News Issue 66 December 2019
Featuring from the ceo • HONOURING THE ASC CHAIR • NEW CHAPELS IN FOUR SCHOOLS • FREDERICK IRWIN ANGLICAN SCHOOL • CATHEDRAL COLLEGE WANGARATTA • LANGUAGE PROGRAMS • PHYSICAL EDUCATION • AN ORDINATION • CHRISTMAS MESSAGES
From the Chief Executive Officer THE REVEREND PETER LAURENCE OAM
Dear Colleagues Well, the school year has all but concluded. For some of our 1,700 teaching and non-teaching staff, it marks the end of their first year of teaching or working in a school; for others it is their first in an ASC school; for most, it is the case of ‘another one bites the dust’ (to quote a Queen song from 1980)!
The End of an Era Mrs Barbara Godwin OAM Although they aren’t exactly ‘biting the dust’, the end of this year marks some significant ‘ends’ for people in the ASC family, none more significant than our ‘captain-coach and opening batter’ (for our cricket devotees) Mrs Barbara Godwin OAM. Mrs Godwin retires this month as Chair of the ASC Board, a role she’s held since 2008. But her ASC story started around the time the ASC’s story began, in 1985 when she was appointed Foundation Principal of St Mark’s Anglican Community School, the first of our schools. Mrs Godwin established and developed St Mark’s until her retirement from the principalship in 2002. She has served on our Board since 2006. An evening to celebrate Mrs Godwin’s 35 years of extraordinary service to the ASC was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Perth on Friday, 6 September. This great event was attended by 215 people from across all 14 ASC schools and beyond. A feature article on Mrs Godwin is contained in this edition of ASC News.
Contents From the CEO
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Honouring the ASC Chair
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New Chapels
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Feature Schools
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Feature Theme
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Curriculum: Physical Education
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Who’s Who
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Anglican Identity 16
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COVER: Physical Education at GMAS
Bishop John Parkes AM The Right Reverend John Parkes AM retires as the Bishop of Wangaratta this month after 12 years. It was early in his ministry there that he began discussions with the ASC about the possibility of Cathedral College (CCW) becoming an ASC school. CCW joined the ASC family in 2011. The rest is history, with three schools, 2,500 students and 350 staff all part of the ASC family. During his episcopate, Bishop Parkes has transformed the diocese, securing its future through the restructuring of the three schools into the ASC as well as changing the ownership of the Diocese’s two major agedcare facilities. All great initiatives to position the Diocese of Wangaratta as a strong place of mission and ministry into the future. Bishop Parkes’ legacy will live on for decades to come. The Bishop has been a member of the ASC Board since August 2014. Although he retires as Diocesan Bishop, the Board has renewed Bishop Parkes’ appointment for another term, valuing his contribution to our governance. We congratulate Bishop Parkes on his ministry as the 10th Bishop of Wangaratta and look forward to his ongoing role in the ASC as a Board Member. Mr Adrian Farrer After seven years of outstanding service to Cathedral College Wangaratta, Mr Farrer leaves us to take on the role of Principal at Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne. During his tenure, Mr Farrer has overseen the transformation of the College. In 2013, CCW was a fledgling regional school with limited enrolments spread over two undeveloped campuses. Today, the College is a strong and vibrant learning community located on 12 hectares and certainly the ‘school of choice’ in Wangaratta and beyond. Cathedral College serves a significant enrolment catchment across north-eastern Victoria. The ASC is deeply grateful to Adrian for his faithful and faith-inspired leadership of the College over the past seven years and wishes him God’s richest blessing as he, together with Jacquie and their daughters Chloe, Lucy and Harriet, return to Melbourne. We celebrate the appointment of Mr Nicholas Jones as Cathedral College’s next Principal, commencing next month. Together with his wife, Jodie and children, Luke and Madeleine, Mr Jones will finish his role as Deputy Principal Pastoral at John Wollaston Anglican Community School and move East where he will bring new gifts and energy to that thriving school community.
The opening and blessing of the VCE Centre and Library at Cathedral College Wangaratta
Mrs Jan Carroll Jan Carroll has been editor of the ASC News since 2010. She commenced as a foundation staff member at John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School in 1990, becoming Head of English there in 1996. Jan was the editor and designer of the JSRACS Surveyor yearbook for 14 years and The Tartan quarterly magazine for nine years. Her publication skills have extended beyond the ASC News and JSRACS to the programs and banners for the past five ASC Biennial Concerts. Then there were books such as John Septimus Roe: the man and the school named in his honour and Grit and Grace, both by Bishop Brian Kyme, as well as The Wollaston Legacy by Bishop B Kyme and Archdeacon T Doncaster and Fred Has Lost His Head by Simon Wicks. Jan is the designer of Opus for the WA Chapter of the Australian Society of Music Education.
