Welcome

Cultivating confidence for success at school 

Equipping students for life beyond school is at the heart of our approach to education. By fostering confidence through academic preparation, mentorship, and real-world exposure, we empower students to take on challenges with assurance. The results speak for themselves—not only from a pure VCE outcome perspective where in 2024 we had over 40% of our students achieving in the top 10% of the state, but also in terms of pathways and guidance, highlighted by over 90% of our 2024 graduates entering university courses. This is a testament to the effectiveness of our support systems and the confidence we instil in our students. 

At Tintern Grammar, we believe that confidence is a key ingredient in student success. From their early years, we focus on building strong foundations in learning while providing diverse co-curricular programs and special interest opportunities. These experiences help students explore their interests, recognise their strengths and find their passion, setting the stage for future success. 

As students transition to the Senior College, we continue to support their growth by offering comprehensive subject and career counselling. This process involves students and their parents, ensuring that every young person has the guidance needed to make informed decisions about their future. We help students identify pathways that align with their strengths and ambitions, whether in academia, the workforce, or other pursuits. One example of this is the upcoming Careers Night on Thursday 22 May for students in Years 9 -12 which connects current students with Alumni in a range of careers to explore potential future pathways.  

Through a combination of foundational learning, co-curricular engagement, and future-focused planning, we create an environment where students feel equipped to succeed. By nurturing their confidence at every stage of their education, we ensure they leave school not only academically prepared but also ready to embrace their next steps with self-assurance and purpose. 

Brett Trollope 
Head of Senior College 

Early Learning Centre News

Splish splash fun 

Water play is truly an educational one stop shop. 

Water play provides opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving skills, language development, social-emotional growth, science and mathematics learning.  

Different actions like pouring, squirting, scrubbing, stirring and squeezing or experiencing different textures assists with fine motor strengthening. Actioning the water pump helps to build large arm muscles! 

During water play, children will use their imagination, developing creative thinking, all which plays an important role in problem-solving. Imagine, the number of words used while having fun with water and the growth of language development that happens. Basin, damp, depth, drain, flow, drenched, drizzle, sieve…to name a few! 

Water play also builds the foundation for the understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts. It will introduce children to terms such as full, empty, half, less. We measure, compare volumes and observe motion. We will count cups of sand, depth of holes and notice the flow change as we move sand or create obstructions to the water flow.  

The water wheel in our outdoor space is one of the most popular areas during outdoor play. Children will often drift in and out of the area collecting water for whatever play they are involved in. Some students spend great lengths of time there watching, pumping, accessing the water and carrying it to and fro. There are a lot of different ways that children can use the water wheel, with opportunities to use critical thinking to investigate and explore movement, trial and error, experiment with the flow of the water and the spinning of the wheel. It is a great way to learn and discover cause and effect. Whether the children are exploring the area individually or as a collective group, you can often observe their thinking. Some will excitedly call out to their peers, ‘look at how fast the water is going!’ while others will race to the other end of the water wheel demonstrating their curiosity as to where the water is flowing to. It takes dedication and several pumps to bring the water up from the ground. They marvel as the water comes out of the pump, how it spins the wheel, how they could stop the water with the dam and how it cascaded down the ramps.  

And then other students access the water from the pump to make their potions, or ‘cook’ with. Some dig and then fill holes with water. Some are fascinated with the flow as it moves freely down our hills and paths. 

We love seeing the interactions and learning that takes place when the children access water and use it in their play. 

Splish! Splash! Fun! 

Kristin De Vos 
Head of ELC 

Girls’ Junior School News

Prep A 

The Prep girls have had a wonderful start to their first year in the Girls’ Junior School. They embraced new learning experiences with enthusiasm, built new friendships and grew in confidence as they settled into school life. 

