Student Registration
All students need to fill in the enrolment forms and pay school fees before commencing classes.

School fees cover textbooks and exercise books (replacement of lost books requires additional payment). There is an additional charge for VCE trial exam and supplementary materials.

For all children’s safety, Kinder to Year 2 students need parents/carers to “sign in” at “dropoff”, and “sign out” at “pickup” every time.

Written Student Withdrawal notification is required. 50% of paid tuition fee is refundable if student withdrawal occurs within 4 weeks of enrolment. Enrolment, material and admin fees are not refundable. A withdrawal fee of $20 applies.

In the Beginning

Founded in 1982 by 3 friends, Dr Ka Sing Chua, the late Dr Khee Kok Pang and Ramona Chua, the CAV School began teaching Chinese Language with teachers initially employed by Mrs Easter Wu who was subcontracted to provide the service. An Education and Cultural Subcommittee (ECS) was formed to oversee the running of the school. The following year, ECS took over the entire operation of the School, from employment of teachers to locking up classrooms at the end of the day. For 14 years, classes were conducted at Nunawading High School, Forest Hill. In January 1996, CAV School moved to its own, new home in Wantirna, where classes were organised into morning and afternoon sessions. In 2008, classes were reorganised into Sundays only. As student numbers increased in 2010, 2 portable classrooms were added. By 2013, the School had expanded to a total of 13 classrooms.

School Administration

Throughout the history of CAV School, all administration has been overseen by the School Council that comprises of several CAV EXCO members, teachers and parents. All members of the subcommittee are volunteers with the exception of the Office Administrator and the teaching staff. School council meets regularly to discuss

Ramona is a foundation member of CAV. She is no stranger to CAV, as many members will recall. In 1982 when CAV first started the CAV Chinese School (The School), Ramona was one of the School Management Committee, together with the late Dr Khee Pang and Dr Ka-Sing Chua. With the help of Mrs Easter Wu and parents and members of CAV, The School flourished.

The same year, Ramona gathered some of the children not attending The School and founded the CAV Cultural Dance Group.

For many years, Ramona was involved with The School until her resignation as principal in 1995, due to heavy full-time teaching commitment at a government school and her further studies.

Ramona has many tertiary qualifications including: Master of Education (Univ Melb), Graduate Diploma Education Administration (Univ Melb), Graduate Diploma in Arts-Interpreting & Translating (Deakin Univ), Bachelor of Teaching (Deakin Univ).  In addition to these, she has diverse qualifications in Advanced Certificate in Horticulture (Burley Horticulture College), Bookkeeping & Accounting for Small Business (Box Hill TAFE), Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (Cambridge University Examination Syndicate & Royal Society of Arts, London), etc.

Over the years, Ramona has taught in the CAV School, government primary schools, VCE classes, and had been VCE Chinese oral assessor for 6 years. In 2000, she was a member of the Chinese First Language CSF reference group at the Board of Studies (currently Victorian curriculum and Assessment Authority). Ramona had presented workshops at various teachers’ conferences. She was a casual lecturer at the University of Melbourne, giving lectures to Victorian School of Languages and ethnic schools Chinese Language teachers.

At the international film festival, Five Asian Filmmakers, organized by AsiaLink, Ramona was engaged as a translator to a Chinese film director.

Community-minded Ramona has worked as a voluntary guide at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) for 20 years since graduating from an NGV 18-month course in 2001. In the 20 years, Ramona has taken numerous general English tours and Chinese tours of the gallery. In addition, she has taken tours in special exhibitions such as Art Décor, Andy Warhol & Ai Wei-Wei, Van Gogh and the seasons, Viktor & Rolfe, Terracotta Warriors, to name just a few. During the exhibition A Golden Age of China-Qianlong Emperor 1736-1795, Ramona gave a public lecture (paid & ticketed event) on The Beginning of the Qing Dynasty. On top of that she also participated in guiding in some evening corporate functions. Ramona has also taken diplomats like the Japanese, Chinese, Turkish ambassadors, Consul generals, and public services personnel, such as the police group.

She has extensive work experience having served on committees of many associations, e.g the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Victoria, Modern Language Teachers of Victoria, Ethnic Schools Association of Victoria, and NGV Guides Committee. For the last one, Ramona served as Coordinator of Education, Treasurer, Vice President and President over a number of years. Australia wide, Ramona had served on the committees of the Chinese Language Teachers Federation of Australia and Association of the Australian Gallery Guiding Organizations.

In 2008, Ramona was asked to come back to lead The School after the resignation of the then principal. She handed over the reigns to Ruilan Yuan at the end of 2011. Now, we are thankful that Ramona has once again agreed to come back to be the interim principal, and we look forward to working with Ramona again.