Tours and Activities

Drama Tour

Leo Brown / Tour Participant

In January 2020, the Midnite Youth Theatre Company tour gave 10 students from Christ Church, St Hilda’s, MLC and John Curtin the unique opportunity to take Angela Betziens’s Where in the World is Frank Sparrow? to many different schools in the UK.

From Glasgow down to London, we performed at seven schools such as Warwick School in Warwickshire, Crompton House School outside Manchester and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in London.

Along the way we had many opportunities for sightseeing, including visiting Warwick Castle, The Shard in London, Blenheim Palace, Trafalgar Square and shopping opportunities on Oxford Street. We also saw a selection of performances including pantomime, plays and musicals, and met various performers, including David Walliams!

After touring the UK, the group took the Eurostar to Paris where we visited Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and spent an entire day in Disneyland Paris. As well as sightseeing, we participated in drama workshops to improve our improvisation and physical theatre skills. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience.

NASA Tour

Eden Haythorpe / Tour Participant

NASA Space School

In December 2019, an intrepid bunch of Year 10 and 11 students departed for Houston, Texas and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space School. The boys experienced rare access to NASA’s facilities as our visit coincided with the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo mission.

The tour involved completing a universitystyle course in which space exploration experts assisted us in planning a space mission within budget limitations. The immersive program was designed to develop individual leadership, project management, resource allocation, crisis management and teamwork skills. The travel through Sydney, Dallas and eventually a late-night arrival into Houston set the tone for what was to become a fastpaced series of challenges. These would include making friendships with students and mentors from New Zealand and the east coast of Australia as part of team CASE B-34. We were split into two CCGS teams named Rosetta (Year 11s) and Voyager (Year 10s). Our teams then tackled a series of challenges, competing against 28 other teams from across the planet to win the coveted Space Centre University’s Challenge X Prize.

Just as NASA is fond of its acronyms, we threw ourselves into having fun and learning through hands-on tasks. Highlights included visiting the original NASA Mission Control Centre, the Neutral Buoyancy Lab – where we watched future astronauts learning to work on a scaled International Space Station (ISS) model – the University of Houston, a NBA Rockets game, the Museum of Natural Science and the Ad Astra Rocket Company – where we conducted varied experiments surrounding exothermic and endothermic forces (our astronauts would have perished). We also met a variety of famous and inspirational figures, such as retired astronauts Nicole Stott and Tom Nolan (Space Shuttle missions and ISS residents). The boys also tried new activities like scuba diving, shopping amongst local Texans, surfing the Houston city bridges while singing bus karaoke, and a formal dinner and dance event.

We would like to thank Mr Lloyd Haskett for piloting the mission and getting all members of the team happily back to Perth.

Service in Action

Cambodia

MORGAN KLUG / PARTICIPANT

In December 2019, a collection of Christ Church and St Mary’s students travelled to the city of Phnom Penh for the annual Service in Action trip to Cambodia.

Staying in the epicentre of this povertystricken capital, the group worked 16-hour days with the Cambodian Children’s Fund, founded by the former president of 20th Century Fox International, Scott Neeson.

The organisation gifts struggling children the opportunity of an education they would not normally receive, with every student being either homeless, an orphan, terribly sick, abused, a foster child or living on Cambodia’s infamous rubbish tip, thus in desperate need of a helping hand.

Our group assisted with the teaching of English, Mathematics and computer skills across the three campuses. Teaching children a second language, without knowing how to speak their first, was a task that proved very difficult to most. However, the children’s sheer determination to learn, made every small inkling of success that much more satisfying.

This journey to Cambodia certainly enlightened us. Many children had only one pair of shoes and one school uniform; they had never seen a river as clear as the Swan, beaches as beautiful as those of our coast and streets as clean as Perth’s.

Even given their dire circumstances, each day we were showered with affection by children no taller than our waists. We felt blessed.

Every night, we attended a debrief session. We wrote down our thoughts and shared them with fellow team members. This was a special time for all of us. It allowed us to reflect on what we had seen, what we were doing and how we could effect change in ourselves and our community, both locally and internationally.

It was hard to say goodbye. We were humbled by handmade gifts such as cards, bracelets and photos as mementos and a sign of gratitude. This was the hardest part for all of us because we made such close connections.

This trip is really a once in lifetime opportunity and it really put into perspective how much we take for granted in our everyday lives. Whilst away, I came across this Buddhist quote: Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.

Nullagine

LUKE MCMANUS AND LACHIE ROBSON / PARTICIPANTS

Towards the end of Term 3, eight Year 11s left for Nullagine, a town with a population of about 250, four hours’ drive south-east of Port Headland. We joined Nullagine Primary School, getting to know the teachers and students through activities and a lot of sport. Any initial trepidation disappeared quickly, with the universal language of sport bridging cultural differences.