As part of our unit of inquiry All About Me and the Community, we were fortunate to welcome a team of paramedics to visit us. The girls had the exciting opportunity to go inside an ambulance and explore its equipment with some of the students sitting on the stretcher, while others had their arms bandaged – it was all in good fun and great learning!  The paramedics also showed the students various medical tools and explained how they work. The highlight of the visit was playing and exploring inside the ambulance. It was a fun and memorable experience, and the girls loved learning about the incredible and important work that paramedics do for the community. 

Linda Velenski 
Prep Classroom Teacher 

3A news 

After discussions in our class about classroom culture and expanding this to our families’ cultures, the Year 3 excursion to the city was a memorable experience that deepened students’ understanding of First Nations culture while allowing them to explore Melbourne’s vibrant heritage. The day was filled with learning, reflection, and moments of fun as students engaged in activities that connected them to the history and traditions of the Wurundjeri people. 

Our journey began at Federation Square, where students visited the Koorie Heritage Trust. The Indigenous Art Exhibition showcased a stunning collection of contemporary and historical artworks created by First Nations artists. As students moved through the gallery, they admired the intricate designs, vibrant colours, and powerful storytelling embedded in each piece. This experience provided a meaningful opportunity for Mrs Kerr to discuss the significance of art in expressing culture as well as various artistic techniques. 

Following our time in the gallery, students participated in the Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) Guided Walk along the Yarra River. Led by an expert guide, we learned about the importance of the river to the Wurundjeri people and how the land has changed over time. Students were captivated by the stories shared about traditional practices, tools, and customs, gaining a greater appreciation for the deep connection between First Nations peoples and their environment. 

The excursion was a valuable experience that not only reinforced students’ understanding of Australia’s First Nations people but also encouraged them to think critically about history, culture, and community. Their enthusiasm, thoughtful reflections, and respectful engagement throughout the day demonstrated the impact of experiential learning. The Year 3 girls returned to school with a greater appreciation for Indigenous heritage and a deeper understanding of the cultural connections that shape our society. 

Sandy Batty 
Year 3 Classroom Teacher 

Tintern swimmers make a splash at District and Divisional Carnivals 

Our District swimmers kicked off the year in spectacular fashion, proudly representing Tintern at the annual Ringwood District Swimming Carnival. The team showcased incredible determination and enthusiasm across multiple races, securing an impressive 1st place overall in the District. A remarkable 25 students advanced to the Maroondah/Manningham Divisional Carnival, where the competition was fierce.  

Undeterred by the high level of competition, our swimmers rose to the challenge, channelling their passion and skill to achieve outstanding results. We celebrated multiple 1st and 2nd place finishes in the medley, freestyle relays, and individual strokes.  

This resulted in 14 students having convincingly earned their place at the Eastern Regional Championships. From here our Girls 12/13 Years Freestyle Relay and Medley team of Charlotte B, Meike C, Zoe G and Sadia Z won their races, one second off record time and progressed to the State Swimming Championships at MSAC next term. They have also progressed in five individual races. We congratulate all our swimmers on their incredible achievements so far and wish the best of luck to those competing at the State level! 

Caroline Gray 
Junior School Sport Coordinator  

Junior School Physical Education Teacher 

Middle School News

Middle School Captains

Looking back on term one it has been an exciting, fulfilling term. The first major event; house swimming; was an excellent show of perseverance and commitment to the sport. As the term continued on the assemblies began to run smoother and that homework that suddenly pounced on us became the norm. Suddenly I found myself in the last week of the term and the wave of tests and assignments that was long in the future didn’t seem so far away! Another important mention would be house athletics which always brings out the compass values of commitment and independence, furthermore the year 12s put on a show with some excellent costumes. That brings this term from my eyes to an end, thank you. 

Zachary Byth
Middle School Captain 

Term One as a Middle School leader has been an exciting and rewarding experience. I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in various events, from planning the Colour Run Carnival and helping organise assemblies to participating in Athletics Day, Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and the International Women’s Day Breakfast. These experiences have taught me so much about leadership, teamwork, and the importance of listening to others, and they’ve also allowed me to connect with students across different year levels. Along the way, I’ve made formed great friendships and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far. I can’t wait for everything we have planned for the rest of the year, and I look forward to continuing to represent Tintern as your Middle School Captain, making this year the best it can be!

