The spirit and atmosphere of St Kevin’s is unique.
St Kevin’s is proud of its reputation as one of Australia’s leading Catholic schools for boys. For more than 99 years, St Kevin’s has produced young men schooled in their Catholic faith in the tradition of Edmund Rice, prepared to make a difference in Australian society.
Our success as a school will be measured by how influential the values we place before the boys are five, 10 and 20 years after school. The acid test will be whether in work, relationships or the community that an SKC student will be discernible because they take decisions based on the Good News. Our success as a school, a Catholic school in Edmund’s tradition, will not be determined by the number of leaders we produce in industry, the professions or trades. We should be judged as a successful school if the successful men who are Kevinians accept that they have a responsibility to not simply be successful personally but act so that their giftedness and success enriches the lives of others. Only when our men believe that the norm as a barrister or surgeon is to act pro bono in some instances, or are the accountant who finds time to do the books for a charity, and converse with and advise the stranger seeking solace, will we be able to say St Kevin’s is a successful school. Many of our Old Collegians and our current students give me great hope that we will be judged favourably in the years ahead. A group of students recently asked me to give them a verbal snapshot of who we are. My reply was a good exercise in articulating briefly what we are about. First and foremost, St Kevin’s is a Catholic school – we are part of the Church in every sense. Next we are a school in Edmund’s tradition – a modern interpretation of the visionary Waterford merchant who recognised that education liberates. My third statement was that we are a boys’ school – subjects, teaching styles and activities are boy focussed. Our status as a non-government school allows us as a community to shape our own destiny. Finally, I wanted to mention our membership of the A.P.S. (Associated Public Schools) which allows our participation in such a diverse sporting program.
The boys of St Kevin’s enjoy coming to school and their connectedness to our community continues well into their adult life as ‘Old Collegians’.
To be part of the St Kevin’s family is a gift that calls on each of us fortunate to be part of this family, to use our talents to the full.
Stephen Russell
Headmaster