ASA NEWS
April 2019
President’s Message
Welcome to the 2019 school year. I hope that Term One has been good to you and your school communities thus far. I would particularly like to welcome Principals, Chaplains and staff who are new to Anglican schools.
Feature Articles Enhancing our Anglican Identity. . . . . . . . . 6 Anglican School Ethos and Religious Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Calrossy – 100 Years Strong. . . . . . . . . . . 24 Lives changed through World Challenge Trek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Taking a stand against bullying. . . . . . . . . 28
President’s Message The start of a new year brings promise of good things to come and hope for what lies ahead for us.
Our students epitomise this every January when they return to our schools full of excitement, anticipation and hope for a good year. While some believe that hope is all they need, those more mature realise that there is plenty of work required to transform hope into success. At the start of this year, I am very excited about the ASA Conference to be held in Hobart in August. The conference theme ‘Awe and Wonder’ seems so appropriate for Tasmania, perhaps the most pristine of our states, which is largely unexplored by many Australians. The conference brochure, which was recently sent to schools, shows the most awesome view of the wonder of the Tasmanian coastline. The program for the conference promises a real treat for participants with some wonderful local and international speakers. The theme of Awe and Wonder will be woven through an exploration of adventure, the bible, education, sport and our care for young people. In addition, last year’s ASA Forum conducted by The Reverend Dr Daniel Heischman, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, USA, has resulted in a paper about Anglican Identity. This paper is included in this edition of ASA News and it will be wonderful to hear Dr Heischman articulate what is distinctive about our Anglican Schools at the Conference in August. As always, the opportunity to network with friends and colleagues from around the nation is an added bonus of attending this annual conference. If you have not yet registered, please do so soon. I encourage Principals and Chaplains to attend along with emerging leaders and other key staff as well as School Council members. Our conferences are always excellent and are even better with a large number of delegates. For schools who find the cost of our conference beyond their means, there is an opportunity to apply for Conference Sponsorship. The application form is available in the Conference Pack and also this edition of ASA News.
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A new initiative from the Management Committee will also come to life at the Hobart Conference. All Principals and Chaplains will have received a letter from me inviting schools to participate in the ASA Student Celebration. This challenge is to celebrate the voice and ideas of our students as they engage in service activities in their own or local communities. Schools are invited to submit a two-minute video depicting a key service initiative in which your students are engaged. The subject, style and creative presentation of the student video can be determined by each school. A committee of Chaplains will view the entries and select one video from each state to be showcased at the Hobart Conference. This initiative has arisen from our Strategic Plan 2020 and reinforces the importance of strong collegiality and collaboration between people involved in Anglican schools. I commend this initiative to you and encourage your teams to take up the challenge of this Student Celebration. I would also encourage you to view the Primate’s videos sent to schools earlier this year. His message about sacrifice and Lent is most appropriate for our communities in the lead up to Easter. There are two video messages – one for primary children and one for older community members. If you have not yet shown these to your school communities, they are available on the ASA website. I want to thank all who contribute to this excellent publication. It is a privilege to read about the many wonderful things happening in our schools. Thank you to those who send articles and those who encourage others to do so. Your contributions showcase the many wonderful programs and events happening in Anglican schools. Best wishes for Easter and for the year ahead. Thank you for your continued support of ASA. Dr Mark Sly President, Anglican Schools Australia Principal, Coomera Anglican College
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CEO’s Column As we come to the end of the first term, the Lenten Term as we called it at my secondary school in the 1970s (St Andrew’s Cathedral School in the Sydney CBD), I write to share some news about the work of your Network, Anglican Schools Australia (ASA). How does ASA work? Regularly I am asked about an aspect of ASA’s governance or operations, so it may be helpful to share a few comments with you. ASA’s link to the Anglican Church of Australia is through our designated status as a Network of General Synod. This means that we report to both General Synod or its Standing Committee at least annually. Under our Constitution, every Anglican school in Australia is a ‘member’. There is no mechanism for an Anglican school to be officially removed from ASA membership. Over 95 per cent of our Member Schools are ‘financial members’, meaning that they have full status and recognition, including attending conferences, receiving support and advocacy, publications, and a variety of other benefits. It is through this financial membership, together with conference surpluses, that ASA funds most of its operations. ASA’s staff members are partially funded this way, although for most, the bulk of their salaries are paid by the WA Anglican Schools Commission (ASC). This included finance staff, secretarial support and communications. The CEO’s salary is covered fully by the WA ASC, not ASA. ASA is governed by a Management Committee, comprising State and Territory representatives appointed by their Diocesan Bishop, and two Chaplain representatives appointed by the Primate. The Executive comprises the President, President-Elect and Immediate Past President, supported by the CEO. For twelve years, the WA Anglican Schools Commission has been the home of the ASA Office. Those of us who wear two hats consider it a great privilege to be afforded the opportunity to serve those who serve the 154,000 students in the 153 Anglican schools across Australia.
Commonwealth Redress Scheme For the past few years, ASA has worked closely with both the Commonwealth Government and the Anglican Church in the establishment of the National Redress Scheme. In a few months, National Redress will be one year old. The Anglican Church’s company which provides the doorway to National Redress for schools is Anglican Representative (National Redress Scheme) Ltd (ARNRSL). Across the country, Anglican schools, school systems, dioceses and agencies already have joined ARNRSL. ASA understands that most schools have joined or plan to seek membership of National Redress through ARNRSL. That is not to say that schools will discontinue their existing redress or pastoral care schemes for survivors of sexual or other abuse. They continue to have an important place, with National Redress only applying to cases of abuse up to 30 June 2018 and only planned to operate for 10 years. Any school seeking further information is welcome to contact the ASA office.
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The Anglican Church has established a Task Group to continue implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. ASA is represented on this Task Group.
Reclaiming and Proclaiming our Anglican Identity Last May more than 60 ASA members (governors, heads, chaplains and other leaders in Anglican education), together with Archbishops and bishops from a number of dioceses, gathered in Melbourne for two days of workshops facilitated by The Reverend Dr Daniel Heischman, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, our sister entity in the USA. The focus was on ‘What it means to be an Anglican school’…in essence, the unique features of our ‘brand’ of schooling. One of the outcomes of this forum is a paper that will assist thinking and discussion in schools on our Anglican identity. As the President has mentioned, I am delighted that we are publishing a preview version of the paper, Enhancing Our Anglican Identity, in this edition of ASA News for the first time. Copies of the paper, in electronic and hard copy, will be distribute to schools in the coming days. We urge member schools to consider how you might make use of this ground-breaking document in your school. We hope that you will consider publishing it on your website, providing social media links, and making it available to staff, parents and others. The paper will provide wonderful stimulus material for staff professional learning experiences, and we hope that it is helpful for principals, chaplains, registrars and others in explaining and ‘proclaiming’ our Anglican identity. To that end, The Reverend Dr Dan Heischman will be a keynote speaker at our August conference in Hobart. He will be speaking to his paper. We are thrilled that Dr Heischman has agreed to run a series of halfday workshops around a number of Australian capital cities prior to the Conference. Entitled Reclaiming and Proclaiming our Anglican Identity, the workshop will be available across four cities. The schedule is as follows: Sydney on 29th July; Perth on 30th July; Adelaide on 1st August; and Melbourne on 2nd August. The ASA Management Committee has committed funds to ensure that these four workshops can be offered to schools free of charge. We hope that schools will send a number of staff members and governors to your nearest workshop.
Orbit World Travel launches ASA Group Travel Website Last month the President and I wrote to all Member Schools advising you of what we believe will become one of the most significant resources available to schools in planning any school group travel. Domestic and overseas educational trips for our students is something
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CEO’s Column that nearly every school does one or many times a year. The site is now live and is home to dozens of sample group trips and tours. You can view it here: https://asa.orbitworldtravel.com.au The website also has additional resources for teachers and staff which provides information on all the steps needed to achieve a successful and safe journey, with templates for every aspect of a tour. The ‘Orbit Enterprise’ software, purpose designed and tailored to ASA member schools, not only provides the most advanced booking tool, but also has tracking and other technology to enable schools to keep track of student and staff travellers anywhere in the world. A wonderful risk mitigation assistant. An Orbit World Travel representative will be approaching member schools in the coming months to seek an appointment to introduce Orbit to you and your school. If you would like a meeting at the earliest opportunity, please contact ASA Communications and Community Relations Manager Aila Dann in the ASA Office. Member schools are reminded that the special ASA pricing on airfares with our travel partner Virgin Australia and their partner airlines Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines and Delta, are only available by booking through our preferred travel management company, Orbit World Travel. ASA is advised that no other travel company is able to provide schools with access to such competitive airfares with Virgin Australia.
Message from the Primate We are most grateful to The Archbishop of Melbourne and Primate of Australia, The Most Reverend Philip Freier for recording two messages for students in our schools. The message to Senior School students talks about the identity that counts, while the message to Junior School students focuses on climate change and playing our part in being kind to the earth as stewards of God’s creation. The messages are available on the home page of the ASA website www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au I encourage you to make use of the brief clips in your school. Finally, I return to the column’s opening theme of Lent. As you pause for refreshment, we are afforded a little time to reflect on the cross of Christ and its significance in human history and lives. It is a message of hope because of the resurrection. It is that message of hope that we share daily in our schools. Anglican schools are resurrection communities….hope-filled, joyful places of learning, laughter and life. May you journey through Lent to the cross and empty tomb…great Christian signs of hope. Every blessing. The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM CEO, Anglican Schools Australia
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School News SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS
DEPARTURES
POSITIONS FOR CHAPLAINS
PRINCIPALS
PRINCIPALS
John Wollaston Anglican Community School, WA
Mr Adrian Farrer, Trinity Grammar School Kew, VIC (effective January 2020)
Mr Adrian Farrer, Cathedral College Wangaratta, VIC (effective December 2019)
Mrs Tracey Gray, Sapphire Coast Anglican College, NSW
Ms Polly Flanagan, Shelford Girls’ Grammar, VIC
Mr James Webb (Co-Principal), Trades Norwest Anglican Senior College, NSW
Mr Kerr Fulton-Peebles, Esperance Anglican Community School, WA (effective July 2019)
Mr Stephen Webber, SCECGS Redlands, NSW (effective January 2020)
Mr Don Grimmett, Investigator College, SA
CHAPLAINS Ms Jackie Belot, Gippsland Grammar School, VIC The Reverend David Entwistle, Swan Valley Anglican Community School, WA Ms Cecilia Fairlie, Trinity Grammar School, VIC The Reverend Tracey Gracey, Pulteney Grammar School, SA The Reverend James Hale, Trinity Grammar School, VIC
Mr Roy Kelley, Melbourne Grammar School, VIC (effective December 2019) Dr Peter Lennox, SCECGS Redlands, NSW (effective December 2019) Mr Colin May, Sapphire Coast Anglican College, NSW Mr Mike Millard, Pedare Christian College, SA (effective July 2019) Mr Stephen Webber, Guildford Grammar School, WA (effective December 2019)
The Reverend Gary Hillman, Walford Anglican School for Girls, SA
CHAPLAINS
The Reverend Richard Pengelley, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, WA
The Reverend Canon Nicki College, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, QLD
Peter Carnley Anglican Community School, WA
Editor’s Note
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 10001500 words and news articles of 400-600 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.
The Reverend Tracey Gracey, Walford Anglican School for Girls, SA The Very Reverend Richard Pengelley, St George’s Anglican Grammar School, WA
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Enhancing our Anglican Identity A Paper by The Reverend Dr Daniel Heischman
Introduction In May of 2018, fifty-five school principals, chaplains, bishops, and other representatives of the 160 Anglican schools came to Melbourne for a two-day forum on the identity and mission of Australian Anglican schools. Amidst the diversity of theology and practice within the Anglican Church of Australia, as well as the growing secularisation and religious diversity of the country, delegates came to the forum charged with the task of helping to clarify and more fully articulate what it means to be an Anglican school in Australia today. Mindful of the clear variety of perspectives to be encountered at the forum, delegates nonetheless came seeking common ground in how we describe, experience, and ultimately understand the distinctive culture and ethos of Anglican schools. There was a palpable sense of urgency to the gathering, in that a great need was felt by delegates to capture a sense of Anglican identity in our schools in fresh and vivid language and imagery, a language and imagery that reflects our deepest aspirations as school communities while also touching upon the most practical, everyday elements of school life. While there were many points on which various segments of the Anglican Church and school world in Australia were likely to differ, delegates to the forum came with a deep yearning to find common ground, as well as to probe more deeply into the nature of the differences we may possess. They came, as well, with a clear confidence that there were things we could identify and proudly proclaim that held our parishes and schools together. That sense of urgency was also reflected in a sense of eager anticipation, a shared feeling that now is the time to be capturing this language and imagery, given the unique opportunity that Anglican schools face in carrying out their ministries in a world both confused by and unfamiliar with varying religious claims, yet deeply eager for guidance on how to live today with spiritual and moral integrity. Delegates were mindful of the inherent tension that Anglican schools face: to be both places of welcome and inclusivity, but also communities with a clear affinity to the beliefs and practices of Anglicanism. Here, too, many came with a sense that there is opportunity within that tension, an opportunity that Anglicanism is uniquely able to address. The tone and format of the forum reflected one of the pillars of Anglican education – its openness to dialogue and learning through hearing and understanding the experiences of those gathered around the table. The structure of the agenda allowed delegates to learn about and discuss how Anglican schools throughout the world have sought to express their identity, then to apply, within the context of discussion groups, those topics and contributions to the Anglican school world in Australia. Six themes were chosen by the facilitator – The Reverend Dr Daniel Heischman, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools in the USA – around which conversations took place: faith, reason, worship, pluralism, character and service. While
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hardly encapsulating all of the constituent parts of Anglican identity, the themes were designed to give structure and comprehensiveness to the discussions, as well as help to set the stage for what it is about Anglican schools that make them unique. This paper is an outgrowth of this forum. While any such written piece cannot fully capture the depth and richness of the conversations which took place, nonetheless it reflects the common threads identified by this diverse group of delegates. It represents, as well, a distinct opportunity, within worldwide Anglicanism, to say, in proud and confident tones, ‘this is who we are as Anglican schools, this is what we have to offer to our students, their families, our country, our world’.