During school hours, we were outside doing experiments around the students’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focus for the term and in the classroom, we worked on reading, mathematics and art. We also explored the local sights, ate witchetty grubs and learnt about the rich culture of the local Martu people. We observed how in tune the students were with their land and culture, how easily they navigated the dense scrub, and how passionately they explained the thousands of year’s old rock art.

It was inspiring to see the joy and confidence of the children and humbling to know that this comes from the strength of their community and teachers, not from materialistic possessions. We were impressed by the students’ ability to communicate and learn English, considering this was their second language.

After damage inflicted from the water slide, water guns, numerous games of bump, footy and dodgeball, we were shattered but elated by the time we boarded the return flight home. Our gratitude goes to Mr Mark Tait, Ms Sam Charlwood and the staff at Nullagine school for putting together this unforgettable experience.

Service in Action

Marble Bar

GUS SHELDRICK AND RYAN THOMAS / PARTICIPANTS

Last term, 10 boys, Mr Mark Tait and Ms Jane Shannon visited the remote community of Marble Bar, inland of Port Headland. Most of our time was spent at the primary school.

We learnt about the amazing culture and helped out in the classroom, giving one-on-one help and using our knowledge where we could.

Although it seemed like we were the teachers, we were really the learners. We painted traditionally and cooked kangaroo stew. Our conversations with the children gave us an insight into their lives and a new outlook on how Indigenous people live. We faced some challenges at the start but as the children become more relaxed with us, we were accepted as part of the community.

A highlight was taking the school bus to the Indigenous community of Goodabinya, just outside of town, with one of the elders named Arnold. Others included visiting the local natural pool, playing basketball and footy and doing virtual reality in the classroom. Outside of the classroom we spent most of our time playing basketball or hanging out in the rec shed, not only because it had the best air con in the town but because it was the place where the children go after school to hang out, play table tennis and chasey. We visited the police station and nursing post where we met some interesting characters and learnt how remote workers adapt.

After countless games of basketball in the near 40-degree heat, we were drained of all our energy by the end of each day, but the excitement of each new opportunity kept everyone’s mood up and made time fly. Saying goodbye was hard for us all. It was a life-changing experience we will never forget.

Cadets: Army

CUO DAVID JONES / ADJUTANT

2020 was a challenging yet fruitful year for the Christ Church Grammar School Cadet Unit (CCGSCU). In January, prior to COVID, five senior cadets attended the recently introduced combined Cadet Under Officer and Warrant Officer course, qualifying for promotion to Cadet Under Officer (CUO) and Cadet Warrant Officer Class 2 (CDTWO2).

Following the successful results of all attendees, appointments for the 2020 training year were then allocated, with platoons being allocated to CUO Sam Duncan, CUO Nicholas Hamdorf and CUO Liam Colligan. Company Headquarters was to be staffed by CUO David Jones and CDTWO2 Tom McGrath as Adjutant and Company Sergeant Major (CSM) respectively.

The first major activity conducted was the Term 1 Recruit Induction Course held at Northam Army Camp. In the field, the unit was joined by the Guildford Grammar School Cadet Unit and St Hilda’s Anglican School Cadet Unit. CCGSCU enjoys a close association with Guildford and St Hilda’s and their presence brought attendance in excess of 100 cadets and adult staff.

First year cadets learnt skills such as basic drill, fieldcraft, movements at night, camouflage and concealment, and first aid. A ‘lantern stalk’ night activity was planned and executed by the freshly trained cadets, in which they had to mark a given target while avoiding detection by senior cadets, confirming their skills in camouflage and concealment as well as tactical movement. This exercise also challenged the junior leaders, providing them with crucial experience in command and control in a field environment.

Following this, training resumed on campus with refinement of drill and ceremonial skills as well as an introduction to navigation and radio communications. However, in the closing weeks of Term 1, the nationwide impact of COVID-19 resulted in the unit ceasing its activities. In the unit’s final parade for Term 1, the company conducted a brief Anzac Day ceremony at the School’s war memorial, including a minute’s silence.

The balance of Term 1 and most of Term 2 saw no cadet parades as the School shifted to online learning. The boys of the company, disappointed but with spirits undaunted, stowed their uniforms and prepared to weather the COVID-19 storm.

During this time, there was only one cadet activity: the Anzac Day dawn service. With support from the unit’s senior cadets and officer commanding CCGSCU, CAPT (AAC) Conrad Scott, a memorable service was held at the School, consisting of a guard of honour, a minute’s silence and a rendition of the Last Post and the Rouse. The service, conducted in a socially distanced manner, was a true testament to Australia’s commitment to honour her fallen.

Although disheartened by the impact of COVID-19, spirits were quickly restored when the unit gained permission in the closing weeks of Term 2 to parade once more. Training resumed and smiling faces saw cadets don their uniforms for the first time in three months.

