ASA NEWS | SEMESTER 2 2020

ASA NEWS

Semester 2 | 2020

President’s Message

In a year when international and interstate borders have been closed for an extended period of time, and when Principals have spent much of this year cancelling school community events, I have to admit I am feeling strangely connected in ways I could never have imagined.

Feature Articles Unprecedented Times/Innovative Measure Creative Connections While Apart From Canberra to the World The Gift of Gratitude

Connecting During COVID

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President’s Message In a year when international and interstate borders have been closed for an extended period of time, and when Principals have spent much of this year cancelling school community events, I have to admit I am feeling strangely connected in ways I could never have imagined. Much has been reported about our ‘geographical islands’ within an island, and as we are encouraged to maintain social distancing habits long into the future, I have been reflecting on the human need for social belonging and how our connection to people is so critical for our ongoing wellbeing and happiness.

We are all familiar with the highlights of catching up with friends for a virtual G&T or dinner party via FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype or Google Hangouts, and some of us may have even experienced a ‘Netflix Party’ to participate in real-time commentary with loved ones, while watching a synchronised movie from afar. I know these newfound virtual rituals have become so important in my family as we struggle with the extended separation from our children who reside interstate, yet I can’t help but feel like I am missing the real deal… the tactile sensation of real human contact – things like being connected together under the one roof, offering a hug to family or friends, and extending a handshake when greeting a colleague.

Like most schools, I faced the disappointment of lost opportunities for engagement in my community as we head towards our centenary celebrations next year, and I am conscious of communities such as Camberwell Girls Grammar School, who have lost this and more in their actual 100th birthday year. While events can obviously be rescheduled, it reminds me of the need to keep things in perspective, and to appreciate the difference between inconvenience and catastrophe.

If there is one thing we have learnt from this global pandemic, it is that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate and can impact people in many different ways. One way we can strengthen our communities is by focusing on compassion and kindness during these challenging

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times and by making concerted efforts to connect with and support each other. We can also strengthen our communities by looking outwards to lend our support to those in need outside our immediate community. I have been so inspired by the way my school came together to make face masks for Melbourne, with our school making over 650 triple layer fabric masks for disadvantaged Anglican communities there [see page 33].

As President of Anglican Schools Australia, I have missed the collegiality we share when we gather together for our annual conference. However, I remained buoyed by the strength of our connections and the way in which member schools have reached out to those in need, particularly to our fellow school communities in Victoria. As we continue to embrace new ways of doing things, I give thanks to God for the positives that have arisen from such a challenging year… things like gaining a deeper appreciation for the simple things in life and rejoicing in the slower pace of our changed lives.

I continue to pray that you remain safe and well in your schools and that your communities emerge even stronger from this most challenging of times.

Mrs Judith Tudball President, Anglican Schools Australia Principal, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School

ASA NEWS

CEO’s Column One of the many learnings of 2020 has been that Australia, although a ‘federation of states’, is far from a ‘nation united’ on many issues, not the least being our state and territory borders. As a national body with members in every state and the ACT, Anglican Schools Australia is aware of the varied positions in which our member schools find themselves, as you read this edition of ASA News. Some remain or have recently come out of remote learning ‘lockdown’ due to COVID-19, whilst others are operating with minimal restrictions in place. All other schools are somewhere in between, with matters changing weekly.

The President has written of the positive connections made between Anglican schools during the past six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Great stories of reaching out, of support for one another, of caring. It hasn’t been easy for anyone in schools, but extraordinary efforts have gone into ensuring that teaching, learning, care and even worship continued meaningfully. This edition of ASA News explores some of those connections and initiatives.

Let me turn to some practical matters for member schools.

Membership At the AGM in August, the 2021 Budget was approved.

Importantly, due to the challenging economic conditions now and in the future, the 2021 Membership Subscription was kept at the 2020 level; that is, no subscription increase. We hope this assists member schools as you budget for 2021.

The budget also included extra financial support for some schools who may struggle to pay their membership subscription next year. When statements come out in early 2021, any school seeking financial support regarding their annual subscription is asked to contact me. Our desire is to support all member schools through this period to maintain their status as financial members under the Constitution. Even small assistance through ASA membership subscription waivers for 2021 may assist schools.

National Conference As you know, many months ago we postponed the August 2020 Conference scheduled for Melbourne. It has been rescheduled for August 2021. Over the coming months, we will monitor both the progress of our nation in relation to COVID-19 and the economic state of school and local

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

communities. 2021 will not be an easy year for schools.

The 2021 ASA and Conference Budgets also have extra financial support provisions for schools as needed.

The President, President-Elect and I meet regularly with our Conference Organisers, BCCM. Decisions re 2021 will be taken in a timely manner. One change we can confirm is that there will be provision for live-streaming all keynote sessions (and hopefully smaller workshops). This will be a permanent change to our conference. It means that if members are unable to attend the Conference venue in person, or schools who can only send one or two delegates, others can join the conference through remote means. This will form part of the Registration process next year.

The Management Committee has decided to hold over the awarding of our Recognition Certificates due in 2020, as well as consideration of Life Memberships, to the 2021 Conference. These will be presented in person to all eligible members at the 2021 Conference.

Virgin Australia 2.0 With ASA Travel Partner Virgin Australia out of administration and under strong new ownership, they have confirmed the previous contract with ASA remains

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A little reassurance in these turbulent times.

Flexible Flying with no change fees*

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration. (basically using science to clean the air)

Contactless Check-in online or via the Virgin Australia App. Continue to earn and redeem your Velocity Points with Virgin Australia and a range of other partners.

Conducting pre-departure COVID-19 health questionnaire.

High touch and traffic areas sanitised frequently, along with rigorous and thorough nightly cleaning.

Reduced in-flight offering to minimise contact between crew and guests.

Face masks and sanitiser provided to all guests.

Passenger Promise *Change fees waived on travel until 31 January 2021. Fare differences may apply.

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ASA NEWS

CEO’s Column (cont’d) in place, delivering significant travel cost reductions to member schools once you start flying again. Orbit Travel remain ASA’s Travel Management Company and are the means by which schools and individuals can book cheaper airfares, hotels, rental cars and the like. Members will see significantly cheaper Business Class and Economy tickets are now available for travel on the new ‘trimmed down’ Virgin Australia. Worth a look when you next fly within your state or interstate.

School News SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS PRINCIPALS Ms Jackie Becher | St Andrew’s School, SA (effective January 2021) Ms Helen Finlay | St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School, SA Mr Matthew O’Brien | Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, WA (effective January 2021)

New Website The new ASA Website has been live for some time now.

If you have not explored it, please take the time to have a look at www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au. One of the new features is a ‘choosing a school’ option, which allows parents and carers to select options which will identify Anglican schools in their state that best suit their preferences. Also, we have a new ‘Employment’ section so please feel free to list a vacant position in your school at no cost to member schools.

CHAPLAINS

ASA News Just a reminder that the Management Committee has taken the decision to publish ASA News twice a year from 2021. This will be a major publication. In between editions, our Communications Department will email regular brief updates to members.

Mr Paul Cockrem | Richard Johnson Anglican School, NSW (effective December 2020)

As we approach the final school term in an extraordinary year and uncertain times ahead, may your school community know the assurance that we receive in and through the Holy Spirit, our comforter and advocate.

The Reverend Juliana Bate | West Moreton Anglican College, QLD

Mr Andy Fleming | Assistant Chaplain, Radford College, ACT Mrs Nia Vivian | Lay Chaplain, Canterbury College, QLD The Reverend James Tabor | Frederick Irwin Anglican School, WA (effective 2021)

DEPARTURES PRINCIPALS

Mr Michael Giles | Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, WA (effective December 2020)

CHAPLAINS

The Reverend Noel Oakey | Frederick Irwin Anglican School, WA

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Every blessing.

EDITOR’S NOTE The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM CEO, Anglican Schools Australia

Cover Images: Main Image - Melbourne Girls Grammar staff and students sharing photos of their lockdown work spaces.

Inset - Gratitude: Maxe Nguyen, Year 1 and Maddison Fillingham, Year 11 create a card for healthcare workers.

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Anglican Schools Australia invites principals, chaplains and teachers, as well as chairs, governors and friends of Anglican Schools to submit articles for publication in ASA NEWS. We are particularly interested in publishing articles about school Religious Studies, Service Learning and Indigenous programs. We welcome submissions of feature articles of approximately 750-1000 words and news articles of 350 words, together with a selection of high quality digital images of 300 dpi. Please email submissions to adann@asc.wa.edu.au. Submissions are published at the discretion of the Editor.

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UNPRECEDENTED TIMES: Principal, Dr Toni Meath standing in front of the School’s new billboard

Unprecedented times/Innovative measures

Melbourne Girls Grammar, VIC

The learner is always at the centre of everything we do at Melbourne Girls Grammar, so when we moved to remote learning in March 2020 our priority was setting up the infrastructure to deliver a continuous curriculum for our students.

We then moved on to how we maintain connections in our community. With a proud 127 year history, we have so many dedicated community members who were eager to stay engaged with the School, so we had to be creative about how we stayed connected.

From students to staff, alumnae and parents as well as prospective families, maintaining connections while remaining physically distanced required innovation and creativity.

For our valued alumnae, young and old Grammarians, the OG Book Club gave everyone something to discuss and suggestions for new novels to read. The Student Pen Pal Club was particularly well received by members young and old as Middle Years students started making friends with women who had walked the same halls as themselves.

Regular calls were placed to Old Grammarians to check in and catch up. It was in these calls that a lot of parallels were drawn to past crises in the School’s history and how the underlying resilience of Grammarians helps us all work together to get through hard times.

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While working parents might have previously struggled to attend Parents Association meetings they wished they could attend in person, COVID-19 gave us the perfect reason to present and record the meetings to share with our parents and caregivers, and is something Melbourne Girls Grammar would like to continue. We had parents from around the globe as well as those working from home attending.

As community favourite events had to be postponed or moved online, we had to be creative about how we celebrated special occasions. For Mother’s Day we sent kits to our Grammarians to decorate gifts and make cards to honour our mum’s.

ANZAC Day, Easter and other special events were also celebrated while apart. Special videos were created to share and include everyone in our celebrations. Our Old Grammarians particularly enjoyed a special Easter Chapel filmed by Reverend Kirsty Ross in the Chapel of St Luke; a location very dear to most of our alumnae.

This year’s biannual publication, the Information Exchange, became all digital for the first time ever. Just as the School ASA NEWS

asked its staff and students to embrace technology during remote learning, we asked the broader community. This was a truly innovative approach to a publication with such a rich history.

Presenting the first semester of curriculum delivery and connection digitally rather than in print, has enabled the School to truly demonstrate how we all embraced the change and found new and creative ways to connect.

As Principal Dr Toni Meach said: “This edition of IE captures the creative ways our community has lived through this pandemic, including a spotlight on our remote learning and how we dealt individually and collectively with isolation. It is a treasure trove of narrative, images and recordings and I am sure will be an important keepsake for our archives.”

Some students were missing the daily social breaks with friends, and the usual natural interactions with students outside their own year groups. That is when our Student Executive Council launched a weekly email blast to share tips and tricks for remote learning and keeping themselves entertained and productive. The publication boasted morale boosting challenges and supportive encouragement for all year levels.

For our Year 12s, a lot of milestones are being missed this year with COVID-19 restrictions. As a way of creating something special for this cohort, we engaged a portrait photographer to visit Year 12s at home (while maintaining social distancing and every other safety protocol) to capture this moment in history. The compilation of these very special images will be given to Year 12s to remember everything they achieved and overcame in 2020.

Staff’s weekly meetings were moved online to Zoom.

Each week hundreds of participants joined the zoom to hear updates from the Principal and messages from colleagues to stay informed and connected.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

Social Media played a role in the connection of all areas of our community with various initiatives designed to help others share and relate. A ‘Share your Workspace’ initiative asked our students and staff alike to share their new set up, which included pets, children, plants and paintings. It was great to see what worked for everyone in utilising what space they had to set up their new working area and borrow some tips for making more productive spaces. From science experiments in the ELC and virtual music lessons, to sunset photos from our boarders located across the globe, we focused on sharing the diverse experiences of our community as a way of remaining connected.

The School encouraged current and future community members to peek behind the red brick walls while our popular campus tours were put on hold. In their place, tour webinars were introduced, allowing prospective families to learn where an education at Melbourne Girls Grammar can lead, from the comfort of home. The webinars were well attended with prospective families near and far enjoying the live presentations and Q & A with key members of staff and current students.

Our Grammarians were at the heart of everything and as remote learning now looks to be settling into our shared history, Melbourne Girls Grammar is eager to take these lessons with them into the future and adopt innovative solutions as part of the ‘new normal’.