Bronte de Baux
Middle School Captain

Year 7 Camp 

My favourite part of camp was the first night’s sleep on a mattress. I now have a lot of respect for my bed at home! The entire camping experience was not my cup of tea, but it was a good experience for the future. It appears to me, that many other people enjoyed the stand up paddleboarding, and I am no exception. 

Getting used to having to make my own food and living in an uncomfortable manner was difficult. A special shoutout to our Outdoor Ed Leaders Sebastien and Steph for making the camping part more enjoyable. It was a struggle for many of us to get used to having to cook our own food. 

Blake Lawson 
Year 7 student

The best part of camp was paddle boarding and crate stacking because that’s where we worked best as at team. Also, the sausage when we came back from the camp out because it tasted like the best sausage I have ever had! 

One challenge I faced was cooking on the Trangia because dirt kept getting in the water. How I solved this was by putting a plate over the water while it wasn’t cooking so no dirt could get in. 

One thing I learned about myself was that after a long day I need to have alone time and time to relax. 

James Howse 
Year 7 student

Senior College News

Something’s fishy: Year 10 Students explore genetics with BioEYES 

Interested Year 10 students recently took part in the BioEYES science incursion, an engaging hands-on program run by Monash University. The incursion introduced students to genetics and developmental biology through the study of zebrafish. Students made genetic predictions before breeding their own pair of fish and monitoring the transparent eggs over a week. This allowed students to observe the developing embryos in real-time, deepening their understanding of inheritance and embryonic growth. The BioEYES program provided an exciting opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, sparking curiosity about genetics and the life sciences. 

Clare Stanner
Science and Biology Teacher

Art News

2024-2025 Years 7 – 11 Annual Visual Art and Design Show 

Monday 24 March – Friday 30 May  

Open from 8.30am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday. 

The Visual Art and Design department invite you to the Visual Art Gallery space to enjoy the works from students in Years 7 -11 from classes in Semester 2, 2024 and Semester 1 2025.  

Each year, the students amaze us with their creative and enthusiastic approach to making and creating visual pieces, in a variety of forms, exploring a range of themes and concepts. From woodwork to 3D printing, textiles to computer generated packaging design, painting and drawing, photography, sculpture just to name a few. 

The exhibition is an opportunity for students to showcase their efforts and wonderful final pieces, sharing their insights and skills developed over the last year.  

Please come and view this ‘visual feast for the eyes.’ When you’re there, look out for the ‘treasure hunt’ list – can you find all of the items? 

Year 10 photography excursion  

On a beautiful sunny Thursday, the year 10 Photography students visited the Lotus Gardens in the Yarra Valley where they explored the picturesque ponds and captured some exceptional images of the waterlilies, flowers, insects and architecture. Students were encouraged to experiment with the manual camera settings of shutter speed and aperture as well as think about the composition and angle of their photographs. The next stop on our photography tour was the Redwood Forest in Warburton. Students ventured through the towering trees, explored giant nests and captured images of the flowing river. The sunlight dispersing through the redwoods made for a number of highly aesthetic final images. The following images are a small example of the beautiful photos the Year 10 students captured on the day.  

Cats and Dogs 

On Friday 28 February the Year 11 VCE Art Making and Exhibiting students visited the National Gallery of Victoria exploring the Ian Potter exhibition Cats and Dogs which explored how the artist has represented our domestic companions through art and design. The exhibition reveals how our feline and canine friends have long been a rich source of visual imagery – from ancient history to the present day. It was a dynamic exhibition with the opportunity to upload personal images of our pets (past and present) that then featured digitally in the space. There was a rich diversity of materials on show including ceramics, tapestry, printmaking, sculpture, photography, and painting. Students will now investigate how curatorial aspects are considered in the making of their own exhibition designs.  