Term 3 started with the unfortunate news that the WA Brigade’s Annual Field Exercise (AFX) was cancelled, and that in its place the brigade would conduct the Senior Leaders Course (SLC). To balance this, the unit received the news that it could conduct its own field exercise with Guildford and St Hilda’s towards the end of Term 3. Buoyed by this, the company honed its fieldcraft skills for the camp at the Northam Training Area.

Training periods, as well as a three-hour long night observation post exercise, saw cadets establish camouflaged locations from which they could observe the opposition forces without being detected. Cadets completed a seven-hour long navigation exercise with multiple stands assessing section level first aid competence, patrolling and camouflage skills. The camp ended with a film night and an open canteen of hard-earned soft drinks and chocolate bars.

In the Term 3 holidays, in place of AFX, the Year 11 cadets who had achieved the rank of Corporal or Lance Corporal attended the brigade SLC. This course prepared cadets to fill the role of Sergeant and provided practical lessons on instructional techniques, leadership, personnel management, issuing orders and conducting platoon level operations. 2020 saw eight CCGS cadets successfully complete the course, emerging ready to become the future leaders of the CCGSCU.

To round out the training year, the Headmaster’s Parade was held on the Friday of the first week of Term 4. In the final parade, an inspection was conducted by the Commander of the WA Army Cadets Brigade, COL David Jones and various awards were presented for outstanding performances throughout the year. Congratulations to 1PL for achieving Best Platoon, with 11 Bravo being awarded Best Section. The parade also farewelled the Year 12 cadets. That evening, Year 11 and Year 12 cadets were invited to attend the unit’s Dining-in Night. This is a formal event where the unit thanks the Year 12 cadets, their parents and the wider defence community for their enduring support, which has been particularly important in this trying year.

Congratulations to all cadets for their efforts in an extremely challenging year.

I would like to thank CAPT (AAC) Scott, MAJ Nurse, WO1 O’Sullivan, LT Gibson and LT Barbour for their support and steady leadership.

Cadets: Army

Company HQ

BACK ROW: LCPL Lachlan Hooper, CDTWO2 Tom McGrath, CUO David Jones, CPL Ethan Tan

FRONT ROW: LT Alec Barbour, MAJ Duane Nurse, CAPT Conrad Scott, LT Digby Gibson, WO1 Mick O'Sullivan (OAM, MM)

BACK ROW: Alexander McLarty, Joseph Jeffcote, Matthew McGrath, Benjamin Keen, Thomas Harris

MIDDLE ROW: Adie Jensen, Daniel Miles, Lochie MacKenzie, Julius Kidd, Sachin Karthigasu, Jack Landau FRONT ROW: Daniel Law, CPL Joel Hart, CUO Nicholas Hamdorf, CPL Archer Steadman, CPL Madhava Soma, Matthew Menezes BACK ROW: Daniel Eley, Xian-Meng Flynn, Tom Chatfield, Matthew Bailey, Timothy Creed, Nicholas Cook MIDDLE ROW: Andreas Dass, Evan Dallimore, Peter Fang, Eduardo Caceres-Sandoval, Sebastian Chandraratna, Jack Francis, Nicholas Chai FRONT ROW: Daniel Clayton, LCPL Jeffrey Shenton, CPL Will McCoubrie, CUO Sam Duncan, CPL Brandon Norton, CPL Leo Brown, Harry Della-Vedova

BACK ROW: Lachlan Wilson, Jack Sheldrake, Lachlan Sellars, Thomas Smyth, Prewitt Nair, Luke Nixon, Vaughn Robson MIDDLE ROW: Ryan Tanner, George Sassella, Max Moltoni, Andrew Tan, Ben Ollerhead, Raveen Wijesuriya, Tristan Reyes FRONT ROW: Rhys Solomons, CPL Stuart Everett, CUO Liam Colligan, SGT Flynn Della-Vedova, CPL Andre Nikolich, Luca Miles

Platoon 1

Platoon 2 Platoon 3

Cadets: ENCOMM

FRIENDS OF LAKE CLAREMONT

TOM STEVENS / YEAR 10

The Friends of Lake Claremont is a very active group of volunteers who help regenerate the area. It also promotes community involvement and runs public environmental awareness programs, such as Christ Church’s ENCOMM Cadets program. We were involved in a wide variety of practical tasks and projects at the lake such as weeding, winter planting and mulching, with the highlight being the construction of beehives. I’m sure all the boys would agree that volunteering at the lake was a memorable way to spend our Friday afternoons but most importantly, helped to preserve this natural wetland for others to enjoy.

ENVIRONMENT GROUP

ADI BARUA / YEAR 10

The environment group, accompanied by Ms Shannon and Mrs Fogarty, assisted community volunteer groups like Cottesloe Coastcare and the Town of Mosman Park. We planted trees, removed invasive weeds, replaced mulch and collected rubbish. We met a host of inspiring people, working selflessly to protect the environment for the generations to come. Our environmental consciousness was tested on a trip to Red Hill Environmental Education Centre, where alongside the Environmental Science class at MLC, we learnt about process and the importance of proper waste collection.

