School Highlights
Upcoming Kilvington Readers Festival
Fiona O'Rourke, Head of Library and Digital Resourcing
The 2024 Kilvington Readers Festival is fast approaching, and the Library team cannot wait!
Over five days, starting from Monday 20 May to Friday 24 May, the Library will be celebrating the love of reading through a whole range of exciting activities, from reading competitions to visits by authors.
We're thrilled to announce that this year we'll be hosting authors Mark Smith, Huda Hayek, Simmone Howell and Jane Godwin.
We'll also be raising funds for the Community Spirit Foundation by hosting a Pyjamas Day for Years 7 to 12 students. Please bring in a gold coin donation for this worthy cause on Monday 20 May.
Prep to Year 6 students will participate in Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday 22 May, while Years 7 and 8 students will compete against St Leonard’s in a 'Battle of the Books'.
Get ready to join us in celebrating the joy of reading!
Junior School Colour Fun Run
We are incredibly proud of our Junior School students for their remarkable achievement in raising over $10,000 during this year's Colour Fun Run in support of the outstanding cause, Impact for Women.
The Junior School was honoured to host Chair Emeritus Professor Margot Hillel OAM and Camilla Dighton from Impact for Women, who demonstrated to our students how their efforts will profoundly impact women and children escaping domestic abuse.
An outstanding effort by our Junior School students.
Units 1 and 2 Geography Fieldwork
Michael Schmidt, Geography and Science Teacher
Recently, the Units 1 and 2 Geography students went on a fieldwork trip to the Kinglake region to explore the effects of the Black Saturday bushfires, fifteen years on. Despite encountering a minor setback with Betty (our School minibus) due to a dead battery, after a brief wait and a replacement battery, we were finally en route to Kinglake.
The Toorourrong Reservoir Park was the first place we went to. We took in the view from the lookout and visited the memorial for those affected by the fire, an emotionally moving experience. After this, we enjoyed some lunch at the Flying Tarts Bakery.
Next, we visited Mason Falls, where we followed the Lyrebird Circuit track to reach the Mason Falls viewing platform. We heard the lovely sounds of lyrebirds, but regrettably did not spot any. However, the towering burnt Mountain Ash eucalypts and the visible gullies and formations shaped by erosion were unmistakable reminders of the impact of the bushfires.
Despite the minor setback at the start of the day, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves — playing music on the bus, chatting, and spending quality time with the entire class and teachers outside of the classroom.
We learned a lot and gathered empirical evidence on the recovery process from the Black Saturday bushfires, as well as on bushfires in general. Yet, beyond our academic pursuits, we also had a whole heap of fun — and ultimately, isn't that what matters most?
Bionics Institute Girls in STEM Program
Louise Macfarlane, Academic Dean of Science
Kilvington is delighted to once again take part in the Bionics Institute Girls in STEM program for 2024.
Avery Liew, Alexis Liew, Grace Mossman, and Alyvia Liew have been selected as our Girls in STEM nominees. They will be paired with senior women researchers in their respective areas of scientific interest and will collaborate throughout the year to enhance their understanding in their chosen field.
As part of this journey, they will also have the opportunity to visit the Bionics Institute. In October, our Girls in STEM ambassadors will present their learnings to their peers at Kilvington, sharing their knowledge and experiences.
Years 11 and 12 Top Designs Excursion
Elijah Slavinskis, Year 11
On Tuesday 23 April, the Years 11 and 12 Media and Visual Communication Design (VCD) classes attended VCE Top Designs at the Melbourne Museum. This exhibition showcased the folios and final projects of students from the previous year who had excelled in their respective subjects.
During the visit, we had the opportunity to explore a diverse array of works, including short films, photography collections, print media, architecture models, and even costume and set designs from theatre studies. My personal favourite was the short film Don’t Burn the Toast, a live action and cartoon crossover that was quite absurd, but still a hilarious watch.
Perusing the folios of past students provided us with valuable insights into the expectations for our own folios in Units 3 and 4, and the level of excellence required for high academic performance.
Overall, this was a great opportunity. I’m confident that this experience will benefit all students as they approach Media and VCD in Year 12.
Sleepout for a Cause
Jacqui Goldenberg, Community Service Program Director
Last Friday, we hosted the Sleepout for a Cause event to raise funds for the Lighthouse Foundation. The evening was a great success.
We enjoyed yummy soup and brownies for dinner, prepared by our Year 12s. It was great to hear from Peter and Veronica from 300 Blankets about the issues surrounding homelessness, and do a meaningful activity with Kate from the Lighthouse Foundation and learn about the great life-changing work they do. We also had a viewing of the Pursuit of Happyness.
Finally, we had a cold but comfy sleep in our cardboard tents (thanks VISY). Thanks also to David Southwick MP for visiting us and showing his support for such a good cause.