Faith For Anglican schools, faith is incarnational, invitational, and interactive. It is grounded in our belief in Jesus Christ, God incarnate. Anglican schools are not ashamed to affirm and follow Christ, as the foundation for all that we are as a school community. Within the context of a school, the truth of the incarnation is not only a doctrine to be affirmed, but an expectation of daily encounter with the living God. Indeed, because of our commitment to living life in relationship to Jesus Christ, we have a rare opportunity, each day, to put faith into action. What other faith community has such an immediate and intense context for encountering and experiencing the reality of Christ in our work, our routine, and our communal life? Because of our belief in the incarnation, we do not evade the larger context in which school life finds itself. The surrounding culture is taken seriously and embraced for what it can offer our students. That is not an easy thing to accept, at times, given some of the values that permeate the culture and the secular mindset which can seem, at least on the surface, to be at odds with faith. Incarnational Christianity, however, expects to encounter the living God in daily life and in the interaction of faith with culture. Faith is invitational in Anglican schools. It is something offered to our school community – to students, families, staff – as something worthy of personal exploration, study and conversation. Our students are invited to consider the role that faith can play in human lives and events, and they are challenged – within contexts such as worship, the classroom, and pastoral conversations -- to reflect on the meaning of faith for their own lives, whether that holds immediate or (as we are in the business of sowing seeds!) long-term meaning. We invite our students to deepen their own Christian convictions or plumb the depths of whatever faith tradition they come from and/or currently profess. In such an invitational context and, stemming from our belief that each person is a child of God, we not only acknowledge that our schools are rich with a diversity of understandings of God, but see that breadth of viewpoints as a real source of strength.
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Lastly, faith in Anglican schools is interactive. One’s individual faith is in constant conversation with those of other faiths, or no faith at all. Its interactive character is seen in the interplay between sacraments and personal belief, between symbols and the scriptures, between the daily weaving together of our schools’ ideals and the realities of human community. Faith is about what we do on a daily basis in Anglican schools, it is identity lived out in our relationships with others. Again, few other faith environments are so blessed with such an abundance of opportunities for faith to be shaped through daily interactions as are schools. The incarnational, invitational, and interactive nature of faith in our schools allows us to engage faith in multiple dimensions, and not only doctrinally. There is an openness to the sacred in Anglican schools that is found in few other educational venues. As schools proud of both our Christian foundation and pastoral concern for young people, we provide an open place for our students, where belief is encouraged but not coerced, modelled in the lives of many adults in the school, and viewed as something worthy of long-term commitment for well-educated, well-rounded human beings.
Reason All good schools value reason and see the development of the intellect as one of their prime goals for students. While some religious schools may see reason as subservient to faith, regardless of the academic discipline, Anglican schools are known for cultivating reason, through critical thinking and respectful discourse in daily interaction with faith. Just as faith is not compartmentalised in Anglican schools, neither is reason. Anglican schools have long maintained that the intellect is a gift from God, one of the primary ways we discover what God has created us to be, hence our hallowed and sustained reputation worldwide for being among the best of academic institutions. A thinking mind, in our view, is a way to deepen faith; we are about ‘open engagement with faith using academic rigour’. We encourage students to be informed, to challenge worldviews, to develop a mature voice of reason. Jesus, as a teacher, leads us in that pursuit of reason, helping us seek clarity in our convictions, challenge prevailing norms of the world, and engage in respectful dialogue with those who differ from us. All of this involves reason. At the same time, we believe that reason alone will not do justice to the fullness of humanity and meeting the demands of living in community. Reason has limits, and ultimately gives way to mystery. Inevitably we encounter that ‘space of unknowing in our search for truth’. When schools as rational communities fall short, we have, by way of faith, a supportive context and worldview which upholds the complex, multidimensional nature of being human, including our dependency on and need of God. Anglican communities – be they churches or schools – thrive when people are learning, where people can bring questions, challenge assumptions, and sharpen their understanding of our tradition. Anglican schools have a rare opportunity, through substantive academic engagement with the tradition, to offer a particular lens through which many students can discover the fuller dimensions of faith. Bringing academic questions about God to the classroom context can help students to grow closer to God. Through other academic disciplines – be it through the human complexities revealed in literature or history, or the sense of wonder cultivated through science – we encourage our students to become deep, expansive thinkers, fostering in them the gifts they possess to contribute to the common good and to glorify God.
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Just as a thinking mind does not operate in a vacuum, so we seek to place reason within the larger context of what makes us both human and children of God. While we do not tell students what to think, we expect them to do the hard work of thinking. That task does not work against their current or potential faith but serves to enrich it. It stands as one of the primary portals in life through which we go deeper.
Worship Perhaps the most defining mark of being Anglican is our worship: how we worship, that we worship, and that our beliefs are supremely expressed through worship. That is certainly the case with schools, as worship is a primary, defining mark of what it means to be an Anglican school, where we demonstrate who we are and why we are such a school. Worship is educative in Anglican schools. There students learn about the Christian faith, and in some cases have opportunities to learn about other faiths. Through worship students learn to appreciate something larger and older than themselves, opening them to the possibility of engaging with God on God’s terms, while having the chance to learn of the value of stillness, silence, and reverence in a well-balanced life. They also learn through practice, through repeated ritual, where students take their place alongside teachers and staff, ‘practicing how to gather’, how to grow as a result of the predictability and regularity of a common experience. Worship in Anglican schools is an essential part of the rhythm of community life. Gathering, as we do, routinely, a sense of belonging to the school community is fostered and enhanced, underscoring the core values of the school and its commitment to the development of a community as well as the individual. Such gathering plays a critical role at key moments in the life of a school, be those moments about celebration, loss, or in response to events that have taken place throughout the world or nearby in the local community. Because it often stands in contrast to the hectic pace of school life, the very distinctiveness of worship may seem odd or out of place. However, through worship a school community takes time to experience something different, an occasion where ‘God can break in’, where ‘the old lives into the new’. Here is where the busy nature of school life is put into a larger context and given deeper meaning, where members of the school community can feel connected to God and to each other, thereby enhancing so many of the other dimensions of daily life in school. As with churches, worship in Anglican schools varies greatly, dependent as it is on the distinctive culture, ethos, and theology of each school. In each context, student involvement, the value of students being able to see adults in worship, and the support of the school principal are always crucial. It may seem odd that, within a school community, a group of largely unchurched people are doing church. This, however, points to a fundamental reality of all Anglican worship – participation often precedes understanding; experiencing worship paves the way to deeper meaning. It also provides for many of those unchurched people an entryway into an appreciation for and possible affinity with religious life. What other type of Anglican institution provides such an ample opportunity for those outside of the tradition?
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Pluralism Pluralism is both a reality and a goal of Anglican schools. By their nature, Anglican schools are diverse places, and for many years there have been far more non-Anglicans than Anglicans in these schools. However, this is not simply ‘pluralism by accident’: we believe that Anglican schools are welcoming places, enriched by the presence of those who practice other faiths as well as no faith at all. As Anglican schools exist for the good of all segments of society, it is natural and desirable that we see this pluralism as positive and enriching, contributing to the greater good of the school community and bolstering the learning environment of the school. Pluralism, to Anglican schools, is not the same as relativism. While relativism claims that all viewpoints are equally valuable and equally true, pluralism acknowledges the reality of a variety of viewpoints which may be engaged in respectful discourse. Unlike relativism, pluralism does not give up on the value of truth. In recognising other views, pluralism does not require forsaking one’s own commitment to truth. In fact, it is because Anglican schools confidently embody clarity of purpose and a particular form of truth that others are encouraged, within that context, to pursue the truth. Anglican schools tell a particular story but ensure that the stories of others will also be heard and explored.
Anglican schools ground their character formation in the teachings of Jesus. In the many ways we teach and deal with character we are seeking to be more Christ-like in our everyday behaviour. This deep connection to Christ differentiates Anglican schools from other schools that seek to teach and build character; our efforts to build character have a transcendent dimension and foundation, with profound roots in repentance, forgiveness, and redemption. Both call us to go beyond ourselves and be more than simply people existing for ourselves alone. Character and service are ‘mutual blessings’, in that we both bless others through our service and outreach to the community, while being ourselves blessed by those experiences. Students in Anglican schools, for example, continually speak of the great benefit they have received from their experiences with their service partners. This benefit they deem greater than the good they have done, in their estimation, for others. In that way they discover service to be not about ‘to’, or ‘for’, but ‘with’. It turns out that, for some students, service is a vehicle through which they discover or deepen their faith. We also come to know some of the deep blessing that comes through care for others, and how a school community where good will and equitable treatment abound turn out to be better learning communities. Reciprocity, it turns out, lies at the heart of our understandings of both character and service.
Thus, we encourage a genuine interest in the viewpoints of others, while coming from and modelling our own point of view. We believe that what learn from others who differ from us in belief and practice, enriches and graces our teaching and learning, and we are committed to living with differences on a respectful basis. We seek to help students to articulate what they believe, learn from differences and be able to disagree respectfully and compassionately.
Likewise, character and service are both local, in that they begin in the school itself or in the surrounding community. Anglicanism has always had a deep attachment to the local communities where churches find themselves, and Anglican schools have an opportunity to build their relationships with the local community through their commitment to serving it. Similarly, the daily give and take of school life provides an optimum laboratory to discover dimensions of character and to grow in grace, compassion, and self-understanding.
This does not mean that shaping a pluralistic community, within the context of an Anglican school, is an easy process. Difficult decisions must be made about such things as how chapel accommodates pluralism and how we are able, on a daily basis, to live with a wide spectrum of difference while being proud of our Anglican and Christian tradition. Different viewpoints and traditions are represented in the community, but the community continues to stand for something – meaningful pluralism does not operate in a vacuum.
By virtue of the inherent collaborative nature of character and service, we begin to see natural links with institutions beyond our own school. There is great opportunity, in service to the community, to forge important connections with other Anglican agencies. Our efforts, through service, to recalibrate the social order are strongly shared by our brother and sister Roman Catholic schools as well as other Christian schools.
We live with this tension, and all of its challenges, by growing into our own tradition, and being confident of our place and ministry as Anglicans. We are confident to both offer hospitality to others and to be ambassadors for Christ. In the process, we honour the very real differences that may exist. By virtue of saying who we are, we allow others to do the same.
Together, service and character are a response to Christ’s call to honour the dignity of every human being and to share more fully in our common humanity. Anglican schools have a unique opportunity through these avenues to encourage a sense of vocation in our students, a vocation based on the everyday tasks of working together that schools so optimally provide. Our purpose is aimed toward the cultivation of a lifelong love of God through love of others.
Character and Service The roles of service and character are inevitably linked in Anglican schools: serving others builds character, while strong moral character issues in service. Both are about relationships, in that our character is bound up with how we treat others and service is about people working with others. Both are about learning, as well. The formation of character in young people comes from learning about the teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as from the values transmitted through other religious traditions and ethical theory. We also learn as a result of our experiences with others, which invites us to grow in our respectful treatment of others. In turn, we learn from our fellow human beings, be it about their situations in life, the needs of the world, or how we react to the experiences that service opportunities bring to us. By their nature, both are aimed to be lifelong endeavours, showing us in the process how we should live.
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Conclusion This document is meant to be the foundation for further conversation, the beginning of ongoing and frequent dialogue about what it means to be an Anglican school in Australia today. Having experienced the intensity and fullness of the discussions in Melbourne, delegates viewed the process and its aftermath as a vehicle through which the various dimensions of Anglican identity can in turn be explored among Anglican schools in Australia. All of those gathered in Melbourne in May 2018 hoped that similar discussions could take place at local levels as well as national gatherings. They were eager to keep the dialogue going, capitalising upon the momentum and satisfaction so many experienced ‘gathering around the table’, as they did in Melbourne. While this paper may be decidedly of the ‘big picture’ variety, it is hoped it can serve a variety of more practical purposes – as
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a means of orienting new principals, school board and council members, staff, students and families to the mission and purpose of Anglican education. It may serve as a means of helping assess the depth and common understanding of Anglican identity at individual schools, while also serving as a valuable resource on school or diocesan websites. Many delegates also expressed the hope that this important first set of steps will help to enrich the dialogue and partnerships between the church and school worlds. This document is also meant to be an invitation for dioceses, schools, parishes, and related gatherings to undertake a more thorough and intentional exploration of Anglican identity. Accordingly, here are but a few of the important questions that can arise from reading and discussing this: 1.
How does this paper reflect/not reflect what it means to be Anglican in your particular school/diocese/parish?
2. What elements of Anglican identity expressed in this document do you find your community doing well, what elements suggest where more work and reflection need to be done?
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3. What words and images mean the most to your community in its understanding of Anglican identity, be they contained or not contained in this paper? 4.
What are most hopeful things that Anglican schools can offer to Australia today?
5. What are the first steps your community needs to take in being more conversant with and confident of its Anglican identity? At the beginning of the forum, when groups reported on their discussions about the expectations for this particular gathering, one group reported that its primary hope for the forum would be that ‘it would matter’. Busy people came with the hope that this would be time well spent. Not only did delegates come to a consensus that their time spent in such conversation did indeed matter, but that what we discussed touched deeply upon what most matters to our schools as they struggle to be true to their Anglican identity and faithful followers in the path of Jesus Christ. Note: Those places, in the paper, where there are quotation marks are direct quotes from delegates as they reported back to the larger group on their respective discussions.
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New Principal for St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, WA
As St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School prepares to celebrate 100 years of educating and nurturing young women in 2021, the School warmly welcomes current ASA President-Elect Judith Tudball to lead the School into its exciting future. Following the retirement of former ASA Committee member and PastPresident Mrs Lynne Thomson, after 21 years of dedicated service, Judith was officially Commissioned as St Mary’s 10th Principal on the first day of the 2019 school year.