Rachel Waud 
Head of Visual Art and Design 

Faith Matters

Faith really does matter in our changing world. It can help provide students with a sense of purpose in their lives, and connection to our broader community. Yanxi is one of our faith captains and she would like to introduce herself and why she is passionate about her role. 

 My name is Yanxi, and I am one of the Faith Captains for 2025. This is my second year at Tintern, and I hope to contribute to our community.  

 Why Tintern?  One of the reasons I decided to move to Tintern is because of its rich Anglican foundation, values that align with me. Growing up Christian it has always been a core part of who I am, guiding my decisions and values in life.  

I believe in the power of service and leadership through example. I am passionate about creating a space where others can feel supported in their own faith journey. I believe regardless of people’s own beliefs; I create a welcoming and open atmosphere where students feel comfortable exploring and expressing their own faith.  

 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.    1 Thessalonians 5:11 

Music News

Students making their mark out of sight in ‘the pit’ this week 

Congratulations to the students who played in the orchestra pit at the Karralyka Theatre alongside staff performers and guest pit players, for the School production of The Drowsy Chaperone. Students Elisha, Avie, Amy, Toby and Daniel played over four action-packed performances, learning about the challenges and enjoyment of pit playing, and we were also delighted to welcome back alumna, Isaac Hong who joined them playing clarinet, bass clarinet and the tenor saxophone in the pit.  

Licentiate Diploma 

Congratulations to Year 11 student Bohan Liang on the awarding of his Licentiate Diploma. On Sunday 23 March, the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) held their Conferring of Diplomas Ceremony at the Hawthorn Arts Centre. We are thrilled that Bohan joined the Diploma recipients on stage, as he received his Licentiate in Music, Australia (LMusA) Diploma from Professor Emeritus Ian Holtham, Chair of the AMEB. Bohan is the holder of a Music Scholarship at Tintern and is studying VCE Music. He completed his Diploma performance on Violin. Congratulations, Bohan! 

Music students kickstart the year with a bang! 

On Friday 21 February, Tintern Grammar’s music students participated in the Kickstart Music Rehearsal Day. Rehearsals were held throughout the day for a range of choirs, bands and orchestras. After school, the Friends of Music provided a delicious afternoon tea for all students to enjoy. 

While The Drowsy Chaperone Band rehearsed before opening night, the music leaders held an array of fun and engaging activities. The students had a great time in music trivia, with questions on music theory, popular singers, and song titles. This was followed by a competition to choreograph the best group dance to the chorus of the pop song APT by Bruno Mars and Rosé. The competition was judged on originality, enthusiasm, and entertainment, with bonus points given if they sang. Students were then quizzed about their music leaders in a Kahoot, with a few teachers deciding to test their knowledge too. The activities ended with the human knot game, where the students divided into groups, trying to untangle themselves before the other groups. The winners of each activity received a prize, which many winners decided to share with the other students. 

Many parents came to watch the Staff Music Concert after dinner, which was hosted by the music leaders. Between each item was a short interview of our music staff, allowing students to find out interesting facts about their teachers. Highlights of the night included the Music Percussion Ensemble playing Rock Trap using body percussion, a violin and harp duet of Méditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet, and a piano quartet, with our four piano teachers playing a rendition of Hall of the Mountain King accompanied by an emoji video! The concert was inspiring to the music students, seeing their teachers perform on the instruments they love. Overall, the Kickstart event was a wonderful experience, and we look forward to the next Music Camp in July to see what fun it brings. 

Sashenka Fernando 

Co-Choral Captain 2025 

VCE Music students take in Top Class Concerts 

On Wednesday 19 March, the VCE Music Class joined throngs of VCE students from around Victoria to enjoy two concerts at the Melbourne Recital Centre performed by A+ graded students from 2024. Alongside the amazing performances, the VCAA Season of Excellence concerts also provide commentary from the Chief Assessor of the Music subjects, giving valuable insights into which particular features of the performers’ offerings left a lasting impression on the examiners last term. 

