Program Highlights
NAPLAN Results
Every year, the Government conducts the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) – which assesses Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Australia. The NAPLAN maps each student’s outcomes onto a ten-band continuum, and results are reported against national minimum standards. The standards are as follows:
- Year 3: National minimum standard = Band 2
- Year 5: National minimum standard = Band 4
- Year 7: National minimum standard = Band 5
- Year 9: National minimum standard = Band 6
The following graphs show Kilvington’s school summary report at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 for each of the areas tested for NAPLAN 2016: Reading, Writing, Language Conventions – Spelling, Language Conventions – Grammar and Punctuation, and Numeracy.
Please note that the national data is not yet available.
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
Key
In another highly commendable performance, Kilvington students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are performing well above the State average in all areas.
Additionally, our focus on challenging and extending all students is clearly demonstrated by the increasing numbers of students achieving in the upper bands/ percentiles. The visuals below show the movement of the current Year 9 cohort from the bands in Year 7 in 2014.
Parents would have already received individual NAPLAN student reports towards the end of last term.
Next year, NAPLAN is moving to an online version and you may recall that we recently participated in a trial of this system. The NAPLAN online system will reduce time between testing and reporting, which increases the ability of teachers to use the results to inform teaching practice.
All Australian schools benefit from the outcomes of national testing. Schools can gain detailed information about how students are performing, and they can identify strengths and weaknesses which may warrant further attention.
All students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN tests and parents are urged to encourage their child to put their best foot forward during the tests, but to also be reminded that it is one indicator of many when measuring a child’s performance at school.
See further information here:
Teresa Deshon, Deputy Principal
ELC After School Care Program
From Term 4, the ASC program for our ELC children will be run from the ELC. This area will be staffed by two Extend educators.
The ASC for our Junior School students will continue to run from the allocated space within the Junior School.
English Writers Festival & Book Week
The Kilvington Festival (KWF) is the central platform for the Writing Flagship and here we can enthuse students to write for a real, local audience. By having our Festival run in tandem with the Melbourne Writers Festival – 29 August – 2 September, students can access authors, events and ideas to inform their own writing.
Growing Up was the theme for this year’s Festival and competition, and each Section had a different prompt/quote. All Students from Years 7 -11 and a select number of Y12s participated.
There are three student sections and the winners were:
Years 7 and 8
Winner: Miranda Abbott
Special Commendation:
Chantelle Khmelevski
Years 9 and 10
Winner: Jasmine Fassoulis
Special Commendation: Zoe Parsons
Years 11 and 12
Winner: Aaron Kale
Special Commendation: Alanna Owen
In 2016 another category was added – Staff/Parent.
Winner: Dee Broughton
Special Commendation: Kathleen Javen
This Section was added to expand the Festival into the wider Kilvington community with a dual purpose. Firstly, storytelling is a shared human experience and it enables us to make sense of the world. Secondly, it allows students to have visible and accessible role models – people who really enjoy this challenging experience.
Workshop with Author, Will Kostakis
At the Awards Ceremony on 29 August, prize winners in each category received an engraved silver pen and/or a book. This year the author, Will Kostakis, addressed the gathering with a hilarious account of his journey as a writer and he presented the awards to the recipients.
During this day, Will spent time with every Y10 English class:
“We were engaged, intrigued and informed by Will Kostakis as he talked to Year 10s at the 2016 Kilvington Writers Festival. With his first book published at 17, his wise cracks and sarcastic jokes kept us intrigued for the hour-long session. We learnt a lot about the techniques of creative writing and ended up writing our own piece. He went through the steps of making your writing jump off the page by the use of 'show but don't tell'. Some students were fortunate enough to receive a copy of Will's book, The First Third, if they had demonstrated exceptional creative writing skills.”
Timothy Bayley, Edward Bonning,
Eve Durand and Jessica Conser, Y10
“The workshop was fantastic and definitely helpful for those who have a passion for English and creative writing!”
Holly Haslauer, Y10
The Stella Conversation
A highlight of the KWF was The ‘Stella’ Conversation – a panel of authors from the ‘Stella Prize’ (a Wheeler Centre initiative) held a conversation with all Y11 students about the role of gender in writing. The authors joined with the students to share their personal journeys (and very amusing stories as writers) and students provided insights with their own interpretations of the role of gender in writing.
“The Year 11s were lucky enough to hear from Bec Kavanagh, Schools Manager for the Stella Prize, along with authors Rebecca Lim and Mike Bartlett. Listening to the panel’s discussions, it was really interesting to hear perspectives from within the writing and publishing industry on discourses such as gender and ethnicity, and related issues of inequality, racism, and stereotyping that have become ingrained in both business and society.”
Olivia Beauchamp, Y11
“The Year 11s observed a fascinating panel discussion from the great literary minds on the topic of gender stereotyping and the barriers people face who work in the media industry. Presented with interesting arguments on the matter and a hilarious alternate perspective on the novel Twilight, we were positioned to really think about how and why different pieces of writing are marketed to us in certain ways. Overall, it was a great forum, thoroughly enjoyed by the whole year level.”
Lauren Rowley, Y11
Kilvington Writers Festival Logo
A wonderful Kilvington Writers Festival logo has been designed and developed by Y11 student, Olivia Palaskis. The logo was inspired by the symbol on the students’ blazer pocket. This will be our permanent symbol for the Festival.
Melbourne Writers Festival
Students have attended events at the Melbourne Writers Festival during the past four years. In 2016, groups of students attended the following:
‘Contemporary Fairytales’ workshop – Y7
‘Build your own World’ workshop – Y8
‘Video Game Writing’ workshop – Y7, 8, 9
‘Poetry Slam’ workshops for each Y9 class and participation in the Melbourne Outloud Poetry Slam.
Anna Funder – Y12 students attended a conversation with the author of Stasiland (one of their VCE texts).
So another creative and thought provoking Festival! The theme for next year’s Kilvington Writers Festival is … ah …you will have to wait till 2017!
Marian Le Bas, Academic Dean of English