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Above: The turning of the first sod and blessing of the site of the new Somerset Rise Campus at Trinity Anglican College in Albury (the future home of the Trinity Junior School) Below: The opening and blessing of the Performing Arts Centre at Cobram Anglican Grammar School
I am also most grateful to our Director - Mission and Planning, Mr Philip Goldsworthy, who ceases his role as co-editor of ASC News at the end of this year. Philip has overseen the publication since he joined our staff in 2010. From next year, ASC News will be published in-house under the editorial supervision of Ms Aila Dann (ASC Communications and Community Relations Manager) when the ASC News will become an e-publication. So keep an eye out in your inbox for future editions! Thank you, Jan and Philip for your work on ASC News for many years.
Four More Chapels in ASC Schools No year in our short 35-year history has been more significant in the progression of our mission and ministry through the development of on-campus places of worship than 2019. No fewer than four Chapels have either been constructed or approved. The Chapels at Peter Moyes Anglican Community School, Trinity Anglican College, Peter Carnley Anglican Community School and Cathedral College Wangaratta are featured on page 5 of this edition of ASC News.
Openings and Blessings In October, the ASC Board visited our three schools in the Diocese of Wangaratta for the first time. As well as holding a Board Meeting there, they attended three official ceremonies: • Top right: The opening and blessing of the VCE Centre and Library at Cathedral College Wangaratta
All occasions marked the place that our three Eastern States schools play as equal partners and members of the ASC family. The celebrations reflected the place that each school has in their local and wider communities as truly valued educational establishments. The ASC is so proud of these three great schools which are growing, thriving, learning communities in the NSW-Victoria border region.
All are Welcome We have entered the season of Advent, the time when we are invited to wait expectantly and prepare for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. Nativity plays and Christmas carols have been ‘rife’ across our schools …what more joyful activities could you experience than these occasions? None, I suggest! Whilst people living in the Middle Ages devoted
ASC NEWS December 2019
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From the CEO (cont’d) themselves to prayer and fasting during Advent, today our lives more reflect busy-ness and feasting, with Christmas present shopping thrown in. It seems to me that the Christ born in the humble setting of a stable in Bethlehem was born into a world very different from 21st century Australia. Quite frankly, first century Middle East bore little resemblance to our society. Indeed, 21st century Middle East is a radically contrasting society and culture in so many ways to 21st century Australia. Yet people are still people, with all our human wonders and all the blemishes of humanity too. Jesus welcomed all people, and so do we. Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. (Matthew 19:14) We are wise to interpret the scriptures accordingly. The society to which it was delivered back then was so different that a literal interpretation is irrational. Our mission as Anglican schools, and parents and carers who share our values, is to bring the love of the same Jesus born in a manger in a stable in the Middle East 2,000 years ago, to the young people in our care today; to bring the message freshly interpreted yet grounded in a truth that is timeless and unchanging. At Christmas and always, we welcome in our school communities young people and old, those of other faiths and none, all expressions of family and relationship, all races and cultures. Why? Because that’s what the Jesus of first century Palestine would want of God’s people living in 21st century Australia … and it’s the good and right thing to do. It’s what we might call true Aussie values. The three articles on the back cover of ASC News remind us of the seasons we are in and entering – Advent to Christmas. We deeply appreciate the messages to our communities from Archbishop Kay, Bishop Ian and Archdeacon Clarence. To all in the ASC family, I wish you a blessed Christmas full of joy and wonder, and a New Year which brings renewal, hope and opportunity for you and those you love.