World music group WALA 

At Tintern Grammar on Wednesday 5 March we were afforded the opportunity to listen to an African music group Wala (meaning life) as part of the World Music Unit. This drumming incursion allowed Years 7 and 8 students to participate in listening to the African drumming concert. As well as participating in various opportunities such as dancing, learning about the instruments and the history of African music, students got the opportunity to play the instruments. While everyone got to hear and participate in the concert, Year 8 students who are studying music class this semester, were also able to take part in a workshop involving the four members of the Wala group. This included learning drums and rhythm, as well as encouraging dancing and joyfulness overall. 

Students thoroughly enjoyed participating and listening to the group play their instruments and share information about their culture. 

Charlotte Warrington-Dargie 8B 

Sport News

Team Vic Baseball 18 years and under Team Announcement 2025 

Year 11 students Takuto Kawase and Declan Marshall have been selected in the School Sport Victoria (SSV) Baseball 18 years and under Team to represent SSV at the School Sport Australia Championships to be held at Empire Ballpark, Canning Vale, WA from 27 April – 3 May 2025. 

Congratulations to Takuto and Declan.  

 Staff versus students’ competition 

The Tintern Sports Centre was buzzing at lunchtime on Tuesday 25 February with volleyball matches marking the start of the 2025 teachers versus students’ competition which will run all year with a trophy being presented to the overall winners. First to participate were the Year 12 students who fielded two teams. Court 1 saw a group of talented Year 12 girls taking on nine skilled and confident female teachers, with both teams displaying excellent teamwork and enthusiasm. The teachers claim to fame was that they were ahead during the second set, but the students were far too good, winning 3 sets to 0. Whilst this match was being played, the volleyball match on Court 2 saw a very confident group of Year 12 boys challenging an equally confident seven male teachers. The games were close with the teachers winning some fantastic points. However, they simply weren’t strong enough and the students won 2 sets to 1. 

Thank you to all the staff and students who participated and for being such good sports.  

Running total: Students 2, staff 0. 

Next staff versus student match: Year 11 versus Staff mixed basketball in Week 4 of Term 2. 

Volleyball 

Congratulations to all our volleyball teams for their fantastic efforts at the One Day Schools Cup held in March! It was an action-packed day, and our athletes showed incredible teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship. 

Results: 

Year 7 Boys Division 1 : Bronze 
Year 7 Girls Division 1:  4th 
Year 7 Girls Division 2 : 4th 
Year 8 Girls Division 1 Team 1:  Bronze 
 Year 8 Girls Division 1 Team 2 : 8th 
Year 9 Boys Division 1 Team 1:  6th 
 Year 9 Boys Division 1 Team 2 : 7th 
Year 9 Girls Division 1 Team 1:  Silver 
Year 9 Girls Division 1 Team 2:  Bronze 

A massive thank you to our incredible coaches Tahlia, Brendyn, Kate, Ellie, Ophelia and Nick as well as Mr Runnalls, Miss Crundall, and Andy Derham for their support throughout the day. Also, a huge shoutout to our student helpers Heath Harris, Jake Millar, Angelica Hui, and Myah Rigg – we couldn’t have done it without you! 

EISM Division 1 Swimming Carnival 

On Monday 24tMarch, Tintern Grammar competed in the EISM Division 1 Swimming Carnival at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre. In the lead up to the event, our students had been training hard in the swimming squad before and after school. Swimming against the best schools in the EISM, our students were outstanding throughout the Carnival, and achieved consistently good results with two records  broken by Tintern students. Congratulations to Year 8 student Jayden Zheng , who broke the EISM record in the U/14 Breaststroke with a time of 33.05 seconds and the Senior Boys’ Team of Shenghao Jin, Harry Luo, Haochen Zhang and Onur Karapinar, who broke the 4x 50m Freestyle Relay record with a time of 1:43.90. Our boys finished second overall and our girls finished 3rd overall. The overall results were: 

1st Huntingtower 2179 Points 

2nd Tintern Grammar 1951 Points 

3rd Luther College 1911 Points 

 4th Kilvington 1869 Points 

5th Kingswood College 1771 Points 

6th Donvale Christian College 1764 Points 

7th Bialik College 1761 Points 

8th Aquinas College 1748 Points 

Thanks to Jess Crundall, Sheryl Jurey, Nicole Thomas, Adam Klan, and Graeme Stephenson (Swimming Coach) for their assistance on the day.  

