Activities

Valete Staff

Peter Thorne

MURRAY ROBERTSON / DIRECTOR OF STAFFING AND STRATEGIC PROJECTS

The School farewelled Peter Thorne, following a career spanning 27 years of dedicated service. Throughout his tenure, Peter worked in the Science Department with a focus on the biological sciences. He was dedicated to his teaching and to boys’ learning, and a number of his students were recipients of Certificates of Distinction. Peter was an active contributor to the School’s co-curricular programs, namely strength and conditioning, volleyball, squash and football. In addition, he was instrumental in co-ordinating World Challenge expeditions to Nepal and twice to Peru – trips that enabled our students to engage in unique experiences, becoming life-learners and global citizens. Peter’s greatest legacy was in the pastoral domain. He was appointed as Assistant Head of Hill House in 2005, a position he held until becoming Head of Hill House in 2009. Peter was instrumental in guiding countless boys through a key stage in their lives and always had their best interests at heart. We wish Peter all the best and have no doubt that he will continue to explore the far reaches of our planet.

Patrick Louden

ALEC BARBOUR / HEAD OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

We farewelled Patrick at the end of Term 3, an esteemed colleague who over the past 13 years, had an immense impact on both students and the wider school community. He left Christ Church to pursue his original career as an electrician in the mining sector. During his time at the School, Patrick contributed significantly to a broad range of areas outside of the classroom. He was a passionate rugby and sailing coach; a tutor and Assistant Head of Queenslea House; a long-serving member of the Staff Association; a four-time Venture leader; and assisted in the co-ordination of Service in Action trips to Cambodia. Patrick’s main passion was mechatronics and engineering, in addition to the Robotics club he started and ran for our students in his own time. Highlights included presenting at the International Boys’ Schools Coalition conference in Nashville, USA, and witnessing his RoboCup team achieving significant success in China, Germany, Japan, Canada and Sydney. His dedication, empathy and keen sense of humour will be missed by staff and students alike, and we wish him all the very best for the next exciting phase of his career.

Anna Cornell

PAM YORDANOFF / HEAD OF ART

Anna joined the staff at Christ Church while completing her practicum placement. She was appointed as a part-time member of both the ICT and Visual Arts Departments, and as numbers grew, we were able to secure her a full-time role teaching Visual Arts and Design courses. She joined Romsey House and will be remembered as an exceptional tutor.

Her energy, creativity and capacity to engage the boys in contemporary art practice led her to introduce the Media, Analysis and Production course. It is now a staple in the department and well-patronised each year. She has a generous capacity to support boys in their creative journey, highlighted by her collaboration with the Educational Support Unit and the annual NAIDOC Week projects, and her participation in international Art Tours. Anna is an exemplary educator with strength in embedding technology within her pedagogy. She modelled best practice with her broad skillset to boys, our department and across the wider school community. Her dedication to challenge us has left a legacy from which we all will benefit well into the future. We wish Anna a joyous life with her family in the coming years. It was an absolute pleasure to have worked with her and to have nurtured the growth of this remarkable educational practitioner. We know that her artistic journey will continue to flourish wherever it may take her. Anna, you will be remembered fondly and sincerely missed.

Cadets: Army

CUO JEFFREY SHENTON / ADJUTANT

Despite COVID-19 lockdowns delaying our start, 2021 was a highly successful and fulfilling year for the Christ Church Grammar School Cadet Unit (CCGSCU).

Over the summer, six cadets attended the Cadet Under Officer and Warrant Officer Courses, attaining the skills necessary to lead the unit during the year. CUO Will McCoubrie, CUO Leo Brown and CUO Andre Nikolich led Platoons 1, 2 and 3 respectively. CUO Jeffrey Shenton took the role of Adjutant in Company Headquarters, joined by CUO Madhava Soma as Company 2IC and WO2 Stuart Everett as Company Sergeant Major.

Term 1 was truly a test for those promoted into leadership positions. With 69 new recruits, most of the unit headed off to Northam Army Camp for the Recruit Induction field exercise, focusing on basic cadet field skills to test the proficiency of the recruits. Simultaneously, the Year 11s remained at CCGS to attend the Junior Leadership Course, which was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, to develop the skills necessary to lead a section.

By Term 2, all the cogs in the unit were whirring and spirits were high despite the cancellation of the much-anticipated Anzac Day parade. The unit participated individually in the Driveway Dawn Service instead. Our second field exercise took place at Bindoon Training Area, which upped the intensity. Cadets had their navigation and radio skills tested as they traversed Bindoon in the pouring rain. The event finished on a high note with the unit enjoying an excursion to the paintball grounds, competing as a team in exciting scenarios.

Term 3 continued with training in radio communications, first aid, navigation and drill, supplemented by our final field exercise. This revolved around a rogaining exercise, which added a competitive element to a navigational task, the cadets’ efforts paying off with a much-deserved movie night. The following day we relocated to Irwin Barracks for weapon training on the EF88 rifle. On Friday afternoons, the unit also practised marksmanship at the Weapon Training Simulator System (WTSS) and the Year 11s visited Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). The highlight of the year, without doubt, was this year’s Annual Field Exercise (AFX). Having been cancelled in 2020, AFX 2021 was a first for many. We operated entirely within our battalion, which this year consisted of CCGSCU, St Hilda’s, Guildford Grammar School, and Karratha and Geraldton Senior High Schools. The cadets had the opportunity to take part in three courses: the Command Post (CP) course, the Recon course and the Junior Leadership course (JLC). The CP course focused on the management of designated command areas in the field, with skills like radio operation and battle tracking. The Recon course worked on observation, camouflage and movement by night and day, culminating in a mission to gather information on an unsuspecting battalion near the airfield. Finally, the JLC aimed to bolster the fundamental skills of our cadets, while also equipping them with the leadership skills needed to take charge of a section the following year.

