The Bridge, Issue 1, 2018

SECTION HEADER

The magazine of Brigidine College St Ives

the bridge Issue 1 2018

LEADING

WAY the DEVELOPING THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW

AN EDUCATIONAL

Conundrum LATEST CHANGES TO HSC STANDARDS

SPACE

Invaders BRIGIDINE’S INAUGURAL VOYAGE TO NASA USA

the bridge Contents Featured

Beyond the Classroom In the Spotlight

2017 HSC Results Congratulations to the Class of 2017!

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Leading the Way How Brigidine is developing the leaders of tomorrow

Welcome to New Staff

12

Staff Farewells

13

Latest News Introducing our Junior Leaders 8

Snapshots

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Melbourne Cup Ladies Lunch

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Unmasked Cocktail Party

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Annual Giving 2018

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Space Invaders Two lucky Brigidine girls journey to NASA USA to attend Space School

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Accelerating with Honours Learn about acceleration opportunities for students through the Honours Program

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An Educational Conundrum Find out what’s keeping our Deputy Principal awake at night!

Sport Highlights

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Centre for Excellence

25

Event Highlights Thoroughly Modern Millie

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Swimming Carnival

21

Cross Country Carnival

22

Back to Brigidine Alumni News

26

Weddings

28

Births

29

Where are they now?

30

Vale

31

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LETTER FROM

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Our Community

New leadership positions for Years 7–11 students in 2018

The Science of trying Something New

the Editor

Here we are again – already midway through another action-packed year at Brigidine! How time flies, especially the older one gets! I remember my school years spent at Brigidine and how back then a day, a month, let alone an entire year seemed to drag on and on and on... In class I would often gaze out the window and fantasise about all the amazing things I would get up to as soon as I ‘broke out’ of school. Little did I know that I would end up right back here in my adult years, working in a job that didn’t even exist at Brigidine when I was a student, and I couldn’t be happier!

Had someone told me back then that I would be here now, I never would have believed them!

I suppose that goes to show not only how great a community spirit there is here that makes Brigidine a wonderful place to be a part of, but more importantly, that the world is an ever‑changing place and we never do know exactly what the future holds.

There are, however, ways we can prepare for the future by developing skills to help us overcome obstacles we might, and no doubt will, be confronted with later in life.

The pages of this issue of The Bridge run to that theme of preparing for ‘The Future’ and how the College is ensuring our girls are ready to take on the challenges that come their way after leaving school, regardless of the

direction life takes them. If we can provide the right foundations now, then we can rest assured that our girls will fulfil their utmost potential while reflecting the College motto of Strength and Gentleness.

Aleisha Conlay Editor

FEATURED

2017

HSC Results “

Congratulations to the Class of 2017 on their excellent results.

They have worked with dedication and commitment and shown courage in taking intellectual risks. My sincere thanks to our dedicated staff and the girls’ parents for their partnership in supporting the girls throughout their years at Brigidine.

”

JANE CURRAN, PRINCIPAL

Completion of the Higher School Certificate and all the years of study leading up to Year 12 is the culmination of so many experiences and achievements. The College community congratulates all the girls from the Class of 2017.

Some of the highlights from the results for the Class of 2017 are; Top Achievers in the state: • 3rd – Devina Maurice for Drama • 6th – Sonia Elliott for Drama

Brigidine College All Rounders 2017

Modern History, History Extension, Studies of Religion 2 (2016) • Sarah Stanaway: Biology, Chemistry, English Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1, Music 2, Physics, Studies of Religion 1, Mathematics (2016) • Laura Watts: Economics, English Advanced, English Extension 1, Mathematics, Italian Continuers, Studies of Religion 2 (2016) 82 students (63%) appear on the Distinguished Achievers List Ranked in the top 100 of the state (non‑selective school)

• Valentina Buay, Georgia Hooper, Devina Maurice, Sarah Wackett (Raising the Steaks)

• 42 students achieved an ATAR over 90 (32% cohort)

Six students are All Rounders.

• 57 students achieved an ATAR over 85 (44% cohort)

• Devina Maurice: Drama, English Advanced, English Extension 1, English Extension 2, Music 1, Studies of Religion 2 (2016) • Celine Nalbandian: English Advanced, English Extension 1, Legal Studies,

Group Performances

• 1 student achieved an ATAR over 99

• 10th – Meredith Paterson for Textiles and Design

• Annika Hather: Biology, English Advanced, Geography, Mathematics, Modern History, Studies of Religion 2

Nominations for OnSTAGE (Drama): • Bianca Avanus, Annelise Hall, Sarah Lhuede, Madison Long (God Save Our Gracious…)

• 20 students achieved an ATAR over 95 (15% cohort)

• Valentina Buay: Biology, Chemistry, Drama, English Advanced, Mathematics, Studies of Religion 2 (2016)

SUE MARTIN, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL TEACHING AND LEARNING

It is notable that there was depth to the academic success of the 130 eligible students:

• 7th – Valentina Buay for Drama

An ‘All Rounder’ is a student who has achieved at least 10 units over 90%.

These students have achieved this excellence across a breadth of subjects with Sarah Stanaway achieving over 90% in 14 units (7 subjects).

“2017 has continued the trend of exceptional individual results across all subjects. Our girls are encouraged to pursue subjects they enjoy and in which they feel they have a talent. They are also encouraged to pursue rigorous courses, according to their strengths. The breadth and depth of their achievement and the powerful contribution these choices have made to the girls’ ATARs is a testament to the value of this approach.”

• Louisa Compton, Ebony Mackaness, Katie McInnes, Claire Thomson (Start Spreading the News)

• 76 students achieved an ATAR over 80 (59% cohort)

• Juliet Costanzo, Sonia Elliott, Stephanie Lowe, Katherine O’Brien, Joanna Oud (How much time do we have left?)

Selected for Callback (Dance):

Individual Performances

• Mia Barbour – Major Study Dance & Technology (Film & Video)

• Leah Covarr (The True Belieber)

• Claire Thomson – Core Performance

• Georgia Hooper (Fatal Beating) • Sarah Lheude (Stoneo)

Nominations for Callback (Dance):

• Devina Maurice (Beneath The Surface)

• Louisa Burns – Major Study Performance

• Katherine O’Brien (Get Stuffed)

• Claire Thomson – Core Composition • Claire Thomson – Major Study Performance Selected for OnSTAGE (Drama): • Valentina Buay’s Individual Performance (To End Where You Began)

• Sarah Wackett (Just Act Normal) Scriptwriting project • Keeley McAlinden (For the Love of God) Selected for TexStyle (Textiles and Design): • Meredith Paterson

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LEADING

the Way

Developing the leaders of tomorrow

Diploma will allow them to be eligible for senior leadership positions in Year 12.

Leadership at Brigidine College St Ives is defined as ‘any action that makes the world I touch a better place’. The values of integrity, courage, compassion and fairness are essential to good leadership along with humility. Humility is the foundation of leadership.

Student voice was also defined as a platform to develop leadership skills in our girls. To address this, Student Voice Forums have been established and are held once a term. These provide students with the opportunity to discuss and raise their points of view about a wide range of topics they feel are important to be heard and considered by the College. The first forum was held in April and took on a Q&A panel setting with members of College staff forming the panel who were addressed by many students from Years 7 to 12. We look forward to seeing the outcome of these forums as they continue throughout the year and into the future.

In 2017 the Pastoral Team spent considerable time focusing on Student Leadership, led by Project Leader, Mrs Skye Wacher. The reinvigoration of leadership throughout the College was seen as a definite priority from the ALTitude projects and research conducted by teaching staff.

The changes for 2018 have been significant and will have an impact on all students. Pathways to senior leadership positions at the College have been established and the skills involved in being a school leader have been taught to students during Pastoral and Mentor time. Junior students from Years 7–11 now have the opportunity to be leaders and join with a range of groups. Their involvement in various school activities will be tracked over their time at school and completion of a Leadership

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Leadership skills can also be gained through social justice involvement in school activities such as the annual Camps and Retreats. Through the Year 10 Urban Challenge Camp and Year 11 Street Retreat, girls develop leadership skills of humility, empathy and gratitude through service to others who are less fortunate.

Our hope is that through providing experiences and opportunities such as these, students will be given the knowledge and tools to take their

leadership skills into the world and apply them to life after Brigidine. As girls feel comfortable to express themselves confidently, and to venture out, take risks and try new things that are a little beyond them, they can begin to excel and fulfil their potential as young women.

Brian Loughland Deputy Principal Faith and Wellbeing

New opportunities to lead and grow The Leadership program at Brigidine College St Ives is designed to empower young women with skills that will propel them into the future. Students will learn important leadership skills such as resilience and problem solving, giving them the opportunity to actively participate in the decision‑making process of the College. Students will become role models, being true to themselves and providing responsible service to the College community while leading with strength and gentleness.

Research conducted as part of the ALTitude Project demonstrated that leadership skills and potential are strengthened through meaningful participation. In exploring how adolescent girls can best be prepared for school and post-school leadership, the need to scope and sequence leadership positions across the school and review the selection of student leaders was identified.

which individuals can check regularly.

