Linking the Westbourne Community
Issue 5 - June 2014
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Vision Mission Values Our school, your school. A world of learning... Our mission is to create an economically independent and vibrant community that consistently provides the highest standards of excellence and innovation in learning within a stimulating, nurturing environment. Westbourne Grammar School values: • Community • Creativity • Scholarship • Courage
Westbourne Grammar School Association Contacts Friends of Westbourne Shona Taylor fowa@westbourne.vic.edu.au Friends of Music and Performing Arts (FOMPA) Heather Straughan fompa@westbourne.vic.edu.au Friends of Sport (FOS) Joe Azzopardi fos@westbourne.vic.edu.au Williamstown and Westbourne Grammar Alumni Association (WWGAA) Catherine Mitchell (2004) President alumni@westbourne.vic.edu.au
Editorial team: Catherine Middlemiss Miriam McCaffrie Photography: Timothy Burgess
Features 8
Class of 2013 VCE Results
12
SOLO Taxonomy @ Westbourne Grammar
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Changing IT Up at Westbourne Grammar
22
Welcome to School Chaplain
Regulars 3
From the Principal
5
President of School Council
24
Alumni and Community
26
Celebrations and Tributes
22
25
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Right: Ms Meg Hansen, Principal
Message from the Principal Community - our tradition; Innovation - our future I like this diagram. I found it on an internet search one day, hoping to find a scholarly article on innovation in education which would assist me in describing Westbourne’s innovation strategy designed to search for learning that matters. The diagram captures many strands of our research and development over the last four years which we believe has placed us on the cusp of achieving true innovation. Our journey began with a search for the “Goldilocks conditions1… [which are] not too hot, not too cold, just right for the creation of complexity.” As the diagram suggests, innovation is complex, can look messy, but will reveal intersecting thought pathways hitherto unseen.
We have grown to understand that innovation in an educational setting is about doing some things differently in order to achieve great learning outcomes for students. We have also understood that innovation generally starts slowly, carefully, and gains a momentum without too much interference. An example of this is Westbourne’s online continuous reporting system. Whilst this is not a light bulb invention, it is a better solution to something we have always done - reporting on students. Past reporting was a labour intensive, paper, tour de force which gave our parents information about their sons or daughters at least three months out of date, without giving details of learning, growth, or indeed what tasks were designed to achieve. Our new system is dynamic, requiring staff to enter commentary once only. It is current, operates ELC-12, is environmentally friendly, immediately informative, supports a three-way dialogue and has potential to become a living portfolio of learning with trails of feedback. Our aim had been to achieve better communication for parents, but we quickly saw that the advantage to students in seeing their learning become visible almost daily, meant teacher/student conversations started to change subtly, becoming an invitation for feedback as students began to query “how might I improve?”, “what do you suggest?”, “where might I find?”. This, in turn, has led us to innovate into differentiated learning, or “every child, every moment”.
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David Christian, TED, ‘The history of our world in 18 minutes’.
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From the Principal (cont.) Differentiated learning is teacher jargon for teaching to all abilities. Westbourne’s innovation mind frame queried the notion of one type of excellence in learning, made visible only by means of traditional testing. We discarded the notion that every child needed to be ranked according to some mythical scale and, instead, chose to regard every child as an intricate, unique, hard-wired learning organism with limitless potential. We knew from research that the “differences between students within a school were greater than the differences between schools”2. Sir Ken Robinson’s work, and John Hattie’s research, continues to illuminate the strangling of student ability at a very young age. Accelerated classes came under review and we found that along with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), that accelerated programs and select entry courses do not improve a student’s learning, neither those within the Pale nor those without. Australia’s decline in world ratings, according to the PISA tests, has come about because our most able students are performing poorly against the rest of the world. Westbourne made the decision to dispense with the artificiality of acceleration because we strongly believe that every child should develop a learning acceleration mindset. Furthermore, we know that children develop at entirely different rates, develop different skill sets at different rates, and have different interests. Last year we tested this with the da Vinci Decathlon, where students were able to self-refer their interest, rather than limiting the opportunity to a selected few. We had a big team, we were the only school which did not ‘select’ their team and …we won. Happy with this result, our next innovation takes us to the heart of the learning culture we are developing at Westbourne, with the introduction of SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) Taxonomy. Within a few short weeks we have seen the introduction of a common learning language, ELC-12, which enhances many of our other recent changes including restorative practice, curriculum mapping, online reporting and classroom differentiation. A simple philosophy, SOLO is an approach to teaching which requires students to develop a consciousness about how they are learning, and fosters every student, every day to understand how to move from skill development to the higher order levels of thinking, and thence to knowledge transfer. We are convinced that by putting aside rankings and artificial selection, and by offering broad and deep learning experiences, we will see all of our children thriving as learners. Community remains at the heart of our School. Innovation such as Westbourne is experiencing cannot occur outside the rich influences so characteristic of our community. For example, the introduction of restorative practice within the School has been very successful for students because they genuinely wish to learn how to live and work together, and how to solve differences in a manner which is both respectful and enlightening. 2
Professor Frank Crowther.
Humans are intensely social animals, and research data about learning is able to capture the deep benefits of collaboration. John Hattie refers to our brains being “social learning organisms”, allowing us to learn from one another as we react together. We know, again from research, that when children work in pairs their learning actually doubles. So powerful is the effect of collaborative learning on capability, that PISA is introducing a measure for collaborative problem solving as one of its tests. Our community is willing and eager to explore the possibilities for collaboration for students and staff ELC-12 as we know the latent power within our community. Improving communication and offering more opportunities to share in their children’s learning for parents is equally high on our innovation agenda. Ms Meg Hansen Principal
“The introduction of restorative practice within the School has been very successful for students because they genuinely wish to learn how to live and work together, and how to solve differences in a manner which is both respectful and enlightening”
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1978: Tents as classrooms
Tents as classrooms
Mr David Horvath
President of School Council I have always remembered something that Theodore Roosevelt once said when he was talking about the United States of America: “This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in, unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” That quote reminds me of Westbourne when I think of it, because it relates to our community, and the building of and the preservation of, our community values. This is something that Westbourne has long been known for since its original days as Williamstown Grammar School, right through until the present time. Community at Westbourne has always been intrinsic to its being. Before Westbourne was founded, it existed in the minds of a small group of people, many of whom were parents, who made up our School Council at the time. They laid the seeds through their insightful long-term strategic planning in purchasing land at Truganina; land I am sure, at the time, many would have thought worthless. From this group of people working together for a common goal, has come the thriving community that we know today; and that theme of a group of people working together to achieve goals continues on to the present day. I was present as a student for the beginnings of Westbourne Grammar, and it seemed that
all we had were a few tents, a construction site, a group of only 110 students and teachers, and a lot of flies! Because of this, the one thing we really had, and this was because of the paucity of the things we had in a physical sense, was each other. This bond developed into bands of friendship and loyalty that continue to this day and, in so doing, laid the foundations of the community that we so cherish. This is evidenced by the fact that in our current Council we have one member who was a student at Williamstown and three other members who graduated from Westbourne, two of whom were part of the second ever graduating class, and all of whom have returned to contribute to the place which helped to form them. Even our Principal, Meg Hansen came from New Zealand to become part of the Westbourne community and then left to broaden her horizons and experiences; she then returned 10 years later to steer the School into the next phases of its growth. Our community, I feel, means many different things to different people. For our current students, it is a place where they find their allimportant education; also, it is a place where they are nurtured, protected and often form lifelong friendships. Once students have graduated, this can continue into
on-going relationships which can take the part of sporting connections such as our Old Grammarians’ Football Club and also, for many students, their on-going student community also gives them many business and professional networking opportunities long into the future. For our staff, in addition to the place where they make their living to support their own families, I think that many feel that they are part of a larger family. This encompasses not only their fellow staff members but, in many cases the students themselves and their families. Personally, I have relationships with staff members that are ongoing for over 30 years and, although the level of this varies, there is an underlying ‘rightness’ to the relationship because of the shared pathway we embarked upon and the values that we shared. Our parents see our community in possibly a different light, in that they are charging Westbourne and all that it encompasses with the care, nurturing and education towards the future of the most precious possessions they have. Our community gives them peace of mind in that their children, and also their investment in their future, are in the best possible hands. Our pastoral care program, which has developed over the years, I feel is second to none, and this extends from our teaching and administrative staff to our dedicated Chaplain and our students themselves. I sense our community also extends now into our surrounding neighbourhoods. In the beginning, our surrounding community comprised some paddocks, cows and, of course flies, but now we find ourselves in the centre of a thriving residential area which is only continuing to grow. We have programs in place to extend our reach into our surrounding community such as our Sports and Aquatic Centre, and also the refurbishment of our sporting facilities to help integrate the Westbourne community into that of our surrounds. For someone who has been present at Westbourne from its very beginning, where the notion of our community seemed a very insular, but nevertheless comforting idea, it is exciting to be a part of the evolution of this very community, and also its expansion and integration into not only our new neighbourhoods, but in some ways, into the very fabric of the West of Melbourne. Westbourne is a great place in which to learn and live, because all of us are making it that way. Mr David Horvath President of School Council
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Right: Mr Andrew McGregor, Associate Principal
Message from the
Associate Principal The Westbourne Teaching Model, 2014 At Westbourne Grammar School we put student learning at the centre of what we do. To optimise student learning we strive to provide great teaching. As an ELC-12 school we have the advantage of providing all of our teachers with common and consistent general advice on the pedagogy that we value. This framework is known as the Westbourne Teaching Model. It is a dynamic set of recommendations based on the latest research and evidence. It provides a common language and connection between all teachers at the School that enhances collegiality and encourages collaboration. Our teachers are always learning and always sharing. Teachers meet regularly within faculties or across year levels to talk about teaching and learning. Staff also meet formally in a whole school meeting as an entire ELC-12 group at least twice per term to discuss and share information on the latest trends in best practice. A dedicated Westbourne Effective Teaching and Learning Team also meets fortnightly during School Executive meetings to coordinate and direct our whole school strategy. The Westbourne Teaching Model is based on six premises:
1. We use Understanding by Design (UbD) to plan our curriculum UbD is a way of thinking purposefully about curriculum planning. The primary goal of UbD is developing and deepening student understanding. It relies on the ability to make meaning of learning via ‘big ideas’ and ‘essential questions’ and to transfer skills and knowledge into understanding and learning. Effective UbD curriculum is planned ‘backward’ from long-term desired results through a clear learning plan. Teachers referring to UbD curriculum become the coaches of understanding, not mere purveyors of content or activity. They focus on ensuring learning and understanding, rather than on just teaching.
