Korowa Anglican Girls' School is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

for girls, located in Glen Iris, a suburb of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

, Australia. Established in Malvern in 1890, Korowa is a non-selective school and currently caters for approximately 780 students, ranging from the Early Learning Centre (three- and four-year-olds) to Year 12s completing the

Victorian Certificate of Education The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the credential available to secondary school students who successfully complete year 10, 11 and 12 in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria as well as in some international schools i ...

(VCE). The

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPHSA), the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and a founding member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV). Korowa consistently places in the top 10 academic performing schools in Melbourne and greater Victoria. In 2019, the school ranked 6th in Victoria based on the median VCE study score of 37. After completing their VCE studies, many students enrol in competitive degrees offered at both the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

and

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

History

Korowa Anglican Girls' School was established in 1890, first in two houses in Valetta Street, Malvern and then in an old house in Pine Grove. In 1900, the school moved again, this time to a two-storey house in Wattletree Road. The school was registered as "School No.5" in 1906.Chessell, Pam (1990). ''And, as we journey: A history of Korowa, Anglican Girls' School 1890-1990'', Coghill Publishing, Australia. . Korowa relocated to its current site in Glen Iris in 1914. The residence was the former property of the Hon. William Knox, MHR, who named the home "Ranfurlie", which is now the name of the Crescent in which the school is located. The school was officially named "Corowa" in 1899, but later changed to Korowa to avoid confusion with the township of Corowa in 1890. From 1910 to 1918, Korowa was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

school for girls', then in 1919 was incorporated by the

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

authorities as a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

. When the

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of Melbourne adopted the title "

" instead of

in 1982, it was decided that the church connection should be retained in the name, and the school has since been known as "Korowa Anglican Girls' School".

Principals

House system

Curriculum

Early Learning Centre (ELC)

The school's

Early Learning Centre The Early Learning Centre (ELC) is a British retailer that sells toys aimed at younger children. It is part of The Entertainer (through its parent company TEAL Group Holdings). It was a subsidiary of Mothercare until 2019. History The orig ...

(ELC) comprises a three-year-olds program, where students can attend either a full-time or part-time program, and a four-year-olds program, where children attend for either four or five days. Reception children wear a

school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution. They are common in primary school, primary and secondary schools in various countries and are generally widespread in Africa, Asia, O ...

and attend school functions and celebrations. All ELC children take part in specialist classes such as art, music,

Languages Other Than English LOTE or Languages Other Than English is a term often used in education for languages besides English in Australian jurisdictions, such as NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, and Victoria; and American jurisdictions, such as California, New York, and T ...

(LOTE) and library. Along with these subjects, children participate in a Perpetual Motor/

Physical Education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

Program.

Junior School

The Junior School covers

Prep PowerPC Reference Platform (PReP) was a standard system architecture for PowerPC-based computer systems (as well as a reference implementation) developed at the same time as the PowerPC processor architecture. Published by IBM in 1994, it allow ...

Year 5 Year 5 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the fifth year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between nine and eleven. Australia In Austr ...

. The curriculum is divided into the key learning areas of English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science and Technology, Personal and Social Education and Information & Communication Technology (ICT). Specialist teachers are responsible for Art, Languages (German and French, commencing in Prep in alternate years), Library, Music, Religious Education, Physical Education and Sport. These learning areas are supported by studies in Speech and Drama, Literature and a Perceptual Motor Program.

Middle school

The middle school aims to develop competent, proactive learners who are equipped to embrace change. Serving Years 6–8, the middle school is located in the custom-designed "Cripps Centre".

Year 6 Year 6 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including Japan, most of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the sixth year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between ten and eleven. It is genera ...

is the entry year for the

notebook computer A notebook computer or notebook is, historically, a laptop whose length and width approximate that of letter paper (). The term ''notebook'' was coined to describe slab-like portable computers that had a letter-paper footprint, such as Epson's ...

program. In the middle school, girls study the traditional subjects as well as a range of specialist subjects. Students may study LOTE (including Chinese, French, German and Japanese). Korowa's middle school offers a unique curriculum with two Korowa only subjects, 'Approaches to Learning' and 'Sense Cycles'. The program aims to give students the ability to understand the world around them, and learn more about themselves. In the middle school, students learn about good health and well-being during personal development, sense cycles and approaches to learning. In these subjects, they learn about the habits of mind. In term 4, they focus on sexual reproduction and puberty, which is a good time to talk about their changes in their bodies.

Senior School

Korowa's Senior School, Years 9-12, aims to prepare students for success in the

(VCE) and beyond. The Year 9 and 10 curriculum provides a strong foundation for the VCE. Students study the traditional core subjects as well as selecting from a wide range of elective subjects including Accounting, Art, Dance, Biology, Chemistry, Drama, Economics, History, Music Performance, Maths, Legal Studies, Literature, Psychology, Physics, Politics, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects.

Facilities

Korowa benefits from a pleasant and compact campus to cater for all areas of study and interests. Korowa has modern, dedicated buildings for the junior, middle and senior schools. In addition, the school has refurbished junior and senior libraries and a Visual Art Centre which caters for the full spectrum of art subjects. Students in Years 11 and 12 have their own VCE Centre which includes study areas, a cafe and theatrette. The school also houses a redeveloped Science Wing, Food Technology Centre and Information Resource Centre. Other facilities include a music school, drama studios, a vast assembly hall, two gymnasia, a 25m heated indoor swimming pool, a grassed oval, tennis and netball/basketball courts and well tended gardens and playgrounds.

