From the Principal

It has been a most positive start to the year, and in all domains of the rich and varied Kinross experience, there have been many highlights that feature both personal and collective success. We can look back upon what has been achieved this Term with a great deal of satisfaction and sense of attainment. 

We have had a number of valuable and engaging academic excursions that have deepened our students' understanding and passion for their subjects. 

 Year 10 students spent 2 enriching days in Canberra on a History and Religious Education excursion where they had the opportunity to engage with a variety of exhibits and experiences. They visited the National Museum and National Gallery exploring ancient religions, the Dreaming and Aboriginal activism. They also explored the Pompeii exhibition, the High Court of Australia, and the Australian War Memorial, further expanding their understanding of both local and global history. 

Our Year 11 and 12 Drama students travelled to Sydney to see the 2024 HSC Drama performances and projects that were selected for the OnSTAGE showcase. This was an invaluable opportunity for students to see the best of what their peers have created, and to gain inspiration for their own work. The students also had the privilege of attending a performance of the play “Wuthering Heights” and participated in an HSC workshop at the Sydney Theatre Company, where they learned from industry professionals. 

Our Years 10-12 Music students went to the Sydney Opera House to see exemplary HSC music performances and compositions in Encore, an opportunity to be exposed to the very best works by HSC students. These experiences have enriched our curriculum, making learning come alive beyond the classroom walls. 

We have some wonderful opportunities for academic enrichment on the horizon. In previous years we have had students participate in a range of engaging competitions where they have achieved considerable success. In the da Vinci Decathlon, our teams have secured multiple wins across various age groups and subject categories. 

The Science and Engineering Challenge has also seen our students excel, with Kinross Wolaroi winning twice in the past three years. This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for our students to apply their problem-solving skills and creativity in real-world scenarios. Both competitions are coming up soon, so students should keep an eye on the Hub for more information on how to get involved.  

It has also been immensely pleasing to receive several very positive reports from the community and other school Heads commending our students for their great sportsmanship, good manners, helpfulness, and friendliness. At a recent meeting of the NSW School Principals, I had three Heads go out of their way to tell me how impressed they have been with the attitude and sportsmanship of our rowers, cricketers, and triathletes. They were also highly complimentary of their level of skill and achievement. To those involved, thank you for being such splendid ambassadors for our Kinross Wolaroi. Your dedication and positive representation of our school make us all proud. 

We have assembled an impressive cast for our 2025 musical “Aladdin”.  

Congratulations to the 100 plus students who had the courage to audition for a 

role in the production. For many, this is a big step outside their comfort zone, and 

they are to be commended for trying something new and taking full advantage of 

the great opportunities our School has to offer. 

Just over 60 students have been cast in the production across Years 7-12 and no 

doubt the Musical will be a great highlight when it is staged at the beginning of 

Term 3. Our School has such a fine tradition of staging outstanding musical  

productions, and I have every confidence that the 2025 performance will build on  

this tradition of excellence. 

I would like to commend the student body for their mature and positive approach  

to our recent Wellbeing Day. This day provides a wonderful opportunity to  

explore and discuss many contemporary wellbeing issues facing young people, and 

I hope every student found something that was of benefit to them. I know from  

speaking with many students, they found the day to be most helpful, and it was  

heartening to see such engagement and openness in these important discussions. 

There has been a great deal of activity within the Round Square space this Term. Round square is a global network of 250 schools that share a common philosophy of providing opportunities for developing all dimensions of a young person, an holistic education. This framework greatly supports and enhances many of the wonderful experiences we provide at Kinross. Both our Junior and Senior Committees have been showing great initiative in creating and exploring many opportunities for our students to enjoy and be involved in, fostering personal growth and global connections. 

It has also been a great pleasure for us to host two international exchange students this term: Sophie Duran Castro from England and Nikki Nkirote Njogu from Kenya. They have been wonderfully supported by their Kinross Wolaroi host families, and I wish to extend my sincere thanks to our hosts for their kindness and generosity. Nikki gave a superb presentation at our assembly this week talking about her school, Kenya, and her Australian experience. It is wonderful for all our students to learn of other cultures, school experiences and to broaden their friendship groups. 