The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Honouring the ASC Chair The past 34 years have seen The Anglican Schools Commission (Inc.) grow and flourish and it has done so under the guidance of its Chairs: Mr Peter Moyes 1985-1993, Mrs Audrey Jackson 19931995, Bishop Philip Huggins 1996-1997, Archbishop Peter Carnley AO 19972000, Mr John Moody AM 2000-2008 and, for the past 11 years, Mrs Barbara Godwin OAM. Being Chair of a body for almost a third of its life is an amazing contribution in itself yet, as we know, Barbara’s active involvement with the ASC began at its very genesis – in 1985, when the fledgling Commission opened its first lowfee, coeducational school, St Mark’s Anglican Community School, with Barbara as its founding Principal until 2002. In the words of the CEO at the dinner last term to mark Barbara’s retirement after 35 years of outstanding service to the Anglican Schools Commission, Barbara played such a significant part in the life and history of St Mark’s Anglican Community School, and St Mark’s played an equally significant part in Barbara’s life, shaping her leadership as she shaped the school. During Barbara’s time as Chair of the ASC Board, the system has doubled in size from the seven schools in Western Australia at that time. The ‘ripple effect’ has spread to include 14 schools spanning three states as well as drawing students from around the world through Anglican Schools Commission International and the ASC Language School. Any such ripple effect has not just been limited to the ASC. Barbara has been a strong supporter of the Western Australian Anglican Schools Association [WAASA] and has willingly chaired its Standing Committee on occasions, as well as being Chair of a WAASA Chaplaincy and Religious Studies sub-committee in times past. In addition, at the 2019 Conference Dinner of Anglican Schools Australia (ASA), Barbara was recognised for her contribution to Anglican schooling in Australia for over 35 years by being made a Life Member of Anglican Schools Australia. This is the highest accolade that the ASA can bestow on anyone. Barbara was also awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2014 for services to education and to the Anglican Church in Australia. The growth in ASC schools was carefully facilitated by the ASC Board’s New Schools and Capital Development Committees, both chaired by Barbara. And such growth has been consolidated through Barbara’s chairing of the ASC Chairs’ and Principals’ meetings each term. Barbara has challenged new members of ASC School Councils during their induction time, to remain steadfast to the core mission and values of the ASC which have been paramount for her. Such values continue to be nurtured by her own Christian faith and lived out through the support of her late husband, Bernard, and her daughters, Jane and Keva and their families. Congratulations and thank you Barbara. Bon voyage for your next phase of retirement.
What’s On
New Chapels in Four ASC Schools Peter Moyes Anglican Community School The Chapel of St Gregory was officially opened by The Archbishop of Perth, The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, on Friday, 26 July 2019. The Chapel holds pride of place on the magnificent PMACS campus and even enjoys ocean views from the sanctuary. A result of a partnership between the ASC and the Diocese of Perth, the Chapel is home to the students, staff and families of PMACS as well as the local Anglican parish of Quinns-Butler. The dedication service was attended by over 200 people comprising Anglican Church leaders, local parish representatives, School staff, student leaders, members of the School Council and special guests. Mr Benjamin Lomas, School Principal, said that the service was an important opportunity for the community to gather in their new place of worship, which is the final stage of the School’s original master plan and a welcome addition to the School. The memorable service brought together people from across Perth and Australia for this special occasion. It was the first opportunity for us to gather in the sacred space and offer thanks to God for the abundance of blessings in our lives and in our School. It is hoped that the spirit of union continues as we make use of this impressive new building for worship, pastoral care, charitable initiatives, special occasions and Christian community support. As the CEO said last month, it was a joy to worship in the Chapel at the recent Synod of the Diocese of Perth, which was hosted by PMACS.
South elevation of the recently approved PCACS Chapel
Trinity Anglican College On a winter’s afternoon in August, Trinity Anglican College celebrated the official opening of its new Outdoor Chapel. Right in the heart of the Trinity campus, the Outdoor Chapel is a space for students to relax, reflect and recreate. It is a gathering place for parents and students before and after school, and it is gleefully inhabited by Junior School students every lunchtime and recess. During the warmer months, the space will be used as a learning space for small or large groups. And, importantly, the Outdoor Chapel will be used by various year groups or Houses for worship. Trinity was honoured to have the Outdoor Chapel blessed and officially opened by The Right Reverend John Parkes AM, perhaps better known to Trinity students as Bishop John. Bishop John retires from his role as Bishop of the Diocese of Wangaratta on 21 December after more than 11 years of dedicated service as Bishop in this region. Trinity is now a member of the Anglican Schools Commission largely because of Bishop John’s vision to give Trinity a strong foundation and a bright future. Located at the heart of the campus, the Chapel is the first dedicated space for the students, staff and families to worship in at the College. It will be a lovely setting for worship, especially in spring and autumn!
Peter Carnley Anglican Community School
Cathedral College Wangaratta
The ASC recently approved the construction of the PCACS Chapel to commence early in the new year following earth works in the latter part of this year. Jointly funded by the ASC and Perth Diocesan Trustees, the Chapel will serve as home to the PCACS family and the wider Anglican community of All Saints’ Kwinana as they come together to worship and celebrate the seasons of life and the cycle of the school year.
The ASC also recently approved the building of a Chapel in the heart of the Cathedral College campus at Wangaratta. Again, this worship space will be a place for the school family to come together for prayer and worship, a sacred space for students, staff and others to take time out in stillness and silence or to sing loudly with joy! We look forward to Bishop Parkes blessing the site and turning the first sod this month.