“It was an absolute delight to be officially Commissioned as the 10th Principal of St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School in such a significant ceremony and to be presented with symbols from the students, staff and members of the St Mary’s community,” Judith said. “I am honoured to lead St Mary’s and further contribute to the School’s rich history of empowering and nurturing young women. Together, with the teaching staff, our parent community and broad network of incredible alumnae, I look forward to building the capacities of our girls to become adaptable, courageous, resilient and empathetic global citizens, fully prepared for their futures and the careers of the 21st century.” Since her Commissioning, Judith has immersed herself in school life, participating in learning opportunities with the students from Kindergarten through to Year 12, developing connections with the parent community and further strengthening the School’s partnership with its brother school Hale School. Judith has also travelled to regional Western Australia, visiting St Mary’s boarding families and attending field days, as well as creating networks with international families to further extend the St Mary’s global community. As a leader in girls’ education, Judith brings over 25 years of educational experience to St Mary’s. Commencing her career as a teacher of music, Judith has held the positions of Deputy Principal (Operations) at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and most recently as Principal of St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart.
The Archbishop of Perth, The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO presided over the ceremony which was attended by 1,600 guests, including past and present board members, staff, students,
Judith holds a Master of Leadership and Management in Education (Distinction) and a Master of Business Administration (Distinction). She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a former member of the Executive Committee of the Alliance of Girls’ School Australasia and is currently President-Elect of Anglican Schools Australia. Judith has also been a Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
St Mary’s community members, ASA members and AHISA peer principals and deputy principals, and family, friends and former colleagues of Mrs Tudball.
Judith looks forward to leading the school into its next century and continuing to empower the girls to discover their best and instil in them a love of life-long learning.
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1. OFFICIAL COMMISSIONING: The Licencing and Presentation at the Commissioning of new Principal Judith Tudball. | 2. OFFICIAL PARTY: Chair Elizabeth Carr, The Reverend Joyce Polson, The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, Judith Tudball, Archdeacon Lionel Snell, Fr Terry Curtis. | 3. CELEBRATION: The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, Mrs Judith Tudball and The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM.
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Warm jumpers, big hearts St Catherine’s School, NSW
St Catherine’s School has partnered with the Mitrataa Foundation in Nepal to put some of their retired uniforms to good use. The Mitrataa Foundation provides education, skills, training and networks so Nepali people can take control of their lives, overcome disadvantage and achieve their dreams. Students like Parbati and Laxmi in their hoodie and pinafore combos. Another student Rojina doesn’t have a uniform at her school but will now have a uniform to wear to school of which she is proud. Pictured below, Year 12 student Pushpa is wearing one of the senior school shirts with a stylish French tuck. Pushpa has recently topped all her exams and is studying humanities. The amazing response to a call-out for donations just as the school shut down for the summer break demonstrated St Catherine’s values in action: giving and service to others, and the sustainable re-use of quality garments for children in need. This is the essence of St Catherine’s – a school with a big heart. For more information go to: www.mitrataa.org
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SENIOR STUDENT: Year 12 student Pushpa has topped all her classes and is studying humanities.
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1. READY FOR SCHOOL: Rojina poses in her new school uniform. | 2. FAMILY MATTER: Rojina is helped by her little brother to button her blazer. | 3. ALL SMILES: Parbati and Laxmi pose in their new hoodies.
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Anglican school ethos and religious discrimination By Dr John Scott
Dr John Scott is an Honorary Associate in The University of Sydney, Sydney School of Education and Social Work. He was principal of St Luke’s Grammar School, Dee Why from 1991-2004, and has published and given presentations in the area of faith-based schooling.
Introduction In an earlier article for ASA News (Scott, 2017, pp. 18-21), I discussed Anglican education in Australia, in the light of the values and distinctives to be found in the statements of Anglican Schools Australia, arguing that the Christian values on which our schools are based may be implied rather than explicitly enunciated, and that many of the values which are seen as underpinning the education we offer are, in fact, Greek classical values rather than Christian ones. In this article, I return to the issue of what marks out Anglican education in Australia as different, in the light of three significant events. Firstly, Australia engaged in a plebiscite in relation to same sex marriage in the period September-November 2017, resulting in legislation extending the definition of marriage to include that between two persons of the same gender. Secondly, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has issued its final recommendations (Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2018), which include specific recommendations to schools and to the Anglican Church. Thirdly, there has been an intense public debate in the latter part of 2018 regarding whether faith-based schools should be able to discriminate in relation to students or staff on the grounds of their sexuality. This latter event has been the subject of a report in the Church Times (Porter M., 2018), demonstrating an international Anglican interest in the current Australian context.
The current Australian context As part of the public debate during the same-sex marriage plebiscite, the argument was put forward that faith-based schools would need protection regarding the maintenance of their faith-based distinctives, resulting in the Ruddock Report on religious discrimination to the Australian Government. As part of this debate, Heads of Anglican Schools in the Diocese of Sydney issued an open letter; a small number of Heads declined to sign the letter. As Porter (2018, p. 10) summarises events, the letter, signed by the principals of 34 diocesan schools, was written in response to calls for the removal from
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the Sex Discrimination Act of an exemption that allows schools to discriminate against gay teachers and nonteaching staff. Removing anti-discrimination exemptions would deny them the right to employ only staff who “support the ethos of the school”, the Principals said. In relation to this viewpoint, I make two observations. Firstly, for these Heads, maintaining the existing school ethos is significant. Secondly, employing only “supportive staff” (however that might be defined) is an important strategy in maintaining school ethos. There was intense negative reaction to this letter, with reports of these Heads of schools receiving thousands of responses, including “almost 3000 current and former students of some of the schools [writing] to their schools asking them to retract the letter” (Porter M., 2018). I argue that the ethos of the school is directly related to, and expressed in, the distinctives that a school wishes to maintain, and, further, that the need for schools to be able to clearly articulate their distinctives is more urgent than at the time of my earlier article. I further argue that the lack of clarity regarding distinctives that I addressed in 2017 has not significantly changed. In this regard, for example, the values that Anglican Schools Australia articulates (Anglican Schools Australia, 2017), and which were critiqued in my earlier article as not seeming to have any particular Christian content, do not seem to have been revised.
Anglican education in Australia Individual Anglican schools clearly position themselves as Anglican schools in their public statements. It is therefore reasonable to examine what our schools actually say regarding their Anglican distinctives, and what commonalities there may be across schools. I argue that identifying such commonalities, if they exist, may help to clarify the nature of the ethos of Australian Anglican schools. I have described below the statements of three Australian Anglican schools, drawn from their websites. The websites have been examined for statements of the school’s vision, and, in particular, how the school addresses the issue of being an Anglican school.
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Although the statements are in the public domain, and although the schools may be able to be identified, I have presented them anonymously and un-referenced, to focus on the type of articulation presented rather than the identity of any particular school. The sampling employed might be described as purposive (Neuman, 2006, p. 222). The schools were drawn from different Australian States; two are single-sex schools and one is coeducational. To this extent, the sampling used is also stratified.
Vision In their statements of vision, the schools surveyed conceptualise education as being “education of the whole person”. When expanded, this holistic definition of education may be seen to include a “spiritual” dimension as well as the dimensions of intellectual, physical, emotional, psychological and social development.
School 2: to prepare students for the future by developing tenacity, confidence and compassion.
The use of the term “spiritual” can be seen in more than one school, and may be used in differing ways. For example, one school linked this as a Christian dimension to a respect for other religions and to the human spirit giving a personal meaning in life. For another, there was a specific reference to God, in the context of service for the common good. However, schools may choose the more generalised term “spiritual” rather than, say, “Christian” or “Anglican”.
School 3: to be a learning community committed to the transformation of the whole person in service to God and the common good.
Values
Values School 1: integrity, excellence, leadership, sense of community, diversity.
The school’s values are to be seen in its specific articulations, and also indirectly in its other statements. Across the three schools surveyed, the following values seem to be generally pursued in each school:
School 2: excellence, respect, inclusion, justice.
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Tolerance and respect
School 3: truth, compassion, wisdom.
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Valuing of diversity, inclusion and social justice
What it means to be an Anglican school
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Recognition of the “school as community”
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Personal excellence and integrity.
Vision School 1: to create a holistic learning community.
School 1: Chapel and the chaplaincy program; valuing diversity and community; respecting intellectual engagement; commitment to service. School 2: A belief that God guides and leads the school in the right direction; in particular, valuing intellectual engagement, since that “the mind is an important tool in discerning the will of God”. School 3: A school “whose values lie in the gospel with an ethic modeled by Christ whose resurrection is the inspiration for our moral responsiveness”.
Summative description of the school as an Anglican school School 1: To encourage tolerance and respect in a school whose students and staff are drawn from many religions, or who are agnostic or atheist. School 2: To approach religious ideas with an open, enquiring mind, and able to make informed decisions about personal faith and ethical behavior. School 3: To be a dynamic, innovative and inclusive school with an emphasis on justice. Against these school statements, the vision of Anglican Schools Australia is to be “a strong network of the Anglican Church, cohesive in connectedness, respectful of diversity and faithful to our Christian Mission”, with values of service, integrity, courage, justice and generosity of spirit (Anglican Schools Australia, 2017).
Discussion I suggest that an examination of these statements may help to clarify what some, at least, of our Australian Anglican schools understand as their faith-based distinctives, which will significantly shape the school’s ethos.
These values seem to be consistent with the values outlined by Anglican Schools Australia in its vision, given above.
What it means to be an Anglican school Each school recognised that there was an “Anglican” dimension to the school, seen, at least, in a program of religious education and activities. However, the schools did not seem to focus in their statements on the content of the religious instruction. Rather, the schools seemed to see their faith-based status being characterised and expressed through a particular conceptual framework: valuing diversity of religious background; marked by tolerance, respect and a concern for social justice; encouraging students to have open and enquiring minds. These characteristics seem consistent with the values expressed by the schools.
Common elements of Anglican school ethos In the current debate as to whether principals should be able to employ only staff who are supportive of the school’s ethos, it may be helpful to try to clarify more precisely what the common elements of an “Anglican ethos” might be. Firstly, consider the question of specifically faith-based activities within the school, viz., Chapel services or their equivalent, and the religious education program of the school. I argue that the diversity of theological outlook to be seen across the Australian Anglican Dioceses is also reflected in a range of outlooks in the schools. This is supported in the case of the “presenting issue” of religious discrimination by, on the one hand, the viewpoint expressed in the open letter of the Sydney Anglican principals, and, on the other, by the positions reported by Porter (2018) of the Archbishops of Brisbane and Perth:
2. To what extent, if any, are the values that the schools identify similar?
The Archbishop of Brisbane, Dr. Phillip Aspinall, and the Archbishop of Perth, the Most Rev Kay Goldsworthy, have assured their dioceses that their diocesan schools do not discriminate against teachers or staff on the basis of sexual orientation.
3. To what extent, if any, are the understandings of the schools as to their Anglican status similar?
Dr. Aspinall has written that schools should “enable all people to feel included, to be safe and to flourish”,
I therefore pose the following questions: 1.
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To what extent, if any, does the school’s vision reflect its faithbased status?
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and Archbishop Goldsworthy has written that sexual orientation “is not a consideration in the employment of teachers or support staff” in schools of the Anglican Schools Commission in Perth. I suggest that the common distinctives in Australian Anglican schools may better be understood as the provision of Chapel services or their equivalent, and the provision of a religious education program, rather than any common content in either case. Secondly, consider the values that Anglican schools articulate, which might be understood to form part of their distinctive ethos. These values, of tolerance, mutual respect and the valuing of diversity, are, in fact, values to be found in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948) and in Article 29 in The Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989), to which Australia is a signatory. Rather than being specifically Anglican values, they constitute basic human rights; as the Preamble of the Declaration explains: “recognition of the inherent dignity of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. As such, every Australian school shares, and is committed to, these values.
Diocese – may be able to provide a more focused explication of what it means for them to be Anglican. However, I would argue that at this time, the distinctiveness of Australian Anglican Schools in toto is little more than that outlined above, consistent with Edwards’ (2014, p. 86) observation that without intentional leadership, “the tendency is that the Christian identity is forfeited in favour of the social identity which operates as an agent of socialisation into acceptable society”. If this analysis has weight, then, following Edwards (2014), any further developed characterisation of Anglican school ethos will be the result of intentional leadership by the relevant stakeholders. These stakeholders may include individual schools, the Dioceses of which they are part, and Anglican Schools Australia, which has an overarching role in relation to Anglican education in this country.
References Anglican Schools Australia. (2017). Vision, Purpose, Values. Retrieved from http://www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au Edwards, R. (2014). Challenge and choice: Australian Anglican schools today. Canberra: Barton Books.
Conclusion
Neuman, W. L. (2006). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitive approaches. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
I conclude, therefore, that in the current situation, across early-21st century Australia, the distinctives of Anglican schooling are twofold.
Porter M. (2018, 16 November). Schools’ discrimination letter provokes anger. Church Times. Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. (2018). Final Report: Recommendations. Retrieved from http://www. childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/final_report_-_ recommendations.pdf.
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Firstly, Australian schools are Anglican to the extent that they are organisationally part of the ministry of the Anglican Church of Australia or self-identify as being “in the Anglican tradition”.
2. Secondly, Australian schools are Anglican to the extent that they conduct a religious education program and religious worship, together with a commitment to holistic education and a sense of “school-as-community”. Some may see this characterisation of Anglican school ethos as lacking in more detailed faith-based distinctives. It may be that subgroups of the set of Australian Anglican schools – e.g., those of a particular
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Scott, J. T. (2017). Is the enigma that is Anglican education Christian at all? Retrieved from http://www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au/files/ F125 ASA News April 2017 WEB.PDF United Nations. (1948). The universal delaration of human rights. Retrieved from New York. United Nations. (1989). Convention on the rights of the child.