2. We embrace Visible Learning ideas Visible Learning occurs when teachers see learning through the eyes of students and help them become their own teachers. At Westbourne we believe that successful lessons have important elements including careful preparation, a clear and effective beginning, a teacher facilitated flow of learning, continuous feedback and formative assessment and a clear and summative conclusion. The ideas of Visible
Learning are used by our teachers, working with their own unique set of skills, personality and experience, to deliver sound and purposeful lessons. Teachers will consider a student’s prior achievement and level of knowledge to target learning. Clear learning intentions are provided at the beginning of a lesson. Students should be able to identify where they are at in their learning, where they are going and how they will get there. A range of visible thinking routines is regularly used across the School to help put student thinking at the forefront.
3. We constantly look to provide effective differentiation in the classroom An important aim of each lesson we teach is to attempt to ensure that every child in the class is engaged in worthwhile learning for every moment of the class. This is encapsulated in the motto: ‘Every child Every moment.’ Every student needs to leave our classrooms feeling enriched. Direct instruction to the entire class needs to be used carefully. A process of ‘teaching to the middle’ runs the risk of disengaging many students in the class at both ends of the understanding spectrum. Differentiation suggests we need
to know exactly what our students know when we start teaching a lesson so that we can work out what each student, or group of students, needs to be encouraged to work on. Methods for pre-testing students and then directing different students to different tasks are critical. Flexibly grouping students so that they can work alone, in groups or as a whole class, as appropriate, makes it possible to make the most of important differences and commonalities in the classroom. Open-ended tasks can also be used powerfully. We also believe that cooperative learning or peer collaboration has extraordinary power. Our staff adopt a ‘growth mindset’ and believe that all students have the ability to develop their learning in all subjects all of the time.
4. We take advantage of the SOLO Taxonomy Please see the article by Sophie Murphy in this edition of Monomeith which provides detail on the value of the SOLO framework.
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Fun in the sandpit at Amici – Westbourne Early Learning Centre
5. We embed formative assessment in our teaching Formative assessment occurs regularly as students are learning a topic, and it provides instant and timely feedback along the learning journey. Summative assessment is the more traditional form of assessment that occurs at the end of a topic. Formative assessment tasks provide teachers with beneficial feedback; they also provide effective feedback opportunities for students. Teachers need to find out what students know as often as possible. They should use interpretive listening to learn about the students’ thinking and use diagnostic questions, not just discussion questions. The golden rule of feedback is that “feedback should cause thinking.” Feedback is ineffective if it causes students to react emotionally. Feedback should be a recipe for future action. Activating students in this way as owners of their own learning can produce extraordinary improvements in achievement.
Left to right: Alisha Marfatia (12D); Mr Warren Pratt, Leo Featherstone (12H) and Amanda Mobilio (12P)
6. We all collect, use and own the data on learning Using data to improve student learning and map continual growth is essential for all Westbourne teachers. They use data extensively to guide them in their decisionmaking, to set and prioritise goals and to monitor progress. Based on relevant data, they make changes to their own teaching to ensure that all students are reaching their learning potential. All evidence (formative, summative and standardised), needs to be collated to create valid and relative interpretations for our students’ progression and growth. The data must then be used to ascertain where students are going, how they are going to get there and where they need to head next. Data is most powerful when shared and discussed in teams, departments, year levels and leadership groups. These collaborative discussions allow for changes and the ability to implement successful teaching strategies, and reflect on the indicators of achievement to ensure all students are maximising their learning potential. Mr Andrew McGregor Associate Principal
Left to right: Ms Amanda Mitchell and Hosna Eqbal (11F)
Left to right: Fahad Elbelli (Year 6), Jasmin Larranaga (Year 4) and Mrs Kylie Baxter
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Chi Hsuan (Kellie) Hu
Dux: Khoi Tran
Yu-Yen (Jacqueline) Huang
Tessa Marshall
Thomas McAllister
Class of 2013 VCE Results Congratulations to our Year 12 students of 2013 on their outstanding VCE results. The Class of 2013 at Westbourne Grammar School has distinguished itself as a year level achieving exceptional VCE results, a testimony to the strong and growing culture of collaborative, innovative and mindful learning at Westbourne. Principal, Ms Meg Hansen, said that the School was very proud of the excellent results achieved by VCE students in 2013.
Significant highlights from the 2013 VCE results are: • Dux of the School achieved an ATAR score of 99.85: an international student from Vietnam,Khoi Tran has been accepted to study Biomedicine at Monash University on a scholarship • Eight of our students achieved an ATAR above 99 (highest number ever), including those students pictured above, next to the Dux of the School • Two of our international students achieved an ATAR above 99 • Fifty-five of our students achieved an ATAR that exceeded 90 (highest number ever) • Twelve students scored ATAR scaled subject scores of 50 or above (after scaling) (highest number ever) • Seven international students achieved scores that exceeded 90, placing them in the top 10% of the nation • The School’s median ATAR was above 85 which means 50% of our students are ranked in the top 14% nationally • Over 60% of our students achieved an ATAR above 80 • All Westbourne applicants received a first round VTAC tertiary course offer • The year level achieved a 100% VCE pass rate. Congratulations to all in our VCE class of 2013. Mr Graham Long Director of Operations
2013 ATARs:
Offers by Institution:
100.00%
80.00%
13%
24% The University of Melbourne
60.00%
Monash University
9%
RMIT University Deakin University
40.00%
Victoria University
18%
18%
20.00%
18%
0.00% Above 99
International Students
Above 95
Above 90
Westbourne %
Above 80
Above 50
National %
Other Universities
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Right: Mrs Catherine Middlemiss
Director of Development “A sound education helps young men and women to discover resources within themselves which enable them to shape their own lives and develop their full potential”. John Pascoe, Principal 1976-1988.
with each other, welcome and encourage parental involvement, fundraise for special projects, and provide practical support in school matters to enhance the overall effectiveness of the school.