When students were welcomed back on site, they saw posters and billboards reinforcing the expectations of being onsite. Fact sheets and support materials were distributed to the wider community as we prioritise the safety of all community members.

Unprecedented times call for innovative measures. One thing we all learned from recent times is our ability to adapt and be innovative in our approach to remaining connected.

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Staying connected in our local community Frederick Irwin Anglican School, WA

Whether it was connecting remotely during online learning or connecting with the broader community in need, Frederick Irwin students have been firmly focussed on helping others in 2020.

Throughout Frederick Irwin’s online learning period, the School’s Prefects decided to create a series of videos to connect with their peers and to bring a sense of normalcy.

Some of the topics included: ‘Our Pets’, ‘Keeping Fit and Health during COVID’, as well as ‘Study and Exam Tips’.

All the videos were thoroughly enjoyed by our students… and their families!

During Term 3, Frederick Irwin Anglican School has also been focused on helping our local communities through donation collections.

House Captains from both the Halls Head and Meadow Springs campuses encouraged Primary families to donate non-perishable food items for the Peel Community Kitchen, by visiting classrooms and speaking to their peers. The donation drive coincided with Homelessness Week.

The tremendously large amount of non-perishable food items was then delivered to the Peel Community Kitchen, which offers support and provides to those in need.

Tracey from Peel Community Kitchen emailed the School with thanks for “such an amazing donation”.

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Gordon House Council Secondary students, in conjunction with the School Prefects, also coordinated a collection of items for their local Peel charity, HALO Team Mandurah (Homeless Assistance Leadership Organisation). Secondary students were asked to bring in non-perishable items so that the Gordon House Groups could make up hampers and bags that would be distributed to the homeless and people in need in the Peel region by the HALO volunteers.

It was amazing to see the generosity of the Frederick Irwin community, with the large quantity boxes of food bags, hampers and warm beanies and socks donated. We are very lucky to have such a generous school community.

ASA NEWS

Helping community connection St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, QLD

With an increased dependence on technology during the pandemic, students at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School spent a term participating in Phones for Change, helping those who may not have access to phones to be connected.

The initiative was led by the School’s Prefects and encouraged the girls to reflect on the importance of connection, particularly as a result of the impacts of COVID-19.

Prefect Emily Pitt, one of the brains behind the initiative, said many people in Brisbane who were experiencing homelessness and disadvantage needed phones to access the support and health care services they need.

Emily, together with St Margaret’s Co-Captain Isobel Barry, donated unused phones from their individual households and rallied the rest of the school community for support.

“During the Coronavirus pandemic, many essential services such as healthcare and social support services have transitioned to telehealth. Whilst for many for us this method of accessing care was easily accessible, we realised that this would not be the case for all people in the community. People experiencing homelessness or escaping domestic violence would be significantly disadvantaged and further isolated from support if they did not have access to mobile phones,” Emily said.

Collection points were set up in both the primary and secondary schools and students were encouraged to bring in any model unwanted phones, not just smartphones, including old Nokia ‘bricks’.

Twenty-two phones were collected and will be donated to Micah Projects, a not-for-profit organisation that assists people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence or social exclusion. The phones will be distributed to help people connect with their health care, access their support services and call for help in times of need.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

St Margaret’s Dean of Students Nikki Townsend, who oversees student philanthropy, said this type of initiative empowers the girls to make a difference.

“It improves their understanding of current community issues and, in doing so, builds important relationships between the school and the community. It also helps to develop the girls’ empathy and compassion and allows the students to realise their actions can impact more than just themselves,” Ms Townsend said.

“Most of our girls, certainly the senior students, would have a mobile phone or device to remain connected and so the fact that others might not have that privilege really hits home for them. The girls realise their contribution will make a big difference and significantly help improve the lives of those who need it most.”

Isobel said their goal was to encourage girls to reflect on the part of their lives that they take for granted, like access to mobile phones.

“Things that we have in our households can make a significant impact on those in our wider community and we hope that the girls have become more aware of this,” she said.

Micah Projects Clinical Lead Kim Rayner expressed her appreciation to the girls and families that had generously donated old mobile phones.

“The impact has been immediate. All phones donated have been given to people experiencing homelessness who do not have a phone so that they can stay connected to essential health and social support services during COVID-19,” she said.

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Creative connections while apart

By Kath Woolcock, Deputy Head of Senior School - Student Wellbeing | Camberwell Girls Grammar School, VIC

As we approach a second phase of transitioning back to school in Victoria, we at Camberwell Girls Grammar School (CGGS) reflect on the many ways we have worked to stay connected with our school community and thrive together even when we were apart.

Collectively, we have been very intentional and thoughtful in designing and creating our remote learning model at CGGS. We asked ourselves how we could ensure that our students and our teachers would continue to flourish during this unprecedented time, evaluating and evolving our approach to meet the dynamic needs of our community.

Face to face personal connections were no longer possible, so it was important as a school to prioritise how we could maintain and build connections and relationships virtually. It was essential for us that students continued to feel connected to their learning, but also a sense of belonging with the school, to each other and their community. This helped everyone maintain the positive interpersonal relationships that are core to the culture at CGGS. We have maintained a sense of connectedness to the 10

CGGS community by carefully considering how we might innovate and continue to offer special days, programs and events to maintain what is uniquely CGGS. To date we have celebrated the following events remotely: House Cross Country, House Drama, Dance and Music event, CamberWELL Week, Diversity Week, National Reconciliation Week, Science Week and our seasonal learning conferences for Year 9 students (one on artificial intelligence and one on Melbourne Mindset).

Our service learning program is an essential component of our school. Our school motto, Utilis In Ministerium, meaning useful in service, guides us. Therefore, during this time of remote learning, we focused on ensuring that we not only prioritised the wellbeing of self, but also the wellbeing of others.

The annual winter sleepout, which raises money to help homeless people in Victoria was reinvented for 2020.

ASA NEWS

More than 70 families took part in the winter sleepout from home (sleeping outside or on the floor without heating).

Other service learning activities included making face masks to donate to those in need, writing letters to residents in local nursing homes and participating from home in the paediatric brain cancer fundraiser, ‘Connor’s Run’, for which our school community raised $1715.

Our staff are now also reinventing many Year 12 end-ofyear events such as our Valedictory Dinner, our Leavers Service and Presentation Night, so that we are able to celebrate these important milestones, whilst creating new ways to make these events memorable and special for our community.

Our wellbeing program welcomed many new additions while we were at home, recognising that now, more than ever, we needed to look after ourselves and make time for self-care practices. We created Wellbeing Wednesdays where we shared tips, tricks and thoughts on wellbeing on our official social media pages. The school also planned for dedicated CGGS Wellbeing days, where students, teachers and professional services staff were able to take a break from their screens and home learning to engage in over 50 optional activities and initiatives designed around the notion of self-care for their mind, body and soul.

Knowing that our parents and other members of school community were also missing the connections that our school normally offers, we held many other activities and challenges such as our weekly quiz for families, our #TogetherApart weekly challenge, various parenting webinars and courses, and the Father’s Day challenge cup.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

CGGS staff have also continued to connect through various channels, formal and informal. As a school, we felt it was important to provide opportunities to socialise and engage with each other as we would at school. We found creative and new ways to ensure all staff felt supported and valued. Our professional development days, involved formal components for professional development and also opportunities to interact together socially. Additionally, our Staff Association and Staff Wellbeing Group held regular online catch ups, a weekly online quiz and wellbeing sessions including guest presentations from psychologists and physiotherapists specialising in working from home.

Our students have uncovered more about themselves throughout this remote learning period, discovering how to maximise their full potential by understanding how they learn best across a range of settings. Our girls have shown incredible resilience and grit in so many ways this year, and we are so proud of each and every one of them.

We know they have missed the daily social connections that are part of the fabric of school life, as have the staff; however, they have found new, positive ways to reach out, support one another and connect together, from a distance.

As a community, we are counting down the days until we are back together at school, surrounded by the chatter, laughter and energy that our students, teachers, staff and families bring to our school. While we found ourselves in this unique and often challenging situation, it is important to acknowledge how proud we are of our school community and celebrate what we have learnt along the way - knowing that it has made us stronger, individually and as a community.

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Centenary celebrations for Lowther Hall Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, VIC

2020 marks 100 years for Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School in Essendon, Victoria.

Founded in 1920 by Archbishop Henry Lowther Clarke, the School was established on core values of altruism, inclusivity, and excellence in delivering well-rounded education for girls.

This foundation has developed a remarkable school community spirit over the past century: one that has helped Lowther Hall face this latest global challenge in its 100th year with resilience, determination and optimism!

Centenary celebrations for Lowther Hall started at the beginning of 2020. A special Founder Day assembly marked exactly 100 years of Lowther Hall, with past Principals and school community in attendance, cake for all, and gifts exchanged between Old Grammarians and current day students. Celebrating Lowther Hall’s Anglican beginnings via ‘Founder Day’ will be a new annual tradition for the School, as a mark of respect for Archbishop Henry Lowther Clarke. His passion for girls’ education within the context of the Anglican faith is the reason Lowther Hall exists today.

From there a new school history book was launched at a live event that included on-stage interviews with the authors, and a garden party for the entire school community at which over 400 people were in attendance.

Three years in the making, the book tells the School’s history in a format purposely developed for teaching becoming part of the Humanities curriculum for all Year 7 students. In March, over 200 attendees gathered for the annual Lowther Women Luncheon. This year, the event was Centenary themed with a special panel of guests 12

selected to discuss the topic, “History making by and through Lowther Hall Women”.

A special Lowther Hall Centenary website was established this year to help the school community discover all of the opportunities to engage with the centenary celebrations: whether it be attending an event, reading news articles relating to the School’s history, or, purchasing one of the many Lowther Hall Centenary merchandise items including umbrellas, bracelets, blankets and even dog hoodies! A series of ‘then and now’ photos were commissioned that saw current day students re-enacting scenes from specially selected archival photographs.

With so many plans scheduled for 2020, the celebration of Lowther Hall’s centenary has been halted due to the COVID-19 crisis. The School has planned for the remainder of special celebratory events to take place in 2021. These include a Centenary Gala event at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne, a Golf Day at one of Australia’s premier golf clubs, Kingston Heath, a Centenary Concert at which a special choir and orchestra of Old Grammarians will join current students, and a Centenary Twilight Festival for the entire school community that will end the year featuring a spectacular fireworks display at the School’s Essendon campus.

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ASA NEWS

From Canberra to the World

By The Reverend Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain | Radford College, ACT

Canberra’s Radford College hosted a very different Dirrum Festival this year. This year’s Dirrum Festival theme, ‘Tipping Points’, was chosen in 2019. As the Dirrum Festival fast approached, the theme felt increasingly apt. The Dirrum team, made up of Year 12 students, brought together a range of speakers who addressed ‘tipping points’ in our individual and collective lives.

The heartbeat of Dirrum Festival remained the same, with an emphasis on student voice and action, challenging and inspiring speakers, hospitality, music and art.

We had a limited in-person audience, others watched the livestream from around Australia and throughout the world. The speakers Brooke Prentis, Tom Calma, Anote Tong, Bernard Collaery, Camille Wilson, Ahmed Kelly, David and Emma Pocock, Mark Whithear and Craig Foster spoke with grace, truth and conviction.

They all made an impact on their audience. Many were motivated by Craig Foster’s appeal to logic, reason, compassion and humanity as a framework for our treatment of asylum seekers. His ‘game over’ movement is creating momentum amongst people of different ages, including many within the Radford community.

The student voice, an important feature of Dirrum Festival, was strong again this year, with students reporting on their Dirrum challenges in the areas of responding to climate change, connection with place, and refugee rights.

Another highlight of the festival was the release of two books: I Just Want to Make a Difference: a journey in social change-making by Richard Browning and Enacting a Public Theology (ed. Clive Pearson) with two chapters on Aboriginal justice co-authored by Dirrum speaker Brooke Prentis and a chapter on lament in the context of IsraelPalestine written by Katherine Rainger. The responses from past and present Radford students to these books were insightful and attentive, and demonstrated a desire to understand the world and their place in it.

Perhaps the most rewarding feedback about Dirrum Festival came from our youngest attendees.

Caitlin (Year 6) I really enjoyed Dirrum Festival as it was an amazing eyeopener to what is happening in the world. I was really interested in Camille Wilson’s story about her panic attacks and how she couldn’t find many people to help SEMESTER 2 | 2020

her, so she ended up publishing her blog to help others.

What really touched me was how Mark Whithear described being invited to a Christmas lunch by a friend’s mother and coming inside to find that the mother had changed the name on her son’s present to his name. Brooke Prentis talked about the issues Indigenous people are having to face. All the speakers gave practical life advice and it was a very interesting show to watch.

