kelvin grove state college Archives

Kelvin Grove Teacher Recognised in Prestigious State Awards

Photo Credit: Queensland College of Teachers/ Facebook

A Kelvin Grove State College teacher has been recognised as one of Queensland’s most influential educators at the 2024 TeachX Awards.

*Photo Credit:* *Kelvin Grove State College/ Facebook*

Danielle Alympic is among 31 teachers from across the state who are celebrated for their outstanding contributions to their school communities and the teaching profession.

The annual awards, hosted by the Queensland College of Teachers, highlight the exceptional work of educators across various categories. This year’s winners have demonstrated remarkable achievements, from boosting attendance rates among at-risk students to pioneering innovative digital learning programmes.

Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) Board Chair Emeritus Professor Wendy Patton acknowledged the winners, emphasising their dedication to enhancing students’ education and inspiring fellow teachers.

*Photo Credit:* *Kelvin Grove State College File Photo 2021/ Facebook*

She praised their passion, creativity, and steadfast commitment to educational excellence.

Ms Alympic has made a significant impact at Kelvin Grove State College through a range of initiatives. In Food Studies, she spearheaded the “Masterchef Mystery Box Challenge,” engaging 300 students in a culinary competition judged by faculty members.

As Student Representative Coordinator, she facilitated student participation in inter-school events and projects, including Amnesty International workshops, the Queensland Global Youth Summit, and various charitable fundraising activities.

Furthermore, Ms Alympic led 18 colleagues as Year 9 English Team Leader, focusing on enhancing classroom instruction and mentoring early-career teachers.

The TEACHX Awards ceremony will be held in Brisbane on Thursday, October 24, leading to World Teachers’ Day in Queensland.

Published Date 08-October-2024

Kelvin Grove State College Students Triumph in 2024 Literary Competition

Two students from Kelvin Grove State College have claimed top honours in the 2024 Literary Competition, Queensland’s oldest continuous writing contest for school students.

Read: Kelvin Grove State College Joins Elite in 2023 School Rankings

Now in its 65th year, the 2024 Literary Competition saw over 1,300 submissions across various categories, showcasing the state’s young literary talent.

Leonard Cavallaro, representing Years 9 and 10, secured first place in the short story category, while Elisabeth Yeo took the top spot for Years 7 and 8, also in the short story division. Their success highlights the strength of Kelvin Grove State College’s English and creative writing programs.

The English Teachers Association of Queensland (ETAQ) President Anne Wood noted that the competition received high-quality entries from schools across Queensland. She emphasised that the Literary Competition continues to be a significant event for nurturing young writers in the state. Established in 1959, the competition has become a launching pad for many budding authors over the decades.

The awards ceremony, held at the Queensland Multicultural Centre, saw winners receive certificates and book prizes donated by Penguin Random House Australia. First-place recipients had the opportunity to read their winning pieces to an appreciative audience.

Guest speaker Zanni Louise, a children’s book author from Byron Bay, delivered an engaging lecture, sharing insights from her writing career and inspiring the young talents in attendance.

2024 Literary Competition — Zanni Louise (Photo credit: Independent Education Union)

Terry Burke, Branch Secretary of the Independent Education Union of Australia (Qld & NT), highlighted the competition’s role in developing students’ writing skills and creativity. He explained that their goal is to foster literary development and freedom of expression among young people.

The competition, jointly sponsored by the IEUA-QNT, ETAQ, and Penguin Random House, is open to students from Years 5 to 12, as well as teachers. It offers categories for poetry, short stories, and non-fiction prose across different age groups, with cash prizes for the top three places in each section.

Read: Bluey Leaves Paddington: Iconic Show Home Embodies Spirit of West Brisbane

As Kelvin Grove State College celebrates its students’ achievements, the Literary Competition continues to play a vital role in nurturing Queensland’s next generation of writers, proving that the art of storytelling is alive and well in the Sunshine State.

Published 16-August-2024

Kelvin Grove State College Joins Elite in 2023 School Rankings

Photo Credit: Kelvin Grove State College

Kelvin Grove State College has emerged as a rising star in Queensland’s educational landscape, securing a spot among the top 50 high schools in the state, according to the latest rankings by Better Education.

The independent specialist schools website, Better Education, recently unveiled its updated list of Queensland’s top 150 schools for Years 7–10. This compilation ranks public and private institutions based on their Year 9 English and Math test results in 2023.