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Cannon Hill ushers in a new era Canon Hill Anglican College, QLD
In a special service held at the start of 2019, Mr Gary O’Brien was commissioned as the fifth Principal of Cannon Hill Anglican College, Brisbane (CHAC), by The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane. Members of the College Community, former CHAC Principal Mrs Robyn Bell, students and distinguished guests joined together to celebrate this milestone occasion. Having served the College for more than 20 years – six and a half of those as Deputy Principal – Mr O’Brien’s appointment was welcomed by the College community. Taking up the baton from revered outgoing Principal Mrs Robyn Bell, Gary’s strategic focus and capacity-building initiatives are set to strengthen the College’s position as a leader in independent co-education. CHAC is not only lauded for its academic outcomes and exceptional OP results, but its commitment to developing a holistic education agenda has seen the College’s reputation for excellence grow.
HANDOVER: New Principal Mr Gary O’Brien is congratulated by former CHAC Principal Mrs Robyn Bell
Mr O’Brien said he feels privileged to lead the College in its 31st year and looks forward to guiding it into an exciting new era. “After 15 years of outstanding guidance and leadership from Robyn Bell, we set out with a new captain, a reshaped crew but a continued sense of purpose and vision,” Mr O’Brien said. “It is humbling to be here, the sense of the enormity of the responsibility of being the Principal of this College and the trust that has been placed in me to fulfil that role is one that takes time to fully comprehend. “I am extremely excited and motivated by the challenge.” Building on its strong foundations, Mr O’Brien said the College would continue to cultivate students with moral and ethical compasses that are grounded in the principals and traditions of the Anglican Church. “We strive to develop world and work ready individuals; we focus on growing our students’ intellectual capacity, nurturing dispositions, developing faith and building character,” he said. Mr O’Brien said he keeps Scripture at the forefront of his mind and draws inspiration from a passage in Micah. “Micah 6:8 is my guiding principle, ‘And what does the Lord require of you, to act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with your God’. With God’s help¬, this is what I hope to do as Principal of Cannon Hill Anglican College.”
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NEW LEADER: The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane and Mr Gary O’Brien following Mr O’Brien’s commissioning.
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2019 a new chapter in Perth College history Perth College, WA
Perth College has begun a new chapter in its long and proud history. Helen Aguiar has taken on the role of Principal as the School enters its 117th year.
“This vibrant, creative and innovative community has welcomed my family and me so warmly and I look forward to working together to prepare our students to contribute positively to the world as pioneers of the future.” Chair of School Council Andrea Burns said after a nationwide search it was decided Ms Aguiar was the best candidate to ensure Perth College was recognised as a global leader in the education of girls and a pioneer in positive psychology through the InsideOut selfleadership program.
An energetic and creative young leader with a thirst for knowledge, Ms Aguiar has joined the School from All Saints’ College, where she served as Vice Principal from 2014 and was Deputy Principal Pastoral Care for six years prior.
“We are delighted to appoint Helen; not only is she a highly regarded leader with a passion for education, she is also a warm, engaging personality with a strong intellect – all the key traits that place the future of Perth College in good hands,” Ms Burns said.
After an Australia-wide recruitment process in mid-2018, Ms Aguiar was chosen to succeed Jenny Ethell, who left Perth College after 16 years of exemplary service to lead a co-educational independent school in New South Wales.
Ms Aguiar has a Master of Education in Leadership and Management and a Master of Religious Education (specialising in pastoral care). Currently undertaking Doctorate studies, her research explores the institutional factors that influence the wellbeing of newly employed teachers, drawing upon Martin Seligman’s positive psychology framework.
“I am enjoying getting to know the School and members of the community – it became clear to me within my first few weeks that Perth College has a strong sense of identity and values,” she said.
Ms Aguiar was formally commissioned as Principal by the Archbishop of Perth, The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, during a service at the School on Wednesday 27 February.
CONGRATULATIONS: New Principal Helen Aguiar (right) at her official Commissioning by the Archbishop of Perth, The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, with Chair of Council Andrea Burns.
WARM WELCOME: Helen Aguiar talks to prospective parents during Perth College’s Open Day in March
April 2019 ISSUE •
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Melbourne Girls Grammar welcomes new Principal Melbourne Girls Grammar, VIC
The Melbourne Girls Grammar Community gathered in the heart of Melbourne, at St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday 7 February for the Commissioning of our 12th Principal. All students from Prep to Year 12, MGGS staff, Old Grammarians and friends of the School attended the Liturgical Welcome of Dr Toni Meath. The service was led by The Most Reverend Dr Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne, The Very Reverend Dr Andreas Loewe, Dean of Melbourne, The Reverend Canon Heather Pataca, The Precentor and Father Walter McEntee, Chaplain. Musical anthems were sung by Year 4 students from Morris Hall and the Merton Chamber Voices. Students from Year 1 to Year 12 participated in the lighting of the candles and the presentation of symbols representing different aspects of the School to Dr Meath. It was wonderful to have the entire student body at this very significant service to welcome our new Principal to the MGGS Community.
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New Deputy for Firbank Grammar Firbank Grammar School, VIC
Leandra Turner has been appointed as the new Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School at Firbank Grammar School. Leandra’s passion for education has been enhanced and developed through her thirty years of experience. She is a highly respected and credentialled leader whose values align strongly with Firbank’s dedication to high achievement, wellbeing and a strong community.
Leandra is a hands-on educator who is actively involved in the community. She is committed to working collaboratively in an integrated and dynamic team to achieve exceptional results. Her outstanding mediation skills, future thinking and leadership capabilities will be key as together she joins Firbank Grammar’s Principal, Jenny Williams to lead Firbank in its 110th year and beyond. Leandra celebrated her commissioning at a Service held in St Andrew’s Church, Brighton in January 2019.
“I am a firm believer in upholding the values and integrity of the School and expect students to do the same,” Mrs Turner said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with Firbank’s outstanding teaching staff to ensure that students achieve to the very best of their abilities and that they reflect on their strengths and set aspirational learning goals.” Mrs Turner has been heavily involved in mentoring groups and has implemented exceptional curriculum and development programs. She has led Pastoral Care Programs and continually worked with the School communities to create a positive learning environment. A keen supporter of the Creative Arts, Leandra also has an Arts/Law Degree and holds a Diploma in Education and Diploma in Dance. She looks forward to continuing Firbank’s strong commitment to its Arts and Performance Programs.
WELCOME: Leandra Turner (left) with Firbank Grammar Principal Jenny Williams.
CELEBRATION: Leandra Turner at her commissioning with The Reverend Christine Croft.
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New patron for history-making choir Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, VIC
Girls at Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School made history in 2016 when they were chosen to form the first all girls’ Cathedral Choir in the Southern Hemisphere. Partnering with St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, it was the first time in the Cathedral’s history that girls were allowed to lead church choral services.
Significant Milestones 2019 marks a significant milestone in each of the following schools: Sydney Church of England Grammar School (SHORE), NSW
130 years
St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School, SA
125 years
The Armidale School, NSW
125 years
Mentone Girls' Grammar School, VIC
120 years
Mosman Church of England Preparatory School, NSW
115 years
The launch of the girls’ choir attracted a buzz of media attention including television, newspaper and social media coverage. Two years on, and the choir is moving from strength to strength. Aptly named, Girls Voices’ of the Cathedral Choir, the students sing twice a week at Wednesday Evensong, and Sunday morning or evening services, alternating with the boys’ choir.
Calrossy Anglican School, NSW
100 years
Firbank Grammar School, VIC
100 years
At the end of 2018 the choir was delighted that Dr Deborah Cheetham AO, Artistic Director of Short Black Opera, Yorta Yorta soprano and composer would take up the position of patron of the Girls Voices’ of the Cathedral Choir. The girls have warmly embraced opportunities to hear Dr Cheetham sing and speak. She attended the commissioning of the 2019 Choir Leaders and will continue to support the girls throughout the year.
NEW PATRON: Dr Deborah Cheetham AO (left) and Lowther Hall Principal Elisabeth Rhodes with the Girls Voices’.
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Gippsland Grammar School, VIC
95 years
St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School, QLD
90 years
St Paul's Collegiate School, NZ
60 years
The Illawarra Grammar School, NSW
60 years
Georges River Grammar, NSW
35 years
Macarthur Anglican School, NSW
35 years
Trinity College, SA
35 years
Canon Hill Anglican College, QLD
30 years
John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School, WA
30 years
John Wollaston Anglican Community School, WA
30 years
Woodcroft College, SA
30 years
Bishop Druitt College, NSW
25 years
Sapphire Coast Anglican College, NSW
25 years
St John's Anglican College, QLD
25 years
St Luke's Anglican School, QLD
25 years
St Peter's Woodlands Grammar School, SA
20 years
The Riverina Anglican College, NSW
20 years
Lakes Grammar - An Anglican School, NSW
15 years
Shellharbour Anglican College, NSW
15 years
Wollondilly Anglican College, NSW
15 years 5 years
Trades Norwest Anglican Senior College, NSW
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Educational Group Travel for Anglican Schools Australia Orbit World Travel are delighted to introduce Katerina Dzvezdakoska, Manager for Educational Group Travel, and your dedicated Anglican Schools Australia group specialist. Katerina has over 20 years’ experience in the travel industry with an expertise in the educational travel. Anglican Schools Australia now has your own Educational Group Travel website. As well as a team of specialist school group consultants, Orbit has developed a website that is dedicated to servicing the travel requirements of the schools. Launched in February this year, the ASA website provides teachers and academic staff the ability to research, plan and book your next School Group Tour. Whether you choose one of our set itineraries or prefer to create your own travel learning experience, we can help!
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One hundred years strong Calrossy Anglican School, NSW
Established in 1919 as a small secondary school for girls, what is now Calrossy Anglican School is celebrating its Centenary this year. Located in Tamworth, a thriving and growing regional centre inland between Sydney and Brisbane, the School enjoys a close relationship with the Diocese of Armidale. Boarding has been an integral part of Calrossy from its start, celebrating strong links with rural NSW. About 30 per cent of Secondary school students are boarders, enjoying the benefits of a large regional centre location, with close links to the land and easy access to home. On 5 July 1918, the then Bishop of Armidale Wentworth-Shields wrote a letter to Canon Rupert Fairbrother the Vicar of St John’s, saying, ‘It seems a thousand pities in a big town like Tamworth not to have a Secondary Girls’ School.’ Just over seven months later, on Monday 3rd February 1919, at the end of The Great War, the newly established Tamworth Church of England Girls School commenced in St John’s Parish Hall with five boarders and eleven day students. From this humble beginning, the story unfolded. The school had slow and steady growth in its early years. From the very start Boarding was an important aspect of school life. In its fourth year the school was relocated to a nearby property, Calrossy, purchased from the Patterson Family and named after their Scottish property. It possessed one of the finest gardens in the North West.
Over the years the school grew gradually, facing storms through drought, World War II and financial challenges brought on by fluctuating enrolments and rising education costs. Constants were the partnership with the Diocese of Armidale, a focus on service, a commitment to remain true to the great commission of Jesus in Matthew 28 and a culture that was personal and caring towards boarding and day students. During the 50th anniversary of the school in 1969, the name Calrossy was formally adopted after the house on the Brisbane Street property. In the early 70s the Primary school closed due to an enrolment of only eight students from Kinder to Year 6. However, in 1977 the current Calrossy pre-school was opened and continues today. The School was nearly closed around this time due to enrolment and debt and only brave leadership and hard work and determination saw it through. Improving facilities and enrolments paid off and during the 80s and 90s the School prospered. In 1999 an Anglican Primary School, named after the region’s first Anglican minister William Cowper was established. This was closely followed by the foundation of William Cowper Anglican Secondary Boys school in 2001. In 2006 the schools were combined to become what we know now as Calrossy Anglican School. Calrossy today adopts a Diamond Model, in which Primary School boys and girls learn together, take separate classes in the early and mid-Secondary years with classes becoming fully coeducational in the final years of schooling. Pastoral Care and wellbeing programmes are coordinated to suit the important social/emotional needs of emerging young men and women through the adolescent stage. Principal David Smith says of the school’s model, “Our unique structure is catered to meet the needs of our students, providing us with the best of both worlds.” In the past twenty years Calrossy has grown impressively, catering to the needs of Preschool and Primary students and benefiting from the addition of boys. Amidst this growth, the School has retained an intimate culture in which each student is known and valued. A recent government grant has allowed for the commencement of a $4.1 million building project to further enhance the facilities and consolidate the unique coeducational structure across two campuses. Academic achievements have placed Calrossy at the top of the northern region of NSW. Over the last two years, eight students have received top ten NSW subject placings in Agriculture, Physics, Music, Biology, Community and Family Studies and Primary Industries. Ranked by the SMH at 132nd in NSW for 2018, the School is very proud. Principal David Smith is just as delighted that over the more than 50 band six results have come from twenty-one subjects, demonstrating the strong all-round learning and academic culture. He credits the experienced and dedicated teachers for this success.
UNEARTHING TIME: 1989 School Captain Felicity Jagavkar (nee Baker) was on hand to help dig up a time capsule she helped bury. Inside were letters from students to their future selves, photos and projects.
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Supplementing the strong academic programme is a history of interest in agriculture that includes a modern-day educational experience in a working farm, a cattle breeding programme and excellence in equestrian competitions. Calrossy teams in both areas have won recent widespread acclaim.
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Boarding has always been central to the school’s success. Tess Parry (Coonamble) Lizzie Wippell (Quirindi) and Riley Catts, (Baradine), were amongst many students achieving ATARs above 90, with Lizzie also being awarded a prestigious scholarship to Bond University. Each of these students was involved in leadership, sport, and community service, something the school promotes in its commitment to provide holistic Christian education. Development of a Christian World View is also integral to a Calrossy education, and student service is embedded into school life, emphasising ‘head, heart and hands’. Calrossy has grown from its modest beginnings in 1919 and there have been many changes on the journey to its Centenary. As it celebrates ‘100 not out’, the history of developing country students of character and substance continues and the stories of students who make a difference to the community will continue to grow.
Calrossy Centenary Celebrations The Calrossy Centenary celebrations commenced in February this year. They included the visit of past Principal, The Reverend Peter Smart, distributing his famous chocolate frogs. Mr Smith implemented his renowned assembly Mexican Wave. The 1934 School Captain Doreen Woolaston presented the School Captains with their badges and students modelled the various uniforms over the century. The Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers spoke of the importance of knowing Jesus and 1989 School Captain Felicity Javagkar (nee Baker) later assisted in the unearthing of a time capsule she buried that year. It was an exciting commencement to a year of celebrations. The Reunion of Alumni and Staff takes place 26th-28th April, with all past members of the school community invited to join to meet old friends, reminisce and celebrate their time in the school.