Another student preparing for her final major project with the Junior School – Exhibition – found Dirrum Festival aligned with what she is currently learning.

Nadia (Year 6) Last week, Year 6 started tuning in to Exhibition. This year, our Exhibition theme is “Unless”. It comes from the quote from the Lorax; “Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing is going to change. It’s not.”

Last Friday, we had Brooke Prentis as a guest speaker.

Brooke Prentis is a Christian Indigenous person and is the CEO of an organisation called Common Grace. She cares a whole awful lot about Aboriginal justice and the land we live on. She feels very passionately about closing the gap and Reconciliation. She was told at a young age that she should dream impossible dreams and pursue her passions to make a change. Brooke really cares for the Aboriginal community and works hard to make sure the past doesn’t repeat itself, and that Aboriginal people are treated as equal to other Australians. Her advice to everyone is to support and encourage others, because the people who care an awful lot could feel lonely and like the only one who has ever cared. Supporting and encouraging others would create the change we need for our world.

Dirrum Festival 2020 was a massive team effort. Special thanks to Radford’s Media Teacher, Tim Minehan and his crew for making the event ‘virtual’. *ASA News readers are warmly invited to watch videos of our inspiring speakers by visiting the Dirrum Festival CBR 2020 website. www.dirrumfestival.org/cbr20 15

AMBULANCE

POLICE

FIRE BRIGADE

GRATITUDE: Maxe Nguyen, Year 1 and Maddison Fillingham, Year 11 create card for healthcare workers.

The gift of gratitude Beaconhills College, VIC

Beaconhills College students have created gift cards and video clips with messages of thanks to local workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 battle.

Before returning to remote learning under Stage 4 restrictions, students took part in three videos to thank the everyday heroes, police, ambulance officers and firefighters, for their extraordinary work in such challenging times.

The “Giving Thanks Project” was one of the College’s Beacon of Hope initiatives, encouraging students to express gratitude by valuing contributions ‘greater than self’.

The three videos were widely shared on social media and were posted on the Facebook pages of Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police and the Country Fire Authority.

A CFA spokesperson said, “Thank you messages like these show our people that their selfless contribution over the past summer and year-round is valued by the community and it really does mean a lot.”

As part of the same project, Beaconhills students also spent recent months designing around 1700 gift cards with a personal letter of thanks to local healthcare workers.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

The cards and messages were delivered to health services such as the Casey Hospital, where they are now proudly displayed in the Special Care Nursery. Hospital staff emailed their thanks back to the College, telling students that the cards “gave us so much joy to read and also gave us a big ‘pick me up’ in these uncertain times.”

Beaconhills College’s Head of Citizenship and Service, Clare Tuohy, said the project aimed to encourage students to “look outwards, rather than inwards” during these difficult times and to practise gratitude.

“It’s really about thinking of other people. Our vision and mission endorse all aspects of citizenship and service at Beaconhills and our core values of Respect, Integrity and Compassion guide what we do every day,” she said.

“It is really important that we don’t just talk the talk, we must walk the walk.”

You can view the Beaconhills College videos sent to Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police and firefighters by clicking on the links above.

17

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A community united John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School, WA

Our School’s sense of community is enhanced each year through both community focused events, as well as opportunities for students to serve members of the wider community.

Our vision is to support students as they look beyond the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary, making a difference to the world in which they live, both locally and globally.

There are many community events that enhance our sense of community, such as the annual Twilight Fair, Carols on the Green and inviting students from local schools to attend our School Production Matinee performances.

We also fundraise for many local and international charities including Harapan Christian School, our Indonesian sister school and two orphanages Blimbingsari and Melaya which are linked to Harapan. However, the greatest impact we as individuals can have in our community is to create meaningful and lasting personal connections.

Recently, some of our Year 6 and Year 2 students were privileged to visit our newest neighbours, the residents of MyVista Retirement Village in Mirrabooka. Anticipating the completion of this new Village, our students made some welcome cards and gifts for the new residents. Many of the residents moved into the facility during the WA COVID lockdown period, being isolated from their families and struggled to get accustomed to their new surroundings.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

Our students patiently waited for restrictions to lift to allow them to visit; meeting the residents and presenting our welcome gifts in person made for a beautiful morning. The residents’ joy was evident as our students took the time to connect and share stories and to listen and laugh, there were even a few tears of joy shed. Our students were able to experience firsthand that a small act of kindness can have a lasting impact.

The 2020 pandemic has taught us the true value of our community and the strength of unity.

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STILL IN SCHOOL: While the vast majority of students opted to do online lessons from home, some students with parents employed in essential services continued to attend School.

Connecting during COVID St John’s Grammar School, SA

Our lives have undergone wholesale change this year. How we work, how we socialise, how we experience the world has all changed. Our children’s lives have experienced this change too, with one of the biggest aspects, their schooling and the way that they learn, undertaking one of the biggest changes in the history of education.

As a School community, St John’s Grammar embraced this change, transitioning to a new era of learning with online lesson delivery for the end of Term 1. But it was so much more than just the delivery of lessons.

During COVID-19, St John’s Grammar adapted every component of its School life and delivered it online.

From online assemblies, one-on-one mentoring for every student, through to learning support and House theme days, the entire School model was adapted to be delivered online to ensure that our students could continue to soar, from home. The focus was ensuring that in a time marked by being socially isolated, online efforts could bring the St John’s Grammar community even closer together while navigating this uncertain time.

Parent Classroom During online lesson delivery, parents and carers were more present in the classroom than ever before. They worked with our teachers to ensure children continued to soar from home, and it was heart-warming to see parents 22

joining in on virtual Assemblies, PE exercises, Music lessons, numeracy and literacy activities, Art projects and story time.

Parents were learning Indonesian and Japanese, becoming extras in Middle School Drama films, being interviewed, being the sous chef for our Food Tech students and much more! The support from the School community was outstanding and brought everyone closer together.

Being Well One of the School’s biggest priorities in shifting to remote learning was the wellbeing of the entire community. Social connectedness is a critical component of positive mental health and wellbeing, and this is recognised as one of the key pillars in St John’s Grammar’s whole of school Wellbeing Framework. In order to continue providing high quality wellbeing support, each Year 7 – 12 student was paired with a staff mentor during the first week of remote learning. Staff mentors scheduled a weekly check-in Zoom ASA NEWS

meeting with their student to provide the important first layer of pastoral support by observing how the student was adjusting to remote learning, their level of engagement as well as taking time to provide a personalised connection to maintain that sense of belonging to the School.

Students also attended a weekly wellbeing-themed Zoom session with their Home Group on Wednesday mornings, and completed a wellbeing survey. In Week 11, the wellbeing session included a Year 7–12 virtual dance competition and a virtual assembly where the Heads of School celebrated student achievements from the last few weeks of Term.

Top Teacher While all staff went above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic, the School’s Deputy Principal (and at the time Acting Principal), Leonie Harwood was listed as one of SA’s best educators in the pandemic, as nominated by The Advertiser and Sunday Mail readers. The following quote was provided with her nomination: “Leonie has shown true leadership with humour and skill, while keeping the whole community aware of the School’s decisions and direction.”

In recognition of her stellar efforts, the Middle and Senior Student Leaders lined up ready to surprise Ms Harwood on her last day as Acting Principal and presented her with a beautiful bunch of flowers as she arrived. There were many social distancing elbow bumps and toe taps as the students let Ms Harwood know how grateful they were for everything she has done, and continues to do, for St John’s Grammar.

Creativity in Crisis Resilience and ingenuity during COVID-19 appeared to be at an all-time high upon the return of face-to-face lessons in Term 2, with the Year 9 drama students developing a comedic, Coronavirus-inspired masterpiece titled ‘From A Distance’.

The class was originally set to perform a different play, but then Covid-19 hit, and the uncertainty of whether they would even be able to perform for an audience, set them on a different creative path. The students were inspired to write the quirky and one-off piece, letting their surreal and creative theatrical imaginings loose to explore why Covid-19 happened, how we reacted as a society and how do we bounce forward? Told from different perspectives; from God, Satan and Mother Earth, through to Trumploving Americans, Zoom-avoiding students and even the now-infamous bats, ‘From A Distance’ was a comedic look at the evolution of COVID-19 and the people it impacted.

Once students returned to School they were able to commence face-to-face rehearsals, all while keeping in mind that this play might have to be performed via Zoom if a second wave of isolation was required. Fortunately, the students were able to perform it in person. The tonguein-cheek performance had audiences doubled over in laughter and saw everyone up on their feet, dancing and clapping along to the finale. A very welcome release after weeks of uncertainty for all.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

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Connecting student-teachers to classrooms Coomera Anglican College, QLD

A partnership between staff at Coomera Anglican College and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has allowed student teachers to continue to access the classroom for training throughout the pandemic.

With social distancing and limited visitors to schools during the pandemic, many university student-teachers have had limited access to real school classrooms during their training in 2020.

A key aspect of teacher preparation courses is the ability of universities to place their student-teachers in schools.

While at a school, a student-teacher will observe qualified teachers in the classroom and later practice teaching real students in real classrooms under the mentorship of experienced teaching staff.

At Coomera Anglican College, we have been exploring ways to support student-teachers by using technology and the Internet to facilitate remote observation of lessons and student-teacher interaction with College teaching staff.

Dr David Nutchey of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has worked with the College’s Mr Tadgh Treanor and Mr Warren McMahon to develop a prototype model of student-teacher remote observation to assist them to continue this vital part of their studies.

A key factor whenever teachers use online technologies with students is online safety. Our guiding principle is that 24

the process must not produce images or video of our students that can be stored or distributed on the Internet.

With this in mind, the observation was shown by using streaming technology, a secure connection to the QUT classroom, and a fully supervised viewing environment.

These measures ensured that downloading and possible recording of the streamed material would not happen.

While Tadgh and Warren operated the web-connected streaming link at the College, David Nutchey supervised and ran the observation session at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus. During the ninety-minute session, the QUT student-teachers viewed the streamed lesson and then could ask questions about what they saw. Tadgh and Warren, through the online link, then answered a range of questions put to them.

This remote-streamed classroom observation is a QUT and CAC first and was very successful. The studentteachers found the experience to be engaging. They enjoyed the opportunity to ask Tadgh and Warren about supporting student learning in the context of their Digital Solutions class.

ASA NEWS

The GIFTS of giving

By Suzanne Stewart, Head of Junior Years Swan Valley Anglican Community School, WA

GIFTS, or Giving In Faith To Serve, is an integral part of the Year 5 Service Learning Program at Swan Valley Anglican Community School.

The program aims to teach students the importance of being thankful for what they receive each day, as well as being empathetic towards others. As a result, we are hopeful that our students are inspired to serve our local communities of Aveley, Ellenbrook and beyond.

Through conversations with local heroes (including paramedics, lawyers, Salvation Army representatives and local Indigenous Elders), the students learn about those who give selflessly to others through their own acts of service. In turn, the students embark on a range of activities and service opportunities to give back to their own community. From making handmade Christmas cards and collecting donations for the homeless, to entertaining residents from local aged-care homes over afternoon tea, the students learn the importance of feeling connected.

Students were also keen to connect with those outside our local community. As a result, a relationship has now been established with a remote Indigenous school in the Kimberley region, 3,000km northeast of Perth. In response to a shortage of resources, students started collecting items for the remote school. They are now collecting new student stationery items: pencil cases, lead and coloured pencils, erasers, sharpeners, blue and red pens, scissors and glue and filling decorated shoeboxes that will be sent in time for Christmas.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided our students with new opportunities to serve their local community. The first challenge was how to maintain a connection with our local aged residents when social distancing restrictions meant no physical visits. The solution was simple – the students wrote letters and sent Easter cards instead. The residents were delighted to receive handwritten communication again – which seems such a rarity these days!

The GIFTS program continues to teach our students the importance of serving those within their community and beyond. Remaining connected, even during the most challenging of times, can be achieved. They are learning to find gratitude in all that they have and to share this gratitude with others through their actions. They recognise that connectedness does not have to be purely a physical act but can also be a selfless emotional response to those whose needs are far greater than their own.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

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Principal, Daniel Walker, Chaplain, Nia Vivian and The Bishop of Southern Region, the Right Rev. John Roundhill.

St Hilda’s welcomes new Principal

Canterbury College Commissioning

St Hilda’s School, QLD

Canterbury College, QLD

St Hilda’s School, Gold Coast is delighted to welcome Ms Wendy Lauman as the eleventh School Principal. Wendy commenced in the role in May 2020, after being appointed Interim Principal in 2019.