Students must attend all whole school carnivals, camps and retreats, take up a new leadership opportunity, apply themselves in class, complete their Community Involvement Program (CIP) once they get to Year 10 and volunteer for one of the many community service opportunities to be eligible for senior leadership positions at the College in Year 12.

Therefore, in 2018 we have made changes to student leadership at Brigidine. Junior leadership positions have been appointed for students in Years 7–11 and these opportunities form part of the new Brigidine Leadership Diploma which will be one of the criteria for selecting the College’s senior leaders. Student involvement will allow girls to achieve the Brigidine Leadership Diploma.

Most girls are so involved in the wide variety of curricula and cocurricular activities and therefore will already be eligible for the Brigidine Leadership Diploma. Seven categories make up the Diploma. Year 7 students will need to achieve all criteria. A tracking sheet (pictured) can be found in the Student Handbook allowing students to monitor how they are progressing in achieving their diploma, along with a digital copy

All students have the ability to be leaders and we hope these opportunities provide our girls with life‑long skills that can be applied beyond their school years.

Skye Wacher Project Leader, Student Leadership

“

All students have the ability to be leaders and we hope these opportunities provide our girls with life‑long skills...

”

The Brigidine College Leadership Diploma recognises whole school commitment to a variety of areas important to life at Brigidine. The Diploma must be achieved by the end of Year 10 if students wish to apply for a Senior Leadership positions.

DIPLOMA AREA

DETAILS

Junior Leadership Position

One position held during Years 7–10

Cocurricula Involvement

One cocurricular activity per year for at least three years during Years 7–10

Application to Studies

Consistent achievement of Outstanding (1) and Positive (2) on reports

Camps and Retreats

Attendance at all camps and retreats

Whole School Carnivals

Attendance at all whole school carnivals each year

Community Service

Involvement in one community service activity (eg School tour guide, Legacy badge selling, Peer Support)

Year 10 CIP

Year 10 CIP completed, signed off and handed in by the end of Year 10 yearly examinations

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FEATURED

LEADING

the Way

The Importance of Student Voice When girls are invited to share their opinions, and have their ideas acted upon, we become active participants in our own learning and school environment. When we have the agency and opportunity to speak out, the benefits for us and the school are immeasurable. For this reason, one of the goals of the Brigidine Leadership program is to create opportunities for student voice to be fostered and more widely heard in the College community.

Young people have unique perspectives on the world, and we are acutely aware of what we need to enjoy our time at school and to reap the benefits from our education. When these innovative and original perspectives are combined with the wisdom and experience that teachers possess, we can design programs and strategies that are more effective, and also more respected by the girls who helped to create them.

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During Term 1, Brigidine held its inaugural Student Voice Forum where girls from all Year groups had the opportunity to raise and discuss projects and issues with a panel made up of College Principal, Mrs Jane Curran, Executive staff, Mr Brian Loughland, Mrs Sue Martin and Mrs Belinda Moore, and the Senior Six student leaders. The library was filled to the brim with almost 150 girls attending the lunchtime forum, eager to suggest and examine aspects of Brigidine that they think could be improved. Some of the issues raised included introducing pants as a uniform option, having greater environmental responsibility as a school, the current Mentor system, positive education strategies and support for girls struggling with mental health. The panel was very open to the suggestions, and were particularly keen to address the

uniform and environmental concerns, offering to put together some committees of girls to take action moving forward.

Feedback from all the girls and teachers involved has been overwhelmingly positive. Another forum is being planned for Term 2 and we hope to make them a regular occurrence in the future. Student voice inspires and empowers us to take charge of our own education. After all, as students, we have the most to gain from our time at Brigidine.

Ciara Flynn College Captain 2018

FEATURED

LEADING

the Way

Realising leadership through service to others Recently the head of the NSW Educational Standards Authority, (NESA) what we used to call the Board of Studies, spoke about the future of education. Research tells us that by 2030, 70% of jobs as we know them, will have become obsolete or change so significantly that they will be unrecognisable. As teachers, we are encouraged to help young people become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. We are told that these are the qualities which will make students future ready.

But, David de Carvalho, CEO of NESA, shared a different perspective. He stated that the key to educating students for the future was to educate them to act in the world. When I heard this, it resonated powerfully because it could have come directly from our Mission Statement at Brigidine.

“Many girls visited the homeless, elderly, disabled, challenged and sick.

All the girls loved where they were sent, not because it was fun or because they were in charge, but because they were helping others the way they knew how; by being kind and compassionate. It was really challenging at times, but I fell in love with helping them. Through our placements, Year 11 girls quickly discovered how incredibly lucky we are.”

We inspire girls to value learning, to be true to themselves and to honour their spiritual heritage.

We challenge young women to act in the world with strength and gentleness.

David de Carvalho explained to his audience that if we enable students to act in the world, we have created leaders who can embrace change with integrity and act ethically in ensuring that people are treated with dignity. These leaders will make the future, not be dictated to by others making it for them.

BRIANNA PARKER, YEAR 11 SOCIAL JUSTICE CAPTAIN

the humility the girls articulated when, weary and tired from one day’s intense commitment to those whom life did not offer an easy pathway, they shared with their teachers how difficult it must be to devote your life to working in such environments five days or more each week and still stay smiling.

if we enable students to act in “the...world, we have created leaders who can embrace change with integrity and act ethically.

”

Nowhere was this more evident than at the Year 10 Urban Challenge and Year 11 Street Retreat held in March.

Both programs require the girls to act in support of others whose circumstances have left them disadvantaged. As girls debriefed with their teachers after spending time in hospices with the dying,

special needs schools with children who are severely disabled, on production lines in factories that support intellectually disabled adults, feeding the homeless and similar activities, they had the grace to understand that their problems were insignificant compared to what they had witnessed. Of particular note was

When teachers return from debriefing with students and are humbled by the beauty they have witnessed within these young women, then we have truly fulfilled our mission to act in the world with strength and gentleness.

Jane Curran College Principal

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LATEST NEWS

INTRODUCING OUR

Junior Leaders Congratulations to our Junior Leaders for 2018

Year 11: Corina Behrens, Katherine Ford, Jasmin High, Helena Smith

Art Captains

Library Captains

Raya Santos, Samsara Crowe (Year 7), Nicola Quintiliani, Sophia Furtado (Year 8), Charlotte Price, Sophie Tunks (Year 9), Anika Townley, Natalie Lukacevic (Year 10), Bridget McKee, Madeleine Reid (Year 11)

Abigail Mills, Amelia Newton (Year 7), Marisa Raso (Years 8/9), Emily Goad (Years 10/11)

Compass Captains Charlotte Thomas, Antonia Wong (Year 11)

Dance Captains Isabelle De Ruiter, Elif Caner, Genna Papaioannou (Year 7), Nicola Vaccarella (Year 8), Taylor Elliott (Year 9), Chloe Oldham (Year 10)

Drama Captains Chiara Nunes, Sarah Matthews, Ayva Barney, Paris Wilson (Year 9), Chloe Christie, Priya Uskovic, Elizabeth Mitcherson, Laura Collins (Year 10), Annabelle Judd, Olivia McNamara (Year 11)

Duke of Edinburgh Captains Abigail Ries, Ashlee Marks (Year 10)

House Leaders Year 7: Georgia Aikman, Sabina Arianayagam, Molly Baczkowski, Taylor Bradac, Isabella Brooker, Sarah Hudson, Ella Kennedy, Caitlin O’Sullivan, Anneka Staas, Jasmine Walters, Meg Wannell, Eva Willoughby Year 8: Coco Yamaguchi, Antonia Tomkins, Lara Veidners, Abbi Jackett, Genevieve Kelly, Isabella Sham, Ella Hemens, Charlotte Parker, Molly Fileman, Abbey Shaw, Lucienne Cuda, Ruoning (Amber) Jin Year 9: Alique Chater, Lily Boyse, Georgia Bonadio, Aleisha Jeremy, Matilda Johnson, Chloe Marshall, Jemma Onslow, Marisa Raso, Sophie Orellana, Olivia Sheridan, Tiahna Whitfield, Nicole Bradley Year 10: Tara Dean, Madison Hunt, Jordyn Parry, Madison McGrath

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Middle School Leaders Genevieve Judd, Jasmine Guyot, Lillian Jenkins, Maya Lesko (Year 9)

Ministry Leaders Charlotte Sim, Madison Lisle (Year 7), Alannah McGrath, Lucienne Cuda (Year 8), Andie Hilton, Madeleine Coakes (Year 9), Charlotte Cuda, Tessa Panetta (Year 10), Alison Akhurst, Anita Furtado (Year 11)

Music Captains

Social Justice Captains Grace Mercieca, Sienna Sutton (Year 7), Ella Hemens, Lauren Board (Year 8), Courtney Wilkinson, Sophia Garouniatis (Year 9), Isabel Vitoria, Jemima Thomas (Year 10), Amy Skiffington, Brianna Parker (Year 11)