Today, instead of Bishop Wentworth-Shield’s “one thousand pities”, we have close to 1000 children (including Preschool) who are anything but pities!
CELEBRATION: Calrossy Anglican School Principal David Smith, third from left, is joined by current School captains and past Principal, The Reverend Peter Smart, as the School celebrates 100 years of quality education.
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Lives changed through World Challenge Trek Fraser Coast Anglican College, QLD
In December 2018, Fraser Coast Anglican College (FCAC), Hervey Bay and St Luke’s Anglican College, Bundaberg, joined forces to participate as a team in the World Challenge. The World Challenge ethos is to provide authentic school trips for teenagers and saw our students and teachers spending the first three weeks of their Christmas school holidays hiking through Nepal and participating in community service programs. This has been a real growth experience for these students. Year 11 student Anna Deakin from FCAC, was so inspired by her World Challenge experience in Nepal that she has organised a ‘Luncheon for a Cause’ to raise money to buy a water filtration system for the Kankali School where our students undertook community service. Following is an excerpt from a speech Anna presented to the Hervey Bay Rotary Club to raise awareness and support for her cause: “During our time in Nepal, we trekked, we painted, and we learnt about the Nepali culture. Our trip was 22 days, and during those 22 days it gave us a little glimpse of how people in a developing country live. Each person is happy with what they have – their material possessions do not define them. As part of the Community Engagement Project component of our visit, we visited a school, Kankali School in rural Chitwan. This was my most favourite and inspiring part of the trip and the five days spent there was not nearly enough time. This school, when we first arrived, looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, and the thought that 400 children plus teachers spend such a large portion of their lives in this place just shocked me. The classrooms are covered head to toe in dust, no textbooks and no books to write in. The children come to school with only the smiles on their faces and their tin box with a pencil, rubber and ruler in it. They lack the educational facilities and the resources to guarantee an educated life after school. Our five short days spent in Kankali were spent painting and paving – two classrooms revived from top to bottom and over five thousand pavers laid. We all wished we could have spent more time playing with the children and giving them our time to help create a better future for every single one of them. During my stay, I was involved in a conversation with the school’s English teacher and our project coordinator in which they both
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WORKING HARD: Students worked hard to improve the Kankali School for the Nepalese children.
raised concerns about the school’s only drinking water supply, which consists of a hand pump from a bore in the school yard where the children go to drink and wash. Upon our return to Queensland, it was confirmed that the bore water is in fact contaminated with arsenic. So not only do these children lack educational resources and facilities, but they are lacking clean water; the cornerstone of all existence.”
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Chaplain’s Column Us Versus Them By The Reverend Matt Shorten
As I type this it is now a week since the catastrophic events of Christchurch which saw fifty innocent people’s lives ripped from this world in one senseless act. Hundreds of others will have their lives irrevocably damaged in the wake of this tragedy and families will be shattered for months, even years, to come. For us in Australia the echoes of Port Arthur can still be heard as though it were only yesterday and not 1996. We know full well as Australians how long the impact of such an event can ripple outward across time. For me as a chaplain in an Anglican school in Australia, it has had two main effects. The first was a concern for our Muslim students and their wellbeing. I was following up with one of them this week who simply appreciated my concern for her and her family. She had been with her family at their local mosque and offered prayers and support to each other in their faith community. There wasn’t a sense of need for revenge, just of sadness, deep, deep sadness. We as Anglican schools have a part to play in this very act of hospitality and healing, not just for our Islamic students, but for all of our students. We, through our caring words and actions, are able to be visible reminders of welcome and inclusivity. We can offer places where students sense God’s love in action which drives out fear and hate. As we fight the epidemic of hate, driven by politics and the media to divide our world into “Us and Them” we say in stark contrast that “we are family”. This is especially so when we are approaching Easter and remind ourselves that Jesus sat at table with both Judas who would betray him for thirty pieces of silver, Peter who would deny knowing him, as he was interrogated unjustly, not just once but three times in
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succession and at least nine others who would abandon him as he hung on a cross for them and us. Jesus not only washed their feet, an act of service that was utterly demeaning and at the same time immensely challenging but went on to break bread and share the common cup with them all…as family. And don’t forget the command he gave them, and subsequently us as his modern-day followers, to love as he loved. What a powerful challenge for us. The second effect from the shootings in Christchurch, and in fact, every time I hear of a mass shooting is deeply personal. Most people in my life aren’t aware that I have lived through a similar incident, that fortunately resulted in no deaths, but left a deep scar in the psyche of myself and many others. In 1991 when I was in Year 12, at our athletics carnival a student from Year 8 was sent home for bad behaviour. They returned from home having stolen one of their dad’s rifles and stood on the hill overlooking the athletic track and began to shoot. I will never forget the absolute terror of that moment in time….frozen, not knowing what to do. Completely immobilized with fear. Four of my friends, however, went into fight mode and tackled the student to the ground. Eight shots had been fired, three people shot, and a school community changed forever. What happened in New Zealand will take years to come back from for those who survived and those who were involved in the wider circles of care around them. My hope for us in Anglican schools across our country is that we can continue to work against the tyranny of ‘us and them’ that in many ways led to this catastrophic event. May we continue to work hard at building bonds of peace and respect with our staff and students so that we are known as schools that are welcoming and hospitable. May we sew into the lives in our care the knowledge that we are all made in the image of our creator God who divinely loves us all and offers grace to all. And in this Easter season may we find afresh out of the ashes of death and defeat, the wonder, hope and life itself of the Resurrection.
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Taking a stand against bullying Mrs Jodi Blades, Dean of Students The Glennie School, QLD
The Glennie School took to the school oval this term to make a powerful statement against bullying and violence. We literally and metaphorically stood together; all girls from Prep to Year 12 stood on the oval to form a ‘NO’, as we celebrated the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). The NDA is Australia’s key anti-bullying event for schools. It is a positive day of action which strengthens our everyday message here at Glennie that bullying and violence are never okay. In support of this important message, all of the girls wore orange hair ribbons, NDA wristbands, agreed to sign a pledge to stop bullying and some were interviewed by our School Captains and asked how we can stop bullying at Glennie. All Middle and Senior Years girls participated in a combined Chapel where Reverend Sharon challenged inappropriate behaviour and encouraged the girls to act with kindness and compassion. All students at The Glennie School have the right to feel safe and supported. We are committed to creating an environment that values the inherent worth and dignity of every individual and that fosters inclusion, compassion, empathy and mutual respect. Everyone has an important role to play in the prevention of bullying. The national definition of bullying for Australian schools is: Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying and should not be labelled as bullying. As a proud NDA school, we have a range of programs in place to develop personal and social capabilities and address bullying, such as Bridge Builders, MFit (Mind Fitness) and PDP (Personal Development Program). The NDA gives us an opportunity to highlight these programs and other initiatives such as the explicit teaching of our core values – respect, compassion, courage, integrity; the promotion of positive social interactions between students, teachers and community; and our Speak Up@Glennie App on the Student Portal where students can report concerns along with negative and positive behaviours. We must work together as a community - parents, teachers, staff and students, to talk about bullying and find workable solutions together. Acknowledgement: The Bullying. No Way! website for Australian schools.
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Protecting your school community from a growing number of cyber threats including malicious websites, cyberbullying and predatory behaviour requires a comprehensive solution specifically designed for the 21st century.
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cyberhound.com // 07 3020 3330 // team@cyberhound.com April 2019 ISSUE •
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Phones powered off, social life switched on Camberwell Girls Grammar School, VIC
Staff at Camberwell Girls Grammar School (CGGS) say they are already seeing positive changes in the school environment since a new mobile phone policy was instituted last year. Staff at Camberwell Girls Grammar School (CGGS) say they are already seeing positive changes in the school environment since a new mobile phone policy was instituted last year. Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School Cathy Poyser said it had made such a difference. “There has been an increase in physical activity and impromptu play around the school, and we’ve also observed a lot more face-to-face interactions,” she said. The new policy requires students to have their mobile phones turned off and in their lockers for the duration of the school day. Teachers and members of staff are also discouraged from using their phones in the schoolyard or in the classroom. “There was an immediate and amazing change. It was very noticeable,” Mrs Poyser said. “The noise levels in the school have gone up. There is so much more talking and laughter.” The policy is part of the school’s Wellbeing Program and was enacted after careful consideration about the role mobile phones and social media play in mental health. Though the school wanted to continue to recognise the benefits of technology in education, they also looked at worldwide studies showing that too much screen time had been shown to affect sleep, academic achievement and mental health. “CGGS has always been at the forefront of using technology in the classroom, and we really wanted to acknowledge that it encourages creativity, collaboration and engagement with others globally,” Mrs Poyser said. “But we were starting to see that girls were maintaining their use of screens at recess and lunch, and not giving themselves the break they really needed. “A lot of schools have similar concerns about mobile phone use, but I think we took the very bold and courageous step of saying we need to have a policy in place. Our policy ensures CGGS students still have the best of what technology offers while at the same time, educating them about the issues it can cause to mental health and wellbeing.”
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ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Students are enjoying the increased amount of play equipment following the school’s new mobile phone policy.
Led by Kath Woolcock, the school’s Head of Student Wellbeing, staff began discussing the policy in 2017. They consulted with students and parents about limiting mobile phone use during the school day, and assured parents that if needed, they would still be able to contact their children via the student reception. Students even produced slogans and posters to help market the new policy, such as: “Unlimited social - just turn off your device and get to know your peers”. The school also identified ways they could encourage students to pursue other activities during their free time. They increased the amount of play equipment available to students around the school, including more basketball and netball hoops, bats and balls and table tennis tables for the girls to use at recess and lunch. Board games were also provided in communal areas. Students still use iPads and laptops for class work. “It’s just that at recess and lunch, the girls are now not on their phones, they’re not checking social media, they’re not looking at photos, or on Apps,” Mrs Poyser said. “They’re actually having real conversations.” Mrs Poyser said the school will continue to measure the success of the policy by asking for student and parent feedback in a series of surveys and focus groups this year. “But with just our observations, it has definitely made a difference,” she said. “I think the students themselves would say they wouldn’t go back. It’s like we’ve provided them with a release valve. We’ve given them permission not to be connected to their phones.”
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Getting out of the classroom and into the world St Andrew’s Anglican College, QLD
Year 9 students at St Andrew’s Anglican College experience life from a different perspective thanks to the unique Connections Program which enables them to get out of the classroom and into the world. Last week, Year 9 students embarked on the first of their week-long, off-campus academic experiences exploring one of three different destinations of Brisbane, Melbourne, and Stradbroke Island. Connections Program Coordinator and teacher Jonathan Harding said the trips were strategically timed to help students maintain their focus and interest for the whole year. “The cohort is split into three groups, travelling to either Melbourne, Brisbane or North Stradbroke Island for a week-long experience and then rotating to another location in Terms 2 and 3,” Mr Harding said. “Each experience presents students with real-world problems to examine and explore.” The Connections Program is an integral part of St Andrew’s Year 9 curriculum which embodies deep academic learning, cultural insight, independence, social and personal challenge, community mindedness, adventure and celebration. From assisting with a soup van for the homeless in Melbourne to hearing presentations by Indigenous Elders on Stradbroke Island, Mr Harding said the trips were all about real world, real life experiences that sow seeds for the future. “When students go to Melbourne and Brisbane, they’re getting exposure to the urban life in a way they aren’t usually, such as crowds of business people going to work, or homeless on the street,” he said. “We’re good at sheltering our children at home, but when we take them to the city that kind of stuff is impossible to hide. They get real experiences which help them build independence, confidence and empathy.”
BUSY CITY: Students experience the busy city life in the centre of Melbourne
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ALL TOGETHER: The first group of Year 9 students in Melbourne as part of the Connections Program
The multicultural experience is further enhanced on the North Stradbroke Island trip where students listen to presentations by Indigenous Elders from the Quandamooka People. “Students are presented with questions and topics of discussion on unfamiliar situations which enables them to think about complex ideas such as beliefs, values, culture, politics and the economy,” Mr Harding said. “At the beginning of the trip students are quick to make judgements, but by the end they’re not so sure. For example, the question of whether mining should be allowed on the Island; At first, they say ‘No’. Then we factor in jobs, the economy and tourism along with the first-hand stories of Indigenous People. By the end of the trip they’ve heard from many sides of the debate and they realise it’s not as clear-cut as they thought.” Along with developing greater cultural awareness and honing their critical thinking skills, the trips are an opportunity for Year 9s to leave their bubble and try new things in unfamiliar environments. Mr Harding said parents often comment that the trip was life-changing for their child. An increase in confidence is the number one change they see, though for one parent, it was the fact her son expanded his culinary horizons she was most surprised by. “I still can’t believe he ate spicy octopus,” she wrote. “What a wonderful program that had students working as a team, discovering new places, gaining independence and considering others.”
NEW EXPERIENCE: Students on Stradbroke Island engage with Indigenous Elders form the Quandamooka people.
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Women’s Week ‘LeadHers’ for the future By Dr Renae Jones, Director of the Centre for Innovators and Entrepreneurs St Paul’s School, QLD
In partnership with the University of Queensland, the St Paul’s Centre for Innovators and Entrepreneurs (CIE) recently held their first ever Women’s Week ‘LeadHers’ Workshop. The CIE joined forces with the UQ Ideas Hub to design and deliver an innovative female leadership program to celebrate QLD Women’s Week (2-10 March, 2019) and foster mother-daughter relationships. On Tuesday 5 March, St Paul’s mothers and daughters attended the CIE to learn alongside one another, share stories, reflect, and achieve great things together. Participants heard from amazing guest speakers, Jessica Gallagher (UQ Director, Global Engagement and Entrepreneurship), Yas Grigaliunas (World’s Biggest Garage Sale), Shannon Cooper (My Food Religion), Sofie van Kempen (Nutritionist), and Lucy Rayment (Auto & General); all successful female leaders in their respective industries. The workshop also involved a live cooking demonstration. The day was framed through a self-compassion lens, and common themes throughout each presentation included making the most of every opportunity, valuing social connections, learning from mistakes, and striving after excellence instead of perfection. At the end, all involved were able to walk away with enriched relationships, new knowledge, and a suite of strategies to support them in their leadership futures.