In early August, Canterbury College hosted the Commissioning Service for their new Chaplain, Nia Vivian, in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd onsite at Canterbury.

Her career has focused on the promotion of the specific interests of girls’ education. As an experienced leader in Christian girls’ schools, she guided the interests of young women at Moreton Bay College and St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School in Brisbane, prior to her appointment as Deputy Principal at St Hilda’s School in 2014.

The Bishop of Southern Region, The Right Reverend John Roundhill presided over this service. Canterbury hosted local clergy including Pastor Peter Palmer from St George’s Beenleigh, The Reverend Morris Rangiwai from the Church of the Holy Spirit at Algester, Nia’s family and friends, as well as some Canterbury students and staff.

A life-long Anglican, Wendy is actively involved in the life of the church. Her personal faith, and commitment to St Hilda’s School’s academic vision of equipping young women with the values, knowledge and skills they will need to reach their full potential to serve and shape the world, are wellestablished in the School community.

In her time at St Hilda’s, Wendy has continued to promote and create educational opportunities for girls, supporting the initiation of the St Hilda’s Girls in Engineering Conference and the extension of the School’s Performing Arts programs. Wendy began her career as a Speech and Drama teacher and continues to have an extensive interest in the performing arts and is an avid reader. She also has a strong interest in positive psychology and organisational behaviour and culture.

Principal Dan Walker said Nia would be a great Chaplain for Canterbury.

“She is kind, genuine, progressive and understands the Anglican ethos magnificently. I know that as our College community gets to know her, they will see these qualities,” he said.

“Nia has already assembled a loyal following of students in the Junior and Secondary schools which is terrific to see.”

Wendy has an Association with the Australian College of Music, a Graduate Certificate in Theology, a Bachelor of Education (Drama), a Master of Education in Counselling and Guidance and a Master of Education in Behaviour Management. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia.

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ASA NEWS

Principal Deb Dalwood with hall display.

170 years of excellence in education St Andrew’s School, SA

South Australia’s oldest independent primary school, St Andrew’s School, marks its 170th anniversary this year, digging deep and finding resourceful and relevant ways to commemorate its rich and proud history of excellence in education through the ages.

While the Walkerville-based Playgroup to Year 7 school had a range of events and celebratory occasions to mark the milestone, when the pandemic hit home, it was time for a creative re-think.

While many of the school’s celebratory events have been postponed, the community is grateful for a magnificent historical display in the hall, which features life-size photographs of St Andrew’s children through the ages.

“Who would have thought that in our 170th year, we would be embarking on one of the biggest challenges and opportunities in our history and one that would spearhead our distance learning and digital revolution,” Principal Deb Dalwood said.

Mrs Dalwood noted that back in 1850, South Australia was just 14 years old and still six years away from becoming a self-governing colony, gold would be discovered in neighbouring Victoria the following year – which led to a severe labour shortage and an economic downturn as thousands fled east in search of their fortune – and Adelaide’s population stood at just 14,000.

“In our 170 year history, we have encountered the Spanish Flu, wars, the Great Depression and even an earthquake, and now we will remember 2020 as they year of COVID-19 – a year that changed the education landscape across the world.

“I am immensely proud of how our teachers and students have adapted to the new landscape, and the community spirit which makes St Andrew’s School such a special place.”

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

“It was a very different world back then, but ever since our doors opened to the first students, we have always prided ourselves on being a place where bright futures begin and an independent educational institution that prepares children for the world by equipping them with the skills to enjoy a lifetime of learning appropriate to the era during which they live,” she said.

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St Peter’s Woodlands farewells Principal St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School, SA

After 17 years, Mr Christopher Prance has decided to complete his tenure as Principal of St Peter’s Woodlands.

Throughout his time at St Peter’s Woodlands, Christopher built a happy, child-centred place, full of hope, beauty and laughter. The school has seen incredible growth over the course of his leadership, with enrolments doubling and the introduction of a long-day Early Learning Centre in 2016, resulting in ninety percent of enrolees transitioning into Reception to complete their primary experience.

As a result of Christopher’s leadership, St Peter’s Woodlands is the pre-eminent early learning and primary school in the western suburbs of South Australia. His dedication to the importance of quality early education has seen significant investment into learning environments and infrastructure, teaching resources and training, and an ongoing commitment to ensure every child has the best start to their educational journey.

Early in his teaching career, Christopher worked in schools experiencing disadvantage and with students with high levels of special needs, which consequently formed his passion to support all children to experience success in their learning.

He is proud to leave St Peter’s Woodlands with a strong heritage of inclusivity. His leadership has seen the introduction of an inclusive learning support model, with an array of allied specialists working onsite, supported by qualified teachers and education support officers.

Christopher has worked closely to rekindle and unite the 28

school’s historical connections with The Parish Day School of St Peter’s Glenelg and Woodlands Church of England Girls School with great success.

He leaves the school with a strong, thriving connection with its mother church, St Peter’s Glenelg, with both clergy Reverend Andrew Mintern and Reverend Michele Yuen, working jointly at St Peter’s Woodlands as Chaplains.

Elected as the Chairman of Anglican Heads Forum in South Australia in 2012, Christopher also served as the representative for South Australian Anglican Schools on the National ASA Management Committee for the past six years. He also chaired the South Australia Provincial Anglican Education Trust driving Anglican initiatives in SA for the past four years.

Christopher has accepted a newly created position of Head of Educational Services at the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia commencing in 2021. He will be involved in providing strategic leadership to AISSA’s expert team of Senior Educational Consultants.

We thank Christopher for his years of service to our school community; the children, staff and families have been blessed by his leadership and we wish him well for his future endeavours.

St Peter’s Woodlands is delighted to welcome Ms Helen Finlay in Term 4, to become the third Principal of this vibrant, gracious, and embracing learning community.

ASA NEWS

Connections in schools and communities Canterbury College, QLD

Social connectedness refers to an individual’s sense of belonging and the bonds they feel in relation to both the individuals and groups with whom they may be affiliated.

Within the context of education, this could be translated into how deeply a student feels connected to a school, through both the formal and informal groups to which they belong and, just as importantly, how they themselves, along with their contributions, are valued by their groups.

diversity, reach out to those less fortunate, create spaces for inclusivity and address local community problems.

For example, some students felt that there was a need for more understanding within the school community of racial differences.

This year at Canterbury College they have been looking at how students feel connected to both the immediate Canterbury community and the wider community in which they live. The involvement of students in discussions about local and international social justice issues such as mental health, wellbeing, tolerance, and environmental problems, has led to student initiatives that begin to address some of these issues.

To begin to address this, a multicultural festival was initiated, to help highlight the diversity of the school community. What began as a small idea ended in a celebration involving a large portion of the Secondary School student body. More importantly, while giving many students a sense of pride in their own culture, it brought the student body together in support of one another’s cultures and gave them a greater sense of belonging within the school community.

During Covid-19 these ideas revolved around specific challenges or activities individuals, families and friends could get involved in, while being isolated at home. The ideas encouraged peer support, embraced inclusivity, and showed, if given the chance, students the ability to connect with each other in ways that strengthen emotional and relational ties.

With the resumption of on campus schooling, many students brought back ideas of how they would like to see the Canterbury community develop. Small student led discussions grew to projects designed to highlight SEMESTER 2 | 2020

“While this, along with other student programs, may seem just small beginnings, their success has greater implications for the ongoing development of our school community and the students’ social connectedness,” Director of Student Development, Mr Chris Nield said.

“Their success has given them a sense of community ownership, where they can be heard, their ideas are valued and their contributions help the shaping of their community.”

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‘Beelonging’ through art St Catherine’s School Sydney, NSW

Year 12 students at St Catherine’s School explore the theme of ‘belonging’ through mural making.

COVID-19 has been stressful for everyone, not least for Year 12 students in their final weeks of school. They have not only faced disruptions to their learning, but also increased anxiety over their futures beyond the HSC. But Year 12 students at St Catherine’s were given the opportunity to create rare happy memories of 2020 through a special mural project.

With help from artist and former student Zoe Edema, the students worked together to design and paint a vibrant mural for future generations to enjoy. The theme was ‘belonging’, with a focus on nature and how one’s sense of identity can be found in the environment. The mural’s title “Beelonging” was inspired by its portrayal of a bee, a symbol for community and hard work, both principles to be valued as end-of-year exams approach.

“Being able to collaborate with some peers to make a meaningful contribution to school and allowing us to express gratitude was really exhilarating and enlightening.

It was a break from the constant study for trials that allowed us to spend time together without the stress of exams” said Alicia, Year 12 student at St Catherine’s School Sydney.

With all the uncertainty about what the rest of 2020 will bring, the mural project provided the Year 12 students 30

with a sense of purpose, giving them something to focus on apart from their studies. It has allowed them to leave a legacy to remember this very strange year and how they came together as a community to create something positive amidst the pessimism surrounding the pandemic.

COVID-19 restrictions meant that much of the planning was done via Zoom calls between Zoe, the students, and their teachers.

The mural was completed during the July school holidays and was ready to welcome the rest of the school when school began. It has helped to bring all the students together in a shared space, encouraging them to reconnect after weeks of isolation and online learning.

ASA NEWS

Five minutes with the Boss and the Rev! Trinity Grammar School, VIC

Mr Adrian Farrer, newly arrived Principal of Trinity Grammar School, is interviewed by Trinity’s Senior Chaplain, The Reverend Matt Campbell.

If you had to tell people about yourself, what would be important for you to say?

I would want people to know that relationships matter most, and relationships cannot work without authenticity.

Water – bubbles or no bubbles?

Bubbles. The ultimate indulgence.

Communion – bread or wafers?

Wafers by a nose. There is comfort in what you know.

Music – country or classical?

Classical. There is comfort in what you know.

How or what do you feel about exercise?

It is vital (in the real sense of the word!). In exercise there is scope for renewal, challenge, health and community.

I value it for all those reasons, but also because it is the best tool to clear the mind and foster self-respect.

You made the opposite of a tree change, what bought you and your family back to Melbourne (from the country) to take up the position at Trinity?

We had a remarkable seven years in a terrific community in the north east. Our girls enjoyed regional living and we did too. We saw the value in returning to Melbourne to broaden our girls’ experiences, to allow them to be at a school where I wasn’t their principal and for us all to embrace new challenge. Renewal is important for everyone and every organisation, and we felt that we could bring renewal to ourselves and to the schools we were both leaving and going towards.

A global pandemic probably wasn’t the ideal way to begin your time at a ‘new’ school…What have been the biggest challenges as the ‘new’ leader through this time?

The challenge as a new leader is simply that I do not yet know well enough the breadth and depth of our community for which I am charged with making decisions.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

The people I have met have been terrific, and those that I have been working closely with have been generous with their trust through unique challenges, but it is my regret that I do not yet know as many, or even enough, of our community to represent them faithfully at every point.

What are the opportunities for educators/schools because of this disruption?

As we look forward, we have enormous opportunity to capture many of the learnings of recent months. There is no doubt that we understand we can challenge usefully traditional ways and that our staff can, and do, respond valiantly to significant upheaval with the best interests of their students at heart. That augurs well.

What, if anything, should be distinct about an Anglican School compared to any other Christian/Church affiliated schools?

Inclusion. “From any faith or none” is important to our way, if we are unashamedly Anglican at the same time and remember that it lies at the heart of our purpose.

You’ve been part of the ASA family for a long time now.

How are you currently involved?

I am currently the Victorian State Representative on the ASA Management Committee, as a member of the Melbourne Conference Committee and have attended and presented at conferences for several years. I would need to check my records to know just how many years its been, but quite a few!

What are some spiritual disciplines or practices that sustain you?

I think of my school as my parish (worshipping community), made real through the work and prayerful life of our community. I am thoroughly sustained through the good work and faithful witness of those who gather each day in our distinctively Anglican school.

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The strength of community

By Heather Wood, Deputy Principal, Learning and Teaching | St Andrew’s School, SA

They say that many of our greatest lessons are learnt in times of great adversity and that has certainly been true for the St Andrew’s School community during the challenging days of Covid-19 restrictions and isolation.

We will probably learn more as these constraints on our lives are further eased and we, individually and as a community, return to an existence more closely resembling the normal of the days preceding the pandemic. But for now, perhaps the greatest lesson Covid-19 has taught us at St Andrew’s School, the students, their parents and the staff is that we, as human beings, are fundamentally social animals. We want contact and connection.

It has also reminded us of the fundamental goodness of people, that in times of crisis, most of us are prepared to make personal sacrifices for the common good. We rise to the occasion, understanding that our wellbeing as educators, as students and as parents, is intrinsically linked to the health of our community.