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Feature School
Frederick Irwin Anglican School FIAS has a long history of engaging with the local community and developing the core value of compassion in its students. This occurs through service learning opportunities such as House activities, classroom extensions and international pilgrimages to developing countries. Primary Students Within the Meadow Springs and Halls Head primary campuses, FIAS students participate in a range of initiatives including assisting the RAAFA each year with their ANZAC ceremony, the choir enthusiastically volunteering to sing for our local senior citizens, raising money for communities affected by bushfires, and collecting books and basic hygiene items for students in the Philippines. Every year, primary students participate in Operation Christmas Child, an appeal providing gifts for disadvantaged children in Myanmar. Coins for Care, an appeal that supported Anglicare as well as children in Myanmar, has also been encouraged in the past. A recent initiative across both campuses was the Year 6 Halls Head students visiting and workshopping with local senior citizens at Amana Living in central Mandurah where they made Kokedama and played board games. (Pictured above) Meadow Springs students from Years 5 and 6 have been visiting the Amana Living centre in Meadow Springs, singing songs and enjoying morning tea with the residents. Halls Head Choir students will complete a year of service learning by visiting Mercy Care aged-care nursing homes where they’ll sing Christmas Carols, and spread some Christmas cheer.
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ABOVE: The Meadow Springs Campus Primary School operates a student-created publication, Freddie’s Buzz, which facilitates opportunites to support many local charities such as HALO Mandurah (a homeless shelter and weekend soup kitchen), Mandurah Wildlife Rescue and K9 Rescue.
The School’s commitment to Service Learning is firm and its engagement is constantly evolving as it seeks out and responds to the needs of the local and broader community.
Secondary Students Since 2012, when FIAS undertook the first Overseas Service Learning (OSL) trip by joining the ASC Reachout Pilgrimage to Manila, then went on to participate in the first Myanmar Pilgrimage in 2016, the program has further expanded. Students now travel to Cambodia with Peter Carnley Anglican Community School and John Wollaston Anglican Community School students and staff. During the Cambodia Pilgrimage, students and staff work with Cambodia Connect where they teach English to former street children in a Transform Cambodia Learning Centre. (pictured at the top of the page)
through the year’s fundraising activities. On special House Days, House Seniors have raised money for charities by cooking and selling bacon and egg breakfast burgers, providing lolly and jelly cups for a snack at recess, and vending loaded hot chocolate cups for a lunchtime treat. (pictured above right) House Seniors also help organise social fundraising events throughout the year such as the Year 5 Disco and the secondary school Colour Runs. Founders’ Day also provides another fantastic service learning opportunity as each House promotes its chosen charity, enabling students across all year levels to learn about groups in their local community which need help and to understand how their input and participation can make a difference. Last year, the Gordon House charity was SES WA. (pictured above left)
Our Commitment Both the Meadow Springs and Halls Head campuses are planning new service learning initiatives for 2020 and looking forward to forming new connections, expanding their skills and enjoying exciting experiences.
Secondary students, by way of their House Councils, have a say in deciding which charity will be supported by their House
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Feature School
Cathedral College Wangaratta Outdoor Education
The Outdoor Education program at Cathedral College continues to challenge, inspire and enable students to experience our magnificent, local surroundings. Plentiful snow, surf, mountains, rivers and rocks ensured the students were challenged in the natural environment as they navigated a variety of terrains. The sequence of our Outdoor Education program allows students to grow in confidence, from their first overnight stay at school to the longer and more challenging week in the snow at Mittagundi in Year 10. Students study broader concepts of outdoor leadership, safety management, natural and cultural history, environmental interpretation and natural resource management, as well as the necessary survival skills of mapping, wilderness first aid, and preparing equipment, food and supplies. At times, we were hindered by weather and an exceptionally chilly winter provided extra opportunities for our young people to show resilience in nature. We are indeed privileged to live in such an impressive part of Australia.
Social Enterprise
2019 sees the continued growth of the Social Enterprise Schools program within the curriculum. Cathedral has been fortunate to work with Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurs (ACRE) and Social Enterprise Academy Australia to deliver a vehicle that facilitates the development of entrepreneurial skills, mindset and behaviours to help students make a positive social change within their community. This year, the program gained national recognition when the School was invited by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to participate in a series of videos which illustrate practice in social enterprise and careers education.