Cadets: ENCOMM

ENCOMM

BACK ROW: William Martin, Max Rohr, Sean Morgan, Geordie Bartle, Samuel English, Lachlan Fairhead, Ryan McDonald, Braelyn Dale, Chili Farmer, Tom MacGill, Tucker Bailey, Joe Harwood, Harry Holmes FIFTH ROW: Samuel Cheney, Reuben Dring, Felix Banks, Tom Jackson, Jonah Brooks, Bryce Burnell, Anton Komninos, Oscar Palandri, Ashton Torre, Junjie Chen, Harry Day, Roman Green, Joe Hoedemaker, Gabriel Porter FOURTH ROW: Thomas Read, Irwin Lewis, Sam Hasluck, Austin Prentice, Thomas Salter, Jack Cooper, Abhinav Bagubali, Finn Lip, Benjamin Rosman, Luke Coveney, Callum Burnet, Henry Davis, Simon Poelina, Dylan Ang, Naoki Nishitani THIRD ROW: Tom Stokes, Jacob Cocks, Rishi Yogesan, Evan Whitley, Benjamin Seymour, Thomas Bird, Ted Woo, Jerry Zhou, Marcus Anderson, Johnno Kitto, Amaaron Davis, Jacob Divirgilio, Oliver Clark, Joshua Nowrojee, Thomas Neaves, Joshua Van Wyk SECOND ROW: Krish Mall, Aditya Barua, Jack Hall, Aryan Singh, Andrew Hu, Jun Yang Yap, Callum Breen, Kenneth Lo, Fin Prosser, Cameron Hillman, Noirit Seal, Michael Lee, William Ji, Korede Ayonrinde, Joshua Chen, William Browne, Mitchell Hatherly FRONT ROW: Haresh Suppiah, Sam Quackenbush, Hugh Vines, Tommy Fermanis, Tom Stevens, Ms Lia de Sousa, Ms Phillipa Nock, Ms Jeanette Fogarty, Ms Jane Shannon, Ms Tracey Rouhiainen, Ms Melanie Hastie, Ms Marguerite Crawford, Paul Boyatzis, Tam Seton-Browne, Jack Turnbull, Oliver Claessen, Anish Weerasooriya

FOOD RESCUE

OLIVER CLARK / YEAR 10

Although we had an interrupted year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the boys at Food Rescue turned up each week with enthusiasm and effort to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

Each year, we partner with two organisations, SecondBite and PortCare. SecondBite provides fresh, nutritious food for people in need across Australia. Every week, a truck from SecondBite collects food from local supermarkets that would otherwise be thrown away. This is then dropped off at Sandover Dining Hall, where, on a Wednesday afternoon, we sort through it. We organise the fruit and vegetables, packing good produce into boxes, and placing spoiled, inedible food into the compost bins. We weigh what we have saved at the end of the session, before a PortCare truck collects the boxes. PortCare then gives the food to the people, as well as clothes and other essentials. They often make large meals out of the food we salvage to feed the less fortunate at their community centre. In Term 3 we received 2509.5kg of produce and saved 95.5 per cent, leaving 2396.88kg of fresh fruit and vegetables saved. Given the circumstances of this year, this is an incredible outcome. I would like to extend my thanks to Ms Rouhiainen, who provided us with mentorship and guidance throughout the process.

CADETS: ST JOHN AMBULANCE

HARRY DAVISON-PETCH / YEAR 11

This year we had the opportunity to learn from some talented and experienced first responders as part of the St John Ambulance Cadets program.

We arrived with practically no first aid experience and left with critical knowledge that will allow us to volunteer at future events. We learnt procedures and skills that enabled us to undertake full conscious and unconscious patient assessments. This involved going through the primary survey of DRSABCD (Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR and Defibrillation), and taking vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen levels in the blood using equipment such as the pulse oximeter. Along with these helpful skills in patient assessment, we mastered manoeuvring people on stretchers (which involved doing an obstacle course), dealing with spinal injuries and IMPACT CPR.

To pass the course and become a Level 1 volunteer, we were required to accurately perform in both the unconscious and conscious patient assessment practical exams, in which we were granted only two chances in each. After some of us did not meet the requirements the first time round due to careless errors, we managed to muster up courage and pass the second time. Now, as a group of 11 dedicated boys, we are confident and qualified to help our community as Event Health Services volunteers.

We would like to extend our gratitude to St John Ambulance WA and their dedicated volunteers for giving us this amazing opportunity.

Cadets: Surf Life Saving

TOM FOX AND CHARLIE RODWELL / YEAR 11

On most Friday afternoons, North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club (NCSLSC), with the help of experienced instructors, teaches beach and water skills to Year 10 boys qualifying for their Bronze Medallion.