While the top four schools remained unchanged from the previous year, Northside Christian College made a significant leap forward, joining a select group of institutions that have substantially improved their standing. This achievement places Northside among the most improved schools across the state, reflecting its commitment to academic excellence and holistic student development.

Kelvin Grove State College

It was established in 2002 through the amalgamation of Kelvin Grove State High School and Kelvin Grove State School, as part of the Queensland government’s Smart State initiative. This merger transformed the school into a P-12 institution, catering to students from preparatory through year 12.

The school’s history dates back further than its official establishment in 2002. The original Kelvin Grove State School was opened in 1924, while Kelvin Grove State High School was established in 1950. These institutions served the local community for decades before their merger into the current Kelvin Grove State College.

Kelvin Grove State College has a rich history and continues to be a leading educational institution in Queensland. Its focus on innovation, technology, and collaboration with QUT positions it as a forward-thinking institution preparing students for the future.

The 2023 rankings also saw several other noteworthy improvements, particularly among private schools outside of Brisbane. Annandale Christian College in Townsville, St Luke’s Anglican School in Bundaberg, and Tamborine Mountain State High School in the Scenic Rim all made substantial gains, showcasing the growing strength of educational institutions in regional areas.

Other notable climbers included Immanuel Lutheran College on the Sunshine Coast, Springfield Anglican College in Ipswich, and St Andrew’s Lutheran College on the Gold Coast. These schools’ advancements highlight the dynamic nature of education in Queensland and the dedication of educators across the state to continually enhance learning outcomes for their students.

Rank	School	Locality	Sector	State Overall Score	2022 Rank
1	Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology	Toowong	Government	100	1
2	Brisbane Grammar School	Brisbane	Non-Government	100	2
3	Brisbane Girls Grammar School	Brisbane	Non-Government	100	3
4	Brisbane State High School	South Brisbane	Government	100	4
5	Somerville House	South Brisbane	Non-Government	100	9
6	St Peters Lutheran College	Indooroopilly	Non-Government	100	10
7	Somerset College	Mudgeeraba	Non-Government	100	5
8	Ormiston College	Ormiston	Non-Government	100	6
9	St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace	Brisbane	Non-Government	99	11
10	Cannon Hill Anglican College	Cannon Hill	Non-Government	99	13
11	Whitsunday Anglican School	Beaconsfield	Non-Government	99	7
12	Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie)	East Brisbane	Non-Government	99	15
13	AB Paterson College	Arundel	Non-Government	99	22
14	St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School	Corinda	Non-Government	99	8
15	All Hallows School	Brisbane	Non-Government	99	16
16	Emmanuel College	Carrara	Non-Government	99	24
17	St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School	Ascot	Non-Government	99	14
18	Ipswich Grammar School	Ipswich	Non-Government	99	12
19	Redeemer Lutheran College	Rochedale	Non-Government	99	21
20	Matthew Flinders Anglican College	Buderim	Non-Government	99	19
21	All Saints Anglican School	Merrimac	Non-Government	99	17
22	Hillbrook Anglican School	Enoggera	Non-Government	99	27
23	Mansfield State High School	Mansfield	Government	99	29
24	Citipointe Christian College	Carindale	Non-Government	98	34
25	Brisbane Boys’ College	Toowong	Non-Government	98	18
26	Sheldon College	Sheldon	Non-Government	98	23
27	John Paul College	Daisy Hill	Non-Government	98	31
28	Indooroopilly State High School	Indooroopilly	Government	98	35
29	Sunshine Coast Grammar School	Forest Glen	Non-Government	98	45
30	Mt St Michael’s College	Ashgrove	Non-Government	98	25
31	St Rita’s College	Clayfield	Non-Government	98	28
32	Northside Christian College	Everton Park	Non-Government	98	20
33	Immanuel Lutheran College	Buderim	Non-Government	98	69
34	Annandale Christian College	Annandale	Non-Government	98	74
35	Loreto College	Coorparoo	Non-Government	98	39
36	Stuartholme School	Toowong	Non-Government	98	44
37	Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School	East Ipswich	Non-Government	98	33
38	Padua College	Kedron	Non-Government	98	New Entry
39	St Andrew’s Anglican College	Peregian Springs	Non-Government	98	47
40	Moreton Bay College	Manly West	Non-Government	97	52
41	Marist College Ashgrove	Ashgrove	Non-Government	97	32
42	Kelvin Grove State College	Kelvin Grove	Government	97	48
43	Trinity Anglican School	White Rock	Non-Government	97	40
44	Brisbane South Secondary College	Dutton Park	Government	97	New Entry
45	St John’s Anglican College	Forest Lake	Non-Government	97	57
46	Mount Alvernia College	Kedron	Non-Government	97	41
47	Cavendish Road State High School	Holland Park	Government	97	46
48	Moreton Bay Boys College	Manly West	Non-Government	97	62
49	Townsville Grammar School	North Ward	Non-Government	97	26
50	Villanova College	Coorparoo	Non-Government	97	60