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The uniqueness of the Shark Tank presentations enables students to receive feedback in the initial stages of their innovative and creative enterprise ideas and, through this process, they gain practical business and life skills that they can apply to establishing a successful business model. The depth and duration of these ventures help students to explore and improve their abilitity to tackle social issues they are passionate about. The Science Garden was transformed throughout the year with pop-up market stalls, selling pot plants, hot soups, chopped wood and a variety of products that supported both local and global not-for-profit organisations. These activities opened up discussions with younger students, thus raising awareness of the importance of being a contributor to something bigger than themselves. Furthermore, students have started to look through a broader lens at how innovative approaches can be leveraged and adapted in response to changing societal needs.
The VCE and Resource Centre
It was a privilege to host the Anglican Schools Commission Chairs and Principals for the opening of The VCE and Resource Centre by the Chair of the ASC Council, Mrs Barbara Godwin OAM. The building was blessed by The Right Reverend John Parkes AM, and we were fortunate to hear about the history of the school from both The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM and Chair of Council, Mr Mike Noble. This building has been the culmination of years of planning by very many interested parties. The brief was to make a light-filled, functional space designed to accommodate the needs of our most senior students and the staff who work with them. In addition, we looked to create a library and resource centre that would ensure all students had access to the latest and best technology as well as the traditional physical resources to assist them in their learning. The placement of the building was designed to integrate the buildings with the sporting precinct and to demonstrate the School’s commitment to a broad, liberal and holistic education.
Valete Adrian Farrer
At the end of this year, we say farewell to our Principal, Mr Adrian Farrer, as he departs Cathedral to take up the position of Principal at Trinity Grammar School, Kew. Mr Farrer has been an outstanding leader and driven a long period of huge growth and major changes at Cathedral. It is notable that recent data released by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority places Cathedral College Wangaratta in the top 20 schools for growth over the last five years; an incredible feat and testament to Adrian Farrer’s leadership. Mr Farrer has been a source of inspiration and strength to our community throughout the seven years he has been a part of the North East and he has well and truly positioned Cathedral as an outstanding school in our region. We wish Mr Farrer and his family the very best as they move to Melbourne.
CCW vs TAC – Boys and Girls Football It was a privilege to host Trinity Anglican College’s Girls’ Football teams in August on the oval as part of our ongoing friendly rivalry with our ASC sister school. In attendance was CEO of the ASC, The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM, who proudly presented the cup to the winning team. We also thank Trinity for hosting our Boys’ Football teams in Albury and congratulate all the students across both schools for their exceptional sportsmanship on the field.
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Feature Theme
John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School Languages at John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School focus on engagement and encouraging students to become immersed in a culture. JSRACS students can study Indonesian and Chinese from Pre-Primary to Year 12, and Italian is available from Years 7 to 12. In the Primary years, students develop the foundations of language learning and learn to play cultural instruments, make traditional delicacies and gain an understanding of traditional celebrations. In Secondary, students build on these foundational skills as they develop their skills and passion for languages. We recently celebrated the success of our Chinese students who received awards from the Australia China Friendship Society WA (ACFSWA). Estelle (Year 7) received the Cultural Links Award, Harrison (Year 9) received the Chinese as a Second Language Award and Curtis (Year 10) received the Advanced in Chinese Language Award.
Throughout the year, JSRACS hosts many exchange students from Harapan Christian School and the Raj Yamuna school in Bali as well as Wu Zhou High School in China. Hosting overseas students allows exchange students to experience life at JSRACS and advances the language skills of JSRACS students. After a 20-year connection with the Harapan Christian School where many JSRACS students have been involved in an exchange, we are excited to announce our inaugural Primary Exchange Program which will allow students to experience life in small Indonesian villages, attend schools and visit the village and orphanage of Belimbingsari. Our exchange programs are fundamental to nurturing mutual understanding between young people in both countries, proving once again that Languages are more than just another subject at school.
Language Programs in ASC Schools
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St James’ Anglican School To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world Ancient Proverb Students at St James’ Anglican School have the exciting opportunity of learning Japanese throughout their schooling. From Pre-Primary onwards, students are encouraged to express themselves in unique ways and exercise their minds while learning about the rich culture and language of Japan. Learning another language sparks curiosity for other cultures and opens an individual’s mind to different ways of seeing the world. At St James’, we believe it is vital to make language learning as relevant as possible. Encouraging visits from Japanese people is one way we achieve this. So far this year, there have been two exchange programs, providing our families
the opportunity to host a student from Japan. We also had a visit from Japanese high school students who took part in games, made quirky origami and created beautiful calligraphy with their new St James’ friends. The Hyogo International Cultural Centre taught us about traditional summer festivals and we learnt the Tokyo 2020 Olympics dance. In December 2018, St James’ ran a very successful inaugural Japan Tour. Staff accompanied 18 students to Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto, with them all bringing back memories to last a lifetime. Experiences like these prepare our students for an increasingly intercultural and multilingual world and will assist them in becoming better thinkers, communicators and global citizens. The verdict is clear; learning a language like Japanese provides our students with a life-long advantage.