The year was a challenging one, with a shorter than expected timeframe, having lost several weeks to COVID-19 restrictions. However, we bounced back and ran our sessions from the isolated comfort of the North Cott boat shed. The first two terms were focused on learning the basics; firstly in calm, sunny conditions, and then in windy, cold and rough seas leading into the Perth winter. This added an element of difficulty to the board and tube rescues. Then it was back to the CCGS campus to learn first aid.

In July, a group of 10 Year 11 and 12 boys undertook their Surf Life Saving Association (SLSA) Trainer’s Certificate, qualifying them to instruct Bronze Medallion and other Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) courses for their clubs. Congratulations also to Manus O’Leary (Year 11) who represented the School and the NCSLSC at the Surf Life Saving WA Rise Up Leadership Camp in January and to Jensen Kirby (Year 10) who has been selected for the January 2021 camp. Special mention to Tom Fox and Christian Wong (Year 11) for their success at the Returned Services League WA Cadet of the Year Awards.

The second half of the program kicked off back at the beach with vicious winter conditions. After a strange year, an unprecedented Term 4 exam topped it off. Everyone seemed up to scratch, but exam specialist Ollie Stockwell and the instructional team fine-tuned everyone’s skills.

The Christ Church Surf Life Saving Cadets program is in good hands, under the watchful eyes of old boys, Mr Henry Pemberton and |Mr Elliot Rockett, and the tuition of a group of instructors, including Will van Dongen (Year 12). A special thanks to Ms Gould, Mrs Fricke and Reverend Russell, who have dedicated hours to the course and made it all possible.

BACK ROW: Alex Graham, Max Stokes, Grant Hogarth, Sam Robins, Nic Ng, Patrick Walker, Edward Hellings, Louis Douglass, Noah John, Max Dumas, Matthew Mitchell, Ben Lynn, Nicholas Tomlinson FIFTH ROW: Jago Field, James Thomas, Oliver Austin, Jacob Cohen, James Robson, Alex Clarke, Jensen Kirby, Bertie Arundell, Zac Barboutis, Fletcher Wetherell, Sam Day, Thomas Michael, Hamish Brogan, Rowe O’Callaghan FOURTH ROW: Oliver Flaherty, Edward Greenaway, Ash Gibson, Matthew Garside, Lachlan Cullity, Dawson Greig, Nic Hill, Regan Tubby, Jack Crago, Peter Brandon, James Woods, Harry Morgan, Jay Sewell, Lucas Downs, Joshua Rasmussen THIRD ROW: Taylor Kappler, Oliver Ayers, Darcy Shephard, Gabriel Johnstone, Peter Cooney, Daniel Pocock, Mitch Watson, Tom Stevens, Thomas Hewitt, Ben Walker, Joshua Fowler, Tyler Sprunt, Leo Kawakami, James Greenshields, Nicholas Cohen SECOND ROW: Charlie Rodwell, Jes Bromley, Manus O’Leary, Trent Madden, FRONT ROW: Oliver Pemberton, Josh Watson, Kit Bakker, Angus Kay, Luke McManus, William van Dongen, Rev Nic Russell, Ms Alli Gould, Ms Bronwyn Fricke, Elliot Rocket, Ben Remke, Samuel Fretwell, Tom Fox, Harry Cooney, Christian Wong

Chess

PSA Champions

JOSHUA FRY / CAPTAIN OF CHESS

Despite some early interruptions, the first major event of the year was the House Arts competition. Although not concluding until well into Term 3, it remained a vital part of the selection process for the PSA team.

Other major events just before the PSA tournament in Term 3 were the Junior and Senior tournaments. In the Junior tournament, Jeremiah Wang had an unbeaten run for the second consecutive year. James Gregory and Aaron Goh came second and third respectively. All three players are in Year 8, part of an extremely strong chess cohort, a very good sign for CCGS Chess going forward. The Senior tournament was extremely strong and competitive, with Declan Barrett (Year 12) staving off the Year 11 pair of Lucas Hogan and Emil Ong.

Once again, key to our PSA preparation was our chess coach Mr Ned Robles. This is the 10th consecutive year that Ned has been with the team, and his inspirational and instructional coaching has been a constant of our success.

We were therefore well-prepared for the PSA tournament. Trinity College, led by strong top two boards, posed a threat and Wesley and Hale always have strong teams. As such, we faced one of the strongest challenges in recent years. However, our team, comprised of Declan Barrett, Joshua Fry, Lucas Hogan, Rafferty Maher, Emil Ong and Adam Robbins, produced a decisive performance, winning all our fixtures. This victory may be our 11th consecutive win, but it is due to our strong culture that we have been so successful. The Christ Church Chess Club, run by Mr Jack Damon in M10, is open Monday to Thursday every week and is always strongly attended, especially by younger students.