CONNECTIONS: Year 8 student Bianca Semple takes the opportunity to learn at the LeadHers workshop.
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LEADING WOMEN: Jessica Gallagher, UQ Director, Global Engagement and Entrepreneurship was a guest speaker.
WOMENS WEEK: Staff member Rachel Long joins the conversation.
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Young advocates for law reform on sexual consent
HAVING A VOICE: Jade Eassey, Maisy Lam-Po-Tang and Sophia Elliott led the Year 11 effort to submit a paper to the NSW Law Reform Commission.
St Catherine’s School, Waverley, NSW
St Catherine’s girls are a voice for their generation. The 2018 Year 11 Legal Studies students had their submission published in the New South Wales Law Reform Commission’s Consultation Paper 21 ‘Consent in relation to sexual offences’.
The students had been investigating ‘Law reform in action’ as part of their preliminary course using sexual assault and consent as their focus. The NSW Law Reform Commission issued a request for submissions to their review of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) which deals with consent in relation to sexual offences.
The Legal Studies cohort made the decision to make a submission “based on our status as teenage girls and as informed members of society”.
The students, who are all 16 or 17 years old and were the only people their age who made a submission to the Commission. Their submission was published in Consultation Paper 21 Consent in relation to sexual offences and can be found on the Law Reform Commission’s website.
The leaders of the group, Jade Eassey, Maisy Lam-Po-Tang and Sophia Elliott, felt strongly that girls their age should have a say on the need for this important law reform.
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Asking for clarity around the definition of consent and a shift towards what it means to consent, and a further request for compulsory education on consent within the secondary education sector, the students’ submission was both sophisticated and eloquent.
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College track set to develop athletic stars of the future Canterbury College, QLD
Canterbury College will feature a part of last year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, after successfully tendering for the 400m warm up track and three squash courts from the international event. The facilities were officially opened at last earlier this year, with the hope they will foster the talents of emerging sports students and encourage many more to take up sport. More than 20,000 sports assets were distributed to schools, organisations and community groups through the Queensland Government’s GC2018 Legacy Assets program. Head of College, Donna Anderson, said it was a proud moment for the college, with the entire college community from Kindergarten to Year 12 assembled beside the track for the opening ceremony. Mrs Anderson was joined at the opening by many special guests who were instrumental in securing and building the facilities. Member for Waterford Shannon Fentiman MP and Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist Glynis Nunn-Cearns OAM, helped cut the ceremonial ribbon with Mrs Anderson and college board chairman Jeff Thomas.
OVERVIEW: The college community assembled for the official opening of the world class facilities at Canterbury College.
“I hope having access to an Olympic-standard athletics track and three world-class squash courts will foster the talents of emerging sports students in the region and encourage many more to take up sport.” Last year, Mrs Nunn-Cearns, in her roles on the Commonwealth Games Committee and as the Executive Director of the Gold Coast Academy of Sport, was initially concerned where all the major Games sports assets would go. “For the development of sport and a connection to the community, these facilities needed to stay within this region, and I am just so happy they now have a home at Canterbury College,” she said. “I congratulate Canterbury College for their forward thinking in applying for the whole track and turning it into a great sporting hub on their campus, with pools and tennis courts complex next to be constructed.
Ms Fentiman said it was an incredibly exciting day.
“These will create wonderful opportunities for Canterbury students and others in the local area.
“These facilities are a monumental legacy for the college and the broader Logan community,” she said.
“I hope I can come along and use the track too. Canterbury College is now definitely on the map for sport in the southeast.”
RIBBON CUTTING: From left, Head of College Donna Anderson, Member for Waterford Shannon Fentiman MP, Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist Glynis Nunn-Cearns OAM, and Canterbury College Chairman of the Board Jeff Thomas proudly open the new facilities.
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Students go wild raising funds for Cambodia Arden Anglican School, NSW
Arden Anglican School students recently held their annual Camboogie. This event is a major fundraising initiative for the School’s Cambodia and Vietnam Mission Trip, raising more than $5800. With a theme ‘Camboogie goes wild’, the event involved three separate discos (for Infants, Primary and Secondary), games, a chill out zone and of course food. The School’s Colin May Centre was transformed into a jungle themed disco, while students embraced the theme, with many coming dressed as jungle themed animals, in camo gear, leopard prints and more. In addition to raising much needed funds, Camboogie has the additional benefit of creating event management experience for the student organisers, while strengthening community spirit at Arden. Year 11 Coordinator Jo Webb, said that Camboogie was mostly student run. “The students learn communication skills, meeting deadlines, overcoming obstacles/complications and community spirit. Additionally, it will be exciting for them to be able to see the direct impact of the funds they raise when we go on the Mission Tour,” Mrs Webb said. “When going on a Mission Tour it is really important that students learn to work together as team, so organising an event like this helps build a sense of community, not only with the students going
on the Mission Tour but with the rest of the Year 11 cohort. As Year 11 Coordinator it provides a wonderful opportunity to work together with the students to organise the event and it is lots of fun too. “Camboogie is a great whole school event, so the students across the entire School are able to participate in raising funds for this Mission trip.” A team of Year 11 Arden students and staff will participate in the School’s 12th annual service tour of Vietnam and Cambodia as part of the Extra Mile Project in the June/July school holidays. Arden proactively manages and adapts mission itineraries each year. The school has been mindful of the orphanage issues there and has worked diligently to ensure the itinerary factors in the latest research on these issues. The focus of the mission has always been on service-based activities, usually involving physical labour. For example, renovating schools, building houses for villagers and planting mango trees. The mission has many benefits. For the communities in need this act of service demonstrates compassion and shows that their lives are important to others. However, Arden students also benefit as they broaden their perspectives beyond their domestic horizons and show practical care for others, immerse themselves in a new culture and gain an appreciation of the history and politics of Vietnam and Cambodia. Students who have participated in the initiative in the past have described how they developed a greater appreciation for their own life circumstances and the community in which they live and the service opportunities available to them as young Australian citizens.
STUDENT ORGANISERS: Arden Anglican School Year 11’s enjoyed organising and helping at the Year 3 – Year 6 Camboogie. From left to right (seated): Ethan Ombler, Jordan Wood, Isabella Warren, Abigail O’Mahoney, Rachel Huon, Caitlin Croese and Kimberley Norris. Standing: Hayden Fowler, Ryan Pascoe, Amy Houssenloge, Emily Bell, Anouska Poudyal, Oliver Ticehurst, Anna Baikie, Ethan Colmer, Sophie Bowen, Lilian James, Lucy Hall, Stephanie Blencowe, Georgia Simon, Timothy Duncan and Charlotte Quek.
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1. BEARING UP: Jacquelyn Jin (left) and Arianne Davies. 2. INTO THE WILD: Kindergarten student Sky Paartalu enjoying the day. 3. FLY AWAY: Anneliese Gordon in her butterfly costume. 4. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Charlize Lewis and Evelyn Chi (back left) enjoy the dance train.
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Application for Sponsorship Form The ASA Management Committee, being mindful of both the benefits we gain from the Annual Conference and its associated cost burden on some schools, is offering a limited number of fully sponsored Conference Registrations. The funding covers registration costs, not accommodation or travel. This is to assist Heads of Schools and their Deputies, Senior Staff, Chaplains, Religious Educators, boarding and pastoral leaders in Australian Member schools who have been unable to attend an Annual Conference, or whose school budgets for professional learning, would otherwise prevent attendance. Applicants are asked to complete the form below, to be approved by the Principal, and forward it to the ASA secretariat (see below) by Friday 21 June 2019.
Name: Position: School: Please supply a brief description of the reason for your request for a sponsored place at the Conference
Delegate Signature:
Date:
School Principal: (Name) School Principal: (Signature)
Date:
ASA Secretariat Email: hcole@asc.wa.edu.au, Fax: (08) 9384 5023, Post: PO Box 2520, Mt Claremont WA 6010
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Federation Ballroom, Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, Tasmania 8 August 2019 Chaplains’ Networking Program and Emerging Leaders’ Program
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA NOW FLYING DIRECT PERTH – HOBART From 17 September Virgin Australia will operate three weekly return flights between Perth and Hobart.
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Holy Land Pilgrimage: A Reflection By Father Chester Lord, Junior School Chaplain Brighton Grammar School, VIC
During the recent holidays I had the privilege of attending a Pilgrimage Tour of the Holy Land with Bishop Brad Billings. It served to be a wonderful blessing and far exceeded my expectations.
Through the trip I came to understand that there is a strong correlation between a spiritual, mental and physical pilgrimage of this nature and that of the learning and educational journey that each teacher makes every school year. Each respectively encourages you to push and exceed boundaries and empowers those undertaking the pilgrimage to strive for growth, development and enlightenment. The pilgrimage experience also prompts one to share their story along the way as well as to listen to and learn from others in a reflective and constructive manner that is beneficial to all.
It was entitled ‘In the Footsteps of Jesus’ and as we visited all the sacred sites that I have referred to in countless RE lessons and sermons so the Biblical parables, stories and places suddenly became more vivid, dynamic, real and relevant. Highlights such as trekking through the desert in the Wilderness, taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, traversing the Jordan River, floating on the Dead Sea, walking the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem and reflecting at the Garden tomb in the Old City all became all the more personal and profound. In addition to this I had the opportunity to be part of St George’s Anglican Cathedral of Jerusalem’s service one Sunday morning and met both the Dean of the Cathedral as well as the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem. It is my hope that my experiences in the Holy Land inspire and enrich my RE teaching in the classroom at Brighton Grammar School as well as my ministry on Sundays assisting as Deacon at St Peter’s, Brighton Beach and that these insights might be fed back into my own weekly school Chapel services.
PILGRIMS: Chester Lord (left) and The Right Reverend Dr Bradley Billings on the banks of the Jordan River.
CATHEDRAL VISIT: A visit to the Cathedral included meeting with The Most Reverend Suheil S. Dawani, Archbishop of Jerusalem (second rom left) and The Very Reverend Hosam Naoum, Dean of the Cathedral of Saint George (middle).
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Arden’s Junior School Chaplain shares her heart for Christ Arden Anglican School, NSW
The role of a Chaplain is a special one and a calling to undertake. Recognising the importance of the chaplaincy role in a school, Arden appointed a Junior School Chaplain to focus on the needs of their youngest students, while the Secondary School continued to be ably cared for by Reverend Mark Rundle. Here, Arden Anglican School highlights the work and motivation of their Junior School Chaplain Mrs Bronwyn Friend.
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A committed Christian, with theological training and Christian Studies teaching experience, Junior School Chaplain Bronwyn Friend made a conscious decision 10 years ago that she wanted to teach children only about Jesus in her teaching role. “I am a qualified teacher and have 13 years teaching experience in schools. All other curriculum and learning experiences are valuable, but I felt an urgency to focus on using my teaching abilities and opportunities to share the gospel with children,” she said. “Chaplaincy in a Junior School is different as it is a foundational time in the children’s lives. Research shows us that 70 per cent of individuals have made their faith decision before reaching the age of 13 years. “Hence the urgency I feel for daily reminders, teaching and prayer, to fill the children with a knowledge of Jesus. Then they are more able to make an informed choice for their own personal salvation, by the time they finish Junior School.” On a typical day, Mrs Friend spends the morning meeting up with staff or parents in formal devotion or informal conversation and prayer. She prepares and teaches the Christian Studies program throughout the day and organises a daily outreach event (such as a Chapel Service or a Crusaders ministry group). She coordinates both the Crusaders (CRU Crew) groups and loves training the CRU student leaders. She strives to be present in the playground and staff meetings and is always praying for the School, situations or people as she strongly believes in the power of prayer. Indeed, she coordinates both a staff and a parent prayer group. Mrs Friend strives to display the Arden mindset in her role as Chaplain. “God provides teachable moments everyday where the school motto of ‘In God my Joy’ and the six School values are relevant and included in conversations and teaching. There are also planned times where these links are made formally in Chapel and in class,” she said. The role of Chaplain is very important in schools today.
2. 1. FUN: Bronwyn Friend enjoying the CRU group time with students. 2. IMPORTANT ROLE: Junior School Chaplain Bronwyn Friend in action at a weekly Primary Chapel Service.
“This normalises daily Christianity, and a Chaplain is the person who has the authority, responsibility and freedom to openly do this. It is a privilege to be able to point others to God.” Mrs Friend is passionate about her role and has many goals for what she would like to achieve. “I seek to ensure that all children are well taught, so they have a clear knowledge and understanding of what the gospel is and what it means to be saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that they have the opportunity to respond to this invitation. It is also important to lead and nurture those who do have a Christian faith, that they too may grow in their personal knowledge and love of Jesus,” she said. Mrs Friend said she hoped to continue to make connections within the Arden community with staff, parents and carers and provide the opportunity to give pastoral and prayer support.
“Whilst we do have the freedom in this country to read the Bible and learn about the Christian faith, part of the role of Chaplain is to ensure that this actually happens in our school every day.” Mrs Friend said.
“I hope to make connections in the surrounding community and work in collaboration with churches, local ministers and Christians who serve around us. I hope to support our missionary families serving overseas in China and Cambodia.
“Opening God’s word with children, teaching them the gospel truths about God and explaining His plan of salvation then becomes a daily experience that is shared with students and staff.
Mrs Friend said additional projects included running Christianity Explained courses, connecting with Crusaders by hosting a Holiday CRU day camp, and training up Christian Leaders within the student body.
