Program Highlights
The Green Re-Opens
Last week, the new revamped Green re-opened. There were some very excited Junior School students who quickly test drove all the new equipment and surrounds. Thank you to our PFA for their very generous donation which contributed to the amazing upgrade. And thank you to Maintenance Manager, Peter Woolfrey and his team, and Graham Williams, Director of Business.
Junior School Leaders Induction
Congratulations to our Junior School Leaders for 2017 who were inducted at a special Assembly recently. It was then followed by a morning tea for our parents. Congratulations to all. You should be very proud
Japanese Masterclass
On Thursday, 2 March, 14 students and myself attended a Japanese Masterclass. This year we had Adam Wojcinski come and speak to us about Bushido, which is the way of the samurai. Adam told some amazing stories about ancient samurai and taught us about the Japanese traditions of giri, seppuku, and the importance of tea.
He also showed us heaps of pictures of him practicing tea in various countries, such as Iceland and Japan. It was very interesting and everybody who was present thoroughly enjoyed the session.
Rachael Martin, Year 11
Writing Flagship – Poetry
Year 12 student Noah Sole’s poems are written for pleasure, and are short, but memorable. Bones and Anatomy of the Ocean are two of many, but stood out to us due to their elegance, fluency and emotional depth.
Sophia Zikic and Aidan McShane, English Captains, Year 11
Bones
“Marrow vessels that support your frame show
less hardships than cracked minds of lost love”
Anatomy of the Ocean
“Heart allowed waves to crash on me
Lungs flow like water I once held my breath through
Mind light and reflective, the surface of she
Touch of the sand, meeting somewhere new”
Noah Sole, Year 12
Round One DAV Debating Recap
Wednesday 8 March marked the commencement of the 2017 DAV Debating season, and what a night it was! Kilvington is again hosting the recently created Ormond Region and, as such, we welcomed students from a range of schools in the area into our classrooms and corridors.
Kicking off the night itself was the A (Year 12) and C (Year 10) Grade competition. Inter-school debating is categorised into year levels rather than ages, and some students debate up a grade if that is appropriate for their experience and skill level.
Should Australia end its alliance with the US?
Our two Year 12 teams debated the topical subject: ‘That Australia should end its alliance with the US’, and both teams presented the affirmative view. Congratulations to Nick Grandison, Anneliese Croker and Caitlin Woods on their success – and to Anneliese who was announced as the Best Speaker for the debate. A special mention also to Nick who has taken on the challenge of inter-school Debating for the first time this year – we applaud your courage, Nick!
Commendations are also due to Blake Melbourne, Vishnu Krishnamoorthi and Charan Naidoo who were beaten by a small margin in their debate, but spoke to the adjudicator afterwards, and reflected honestly and insightfully on his feedback, feeling motivated to rectify any mistakes and learn from this experience. This maturity and insight was truly impressive to witness.
Should the value of a citizen’s vote diminish with age?
Pleasingly, our C grade teams were both successful in their debates, arguing the affirmative side in ‘That the value of a citizen’s vote should diminish with age’. Congratulations to William Douglas and Noah Kanapathippillai who were both awarded Best Speaker in their respective debates. Further, welcome to Toshi Preston who has recently joined the Debating team and debuted in the C Grade 1 team.
Should parents be allowed to refuse medical treatment for their children?
At 8.00pm, the next set of debates began, the B Grade (Year 11) and D Grade (Year 9) competition. Arguing whether ‘Parents should be allowed to refuse medical treatment for their children’, Kilvington’s two B Grade teams were both victorious, and both Jack Kirkham and Shreya Naidoo are to be congratulated for their Best Speaker nominations. A special mention goes to both Shreya and Lydia Sharpe, who stepped in at very late notice to debate due to some illness in one of the teams. It really does take courage to step outside your comfort zone, and the whole squad thanks you for taking on this challenge. Well done also to Leanne Chua who also debated up a grade in this round.
Should Australia adopt a new national flag?
At the same time, some nervous D Graders made their debut in the Senior DAV competition, arguing as to whether ‘Australia should adopt a new national flag’. Two teams were victorious, Kilvington 2 and 3, and congratulations to Trisha Mathew, Miranda Abbott and Rebecca Katz for being awarded Best Speaker in their debates.
Kilvington 1, Marcus Elliott-Durrell, Harry Xi and Erik Jurgensen, while not given the win, wrapped it up perfectly – when asked how they felt they went, their reply: “We did really well! But the other team were a bit better.” Congratulations boys – not only are you reflecting honestly on your own ability, but you are developing the evaluation skills to acknowledge and accept the merits of your opposition.
Overall, I walked away from the night feeling mighty proud of the Debating program at Kilvington and the talented students who contribute their time and energy into making it such a success. Win or lose, our students are mature, respectful and insightful and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
I look forward to seeing everyone at Debating meetings on Thursdays in the Library after school – Debating Leader, Vishnu Krishnamoorthi, and Year 12 Debater, Kyra von Stiegler, will be there to assist students in their preparation. Round 2 is not long away – Wednesday 29 March!
If your child is interested in taking part in debating, please do not hesitate to contact me via email: mackiec@kilvington.vic.edu.au
Clare Mackie, Debating Coordinator
Library Update - Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge 2017
The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and Kilvington Grammar School is excited to be participating.
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition, but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2017.
Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.
All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier (in Term 4) and can choose to have their name included on the online Honour Roll. If you would like your child‘s name to appear on the Honour Roll, please email library@kilvington.vic.edu.au for a copy of the consent form.
To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklists and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
The Library encourages all Kilvington students to participate in the 2017 Challenge. Some fantastic experiences and adventures await!
Visit the Library website (http://library.kilvington.vic.edu.au) Under the drop down menu item ‘Lists’ you can view the Premiers’ Reading Challenge booklists for each year level. These are books in the Library collection, and are available for you to borrow and add to your Challenge progress.
Get involved, take on the Challenge, and have some courage to have a go this year.
Make 2017 your reading year!
The McKie Library Team
Mrs Jane Viner, Mr Jordan Adams, Mrs Vanessa Grosso
2016 Quills Awards
As a result of Kilvington’s association with the Melbourne Press Club, Year 11 students, Aidan McShane and Sophia Zikic, along with staff, Mrs Clarnette and Mr Charlton, attended The 2016 Quills Awards last Friday night at Crown. All guests were impressed with the range and breadth of journalist awards and talents. The photo shows Aidan and Sophia with 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Nikki Savva, alongside Laurie Oakes, a previous Lifetime Achievement Award winner.