Chess Representative Team

BACK ROW: Adam Robbins, Lucas Hogan, Joshua Fry FRONT ROW: Declan Barrett, Rafferty Maher, Emil Ong Ee Zy, Mr Jack Damon (Teacher in Charge)

Debating

JASON LU / CAPTAIN OF DEBATING

BACK ROW: Rishi Yogesan, Timothy Creed, Parker Robinson, Lachie Robson, Edward Hellings, Max Brampton, Max Godfrey, Ben Nowrojee, Diyoan Gajanayake THIRD ROW: Eduardo Caceres-Sandoval, Jonathan Roost, Aditya Muthukattu, Ed Stoddart, Harry Davison-Petch, Lachlan Story, Louis Manera, Callum Chin, Adam Shannon, Aditya Barua SECOND ROW: Tom Mairs, Andrew Calderwood, Gourab Sharma, Edward Hadi, Krish Mall, Zach Buttrose, James Greenshields, Akshayan Sivaanujan, Sam Harding, Joshua Neervoort

FRONT ROW: Tommy Greenshields, Luca Campitelli, Scott Caporn, Lucas Kailis, Declan Barrett, Ms Sarah Downes (Teacher in Charge), Kartikeya Kaushal (Vice Captain), Jason Lu (Captain), Ben Kao, Aaryan Mandal, Alex Molyneux

On the night before our first debate was to take place, the Western Australian Debating League (WADL) competition was cancelled. The boys, and especially the Year 12s, were very disappointed that they weren’t able to compete. However, we were determined to ensure that Debating at Christ Church went ahead in some capacity in 2020.

Through the hard work of Mrs Sarah Downes, Mrs Paula Frost and the Debating Committee, we put together an internal competition which focused on skill development, with Year 7s to 11s taking part in mock WADL formal debates and Year 12s trying their hand at adjudicating.

Across the season, we saw strong and steady development in the debaters, with boys in the Junior division learning the ropes of debating while boys in the Senior division had the opportunity to develop their impromptu skills. Furthermore, as a Year 12, it was an interesting and rewarding experience to see debating from the other side of the adjudicator’s table and to watch the boys progress as they took on our feedback. Aside from our internal competition, the Evatt and British Parliamentary competitions also took place later in the year and a number of boys competed. Ed Stoddart and Harry Davison-Petch were grand finalists in the UN Youth Australia Evatt Competition and qualified to take part in the national competition.

I’d like to thank Mrs Downes, Mrs Frost and the Debating Committee for their support and hard work throughout the year. I’m sure that the strong work that CCGS Debating has done over the year will pay dividends in seasons to come.

Enigma

EDWARD HADI AND WESLEY PEH / PARTICIPANTS

In the Christ Church Enigma program, gifted and talented boys from Years 7 to 9 pursue their area of passion each Thursday afternoon in collaboration with like-minded students. It develops leadership as well as teamwork skills, with boys in Years 10 to 12 acting as mentors.

This year, the projects were all themed around the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Year 8 and 9 boys met in small groups on their own varied projects, while the Year 7 students worked through projects with individual teachers, choosing one for their final presentation.

The UN Sustainable Goals projects included creating a petition to support different types of bins, turning temperature into electricity, a parabolic mirror to increase solar panel efficiency, a prototype for a better infrastructure in Yemen, an animated film on how to save the planet, a solar scanner bot, and turning heat into light. Boys in Year 7 focused more on specialised topics with teacher assistance, such as how to win at Scrabble (Mr Walker), different codes of history (Mr La Galia) and kitchen chemistry using eggs (Dr Molinari).

Enigma was amazing this year!

Environment and Sustainability Group

WILL WARDLE / YEAR 12

Commencing our second year, Christ Church’s Student Environmental Committee (SEC), under the guidance of Mr Daniel La Galia, was eager to make a positive impact in the School’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

In Term 1, before school life faced a year of interruptions, the SEC collaborated with the Wellbeing Committee to launch Ride to School Week.

The success of this initiative was continued in Terms 2 and 3 as we worked with the School’s Canteen, grounds staff and WRITE Solutions Australia to introduce a new four-bin waste system. Most plastic in the Canteen was replaced with biodegradable alternatives. These were processed into compost for the School’s grounds, completing the renewable cycle. A group of Year 10 ENCOMM boys visited the Red Hill Waste Management Facility to witness part of the waste process.

We also encouraged boys to bring reusable lunch boxes to school as part of Plastic Free July. A letter was sent to parents, but the real success was the Humanities versus Physical Education departments basketball game held one lunchtime. To watch, boys had to show their lunch box on entry to the blue gym. Some exceptions resulted in a few push-ups as an entry fee. The Senior and Preparatory school spectators packed the gym and witnessed an eventual win by the Physical Education Department team.

Other highlights included creating the SEC Nexus page, instigating a water fountain survey leading to the installation of new fountains, a battery collection, stationery collections for the charity Give Write, which collects new and pre-loved school supplies to regift to children in need in Western Australia, and another successful Art Committee collaboration.

The SEC enjoyed a jam-packed year of productivity thanks to the tireless work of the committee, and we are excited to see what the future holds for such an important cause as it gains more global and local awareness.