Sport Captains Scarlett Davies, Jacqueline Lee (Year 7), Coco Guberina, Zoe Ellis (Year 8), Ella Johnson, Magali Ogg (Year 9), Keily Ting, Sacha Clements (Year 10), Kahli Gilchrist, Rebekah Moore (Year 11)

STEM Captains Caitlin Cummins, Mia Gougousidis (Year 11)

Technology Captains

Choir: Eva Ossowski (Year 8), Niamh Rivers (Year 11)

Halle Dickinson, Bailey Haynes, Jessica Hildebrandt, Bethany Miller, Olivia Noble, Julia Ober, Isla Pegler (Year 7), Stephanie Tran (Year 8), Tessa Panetta (Year 10), Charlize Brouwers (Year 11)

Guitar Ensemble: Emily Ambrogio (Year 9)

Year Leaders

Junior Concert Band: Georgie Bickerton, Zoe Casey (Year 8)

Year 10: Carmelita Buay, Nicole Chan, Jemima Guberina, Chloe Jackett, Teya Murray, Isabella Mestrov, Abigail Powell, Natesha Shalliker, Jane Shin, Sophie Spurr, Isabella Wilson

Brass Ensemble: Jessica Wearne (Year 10)

Junior Vocals: Alannah McGrath (Year 8) Orchestra: Ella Davies (Year 10) Senior Concert Band: Bianca Henderson‑Brooks (Year 9), Abby Johnson (Year 10) Senior Stage Band: Zoe Gougousidis (Year 11) Senior Vocals: Abby Van Balkom (Year 11) String Ensemble: Teresa Honeysett (Year 11)

Year 11: Emma Board, Christina Chan, Olivia Hannam, Tara Ferreira, Lauren Hocking, Sarah Lowry, Amber McCully, Isabella Reddy, Lauren Stanaway, Abbey Tyler

Youth Adventure Challenge Captain Jacoba Sheridan (Year 11)

LATEST NEWS

SPACE

Invaders “

Overlaid on this experience is a learning framework that incorporates personal development in areas such as self-motivation and reliance, goal setting, teamwork, curiosity and imagination.

”

Brigidine’s Voyage to NASA 2017 marked many significant events to the astronomical community: The Great American Eclipse, the announcement of an Australian Space Agency, the Grand Finale of Cassini’s exploration of the Saturnian system and, of course, Brigidine’s inaugural inclusion in the Alliance of Girls Schools’ Australasia International Study Program with NASA USA. Brigidine students Caitlin Cummins (Year 11) and Kate Heffernan (Year 12) joined over 100 other Alliance girls from throughout Australia to attend HASSE

Space School in Houston, Texas. Caitlin and Kate were immersed in the world’s most profound and impactful STEM environment – that of space exploration and science in conjunction with NASA. Overlaid on this experience is a learning framework that incorporates personal development in areas such as self-motivation and reliance, goal setting, teamwork, curiosity and imagination – the multi-disciplinary skills necessary to take on the changing technological landscape.

Congratulations to both Caitlin and Kate on graduating from Space University at Space Centre Houston, where they were required to build (and launch) rockets and compete in simulations developing Mars habitats, space shuttle shielding and thermal space suit designs. This was followed by a trip to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab to witness astronauts training in the underwater scale mockup of the International Space Station, followed by scuba diving training of their own, nearby.

Throughout the program, Kate and Caitlin collaborated with like-minded girls to develop their own submissions for the HASSE X-Prize where students are required to develop complete proposals for development, design, launch and funding plans for a robotic mission to the moon. This was complemented with seminars led by NASA astronauts, Mars One candidates and other prominent scientists and engineers working in the Space industry.

The site visit to Ad Astra engaged students in the physics behind electric ion thrusters, representing cutting edge rocket technology at the forefront of space exploration. Students also visited the Johnson Space Centre, housing one of NASA’s three publicly viewable, unused, Saturn 5 rockets, literally the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever made, to date (and over 40 years old).

Other highlights included visiting Georges Observatory where the girls completed Mission Control styled simulations of Lunar and Mars missions, Rice University made famous by John F Kennedy’s “We choose to go to the Moon” speech, and the TX/RX Labs, a huge makerspace where the girls received training in 3D modelling and printed mockups of their Lunar Explorers. Students also attended a live NBA game and experienced shopping in USA malls.

Certainly an “out of this world” experience! Well done to both Kate and Caitlin for representing Brigidine at NASA USA. Byron Usmar Project Leader, STEM

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LATEST NEWS

ACCELERATING

with Honours Student Acceleration opportunities through the Honours Program The Brigidine Honours Program is a platform which celebrates academic independence and intellectual courage. It offers a myriad of opportunities to develop leadership skills for motivated learners and the completion of each level of the program results in the accolade of Graduation with Honours at the end of Years 8, 10 and 12.

In Years 7–10, Junior and Intermediate Honours girls engage in critical thinking through dynamic discussion and provocative debates. They are invited to participate actively in seminars and tutorials in which they explore fascinating and diverse ideas such as Danish architectural design or neuroscience and learning. The girls are encouraged to interact with students in different

Year groups and articulate and justify their views confidently and coherently.

They are also required to undertake an individual research project which delves into a topic that sparks their imaginations and triggers their curiosity.

Examples of such projects include creating an artwork which promotes an awareness of the impact of human activity on the landscape, the creation of a children’s book, inspired by speech pathology theories, and an evaluation of contemporary slavery. The process of completing this work takes place in negotiation with the Honours Coordinator and the girls learn to establish personal deadlines and articulate their understanding of their own learning in a self-assured manner. They are also required to display their work publicly and proudly!

The Senior Honours students, in Years 11 and 12, cultivate their cognitive considerations and consolidate their leadership skills further by introducing

and promoting their own initiatives.

These include the creation of ‘Toilet Door Wisdom’, which integrates bizarre facts and study tips on the back of all the College’s bathroom doors, and the management of the Brigidine Current Affairs Facebook page which raises the awareness of present-day world issues.

These girls act as mentors to Junior and Intermediate girls and facilitate ‘Provocative Pondering’ classes for their peers to encourage lateral thinking.

A summative demonstration of leadership occurs during the Honours Presentation Evening, which is a community event held annually towards the end of the school year. At this event, Honours students are challenged to deliver TED-style talks in which they scrutinize a bold and contentious issue in a pithy, articulate and informed manner to challenge the audience to think differently.

Overall, the Brigidine Honours Program seeks to develop and nurture the leadership capabilities of articulate and interested learners who are fascinated by ideas and seek to inspire others.

It explicitly targets key elements noted in the recent Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools – Through Growth to Achievement which states that “more school leavers will need skills that are not easily replicated by machines, such as problem-solving, interactive and social skills, and critical and creative thinking”, and that “every young Australian should emerge from schooling as a creative, connected, and engaged learner.”

Catherine O’Flynn Honours Coordinator References: Through Growth to Achievement, March 2018, Australian Government, https://www.education.gov.au/review-achieveeducational-excellence-australian-schools

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LATEST NEWS

AN EDUCATIONAL

Conundrum

What keeps me awake at night There are so many emerging ideas in educational thinking at present, one could be forgiven for thinking we are on the edge of a paradigm shift.

Change is in the air. But how to do what we know we must do, or could do, is a difficult question for schools, especially in the face of conflicting demands driving those changes and the rigid structures constraining them.

The government has become concerned that many Australian students may not be adequately equipped for a future, global workplace that will demand higher standards of literacy and numeracy and require productive skills and competencies that will ensure success in work and in life. It is determined to do something about it. Because Australia continues to lag behind other countries in reading, writing, mathematics and science achievement in the international student assessment, known as PISA, there has been a sharp focus on what must change to raise standards.

The government’s initial response was to mandate that school students must reach a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy to be eligible for a Higher School Certificate (HSC). In New South Wales, that was interpreted as the achievement of a Band 8 in the Year 9 NAPLAN tests but after much agitation from teachers and parents, it was scrapped and replaced by online tests for Year 10 onwards until the standard could be successfully achieved. It was inevitable that using Band 8 as the necessary standard for Year 12 in Year 9 would create unintended notions of success and failure. This backflip only served to highlight the fact that students’ intellectual development progresses at different rates as they mature. It raises questions about an education system that is organised according to chronological age and not levels of ability and progress.

Since 2014, when the Australian curriculum was launched in NSW, new syllabuses have been implemented in English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography from Years 7 to 10 with the HSC courses available in 2019 and 2020. Languages, Technology and PDHPE will be available to Year 7 in 2019. Their design captures the intent to

deepen learning in both knowledge and understanding. Literacy, numeracy and an ability to use technology effectively are targeted but so too are the capabilities of thinking critically about real world challenges that demand creative but ethical solutions. This inevitably changes the design of questions in the HSC examinations of these courses and poses a new challenge for teachers in the planning of their lessons and preparation of students for success from 2019.

With a desire to deepen learning and challenge students to achieve the highest standards in rigorous courses, considerable attention has been directed towards the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). For students, achieving the highest rank has become the goal, not the achievement of the highest standards in rigorous courses.

