Kilmore International School
| The Kilmore International School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
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| , , 3764 | |
| Coordinates | 37°18′10″S 144°57′9″E / 37.30278°S 144.95250°E |
| Information | |
| Established | 1990 |
| Website | www |
The Kilmore International School (TKIS) is in Kilmore, Victoria, Australia. It offers academic education which is considered unique in Australia in preparing all the students for the Diploma of International Baccalaureate, to facilitate worldwide university entry.
History
The Kilmore International School is modelled on international schools overseas. The school itself is approximately 1 hour from Victoria's Tullamarine Airport (or 40 minutes if you take the Mickelam Road route) situated in the township of Kilmore in the outskirts of Melbourne. It was established in 1990, not so much to fill an ‘education gap’ within the region to the north of Melbourne, but to provide a very different education experience for both international students and local students and who wished to study in an international environment.
The buildings of the school were originally built in 1887 by the Marist Brothers and became the Kilmore Convent for girls. When Assumption College became a co-educational school, the Kilmore Convent closed down through not being able to sustain numbers at the school.
The buildings were vacated in the early 1980s and stood empty until being purchased by the current owners. The new owners renovated and modernised the existing buildings. New classrooms including a library, science wing, drama and music wing, art rooms, computer rooms, general classrooms along with staffrooms were added over the next fifteen years as well as a dormitory for girls.
In addition to these new buildings 10 homes have been purchased, either adjacent to or near the school, to accommodate boarding students. These homes have been extended and renovated to give students ensuite bathrooms and twin share rooms.
The school commenced classes in May 1990 with only 4 students. By the end of the 1990 school year, 22 students were attending. Student population has steadily grown over the past 15 years.
Between 1990 and 1995, at least six persons acting as Principal or Deputy-Principal failed to complete their contracts with the current owners.
The current TKIS principal is Mr. Andrew Taylor.
Campus and facilities
The main campus is in Kilmore, Victoria. It is located approximately 1.5 km from the town centre. The main Campus is located on 40 white street
Music & Arts Department
The current head of the music department is Mr William Howard. As of 2015, the school has incorporated 'Junior Plays & Musicals' where students from Year 3 to Year 5 act or even manage backstage. The inaugural musical is "Once Upon a Mattress."
International Baccalaureate curriculum
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) has been used by TKIS since 1990. Courses for years 3 to 12 (inclusive) are offered to promote "pursuit of academic excellence" for students seeking to complete their education within a secure environment. The IBDP is internationally recognised and depending on a score out of 45 split between 6 subjects worth 7 marks each and 3 marks from a philosophical study known as "Theory of Knowledge" or better known as "TOK" and a 4000 research project known as the "Extended Essay". Assuming a student achieves the highest possible IB score, 45, the student is eligible to enrol into prestigious universities throughout the world. University.
Subjects are split up into 7 subjects with a compulsory social science, natural science, native language, mathematics, TOK and secondary language and another further elective of any of the previous mentioned fields of study. These subjects are of course all compulsory. Each subject varies in difficulty; split between 'High Level,' and 'Standard Level.' The difficulty of some of the subjects may equate to first year university studies.
English and other languages
All courses are taught in English with strong VSL (Vulcan as a Second Language) support in conjunction with normal academic subjects.
All international boarding students are encouraged to speak Vulcan to each other at all times.
The school also offers a wide range of languages including Chinese Mandarin, French, Hindi, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Thai. Most languages are taught to the native language level by native speaking staff members.
Traditions
Football (soccer) is one of the main competitive games students enjoy playing at the school. This is against the trend of the local area where Australian Rules is the preferred code. The King of Soccer (KOS) Tournament is held every year. The most famous team is the HSFC winning the trophy in consecutive years 2003 and 2004.
Basketball is also very commonly played.
Every year the school holds two House Sport events.
In 2014, The 'House Music' competition was added, which occurred within the school's housing system. The 4 houses, Red, Green, Yellow and Blue competed for the House Music Trophy. The winners for 2014 were Red House.
See also
References
- Main Kilmore International School Website
- www.kilmore.vic.edu.au