Faith in M8

BEN DREYER / YEAR 11 REVEREND NICHOLAS RUSSELL / CHAPLAIN

Faith in M8 is a lunchtime meeting of students interested in questions of faith, life and meaning. 2020 was a year of change and saw an increase in the number of those attending, particularly Year 7s and 8s, which built the community and changed the dynamic in positive ways.

As the year progressed, our Year 11 leaders stepped up to guide our group in bold and courageous ways. The fear of public speaking has, in some studies, been rated as more significant for people than the fear of death. Despite this, Henry Davis, Ben Dreyer, Andrew Edis, Sam Fretwell, Joel Hurworth and Will McCoubrie each prepared and delivered talks and learning materials in Terms 3 and 4, on the stories of Genesis and Daniel and on the nature of God. The group is now almost entirely student-led, with our boys organising games, learning materials, leading discussions and prayers, and setting plans for each term.

For the first time in many years, a Spirituality Prefect was appointed in 2020. In Term 4, Ben Dreyer stepped into this role, to lead the students in the spiritual character and faith that has been a part of our School since its foundation.

We are thankful to God for guiding us through the changes this year and look forward to 2021.

Informatics

MAX GODFREY / CAPTAIN OF INFORMATICS

Informatics is best introduced as a mind sport for those who enjoy solving challenging problems and coding up solutions to them.

This year, members of the Informatics Club participated in a series of competitions with some outstanding results. Notably, we had almost all of our 35 Australian Informatics Olympiad participants receive a medal, and two of our teams competing in the University of New South Wales ProgComp qualified for the grand final. However, the trip to Sydney was cancelled due to COVID-19. Additionally, there were two distinctions in the Oxford University Computing Challenge, four perfect scores in the Bebras Australia Computational Thinking Challenge, and a bronze medal in the Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad awarded to Joshua Chen (Year 10).

The Australian Informatics Olympiad is a particularly important component of the Informatics season, as the nation’s top 25 participants are invited to attend the Australian Informatics Olympiad Committee School of Excellence at the Australian National University over the summer holidays. Joshua Chen and Max Godfrey (Year 11) participated remotely in December.

These achievements are not only indicative of the work that club members put into their algorithmic thinking, but also the strength of our Computer Science Department, especially Mr Jan Honnens who worked tirelessly to bring everything to fruition.

Mock Trials

KARTIKEYA KAUSHAL / CAPTAIN OF MOCK TRIALS

Mock Trials began with a huge Year 11 turnout, and a few new Year 12 faces. We constructed four teams and then dove enthusiastically into preparations for the first trial. The competition is hotly contested by a number of schools and is run by the Law Society of Western Australia at the Supreme Court. The trials are both civil and criminal, and this year we heard cases such as grievous bodily harm, negligence and theft.

This year our early enthusiasm was cut short as the competition was suspended just one week before our first trial. So, we put our preparation on hold. However, the following term, we had the thumbs-up from the Law Society, and we dove back into the thick of the preparation with two smaller teams. Our first trial was met with a mixed result of a win and a loss. Things began to look better as both teams recorded a win in the second trial, but our hopes of one team maintaining a perfect season were dashed by a final trial in which we lost both. Despite this, Christ Church Mocks Trials is looking stronger than ever, with standout Year 11s like Max Brampton, Harry Davison-Petch, Ed Stoddart and Daniel Zhou.

Despite a shorter competition and a disrupted season, the Year 12s are to be commended on continuing the tradition and in mentoring the younger boys. We were supported by old boy, Mr Harry Sanderson, who, unfortunately for us, left to study at Oxford. His impact will continue to shape our future. On behalf of the team, I’d like to thank Miss Badaraco, for persevering through the uncertainty and ensuring that we enjoyed a year of exciting competition and legal education.

MOCK TRIALS

BACK ROW: Ms Vanessa Badaraco (Teacher in Charge), Aditya Muthukattu, Lucas Hogan, Emil Ong Ee Zy, Campbell Hart, Max Brampton, Jack Reynolds, Nicholas Tan, Liam Colligan, Daniel Zhou FRONT ROW: Harry Davison-Petch, Ryan Tan, Angus Eliott-Lockhart, Kartikeya Kaushal (Captain), Jasper Coombes-Watkins (Vice Captain), Isaac Yeo, Ed Stoddart, Stuart Everett

Outdoor Education

AMAN SHETTY / YEAR 9 The stars glittered, illuminating the night sky. Embers from the fire danced in the starlight. It was the perfect setting to relax and ready myself for the day ahead. It’s safe to say this was my favourite moment on camp. It changed everything. Hours in the sun allowed me to acquire a new appreciation for nature, and the modern luxuries that I so heavily relied on felt irrelevant. Camp allowed me to re-think many aspects of my life such as my reliance on technology. Four days of canoeing on the Murray and hiking the Bibbulmun Track developed a sense of discipline and comradery in me. Year 9 Camp has been one of my favourite experiences over my 10 years at CCGS. MAX INGHAM / YEAR 6

Our Year 6 camp started off with a two-hour bushwalk around Kooringal. After lunch, by the tranquil Scarp Pool, a busy afternoon of team activities followed, including a handson cultural session, initiative games, mia mia building and orienteering.