This is simply because entry to a university of choice is the priority. As a result, a student’s subject selection of 10 units of HSC courses that bears little resemblance and therefore preparation for undergraduate courses has become a cause for concern within Australian universities. This is especially so for undergraduate courses requiring high order mathematics and science, courses for the future, and the push has started to encourage students to select these subjects for their HSC. This push from politicians and university academics has evolved into an acronym, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Schools are expected to promote this integrated approach to learning to raise the profile of subjects that are so critical to building an educated workforce for the more technological nature of work in the future. Schools are already teaching these subjects with exciting programs that capture the imagination of students but to integrate them into something different and purposeful requires a change in the traditional construct of the curriculum.

“

The preoccupation with STEM can deny a similar focus on the humanities and the arts.

”

Traditionally, knowledge is organised in disciplines which are referred to as subjects within a school curriculum.

The syllabuses developed by the NSW Education Standards Authority are generally designed in isolation from one another, creating a haphazard roadmap of competing terminology, methodologies, and sequences of learning in areas of related knowledge that frequently expose gaps and confusing repetitions.

On top of this, the government mandates a period of indicative time to teach a mandatory group of subjects which fill the timetable, making it very difficult to initiate and include innovative, purposeful new courses. Not impossible, but not straightforward. Invariably innovative ideas fall outside the curriculum into cocurricular activities and risk being superficial as an exercise in deep learning.

The preoccupation with STEM can deny a similar focus on the humanities and the arts. An ability to think critically about the human condition as it is portrayed in philosophy, history, literature, language, music, art, sociology, psychology, and anthropology is to contemplate complex moral issues, develop interpersonal skills, social responsibility and develop empathy and understanding. To be able to communicate and express those ideas in a clear, rational way is just as important in a future workplace that requires human judgement. Unfortunately, the high order thinking and reasoning that belong to philosophy, sociology, psychology and anthropology are not part of the traditional curriculum so once again, something must give to make way for something new and different.

It seems so straightforward to want to raise standards; it is what we would all want. We know what we need to do but how to achieve it is difficult. There are so many complexities to envisioning an education system that fulfils all the expectations of its stakeholders, the challenge is enormous. Where does one begin? It’s a conundrum …

Sue Martin Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

WELCOME

New Staff Richard Luxford, Business Manager

“

... she feels fortunate that she is able to help students develop knowledge and critical thinking skills in relation to the legal system and its effectiveness in promoting a just and fair society.

Richard comes to Brigidine after having held the Director of Business and Operations roles at two K–12 independent schools and at Macquarie University over the past ten years. During this time he has had responsibility for finance, property, IT, WHS & Risk Management, HR and marketing.

”

Kate Barnes, Social Science Teacher

Prior to this Richard held various roles in the corporate sphere encompassing hospitality, university finance and administration, medical, food and manufacturing.

Kate has been teaching at independent girls’ schools for the past six years and comes to Brigidine from Pymble Ladies’ College where she has been teaching Legal Studies, History and Financial Literacy. Prior to teaching, Kate worked as a civil litigation solicitor for eight years with a national firm. She holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and a Graduate Diploma of Education.

Richard is a qualified Accountant FCPA and Chartered Secretary (FCIS) and has worked internationally as an Accountant in London, Indonesia and Germany.

Richard lives in West Pymble with his wife and three children aged 6, 11 and 14.

He has had a lifelong association with rowing both as a competitor and as a coach.

David Clifton, Social Science Teacher David comes to Brigidine after years of teaching and studying at both Western Sydney and Wollongong Universities. Prior to this, David was a graphic designer working his way around most of Sydney’s advertising agencies.

David continues his teaching outside of school as he regularly coaches athletes with a disability every second weekend to play cricket for possible selection into NSW/ ACT Special Olympics and NSW Intellectual Disability Cricket teams. He also co‑manages an educational/ resource charity in Fiji – so spends as much time as possible there. In his spare time, he bodyboards and is a photographer, often shooting for Fiji Rugby and Cricket NSW and now also at Brigidine sport carnivals.

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Kate is interested in legal issues and international relations and is passionate about human rights and social justice.

She loves teaching Social Sciences and, in particular, Legal Studies where she feels fortunate that she is able to help students develop knowledge and critical thinking skills in relation to the legal system and its effectiveness in promoting a just and fair society.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

STAFF

Farewells Greg Smith The College recently farewelled Mr Greg Smith after over three years in the role of Business Manager.

Wen Zhang, Database Administrator Wen comes to Brigidine from St Augustine’s College, where she was working as Database Administrator for almost 9 years. Wen was responsible for all College systems and databases.

She would also assist staff with data formatting and analysis.

Prior to this, Wen was a Software Developer in China.

Greg came to us from OLMC Parramatta where he had a long and distinguished career in school finance and business administration.

Greg arrived at a time of great change in the compliance aspects of education and worked assiduously over the three years to ensure that the College was compliant in all areas of finance, risk and infrastructure. He managed these changes and embedded them in the normal working life of the College so that, in leaving, he has left us in an excellent position. The College Board and staff are extremely grateful for the work done by Greg in bringing us to this position where we can move confidently ahead.

Jane Curran College Principal

Anne Summerhayes Vandan Kanjariya, ICT Officer Vandan comes to Brigidine from Australian Technical & Management College, where he had experience in providing IT Support to students and staff along with managing internal IT networks across the College’s five campuses in Melbourne and Sydney.

Vandan graduated from Federation University with a Master in Information Technology in 2016. He is a member of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and is also registered as a cabler with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Ms Anne Summerhayes commenced teaching at Brigidine as a member of the Science Department in 1990.

Chemistry was her major and her initial area of expertise, so understandably she taught HSC Chemistry. Most Science teachers have one or sometimes two areas of expertise.

Anne had a passion for all the sciences. She went on to teach HSC Biology too. The subject that seems to cause the most angst among teachers is Physics but that didn’t deter Anne.

After undertaking further study at TAFE she then went on to teach HSC Physics. Anne also taught HSC Senior Science. To be so well versed in these subjects at HSC level is amazing and it truly demonstrates her deep intellect and her love of learning.

In time Anne eventually found herself drawn to teaching a Religion class.

Again, embracing the ideal of lifelong learning, she completed a Graduate Diploma of Religious Education followed by her move to the Religious Education Department at Brigidine.

This transition saw Anne teaching yet another HSC subject, Studies of Religion, which became her new passion.

No matter the subject Anne has inspired her students to achieve their best. Her thorough preparation, gentle humour and genuine interest in the girls made for a positive and motivating learning environment.

Another of Anne’s significant contributions to our College community has been in pastoral care.

She has been a Year Coordinator of Years 7, 8, 10 and 11. Whatever the age of the student, Anne understood the trials and tribulations of each stage and knew just what was needed to support them. Having completed a Masters in Pastoral Guidance and armed with a wealth of life experience, Anne was well equipped for any challenges.

In fact, Anne had been practising positive education long before it became a buzzword. As a qualified life coach, her knowledge and expertise in this field have been of great benefit to students and colleagues alike.

We will miss Anne dearly and wish her all the best in her retirement after 27 years at the College.

Mary Radcliff Science Teacher

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OUR COMMUNITY

Snapshots

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Centre for Excellence Expo

Year 7 Orientation Week

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Year 12 Breakfast

Ash Wednesday Mass

OUR COMMUNITY

Year 8 Camp

Lions Club of St Ives Anzac service

Pancake Day

Commencement Mass

Fatima captains accept the winning trophy for the Swimming Carnival

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OUR COMMUNITY

MELBOURNE CUP

Ladies Lunch We should have known that Rekindling would be the winner of the Cup because it was certainly a theme at the Melbourne Cup Ladies Lunch!

Groups of women came together. Some had been friends for years and lunches like this really keep the friendship going; others had only met this year or just at the lunch, but we all had a great time.

There was a sparkling treat on arrival and delightful music from our own Chamber Strings ensemble as 80 women headed for the fun and games with sweeps and raffles.

Cavallino Ristorante at Terrey Hills once again proved to be a wonderful setting for this special day.

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Sincere thanks to Daniella Marrocco and Tess Wiseman (Year 11 2017 mothers) who were a great help with planning this event. A big thank you also to the Development team who coordinated the afternoon.

At the event, we raised $550 from raffle proceeds for the Digital Laser Cutter project! Thanks to Zjoosh and Cable Melbourne for their support.

Di Lawrence Director, Development and Community Relations

OUR COMMUNITY

UNMASKED

Cocktail Party

Interested in helping the P&F committee at other events?

Email the committee on pandf@brigidine.nsw.edu.au

It looks like the build up to unveiling the mystery was really worth it. Over 400 parents and staff came along with masks ranging from feathers to Phantom, Zorro to zero and plenty of unadorned fresh faces ready to party.

Guests were greeted by Brigidine’s serenading String Ensemble, superb canapes and cocktails – a lovely start.

The night was then launched by Principal, Jane Curran, with a memorable and particularly amusing welcome story of her granddaughter’s recent school moments that made us all laugh. Her inspirational message about our teenage daughters was really appreciated. “So relatable” was the comment made by everyone.

Our live band for the evening, Acoustic Grooves, entertained with some well‑known favourites which was interrupted only by the need for a little more wine, beer and noodle boxes to keep up the energy.