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Closing the gap with Teach Learn Grow partnership All Saints’ College, WA
Students and staff from All Saints’ have the opportunity to participate in annual expeditions to Fitzroy Crossing, a remote town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, as part of the College’s H3: Heads, Hearts and Hands Service Learning Program and its partnership with Teach Learn Grow (TLG).
in Perth on their annual camp. Bayulu students visit the College campus for a day to share their culture and participate in activities with the College’s Year 6 classes. The visitors also enjoy a special lunch with those Year 11 and 12 students who visited them earlier in the year on the College’s Fitzroy Crossing Service Learning Immersion expedition.
For over three years, the College has enjoyed a partnership with TLG, which contributes to closing the education gap in WA providing one-on-one tuition and mentoring to rural and Indigenous children. This year a group of 26 Year 11s and 12s and seven All Saints’ teachers will embark on the College’s fourth annual Fitzroy Crossing Service Learning Immersion expedition to provide support to students and staff at the Muludja Remote Community School and Bayulu Remote Community School.
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Spending a week at these schools, the College group will work one-on-one with Indigenous students from Kindergarten to Year 6; assisting them with their studies in various learning areas. They will also enjoy sporting games and activities with the children outside of the classroom. In addition to this, the All Saints’ students will engage with the local communities and explore some of the cultural sights, including Mimbi Caves and the Geikie Gorge, to learn more about Indigenous history. A participant from last year’s trip, Catherine Choong (Year 12), said the most rewarding aspect of the experience was learning about the students with whom they had the opportunity to work. “While a lot was gained from facilitating in the classroom, it was so amazing to hear about the students’ personal aspirations and the passion they held to achieve them,” Catherine said. A new program introduced last year called Voices was developed through the College’s Arts initiative, HotHouse Company, and the ongoing relationship with the community that exists around the Bayulu Remote Community School. In 2018, two Media students attended the expedition to record significant stories from members of the Bayulu and Fitzroy Valley communities and these are now artistically displayed in the foyer of the College’s Centre for Performing Arts.
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This year, the College is pleased to send another Voices group to Fitzroy Crossing to capture more stories that honour the deep history and heritage from members of the community, and from which the All Saints’ students and staff learn so much. Another extension of All Saints’ partnership with Bayulu sees the College hosting a group of students from the remote school while 1-6. REMOTE COUNTRY: Experiences from the 2018 Fitzroy Crossing service learning program.
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Plant Grow Go an organic success Trinity College, SA
The Trinity College student lead project Plant Grow Go was established with a focus of creating a sustainable, viable and profitable business while also giving something back to the community. More than 30 students are committed to the project and their mantra is: “the word no does not exist.� Participants nominate to work in a specific focus area of either construction, marketing, cooking, IT, selling or finance. In practice students grow organic, environmentally friendly produce that is sold to the school community and Forage Supply Co, an outside agency, to make a profit that is then channelled back into growing the garden and the business. Forage Supply Co works with the Hutt Street Centre and the Elizabeth Mission to deliver food and donations to many South Australians who are facing homelessness. The Plant Grow Go team then work with Hutt Street Centre and The Elizabeth Mission when the crop is ready to be harvested, so that meals can be designed and created around the produce grown and donated, which contributes to giving the clients their daily intake of fruit and vegetables. Participating students have visited both centres and each time they have taken fresh produce from the garden to donate and helped make and serve meals to the clients.
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2. 1. WORTHWHILE MISSION: Trinity College students visit the Hutt Street Centre where their donations of produce go into meals for the homeless. | 2. FRESH PRODUCE: Some of the produce sent to the Hutt Street Centre to benefit those who are homeless.
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School Ambassadors determined to make a difference By Kelly Keall, Schools Officer Anglicare WA
In February, 100 students from sixteen WA Anglican Schools met at the Wollaston Conference Centre for the launch of the 2019 Anglicare WA School Ambassadors’ Program. Each year, high achieving Year 10 and 11 students are appointed by their school to represent Anglicare WA in their communities throughout the year. The unique program empowers students to raise awareness around social justice and works to familiarise students with the work of Anglicare WA, with a particular focus on youth homelessness and the Street Connect service. Street Connect is Perth’s only mobile outreach service for young people experiencing homelessness. Youth workers work alongside 15 to 25 year olds, offering support in many different ways from counselling to the provision of food and health supplies. It receives no government funding, relying entirely on public donations and fundraising. Ambassadors are strongly encouraged to raise funds for Street Connect through their school and local communities by using their creativity and the advice of Ambassadors from previous years. This also gives students the opportunity to grow their leadership skills. The largest launch event to date was proudly supported by the Western Australian Anglican Schools Association. Students were welcomed by Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy, who opened the day with a blessing and offered words of encouragement for the important year ahead.
Following this, students learned about the many exciting projects and events they would be involved in throughout the year, one of which being the Anglicare WA School Sleep Out in August, where the experience of homelessness would become a reality with a chilly night at Optus Stadium.
As part of the program, the Ambassadors also had the opportunity to learn about Street Connect and the important role they play to keep this vital service on the street. The heart of the Street Connect service is its bright, colourful bus which was on hand at the launch for students to explore. Street Connect youth workers were also present to help students learn more about the service and answer any questions. Lauren, an Ambassador from Perth College, was shocked to learn that the bus is often the only safe haven for young people sleeping rough. “It was eye opening and distressing to hear what life is really like for children and teenagers living on the streets who don’t have access to the same opportunities as others,” Lauren said. “I like the fact that Street Connect are always around and are helping so many people who don’t have anyone to turn to. I am looking forward to achieving more awareness and funding for Street Connect this year.” The launch gave 2019 Ambassadors a chance to meet and mingle across the schools, with Ambassadors able to keep in touch at the various Ambassador events throughout the year. Anglicare WA is privileged to be working with these compassionate and dedicated students. We look forward to the productive, exciting year ahead and a lifelong relationship with the 2019 Anglicare WA School Ambassadors.
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1. NEW AMBASSADORS: Students from 16 WA schools learnt about helping the homeless through Anglicare’s Street Connect program | 2. ON A MISSION: Street Connect Coordinator Esben Kaas-Sorensen introduces the program to a group of new Anglicare Ambassadors
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Q&A with 2019 Anglicare Ambassadors St James’ Anglican School, WA
St James’ Anglican School Year 10 students Mali Burns, Isabella Canham and Billy Jones were selected to represent St James’ as Anglicare Ambassadors for 2019. The ambassadors will be involved in raising awareness and funds around youth homelessness over the next year. The St James’ students joined all ambassadors at the Anglicare WA School Ambassadors program launch where student leaders from sixteen different Anglican schools were presented with their badges and listened to various presenters discuss how we can all work together to make a difference. We asked our Ambassadors about some of the reasons they are so passionate about this program.
What made you first want to be an Anglicare Ambassador? Isabella – Helping others whenever I can gives me a great sense of fulfilment and achievement, and an area I wish to pursue in my future career. Mali – A few years back my cousin and aunt were homeless. What they went through was horrible and I do not wish that upon anyone. If I can make a difference I will.
Billy - I applied because I’m a good and helpful person, and the world need more people like that.
What are you most looking forward to about being an Ambassador? Isabella – I’m most looking forward to working with Billy, Mali and all the other ambassadors to help raise awareness of these issues. Mali – I am most looking forward to helping people get their life back on track and help assist them in the best way I can. I may not know who I’ve helped but I at least know someone who was sleeping on a cold floor with only the clothes on their back, may now be safe and happy in a shelter. Billy – I am most looking forward to helping people.
What piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to be an Ambassador? Isabella - Go for it because you can help so many people and if it’s something you would like to do when you leave school you’ve already got an idea of what it’s about. Mali – Just go for it! This is a once in a lifetime chance. It is going to be such an amazing experience knowing you have helped someone less fortunate than you. Billy – Be good to people and be good to yourself, only then will you be truly happy.
AMBASSADORS: Year 10 students Billy Jones, Mali Burns and Isabella Canham
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Open Day showcases Tara Tara Anglican School for Girls, NSW
It was back to school for many parents and families as over 1200 people from all over Sydney visited Tara Anglican School for Girls for the annual Open Day. Visitors experienced a taster of the School’s diverse programs, including academic displays and co-curricular performances as well as engaging with students, parents and staff. Of particular interest was a special presentation and tours by the Tara Astronomy Centre and the Space Odyssey Team, with the School hosting the largest privately owned telescope of its kind in Australia, as part of a joint project with Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Hourly tours of the Junior and Senior Schools together with Eggleton House (boarding), were enjoyed by many, while the
School’s learning bazaar and subject displays had many students speaking with teachers directly and parents feeling like they were back in the classroom. There were special presentations from the School’s music ensembles and choirs as well as the Tara dance groups. “Tara Open Day allows us to celebrate what is great about our school, and that is our students,” Principal Susan Middlebrook said. “Tara girls are enormously proud of their school and Open Day is a fabulous opportunity to talk about their school, what they love to learn and be involved with each day and how we celebrate girls’ education at Tara.” “It was a day full of fun and enjoyment as people were able to capture the true essence of the Tara experience,” said Mrs Middlebrook. It was indeed, a celebration of this wonderful School which has served the Parramatta community since 1897.
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1. STAR ATTRACTION: The Tara Telescope was a drawcard on Open Day. | 2. WARM WELCOME: Tara girls prepare to welcome the community on Open Day.
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Does history make tradition? Danebank Anglican School for Girls, NSW
This year Danebank, an Anglican School for Girls, celebrated our 86th year with our annual Founder’s Day activities and awards. Each Founder’s Day we are reminded of our history and the valuable traditions on which our magnificent school community is built. Founder’s Day is celebrated annually on 7 March, the birthday of our foundational teacher, Miss Edith Roseby Ball. Danebank was founded in 1933 when a group of Hurstville parents, led by the Crackenthorpe family, engaged Miss Roseby Ball to educate their young children. While the school began with five girls and boys, 46 years later in 1979 the school’s population had grown to 610 students, and today we are blessed to have 975 girls in our vibrant school environment. This is our history, from which many beautiful traditions have bloomed. Traditions that help provide structure and a foundation to our community, reminding us how we got to where we are and aiding in shaping the future and what we hope to become. Miss Roseby Ball had compassion and high educational standards that formed the foundation on which the school’s most enduring traditions were established. A Christian school where: •
Students are educated to be useful, achieving citizens
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Students achieve their best academic outcomes
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Less able students are accepted
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The learning environment supports innovative academic programs
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Development of facilities and infrastructure is constant in order to meet changing educational needs.
When we celebrate our history and participate in ongoing traditions like Founder’s Day, we are all brought together, able to reconnect and belong, with a sense of comfort that we have all contributed to this community in some way, shape or form. Reinforcing that we share the same values and faith. Each year on Founder’s Day history is made, and a tradition is passed on with awards presented to members of our Danebank community who have served their community and contributed greatly to help others. This year, the Valerie Crackenthorpe Award for Initiative and Philanthropy was awarded to Senior Office support staff Mrs Chris Peck and Mrs Nicky Yakoubi, who raised thousands of dollars for several charities over years, as well as to Year 12 student Sophie Van der Helder, for her work raising awareness and funds to support children with cancer. The 2019 Edith Roseby Ball Award for Compassion was awarded to alumna Rola Zaklama for her long-standing voluntary work with St George Meals on Wheels. This year’s Danebank Old Girls Citizenship Award was presented to Year 10 student Talia Kesby for her continual commitment and dedication to activities both in school and the wider community.
LOOKING BACK: Miss Roseby Ball and children in the back yard
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1. EARLY DAYS: Danebank foundational teacher Miss Edith Roseby Ball and her students. 2-3. CELEBRATE: Danebank students celebrate Founder’s Day with cake. 4. Rola Zaklama with her Edith Roseby Ball Award for Compassion. 5. CONGRATULATIONS: Sophie Van der Helder awarded a Valerie Crackenthorpe Award for Initiative and Philanthropy. 6. 2019 Danebank Old Girls Citizenship Award recipient, Year 10 student Talia Kesby. 7. AWARD WINNERS: The 2019 Valerie Crackenthorpe Award for Initiative and Philanthropy awarded jointly to Mrs Peck and Mrs Yakoubi. 7.
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Arden graduate inspires the next generation of learners Arden Anglican School, NSW
With a heart for service and wish to instill a love for learning in her own students, Heather Wallace was happy to go back to school. The 2011 Arden Anglican School graduate has found herself back where she started but this time as a full time Geography teacher. After starting her Arden journey in Pre-School, Ms Wallace purposely chose to return to teach at Arden. “As a result of growing up at Arden I really felt like I understood what the Arden community was about. I saw the qualities that Arden staff members had and knew that these were the qualities I wanted to develop in my own teaching career,” she said.
Ms Wallace said she was strongly influenced by the example of her own teacher and current Head of Geography Karen Moss who helped her develop her initial passion for Geography, encouraged her to consider a teaching career and provided practical mentoring opportunities. “She welcomed me into her Geography classrooms whilst I was studying at university so I could observe her teaching and be inspired by it… This is just one example of how Arden staff develop relationships that transcend the classroom and continue onto adulthood,” Ms Wallace said. When asked what she hopes to bring to Arden, Ms Wallace said school, and in particular high school, was an important moment in time for young adults where they began to shape who they are as individuals. “I feel absolutely honoured knowing that I am part of their pathway to adulthood, but I also see it as a huge responsibility. I want to help shape students to become global citizens who are passionate about making a change,” she said.
“The staff at Arden are passionate about their subject areas, they are knowledgeable and most of all, they are caring. Arden staff always went above and beyond for their students and I knew that there would be no better mentor for me as a beginning teacher, than an Arden staff member.
“Often, we live in bubbles where we take all we have for granted. I want to remove my students from this bubble and let them explore the world we live in so that they walk away with a greater understanding of how others live in this world. From this, I hope that they might be inspired to dream of a better world because every great dream always begins with a dreamer.
“It was also important to me that I worked in a Christian workplace where God was put front and centre of all that I do. Arden gave me this opportunity. Arden is a school where students are known and well cared for. I really believe that this matched what I want my teaching philosophy to be based around.”
“I want my students to always remember, that they have within them the strength, the patience, and the passion to change the world. For me, teaching is therefore not just about delivering the curriculum, but it involves shaping students into who they will be as adults and the impact that they will have on the world.”