We recognise and appreciate that we are part of a community and realise how vital a role our tribe plays in our lives. You could say Covid-19 has finally allowed us to get it, the ‘it’ being that our community’s health determines ours. Our behaviour over the past 100 or so days is a ringing endorsement of the ‘we’re all in this together’ mantra we embrace at St Andrew’s, and a big thumbs down to the ‘I, me, mine’ attitude that can prevail in other parts of society.

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friends, running around, playing and making up for lost time.

Isolation also threw up some positives for the children, particularly the older ones, with the distance learning model suggesting that students tended to appreciate having more say and choice in their day, deciding what they did and when. They embraced the new responsibility and became a resource within themselves as they set about completing the tasks assigned to them. They thrived as their levels of independence and organisation grew, and on return to the classroom, they have become skilful and competent in their independence.

From the school’s perspective, we also learnt another valuable lesson. Rather than trying to replicate the school experience at home, our thinking needed to shift to helping the students to learn beyond the school.

It further reminded us of just how crucial our role as teachers is in helping our young students to navigate cyber safety.

We needed to again unpack, with the students, precisely what it means to be an effective and responsible digital communicator.

The children have undoubtedly led the way here, opening our eyes to the importance of connection and community.

They valued the video catch-up sessions and chats with their friends and their teachers.

The lessons we have learnt and the pros and cons we have dealt with have left us better people, better teachers, better students and better parents, all keen to push the boundaries and further innovate in a post-Covid world.

And when they were able to return to face-to-face learning within the comfort and familiarity of a bricks and mortar school, it was obvious to even the most casual observer that they were absolutely thrilled to be back among their

We are asking questions; we’re challenging the way we do things. From teaching to sport and extra-curricular activities and we anticipate we’ll settle into a blend of the old ways and the new normal.

ASA NEWS

Masks for Melbourne

By Sheevaun Darby, Deputy Principal, Operations | St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, WA

It is no secret that 2020 has thrown many challenges everyone’s way, worldwide. The importance of being able to stay connected with each other has become more of a priority than ever before and further highlights the value of strong relationships within school communities.

This became even more apparent during the second period of remote learning in Victoria. As I listened to Year 12 students in Victoria, during their second lockdown, I felt so grateful for our strong and connected St Mary’s community, empathetic and eager to give our time and energy to help others. This led to our ‘St Mary’s Masks for Melbourne’ drive, in which we set ourselves the ambitious task of sewing 500 re-usable masks for the Anglican Church in Melbourne.

Our vision and hope was that the masks could be distributed to charity organisations which focus on women and girls. Some older women do not have access to their families during lockdown and women in shelters or girls who are unable to live with their families often do not have the financial means to continually replace their masks.

To facilitate the task, our Design Technologies department created ‘ready to sew’ mask packs with pre-cut fabric and elastic, along with an instruction sheet on how to sew the masks and links to a video demonstration. Together, our entire community of Junior and Senior School students, their families, our staff, Old Girls, and many of our personal SEMESTER 2 | 2020

friends and neighbours, set to work. In less than one week over 500 washable and re-usable masks were produced, growing to 620 by the time the project concluded. As they were individually packed into little bags, we tucked in notes of encouragement and messages of friendship from our Junior School girls.

The masks were then sent to The Anglican Dean of Melbourne, where they were distributed to women and girls in need of them.

The willingness of so many in our community to be involved in this service project is something for which we are immensely grateful. It is what we do best at St Mary’s in times of hardship - come together, united in spirit, to extend the hand of friendship and support to those who need it most.

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Creativity: The prerequisite to innovation

By Simon Fairall, Assistant Head of Junior School | Trinity Anglican College, NSW

2020; the year that will go down in history as one of challenge and growth for all our Trinity community. Our students, staff and community have responded to each challenge with empathy for others and a strong sense of resilience.

Among all of this, our Creative Pursuits Program in the Junior School has continued to march forward and ensure a robust learning environment that inspires crosscurricular skills and opportunities which translate to everyday life. More importantly, it connects our students to each other and to our College with a sense of purpose and passion.

Alongside our academic programs, we believe rich learning opportunities arise through extensive creative pursuits and activities. Creative Pursuits is woven into our Junior School programs, taking place in class time every second week.

This allows all students to participate without the need to complete any activities before or after school. Developing a greater sense of choice and independence for students is a virtue that the Creative Pursuits program instils in our students.

Research shows that when children use their whole body to learn in an active and creative environment, there is 34

improved attitude and interest in learning. Alongside this, there is a higher rate of attendance, better outcomes in tests and assessments, and a higher level of resilience in students.

The program embeds the effective use of creativity, physical activity and technology to support learning.

Students become engaged in challenging and interesting learning environments that allow them to apply knowledge, skills, critical thinking and understanding in new ways.

Emphasis is placed on the importance of communication, collaboration and creativity in these activities.

At Trinity, we believe that all students are capable of growth: When teachers believe that each student has untapped potential and teach students to believe in their own ability to grow, students are more successful.

Trinity continues to be a special environment for all to come and not just learn, but to take away joyful experiences which will enrich their lives for years to come.

ASA NEWS

Augmented reality in the classroom

By Rene Mercer, Director of Stem and Innovation | St Catherine’s School, Sydney, NSW

While I am not keen on the smell of dead rats first thing on a Monday, I do believe they provide students with a valuable learning experience.

Dissections encourage a deeper understanding of a body system than is possible by looking in a textbook. They are not however, without drawbacks. They are labour intensive, taking up large amounts of time and resources to plan and conduct. Strict precautions and controls must also be put in place as there can be associated risks with the use of biological materials.

There is also an ethical argument that can be made against the use of whole animals for dissections. The dissection of a cow’s heart or sheep’s kidney utilises a part of the animal that would normally be disposed of in the process of food production. Whole animal dissections use animals such as rats and toads that are solely bred for use in a laboratory. It is therefore fair to consider whether the educational value outweighs the destruction of an animal.

Finally, some students can be overwhelmed by a dissection which can result in them missing out on the learning experience.

So what is the alternative? Pictures and diagrams really don’t tell the whole story. Videos are better, but are still a passive experience for the viewer and often fail to convey an accurate sense of scale.

This is where augmented reality (AR) comes in. AR is a technology that uses common hardware like an iPad or smartphone. It superimposes a computer-generated image on a person’s view through the device’s camera. This allows a composite view of an object to be produced, of both a real image and the computer generated one. This image is dynamic, following the user’s orientation and allowing for a SEMESTER 2 | 2020

change of perspective. The science department illustrated a great example of how this technology can be used in the classroom this week.

The Year 11 biology course includes an introduction to the internal systems in the human body. To illustrate this, an augmented reality designed t-shirt was used to visualise the internal structure of the body. By recognising key markers on the t-shirt, the app generates a superimposed image of the internal organs. It creates an illusion of being able to see directly into the person wearing the t-shirt. The different body systems can be isolated and explored. Even a beating heart to match that of the user can be added.

The overall effect is impressively realistic and allows for a deeper exploration of the different organs. For example, it enables the viewer to be placed inside a blood vessel in the lungs and watch as the different blood cells float by.

So, can augmented reality replace laboratory dissections in the classroom? Maybe not entirely, but I think it can come close. Augmented reality is only limited by the imagination, allowing the detailed exploration of almost anything conceivable. Using existing technology, easy setup and the ability to be used at a moment’s notice, it becomes a highly effective tool to help to drive student engagement.

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Mind, Body and Soul Challenge

By Keith Romanis, Chair of Religion, Philosophy & Ethics Faculty | Ballarat Grammar, VIC

The need to give students space to care for their personal wellbeing during the pandemic led to the development of an additional program to complement the School’s Learning@ Home program.

The Mind, Body and Soul Challenge was created to support the wellbeing of students while they worked remotely but remained connected to their peers and teachers.

an off-screen focus, a colour-coded and attractive booklet was developed, printed and shipped to every student in Year 7 and 8.

Staff, parents and students were surveyed during the initial stages of Learning@Home in Term 1 and 2 to capture best practice and address the challenges of this unprecedented situation. It became obvious that the pastoral connections and structured day were working really well, but that for many in our community, this period was in danger of becoming overwhelming. ‘Less is more’ and allowing students an opportunity to focus on their wellbeing was crucial to success in any future Learning@Home.

The Challenge to students The Mind, Body, Soul Challenge was a golden opportunity for students to look after their health, relationships, community and rekindle or unearth a passion to pursue.

Students worked with a coach to set meaningful goals, design a strategy to master something new, and to help students take ownership of their own health and wellbeing.

When it was announced that Victorian Schools would again need to take up the tools of remote learning a range of responses were launched from all over the School. The ‘Our Village’ hub was set up on the school website to support families and our extended communities, teachers met via video conference and leaned once more into a growing bag of technology to support students, but a significant initiative grew out of the need to give students space to care for their personal wellbeing in this strange time.

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Coaches checked in with students each week with Zoom meetings of 4-5 students facilitated by a Middle School Staff member allowed students to brainstorm Mastery Goals, record their physical exercise and complete weekly wellbeing checklist that asked students to rank how well they were going with eating and sleeping well, showing gratitude, focusing on joy and finding good news to read and share. Students effectively encouraged each other to stay active, grateful and mindful using these simple tools and the pastoral care of teachers that they knew from class.

What would come to be called the ‘Mind, Body, Soul Challenge’ was developed through a very rapid but thorough consultation with key members of the School.

The goals were to get students off their screens, to encourage exercise and a focus on personal wellbeing (Mind, Body and Soul!)

The students identified and worked towards completing a Mastery Goal. Students set themselves an array of goals including designing archery target courses, learning techniques and painting miniature armies, fitness goals, culinary goals and a range of physical challenges from juggling to rubric’s cube solving to complex tricks on their Mountain Bikes.

Logistics included combining the one-two period per week subjects of Digi-Tech, Physical Education and Health as well as Religion, Philosophy & Ethics to free up time for each student and to provide a team of teachers to meet in small groups with students in Years 7-8. In order to facilitate

The focus on mastering the final task was not demonstration of the goal or activity (though students were very keen to share what they had learned) but a video reflection were students thought about the challenges, successes and future goals that had come out of this process.

Striving with confidence Tintern Grammar, VIC

In a year like no other, Schools have faced many new challenges such as transitioning to an online learning environment. But Principal Bradley Fry said Tintern Grammar had taken a positive approach, using the current situation to strive with confidence, promoting their strong sense of fellowship and resilience as a school.

“To promote this approach our student leaders have collaborated to create ‘Today’s Leaders’ an initiative where each day one of the student leaders provides a story of inspiration, a song, a quote or wellbeing activity to our community. This powerful initiative has provided our school with a great sense of hope and optimism during this trying time,” he said.

Acting Chaplain Elizabeth Cutter, together with other staff members, established an online Prayer Group to pray for our school community, Elizabeth has also shared the following Prayer, to provide guidance during this time: Dear Heavenly father, We thank you for each person who is serving our community in this time. We pray for your protection for our essential workers, and in particular our healthcare workers. Please continue to give them energy, skill and patience as they display great sacrifice for our community. We also pray for those who govern and lead us. Please help them to make wise decisions that will help to protect us all. We pray for our emergency services, police force and defence force as they work to help keep our community in order and safe for us all.

We pray for the families who have lost someone they love, or are caring for those who are sick. Please heal the sick and begin to bring peace to those who grieve.

And we pray for ourselves and our families. Please keep SEMESTER 2 | 2020

us safe. Help us to be patient and loving with each other during lockdown. Help us to sleep at night. Please lift the burden of worry from our shoulders. May we know the peace that passes understanding, as we place our trust in Jesus, in whose powerful name we pray.

Amen.

Mr Fry said the School had placed great importance on balance and helping students understand the importance of focussing on well-being.

“We held our GEM Day, based on the key principles of The Resilience Project - Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness.

The day was co-ordinated by our pastoral mentors and students participated in a variety of activities such as yoga, mindfulness, cooking, exercise, and community service, where possible,” he said.

“The response from the students was amazing with many of them taking the opportunity to step away from their screens and find the time to walk their neighbourhood or cook a meal for their family.

“The ability of our students and staff to strive with confidence in these recent times of uncertainty is a marker which enables our school to continue to develop a culture of learning, encourage growth, greater understanding and uphold strong faith.”

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Strengthening intergenerational bonds St Columba Anglican School, NSW

It has been a difficult year for students worldwide. Learning time has been disrupted, students and teachers are having to adapt to the online classroom and many of the muchloved school calendar events have been cancelled or postponed.

At St Columba Anglican School students have been looking at ways to practise gratitude despite the challenges they are facing themselves, and their thoughts turned to the elderly in the community, and in particular those in Aged Care.