Published Date 10-June-2024

Kelvin Grove State College Receives Support for Student Wellbeing Centre and Mental Health Program

Kelvin Grove State College is set to receive a $50,000 boost to help the school enhance its programs for mental health and student wellbeing for its junior, middle, and senior school students.

Read: Kids, Parents Invited to Explore New Compass Independent School in Kelvin Grove

The school will use the funding for two key initiatives – $10,000 to implement the “Grow Your Mind” social and emotional wellbeing program in its junior school and $40,000 to upgrade facilities at its Student Wellbeing Centre for middle and senior students.

Photo credit: Kelvin Grove State College/Facebook

The school currently runs a number of programs to proactively support student health and wellbeing. Kelvin Grove State College is also a recipient of state support from a $106-million Student Wellbeing Package that places GPs, psychologists, and other wellbeing professionals in schools across the state. A psychologist provides mental health support at the school as part of that program.

Commonwealth Minister for Education Jason Clare (Photo credit: Kelvin Grove State College/Facebook)

The $50,ooo support is part of a broader $35.8 million Commonwealth Student Wellbeing Boost, announced during a visit to the school by Commonwealth Minister for Education Jason Clare and Queensland Minister for Education Grace Grace.

The Student Wellbeing Boost will provide $35.8 million in total for Queensland’s 1,797 schools to invest in student mental health initiatives. The funding amounts for each school were developed in consultation with Catholic and independent school representatives.

Joel Buchholz, Executive Principal at Kelvin Grove State College, welcomes the new funding. “This will help us enhance skills to support mental health and wellbeing in younger students and also enhance our facilities where all students and families can confidently access our wide range of wellbeing support staff and resources,” he said.

“Good mental health and wellbeing have a significant impact on young people’s engagement with education and their learning outcomes,” said Mr Clare.

“That’s why we are boosting funding to support the wellbeing of students in Queensland and right across the country.”

Read: New Childcare Centre Planned at Popular Paddington Site

The announcement follows a broader five-year $307.18 million agreement between the Commonwealth and states/territories to deliver the National Student Wellbeing program, of which Queensland schools will receive $91.75 million.

Published 17-August-2023

Kelvin Grove State College Executive Principal Retires

After 39 years in education and eight years as Kelvin Grove State College Executive Principal, Llew Paulger has announced his retirement.

Read: New Childcare Centre Planned at Popular Paddington Site

Mr Paulger, who took a leave at the end of 2022 before officially retiring, considered it a privilege to lead the largest Prep-Year 12 state school in Queensland, for nearly a decade.

Whilst serving as the executive principal of the school, Mr Paulger witnessed the student numbers grow from 2,340 to 3,600, which is an indication of the high education standard being offered in the college.

Mr Llew Paulger (Photo credit: Kelvin Grove State College/Facebook)

Kelvin Grove State College, a merger of the previous Kelvin Grove State and Kelvin Grove State High Schools, is considered as one of the leading education providers in Brisbane. The school offers rich and diverse curricular and co-curricular opportunities for learners, preparing them to take their place in tomorrow’s world.

During Mr Paulger’s term as executive principal, the school has also partnered Queensland Ballet, offering the Queensland Ballet Academy Program, for students in Years 7 to 12. This program is conducted in the world-class $17.5 million Queensland Ballet Academy building located onsite at the school.

Photo credit: Kelvin Grove State College/Facebook

Mr Paulger began teaching in 1984, in Gladstone, before serving as Principal for various schools, including Browns Plains State High School and Redbank Plains State High School.

Mr Paulger believes his retirement comes at the right time for him, for his family, and for the community. He’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife and travelling together.

Prior to his retirement, Mr Paulger received Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association (QSPA) Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition celebrated by the community at Kelvin Grove State College.