Raffle prizes donated by The Convent Hunter Valley, Cavallino Ristorante and some of our wonderful Alumni attracted plenty of attention and support raising around $5000 towards resources for the girls.

The P&F committee, led by Pip Inman, raised the bar again in brilliance with events. Massive masks, Venetian gondolas and superb lighting created a fabulous atmosphere. Parents with matching glow sticks mingled and made new friendships.

Events such as this cannot happen without the creativity, planning, organisation and effort of people such as those on the P&F Committee: Pip Inman, Sarah Gillard, Frances Whitfield, Debbie Jenkins, Angela Oppen, Jenny Bellenger, Patty Isabelle, Katrina Tucker, Shona Cooley, Maria Lowe, Kay Donnelly, Ingrid Eyres and Lydia Thompson.

Special thanks also to Sue Klammer for

her wonderful invitation design! While they enjoy this process and each other’s company we are so grateful for all their expertise, time and effort. It was, once again, a pleasure to work with this group.

Many emails were received from parents to thank them and the College for this night and opportunity for our community to come together.

Thanks to all who attended and helped make this night a success!

Di Lawrence Director, Development and Community Relations

For those who missed out . . . start planning your table for Trivia Night!

Save the date: Saturday 25 August 2018

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OUR COMMUNITY

THEIR FUTURE STARTS NOW –

or does it?

As the years tick over we sometimes dream of days when we were younger. But those days are not always as wonderful as we remember.

For some girls the years that should be carefree and full of fun, unfortunately are not. Hardship can come out of nowhere.

Rather than being years of optimism, idealism and hope, these days can be overwhelmingly difficult as family circumstances impact on girls’ lives.

Each year we anticipate incredible delight on the faces of the young women who graduate from Brigidine following years of

“

We have had generous support for our bursary program from donors – current families, staff, alumni and past staff. For our fund to grow and provide future protection, we need to keep adding to it. I am a donor to the Scholarship and Bursary Fund because I believe in the education that the College provides and the value of education in enabling girls to take control of their future.

”

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support and achievement. However, we can only imagine the difficulties that some have suffered due to loss, illness or family pressures, as they mask the burden they and their families have carried throughout their time at Brigidine.

Confidentially, the College supports some students and their families through difficult times. We know that unexpected hardship can make it difficult for families to maintain their children’s education as they would wish. Being part of Brigidine, maintaining friendships, the support of our dedicated staff, stability, and an education that will carry a girl into her future as a well-educated young woman, is surely what is needed.

Our Principal, Jane Curran, recently received a letter from a parent who receives such support. “It has been a struggle for me both emotionally and financially... but you have always come up trumps with every hurdle that has crossed my path. I thank you, and the College, from the bottom of my heart.”

Jane responds here. “We have had generous support for our bursary program from donors – current families, staff, alumni and past staff. For our fund to grow and provide future protection, we need to keep adding to it. I am a donor to the Scholarship and Bursary Fund because I believe in the education that

Principal, Jane Curran

the College provides and the value of education in enabling girls to take control of their future.”

You can help us ensure the future of those students whose families have met with hardship. Your tax-deductible gift to the Scholarship and Bursary Fund will make their future bright and optimistic.

Please donate today.

OUR COMMUNITY

The power and importance of performance Performance is clearly one of the strengths of Brigidine girls. Last year’s HSC students took out three of the top seven positions in the state in Drama and topped the state in the previous year! Employers are telling us today that they want generic qualities such as confidence and resilience and skills including public speaking, presentation and performance. Our girls are developing these skills in so many ways at Brigidine but particularly through performing arts.

What better way to encourage these skills and to leave a record of your time, or your daughter’s, at Brigidine College than by the ‘Take a Seat’ program. Whether your daughter performed in the Musical, the Dance Spectacular, is a debater, musician or is developing her confidence in other ways, she will be thrilled to see her name on a seat.

Your tax-deductible gift of $500 or multiples, will help us extend performing arts and public presentation skills at the College. In acknowledgement of your generosity an engraved plaque will be mounted on the back of the seat, with the name of your choice – your daughter’s or your family’s name.

Recording your presence at the College, now or in days past, leaves a lasting sign of the part you have played in the life and character of Brigidine. Over 50% of the seats in the Murray Theatre record the presence of a Brigidine girl, family or staff member from our earliest graduates in 1958 to those who will still be here until 2022.

Be a part of this community project and leave your mark today – Take a Seat!

To make your gift to one of these Annual Giving programs go to our website www.brigidine.nsw.edu.au and click on Support then Annual Giving. You can click the Donate Now button OR go directly to Payments. Whatever your gift, it will be greatly appreciated and will make a difference to our girls.

Di Lawrence Director Development and Community Relations Our Annual Giving Program is an annual request to support Brigidine College St Ives financially and reflects our philosophy of everyone contributing what they can for projects which cannot be covered by school fees.

/BrigidineStIves Brigidine 2018 Annual Giving Watch this video to find out more about our 2018 Annual Giving campaign, available on the Brigidine YouTube channel or at https://youtu.be/S0OFrxAOkUw

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

THOROUGHLY

Modern Millie Goodbye, good, goody girl.

I’m changing, and how!

Musical theatre has a tendency for presenting what is old as brand new once more, and nowhere has this been more evident than in Brigidine’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. The show is firmly rooted in musical theatre with the first incarnation of the Millie story originating as a ragtime melodrama in London in the 1950s.

Chrysanthemum focused on the titular ingenue character who falls victim to both a slave trade ring and the perils of love (a tough day for Chrysanthemum Brown!). A decade later, this plot formed the basis of a comic musical film Thoroughly Modern Millie, starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing.

Although nominated for multiple Academy Awards in 1967, Millie quietly slipped away to the footnotes of Julie Andrews’ career behind other more celebrated roles such as a singing nun and a whimsical nanny, but was eventually recast on Broadway in a reworked stage version of the film’s story. Although the title song was carried over from the silver screen, the jazz standards that fleshed out the soundtrack were replaced by new compositions that told the story of Millie Dillmount and her experiences in New York in the 1920s.

Considering its varied lineage, Thoroughly Modern Millie is unsurprisingly a mix of styles, issues and characters. It is the classic story of a small-town girl trying to make it big in the Big Apple, and in this way Millie is a pseudo-feminist of her time, committed to marrying first to

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advance her social standing rather than for love. However, the plot maintains its melodramatic conventions with the villainous character of Mrs Meers, a failed actress who uses her questionable acting skills to masquerade as proprietor of a rundown hotel where she traffics vulnerable, orphaned guests overseas for money. Add to this the production numbers set in an insurance company populated by stenographers, a brief visit to a 1920s speakeasy and a traditional love triangle (or love square, as it turns out) and Millie becomes an unusual confection indeed.

Musical theatre is historically an unusual environment where we suspend our disbelief and heighten the fantasy of what is presented on stage, not least of which are the characters. Millie is in no way a realistic vision, nor an articulation of the College’s values. In regard to the characters of Bun Foo and Ching Ho, the writer of the show’s book and lyrics Dick Scanlan states clearly that they are ‘no different than any of the other characters in the show – human, earnest and multi-dimensional’. In fact they are the heart of the story, ultimately acting with integrity and achieving the happy ending of what their New York dream means to them, and it is this note that the show leaves us on. We endeavoured to create a strong relationship between the

audience and these characters to amplify the hollowness of Mrs Meers’ confused portrayal of her ‘disguise’, and I thank the three actors who worked with the utmost care, respect and precision to ensure this was the case.

As a Broadway show, Millie was a runaway success. In 2002 it won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and productions have toured both the US and the UK. It was a logical choice for Brigidine as it offers a variety of strong female roles (sometimes a rare commodity in musical theatre) and transported the students to an era that we have not put on stage for many years.

On behalf of the production team and the cast, we hope that we reinvigorated the past and offered something both new and highly enjoyable.

Chris Rutherford Director

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

SWIMMING

Carnival Well done to all students and staff for your efforts in making the 2018 Swimming Carnival so fantastic!

The attendance and participation was excellent and it was pleasing to see everyone get involved.

We returned to the Warringah Aquatic Centre this year and the atmosphere was electric!

outfits worn by the Year 12 House Captains, the house war cries which were done with much enthusiasm and the Year 12 cohort singing the Brigidine war cry in the pool together after swimming their final race at a Brigidine carnival.

Some of the highlights of the day included the impressive dress up

Claire Hatherell Head of Sport

Well done to Mia Rolfe (Year 12) and Magali Ogg (Year 9) who both broke a record on the day.