Recent statistics showed that one in five Australians 75 and over were feeling lonely, and that up to 40 per cent of aged care residents in Australia were not receiving visitation. These figures are expected to worsen due to the aged care facility lock downs. Residents are in some instances not allowed any visitors, and their group gatherings and external excursions have been cancelled.

Year 6 and 7 St Columba students decided that they wanted to do something to make residents of local aged care facilities feel connected during this time of isolation, 38

and at the start of Term 2 they ‘adopted’ Aged Care resident pen pals.

They now write and receive letters from their pen pals regularly, and this is now a much-anticipated event for the students and aged care residents.

Our school community are putting their hope in Christ to find a calmness during these unprecedented times so that they may look to serve others around them. The experience has been extremely rewarding, and has taught students about loving and assisting others in a time of need.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:7.

ASA NEWS

Confidence in the face of adversity

By Karel Bos, Dean of Students | The Southport School, QLD

Over the last four years The Southport School has developed a healthy masculinity program that encourages and guides our young men to be comfortable in expressing how they feel.

This involves exploring the concept of masculinity and how at times we are pressured to hide behind the unofficial ‘man’s law’ which can stunt emotional growth during this critical stage. This year, we expanded the program and adapted to the COVID-19 restrictions by facilitating both online and live workshops across multiple year levels.

Tommy Herschell from Find Your Feet presented these workshops online to our Years 9-11 Boarders who were still at home. He also travelled to the school and delivered smaller workshops with our Year 10s.

The workshops explored the detrimental, ‘man’s law’, vulnerability, being authentic and honesty among peers.

They challenged the perception of what boys’ feel a young man should be – ‘challenging the title of man’.

Mr Herschell said the current unprecedented times have led to a rise in anxiety and depression, especially with those feeling isolated and out of their normal routine, such as students studying online and from home.

“The online workshops have been amazing. Three minutes into one workshop, we had this incredible young man talk about anxiety and how it became an issue in Year 5. Now in Year 9, he is still struggling. It was interesting because there were no cameras on initially and then as he SEMESTER 2 | 2020

talked and opened up, all of these cameras popped up on our Zoom call,” he said.

“It was like a dark city and then one by one all the lights started coming on. I asked the boys why they put their cameras on, and they said, ‘because they felt comfortable and felt they could talk’. So, the online workshop really helped them open up and own how they feel.”

These workshops have proven to be powerful and raw, forming trust between cohorts and groups, leading to stronger bonds and relationships. It has been impressive to see the support boys give each other when a fellow student shares some adversity and complication in their life. We need to learn to share more and understand that we are not all flawless and perfect; we share the same problems and issues.

The following comments from our boys in an anonymous survey, gives an insight into how effective these workshops were: “I liked how no one laughed at the boy who was speaking and showing emotion.”

“The exposure and insight into the problems everyone faces helped me realise I’m not alone.”

“It helps you break out of your shell and speak up.”

“It’s ok to ask for help.”

“I never knew blokes around me were struggling.”

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Staying connected, staying engaged Cathedral College Wangaratta, VIC

For most of Term 3, Cathedral College Wangaratta students have learnt from home.

The second wave in Victoria escalated rapidly and with little warning for regional Victoria in particular, our students cleared out their lockers and bunkered down at home for the second time. They have learnt from home for a total of 14 weeks this year.

We had gained the valuable experience of delivering our teaching and learning programs remotely but understood the need for connection for students, staff and parents would be greater this time. The novelty had worn off and in response, the College had to be novel. innovative and resourceful. This was demonstrated in a variety of ways.

Connecting with our students was critical to ensure they remained engaged and involved. Principal Nick Jones explains “To keep our students connected, teachers created challenges, games, themed homeroom check-ins, collaborative spaces to share students work and more.

The College house system and the sense of belonging that it promotes pivoted from whole school activities to smaller, digitally inclusive pursuits – house writing, photography, movie making, footy competitions and our latest endeavour, house music. We are not just seeing the students singing and dancing but parents and pets as well”.

The College connected as whole community on quite a few occasions. Anzac Day was live streamed, whole 40

school assemblies were pre-recorded and beamed into living rooms across the region, College Council and Parent and Friends meetings moved on-line. Engaging with and informing the community through Facebook, Instagram, the newsletter and the College’s App was vital. We met online as a staff every Monday morning and continued to share and collaborate in teams.

Victorian schools finally returned to face to face teaching this term (Term 4) and our staff eagerly awaited the arrival of the students, greeting them at the School gates to welcome them back. It has been wonderful being together again as a School community in the physical sense but the innovative and resourceful lessons we have learnt over this past year - enabling us to remain together as a school community - will no doubt be adapted and carried into a new era of teaching, learning and connecting.

ASA NEWS

FILMING: Webinars provide a School connection to the outside world.

Community engagement in a pandemic Arden Anglican School, NSW

How do you connect with your School Community when they are not permitted on campus?

Like so many other schools, Arden Anglican School, has been forced to modify not only their teaching and learning practice, but also community gatherings and events that promote engagement in School Life.

In February the School launched their new Arden Parent Network with great success and volunteer nominations from every year group, only to be forced to postpone meetings and planned social functions just a month later.

“We weren’t going to let COVID-19 get the better of us” said Director of Advancement, Mrs Jo Hutchens, “The need to welcome new families to the School and provide pastoral care for parents has never been greater than during 2020, so we set about rethinking plans,” she added.

During the lockdown in NSW, Arden hosted a Virtual Family BBQ. Each family was asked to dress-up and decorate in their School House colour and submit live photos of their gathering. Over 80 photos of family BBQs were published and the House group with the most photos, won the Virtual BBQ Trophy. “House Spirit is so strong at Arden” explained Principal, Mr Graham Anderson, “Our families always love a good dress-up opportunity. Even their pets dressed-up! It was such a great way to stay connected during this challenging time”.

Following this success, Arden launched their online ‘Well Fed Cookbook’. Again, the community engagement in this SEMESTER 2 | 2020

project was very high as families submitted their favourite isolation-inspired recipes and photos of the culinary cookups were shared to their portal.

Another area of challenge was how to introduce prospective parents to the School when campus tours were not possible, and this was particularly difficult given Arden has campuses at both Beecroft (Junior School) and Epping (Secondary School).

Arden introduced a series of webinars with their registrar for families who wanted to find out more about the Preschool to Year 12 School and how to enrol. “Whilst we are unable to conduct personal tours at either campus, our webinars have proven a great alternative,” explained Mrs Hutchens, “They offer a wonderful glimpse of the School for mums and dads,” she added. Held on Friday mornings for the rest of year, prospective parents can login and hear from the Principal, view a live presentation from the Registrar, see a video montage of student and staff activities, and even have their questions answered there and then - online.

“COVID-19 has caused us to reimagine all kinds of normal school activities,” said Mr Anderson, “but our priority is always the care and safety of our School Community, and we know that future parents appreciate our diligence, especially at this time.”

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A prayerful reflection St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, QLD

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School fosters spirituality in students, giving them opportunities and the tools to explore faith and the myriad of life questions that are raised as students develop and grow.

This philosophy has endured for 125 years since the school’s founders, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, based their educational philosophy on religious principles and sought to educate “the whole personality, physical, mental and spiritual that the girls may live to their fullest capacity”.

In schools, and even at home, prayer spaces are one opportunity provided to students that enables them to explore spirituality and faith in a creative and interactive way.

According to St Margaret’s Chaplain The Reverend Susan Crothers-Robertson prayer is about slowing down, centring the self and knowing there is something much more significant than ourselves.

“With the many distractions and demands made on students, making a Prayer Space accessible to them has the potential to help the students with these daily demands. It is a place where they can draw breath and connect in a safe non-threatening way,” she said.

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In late July, both primary and secondary students at St Margaret’s were invited to participate in ‘Prayer SpacesDadirri’ during morning tea and lunch breaks, which were setup outside due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Two engaging stations were established, ‘Peg a Prayer’ and ‘Bubble Prayers’, which were managed by St Margaret’s Year 8 students, the sacristans and the school’s Duke of Edinburgh students.

The Peg a Prayer space encouraged students to write a prayer or their thoughts for themselves, the community, the world or anything that was on their minds. Wandering through the avenue of prayers it was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic weighed heavily on students’ minds.

Despite their own concerns, the prayers also revealed the students were thinking of others.

“Walking through the avenue of prayers it felt like the school community was praying and thinking about not only themselves but also our nation and the rest of the globe,” Reverend Susan said.

Here are just some of the prayers shared by the students.

Today I pray for…. “the people in Victoria” “Corona not coming to school” “essential workers during COVID” “the safety of others” “a Corona free life” “those who have suffered” “COVID-19 pandemic workers” “my family, and COVID-19 to go away and never come back” “Coronavirus vaccination” “all the people and their families affected by COVID-19 in the aged care facilities in Melbourne” “this pandemic to end and for everything to go back to normal” “Coronavirus to stop and everything to be normal” “for COVID-19 to go away TOMORROW” “for all the essential workers during this pandemic” “my family to be safe and less stressed” “for everyone to stay safe” “everyone to be healthy and for everyone to be happy even during these times” The Bubble Prayer space was an opportunity for students to let go of their worries inspired by 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your worries onto God because God cares for you.” Students were encouraged to think about something they were worried about and invited to ‘blow their problems away’ as they blew a stream of bubbles into the air.

“One of the primary students commented that she was actually popping her worries away as she popped the bubbles,” Reverend Susan said.

While the students engaged equally with both stations, the Bubble Prayer space was a firm favourite, revealing you are never too old to blow bubbles.

“Students from Pre-Prep to Year 12 enjoyed taking the time to blow their worries away,” said Reverend Susan.

The Prayer Spaces provided an ideal platform for students to express and explore their feelings, concerns and wonders as well as consider others during what has been an extraordinary year for everyone around the world.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

The value of community connection

By Ross Featherston, Headmaster Brighton Grammar School, VIC This year has certainly had its challenges and Brighton Grammar is now in its third iteration of distance learning in Victoria. We have refined the program each time, based on feedback from staff, students and parents. Some key learnings have been that flexible delivery of curriculum, and maintaining connection to families as partners in education, are essential for both student engagement and to maximise learning.

We have needed to be creative in our thinking during lockdown, to ensure we have the right balance between synchronous and asynchronous lessons so our students remain motivated and actively learning. The health and wellbeing of our students, staff and community was my top priority At the outset, we reassured our parents that we did not expect them to be their son’s teacher. Our Effective Learner model, which is well known to students and parents, has successfully translated online as has our collaborative approach to study in Year 12, the Syndicate program.

We have developed extensive online co-curricular programs, including virtual Outdoor Education campouts for boys and parents. I engage with our younger students weekly by reading them a story, taking part in physical challenges or cooking lessons. I regularly attend sessions with our Secondary students and meet with them individually via Zoom, if they require extra support or even just a check in.

Regular and clear communication to parents has been vital, especially at the start of the crisis when the situation was changing so rapidly. I now record a weekly update, which features advice for parents from specialist staff on topics including wellbeing and conflict resolution. We have produced a range of webinars and videos for parents on learning practices, held online Q&A sessions and hosted virtual social events.

We have moved to an online platform for my regular Headmaster School Tours and, in August, I hosted our first Virtual Open Day. In September, Live from the Headmaster’s Desk, a series of online and live Q&A sessions with prospective parents, was launched.

The lessons of 2020 have been many but the most important has been the value of community connection.

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Chaplain’s Column

By The Reverend Helen Creed

One of the things that this COVID time has brought to the fore, is the awesome responsibility of leadership, whether that be leadership of a nation, a state, a nursing home, a school, or a chapel. Never has it been more clear to me how much the decisions of a leader have the potential for great good or terrible ill.

And never has it been more clear to me that one of the best things we can do for leaders who find themselves in charge of the ship at these critical moments, is pray for them.

One of my favourite prayer resources, Celtic Daily Prayer (William Collins 2015 ed.), includes a little told story about Moses and Joshua, from Exodus 17, that strikes me as particularly relevant. Joshua is doing his best to fight off an attack from the Amalekites, when Moses heads to the top of the hill with his trusty staff. Whenever Moses holds the staff up high Joshua prevails, but when he lowers the staff, Amalek is back in the fight.

“But Moses’ hands grew weary”, the story-teller says: Moses is struggling to keep the staff aloft. That’s when Aaron and Hur, who have gone with Moses to the top of the hill, play their part. First, they find a stone for Moses to sit on. Then, between them, they hold up Moses’ arms, and Moses arms are “steady until the sun set.” (You can see them at the very top of Poussin’s painting!) And Amalek is defeated.