Just as the School’s vision for a rigorous program has never wavered, nor have the opportunities for our students to think and work collaboratively, and to apply their knowledge to increasingly complex problems as confident leaders in our diverse environment.
Such support saw a wide range of activities in Terms 1 and 2, with the Parent Association holding its annual Easter raffle, Mother’s Day stalls and the annual Mother’s Day Luncheon at D’Olive on Friday 9 May. Friends of Music and Performing Arts (FOMPA) worked tirelessly to raise funds to provide an opportunity for the ‘Big Band’ to participate in the annual ‘Generations in Jazz’ festival in Mt Gambier.
To this end, we congratulate our Leavers of 2013 and marvel at their results, whilst also recognising the wonderful achievements to date of this year’s students; from our little ones who have settled in so well at Amici - Westbourne Early Centre, through to our Senior School students performing in the ‘The Tragedy of Julius Caesar’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, as well as the da Vinci Decathlon. Whilst recognising our students and their achievements is important, we must also acknowledge the support they receive from their families. We believe that the successful blending of these two aspects of school life, ie students and families, into one tightly integrated community is a significant element of what makes Westbourne Grammar so special. Parents are a vibrant and essential part of our community, and we value their genuine interest and collaboration. The leadership group of the parent sub-committees, the Friends of Westbourne Association (FOWA), has as its main aims: to support the parents in their social connections
Mother’s Day Lunch at D’Olive on Friday 9 May
Left to right: Karin Falkenberg, Pia Fonsboel, Kristie Alexander
Left to right: Back row: Reena Vaitha, Sonal Goradia, Joanne Sheldrick, Natasha Streit, Siobhan Monching Front row: Laura Card, Elizabeth Casabene, Sanna El Hassan
Left to right: Beata Rawdanowicz, Narelle Goldie, Sonia Whyte, Tahli Shay, Joanna Gumley, Melissa Devine, Shona Taylor, Fiona Parks, Debbie Huntington, Jacqui Garnsworthy
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Left to Right: Westbourne’s First XVIII Co-Captain, Ashley Gallina congratulates St Michael’s First XVIII Captain, Frederick Sullivan after the match
Left to Right: Ms Meg Hansen (Principal), Mr Brendan McCartney (Senior Coach, Western Bulldogs), and Mr Andrew McGregor (Associate Principal)
Director of Development (cont.) Friends of Sport (FOS) has hosted three of its ‘family sport rounds’ for parents, and also provided a barbecue at the recent Athletics Day and the ‘Annual Geoffrey Ryan Cup’, the 1st XVIII football match between Westbourne Grammar and St Michael’s Grammar. The ‘Annual Geoffrey Ryan Cup’ has become a significant event on the School’s calendar, and we were pleased to see so many of our parents at Chirnside Park on Tuesday 13 May. Westbourne Grammar hosted a formal dinner prior to the game for both schools, with an official presentation of players and an inspirational address from the coach of the Western Bulldogs, Mr Brendan McCartney. Whilst it was disappointing to lose the game by only six points, it was a strongly fought contest with both teams showing true sportsmanship. Congratulations to St Michael’s on their win. Parents and guardians are invited to become a part of our vibrant community, especially if you have an interest in one of the various associations, including the Parent Auxiliary, FOS, FOMPA and the Swap Shop. For families new to the School, getting involved can often be an invaluable way to meet other new parents and to quickly feel a part of the community. For our past students, joining the Alumni Committee is a great way of staying in touch with the School and helping to grow the Alumni community, or by offering valuable guidance as career mentors to our current students. If you would like further information on joining any of these groups, or details regarding school events, please do not hesitate to contact me. And to those already involved, the School thanks you enormously for your unwavering support and dedication.
“The ‘Annual Geoffrey Ryan Cup’ has become a significant event on the School’s calendar...”
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Director of Development (cont.) School communications Thank you to all our families for embracing our new paper-free approach to school communications. A comparison of the six months from December to May provides a very good indication that our sustainable practice of sending emails and utilising the parent portal for notifications, has been well received. The fortnightly publication of eHorizons has also seen a significant rise in readership and we thank all our staff and community members who provide regular contributions. This is a wonderful means of keeping in touch with school news and celebrating our students’ achievements. Families are also encouraged to join us on Facebook for community news and events on a weekly basis.
Month
Number of Unique Visitors
December 2013
8,895
January 2014 (school holidays)
4,192
February 2014
19,047
March 2014
22,991
April 2014 (school holidays)
13,656
May 2014
23,365
NUMBER OF UNIQUE VISITORS Portal - Number of Unique Visitors 23,365
22,991 19,047 13,656 8,895 4,192
December, 2013
January, 2014
February, 2014
March, 2014
April, 2014
May, 2014
Get Wyndham Moving I recently had the pleasure of attending the ‘Get Wyndham Moving’ evening held at the Wyndham Civic Centre where a new traffic and transport congestion campaign was launched. As the fastest growing municipality in Victoria, Wyndham has grown from a small outer suburb of Melbourne to a city of 187,788 people, welcoming 12,000 new arrivals every year including almost 80 births each week. The campaign aims to secure a commitment from both State and Federal Governments to provide support for projects which will reduce congestion in Wyndham, as well as funding and preferred transport modes eg more regular bus services and faster train services to the city. For our community at Westbourne Grammar this is exciting news – not only are we a part of one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, plans are now in place to manage traffic congestion and, in turn, ease that drive to school each morning!
Mrs Catherine Middlemiss Director of Development and Community Relations
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Right: Ms Sophie Murphy
SOLO Taxonomy
@ Westbourne Grammar For all students in the 21st Century, developing problem-solving skills, and the ability to analyse information on a complex level are essential. Students need to learn how to apply their knowledge immediately with the online world now at their fingertips and to effectively analyse, evaluate and interpret information on a daily basis. Students need to be taught the skills to question, make meaningful associations and be given the opportunity to extend their thinking and questioning skills. Student work in 2B exploring the green zone
SOLO in a Senior School Maths classroom
Student work exploring SOLO in 2B at Williamstown
The Westbourne Teaching Model (see Andrew McGregor’s article for more detail on the Westbourne Teaching Model) was created to articulate the teaching and learning from Kindergarten to Year 12 currently taking place. Creating learners who excel in the 21st Century, and using a framework that ensures that all students at Westbourne Grammar are reaching their full learning potential and have the opportunity to develop deep level thinking skills, is why we have incorporated a framework called ‘SOLO Taxonomy’ as one of our six components of the Westbourne Teaching Model. We use this framework from Prep to Year 12 to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to move from surface to deeper level understandings, to extend their thinking, make connections and be able to transfer their understandings to different subject areas, and use these ideas in new and different ways. As the Kindergarten to Year 12 Director of Learning Potential at Westbourne, and whilst completing my Masters at the University of Melbourne, I work directly with Professor John Hattie whose groundbreaking research about what works in education to improve learning is well known in Melbourne, nationally and internationally. Professor Hattie fully endorses, and has written extensively about, the use of SOLO Taxonomy within schools. At the beginning of Term 1 2014, Westbourne teaching staff were introduced to the SOLO Taxonomy. Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) is being used effectively in classes from Prep to Year 12 at Westbourne Grammar to differentiate and extend student learning within the classroom. The SOLO Taxonomy allows teachers to differentiate tasks and cater for the variety of learning needs within their classrooms simultaneously. By using the SOLO Taxonomy, teachers are able to provide a range of opportunities that make it possible to identify the learning stage at which the student is operating. Students share the same common language, and are able to articulate how they can move from surface level understandings (yellow - see picture and explanation on the following page) to deeper level understandings (green - see picture and explanation on the following page). SOLO allows students and teachers to develop a common understanding and language of learning that will help students “learn how to learn”.
The SOLO Taxonomy framework was created by John Biggs and Kevin Collis, and has proven to dramatically improve the quality of teaching and learning, and add value and depth of understanding to teachers and students at all primary and secondary levels. This has been further supported by the research of Professor John Hattie from the University of Melbourne who affirms that schools that use SOLO Taxonomy make learning outcomes visible, identify their level of cognitive complexity, and make feedback more effective in the learning process. Students are able to have the confidence to achieve success by knowing where they are, what success looks like, how to get there, and then share this common goal with their teacher. SOLO provides a simple and robust way of describing how learning outcomes grow in complexity from surface to deep, conceptual understanding. It describes five levels of understanding for students, starting with those which are being introduced to new learning. The distinction between each level is clearly categorised; with both students and teachers able to engage in dialogue about each SOLO level of a learning outcome.
