From the Principal

Welcome to the latest edition of The Link magazine which is a journal of life at the School and tells us of the great work of the Foundation in continuing to keep our families, past and present, connected.

The events of the past two years have served to remind us of the importance of connections and the precious nature of community. It has also demonstrated how internet communications can augment but never replace physically gathering as a school community. Fortunately, as The Link shows, amid the disruptions of the pandemics school life goes on. There has been plenty on at Yarra in the first part of 2021. The first big events at the School were the opening assemblies where we were able to rejoice to be back together, appoint our student leaders; and where we could celebrate the efforts of our Year 12 Class of 2020. Considering the vagaries of the 2020 school year, our Year 12 Class did very, very well and I congratulate them and their teachers for such a great outcome. In Term 2 we opened the much anticipated Fine Arts Building which sits next to the Science and Mathematics Building on Kalinda Road. The building was officially opened by the Governor of Victoria, The Honourable Linda Dessau AC and Dedicated by His Grace Dr Philip Freier the Archbishop of Melbourne. This is truly a spectacular building featuring three storeys of dedicated art classrooms, gallery space and workshops for the Design in Wood classes.

A special feature of the building is the Art Gallery which is available for student and community works. The show on right now is of student work from across the School including a piece by Sophie Yang (YOG Class of 2020) who won third prize in the state Top Arts Competition. This piece was selected from over 1300 submissions…extraordinary! I am delighted to report that the Board of the School has given its approval to begin planning for a new Junior Primary Centre to cater for our Prep to Grade 2 students. All being well, we hope to begin construction at the beginning of 2022. More of this in a later edition of The Link.

All of us at Yarra were delighted to hear that two Yarra Old Grammarians had been selected in the Australian Olympic team competing in Japan. We wish Josh Simmonds (YOG 2013) and Brendon Smith (YOG 2018) all the best at the Tokyo Olympics. I wish the Yarra Valley Grammar community the very best for the second half of the year. Dr Mark Merry Principal