It was as if he was a conductor. When Moses raised his stick the Israelites were advancing loudly; if he let it fall they pulled back. At times, we are the only one who can stand in our place of relationship and responsibility; but to know the support and prayer of others makes it bearable and possible. There may be others, especially leaders, who need our support and loyalty, or who need our prayers, just to hold their arms up, because how they hold out greatly affects what happens for lots of people and their lives. (in Celtic Daily Prayer: Book One, William Collins 2015 ed. Finian Readings, 6 September, p. 739, my italics)

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Victory of Joshua over the Amalekites by Nicolas Poussin. 1594-1665

As a citizen of Melbourne, watching our Premier front up to the press podium every day, I have often hoped that he has people around him to help him to ‘hold out’ well. And as a School Chaplain, watching my Principal negotiate how best to keep teaching and learning going in the midst of a climate of fear and very real restriction, I have often wished I could somehow lighten her load. Early on, I was particularly on the look-out for some resource, or person or process, or particular prayer, that I could offer her, that would make the best way forward crystal clear. But that was all fantasy, and it was also to overlook the kind of support I knew best how to do: commitment to ordinary, every-day prayer.

So it is that I have come to see that what I need to do, above all else, is to both pray, and create opportunities for prayer. To find ways for staff, students and families to pray together, and to pray on their own. There has been nothing heroic about any of these times of prayer. Our words have been humble, and praying together on zoom has meant negotiating the limits of this technology. We’ve had to work out when to mute and when to unmute, or risk a distracting cacophany. And we’ve had to keep an eye out for late-comers, so that they don’t end up sitting in the waiting-room of prayer!

As Paul pointed out quite some time ago, we often do not know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26). But, in bringing what we have before God, we trust that God’s Spirit will indeed “help us in our weakness”, and transform our often stumbling utterances into “sighs too deep for words,” the kind of sighs that help us all to “hold out” for a brighter day.

May God richly bless you, and those who you lead.

ASA NEWS

Meet Barney St James’ Anglican School, WA Introducing the newest recruit to the Orange Army, Barney!

Barney, now 15 weeks old, is a purebred chocolate Labrador who has already brought so much joy to the students and staff at St James’ Anglican School in his role as the St James’ Wellbeing Dog. While his job is easy now, to look cute and break down some barriers, Barney will need to complete his puppy schooling and undergo additional training to become a fully-fledged wellbeing dog.

Studies have shown that the presence of companion animals can improve the wellbeing of children and lower anxiety levels, simply by making the environment happier and more enjoyable.

Principal Adrian Pree said Barney was already providing enjoyment and comfort within the School.

“The benefits of having a wellbeing dog within a school environment also teaches students responsibility and respect, develops social skills, helps students with special needs and just makes the place feel more like a home away from home,” he said.

Barney has been adopted by St James’ staff member, Ella Pearce, who offered to have a family pet that could also be the School’s wellness dog.

Mrs Pearce said her family loved the idea that their own dog could bring joy, connection, happiness and calm to others within the school community. They were drawn to labradors due to the beautiful temperament, high energy and inquisitive nature they possess.

The school community has been involved throughout the whole process, voting on Barney’s name and selecting a design for the bow tie Barney will wear while ‘on duty’.

It is exciting to know that Barney will see the Kindy and PrePrimary students throughout their entire schooling at St James’.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

The Commissioning of The Reverend Kirsty Ross Melbourne Girls Grammar, VIC On 23 October the Melbourne Girls Grammar community welcomed our long awaited Chaplain, The Reverend Kirsty Ross, now fondly referred to as Rev Ross by our Grammarians.

This was our first Chaplain Commissioning since 2003 when we welcomed Father Walter in the Chapel of St Luke.

In the same setting, we welcomed Rev Ross and her family to our community.

Presided over by The Reverend Tracey Lauersen and Bishop Genieve Blackwell, the Commissioning Service in The Chapel of St Luke was a special historical moment for the School.

The Merton Hall Choristers and the Year 4 students performed beautiful musical pieces during the service, with Organist Rhys Arvidson also accompanying the hymns for the congregation.

The symbols of the School were presented to Rev Ross as we celebrated together in the Chapel of St Luke with members of the Melbourne Girls Grammar community, Council and local clergy. The service was followed by refreshments as we enjoyed the stunning afternoon weather.

Rev Ross has quickly become a trusted confidant to the students and staff. As both a teacher and a chaplain, Rev Ross has been able to get to know the Grammarians in contexts outside of the Chapel which have allowed our students to gain a deeper understanding of the School’s Values, our Christian values and what they identify with.

Welcome to Melbourne Girls Grammar Rev Ross!

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Principal Mr Gary O’Brien, Brother Nathan-James, and Chair of College Board, Dr Gavin Nicholson

First Old Boy named as ninth Headmaster The Southport School, QLD With a focus on the future while continuing his predecessor’s legacy, The Southport School (TSS) is in good hands with its first Old Boy taking over as Headmaster in 2021.

Hailing from central west Queensland, Andrew Hawkins will take the reins from Greg Wain, who has held the position for 17 years.

At just 41 years-of-age, the former student, staff member and current Deputy Headmaster, is well-versed to follow in the footsteps of Mr Wain.

Growing up in Emerald, Mr Hawkins became Captain of the local primary school before heading to TSS as a boarder alongside his brother, a move that presented opportunities and undoubtedly set him on his current career path.

He graduated from TSS in 1995 as Vice-School Captain alongside former Wallaby Captain Nathan Sharpe as School Captain. Mr Hawkins then moved to the UK where he worked as a Physical Education assistant.

Returning to Australia, he completed a Bachelor of Applied Science and Bachelor of Education at the University of Queensland, before working at Corinda High School and Indooroopilly High School. He then moved to Brisbane Grammar School where he held the position of Boarding Housemaster.

He then came to TSS where he eventually became the Head of Health and Physical Education, a Boarding Housemaster and Dean of Students, before settling into his current role as Deputy Headmaster.

There has been resounding support from the entire TSS community following the announcement of his appointment and immense confidence in Mr Hawkins’ ability to continue to drive the school’s vision and culture in the coming years.

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Brother Nathan-James’ Commissioning Cannon Hill Anglican College, QLD Cannon Hill Anglican College (CHAC), Brisbane, formally welcomed and commissioned new Chaplain and Director of Mission Brother Nathan-James at a special service held on Friday 21 August.

Brother Nathan was commissioned by The Right Reverend John Roundhill, Bishop of the Southern Region. This event was attended by a small number of special guests, including prominent clergy, Anglican school chaplains, the College Board and staff and Year 11 students.

College Principal Mr Gary O’Brien said the moving service reflected Brother Nathan’s humility and gentleness.

“The commissioning was a special opportunity to formally welcome our new chaplain and publicly thank God for the blessing of Brother Nathan,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Brother Nathan has had an immediate positive influence on College life and brings a wealth of empathy, experience and insight to the College community, and we are incredibly grateful for his presence in our College.”

Hailing from All Souls St Gabriels in North Queensland, Brother Nathan stepped into the role at the height of Queensland’s learning from home period in Term 2 and embraced the College community with the enthusiasm and warmth needed to inspire hope during the complex situation.

Brother Nathan said he took up the opportunity to serve the College following a visit late last year.

“I was moved by the willingness of students to be open to the Spiritual and Sacred, regardless of their faith background or experience. I was also similarly extremely impressed with the welcome I received while I was at CHAC,” he said.

“I was impressed by the College’s prominent Franciscan spirt, and decided to take on the position because I believed it would open up opportunities for me to grow as a person and in my vocation.

“I felt that there were strong structures, such as the pastoral care system, commitment to social justice, service, and boys’ and girls’ education that would enable me to make a significant contribution to the life of the CHAC community.

ASA NEWS

Barker’s new Senior Chaplain Barker College, NSW

Glennie welcomes new Principal The Glennie School, QLD In its 112th year, The Glennie School warmly welcomes its fourteenth Principal, Ms Mary Anne Evans.

With 21 years of experience in the co-educational public sector, Ms Evans most recently completed seven years at a highly respected all-girls school in Armidale. Ms Evans comes well qualified for the role at Glennie, with a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma in Education from the University of New England.

Ms Evans was invited to spend half of Term 3 with current Principal, Mr Peter Crawley, to embrace all the School has to offer before commencing her official duties in Term 4.

She has taken every opportunity to step inside classrooms, meet with staff members and is looking forward to meeting the parent community as COVID-19 restrictions ease.

The Glennie School has a long-standing tradition of ensuring each Glennie girl thrives in her own spiritual, emotional, academic, physical and extra-curricular pursuits to become All She Can Be. “A strong commitment to developing the potential in every girl while maintaining high-quality educational standards is important and something Glennie prides itself on,” Ms Evans said.

It was certainly not the start to a role that Barker’s new Senior Chaplain, The Reverend Pete Tong, had envisaged. His first few weeks were spent getting to know the Chaplaincy team via Teams meetings and conference calls. Pete then turned his focus to producing online Chapel videos for students.

“I certainly started at Barker at an interesting time,” Pete said.

“Whilst there are fresh opportunities and the online Chapel videos have been good for the students to view each week, I am really missing the personal connection in the room and that’s what we’re all looking forward to having again.”

Pete joins the Barker community from St Andrews Anglican Church at Wahroonga where he was for just over four years.

Barker is Pete’s first Chaplaincy role in a school and says it was the size and scope of the community at Barker that led him to consider a move to a school like ours. “For me, High School was a time of questioning and testing my faith before slowly coming to understand that Jesus had given his life for me to create a personal relationship with God my Creator and Father. It’s a privilege, then, to come to a setting like this and assist students in their own journey of faith during such a foundational phase in their lives.”

As a current parent, Pete could already see what a thriving community the School enjoyed and the opportunity to work here was a great privilege. One of Pete’s first impressions has been the incredible legacy of the work of Jeff Ware and the entire Chaplaincy staff.

“I want to build on this wonderful foundation and the Christian ecosystem that has been developed under Jeff’s leadership.

There has been amazing work that has happened over the last few decades and I want to continue to develop that.”

Pete plans to be present across the whole school community from Junior, through Middle and Senior Schools.

“It is certainly very different to the parish world I’ve been in for 20 years,” Pete confides, “and I’m slowly getting used to the bells and timetable directing me where I need to be!”

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

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ASA - Newsletter Welcome to our Educational Group Travel newsletter, dedicated to Anglican Schools across Australia

August 2020

Download oRBIT’S Educational Group Travel newsletter HERE

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ASA NEWS

Uplifting themes in challenging times

By Father Chester Lord, School Chaplain | Brighton Grammar School, VIC

Despite heading back to online teaching and learning again in Victoria, it has proven to be a busy and packed term for our weekly Religious Education program delivered via Prep to Year 6 blogs and online Chapel every Friday morning.

The RE topics have focused on themes deemed relevant and uplifting during these often challenging, unpredictable and uncertain times.

Houses, the boys discovered that the choices we make and the habits that we cultivate determine the foundations that our lives are built upon.

We considered the value of friendship, forgiveness and kindness through Once there was a Boy, a tale of a solitary boy who finds that the things that are most important and precious in our lives, loving families, mates and teachers, are actually with us all along. Demanding and trying moments in life can also shape us and our values that in turn make us stronger, wiser and more compassionate to others.

We considered what might constitute a good choice and looked at various examples of healthy habits and what might qualify as a storm in life: illness, injury, disappointments and setbacks. Conversely, a house built upon sand will not fare well in a storm.

The boys then examined the Armour of God, which equips us to be mindful of the qualities that can assist us when facing testing and even scary times in our lives.

These include always striving to be fitted out with the virtues of love, honesty, righteousness, readiness to say and do good things, peace, faithfulness and prayer (or mindfulness).

Complete with props, I acted out the timeless Godly Play Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Good Shepherd.

It shows that we all feel lost, sad, anxious, confused, misunderstood, afraid or lonely at times. Yet we are always loved by our parents, teachers, mates and God, even if we might not feel like it at the time. Some wonderful sheep arts and crafts ensued.

The following week we explored the extremely important concept of hope. We viewed the magical story The Last Tree in the City, which highlights the fact that even when things seem stacked against us, when everything appears to be dire, we can still find hope in the people, places and activities around us.

We then looked at the philosophy of: find hope, keep hope and share hope and went on to create some magnificent, creative and imaginative Trees of Hope to hang in our homes as reminders to always cling to hope, no matter what.

In the highly entertaining story of The Two Builders, a delightful Aussie version of the Parable of the Two

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We then unpacked the value of courage and bravery, namely standing up to bullies and having the conviction to do the right thing even if it is not considered to be popular. As inspiration, I read the story Don’t Cry, Lion! which is a retelling of the Old Testament story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. Most recently, I told the boys the traditional story of Zacchaeus, the corrupt tax collector and his life-changing encounter with Jesus. We thought about the importance of sharing and generosity, not merely with material things, but also with our time, talents and even just listening and being available to one another.