Swan Valley Anglican Community School At Swan Valley Anglican Community School, we take pride in our dynamic Italian Language Program. In our ever-changing political, social and educational environment, Australia’s love affair with all things Italian continues! Italy’s links with Australia span decades, and its social and gastronomic impact on Australia has been considerable. Information Evenings are held for parents from Primary through to Middle Years to find out how to best support their children in the learning of Italian. Second Language learning has changed dramatically in the past couple of decades. No longer do we simply learn from textbooks and verb lists alone, but from a multitude of sources. Students at SVACS have access to online platforms, such as Language Perfect and Linguascope, at school and at home. They can also access many Apps that they can use at any time when they are not in the classroom.
We bring a little of Italy to SVACS every year through our annual exchange program. Families can host students from Italy for two months, whilst our Year 11 students of Italian have the opportunity to take on this amazing experience themselves over the Christmas holidays. Whilst the benefits of such an experience are certainly inumerable, some positive effects are simply intangible and experienced in the heart and mind alone. Presently, our Year 10 and Year 11 students of Italian and Visual Arts are making final preparations for their tour of Italy in December. Their visit will further enhance their linguistic skills whilst attending a school in Verona. The students will also have the opportunity to appreciate some of Italy’s world-renowned artistic treasures. An extremely popular event at SVACS is our Italian Week. This year, we celebrated the occasion just after National Italian Language in the World Week. Excursions to the Swan Midland Italian Club, an Italian Food Truck Day, pizza-making and eating in the Primary School, competitions and various activities during lessons, all served to shine the spotlight on La dolce vita right here in the Swan Valley.
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Feature Theme
Language Programs in ASC Schools St George’s Anglican Grammar School St George’s Anglican Grammar School introduced an additional language to the curriculum in 2019. In addition to Japanese, Mandarin is now offered to students. Mandarin has more native speakers than any other language, with nearly one billion people in the world speaking the language. Our Year 7 students have enjoyed the experience of learning another language that is very different to English. Along with memorising vocabulary and characters, learning songs in Mandarin and practising the tones, students also visited the Confucius Institute in Claremont to experience Kung Fu and calligraphy. The School also welcomed the first group of Korean visitors in Term 3. It was an exciting opportunity for the students to learn about the Korean language and culture, and to consider themselves fortunate they don’t have to go to school until 9pm every day! The School often hosts groups of Japanese exchange students and this year has been no exception, with three separate groups visiting the School and spending time immersing themselves into the Australian culture and experiencing life at a vertical CBD school. Students, whether they are studying Japanese or not, enthusiastically volunteer to be buddies for the visitors, welcoming them with big smiles and open arms. It is a delight to see the St George’s students and the Korean students spend their break time laughing and talking and collaborating during lessons and activities. The caring nature shown by students across all year levels is wonderful to see. A number of students participated in the annual Education Perfect World Championships this year with some pleasing results. St George’s had four students who received elite status, emerald status and gold status: a very pleasing effort by the participants. The language program continues to grow and evolve at St George’s, adding to the unique experience of attending a high-rise school in the hustle and bustle of the CBD.
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Peter Carnley Anglican Community School At Peter Carnley Anglican Community School, Italian is introduced to student learning as early as Pre-Primary. Students engage in mini conversations with each other and associate expression and vocabulary through a variety of activities, reciting and fun role playing. As their understanding of the language improves, students in upper primary explore Italian traditions, culinary culture and learn the importance of Italian language in festivities and celebrations. Learning a language is supported by the co-curricular Italian Club in Junior School. Its aim is to develop intercultural understanding and promote a more self-directed and well-rounded approach to learning Italian. At the club, Years 2 to 6 students engage in a variety of social activities, including learning about and playing traditional Italian games, listening to Italian music and learning new songs, practising the language through story time and technology, and enjoying craft projects, just to name a few. In Senior School, students have regular opportunities to practise in an authentic and supportive context where fluency and accuracy in reading and writing are fine-tuned. The main ingredient to this successful Italian program is its responsiveness to students’ interests and needs and the relevance to the society in which they live. Harmony Week is another exciting opportunity for the School community to celebrate the students’ diverse backgrounds and acknowledge the existing linguistic and cultural resources in our community. With over 25 different family nationalities at PCACS, acceptance and cultural diversity are at the forefront of all communication and interactions.