QSPA described Mr Paulger as a “passionate defender and advocate of public education,” someone who sees school leadership not just as a job but as an opportunity and obligation to ensure success to high quality education for all students.

Mr Joe Joel Buchholz (Photo credit: https://pimlicoshs.eq.edu.au/)

Meanwhile, the school will welcome Joel Buchholz, executive principal at Townsville’s Pimlico State High School.

Read: Little Locals: Church Turned Childcare Centre Opens in Auchenflower

Mr Buchholz already met some members of the community and observed the end-of-year ceremonies with Mr Paulger.

Aged Care Community Receives New Electronic Pets With Student Fundraiser

Students from Kelvin State Grove College recently held a fundraiser and worked hard to raise enough funds for the purchase of three new electronic pets for the Carinity Hilltop aged care community.

Read: Concern Grows About Overcrowded Classrooms at Kelvin Grove State College

The donation was made possible by the Kelvin State Grove College Junior School’s student representative council (SRC). The students were able to raise a grand total of $700, which allowed Carinity Hilltop to purchase three new electronic companion pets.

According to Carinity Hilltop Diversional Therapist Lois Healy, these lifelike electronic devices “…move and sound like real animals and respond to petting and hugging,” and that they provide “…great comfort and joy for older seniors.” Currently, the school is hosting a contest for students to name one of the companion pets, a dog.

Abbie Duncan, one of the students who set up fundraisers with the help of her fellow council members, talks enthusiastically about their project.

“Our SRC teachers asked for us to come up with some ideas for what we could fundraise for, for our free dress day that was coming up, and we wanted to support something in the local community,” says Abbie.

Kelvin Grove State College student Abbie Duncan and Carinity Hilltop aged care resident Betty Wright with the companion pets.
Photo credit: Carinity Hilltop

Once she finishes school, Abbie aspires to become a medical engineer who intends to design new medical equipment that could potentially be used in aged care settings. “I think it’s important to be involved and part of the community because we’re all neighbours,” says Abbie.

Ramandeep Gill, the Carinity Hilltop Residential Manager, is grateful for the attention and support.

“Our residents and staff thank the school students for their very generous donation. We look forward to more collaborations in the future,” he said.

Carinity Hilltop is located at 23 Rochester Terrace. For more information, visit their website here or follow the Carinity Facebook page.

Concern Grows About Overcrowded Classrooms at Kelvin Grove State College

Kelvin Grove State College has exceeded its target class size for 2020. The school is one of over a hundred other schools that have gone beyond their class size and enrolment capacity, in the midst of an increasing concern about overcrowded classrooms in schools.

Read: Paddington, Brisbane CBD Rental Vacancies Rate Robust Despite the Pandemic

State schools across Queensland must ideally have a maximum of 25 students in each classroom for Prep to Year 3 and Year 11 to 12, whilst Years 4 to 10 classes must have a maximum of 28 students, per the Queensland Teachers’ Union. However, about 98 percent of state school secondary classes in Queensland have reached these maximum numbers and 94 percent are at capacity for primary state schools.

Kelvin Grove State College exceeded its capacity by three students in a class.

Classroom overcrowding isn’t a new problem in Queensland but it has become the norm based on these target numbers. Queensland Teachers’ Union believes that extra students in one class must be applicable only in “exceptional circumstance is described as ‘rare, unusual, atypical or unexpected.'”

Overcrowding can result in poor performances in students as teachers become overstretched to facilitate person-to-person direction due to the extra work.

According to the Education Department, the ideal class size targets are not a ceiling but a guide for the principals. Some classes might have extra students to keep all children in the same year levels together.

Photo Credit: Facebook

To help with the overcrowding at Kelvin Grove State College, the State Government opened Fortitude Valley State Secondary College in September 2020 to 150 students. Its population is expected to increase to 1,500 in five years, upon the completion of the senior building section and the sports centre.

This is the first new state high school to be built in the inner city in 50 years.

Read: Little Locals: Church Turned Childcare Centre Opens in Auchenflower

“Now that Stage 1 is complete, you have two distinct and completed precincts, including the Brookes Street Precinct with a learning centre, a performing arts centre and beautiful outdoor spaces; and the recently completed St Pauls Terrace Precinct which includes a seven-storey junior learning centre with specialist and general learning areas, and a lawn,” Education Minister Grace Grace said.

“And we are all looking forward to opening Stage 2 in 2023, which will deliver a sports facility and a secondary learning precinct for Years 10 to 12.

