From the Leadership Team

Rob French, Principal

Celebrating as a community

Welcome to Term 3! It has been a truly special year to date as we celebrate our School’s centenary. 

The year kicked-off with a lovely Centenary morning tea in February, followed by our magnificent Centenary Fair in March. Both these events set the scene for a celebratory year ahead.

Then late last term, we gathered at St Paul’s Cathedral in the city for our Foundation Day Service. 

It was wonderful to see a large number of parents and Kilvonians in attendance as we paid tribute to our courageous founders. These visionary individuals made some incredibly brave decisions in the early 1920s, setting in motion a sequence of events that have led to us enjoying our School as we know it today. 

We also took the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of former Principals, board members, staff members, and students, who, through their own unwavering commitment, have helped to shape the School and build the unique and cherished culture that Kilvington is known for.

Speak to former students from any era, and they always mention the sense of community that they felt when they were at School, and it is great that this is still the case today.  It is also incredibly special that our school motto, non nobis sed omnibus ('not for our own, but others’ good'), which was established in the late 1920s by founding Headmistress Caroline Barrett, is still such a guiding principle of our School today.

In a year where we pay tribute to all who have gone before us, and in which we celebrate our School’s amazing 100-year history, it is wonderful that we are able to come together for such special events. I am very much looking forward to our Centenary Concert on August 10, particularly as so many Kilvonians will be taking the stage alongside our current students. If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets, you can book here.

On September 9, we have our Gala Dinner at Merrimu Receptions, which will also see Kilvonians gather in numbers with current parents and staff.  You can book your tickets to enjoy this spectacular celebration here.

Our centenary year will then conclude with Celebration Night in November, which will focus particularly on our 100-year history.  There is certainly a great deal to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead.

As well as these significant centenary events, we also have the Junior School production of Moana taking the stage later this term. It promises to be a wonderful show and I know that our Years 5 and 6 students are very excited and can’t wait for opening night. 

We will also be welcoming several class reunions this term, including the Class of 1973, which celebrates 50 years since leaving School this year. These nights are always special and it is wonderful to hear past students reminiscing about their school days and sharing their favourite memories.

I look forward to seeing many of you at these events. It is certainly a special time to be part of the Kilvington community.

NAPLAN tests 

It was wonderful to note that over 90% of our students who sat the NAPLAN tests this year were categorised as ‘Exceeding’ or ‘Strong’. We will work through the data in the coming weeks and share the information with you, as well as aim to implement programs that will further support students across the year levels with their learning.

Staffing News

We recently welcomed Josh Rourke to the Marketing Department in the new role of Digital Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Most recently, Josh worked as a Digital Coordinator at Bowls Victoria Inc and, prior to that, worked as a Graphic Designer at The SHOT, a Sports Magazine. We look forward to Josh documenting our many up-and-coming school events.

Congratulations to Bree Moore and partner Chris who welcomed a baby girl (Aurora) into their family over the holidays.

Also, congratulations to Jon Williams who, after an extensive recruitment process, was appointed Deputy of Head of Senior School, a newly created role at Kilvington. Jon will commence his new role in November this year.