John Wollaston Anglican Community School Improved listening, memory retention, enhanced decision making, the ability to multi-task and conflict resolution skills are just some of the many benefits of learning a second language. At John Wollaston Anglican Community School, students undertake compulsory Japanese lessons from Pre-Primary to Year 8 with Japanese offered as an elective from Year 9 onwards. Japanese is taught by experienced teachers who are passionate about the language and culture of Japan. The School celebrates Languages Week each year with students participating in a range of Japanese activities. Japanese is an integral part of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. Primary students explore language structures and cultural similarities, developing their language skills by hearing and using Japanese in songs, games, stories and craft activities. In the early stages of learning, the emphasis is on increasing confidence in understanding so they can comprehend, communicate, read, write and express their opinions on a range of topics. Students are exposed to the Japanese scripts of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji as they progress, gaining the ability to read and write in Japanese. Secondary School students are given the opportunity to continue their Japanese studies and can pursue the language at ATAR level. Throughout the year, we host Japanese Study Tours where students are immersed in the life of the School. A buddy program teams John Wollaston students with a Japanese student to develop friendships, practise language and improve communication skills. Students from John Wollaston’s sister school, Shizuoka Gakuen near Mt Fuji visit annually, staying with a local host family. The students are always prepared to work hard to gain as much as possible out of every opportunity. Biennially, John Wollaston students visit Shizuoka Gakuen for two weeks, staying with a host family and immersing themselves in the culture and language while taking in famous landmarks and sights.
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Curriculum
Georgiana Molloy Anglican School At Georgiana Molloy Anglican School, Physical Education is considered to be just as important as any other school subject. As a school that supports the development of the whole person, it makes sense to encompass the physical body in this philosophy. From a young age, students participate in activities designed to improve stamina and the fundamental skills of balance, coordination, catching, kicking and throwing. These learned skills set them up with the tools needed to participate in games for the remainder of their lives.
While the spirit of competition is alive and well across all year levels, as evidenced at the annual Athletics, Swimming and Cross Country Carnivals, there is a marked focus on sportsmanship, having a go and having fun. This is a very intentional focus, with the end goal of fostering a positive attitude towards sport and fitness in order to promote life-long health and participation. This attitude is reflected across the diverse and exciting Physical Education offering that students are exposed to during their schooling at GMAS, which includes everything from gymnastics to equestrian, touch rugby to surfing and much more.
CURRICULUM: Physical Education Esperance Anglican Community School
EACS students head to the beach Physical and Outdoor Education for Esperance Anglican Community School students means making the most of the school’s unique South East coastal location. Besides offering a range of conventional sports, including athletics, soccer, basketball, netball and hockey, students also participate in Aquatics and Physical Recreation classes which see them surfing, snorkelling, boogie boarding and fishing. With easy access to some of Australia’s best beaches, including a range of aquatic pursuits in his programme is logical for EACS Physical and Outdoor Education teacher Blair Castelli who said: It’s all about skilling up our students so that they can be safe, feel confident and really make the most of our beaches. Surf safety is a big focus. For example, we want students to know
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what it feels like to be in a rip and safely deal with the situation. We have some stunning beaches so it makes sense to get the students out there. Rather than be at an indoor swimming pool, our students head to the beach and participate in a range of surf events including swimming, sprints, flags and fun relays that get all students involved. We often hold our cross country running event at Twilight Beach too. The school holds an annual surfing competition and takes students to compete in the Sunsmart WA State School Surfing Titles. Our students perform strongly there. This year, we had students make the finals and two of our girls won their age group.
Who’s Who
The Reverend Justine Richmond Deacon in the Church of God
In 2013, Georgiana Molloy Anglican School (GMAS) Italian teacher Mrs Justine Richmond had a sense that God may have been calling her to something other than teaching. After receiving an email from the School Chaplain about new theology courses on offer at Murdoch University, Justine made the decision to enrol in a Graduate Diploma of Chaplaincy. It wasn’t long before Justine felt the call to ordained ministry and commenced several years of study in addition to her teaching role at GMAS.
St Mark’s Anglican Community School Triathlon Success for St Mark’s The 2019 School Sport WA Primary Triathlon proved to be very successful for our Years 5 and 6 athletes. St Mark’s entered teams in all four divisions of the Primary Triathlon, with many of our team members new to the sport. In the Primary Carnival, each team member competes in one leg of the triathlon (200m swim, 6km bike ride and 2km run). The weather was hot but with a light breeze which certainly helped the athletes perform at their best. We’re very proud of the way that the students conducted themselves, really pushing hard and successfully negotiating the changes between the swim, bike and run legs. The outstandingly close racing made for an exciting day for the students and for the crowds that cheered them on.