Science of Rockets STEM Program Rolls out to Kelvin Grove State College, 9 Other Qld Secondary Schools in 2020

Following a successful pilot in 2019, the Science of Rockets STEM program will be rolled out to ten Queensland secondary schools in Term One 2020, including Kelvin Grove State College.

Darra-based engineering design and manufacturing company PFi will partner with Northrop Grumman, one of the world’s largest space companies, to deliver the Science of Rockets STEM program in Queensland.

The Science of Rockets STEM program will be rolled out to 10 Queensland secondary schools in Term One 2020, with more than 50 state secondary schools joining the program at the start of the school year in 2021, according to the announcement by the Minister for State Development and Manufacturing Cameron Dick.

The schools getting ready for the program in Term One 2020 include Ferny Grove State High School, Ormeau Woods State High School; Sheldon College, Toowoomba Grammar School, Warwick State High School, Whitsunday Anglican School, West Moreton Anglican College, Centenary State High School, Ipswich State High School, and Kelvin Grove State College.

The program features “Rocket in a Suitcase,” a rocket motor the size of a carryon suitcase which will be the first commercially developed rocket motor in Australia to be exported.

Photo credit: Northrop Grumman Corporation / Facebook

The STEM program, which is also the first-ever in the world, was piloted by PFI at Ormeau Woods State High School in 2019. The course involves designing, manufacturing, and testing of hybrid rocket motors.

PFi General Manager Nick Green said that forming a course around the design, manufacture and testing of a rocket motor was a practical, hands-on and interesting way to introduce space industry into schools and universities.

Mr Dick added that many of the jobs of the future will require expertise in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and the kinds of ‘hands on’ experience provided Science of Rockets STEM program helps to bring these subjects alive by turning theory into practice.

“We want students to know that if you study science, you can build a rocket and build a career in the space industry.”

Photo credit: Northrop Grumman Corporation / Facebook

Queensland’s space industry already contributes 2,000 full-time positions, generating $760 million to the state’s economy each year, with the capacity to employ three times as many people and generate $6 billion by 2036.

The State Government, Mr Dick said, is now finalising the Queensland Space Strategy to make Queensland the home of the Australian space sector through a partnership with the Australian Space Agency.

“We have advanced manufacturing capabilities, a healthy R&D and innovation start-up ecosystem that is becoming recognised world-wide, as evidenced by Northrop Grumman’s investment in PFi here in Darra,” he said.

“Leading edge technologies such as this will drive new jobs in advanced manufacturing, so we need to ensure we have a highly skilled and capable workforce at the ready.”

Read: Normanby Hotel in Red Hill Reopens as a Family-Friendly Establishment after $3.5M Revitalisation

Kelvin Grove State College Gets Ready For More Students In 2020, To Spend $3M For Additional Building

Kelvin Grove State College (KGSC) will receive $3 million in funding from the State Government as part of the 2020 Ready Program, which will see the school deliver additional classrooms to accommodate new students in 2020 and beyond.

The State Government has committed to $250 million for its 2020 Ready Program, which will support more than 60 high schools across the state.

Education Minister Grace Grace said that the Palaszczuk Government is happy to bring much-needed infrastructure to bring world-class education to Kelvin Grove State College students.

Next Phase of Education Reform

Minister Grace said that the 2020 Ready program will ensure that the state schools are prepared for the future.

“The ‘2020 Ready’ program signals the next phase of Queensland’s major education reforms, which started more than a decade ago,” Minister Grace said.

“In 2007, the State Labor Government gave Queensland children a flying start with the introduction of prep, which we supported with additional, specialist classrooms for preppies.

“As you may remember, Queensland’s first intake of preppies were those whose birthdays were in the first half of the calendar year – meaning theirs has always been a much smaller cohort of students, known as the ‘half cohort’.”

By 2015, another educational reform took place in which Year 7 students were moved into high school thus establishing six years of secondary education. With this development, the need for additional facilities increases.

“With the original prep students set to graduate from high school at the end of 2019, we will have – for the very first time – six full year levels of students in Queensland secondary schools from 2020.

The $250-million funds for infrastructure will ensure that high schools in the state can accommodate an anticipated 17,000 additional students in 2020.

Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said that this will boost the government support to students.

“Our kids are our future and, as a Government, one of the most important things we can do is give Queensland students a world-class education,” Ms Trad said.

“This investment will deliver more classrooms and learning centres to provide the best possible environment for learning.”