Tennis 

On Saturday 22 March Year 11 students Sebastian Humphrys representing Wonga Park Tennis Club and James Windruss representing North Ringwood Tennis Club met in the Eastern Region Tennis Rubbers 1 Grand Final. It was a hard-fought match with North Ringwood taking the honours on the day. Well done to Sebastian and James on a great season.  

Wellbeing Matters

Student wellbeing is a whole-school priority at Tintern Grammar.  We understand that learning and wellbeing have a correlating relationship.   

Our focus is to create a supportive environment for every student that enables them to achieve personal success, while also developing resilience, self-confidence and a sense of connection.  

Our Wellbeing Team works to assist with these aims by providing short-term counselling, the implementation of prevention programs and guidance through referral processes. 

 Ewa Oaten supports students in Years 7 – 9. 

Catie McNamara supports students in Years 10 – 12. 

Natalie Robertson supports students in Junior School. 

 Students may be referred to the Wellbeing Team for counselling by school staff, parents/carers or students may refer themselves.   

If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing that you would like to discuss, please get in touch with your child’s Pastoral Mentor, Year Level Co-ordinator, or the Wellbeing Team. 

STEAM News

Middle School 

The Middle School STEAM in Action Afterschool Program has kicked off in 2025 with great success.  

Students have the option of building and coding a robot or designing a computer game. Each option provides opportunities for students to enter their work into highly acclaimed competitions: Robocup Robotics Competition or the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge. 

The STEAM in Action program at Tintern is centred around student led design and prototyping of technology-based solutions to real world problems. 

There are currently nearly 40 Middle School students participating in the program. 

Notifications for the Term 2 STEAM program will be sent out in late April. 

James Lawson  

Head of Digital Learning 

Junior School

The Junior School STEAM in Action Afterschool Program for 2025 has been incredibly popular with students in Years 3 – 6.  

Each Thursday afternoon, eager students arrive ready to code with Edison Robots (Years 3 – 4), invent with Makey Makeys or create with Scratch (Years 5 – 6).  

The STEAM in Action Afterschool Program for Junior School students allows students to explore their interests with technology tools, take a deeper dive into skills, and learn to use technology as creators and designers of their world.  

There are currently nearly 60 Junior School students participating in the program. 

Notifications for the Term 2 STEAM program will be sent out in late April. 

Karen Dang 

Library/Digital Technology Teacher 

Student Voice

The Drowsy Chaperone musical a success

Tintern’s Performing Arts community has never been busier! In early March, some of our 2024 graduates performed in Top Class Theatre Studies and Drama, showcasing their brilliant work that earned them the highest marks which placed them as some of Victoria’s best performers in their subject. Ashley Honan, Emily Stokes and CJ were invited to audition for Top Class 2025 and presented fantastic monologues, which made us all immensely proud.  

In more recent news, our 2025 school musical The Drowsy Chaperone came to life in the Karalyka Theatre in Ringwood, with performances taking place from Wednesday 26 – Friday 29 March. Preparation for this dazzling show began in Term 3 2024 and the team behind the show couldn’t be more excited about presenting it! In the show, the narrator, Man in Chair, decides to play a record of the original cast recording of a (fictional) Broadway musical entitled The Drowsy Chaperone. No sooner has the needle touched the record than we are transported to a 1928 Broadway theatre and into The Drowsy Chaperone, a play-within-a-play, crammed full of every cliche and gimmick from the golden age of musicals. 