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With the SOLO Taxonomy, teachers and students are able to: • Provide students with immediate on-going feedback • Identify where students are, where they need to go to achieve success and how they can get there • Reflect meaningfully on what to do next • Identify effective strategies to move from surface level understandings to deeper more conceptual understandings • Thoughtfully design learning intentions and learning experiences for all students. The SOLO Taxonomy consists of five key levels: prestructural, unistructural, multistructural, relational and extended abstract, and uses the visual representation of red having no understanding or knowledge, yellow as the surface level understanding, and green as the deeper more conceptual level of understanding. I have included some of the verbs/skills that this may look like in each of the levels.
“...developing problem-solving skills, and the ability to analyse information on a complex level are essential.. ”
1. The Prestructural level describes when the learner has no prior knowledge of the subject or concepts being taught.
2. The Unistructural level describes when the learner has one idea about the subject. Knows one relevant aspect and perform single tasks.
3. The Multistructural level describes when the learner has several ideas about the subject. Knows several relevant aspects and can perform several tasks.
4. The Relational level describes when the learner has a deeper level of understanding, and can now make connections and link several ideas together to solve complex problems or tasks and can integrate this knowledge into a structure.
5. The Extended Abstract level is where the learner can now conceptualise and generalise knowledge into new ideas and can use these ideas and/or skills in new and different ways.
Ms Sophie Murphy Director of Learning Potential K-12
Identify (who, what, where, when), name, draw, find, label, define, match, follow simple procedures.
Describe, combine, list, summarise, give examples, continue, and perform serial skills.
Analyse, apply, argue, compare and contrast, classify, sequence, explain (cause and effect), criticise, justify, relate, distinguish, organise.
Evaluate, reflect, predict, create, hypothesise, theorise, formulate, generate, generalise, prove, compose, design, construct.
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Right: Ms Rose Elsom
Changing IT Up
at Westbourne Grammar There is no doubt that learning is changing. Our understanding of what learning is, how it is most effective, and what the future looks like is being constantly challenged by research from both Australia and across the world. As teachers, our thinking about learning is also constantly challenged by the changing student we see in front of us each year, semester and term. ICT has an interesting role to play in this changing picture of education. In our personal lives it is driving some of those changes within us and our students as individuals – most significantly our expectations; however, at the same time, new opportunities for how we, as teachers can teach our students, challenges our thinking about our very role both inside and outside the classroom. The daily challenge to my thinking as ICT Manager at Westbourne Grammar School is how we, as a team, provide a technology environment that enables our students, teachers and parents to take advantage of these new opportunities while, at the same time, ensuring that our environment is suitably supported, stable and secure. Our work over the past three years has seen the consolidation of a solid technology foundation on which we are now building flexible and changeable solutions that fit together like pieces of a jigsaw. Those critical corner pieces are our SharePoint Community Portal, our Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the central school database – Synergetic, and finally our Windows and HP Server and Network infrastructure. We utilise these core technologies to support the learning and teaching that occurs within, nearby, and nowhere near the classroom, school business operations, as well as the on-going use of devices and online services by the students, staff and parents/guardians who make up our School community.
Changing and being Changed by Learning and Teaching The School now provides 24/7 access to learning data for students, parents and teachers. The School Portal and the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) are key components within the School’s approach to learning and teaching, and these systems recognise the significant role timely feedback plays in each student’s on-going efforts to improve. The sharing of this data with parents and guardians throughout the term sees them better equipped to support the child’s efforts with regular conversation and sharing of their learning experiences. Our background systems support this through individual parent logins to our SharePoint Portal, and our Information Management team is working closely with the School’s learning and teaching leaders to further develop the information available here.
Students and teachers are also utilising a wide range of devices within the learning environments at school. The need to explore and evaluate apps as learning tools saw the School move to Windows 8 slates in 2013, and to the extension of the School’s notebook program to Years 4 to 6 in Junior School. This continued the School’s earlier transition from normal notebooks to convertible Tablet PCs with touch screens and stylus input as far back as 2005. After a successful trial in Prep in 2012 and 2013, iPads have also been introduced into Amici Westbourne Early Learning Centre, Prep and Year 1. These slate format devices (both iPads and Windows) have seen students at all year levels utilise device camera technologies to record their learning process, annotate images and documents, create animations and film presentations and move about the learning environments to work as they need to. As a school, Westbourne recognises that paper-based resources are limiting when compared to the search functionality of online sources, and that the transition to the use of digital resources requires a change in our thinking. We started this by reducing our printer and photocopier fleet in 2012, and extended this further with the move to e-textbooks in 2013 and 2014. Our students are heading towards University education where research, access to learning
materials and completing tasks are all online – our VLE, library research programs and e-textbook solutions support the shift in thinking that will enable our students to hit the ground running after Year 12. Our classrooms also continue to change and adapt to provide new opportunities for learning with the use of both interactive whiteboards, as well as touch screen interactive televisions, in both Junior and Senior School classrooms. In 2014 we will extend this further with trials of dual screen classroom displays in humanities, and multi-screen (five or six screens per classroom) in IT, English and Mathematics in Senior School. These environments create increased opportunities for student-led learning activities and collaborative group work. In 2014 students in Years 7 and 8 have explored gaming and gaming development as learning, and Year 10 elective students have continued the idea of the Extended Project from the Imagine Program with an individual, semester-long ICT project of their own selection. Student-led projects such as this provide our students with the scope to explore and extend themselves with their own specific area of interest in technology, and to learn the principles of Project Management in an IT context.
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Semester 1, 2014 has also seen the trial of the Westbourne Academy for Limitless Learning (WALL) on the School’s VLE. This will provide students with access to solely, or mostly, online learning programs which they can apply to complete, and will be reported through the School’s reporting system. Year 9 Maths Extension and some aspects of the School’s wellbeing curriculum are already included, and topics and opportunities within the WALL will continue to grow. Westbourne is also enrolled as a Microsoft IT Academy and will be implementing this program in 2014.
Ever-Changing Data and Communications The introduction of the Online Continuous Reporting System in 2013, and the provision of the individual parent logins have also enabled a significant change to school communications and operations. In 2013 Senior School trialled online parent/teacher interview bookings and this facility continues across the School in 2014. Parents now complete reply slips and expressions of interest via the School Portal and we have taken this opportunity to move all day-to-day communications with parents to email format. In 2014 we will also open access for parents to update some aspects of their database records directly into the Portal. These changes are significant in many ways, and the speed with which our community has adapted and responded shows that both our students and the wider Westbourne community are dynamic, connected and tech-savvy. Our IT Helpdesk assists with training and technical support but, more importantly, parents are sharing experiences and advice with each other, and our students are guiding each other and their parents through their learning processes and the data available. This peer-led support and involvement supports our underlying belief that, as a community, we are all “always learning, and always sharing”. Ms Rose Elsom ICT Manager
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Left to right: Sarah Fenn (School Vice Captain), Mark McDermott (School Captain), Chelsea Perera (School Captain), Jeevan Haikerwal (School Vice Captain)
Senior School Leaders 2014 Chelsea Perera, School Captain
Leo Featherstone, Music Captain
Chelsea is quite the all-rounder. She loves participating in a variety of activities from music, sport and drama and especially loves being part of a concert choir and loves the atmosphere singing in the group creates. Chelsea has wowed us with her participation in three of Westbourne’s brilliant School musical productions. Career-wise Chelsea aspires to study medicine, and teach and do voluntary work overseas. By way of sports, her favourites are soccer and futsal, and she has also participated in the ACS cross country. Recently Chelsea has taken up reading as a way to let her mind relax and “escape the stress of VCE life”.
Leo plays in many of the School’s ensembles including the orchestra and big band. He is a keen chess player and loves competing in the School’s chess team. Out of school he likes to spend time fishing, reading or spending time with his friends.
Mark McDermott, School Captain Mark has just returned from a life-altering School trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia to visit Kampuchea House orphanage which is in a small rural village surrounded by rice farms and very poor families. Back at School, Mark has a keen interest in history and physics and enjoys playing many different sports such as cricket, golf and soccer. In his spare time he watches movies, television and ‘hangs out’ with his friends. “I love travelling and eating different foods”.