Co-curricular and extracurricular activities

With around 700 students, Korowa offers all children a wide range of educational opportunities and activities whilst being able to value each child for their individual talents and personality. Korowa offers a range of co-curricular and extracurricular activities including life drawing, music, performing arts, debating, speech and drama classes and chess.

Exchange programmes

At Korowa, formal exchange programs are arranged so that students can gain a deeper insight into everyday life in another country while enhancing their language skills. Senior students can spend time at the end of each year in France, Germany, China or Japan, staying with host families, participating in excursions and attending school. Students are also encouraged to travel broadly through participation in other organised exchanges and travel opportunities.

Sport

Health and wellbeing is highly regarded at Korowa. Physical Education is a compulsory subject from three-year-old Beginners through to Year 10, after which it is undertaken by choice. As a member of Girls Sport Victoria, Korowa encourages participation in a wide range of sports. Korowa is a member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV). Korowa has won the following GSV premierships. * Softball (4) – 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012 * Tennis (2) – 2007, 2015 * Triathlon, sprint (3) – 2016, 2017, 2018 * Water polo (3) – 2002, 2003, 2004 Another sporting opportunity for students in Year 8 - 12 is the Korowa rowing squad.

Outdoor education

Outdoor Education is an important part of the overall education of students at Korowa. Itprovides girls with a range of activities outside their usual environment, so that they learn to face challenges in an atmosphere which requires self-reliance and independence. School Camps begin from Year 2 at Korowa. In Year 9, girls leave the Korowa campus for five weeks and take part in one of two programs - the 'Korowa Trek' or 'Urban Connect'. Students choose between journeying through the

Victorian Alps The Victorian Alps, also known locally as the High Country, is a large mountain system in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. Occupying the majority of eastern Victoria, it is the southwestern half of the Australian Alps (the othe ...

by foot,

bike A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

and

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

; or spending time in city, urban, regional and country places, where students are taken outside their comfort zone to explore the self and connect with the wider community. Year 9 students may lead the House Arts Festival. This provides a performance outlet for musicians, actors and dancers. Students are responsible for the entire project, including the writing of

script Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...

choreography Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

of dance routines and arrangement, allocating and performing acting roles as well as the performance of choral and instrumental pieces.

Notable alumnae

All Korowa

alumnae Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

are members of the school's

alumni association An alumni association or alumnae association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students ( alumni). In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, school A school is the educati ...

, the 'Korovian Club'. Meetings and social functions are held during the year for past Korowa students. Some notable 'Korovians' include: * Eva Duldig, tennis player; played in

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

, the

Maccabiah Games The Maccabiah Games (, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics") is an international multi-sport event with summer and winter sports competitions featuring Jews and Israelis regardless of religion ...

, and in

Fed Cup The Billie Jean King Cup (or the BJK Cup) is the premier international team competition in women's tennis, launched as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The name was cha ...

for Australia * Kerrie Engel, Paralympic swimmer *

Dorothy Gibson Dorothy Gibson (born Dorothy Winifred Brown; May 17, 1889 – February 17, 1946) was an American actress, socialite and artist's model, active in the early 20th century. She survived the sinking of the ''Titanic'' and starred in the first m ...

, teacher,

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

, and peace activist *

Bella Heathcote Isabella Heathcote (born 27 May 1987) is an Australian actress. Following her film debut in ''Acolytes'' (2008), she had a recurring role as Amanda Fowler on the television soap opera ''Neighbours'' (2009). She gained further recognition for he ...

, actress * Ann Liang, author * Hannah MacDougall, Paralympic swimming medalist * Mary Owen, activist *

Sally Peers Sally Peers (born 1 June 1991) is an Australian former professional tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is 145, which she achieved on 11 April 2011. Her highest doubles ranking of world ...

, Wimbledon junior doubles champion 2009 *

Marina Prior Marina Prior (born 18 October 1963) is an Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly in musical theatre. From 1990 to 1993, she starred as the original Christine Daaé in the Australian premiere of ''The Phantom of the Opera (1986 mus ...

, opera singer * Pauline Neura Reilly, author and

ornithologist Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

* Jenna Strauch, swimmer * Rowena Webster, water polo player

Notable faculty

* Margaret Blackwood, botanist and geneticist *

Slawa Duldig Slawa Duldig née Horowitz (28 November 1901– 16 August 1975) was an inventor, artist, interior designer, and teacher. In 1929, as Slawa Horowitz, she patented a design for an improved compact folding umbrella. Duldig was the wife of the mode ...

(1901–1975), Austrian-Australian inventor, artist, interior designer, and teacher * Norma Redpath, sculptor

References

External links

Korowa AGS website
{{Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia schools, state=autocollapse Girls' schools in Victoria (state) Educational institutions established in 1890 Anglican schools in Melbourne Junior School Heads Association of Australia Member Schools 1890 establishments in Australia Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia Buildings and structures in the City of Stonnington