On Saturday, 16 November, joined by family, friends – even from her school days at St Mary’s AGS including Felicity House - as well as ASC representatives, the GMAS Chair, Principal, Chaplain and other colleagues, and parishioners from St Mary’s Busselton, Justine was ordained to the Diaconate by The Right Reverend Dr Ian Coutts in St Boniface Cathedral, Bunbury. Reverend Justine is now licensed to minister as a Deacon of the Anglican Church in both the Parish of St Mary’s Busselton and to the GMAS school community. Reverend Justine said, The commitment to study and training has taken discipline, but I have found that the more I put God at the centre, the more I can achieve. I hope to help other people find ‘treasure in the field’ that is faith. I see the work we do in Anglican schools as being mustard seed stuff and know we may never see the fruit of our work. A book we have been encouraged to read by Bishop Ian talks about Christians leading questionable lives, living their faith in such a way that people will want to know more about it. I think that’s something I try to bring to my ministry, especially in the school context.
All four teams did well, with the girls’ teams coming in third, fourth and thirteenth which, combined with the efforts of our boys’ teams, ensured St Mark’s took out the Champion Schools Trophy for the second year in a row! Well done to all participants.
ASC NEWS December 2019
15
Anglican Identity
Christmas Messages
Christmas is upon us again, and many of us are looking forward to all that we’ve come to expect of it – goodwill and festive cheer, time off from work and school, feasting and gift giving, happy family gatherings, and joyous church services. And yet, it seems that the high expectations we have around Christmas have led to it being fraught with anxiety, stress, disappointment, and frustration. There are many demands in the ‘silly season’.
Contemplating ‘Christmas’ can instantly evoke expectations and emotions, such as: summer, travel, school holidays, family time, busy preparation, special events, wonder, fun, friends, change of pace, gifts, stress, worry, humbug, enjoyment, expense, difficulties.
We often forget that the first Christmas was far from perfect; in fact, it fell short of every possible expectation – Mary got pregnant out of wedlock, Joseph failed to arrange the accommodation, the Son of God was born in an animal shelter, the newborn’s first visitors were total strangers, and the Magi’s gifts were completely useless to a baby. The only thing that mattered, and the only thing they were told to expect, was that things would no longer be the same because of the Saviour’s birth.
Christians believe this was God giving the greatest gift we can ever receive of God’s own self, and a promise of peace on earth and goodwill to all people.
This Christmas season, let us strive to focus less on our plans and expectations, and to focus more on the gifts which God continues to bestow on us, through his Son, in the most wonderful and unexpected ways.
Advent also reminds us that Jesus Christ promised he would come again, not as a baby in a manger, but as the Son of God, in power and glory for all to see.
Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyous Christmas.
The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO Archbishop of Perth
16
With all these competing associations, it can be easy to forget that Christmas began with a baby born in a Palestinian town, 2,000 years ago.
‘Advent’, meaning ‘coming’, is the name of the Church’s season that precedes the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It’s a time of preparation, or an advance notification, alerting us to get ready not just with all the practical ‘busyness’ that Christmas may entail but also with our hearts and our selves.
What a wonderful time of the year when we have the connection of family and friends travelling all over the country, with some even making international connections to spend Christmas together. What a joy and a privilege to enjoy this moment that joins people together, even if only for one day. It is a time of great celebration and excitement, but also of rest and relaxation. The reality, however, is that we celebrate an event far greater than the connection of family and friends. We celebrate the event of God’s gift of God’s love for God’s world in God’s son, Jesus Christ our Lord: a love that extends to all people, irrespective of person. It is a love that draws others closer and does not push them away. It is a love that is inclusive, not exclusive. It is a love that is all-embracing, all-encompassing and all-affirming. May the incarnational love of God in Christ Jesus be reborn into each of our lives this Christmas, and may we extend this all-inclusive love to all those we encounter during this season.
I wish you a special Advent and a blessed Christmas!
The Right Reverend Dr Ian Coutts Bishop of Bunbury
The Venerable Clarence E Bester Administrator, Diocese of Wangaratta,
The Anglican Schools Commission Inc 5 Wollaston Road, Mt Claremont, WA Postal Address: Po Box 2520 Mt Claremont WA 6010 P (08) 9286 0290 F (08) 9384 5023 | info@asc.wa.edu.au | www.asc.wa.edu.au