Sarah Fenn, School Vice Captain Sarah is passionate about Westbourne and always thoroughly involved in School life, participating in ACS sport on a weekly basis, and playing trombone and singing in many musical ensembles. Outside of school, Sarah finds time to enjoy a lot of music and reading, as well as playing sport with friends when time permits. “Movies are good fun too as well as reading, sport and music”.
Jeevan Haikerwal, School Vice Captain Jeevan is to be congratulated for having recently been chosen to join over 100 exceptional young people from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific to discuss a diverse range of international and local issues during the UN Youth National Conference in Canberra in July of this year. Jeevan is in fact the first Westbourne Grammar student to be selected to attend the Conference. Jeevan’s favourite subjects are global politics and history. His intellectual side is perfectly balanced with creativity as he is also involved in school orchestras, bands (he plays the clarinet), choirs and musical plays. It is said that School is Jeevan’s life; 14-hour days are not unheard of!
Rebecca Den Ouden, Sports Captain Of course, being Sports Captain means that Rebecca has a strong love of sport, in particular athletics and basketball. Once her VCE year is behind her, Rebecca is looking forward to starting athletics training again, with her sights set for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast for 400m. Thankfully Rebecca finds time on weekends to unwind by riding her horse and will eventually “look into endurance riding with her”. Cooking and being an avid reader are also on Rebecca’s relaxation agenda.
Alisha Marfati, Derrimut House Captain Alisha leads a very busy and active life outside of school. She loves travelling and is absolutely passionate about Germany – “everything about Germany” in fact. Also on her list of pursuits are cinematography (making videos), swimming and surf lifesaving, driving, listening to music, baking cupcakes and playing both ‘normal’ and beach volleyball.
Henry Monahan, Derrimut House Captain Henry’s involvement in the YMCA Youth Parliament Program culminated in him receiving the John Newman Award; votes for which came from the taskforce leaders who ran the Program. Henry is also involved in DAV debating for the School and his sporting pursuits involve A-grade soccer and cricket. Any spare time Henry has is spent reading, playing cricket, cooking and playing ping-pong with friends.
Alana Taylor, Flinders House Captain Alana has certainly made the most of her time here at Westbourne, being involved with school activities such as the Hillary Challenge, ACS swimming, and athletics and cross country, choir, technical crew and the Reach Program. Alana is also part of the Wyndham Leaders of the Future. Alana’s love of the outdoors has inspired her to recently walk the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea; no doubt a life-altering experience. Scuba diving and mountain climbing are also on her list, as well as playing netball, softball and lacrosse. Creative passions are drawing and the arts in general.
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Front row: (Left to right) Ms Louise Mahony (Head of Senior School), Alisha Marfatia, Jenny Nguyen, Andrew Stainsby, Sarah Fenn, Mark McDermott, Chelsea Perera, Jeevan Haikerwal, Alanah Moir, Tristan Conradi, Sarah Mudaliar, Ms Meg Hansen (Principal) Back row: (Left to right) Matthew Andrew, Connie Watters, Harrison Schier, Alana Taylor, Henry Monahan, Rebecca Den Ouden, William Hately, Claire Pepin, Leo Featherstone
Harrison Schier, Flinders House Captain
Tristan Conradi, Pascoe House Captain
Harry’s passions are being a member of the School tennis and table tennis ‘A’ team and proudly following and supporting his beloved Hawthorn football team. Harry absolutely loves cooking and boasts he is “an excellent chef!” His relaxation time is spent playing sport and spending time with his friends.
Tristan loves sharing all of his House activities with his friends and trusts they share the same experience. He particularly enjoys participating in School hockey and has shared success with the team over the three senior years. Tristan plans to study Finance and Economics at the end of Year 12.
Alanah Moir, Hudson House Captain
Claire Pepin, Strathmore House Captain
Alanah certainly has a thirst for being involved in diverse activities. One of her favourite subjects is history. Her creative side is fed via art and singing, and keeping fit takes care of itself as Alanah enjoys regular running. Spending time with her friends and family are also on Alanah’s agenda as much as time permits.
Claire has been actively involved in life at Westbourne since commencing at Prep at Williamstown. Her favourite subject is Geography and sports-wise, she enjoys playing netball which she took up at the age of five. Being fluent in Brazilian Portuguese made Claire’s Rotary Youth Exchange to Brazil in 2012 even more special. Career-wise, Claire is keen to join the Australian Defence Force and spend time at the Australian Defence Force Academy to study Marine Engineering through the Royal Australian Navy.
William Hately, Hudson House Captain William is House Captain for Hudson and especially committed to School debating and public speaking. William plays football and cycles to stay fit, and he so splendidly played the role of Cassius in this year’s Senior play.
Connie Watters, Molland House Captain Outside of studying hard at School, Connie currently works as a swimming teacher for the local swimming pool. On top of her agenda is “to see the world” and she also has a desire to study advertising.
Matthew Andrew, Molland House Captain Matthew leads a very busy life. He has been playing football outside of school for four years and also plays table tennis and tennis at Westbourne. His favourite subject is Maths Methods and last year he did Accounting units 3 and 4. Matthew should be immensely proud for undertaking the mammoth task of walking the Kokoda Track setting off on 16 April, along with 16 other students from different schools, through a program run by Victoria Police called Wyndham Leaders of the Future.
Jenny Nguyen, Pascoe House Captain This year, Jenny has been given what she deems as the great opportunity to hold the position as Pascoe House Captain and School Prefect. Apart from her daily activities at School, Jenny enjoys relaxing by getting lost in a great book. Some of her favourite genres include fantasy and historical fiction. Jenny has been passionate about swimming since Year 6 and enjoys it immensely. Since then, Jenny’s hard work has her being involved in state competitions and Westbourne’s ACS swimming.
Andrew Stainsby, Strathmore House Captain Andrew has been heavily involved in the life of the School having been a student at Westbourne since Prep. He has played the guitar since Year 1, as well as clarinet since Year 7, and this year he began taking singing lessons in preparation for his role in the forthcoming School Musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. In his spare time Andrew enjoys watching movies and playing his instruments (often simultaneously), as well as playing chess recreationally. In January of this year Andrew was lucky enough to be offered a position at the Australian Science Institute’s training program for the 2014 International Biology Olympiad, which was an amazing experience.
Sarah Mudaliar, International Captain Sarah is a highly creative young woman who has a love of the performing arts – singing and musical theatre in particular, and the way in which music is expressed. She loves reading literature and critiquing, and understanding different psychological behaviour and the reasons behind certain actions. Amongst Sarah’s sporting loves are tennis, golf and football. Of course, international affairs are also high on her agenda, in particular perceptions of political conflict from an ethnocentric or cultural relativist point of view.
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Left to right: Ross Audley, Arrifa Nasarudin, Luke Tarola and Emma Kennedy
Junior School Leaders 2014 Arrifa Nasarudin, Junior School Captain
Gwyneth Jones, Junior School Music Captain
Arrifa has been keen to take on a leadership role in the Junior School for many years. She feels that this role is an opportunity to refine her skills and to become more aware of her leadership capabilities. She is confident that the experience will be a significant step in achieving other aspirations she has for the years ahead. Arrifa sums up her outlook on the Captaincy with the comment: “Do your best, work hard but have fun!”
Gwyneth has a passion for music and loves being involved in this area of the curriculum. She says, “Music is everything to me.” Gwyneth hopes she can make a difference by helping others who may not be as confident in music.
Luke Tarola, Junior School Captain Luke has wanted to take on a leadership role since he was in Prep. He feels that the Captaincy is a huge responsibility and he wants to be a good role model for others. At the end of 2014, Luke would like to look back and know that he has done his job well. He has two sayings that he thinks guide his approach to carrying out this important role, “Work hard and then work even harder” and “Do things from the heart”.
Emma Kennedy, Junior School Vice Captain Early in Year 5, Emma started to think about taking on a leadership role. She thought it would be a good learning opportunity to have such an important responsibility. Emma feels it is vital that she is a good role model and she wants to make a significant contribution to her School. She is passionate about getting everyone working as a TEAM and one of her favourite sayings is, “Together everyone achieves more”.