Age Champions

New records

YEAR

IST PLACE

2ND PLACE

3RD PLACE

Multiclass

Bridget Maher

Jessica Penollar

Jessica Garrett

12 Years

Alejandro Blanco

Scarlett Rowland-Smith

Lola Meikle

13 Years

Alexandra Lawrence

Taylor Bradac

Scarlett Judd

14 Years

Magali Ogg

Georgia Bonadio

Ashleigh Kuznetsoff

15 Years

Jodie Louw

Roxy Beuzeville

Sylvia Song

16 Years

Anika Townley

Joint 2nd Place: Elsa Schuller and Ashley Smith

17+ Years

Mia Rolfe

Annabelle Oh

Annabelle Judd

Magali Ogg: 12–14 years, 200m IM Junior, 2:52.75 min (old record), 2:36.98 min (new record) Mia Rolfe: 17+ years, 50m Backstroke, 32.88 sec (old record), 31:36 sec (new record) Open Invitational 50m Freestyle Champion

Mia Rolfe

Swimming Champion

Magali Ogg

Winning House

Fatima

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

CROSS COUNTRY

Carnival

The annual Cross Country Carnival was held at the end of Term 1 on a sunny, hot day at St Ives Showground.

Well done to the 737 girls who competed throughout the morning!

Congratulations to the following girls who placed in their respective age groups:

Age Champions YEAR

IST PLACE

2ND PLACE

Para Athlete

Natesha Shalliker

Lisa Weingartner

12 Years

Meg Wannell

Jessica Rheinberger

Lola Meikle

13 Years

Keeley Holmes

Alexandra Sinclair

Hannah Thonell

14 Years

Esme Sergi

Magali Ogg

Gemma Lacey

15 Years

Ciara Sinclair

Roxi Beuzeville

Holli Raaff

16 Years

Isabel Vitoria

Jemma Walsh

Lauren Hickey

17 Years

Mia Rolfe

Annabelle Oh

Annabelle Judd

18 Years

Helena De Gruchy

Rhona Kennedy

Abigail Palmer

Cross Country Champion

Ciara Sinclair

Winning House

Prague

Claire Hatherell Head of Sport

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3RD PLACE

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

THE SCIENCE OF

trying something new

There really is no easy way to start the school year.

Classes for Years 8–12 commenced on the first day back for all students. Year 7 had an Orientation week in the first week to help them navigate the physical and virtual world they had entered.

Saturday sport, musical rehearsals, orchestra, stage band and choir started in Week 2. The Centre for Excellence Expo showcased the opportunities available for the girls in Week 3 and Duke of Edinburgh presented Information nights for all Award levels to ensure parents and participants were ready for the year ahead. Girls travelling to Borneo with the Antipodeans program presented their research findings and Dance classes also commenced in Week 4.

For many parents and students, some of these experiences would be brand new, involving a new environment, new people, perhaps a new uninform and a new routine. For some, the ‘new’ is exciting.

For others, it can be challenging. But did you know that these new experiences can improve your memory, help you study more effectively and learn more quickly?

A study by researchers Nico Bunzeck and Emrah Duzel and the University College of London found that exposing your brain to something new can significantly improve learning and memory. Apparently, new experiences and the novelty of them cause strong activity in our midbrain, so completely new information stands out among a group of overly familiar objects or images.

Our dopamine levels are also influenced by the novelty of something new. Each new stimulus gives us a little rush of motivation to explore, because it makes us anticipate a reward. When we see something new, we see it has a potential for rewarding us in some way. This potential that lies in new things motivates us to explore our environment for rewards.

The brain learns that the stimulus, once familiar, has no reward associated with it and so it loses its potential. For this reason, only completely new objects and experiences activate the midbrain area and increase our levels of dopamine.

What does this mean for learning?

You can start to improve your knowledge retention and make new ideas and concepts stick by introducing novelty into your learning process. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Add something new: Each time you review information or facts that you’ve learned before, add in a small number of new ones. This will make your brain notice and recognise slightly familiar information more easily because it’s offset by brand new concepts.

Learn new things: You can take a class, just for fun. You can sign up for a new sport, a club, or a musical group. Or you can visit the College Library to pick out a book on an intriguing but unfamiliar topic.

Change your environment: Your environment can offer a huge amount of novel stimuli for your brain.

Try offsetting the familiarity of learning material by reviewing it in new settings.

On top of this, changing the temperature or lighting in the room you are already in can make a big difference. Explore an unfamiliar place. Schedule a visit to an unfamiliar museum, park, or restaurant.

Try new experiences and learn after doing something new: Sample new foods, perhaps from the College canteen! Challenge your expectations by looking for new activities and set aside time to learn right after taking in new stimuli. If you meet someone new in a team, group or class, or explore a new place, your brain will be more open to making new connections during and right after this time, so you might as well take advantage.

Your brain is designed to seek out new possibilities. As a result, it responds to new stimuli in a positive way, rewarding new information with higher production of dopamine, the same chemical that rewards us during pleasurable experiences. New experiences have a uniquely enjoyable and exciting effect on our mood and outlook.

So, next time you look at your weekly schedule, make sure there is something there that offers you the opportunity to explore something new, knowing that this will improve your memory, help you study more effectively and learn more quickly.

Belinda Moore Director, Cocurricula References: Cooper, B 2013, Novelty And The Brain: Why New Things Make Us Feel So Good, accessed 20 February 2018 at https://www.lifehacker. com.au/2013/05/novelty-and-the-brain-whynew-things-make-us-feel-so-good/ Pure Novelty Spurs The Brain, Cell Press, 27 August 2006, accessed 20 February 2018 at https://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2006/08/060826180547.htm

/BrigidineStIves Have you seen our latest video?

The first in a new series called #TryitLoveit, this sport video captures our culture of participation and opportunity at the College for every girl to find something new or something that they already love and the benefits of getting involved.

Head to Brigidine’s YouTube channel or go to: https://youtu.be/zlJRkUaZ2RI

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

SPORT

Highlights Tildesley Tennis AFL Well done to the 26 girls who were members of the Brigidine AFL Year 9/10 and Opens teams who contested the inaugural AFL Girls competition, held early this year.

It was fantastic to see the girls enjoy learning new skills and improve over the course of the competition. We look forward to the Gala Day in Term 4 and the continuing growth of the competition next year.

Huge thanks to Matt Byrne and Tony Eyres for coaching the girls; their enthusiasm for AFL is infectious and the girls benefitted from their knowledge and guidance over the 6 weeks.

Brigidine had 23 girls representing the school at the Tildesley Tennis Tournament in March in its 100th year of competition. There were special events planned for the 100th running of the tournament and Zoe Re (Year 12, pictured) was chosen to be a part of the opening ceremony wearing traditional tennis outfits.

The rain threatened to ruin the tournament and dampen everyone’s spirits and although Day 1 was rained out, play could continue on the Thursday and Friday and the tournament was completed. Brigidine finished in 21st place, with two players making it through to the 3rd round singles matches and big improvements in game scores and overall point score.

A big thank you to everyone involved in the preparation leading up to the tournament and the parents who supported the girls over the 3 days.

BBSSSA Swimming Carnival We had some fantastic results at the BBSSSA Swimming Carnival, held in March. Congratulations to all girls who participated.

New Records: Mia Rolfe – 17+ Years 50m Backstroke Mia Rolfe – 17+ Years 100m Freestyle Lisa Weingartner – Girls Multiclass Open

50m Breastroke

Age Champions: Alex Lawrence – 13 Years Girls Champion Mia Rolfe – 17+ Years Girls Champion Lisa Weingartner – Multiclass Girls

Champion

Overall School Results: Open Girls Division Champions Junior Girls Division Champions

Softball After finishing the season with 5 wins and a draw, the Brigidine 1sts Softball team were scheduled to take on Ravenswood 1sts in the Grand Final of the IGSSA S01 competition.

With Brigidine batting first, the team underwent two very tense innings with the score sitting at 5-2 to Brigidine.

Ravenswood played a very tactical game and, after a nervous 3rd innings of fielding from Brigidine, Ravenswood managed to draw the match at 5-5 at the completion of regular time.

With light fading the game went into overtime and an ‘international tie-breaker’.

Brigidine was again batting first and managed to get two runners home, taking the score to 7-5.

Ravenswood soon stepped up to the plate and got one runner home. With nerves of steel, Grace Christensen (Year 12) who had pitched beautifully throughout the game, stepped it up a notch to strike out two batsmen and Brigidine took the Softball S01 trophy for the first time ever!

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Water Polo Ella Worland (Year 11) represented NSWCCC at the All Schools Water Polo Championships in March.

The NSWCCC team finished 3rd and Ella has been selected in the NSW All Schools team which will compete at the School Sports Australia Championships in May over in Perth. Well done Ella!

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

CENTRE FOR

Excellence Lions Youth of the Year

ASCA Speech Success

College Captain, Ciara Flynn, took part in the St Ives Lions Youth of the Year Award in February. Before the presentation dinner, Ciara and the other students from local state and independent schools completed an application form and were interviewed as part of the competition. At the dinner the students each presented a five-minute speech on a topic of their own choice and they were also required to answer two impromptu questions. Ciara’s speech was interesting and insightful and she was a great ambassador of the College.

The Australian Speech Communication Association (ASCA) annual Awards Ceremony was held in May at Ravenswood. Brigidine students achieved the following awards. Congratulations!