The next day passed in a fun-filled blur. We learnt about the waterways and trees around Kooringal, canoed in Scarp Pool and made delicious damper around the campfire. Then, as dusk began to fall, we enjoyed homemade pizzas and mindfulness activities before settling into our dorms for the night.

Philanthropy

REUBEN BRADY, AMAARON DAVIS, REUBEN DRING, REECE DUCKWORTH, MAX DUFF AND FLETCHER WETHERELL / DOUST BOARDING GROUP

As a part of this year’s Year 10 Philanthropy program, boys from the Residential Community took part in the Young Philanthropist Initiative.

Four groups of Year 10 boys, each representing their boarding group, worked extremely hard to put together a presentation on a charity of their choice. The most persuasive presentation to convince the judges of the impact of a $4000 donation was judged the winner, with competition points also going towards our Residential Community student competition, the Gryphon. This year the group of boarding boys from Doust, who selected the charity of Feed the Little Children, was named the winner.

Feed the Little Children provides 300 hot, healthy meals two nights a week to children between zero and 10 years, and mainly from single-parent Aboriginal families who struggle to maintain household food security due to very low incomes, high costs of living, overcrowding and a range of other complex historical, social, cultural and economic reasons.

This topic is very close to the heart of many students in the School and boarding house as we have a very strong Indigenous Program and one that we all support greatly. Several students volunteered their time to this charity to help support the children in need. The boys of Doust strongly believe that it deserves greater recognition within the community.

Congratulations to all the boys on embracing the competition.

Sony Camp

NEIL SAGGERS / DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES

Yes, we did run a Sony Camp in 2020, one of the very few conducted in Australia! The planning group spent many hours in Terms 2 and 3 considering options and happily our plans worked very well.

We reduced camper numbers this year and increased staff and student volunteers. While the camp had a different feel to the previous 14 others, it still achieved its goals – a fantastic three days for the campers and respite for parents and carers, who also enjoyed Christmas lunch on Sunday 13 December with us.

The 13 campers really enjoyed the on-campus experiences this year; extended and enriched art activities, stand-up paddleboarding at the river and, of course, several swims in the pool. The campers were certainly very keen on the pool and great swimmers. We did not leave the CCGS site this year which, on reflection, was a good initiative and may influence planning for 2021 and beyond.

The Year 11s and returning Year 12s worked very hard, some of the campers being quite energetic, providing a few challenges for the companions. We also had COVID-19 cleaning and other duties for assistants to routinely complete, which they did with great enthusiasm and energy.

MLC staff again increased their involvement and our use of their gym for games and activities was most appreciated. We value the co-operative nature of Sony Camp with MLC as it builds relationships for students and staff. We also had excellent modified support from Alliance Catering, and Anne and Clare provided a wonderful menu over the three days in Sandover Dining Hall.

At the Christmas lunch, it was again very evident of how appreciative parents were of the time given to them, and also how tired and exhausted our team of volunteers was! Despite all the energy and effort required, Sony Camp remains a real highlight of the year for all involved. Mrs Joanna Simpson, Mr Neil Saggers and Mrs Lisa Broxton were thanked for their involvement and commitment over the past 15 years of Sony Camps at CCGS.

Venture

DYLAN ANG / PARTICIPANT

Spending 11 days on Western Australia’s southern wilderness coast was certainly not easy. It was filled with long days of hot sand, endless trails and the blistering sun. But the experience was met with laughter and joy, especially the little moments and free breaks that came after a hard day’s walk.

A moment that really stuck with me was on the sixth day. We had just completed a hike of around 29km the day before from Banksia to Mount Clare and now had a short canoe paddle to Bellanger Beach, with the Southern Ocean to one side and the Nornalup Inlet on the other. An early arrival meant we had lots of free time to swim and splash in the cool water and clean off all the grime and dirt from the last few days of walking. We hung out under a mega hoochie and played UNO. It was the moments like this which made the long days of walking worthwhile.

THOMAS SMYTH / PARTICIPANT

From pristine coastal waters to breathtaking forest scenery, Venture unveiled Western Australia’s magnificent south-west coast. After gruelling days of sweat and tears, we emerged from the 30th Venture experience with strong signs of self-development and good virtue.

For me, the highlight wasn’t reaching the peak of a mountain, or the feeling of accomplishment when arriving at our campsite; it was rather the journey that led me to these small, simple moments in nature that made me appreciate what I take for granted. What I took from Venture is that the only limits that exist are the ones in your mind, and once overcome, anything can be achieved.