Ross Audley, Junior School Vice Captain Ross first thought about leadership opportunities when he was in Year 1. At the time, his brother’s best friend held a leadership role in the Junior School. He is keen to help the younger students be the best they can be. Ross thinks that a good leader is one who puts others ahead of him or her self. He also says that, “Life is better if you take risks than if you always take the easy way out”.
Peter Pitliangas, Junior School Music Captain Since taking up the violin in Year 4, Peter has been keen to contribute further to the music program. He wants to “influence and support others in having a go at an instrument”. His personal motto is “Always hold your head high”.
“In a session with Mr Barklamb, this year’s Junior School leaders reflected on their leadership role and what they hope to achieve by year’s end”
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Following a special Induction Ceremony, the 2014 Junior School leaders have a photo taken with family members on the steps of the School Auditorium
Stephanie Murdoch, Gerity House Captain
Chrysanthe Liontis, Price House Captain
Stephanie loves her House, Gerity, and would be delighted to see a shield or two won by the end of the year. Most importantly, however, she wants to ensure that other students feel proud of their efforts. Stephanie’s approach is, “Try your hardest and if you are not satisfied, then I am satisfied”.
Chrysanthe loves her House Captaincy role and thinks the experience will be a great preparation for the years ahead. She has a cousin in Prep and she wants to be a really good role model for her as well as other students. Her motto is, “Try hard and you’ll succeed”.
Luke Grainger, Price House Captain Alex Zammit, Gerity House Captain In his role as House Captain, Alex is really keen to have a positive influence on the younger students by helping them and setting a good example. He says that, “If you are a leader, you have an obligation to be a good role model”.
In Year 3, Luke saw how much fun his sister had in the role of House Captain, so he was inspired by her experience to put his hand up for this role. He wants to help and encourage others to make the most of their sporting ability and says, “If you have done your best, you will fly”.
Gabriela Moraes, Steedman House Captains Isabella Krbaleski, Miller House Captain Isabella was first inspired to be a leader after hearing other student leaders speak at Speech Night. She wants to help others and do her job well but knows that leadership can be challenging. “The right choice may not be the easiest one but it is the choice you have to make”.
Vinh-Tri Nguyen, Miller House Captain When he was in Prep, Vinh-Tri was inspired by some of the Year 6 leaders and he wanted to emulate them. He loves the fact that his leadership role is enabling him to make new friends at other year levels and, in terms of sport, he hopes he can encourage others “to have a go”.
Left to right: Junior School Co-Captains Arrifa Nasarudin and Luke Tarola welcoming guests at the official opening of the Amici – Westbourne Early Learning Centre on 22 May 2014
Gabriela finds the challenges of being a House Captain and leader in general very exciting. She is keen to learn as much as possible about leadership and sets high expectations for herself. She says, “Aim for perfection and maybe you will catch excellence”.
Shakeel Manuel, Steedman House Captains Shakeel loves team sports and wants to make a difference by helping others to achieve great things for his House, Steedman. He gains much satisfaction from knowing that he has done the best job he can in leading those around him.
Junior School Co-Captains listening intently to guest speaker, Major David Wonson, at this year’s special Anzac Day Assembly
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Far right: Mrs April Cincotta
Innovative
Environmental Education Environmental education at Westbourne Grammar School has evolved to encompass the broader concept of sustainability with an emphasis on transformational change in values and behaviour. Over the last decade, we have shifted from learning in and about the environment, to learning for the environment. Our learning for the environment goes beyond awareness raising: we seek to enable and empower our students to make decisions and take actions that contribute to creating a sustainable society and environment. This learning is delivered through a wide range of teaching and learning activities that integrate our academic disciplines. Our students develop strong environmental knowledge and an awareness and capacity for positive environmental change because we teach using real examples: we allow problem-solving and we encourage active student participation.
Senior School The focus of learning in the Senior School is to prepare students to become informed, engaged and independent critical thinkers, and to inspire leaders for sustainable development with a focus on our environment. To fulfil this focus on learning, students are given the opportunity to participate in a variety of community projects, present their work at conferences, attend leadership days and/or become environmental leaders within the Westbourne community. Year 11 Environmental Science students work alongside Parks Victoria conducting monitoring programs at Jaw Bone Marine Sanctuary at Williamstown. Students are involved in setting up monitoring sites, collecting data, presenting and publishing their data, and participating in remediation activities. Year 10 Environmental Science students have a long-standing partnership with the Conservation Department from the City of Wyndham, and in collaboration with the City of Wyndham, Westbourne has been successful in securing grants that enable our students to work on biodiversity projects within their local environment. The Kids Teaching Kids State Conference has become an important component of the environmental leadership program. Students design and present a 40-minute interactive workshop to over 100 people about a local environmental issue that is important to them. Year 12 students are given the opportunity to be selected as environmental leaders within the School community. Their role is to continue and improve upon sustainability initiatives such as our ‘whole school’ paper recycling program. However, they also play an active role in mentoring younger members of the School community in the hope that they too will become future sustainability leaders.
Year 9 Imagine Program “Think globally, act locally!” is a long-standing environmental slogan that rings true for the Year 9 Imagine Program at Westbourne. From the ground up, the Program is connecting ecologically focussed actions with thinking and learning pedagogy.
From the moment that the students walk into the sustainably designed Geoffrey Ryan Centre, they begin to notice that there is a real commitment to environmental awareness-raising. Through the Imagine Program, students are guided to build new interdependent relationships with each other, which serve as a model for understanding their symbiotic relationship with the environment around them and the wider world. In developing each student’s relationship with the environment, they are required to undertake learning explorations. These explorations allow the students to explore their relationship with our local natural resource management organisations such as Landcare and Melbourne Water. The students are involved in projects such as water quality monitoring along Skeleton Creek, weed removal and indigenous plantings. Such explorations provide valuable, authentic, hands-on learning experiences. Other opportunities that the students encounter to authentically engage with the world around them include taking part in the Imagine Program’s recycling and compost initiatives, learning how to grow and prepare nutritious organic food from the Centre’s very own permaculture garden, and by enhancing the School’s natural environment by undertaking tree planting and conducting ecological health reports of the local environs.
Junior School Williamstown Grammar At the Williamstown Campus, we like to raise awareness in our children about the various environmental issues that are current, relevant and that can be practised in a school context, in the hope that some of these behaviours and messages are then transferred or filtered to the home environment. In line with the entire Junior School, the environmental group conducts weekly audits on paper recycling, as well as a monthly check of energy use in classrooms, and provides ‘tips of the week’ to classes about the little things they can do to ensure their rooms are environmentally conscious.
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We also have a ‘farmer in residence’ who visits twice a term to assist with the planting and maintenance of our vegetable garden. The children learn the basic ‘science’ behind growing and sustaining plants and vegetables. Last year, the environmental group, which comprises Years 1-3 students, also designed a vertical garden which they assisted in building. This project is ongoing and will evolve according to where the new group of environmental students wish to take the project. The wonderful aspect of this is that the students see how their ‘footprint’ can be left in a positive way at the Williamstown Campus. Finally, we also introduced the bird twitchers’ group. We are fortunate to have two very knowledgeable and skilled parents in Drs Liz and John Wright who have donated their time over the last few years to enable our students to study local and migrating birds in and near our School. This group will continue to study the local bird life, as well as observe birds migrating to and from Sandy Point, located across the road from Westbourne Grammar.
Junior School - Truganina Campus In the Junior School at the Truganina Campus, Years 4, 5 and 6 students all participate in our earth education programs. These programs are designed to motivate learners in understanding basic ecological processes, develop positive feelings about the natural world and, using their new understandings and feelings, begin making changes in their own environmental habits. These programs provide direct contact with the natural world through adventuresome learning experiences. Students in Year 4 investigate the biodiversity found within the campus and upload their findings to Melbourne Museum’s Biodiversity Snapshot Program. This opportunity provides the students with first-hand experience of current environmental survey techniques.
Left to Right: Holly Cutajar (11D) and Emma Plevnik (11F) adding information to our species inventory list
Students in Year 5 participate in practical activities within the vegetable garden to develop their knowledge of producing fresh produce. Students in Year 6 participate in the ‘quest for less’, where their mission is to change the culture and attitudes of the School community from viewing what we would traditionally throw away as ‘waste’ to recognising these materials as ‘resources’. Students are also given the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills in the area of sustainability by being a member of the enviro dudes’ group. This group meets at lunchtimes to ensure that environmental practices - such as paper only being placed into the paper recycling bins - are being adhered to, and ensuring the food scraps collected in the classrooms are given to the worms, and that lights are turned off when no-one is in the classroom.
