A Centenary Gala 2015
Celebrating the themes of belonging and internationalism, the School paid tribute to its past, acknowledged its rich diversity and celebrated the future through the eyes of our students in this major musical and performing arts event. Students and staff across all campuses had been preparing for the event for many months and all were eager to see it come together on the night.
Over 700 students from all campuses, together with alumni and staff took to the stage to showcase their talents in music and the performing arts. The evening commenced with three pre-show dance performances – the tango, jive and a flash mob which included staff, alumni and students. All Year 7’s, together with the Primary Choirs and Gala Orchestra, performed A Song for Ivanhoe, a specially commissioned work for the School’s Centenary. The sell-out crowd was treated to performances which featured in the School’s recent musicals and our Year 12’s presented their rendition of Viva La Vida. Coupled with the String Orchestra, who performed a wonderful rendition of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, our international students presented their letters to home, a moving reflection of their time in Australia. The finale for the evening was a moving performance of You’ll Never Walk Alone.
These performances were set against a backdrop of stunning multimedia displays, featuring photos and videos of all aspects of life at Ivanhoe from 1915 to today. The displays commemorated the School’s Centenary and explored the creative arts, sport, technology and Round Square IDEALS as well as celebrated the Ivanhoe community made up of students, staff, parents and alumni.
The Centenary Gala 2015 program also included the presentation of two of the School’s most prestigious awards – the Dr Oswald T Kyle Award and the Northcott Centenary Fellowship.
The Dr Oswald T Kyle Award for Outstanding Community Service was established in 1988 and recognises the ideals of service held by students during their school days and highlights the unselfish involvement of so many Old Ivanhoe Grammarians. Dr Oswald T Kyle attended Ivanhoe Grammar School from 1923 to 1929. After graduating in medicine he moved to Tasmania where he began forty years of service to the community. In 1965 he was awarded an OBE for his service to medicine. Dr Kyle died in 1980.
This year’s recipient of the Dr Oswald T Kyle Award was Jonathan Jayatilake Owen (Class of 1993). Jon Owen attended Ivanhoe Grammar School from 1988 until 1993 and was involved in many activities including Cadets. On leaving school Jon studied electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Melbourne, but gave it all up to work with the Christian welfare organisation Urban Neighbours of Hope. UNOH sends people to live in disadvantaged areas and provide hands-on help. He worked in Springvale for a decade and now lives and works in Bidwill, NSW, in one of Australia’s largest public housing estates, with his wife Lisa and two daughters. Jon is UNOH’s Australia-Pacific director and travels throughout Australia and New Zealand with his work.
The Northcott Fellowship focuses on improving outcomes for students through either improved classroom practice, improvement in administration or grounds and maintenance.
The Northcott Centenary Fellowship is named after Frank Northcott who attended Ivanhoe Grammar School from 1927-1934. Frank always held Ivanhoe close to his heart and the Fellowship is made possible by his generous bequest to the School.
The inaugural Northcott Fellowship is awarded to two teachers who will develop an innovative online bridging course for Year 10 students who wish to undertake studies in Mathematic Methods in Year 11. The course will ensure students are better prepared for their VCE studies by focusing on the key skills needed to be successful.
The recipients of the inaugural Northcott Fellowship for 2015 are Ms Wendy McCarry and Mrs Angela Di Ciocco.
The Centenary Gala 2015 was a highly entertaining night commemorating the School’s one hundred years and celebrating the talents of our performing arts students. It was a wonderful opportunity for the entire school community to come together and celebrate the richness of learning and opportunity at the School.
Fidelis Usque Ad Mortem.
Click here to view photos from the Gala.
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