We have seen Internationalism celebrated with International Women’s Day last Monday, when Dr Julie Cunningham, the Labor Candidate for our region and a school parent came and spoke passionately about her journey and some of the challenges she has faced as a woman in the workforce and in politics. Her message was inspiring, and I am so pleased our Year 11 & 12 girls had the opportunity to hear from her. Her insights into resilience, leadership, and perseverance will undoubtedly stay with our students as they continue to pursue their own goals and ambitions. 

Recently our Year 12 Prefects travelled to Sydney to meet with the Uniting Church Moderator and other Uniting Church School student leaders, where they explored leadership and the potential they have to make a positive and lasting contribution to the school communities during their time in office. Our Prefects had the opportunity to share stories of what they hope their legacy will be, and to hear from others about what student leadership looks like in other schools. 

It was a valuable opportunity for our leaders to reflect on what they have achieved already, and to plan what they can work towards before the end of their school and leadership journey here at Kinross Wolaroi. 

Our creative and performing arts programs have been engaging in a vast array of  

activities that provide so many outstanding opportunities for students to enjoy 

and experience. 

Last Thursday evening the Orange Chamber Music Festival staged their opening  

night here in the DPA with the evening commencing with a brilliant repertoire  

performed by our talented String Quartet.  

Kinross Wolaroi School is a proud partner of the Orange Chamber Music  

Festival and associated with the Festival is the Cultured Youth Orchestra Project.  

This project aims to nurture young musicians and sees students engaging with and 

being inspired by outstanding musicians. 

Members of the Kinross Wolaroi School Orchestra joined with other advanced musicians from  across the Central West to perform a program of orchestral works composed by 

Australian composers with our students forming the majority of the orchestra.  

Working with these talented musicians from the Australian Chamber Orchestra,  

Melbourne University and the Australian Music Centre, our students performed  

superbly to a very large audience at the Orange Civic Theatre. This was an  

incredible opportunity for them to perform alongside some of the best in the  

industry, and they shone on stage. 

And in the world of Sport, we have seen considerable success and achievement. We have had some marvellous performances in Cricket, Swimming and from our Triathletes just to mention a few. 

Last weekend the annual School Girls and School Boys Head of the River Rowing Regattas were held over Saturday and Sunday at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. 

The Girls Head of the River saw 43 schools and 1200 students compete, displaying the best rowers and rowing schools in NSW. Fittingly, on International Women’s Day, it was marvellous to witness so many young women showcasing their considerable talents.  

The performance of Kinross Wolaroi School was extraordinary. We dominated the Regatta, winning more medals and more gold than any other school. Kinross Wolaroi won the premier event, the Girls Open 1st VIII, and the 2nd VIII, with the 3rd VIII winning silver. This is the first time in the School’s history that we have won both the 1st VIII and 2nd VIII races at this event. We also won the Senior Trophy and the Junior Trophy – quite remarkable for a school of our size. 

The boys on Sunday also had a spectacular day winning a huge number of medals, totally dominating the Open School Boy Coxed Quads and our Year 9 Coxed Quad set a new course record on the way to a Gold Medal. 

We have also had a number of individual achievements, that I would like to acknowledge. 

Isabel Wong in Year 12 has been included in the Australian Youth Orchestra, a remarkable achievement that reflects her outstanding musical talent and dedication. 

Lily Clark (Year 12) and Sam Hill (Year 11) have been selected in the National Touch Football Youth Squad and Phoebe Johnston (Year 10) has been selected in the Combined Independent Schools 1st Cricket XI. Incredible accomplishments, demonstrating their athleticism and teamwork on the national stage. 

And we have just been informed that Isabella Lloyd George has received the Macquarie University Year 11 Emerging Leader Award for 2024, a well-deserved recognition of her leadership potential and contributions to our school community. 

Our past students have also been in the spotlight. A huge congratulations must go to our alumna, Jess Mosely (Class of 2021), on being awarded the prestigious C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship!  

Jess, a former Head Girl of Kinross Wolaroi School, achieved an impressive ATAR of 98.5 and is currently studying a Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness) at Marcus Oldham College in Geelong, Vic. Her passion for agriculture and rural communities continues to drive her success. 

The C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship is one of Australia’s most prestigious, valued at up to $75,000 over three years. Jess will be honoured at Government House in May alongside four other outstanding scholars. We are incredibly proud of Jess and can’t wait to see the impact she makes in the agricultural industry.

These individual achievements are a testament to the hard work, talent, and determination of our students. We are incredibly proud of their success and look forward to seeing where their talents take them in the future.