Amici – Westbourne Early Learning Centre At the Amici Centre we strive to educate the very young children about creating a sustainable environment, and provide them with the opportunity to engage in innovative practices that will carry benefits into the future for all involved as part of our daily practice. The children are given endless opportunities to be creative thinkers and problem solvers, by being actively involved in activities such as reducing rubbish, saving water, planting fruits and vegetables, composting and recycling. Learning programs and projects are developed due to interest from our families and wider community on how to integrate sustainable practices within our service and the home. The learning program allows the children to retain the sense of awe and wonder that they are born with, and to add to that a desire to nurture and protect what is beautiful, and to encourage them to appreciate that
Left to Right: Alex Taylor-Brown (10H), Angus Greaves (10M) and Lachlan Fox (10H)
there are many possibilities for honouring life and the wonders that the world holds.
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic In 2011, as a School community, Westbourne Grammar achieved a five-star certification, the highest level of recognition in the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic initiative. This is a Victorian Government initiative that encourages schools to become more sustainable. Through ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic the Westbourne community has taken action to minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of our actions, we have been identified as a leadership school in the area of sustainability given the confidence we have in our sustainability credentials, and we are always stretching to reach new goals. We are also keen to share our wisdom and engage with our local community.
Conclusion The ultimate learning goal is for our students to be able to implement sustainability action with such confidence that they can operate independently of the need for a scaffolded process. Our learning for sustainability programs seeks to enable and empower students to make decisions and take actions that contribute to creating a sustainable society and ecosystem. Sustainability action is both a preferred pedagogical approach for teaching sustainability and an essential set of knowledge and skills for our students to learn. Mrs April Cincotta Director of Humanities and Environmental Science Co-authors: Nicole Armatas, Ragnar Haabjoern, Narrelle Cahill
Athena Avci (Year 3)
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Right: Rev Matthew Thompson
Welcome to our
School Chaplain
The Westbourne community is delighted to welcome Rev Matthew Thompson as our new School Chaplain. Matthew brings to the role a diversity of experience across ministry, law and business. Growing up in regional Victoria after his parents divorced when he was young, Matthew was indebted for the nurturing and support he experienced through a local church. This emotional and spiritual support provided a stability which was instrumental in Matthew achieving strong VCE results and enrolling in commerce and law at Melbourne University. Prior to commencing tertiary studies, Matthew moved to England to live and work voluntarily in a school for the visually impaired. Convinced of the importance of service, Matthew returned to Australia and began apprenticing under Rev Richard Kobakian in Coburg while also studying at University. As part of his ministry Matthew was tasked with establishing a community youth group for teenagers in inner northern Melbourne. Under his leadership, the youth group grew to 120 within three years. Matthew trained a group of leaders to continue the work in
the local community, with a number of them going on to full-time ministry. Wanting to explore commercial opportunities, Matthew accepted a position as a lawyer at a boutique South Yarra firm and soon rose to Head of Property in the organisation. From this role a business opportunity presented itself and Matthew left his position to establish Better Solar, developing the company for two years before selling it to an employee. Now a married father of four, and having moved to Wyndham to be closer to extended family, Matthew decided to return to ministry as a Chaplain to provide the kind of guidance and support to students that had meant so much to him in his formative years. Matthew now supports the Westbourne School community through pastoral care and leads regular liturgies and worship services on campus. He is available to discuss emotional and spiritual concerns with students and their families.
Farewell to Staff Ellie Hogan Ellie Hogan commenced life at Westbourne Grammar in January 1993 having been employed as the Dean of Overseas Students for the newly-created international student centre. In this capacity Ellie also taught English as a second language to the international students. Six years later, in 1999 Ellie added to her role the areas of new business, further education and marketing as the School’s Registrar, and then the Director of Admissions and Marketing. Ellie’s next promotion occurred in 2000, when she was appointed Director of Development and Marketing: a position she held until her recent retirement in December 2013. Ellie now enjoys spending time relaxing at her seaside home.
Annette Hayes Since commencing work at Westbourne in February 1989, Annette worked for many years in the Business Office, and moved to the IT Department with the creation and renaming of the School print room in 2012. The new photocopiers provided a more digital and online interface, and Annette picked up and ran with the new room, machines, procedures and skills with her usual positive attitude. Annette was always customer focussed and delivered an excellent service to School staff for 25 years.
Lorraine Corcoran When Lorraine was initially employed in February 1990 her role was to enter all of the examination comments for students from Years 7 to 12, in the days when all comments were in code. Since those early years Lorraine became a member of the administration team working in VASS and VCAA, Careers and the Health Centre. Mr Geoff Hayhow Director of People and Culture
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Archives Williamstown Grammar School Due to a fire in the 1960s, the records from the early years of Williamstown Grammar School are few and far between. However, from some early newspaper clippings, as well as some old photographs, we are able to ascertain that our School has always been supported by families. In 1906 the student population of the School was approximately 50. A newspaper clipping from ‘The Williamstown Chronicle’ in December 1906 covering the Annual Speech Night gives a feel of ‘family’, mentioning siblings Harold Keig and Robert Keig as prize-winners, and the son of the Principal, Denis Gerity receiving a prize for gymnastics. The Principal’s wife even presented a boarder’s award to Robert Keig. Other family names such as Wadds, Barnes and Long are featured in the prize-winners’ list, all well-known Williamstown families of the day. In another newspaper article from the Williamstown Chronicle of 24 December 1927 the name Keig (Juin Keig) appears again as a prizewinner. In this article some other prize-winners were Mealor Cook and Winsome Cook, Marjorie Gray and Alison Gray, Joan Hick and Dorothy Hick, Cyril Brown and Fred Brown, together with Ethel Palmer, Dorothy
Palmer and Roland Palmer. The Westbourne and Williamstown Grammar history book written in 1987 indicates that ‘Strathmore’ Williamstown Grammar was supported by these families through the 1920s and ‘30s. In the mid-1940s, the School’s numbers peaked at approximately 130 students. Due to these increased numbers, a second hall was hired to accommodate the kindergarten. By the late 1940s a problem had arisen for the Principal, Miss Molland with the Church of England authorities wanting her to vacate the Holy Trinity Hall where she had been holding classes since 1915. Several years later in 1956, the ‘Strathmore’ Grammar Parents’ Association was instrumental in finally acquiring ‘Monomeith’ at 67 The Strand, Williamstown, which is still occupied by Westbourne Grammar today. During the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s the Parents’ Association supported the School, fundraising at every opportunity; in many cases actually paying teachers’ salaries with the proceeds. For the purposes of this short article I have chosen three families, one of which had two generations attend the School, another where three generations attended, and yet another where multiple members of the same generation attended.
Winsome Cook attended early in the 1920s
Fred Brown attended during the mid-1920s
In the mid-1940s the McConville family joined the School enrolling three boys James (Jim), Ian and Douglas.
Her sister Mealor Cook (now Higham) attended Strathmore Grammar between (approximately) 1926 - 1933. Pamela Higham, daughter of Mealor attended between (approximately) 1948 - 1953. Lynnette Higham, daughter of Mealor attended between (approximately) 1951 - 1957, and Margaret Higham, daughter of Mealor attended between (approximately) 1955 - 1961.
His brother Cyril Brown attended between (approximately) 1927 - 1934, and their sister Millicent Brown attended in the 1930s. Robert Brown, son of Cyril, attended between (approximately) 1951 - 1957. Annis Brown, daughter of Cyril, attended between (approximately) 1954 - 1961, and Tanya Brown, Robert’s daughter, attended between 1993 - 1995.
Soon after, their cousins Neville and Margaret Corner enrolled and, within a short time, around 1953, another family of cousins David, Barry and Robyn Thomson were encouraged to join ‘Miss Molland’s’. By 1959 the youngest member of the Thomson family, Jill, was old enough to start at Strathmore also. Three members of the family followed on the tradition and sent their children to the School: Jim with Stuart, Kylie and Robert McConville, Barry with Benjamin, and Zoe Thomson and Robyn with Adam and Mia Leach. All in all 16 members of the one family attended the Westbourne and Williamstown Grammar Schools.
