As some people may know already, Mrs. McKelvey is retiring at the end of this year after a teaching career of forty years. Mrs. McKelvey whose family includes teachers, university lecturers and doctors, was unsure what she wished her career to be. Her art teacher suggested that she would make an amazing art teacher. Initially, Mrs McKelvey thought she wouldn’t be good enough, but with some encouragement she found her passion.

Mrs. McKelvey started her career at Ardeer High School and after three years, she moved onto Emmaus College in Vermont and then to Maroondah High School, and then Warrandyte. Mrs.McKelvey and her family, then moved to Ballarat where she at first worked as an emergency teacher. A position at Beaufort Secondary College came up. Mrs. McKelvey applied. She was interviewed by former principal, Mr. Macaulay and got the job in 1994. Mrs. McKelvey has taught many subjects including Art, Visual Communication Design (VCD), Fabrics, Music and English.

Mrs. McKelvey has had many roles at school in addition to teaching. She has been the Secretary of the Chaplaincy committee since 2001, the Arts and Technology Coordinator, run the School Choir (Beaufort Secondary College Singers) since 2003, she has helped with the decorations for the debutante ball since starting at Beaufort and was also the compere for the deb ball many for many years.

There have been many highlights in her teaching career, including Lynette Heenan winning a $10,000 design prize which funded the installation of the school gallery and painting the mural on the Art Show Shed with the art students, VCD students and Ms. McGregor. The Choir has given Mrs McKelvey so much pleasure with a standout performance being at the 2018 Choral Festival where the choir received a standing ovation. Another highlight of the Choir was being asked to lead the Beaufort Community Carols for the last three years. The choir had many day workshops during the school holidays which “were a whole lot of fun, singing all day and making brownies in a mug.”

Mrs. McKelvey ran many memorable excursions to the National Victorian Gallery and Ballarat Gallery, taking students to see exhibitions in some of which her students’ works were displayed. Another memorable experience was taking her students and the primary school students to the main street of Beaufort to create chalk artwork on the footpaths.

When asked what she will miss the most, Mrs McKelvey replied “my students, my students, my students.” She will miss the daily contact with students and the relationships she has made with her students. “There’s nothing that I like more than keeping in touch with my students.” and this she intends to do. Mrs McKelvey will miss the relationships she has with the staff and the friendships that have developed over the years.

Mrs. McKelvey will finish the school year and then return to Melbourne to be with her family. Spending time with her daughters, two grandchildren and her Mum.

Mrs. McKelvey’s final words of wisdom to all the students are “Education enriches your life and the lives of those around you, therefore pursue it endlessly, accepting that you will always be a student!”

On behalf of everyone at Beaufort Secondary College, thank you to Mrs. McKelvey for being an amazing teacher and for the extra care she has given to all of our students. We thank her for her dedication, support and friendship to us all. We wish you all the best for the next stage in your life.

Mrs. McKelvey will be greatly missed.

Naomi Gerrard, Year 10

Beaufort Secondary College Newsletter

Issue 19 · 15 Dec 2019

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