Imogen Ryan (Year 9) – Senior Centre

Medal

Tara Thai (Year 9) – Senior Centre Medal Jemima Guberina (Year 10) – Senior

Studio Medal

Coco Guberina (Year 8) – Senior

Achievement Award

Rosemary Lu (Year 8) – Bob Pioro Award

for an Outstanding candidate with English as a second language

Gold Line for Public Speaking Congratulations to Meaghan Collins (Year 11, pictured) who was awarded a College Gold Line for Public Speaking.

Meaghan has participated in the Public Speaking Club and various competitions since she was in Year 7.

She has taken part in the CSDA Public Speaking Competition, the Rostrum Voice of Youth, the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award and the AHIGS Festival of Speech. Meaghan has also taken part in the da Vinci Decathlon and the Tournament of Minds.

Last year she attained a Blue Line for Public Speaking for her previous accomplishments. In 2017 she was placed in the top three in two rounds of the CSDA competition

CSDA Public Speaking Competition

and proceeded into the Grand Final.

As well, Meaghan was part of the Religious and Ethical Questions team who placed fifth at last October’s Festival of Speech. For these achievements, Meaghan earned her Gold Line.

The following students took part in Round 1 of the CSDA competition on Friday 2 March at St Augustine’s College, Brookvale.

This year six students represented Brigidine in the competition and presented speeches from 4 to 8 minutes in length. Topics included Be not afraid, Just make it work and With me in charge.

Year 7: Scarlett Davies,

Genna Papaioannou

Year 8: Luisa Baker,

Clarisse Tsang

Year 10: Teya Murray Year 11: Nina Loone

Rostrum Voice of Youth In March, four Year 9 students, Stella Hall, Tara Thai, Flora Tucker and Courtney Wilkinson (pictured) took part in the Rostrum Voice of Youth competition that was held at Santa Sabina College Strathfield. The girls presented a six‑minute prepared speech from a list of topics. The speeches were interesting and diverse. The girls were all well prepared and they were great ambassadors of Brigidine College. Congratulations to Stella Hall on being placed runner-up in her heat.

Jan Whiddon Centre for Excellence Coordinator

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BACK TO BRIGIDINE

ALUMNI

Events The Tradition Lives On It’s always nice to see the Brigidine tradition live on through generations.

This year we welcomed several Brigidine alumni back to the College, joining their daughters for the start of their Brigidine journey.

Did you know?

If you are alumni of Brigidine College St Ives and would like to send your daughter to the College we will waive your registration fee. Contact our Enrolments Manager to find out more enrolments@brigidine.nsw.edu.au

Alumni Day 2017 It was a much-anticipated day for many alumni as they came together to share memories at the 2017 Alumni Day. In fact, one alumni was so excited to reunite with her former classmates that she flew all the way from the USA. Over 170 past students attended the day as we welcomed back the Classes of 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007 and 2012.

The ladies enjoyed afternoon tea and the opportunity to explore the College.

Many were amazed by the changes in both the facilities and opportunities available.

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Front row: Rachelle and Paige Fenton, Gabrielle Routledge, 2nd row: Eden Barnes, Stella Tucker, Kiara Palmer, Jessica Rheinberger, 3rd row: Dodi Barnes, Katrina Tucker, Tiffany Palmer, Jeannine Rheinberger, Jane Routledge 4th row: Sophie Hart, Sophie Temple, Madeline Gladen, Isabella Fraser Back row: Simone Hart, Anthea Temple, Alison Gladen, Fiona Bellenger

We also welcomed members of our past staff, including College Principal 1996 – 2005 Mr John Bowie and wife Patty, and our present staff, who reunited with their former colleagues and students. Our Alumni Patron, Sr Anita Murray also joined us for the celebration.

It was lovely to see our alumni come together again, sharing many memories and laughs.

Alumni Day 2018 will be held on Saturday 20 October. Classes of 1978, 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2013 please save the date!

BACK TO BRIGIDINE

Celebrating Milestones Students and staff came together in March to celebrate and honour the pioneers of our College at a special Pioneers Assembly. Our pioneers are students who attended and graduated the College between 1954 and 1969. We were honoured to have 10 pioneers attend the assembly along with special guests, Sr Maureen Keady and our Alumni Patron Sr Anita Murray. Mrs Barbara Brannan, the first ever College Captain (Class of 1957), was also in attendance. The assembly gave our current students an insight into how different College life was for our pioneers compared with today.

Rebecca Quinn with Drama teachers DiAnne McDonald and Chris Rutherford

Special mention must be made to those in attendance celebrating 50 years since graduation, Marea Michael and Annie Parkinson, and those celebrating 60 years, Ruth Bridger, Geraldine Lang and Maureen McCallum.

Karen Platt Class of 1991 (back row, centre) with Year 11 girls

Inspiration from one Brigidine generation to the next

Achieving Beyond Brigidine

Earlier this year we approached our alumni to come back to the College to share their stories with the girls. We were overwhelmed by the response from our ex Brigo girls. Thank you!

Several of our alumni from the Class of 2017 have been awarded scholarships or academic sponsorships since leaving the College. Congratulations to:

Term 1 saw many alumni return to the College to share their journey since leaving Brigidine.

Laura Watts – accepted in the Dalyell

Scholars Program at the University of Sydney

Rose Karpin – accepted the UNSW

Undergraduate Social Work Award

Madeline Harry – accepted sponsored place in the UTS BAcc Program Amelia Malone – accepted sponsored place in the UTS BAcc Program.

Megan Todd Class of 2008

Megan Todd Class of 2008 spoke to the girls about her involvement in the musical Mamma Mia as Deputy Head of Lighting and Rebecca Quinn Class of 2009, a UK based professional singer, songwriter and presenter, visited the College in March.

Cathy Butler – Order of Australia The College would like to extend its congratulations to Cathy Butler Class of 1985 for her receipt of the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the 2018 Australia Day Honours. Cathy was awarded this honour for services to refugees and community health.

This is an amazing achievement and an inspiration to us all.

Karen Platt Class of 1991 and Julia Sawer Class of 1992 spoke of their involvement in the area of social justice at the Year 11 Retreat. Karen is on the Board of the Cowboys Community Foundation and a founding member of the Gidget Foundation. Julia is the Founder and President of ‘Blair’s Wish’, a charity for children with disability.

(Left to right) Helen Butler (Cathy’s mother), Sr Anita Murray, Cathy Butler Class of 1985, Bruce Butler (Cathy’s father)

The girls love hearing stories from our alumni firsthand, witnessing the strong bond they still have with the College. We wish to continue this great affiliation. If you are Brigidine alumni and interested in getting involved please contact our Alumni and Community Relations Coordinator at alumni@brigidine.nsw.edu.au

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BACK TO BRIGIDINE

Weddings Abbie Brown (nee Hamilton) Class of 2003 I married David Brown at Fig Tree Restaurant, Bryon Bay on 18 November 2017. This stunning venue is set in the hinterland overlooking the coastline, including the lighthouse. With a garden theme and an outdoor meal under the fairy lights the setting couldn’t have been more perfect.

Meagan Sussman (nee O’Brien) Class of 2007 I met Nick Sussman over 11 years ago while I was still a student at school. We ended up getting engaged on our 10-year anniversary and decided to get married in Fiji. On 21 October 2017, we had 80 of our amazing family and friends travel from Australia and all over the world to be with us at a beautiful resort on the mainland,

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David and I have been together for 11 years. We met in Sydney in 2006 when he was posted to HMAS Kuttabal (Garden Island), shortly after his stint in Iraq with the Royal Australian Navy.

During our years together we have lived in Sydney, London, Brisbane and now reside on the sunny Gold Coast.

My sister, Georgia Hamilton (Class of 2011) was my maid of honour, my

Wananavu Beach Resort. We booked out the entire resort and most of our guests stayed for 5 days.

We had several Brigidine alumni attend including my sister Casey O’Brien (Class of 2011) who was a bridesmaid.

Other Brigo guests included Sinead Robinson‑Cast, Kim Corfield, Jasmine Ackroyd, Anna Dunn, Tash Nixon (all from the Class of 2007) and Carly Wright

backup and my voice of reason on my special day. She ensured she had a charged iPhone, lipstick, safety pins, and any other gadgets that may be needed in the event of a wedding day crisis. She was a blessing and I loved having her be part of my special day.

David and I honeymooned for 2 weeks in Hawaii, where there were many cocktails, lounging by pools, a few hikes, surfing and some golf.

We honestly didn’t want to come home.

David is an avid surfer and we were lucky enough to have our honeymoon only a stone’s throw from the Maui pro surf comp. It made for great spectating during our breakfast.

(Class of 2008). We were also lucky enough to have my cousin Danielle Nash (nee Priestly, Class of 2002) style the whole wedding and make our beautiful bouquets.

Since we were already in Fiji we decided to honeymoon on the islands and spent an extra 2 weeks relaxing in paradise.

It was an amazing experience that we will cherish for the rest of our lives!

BACK TO BRIGIDINE

Alana Major (nee Conlay) Class of 2004 Erik and I met in 2013 after being introduced to each other by mutual friends at a party. After 4 years of dating, we were engaged on my 30th birthday whilst overseas in Mauritius, and then married on 6 October 2017.

The ceremony was held outdoors at The Dunes Restaurant, Palm Beach.