Mrs Robyn Leach School Archivist
We have many families, some with only one child and others with many, who are always willing to support the School. If you have a story about your family at ‘Strathmore’, Williamstown or Westbourne Grammar Schools I would love to hear from you. Please call me on 9731 0456 (Tuesdays or Fridays), or email leach.robyn@westbourne.vic.edu.au
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Right (Left to right): Andrew McGregor (Associate Principal), Kevin Long, Timothy Goh, Rachael Lim
Alumni and Community Class of 2013 - Staying In Touch With Westbourne On Thursday 13 March I had the pleasure of being invited to speak to the returning students from our School’s Class of 2013. It was great to see them catch up with each other and to hear them speak about their new courses and directions in life. Many staff were also in attendance, keen to discover where their students were headed after life at Westbourne. Even though my school days had ended 25 years ago, this event was also a reunion of sorts for me as well. I was delighted to meet with my Year 7 Physical Education teacher, Mr Johnson, who is now teaching my son Cooper in Year 8. Some things change, but some things remain the same. In speaking to the Class of 2013 I wanted to tell them about the activities of the Westbourne Alumni Association and to welcome them as Alumni; as one journey in their life ends and a new adventure begins. For me, my adventure began 25 years ago. Having just finished Year 12, I was embarking on the first year of a commerce degree at the University of Melbourne. When I left Westbourne, my best friends were those I had made at school. Some of them are still my closest friends today though, having said that, there were some in my year who, at the time, I was glad to see the back of. That’s how I felt all those years ago. But as the years roll on and you bump into your old classmates down the street, at the footy, in the work environment or even on an overseas holiday, you find your outlook has changed. You begin to catch up and reminisce. You talk about the people you knew at school. You find out what your old classmates are doing now. Your shared experiences mean you can reconnect and reacquaint with a very special group. Regardless of what my feelings were at the end of Year 12, this reconnection always happens and it is exciting and so much fun. It has made me wonder though, how this reconnection could be done less randomly as I always enjoy it. This is where our School’s fantastic Alumni Association comes in. What we want to do is provide ways for Westbourne students - past,
present and future – to continue their connections with each other and with the School. We value your participation and want your membership so we can maintain and grow the Association. Not only does your Alumni Committee help to organise the reunion program for 10, 20 and 30 Year reunions, we are also very keen to support events relevant to other years. This means we are looking for some younger Alumni to join the committee and get involved. If you think you might enjoy this, please make contact as we would love to have you join us at one of our meetings. The School has a community Facebook page, which I encourage you to ‘like’ to receive regular updates. I know most of you will be Facebook friends and hope to stay in contact that way. However, in three, five or even 10 years Facebook might have faded off into the sunset. Think about all those people who relied on My Space to keep in contact! They would be struggling to find each other now! Which means you can always rely on the Alumni Association to be actively involved in helping you stay in touch with your classmates.
Finally, I am delighted to say I was approached by many in attendance at this event who were very interested in the Alumni Association and want to be involved and stay connected. So many thanks to all the teachers and students who helped make the event so successful, and good luck to you, our Class of 2013 and our newest Alumni. I wish you all the very best on your journey. Mr Shawn Read (’88) Vice-President Westbourne Alumni Association
“good luck to you, our Class of 2013 ... I wish you all the very best on your journey”
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Left to right: Claire Coulter, Sam Koletas, Albert Nguyen
Left to right: Ms Atsuko Wakida-Henderson (Co-Director of Languages), Sophie Broadway, Liana Gardy, Will Johnson
Upcoming Reunion Dates Saturday 16 August 10 Year Reunion Westbourne Grammar School Andrew Park Pavilion 12.00pm – 2.00pm
Annual General Meeting Monday 13 October
Williamston and Westbourne Grammar Alumni Association (WWGAA) AGM Westbourne Grammar School 6.30pm
Saturday 18 October 20 Year Reunion Westbourne Grammar School Time to be confirmed
Saturday 15 November 30 Year Reunion Time and venue to be confirmed For further information, or to make bookings, please contact: Ms Emily Budge Events manager 9731 9444 events@westbourne.vic.edu.au
For further information, please contact: Mrs Catherine Middlemiss Director of Development and Community Relations 9731 9444 alumni@westbourne.vic.edu.au
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Celebrations and Tributes Congratulations
Jane Reid (Prep R, WT) is engaged to Brad Hodgson. Both are former students. Melissa Balfour (2B, WT) is engaged to Kent Murray. Both of the above weddings are planned for later this year.
A: Rob Mitchell (2002) and Rebecca Iser announced their engagement on April 24 2014 and plan to wed in late 2015.
B: Rebecca Scott (2002) also announced her engagement to A
Adam Hopkins and they plan to wed in the near future.
B
Births Congratulations to teaching staff: C: Stephanie Oates and her husband Greg, welcomed a little girl, Matilda, on 21 January 2014
D: Rachel Griffith and her husband Tom welcomed their baby boy, William, on 3 March 2014
E: Damon Grieve and wife Bec welcomed their baby
daughter, Freya, on 17 March 2014
F: Ms Susie Moxey and husband Johnny welcomed a C
D
baby girl, Alex Jeanette Knowles, on 22 March 2014
G: Rebecca Ratu welcomed a little boy,
Isaiah Viliame (William) Ratu, on 28 March 2014 born at 2.14pm, weighing 3.028 kg.
H: Outdoor Education Teacher, David Ciavarella and his wife Erin welcomed their second child, Genevieve Elizabeth Ciavarella on 13 May 2014 Mrs Julie Shutie (Junior School Teacher) and husband, Brendan, are expecting their first child later this year. Mrs Shutie will commence her maternity leave in Term 3. E
F
Congratulations to Alumni: Jessilyn Chen (1993) and Brad Matton welcomed a baby boy on 11 May. He surprised his parents by arriving two months early. His name is Lachlan Peter Fu-Yin.
G
H
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Alumni • Nicholas Vasiljevic (2004) and Emma Camilleri (2009) were married on Australia Day 2014. Reverend George Durink conducted the ceremony before a celebration at Comme in the CBD. The bridal party included past students Carlos Devincenzo (2004) as best man, Justin Vasiljevic (2008), Adrian Camilleri (2013), Amanda Burrafato (2007) and Katia Acciarito (2009).
• Catherine Mitchell (2004 and daughter of Mr Jim Mitchell, teacher at Westbourne for over 30 years and Deputy Principal) and Geoff Challinger were married on Saturday 12 April at St Michaels Uniting Church in Collins Street, Melbourne. It rained all week leading up to the couple’s special day but the weather was perfect on the day! The ceremony was followed by an afternoon tea, in the sun, at Treasury Gardens where the happy couple cut the cake, followed by an evening reception at the Park Hyatt. Catherine’s Maid of Honour was Alyce Watkins (2004), the Usher was Brenton Menzies (2004), and vocalist at the ceremony was Janet Todd (2006). Catherine and Geoff plan to honeymoon at the end of the year - Christmas in New York then a few weeks in the Caribbean.
Alumni and community Keep in touch At Westbourne Grammar School we are constantly striving to maintain our records of contact details for all past students, staff and parents to ensure ongoing effective communication with our community. Please visit our website www.westbournegrammar.com/page/updateourcontactinfo.htm to update your contact details, or send your information via email alumni@westbourne.vic.edu.au The Development office works hard to maintain our record of links between Westbourne Grammar School students, parents and staff. If you have relatives who attended the School, please contact the Development office.
Contributions to Monomeith We trust you have found this issue of Monomeith enjoyable as we keep the Community updated. In addition to stories about our past students, we would like to include notices about engagements, weddings, births and any alumni or community member who has passed away. Please email information to alumni@westbourne.vic.edu.au
You can now follow us on Facebook at Westbourne Grammar School. Read about the events taking place at the School, follow the student achievements and diarise future events https://www.facebook.com/WilliamstownandWestbourneGrammarAlumni Please feel free to ‘like’ us as we spread our reach into the wider Westbourne community.
Truganina Campus 300 Sayers Road Truganina Vic 3029 Australia Telephone 03 9731 9444 Williamstown Campus 67 The Strand Newport Vic 3015 Australia Telephone 03 9731 9444
www.westbournegrammar.com