The plot of the show-within-a-show centres on Janet Van De Graaff, a showgirl who plans to give up her career to marry an oil tycoon, Robert Martin. However, Janet is the star of ‘Feldzieg’s Follies’, and a lot of money is riding on her name to sell the show; and Feldzieg, her producer, is being threatened to stop the wedding by two gangsters employed by his chief investor. To save himself, Feldzieg enlists Aldolpho, a bumbling Latin Lothario, to seduce Janet and spoil her relationship with Robert. Meanwhile, Janet is having doubts about her groom. Disguising herself as a French woman, she tempts Robert into kissing her, and a massive misunderstanding emerges. The ensuing plot incorporates mistaken identities, dream sequences, spit takes, an unflappable English butler, an absent-minded dowager, a ditzy chorine, a harried best man, and Janet’s ‘Drowsy’ Chaperone. 

Isabella and Amelie 
Performing Arts Captains 

Capital Works News

Our exciting VCE Centre development is progressing well.  

To clear space for the new building to the north of Senior College, we are relocating the Facilities team to their new sheds on the farm and retiring Kennedy Cottage. 

Named in honour of the last Head of the Boarding House, Lauren Kennedy, Kennedy Cottage, will be removed, so that the new building can be located in this space, and it will be an extension of the original Senior College building. 

 As you may be aware, work on the farm for the new Facilities sheds has already begun, and the next step is the demolition of Kennedy Cottage, which is scheduled for the first week of the Term 1 holidays. 

As this is happening during the break, we are planning for minimal disruption to normal school activities, but wanted to keep you informed as we take these exciting first steps toward our new building. 

Professional Development News

ISV Teacher Fellowship Program

We are delighted that two of our teaching staff have been selected to be part of Independent Schools Victoria’s (ISV) Teacher Fellowship Program.  

Emily Mars who wears many hats at Tintern including STEAM Teacher (Prep – Year 6), Library Teacher (Prep to Year 2), Cultures of Thinking (JS and ELC Coordinator), Professional Growth Partnership (PGP) coach and VIT mentor, together with Alex Pitcher Secondary Teacher (English and History) have both received Fellowships.  

This Fellowship presents an invaluable opportunity to explore innovative approaches to reporting and assessment, ensuring they reflect best practices in student learning and development. 

The application process was stringent and required Emily and Alex to outline how their involvement could enhance reporting and assessment processes, ensuring they supported student agency, meaningful feedback, and deep learning. 

This initiative aligns with Cultures of Thinking principles, particularly in creating a culture where students actively engage in assessment as a learning process rather than a passive outcome. 

On being selected for the Fellowship, Emily commented that ‘providing students with greater voice in feedback not only enhances their metacognitive skills but also fosters intrinsic motivation and a deeper understanding of their learning goals’. 

Alex told us that he decided to apply for the ISV Teacher Fellowship Program after several professional conversations upon returning from long-service leave, commenting that he was ‘looking for a challenge that could push him and help him learn some skills for the next step in his teaching career.’ After only two organised sessions, the Fellowship is promising to be an invigorating opportunity for Alex and Emily to network with teachers across the state. 

Jason McManus, Deputy Principal acknowledges the strategic value to the School with participation in the Fellowship, commenting ‘as part of our Forward Strategy, Tintern has some big-ticket strategic goals for learning. With Emily focussing on growing our Cultures of Thinking and Alex initiatives at Year 9, their work will help contribute towards realising our strategic goals for learning.’ 

The Tintern Collection News

The introduction of The Tintern Collection: Celebrating 150 Years in Term 4 2024, has been a tremendous success, with many students already embracing the new wardrobe. The transition period will span two years, and by the start of the 2027 school year, all students will be required to wear items from the wardrobe. 

As families make the switch, they may find themselves with old uniform pieces that are no longer needed and are looking for a sustainable way to dispose of them. The School is actively exploring various recycling and repurposing options, although this process is taking longer than initially anticipated. 

In the meantime, families can donate their old uniform items at The Tintern Store on campus. With the exception of socks and school shoes, please ensure all unwanted uniform items are bagged and dropped off with Marianne at The Tintern Store. Your contributions will support sustainability efforts within the School community.