Our Chapel each Friday morning has covered similar themes that aim to encourage, inspire, comfort and motivate. We have wondered about what real happiness might be and how best to pursue it. We have talked about how David equipped himself when facing Goliath with certain qualities and how we can use the same spiritual and emotional techniques today to help us through tough times.

We heard about the greedy dog and his bone in the Aesop’s Fable which is a cautionary tale about not sharing and caring. We were uplifted by the donkey and the well which motivated us to be persistent and to never give up. In September, our Chapel service was devoted to our amazing fathers which serves as a timely reminder to honour and appreciate all that they do for us.

All in all, a rich and busy term in RE.

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Continuous service

By The Reverend Dr Lee Weissel, Chaplain | The Hutchins School, TAS

If our communities are truly to reflect the heart of the Gospel, they need to be places where individuals and groups can find invitations to become part of developing human completeness.

The Hutchins School has sought to serve communities locally and globally in different ways for nearly 175 years.

By having our students and staff participate in Service Learning programs, we not only seek to broaden and develop how we engage and assist others but also how we build our own understanding of our part in the world.

Like many other places, this year’s COVID-19 pandemic saw us unable to partner with many groups. Rather than move into a season of hibernation, our Service Learning team, which comprises of some of our senior students, sought to innovate through the crisis. Looking around with fresh eyes we sought to see what we currently had existing that may be adaptable to the new environment that we found ourselves in, and also where were places serving that we could partner with in new ways. We quickly discovered that the major opportunity in front of us was collaboration. Being part of the Anglican church, we looked to see what was happening in our church communities that we could assist with.

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One of Hutchins neighbouring church communities, Wellspring Anglican Church, has a strong ministry to the University of Tasmania. When the pandemic forced border closures, many students, foreign and domestic were left in difficult situations. Some unable to return home, were also unable to work. An initiative at the church has been using its facilities to provide meals and groceries to many in the student community. Called ‘Show Hope’, it regularly feeds and supplies groceries as well as conversation for many who are struggling through this time. Being local and using COVID-19 safe protocols, this activity has seen many of our students become involved in serving, cleaning and sharing stories. It has also enabled us to be part of our local church community ministry and have students from various belief positions come to work alongside and witness faith in action.

This year has also meant that activities such as The Smith Family ‘student 2 student’ reading program was able to be highlighted. This program has students who volunteer to

journey with a student over the phone for nine weeks to assist them with literacy through the reading of books and discussing the story. Students at The Hutchins School who have participated as reading buddies find this an incredibly rewarding experience often affording opportunity to reflect on their own learning journey. In our school student reflections, I hear words that reflect gratitude for the experience of their own education.

Being in Tasmania has meant that we have not had to endure the ongoing disruptions that some of our mainland neighbours have had. Red Cross has seen a resurgence among our student and staff with more signing up to our LifeBlood team. The addition of new members has meant that as a school community we have been able to make group bookings and share the experience together. For our Year 12 community, for many it is the first opportunity to donate blood, and the great team at the Red Cross explain what their work is about and how blood and plasma donations contribute to the community here and on mainland Australia.

We donate more blood than we can use in Tasmania meaning that a majority is sent to Melbourne.

Winter in Tasmania means cold temperatures and our attention turns to many who are without and doing it tough. This year, during the pandemic, there has been a marked increase in need. This year we used one of our House initiatives, the Winter Clothes Appeal, and broadened it to being a whole school event. In partnership with St Vincent de Paul, we saw hundreds and hundreds of items donated from across the School community and collected on the School site. At the School, items were checked and folded and placed into boxes. At different times across the term, the boxes were delivered to the St Vincent de Paul collection site for distribution.

Working further with those in need has seen the Hutchins community work with The Salvation Army in Hobart. During the weekdays, there are various places for people struggling to eat to go to for a meal, however, over the weekend, these places are closed, leaving many of our most vulnerable to fend for themselves.

In response to the need, The Salvation Army run a free Sunday evening meal. This event has enabled many groups to come and assist in cooking and serving in the city. Hutchins have had the privilege of being a part of this group, being able to run the kitchen four times a year. This has seen many of our students come face to face with homelessness and the stories of the people in this space. For many listening to these stories while sharing a meal has been truly transformative.

For me as a chaplain and an advocate for Community Service Learning, I have been truly blessed to be part of the Hutchins community.

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Sleep out for Anglicare St James’ Anglican School, WA In early August, 45 St James’ Anglican Community School students and 11 staff braved the wintery conditions and slept outside to raise funds and awareness for youth homelessness. The annual event usually takes place at Optus Stadium, with hundreds of school students from across WA taking part. Due to Covid-19 the event was cancelled but that wasn’t going to stop the Orange Army!

Year 10 and 11 students began their night with an online presentation from Anglicare WA before heading into a live simulation game. The game was designed to show students the reality of living on the street and obstacles homeless people must overcome.

After a small cup of soup and a bread roll for dinner, the students got their one piece of cardboard to sleep on and settled down for the night, or so they thought. Mr Pree had a unique wakeup call in store for the weary students, playing “Wake Up Little Susie” through the loud speaker!

All students fundraised for Street Connect, a service offering support and advice to young people on the street.

This year the community of St James’ raised $7,956. An incredible effort and well beyond the School’s initial target.

The Sleep Out would not have been such a success without endless enthusiasm from staff and students, the support of our school community and a large donation of cardboard from Visy.

The students were fantastic and coped with the freezing conditions amazingly. There were many tired and cold students the next morning, but everyone enjoyed themselves and came away more informed about the challenges that people who are homeless face every day.

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School Captain Wangshu Ma with a ‘We’ve Got You’ biscuit.

Transcendence in our students Mentone Girls’ Grammar, VIC

Sleep Out for a Good Cause Brighton Grammar School, VIC In August this year, a group of Secondary School students and staff from Brighton Grammar in Victoria highlighted the need of the homeless by holding an overnight sleep out in the middle of a Melbourne winter.

The sleep out was to raise awareness of the thousands of Australians who go to bed each night without the safety and warmth of a warm bed. The students launched a winter appeal to collect funds for Sleeping Bags for Homelessness.

With the state of Victoria in lockdown, the boys needed to be creative in their approach and it was decided that participants would sleep in the confines of their own property (their backyards or even in the lounge room with no heater), using only a cardboard box and either a sleeping bag or doona for bedding.

The aim of this adventure was to educate the boys to understand and empathise with the homeless, particularly during the bitterly cold winter nights in Melbourne.

The outpouring of support from the school community was overwhelming, with close to $5,000 raised for much needed funds to supply more than 160 sleeping bags for Sleeping Bags for Homelessness.

Boys and staff had regular Zoom check ins during the night. Listening to the conversations early in the morning between all involved highlighted the maturity and level of awareness this event brought.

This worthwhile event illustrated the power of a community when we all band together.

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At Mentone Girls’ Grammar, the notion of transcendence is one of great importance, especially as we steer headfirst through a global pandemic. At the core, our students are wanting to address the deep-seated existential need that our young people have for transcendence. The word itself comes from the Latin prefix ‘trans’ meaning ‘beyond’, and ‘scandare’ meaning to ‘climb’. When applied to an educational context it is a powerful reminder of our higher order duty to instill a sense of meaning, purpose and belonging, which in turn brings hope. And, if ever there was a time to nurture hope, it is now.

In a myriad of ways, our girls have stretched, climbed and clambered in pursuit of transcendence this term. Whether it be via the extraordinary spectacle of Arts Week where virtual galleries and concerted showcased their talented and transcendental limits of their imagination or Science Week where physicists, astronomers and chemical engineers reminded them of the sheer reach of human endeavour and in doing so reassured them that this too, shall pass. Whether it be competing online in the School aerobics finals or wrestling with maths problems until they have fallen asleep at their desks, our students have given us all a lesson in hope. For the truth is, they have danced, jumped, painted, performed and worked, as if no one were watching.

Our Chaplain, Reverend Phillippa Lohmeyer-Collins has instilled a true sense of hope and transcendence in our students on a day-to-day basis through Morning Prayer and school assemblies. She said “The voices of young women are speaking into this time with wisdom, winsomeness and humour. Morning Prayer with young ones and our alumni Old Girls regularly bring us together, helping us to look upward and outward to our God who has provided abundantly, even in lockdown Melbourne”.

“This experience of lockdown and remote learning has shown me how much I depend on my friends. This has been an adventure for all of us, but I think it has drawn us closer as a community and as a year level,” said Faith Captain Maisy.

According to teacher, writer, philosopher and commentator Neil Postman, ‘Without a transcendent and honourable purpose, schooling must reach its purpose and the sooner we are done with it, the better. With such a purpose, schooling becomes the central institution through which the young may find reasons for continuing to educate themselves.’ It is with hope that we “find reasons” to strive, to learn and to grow, so that we might transcend the often-vexed circumstances and conditions of our time.

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The Connected Curriculum

By Lisa Kraft, Head of Primary | Coomera Anglican College, QLD

Educational theorists such as Bruner and Gardner, have long argued that the focus of teaching curriculum content should enable teachers to make connections between learners’ existing knowledge and their individual learning styles in the context of new experiences.

This challenge can be addressed by providing opportunities for students to build and refine knowledge through the vehicle of structured and guided inquiry.

Inquiry allows students to be actively involved in their own learning and to take responsibility for that learning.

Inquiry allows each student’s understanding of the world to develop in a manner and at a rate that is unique to each individual.

Coomera Anglican College - Primary Campus is prioritising guided inquiry as the vehicle for developing both a student-centred and student-driven curriculum, with our primary teachers recognising their responsibility in preparing young people as global citizens in an everchanging world. It is developing in our students a mindset and a disposition for learning that fosters the habits and attitudes that enable resilience, confidence and risktaking. Students who are more aware and confident in 54

the way that they learn, can learn more efficiently and effectively.

Our innovative and contemporary ThINQ Framework recognises that the construction of meaning and, therefore, of understanding is complemented by the students acquiring and applying a range of skills. These skills are best developed in the context of authentic situations such as those offered through our inquiry units.

The acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills, in its broadest sense, is essential, as these skills provide students with the tools of inquiry. However, we believe that in order to conduct purposeful inquiry, and in order to be well prepared for lifelong learning, students need to master a whole range of skills beyond those normally referred to as basic. These include skills, such as time management, deep questioning, critical thinking, ASA NEWS

metacognition and presenting research findings. Skills that are relevant to all learning areas across a broad and rich curriculum.

As we implement our unique ThINQ Framework at Coomera Anglican College we are planning and implementing the explicit teaching of these skills within our inquiry program. Teachers are focussing on the development of rich, relevant questions, spending less time talking and more time facilitating, while prioritising both knowledge and skills that are relevant and significant to the students in our College.

Feedback and reflection, both hallmarks of our ThINQ Framework, are integral in the planning, implementation and assessment of our inquiry units. Allowing time for reflection allows our students to grow and develop in their meta-cognitive skills while giving students time to stop and think about why and how they learned, not just what.

Planning and implementing an inquiry program founded on the explicit teaching of our ThINQ skills is not for the faint-hearted, and teachers regularly collaborate as they carefully plan, select relevant content and encourage practices that build College culture.

Questioning What am I learning to do? What am I learning to be? How am I learning? builds learning power in our students. By cultivating this climate of curiosity, questioning, mindfulness and reflective metacognition we place the learners in the ‘driver’s seat’ as they become responsible for their own learning path, a path that indeed develops them as reflective life-long learners.

SEMESTER 2 | 2020

Creating a hive of excitement Richard Johnson Anglican School, NSW Richard Johnson Anglican School, in partnership with Alleanza Architects and Civic Australia, recently refurbished an outdated Primary Library Area to create a contemporary and sophisticated space called ‘The Hive’, and transformed an outdated Primary Computer Lab into an innovative multi-purpose space called ‘The Studio’ which caters for Music, Drama and STEM activities.

The School’s vision was to create an attractive learning space for Primary aged children, a space that draws children in and once there, to pleasantly stimulate their senses and provide a wonderfully bright, happy, and comfortable environment.

The Hive features clouds, mossy ‘cobble stone’ carpet tiles, a unique flower and tree sculpture and includes various learning spaces and teaching areas accompanied by small break out areas.

The Studio features custom shelving for the music equipment, the drama costumes, and a variety of technological resources and equipment. It is a flexible work area for dynamic and creative learning.

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Anglican Schools Australia PHONE 08 9286 0290 EMAIL asa@asc.wa.edu.au WEB www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au