After a rainy morning, we were all thrilled when the sun came out as we made our way there.

included Briana Nelson-Young, Hayley Carruthers (nee Johnston), Caitlyn Brukarz-Smith, Anna Cashman, Amy Smith (all Class of 2004), and Tori Ciabatti (nee Layton) Class of 2005.

We were joined by over 120 guests including a number of Brigidine alumni.

My bridesmaids were Jenna Daly, Elizabeth Stoten and Tess Hayman all from the Class of 2004, and my maid of honour was my sister, Aleisha Conlay Class of 2001. Other alumni in attendance

The night was incredibly special and we danced the time away under the stars with our family and friends. After such an exciting evening, we honeymooned to the Maldives where we were able to enjoy our first week as newlyweds and reminisce on what a magical day it had been.

Births Lauren Cameron Class of 1997 Nina Shaw, daughter of Lauren Cameron Class of 1997, was born on 19 September 2017 weighing 3.02kg.

Nina joins big brother Samuel who is 2 years old.

Rachael Schofield (nee Thomson) Class of 2005 William Baxter Thomson Schofield is the first child of Rachael Schofield (nee Thomson) Class of 2005 and her husband, Jamie. He was born at Mona Vale Hospital on 1 June 2017. He is now 9 months old and almost walking.

William loves music, pushing furniture around the house, pulling all the Tupperware out of the cupboard, and playing with anything that has wheels!

Nina Shaw

William Baxter Thomson Schofield

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BACK TO BRIGIDINE

WHERE ARE

they now?

Alyse Berriman (nee Browne) Class of 2004 After I graduated from Brigidine in 2004 I moved straight to Bathurst and studied a Bachelor of Business and Exercise Science at Charles Sturt University. After an amazing 4 years at university it was time to start full time work. It was then that I started in the marketing department of Nature’s Way at PharmaCare.

“

My advice to others would be to learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid to fail.

”

I had to work my way up. I started as a Marketing Assistant, was promoted to Assistant Brand Manager and then to Brand Manager in the Sydney office. When I was offered the exciting opportunity to move to London for 2 years to work in the PharmaCare London office

I jumped at it. After seeing the world and gaining a great amount of experience I moved back to the Sydney office as Category Manager for Nature’s Way. With my passion for health and seeing the big trend of healthy drinks emerging, my colleague and I came up with the idea to launch a healthy drinks business. We presented the idea to the Management team. It wasn’t an easy process; we had to make multiple presentations, develop a business plan, financial plan and much more. After getting the tick of approval on 4 October 2016, Liquefy was launched.

Liquefy is a one stop shop for healthy drinks and supplements. While Liquefy is still in its infancy we have grand plans to grow fast and dominate the health space.

Throughout my career I have learnt many lessons along the way. My advice to others would be to learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid to fail.

As my Dad taught me, when a problem faces you, turn it into an opportunity.

That’s how you will succeed.

Alyse has been busy launching Liquefy in 2016 and marrying husband Michael Berriman in 2017.

Not only was I lucky enough to launch Liquefy recently, I also married my husband Michael Berriman last year.

Brigidine was definitely a great foundation for me, it gave me the skills to help me get to where I am today.

Desilee Tait Class of 1979 In 1979 I left Brigidine with the hope to go to university and study education and teaching.

I studied at both Macquarie University for my undergraduate and then Charles Sturt for my Masters. At present I’m travelling in America and Singapore and learning how they cater for their gifted students.

Throughout my life, I have learnt that persistence is critical to achievement. I’ve also learnt that if you want to lead a full, happy and service-filled life, that rules are meant to be broken!

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My passion is education. I am a teacher for gifted and talented students, and my dream is to create positive change for every student across all educational systems in Australia. In 2016, I was honoured to be a recipient of the Churchill Fellowship. This Fellowship was created in memory of Winston Churchill’s wish to offer people from everyday life the opportunity to travel overseas to conduct research in their field that is not readily available in Australia.

As part of the Fellowship I was granted funds to travel overseas for 8 weeks.

I am excited to learn from some of the great educational leaders in the United States, researching new ideas and gaining insights.

“

Throughout my life, I have learnt that persistence is critical to achievement.

”

BACK TO BRIGIDINE

Alyce Cimino Class of 2007 It has been over 10 years since I took those final steps out of the Brigidine gate and, looking back, I can honestly say I am proud of all that I have accomplished since that day.

After graduating from Brigidine in 2007, I embarked on several adventures.

I started a Psychology degree, travelled through Asia and Europe and worked in an array of jobs. Over this period, I developed a passion for wholefood Nutrition and Naturopathy.

Since embarking on a Degree in Health Science Naturopathy, I have worked within the industry in a range of positions; from The Healthy Chef, to my time in Europe as health retreat Naturopath, to product and wholefood recipe development. Over the past few years I have also contributed as a guest health writer for blogs, magazines and books while supporting the community through individual health consultations, nutritional talks and food demonstrations.

Today, I am back on the Northern Beaches as a Clinical Naturopath and in the middle of my latest challenge – the opening of my health clinic, AHARA HEALTH naturopathic + wholefood collective, in the heart of Newport. I can honestly say nothing makes me happier than walking into the clinic each morning and seeing the AHARA HEALTH logo on the window. I adore being able to use my nutrition, herbal medicine and health knowledge to help others achieve their health goals, and teach individuals about health and how food can benefit wellness in the short term and long term.

foundations and inspired my appetite for learning, food and wellbeing. Brigidine showed me how challenges can arise and taught me the skills to overcome them.

Thinking back to how my dream became a reality, I can say that it was long before I enrolled in my Health Science degree. It was back in the Brigidine gym learning about the body in PDHPE, Botany in Biology and I am pretty sure that creamy broccoli pasta we made in Food Technology had something to do with it too. Brigidine provided me with the

I am excited about what this next chapter will bring for me and for AHARA HEALTH. For people looking to become a Naturopath, Nutritionist or to enter the Complementary health industry, my best advice would be to go for it! It absolutely has its challenges, but as with all things, if you are passionate it is worth all the hard work.

Vale Samuel McNamee Samuel McNamee passed away on 20 September 2017. Samuel was a pioneer parent of Brigidine. His eldest child Marie (Class of 1958) was one of the first nine students at the College in 1954. Sam and his wife, Rene, worked tirelessly for the College in their years of involvement, and Rene always delighted in joining the Pioneers at their annual reunions.

In 2001, Sam and Rene celebrated 60 years of marriage. Rene passed away on 21 March 2009.

“

Brigidine provided me with the foundations and inspired my appetite for learning, food and wellbeing. Brigidine showed me how challenges can arise and taught me the skills to overcome them.

”

Photo taken at Hammond Aged Care Facility, Woy Woy, September 2017.

Barbara McCammon Barbara McCammon passed away on 2 April 2018. Barbara played a key role in Brigidine St Ives’ history fulfilling the role of Deputy Principal for many years. Later she returned as a part‑time member of staff tutoring overseas students for their studies in English. Barbara is fondly remembered by her Brigidine contemporaries, both staff and students. A dedicated Biology teacher, a keen supporter of all sporting activities, and an integral force in the successful launch of the first College musicals, Barbara’s contribution to Brigidine life was all‑encompassing. It is fitting that a wing of the College buildings is named in her honour. We offer our sincere sympathy to her husband, Brian and to her children, Maurice and Beverley.

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bridg 2018 Term Dates

2019 Term Dates

Term 1

Term 1

Year 7 and New Student Orientation Day: TERM 1 COMMENCES: Easter:

Tuesday 30 January Wednesday 31 January

Friday 30 March – Monday 2 April

TERM 1 ENDS:

Friday 13 April

Year 7 and New Student Orientation Day: Wednesday 30 January TERM 1 COMMENCES:

Thursday 31 January

TERM 1 ENDS: Easter:

Friday 12 April Friday 19 April – Monday 22 April

ANZAC Day:

Term 2 TERM 2 COMMENCES:

Tuesday 1 May

Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday:

Monday 11 June

TERM 2 ENDS:

Friday 29 June

Thursday 25 April

Term 2 TERM 2 COMMENCES: Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday: TERM 2 ENDS:

Term 3 TERM 3 COMMENCES:

Tuesday 24 July

TERM 3 ENDS:

Friday 28 September

TERM 4 COMMENCES:

Tuesday 16 October

TERM 4 ENDS:

Tuesday 4 December

Monday 10 June Friday 28 June

Term 3 TERM 3 COMMENCES: TERM 3 ENDS:

Term 4

Tuesday 30 April

Tuesday 23 July Friday 27 September

Term 4 TERM 4 COMMENCES: TERM 4 ENDS:

Tuesday 15 October Wednesday 4 December

2018 Reunion Dates Class of 1978

Class of 1988

Class of 1998

Class of 2008

Class of 2013

40 Year Reunion

30 Year Reunion

20 Year Reunion

10 Year Reunion

5 Year Reunion

Saturday 20 October

Saturday 20 October

Saturday 20 October

Saturday 20 October

Saturday 20 October

For all Reunion enquiries, contact: Lisa Foulstone at alumni@brigidine.nsw.edu.au