvonians

who were recently married:

lisa Carroll (Berkshire, Class of 1987) married Timothy

on January 15 this year. Lisa and Timothy were

married at home in their backyard under brilliant

sunshine. They enjoyed a honeymoon in Singapore

and Malaysia before Lisa returned to work at her own

graphic design consultancy.

Ellie payne (Pietsch, Vice Captain, Class of 1999) was

joined by family and friends when she married AJ

Payne recently. The service was held on the beach at

Torquay and it was followed by a relaxed evening of

barefoot bowls, music and fine food. The couple used

the services of wedding planner Diana Chow (Kang,

Class of 1999) of iheartpaper to make sure their special

day was everything they had hoped.

Carissa Roussety (Logan, Class of 1993) met her new

husband Johnny over two years ago through a mutual

friend. They married in March and Johnny’s niece was

their lovely flower girl. Carissa and Johnny enjoyed a

wonderful honeymoon in Fiji before returning home

to Mulgrave and their dog Keisha.

alison Stroud (Monger, Class of 1997) married

her husband Ben late last year at the Haileybury

Chapel, Keysborough.

new arrivalS

Emily Donnelly (Saunders) recently celebrated the safe

arrival of her fourth son Toby in September last year.

For the last ten years Emily, together with her husband,

has run the caravan park in Yea.

newS

Revati Ilanko graduated from Kilvington in 2005 and

went on to Monash University to complete a Bachelor

of Education Degree. She has also studied the topic of

Early Intervention and trained as an Integration Aide.

Rev returned to Kilvington last year to complete her

fourth year teaching placement. Lifelong learning is

important to Rev, who is just about to complete another

degree majoring in Archaeology, Psychology and

History. Rev’s two major passions are dance and the

Arts. For many years she has been involved in Indian

classical dance, which has provided her with the

opportunity to perform extensively both in Australia

and overseas. Rev also teaches and choreographs

many forms of dance. She recently established

Navaratna Arts, a company dedicated to the Visual and

Performing Arts. Rev sits on a number of Committees,

including the Arts and Cultural Reference Committee

in the City of Casey. She also exhibits her artworks and

conducts community-based art workshops. Rev

believes that art is a universal language that is not

static but constantly evolving, which if practised with

discipline, allows one to explore the depths of kinetics,

emotion and spirituality.

vale

It is with great sadness we advise you of the death

of mrs Sue Boyland (avery) who taught at Kilvington

from 1997 – 2003. Sue was diagnosed with cancer and

bravely faced her battle with dignity. Sue was an

exceptional Mathematics teacher, loved by all she met,

and will long be remembered for her wonderful smile

and positive attitude.

alison Stroud (Monger, class of 1997)

and husband Ben

carissa Roussety (logan, class of 1993)

and husband Johnny

Revati Ilanko

lisa carroll

(Berkshire, class of 1987)

and husband Timothy

| 21

35 Year Reunion

30 Year Reunion

Walsh Club ReunionWalsh Club Reunion

our next reunion dateS are:

Friday 22 July 25 Year Reunion

Friday 19 August 20 Year Reunion

Friday 26 August 15 Year Reunion

Friday 9 September 10 and 5 Year Reunion

Friday 14 September Walsh Club 50+ Year Reunion

The letter arrives, and you instantly recognise the

School Crest. With a sense of trepidation, you open

the envelope to see just what you expected: an

invitation to your past.

So many years; so many changes. You feel guilty

that it has been so long – you promised to keep

in touch with your friends. It’s probably too late

now, but maybe not?

Big hopes, big dreams: some realised, some not.

Although you are happy with most of the choices

made along the way, you recognise there have been

compromises as well. Perhaps it’s best to remember

them as they were, rather than now, with so many

years past. The youthful looks and firm figures have

changed over time – but maybe not for all.

Imagine seeing your school friends again, laughing

together till you cry at some silly joke. There’s not too

much to lose if it doesn’t work out: the past can stay

in the past. But if it does work out, it’s good to spend

time with old friends, reliving great memories,

remembering a time when the job that we had and

how much we earned weren’t on the radar.

George Harrison said, ’As far as I’m concerned, there

won’t be a Beatles Reunion as long as John Lennon

remains dead.’ At least things are not that serious yet.

Maybe my not-so-little black dress will still fit me.

The reunion program at Kilvington is in a full swing

again this year. We have already enjoyed meeting

many OKs during three reunions in February and May,

and invitations are on the way to more events. We will

be delighted to see all of you at the School and very

proud to talk to you about the changes that have taken

place at the School in the past few years and, of course,

to hear the stories from your time at Kilvington.

Kilvington reunions are relaxed, casual get-togethers

with plenty of time to chat, laugh and enjoy each

other’s company. Stay for an hour, or party on

afterwards – it’s up to you. Those ladies who attended

reunions in the past tell us what a great time they had

reconnecting with old friends.

It is easy to register and RSVp for reunions with

the new online booking system. We invite you

to visit the School’s website to make a booking

for all reunions to be held in 2011. Simply go to

the School Community section, click Old kilvonians,

select Reunions 2011 and make your booking.

We look forward to seeing you at your next

kilvington reunion.

to go…or not to go? the school reunion dilemma


July 2011 Friday 22nd 25 Year Reunion

august 2011 Friday 5th Annual Music Concert

Tuesday 16th GSV Preliminary Athletics Carnival

Friday 19th 20 Year Reunion

Friday 26th 15 Year Reunion

September 2011 Thursday 1st GSV Championship Athletics Carnival

Thursday 8th Open Morning

Thursday 8th Music Scholars Concert

Friday 9th 10 and 5 Year Reunion

Friday 14th Walsh Club 50+ Year Reunion

October 2011 Wednesday 19th Art Show opens

Friday 21st Art Show closes

Friday 28th Open Morning

key dates for your diary

contributionsPlease send any interesting stories and information about yourself to [email protected]

for inclusion in the next issue of Kilvington News.

| 23

2 Leila Road, Ormond Victoria 3204

Telephone (03) 9578 6231 | Facsimile (03) 9578 3378

Email [email protected] kilvington.vic.edu.au

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