BACK TO SCHOOL: Arden Geography Teacher Heather Wallace with her mentor and former teacher Karen Moss (Head of Geography).
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Children need a better story than ‘Kingdom of You’ By Harriet Connor
Harriet has served as a lay pastor and teacher in several parishes within the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. Her husband Daniel is an Anglican priest and they have three sons at Lakes Grammar - An Anglican School. In 2017, Harriet published her first book, Big Picture Parents: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life, aims to show parents how the big truths of the Bible can help them to make sense of life and parenthood. It was shortlisted for the 2017 Australian Christian Book of the Year Award. Parents worldwide are adding a brand new kind of literature to their children’s bookshelves: personalised storybooks. You simply select your child’s name, physical features and favourite things, and a book will be produced with your child at the centre of the action. One recent title is Kingdom of You: your child becomes the ruler of their own imaginary kingdom, waited on by a magic genie who grants them three wishes. Kingdom of You perfectly illustrates our postmodern ideal which places the ‘authentic self’ on the throne. Life revolves around finding and expressing your truest self, unshackled from the expectations of tradition, religion, or any other authority. Meaning and identity are found by looking within, by being ‘true to yourself’.
A Miserable Place to Grow Up But in reality, the ‘Kingdom of You’ is a miserable place to grow up. Looking inside ourselves for meaning just leaves us feeling confused and disappointed. Having cut ourselves loose from the beliefs, traditions and commitments that bound previous generations, we now drift along with nothing to anchor us, with nothing to guide us except our own fleeting feelings. It’s hard to get your bearings when you have no fixed reference points. Many of the young people who have grown up in a ‘Kingdom of You’ are struggling to cope with life in the real world. They suffer from record levels of depression and anxiety, and demonstrate a general lack of resilience when they encounter difficulties and setbacks (See https:// blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/default-source/research/evidence-andpolicy-section/2017-youth-mental-health-report_mission-australiaand-black-dog-institute.pdf). This is because they have been taught to pursue self-fulfilment at the expense of meaning; to do what feels right, rather than what is right. We have sent them off into the world with no directions except the vague commandment to ‘follow your heart’. But true fulfilment comes from looking outside of ourselves to see our place and purpose in the bigger scheme of things. In his book, Well & Good, social researcher Richard Eckersley explains:
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Meaning in life is a crucial aspect of human wellbeing. We need to have reasons to live, to know what makes life worth living. For most of our existence as a species, meaning was pretty much a social given. Children grew up in a close network of family and community relationships that largely defined their world—their values and beliefs, identity and place… Beyond the mortal realm, they had a religious faith that gave them a place in the cosmic scheme of things. (Eckersley, Well & Good, p6) These social ‘givens’ of past generations are now crumbling around us. Eckersley continues (quoting psychologist Martin Seligman): One necessary condition for meaning is the attachment to something larger than the self, and the larger that entity, the more meaning people can derive. To the extent that it is now difficult for people to form these relationships with God, country or family, he says, meaning in life will be difficult to find. ‘The self, to put it another way, is a very poor site for meaning.’ Meaning and identity require a foundation. (Eckersley, Well & Good, p6). When we tell our children that life is a ‘Kingdom of You’, they struggle to find meaning.
A Suspicious Place to Grow Up In the postmodern ‘Kingdom of You’, children learn to be suspicious of anyone claiming to hold authority over them. They are taught that authority is just a tool of oppression used by the powerful. Our duty is not to submit to authorities, but to scrutinise and challenge them. Postmodernism does not allow for the possibility that authority can be exercised selflessly, for the good of others; that submitting ourselves to authority can do us good. Some parents I know have taught their son one key moral principle: “Don’t do something just because someone tells you to.” Their son is quick to question what his teachers say; but he doesn’t seem to recognise that obeying their rules could actually be good for him.
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The ‘Kingdom of You’ is a suspicious place to grow up, because no authority can be trusted.
A Lonely Place to Grow Up
meaning are defined in relation to him. The true King created us for a purpose beyond ourselves: to honour him, to steward his creation, and to reflect his character to others. The true King shows us how authority can be exercised in love for the good of others.
The other problem with living in a ‘Kingdom of You’, is that it provides no basis for genuine community. Postmodern society is just a collection of autonomous, independent individuals living side-by-side. If meaning is found within, then it cannot be shared. We have become reluctant to commit ourselves to any person or organisation for fear that we will lose our autonomy; but what we really lose is a deep sense of belonging.
The Bible also describes what happens when people try to install themselves as King or Queen of their own story. Putting ourselves at the centre only ever leads to sadness, frustration and isolation, because it betrays not only our true King, but also our true purpose. We think that rebelling against the King will make us free, but in the end we become slaves to our own desires. Since the very beginning, every generation has experienced the disaster of self-rule.
In the ‘Kingdom of You’, our only obligation to other people is to tolerate their unique self-expression. A children’s song called “We’re different” sums up the postmodern message:
But the true King never gave up on his people. He pledged to provide for them, and to lead them with good and wise laws. He promised that one day, he would remove their rebellious heart, and give them a new heart that would submit freely to his loving rule.
“Let’s make a rule, it’s beautiful. We’re different, it’s really cool: Big and small, short and tall, left and right, black and white; Poor and rich, from there and here, green and blue, me and you…” But this light-hearted ode to tolerance has a dark side. Did you notice that one of the characteristics we are obliged to declare “really cool” is poverty? Unthinking tolerance is a poor substitute for love. Tolerance celebrates difference from a distance; but Christian love gets involved—it seeks to discern and pursue what is good for others, even at its own expense. Again, Eckersley’s remarks are insightful: Tolerance, taken too far, becomes indifference, and freedom abandonment. Our power as a people comes from a sense of collective, not individual, agency; from pursuing a common vision based on shared values, not maximising individual choice in order to maximise personal satisfaction. (Eckersley, Well & Good, p4)
That day came when the true King sent his only Son into the world, to call traitors back into his Kingdom. The Son submitted himself to his Father’s will, even to the point of dying a rebel’s death. The King offered new life and a new heart to those who would lay down their self-made crowns and pledge allegiance to his Son. As Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) It is only when we give ourselves over to the Kingdom of God that we find our true place in the world. There, we are known and loved by our good King and Creator; there we are commissioned and equipped to live a meaningful life; there we have the King’s good Word to guide us; there we belonging to a community bound together by sacrificial love. If we want our children to thrive in the modern world, let’s ground them in a better story. In a world that gives children no firm foundation for meaning, morality or community, let’s give them some solid ground to stand on. Let’s not imprison them in the miserable ‘Kingdom of You’, but help them to discover the joy and freedom of finding their place in the Kingdom of God. “I will open my mouth with a parable;
The ‘Kingdom of You’ is a miserable, suspicious and lonely place to grow up.
I will utter hidden things, things from of old –
A Better Story of a Better Kingdom
things our ancestors have told us.
The Bible gives us a much better story to tell our children. It lays a solid foundation for making sense of life—for teaching children their place and purpose within the larger scheme of things. The Bible tells them that they are part of the story, but they’re not at its centre.
we will tell the next generation
At the centre of the Bible’s story stands the true King; our identity and
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things we have heard and known, We will not hide them from their descendants; the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” (Psalm 78:2-4) This article was originally published by The Gospel Coalition Australia and has been reprinted with permission.
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Vertical school looks to the future St George’s Anglican Grammar School, WA
With more families living and working in the CBD, students at St George’s to use many of the city’s facilities as their classroom.
As Perth’s first vertical school, St George’s Anglican Grammar School is used re-shaping the way education is delivered to future generations of students.
The school’s spiritual home, St George’s Cathedral, is only a short walk away and provides a place of worship for our Chapel Services and other service-related events. Students also use the State Theatre for drama productions, Elizabeth Quay for sporting facilities, and the City of Perth library.
The School is currently undergoing a significant transformation to adapt and embrace 21st century learning styles, including the redesign of teaching and learning spaces which enhance and enable collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication.
The central location also provides opportunities to access the many cultural, sporting and business opportunities available in a modern city environment, including unique service initiatives, pairing students with corporate mentors, and exploring exciting opportunities to link with businesses in the city.
Incorporating functional tech-focused furniture and equipment is behind the move from the traditional delivery of education to one that is better suited to the needs of this generation of student. This is combined with curriculum programs which take advantage of the school’s inner-city location to use neighbouring facilities to incorporate learning in and out of the classroom
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St George’s seeks to influence the world of education, helping to change, mould and transform young people’s lives for the better. The school operates out of a seven-storey high-rise building and caters for local and international students, creating a rich tapestry of cultural diversity that encourages a global outlook among students.
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Building for the future
Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School Principal Stuart Marquardt shares new building plans with Year 7 students, Cimarron Crawford and Lexie Dujmovic.
Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School, NSW
Students in the Tweed Coast, northern New South Wales and southern Gold Coast will benefit following a funding announcement of $6 million for Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School under the Australian Government’s Capital Grants Program (CGP) for non-government schools. The funding will help meet some of the costs towards three key projects including the construction of a new Middle School Centre, the development of a Senior Centre with teaching and learning spaces aligned to learning beyond the school, and construction of a new Mahers Lane K-4 Campus with learning areas and amenities for students and staff, a multifunction area and sports fields.
“It is an exciting time for the Tweed Coast region, one of the fastest growing regional areas in Australia. Students are joining our school from right across the region; from Robina in the north, south to Byron Bay and west to Uki. This funding will allow our school to cater for these record enrolments,” he said. Chair of Lindisfarne School Council Chris Goldstone said the first project to be completed would be Middle School Centre. “This is a pivotal project under our Master Plan that we have been developing for some time. We must ensure we can continue to cater to the population growth of this region and the unprecedented enrolment growth of our school,” Mr Goldstone said. “In addition to these projects School Council are progressing plans to fund and build an Early Learning Centre (ELC) at our Sunshine Avenue Campus consisting of a Preschool Centre and a project to build additional Kindergarten classrooms. The ELC will be the first project of the Master Plan that has been developed for the Sunshine Avenue Campus.”
Principal Stuart Marquardt said that 12 months of concentrated planning resulted in the successful application.
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Service in Action at St Paul’s By Mr Cameron Howes, Head of Experiential Learning Development St Paul’s School, QLD
Service Learning at St Paul’s focuses on two specific areas: Social Justice and Environmental Stewardship. The 2019 Service Learning environmental program got underway on Friday 1 March with our Clean Up St Paul’s Day, and was followed by Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday 3 March. This program has run for the past two years and it has been very pleasing to see steady growth in terms of student participation and the willingness of a broad range of students. Their involvement is extremely valuable to this community project. Student participation across both events grew by more than 50 per cent since last year. During Clean Up St Paul’s Day, 57 students were out and about the school grounds collecting a total of 15 bags of rubbish. The Clean Up Australia Day event at Pine Rivers Park involved 37 intrepid St Paul’s representatives who braved a wet start to the
day to collect more than 20 bags of rubbish from the parklands adjacent to the School. Pine Rivers Park is a central hub for our local community, hosting major events and serving as a meeting place for families and community organisations. Keeping the area clean and free of litter is an important way for St Paul’s to show our community spirit and play our part in looking after our local environment. Pleasingly, this year our anti-litter contingent was made up of representatives from all sectors of our community: family groups, past students, International students and students from across all year levels of the Secondary School. In addition, the Service Learning Committee will once again be promoting the sale of reusable coffee cups to fund the Koala Corridor which is taking shape at the northern end of the School grounds. The Koala Corridor will continue to grow each term as students will be involved in tree-planting days. Currently we have approximately 300 trees in the ground and the team will look to increase this to over 1000 by the end of the year. Reducing the School’s waste and increasing our recycling are also projects that the Service team are planning currently. It is looking like a busy and highly productive year ahead.
GOOD JOB: St Paul’s students in action, picking up litter from the school grounds and community park for Clean Up Australia Day.
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How should we practise spirituality? St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School, SA
In a multi-cultural, multi-faith society where church attendance is dropping (8.2% in 2016 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics), how should we approach faith and worship in Anglican schools? What should ‘the practise of spirituality’ look like? One answer, from one co-educational primary school in South Australia is this: We want students to leave St Peter’s Woodlands (SPW) with the knowledge that they are “made in the image of God”, unique and loved, with an awareness of, and respect for, their spiritual self. This includes a sense of wonder about all of life and a desire to develop the relationships that constitute the human experience: With God, self, others, and the Earth. The practice of spirituality occurs across the school:
Anglican Within Anglican traditions of worship, we learn about and incorporate different elements of our Christian heritage e.g. Taizé worship, Celtic spirituality and Lectio Divina. We explore and teach spiritual practices like prayer and meditation that encourage students to develop their ‘spiritual muscles’.
Child-centred and age-appropriate Age-appropriate music and movement are central to school worship with liturgy that strives for diversity and variety. Year levels also take turns to lead Chapel services, allowing students themselves to create and lead school worship.
BLESSINGS: The Archbishop, Geoff Smith, visited to bless new facilities, including a nature play space. He is pictured here with the school captains.
An IB school The learning and teaching programme incorporate both PYP (Primary Years Programme) and RAVE (Religious and Values Education), which we strive to carry out of the Chapel and the classroom and into all aspects of school life.
Respectful At the same time as celebrating our Christian traditions, we respect the many faith traditions of families in the school: Students sometimes share from those traditions in Chapel services and visit different worship centres on occasion.
STAFF ADVENT: A centrepiece for an end-of-year Advent staff service.
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3. 1. ALL TOGETHER: Students attended the Combined Anglican Schools’ service at St Peter’s Cathedral and wrote prayers on the pavement in front of the Cathedral. | 2. PETS IN FOCUS: Students enjoy the annual Blessing of the Pets outdoor service that remembers St Francis. | 3. CLASSICAL LEARNING: Chapel Choir leaders interview classical violinist, Niki Vasilakis, our guest at the St Margaret’s Day service, a celebration of the patron saint of the Chapel.
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Anglican Schools Australia PHONE 08 9286 0290 EMAIL asa@asc.wa.edu.au WEB www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au
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