From the Leadership Team
Jon Charlton, Principal
Welcome back to Term 3 everyone. While our wings remained somewhat clipped in terms of travel over the break, nonetheless I trust many of you were able to venture somewhere or enjoy the surrounds of Melbourne and restore and renew.
As we navigate yet another lockdown, I trust your children and family are coping well, and I encourage you to draw on the support available from the School, ie classroom teachers, Mentors, Heads of School, Chaplain and School Psychologists. Remaining connected is key and while this is challenging in lockdown, there are still many ways to maintain contact with friends, family and community.
Three themes continue to guide Kilvington staff in 2021: Connect/reconnect, Consolidate and Growth.
1.CONNECT/RECONNECT – the lockdowns continue to cause much isolation and disconnection, which in turn has led to poorer mental health and wellbeing. To be fully human requires face-to-face contact. Digital-only relationships do not suffice.
One of the world’s longest studies of adult life, the Harvard study of Adult Development, followed subjects for eighty years, and found that social connection and relationships are the single greatest predictor of health and happiness in life.
Lately other studies have revealed that social connection is the best coping strategy to enable us to healthily emerge from lockdowns. Dr Grant Blashki from Beyond Blue, says, “You may think it’s convenient to roll out of bed and not have to deal with anyone but …reconnecting helps people recharge and recover.”
Currently throughout Australia, indeed the world, there is a massive focus on mental health and wellbeing. According to research conducted in Australia by Schools Plus, over 38% of educators said mental health and wellbeing was their primary priority – ahead of literacy and numeracy, STEM, and family and community engagement. Of schools significantly impacted by COVID-19, this number shot up to 50%.
We need to remain vigilant in monitoring the mental health and wellbeing of our students and each other. As with an iceberg, my sense is that there is much going on under the surface and unseen for many of us. Attentive, active, compassionate listening is therefore essential at this point of time.
The role of School mentors has probably never been more critical. I encourage everyone within our community to regularly check in on each other.
2. CONSOLIDATE – staff continue to work diligently to bed down their outstanding work of the past few years – in the Pastoral and Mentor program, new subjects, the VCE tracking data system, flagships, the Year 9 Impact program, international student program, and I could go on.
Most importantly, they are working very hard to consolidate student learning. We want to ensure that any student who may have fallen behind due to the pandemic is supported in catching up with their learning.
3. GROWTH – as always there are many opportunities for development and improvement. I thank staff for their involvement in the Collective Impact Mentoring program, where they are working with colleagues to improve their teaching practice in one of five areas – collaborative learning, feedback, worked examples, explicit teaching or metacognitive strategies.
It is irrefutable that quality teaching plays a major role in producing excellence in student learning outcomes. I thank staff for their ongoing commitment to professional best practice.
Nationwide, it would appear that we need to grow in our understanding and delivery of consent education. We are looking at what we need to do to improve our program at Kilvington.
We have scheduled an information session for parents as part of our 2021 PEP Talks series – Sexual Health and Consent (see Community News for more information).
Australia-wide, we still have such a long way to go in learning about, and embracing, our indigenous cultures. Again, at Kilvington, we are taking some small steps in this direction.
There are so many opportunities for improvement and growth.
Finally, related to growth, the new STEAM and Library Centre will soon sprout from the corner of Leila and Lillimur Rds. We are hopeful the building works will commence in the September holidays.
So, the guide words for the year continue to be: Connect/reconnect, Consolidate and Growth.
Semester Two Character Trait Word
Following on from our Semester One character trait word of Optimism, the Student Leaders, with input from key staff, have decided that the Semester Two character trait word will be Diligence. It will be interesting to see how this word is explored in the coming weeks.
New Kilvington Principal
As you are aware, the new Kilvington Principal, Mr Rob French, has been appointed. I am delighted with the Board’s decision, and look forward to supporting Rob as he transitions into the role.
Annual Concert
The Kilvington Annual Concert, pending COVID restrictions, will be held on Friday 13 August. We are indeed looking forward to enjoying our students’ musical talents. Please see further information in Music News on page 5.
KNews – School Magazine
Over the break, you should have received a copy of the School’s annual magazine, KNews. If you did not receive your copy, please pick one up from Kathy at Main Reception.
Staffing news
We welcome Miss Shauna Kiernan as a Humanities/Geography teacher replacing Ms Eleanor Spzak whilst she on maternity leave until June next year. Shauna is a graduate of the University College Cork and has Master of Education in German and Geography. Special congratulations to Eleanor and her partner Ned on the recent birth of their son Harry James Harding.
Mr Robert Harvey has been appointed to the role of IT and Digital Support Officer. Robert is an IT professional who has worked in various workplaces including the Victoria Police Forensic Service Department.
We welcome Ms Gina Gataveckaite as our new Piano teacher. As a concert pianist, Gina has performed in many leading venues around the world, from Australia through to Europe. Gina has a BMus Hons. She has taught at St Leonard’s and is currently also working at Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School.
This term, Mrs Kerryn Warburton, timetable and teacher, returns following her long service leave. It was also wonderful to welcome back Mrs Allison Bivard after her absence due to illness.
After 40 years of teaching and 28 years at Kilvington, Biology and Science teacher Mrs Alison Kershaw has decided to retire and will do so at year’s end. Alison feels it is time to travel, and then possibly do occasional CRT work. Alison has had a stellar career, and Kilvington owes much to her for her teaching prowess, loyalty and commitment to the School.
School Nurse, Ms Heidi Boer, has decided to resign effective 6 August. While Heidi has loved being part of the Kivington community for the past three years, and we have loved having her, after a period of reflection on her career path, she feels it is time to return to the hospital scene before she loses her clinical nursing skills. So, Heidi has accepted a position on a Surgical Unit at Cabrini with the intention of preparing for a Nurse-in-Charge or management position in the near future. I thank Heidi for her warm, gentle and kind approach to all in her care, and wish her every success in the future.
In addition, Mrs Deb Duce, Community Relations Officer, has tendered her resignation effective Friday 13 August, as she has decided she wants the flexibility in her life to be able to spend more time with her family when the opportunity affords. Deb has worked at Kilvington for eight years, and throughout this time she has been pivotal in supporting community members connect with each other and the School. Deb’s warmth of spirit, genuine heart and outstanding service to the School has been instrumental in building the strength of community we enjoy today. She will be sadly missed.
I wish everyone a very productive semester. I trust we will all play our part to not only educate our students’ minds, but also their hearts and spirits. A school of soul is one that teaches minds and touches hearts and spirits. Kilvington is such a school.