The AFX also signalled the end of our training year, and it certainly was a job well done and a fantastic experience. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the toils of the staff. Thank you to CAPT (AAC) Scott, MAJ Nurse, WO1 O’Sullivan, LT Barbour and LT Gibson. The unit wouldn’t function without you.

Cadets: Army

Company HQ

BACK ROW: CUO Madhava Soma, CDTCPL Prewitt Nair, CUO Jeffrey Shenton, CDTWO2 Stuart Everett, CDTSGT Joel Hart, CDTCPL Sebastian Chandraratna FRONT ROW: LT Digby Gibson, WO1 Mick O’Sullivan (OAM, MM), CAPT Conrad Scott, MAJ Duane Nurse, LT Alec Barbour

BACK ROW: Lucan McDonald, Oliver Locke, Lachlan Oakley, Jack Love, William Kay, George Playford, Harrison Lisle MIDDLE ROW: Ben Kao, Jamie Kafetzis, Jack Trevena, William Mawson, Fin McRae, Finn O’Reardon, Samuel Ou, Dylan Moltoni FRONT ROW: CDTCPL Benjamin Keen, CDTCPL Lachlan Sellars, CUO Leo Brown, CDTSGT Max Moltoni, CDTLCPL Tristan Reyes-Kostas, CDTCPL Ryan Tanner BACK ROW: William Jamieson, Zac Heaton, Jonny Hamdorf, Will Colvin, Ethan Boyle, Ben Colvin, Timothy Bellamy MIDDLE ROW: Thomas Wright, Jack Collis, Bailey Alcock, Max Gunning, Charlie Clark, Geive Anwar, Rex Hogan FRONT ROW: CDTCPL Rhys Solomons, CDTCPL Matthew McGrath, CDTSGT Timothy Creed, CUO Will McCoubrie, CDTCPL Thomas Harris, CDTLCPL Joseph Jeffcote, CDTLCPL Andreas Dass

BACK ROW: Connor Secrette, Aman Shetty, Oliver Richardson, James Tran, Frank Stevenson, Sam Singleton MIDDLE ROW: Harry Ranger, Jonathan Roost, Adam Shannon, Gary Xu, Luke Whitby, Jasper Tuckwell FRONT ROW: CDTLCPL Jack Sheldrake, CDTLCPL Tom Chatfield, CDTCPL Ben Ollerhead, CUO Andre Nikolich, CDTSGT Harry Della-Vedova, CDTCPL Daniel Clayton, CDTCPL Daniel Eley

Platoon 2 Platoon 1

Platoon 3

Cadets: ENCOMM

ENVIRONMENT GROUP

JANE SHANNON / TEACHER IN CHARGE

This year saw 50 students complete a variety of environmental service activities. We continued to work with Cottesloe Coastcare by assisting the group with weeding, planting and plastic collection in sand dunes and along the beach. We also worked with the Friends of Mosman Park Bushland, weeding and planting different areas from Buckland Hill to Mosman Park along the Swan River. Our other main activity was the environmental sweepthrough rubbish collection at several places from Kings Park to Swanbourne, and along the Claremont foreshore of the Swan River. The environmental service the boys undertook this year has left the environment a better place.

FRIENDS OF LAKE CLAREMONT

TOM GOODWIN / YEAR 10 The Friends of Lake Claremont is a wonderful Year 10 Friday activity that I would highly recommend. At Lake Claremont, we did many different activities to assist the volunteers who work tirelessly to keep the lake and its environment in good condition. We did a mixture of winter planting, mulching and weeding, and we really felt like we were making a difference to preserve this natural wetland area.

FOOD RESCUE

ORSON PESTELL / YEAR 10 This year, our Wednesday afternoon Food Rescue group managed to save 5345kg worth of food that otherwise would have been wasted. It was a great experience that all 15 of us loved doing. We helped SecondBite, Australia’s leading food rescue not-for-profit organisation, sort through fruit and veggies that would otherwise have been thrown out by supermarkets. We packed this fresh produce into boxes that were then sent to less fortunate families. We recommend Food Rescue to all future Year 10s. We would like to thank Ms Joanne Hillam for her guidance and support.

ENCOMM

BACK ROW: Mayowa Folabi, Liam Goebel, Jack Barrett, Michael Kalafatas, Max Goddard, Noah Kowald, Edward Handley, Orson Pestell, Hudson Fogarty, Orlando Keleman, Christian Kalafatas, Bowen Li, Eddie Gao, Harrison Wright, Dylan Calderwood FOURTH ROW: Ryan Cowan, Michael Crawford, Thomas Lloyd, Hawk Hughes, James Cookson, Thomas Snook, William Wu, Ben Gallin-Haynes, Ben Howe, Archie Barrett, Nic Cradock, Alex Shuttleworth, Isaac Savliwala, Yeshen Behari, Jackson Macri, Tom Babington THIRD ROW: Ryan Tang, Lucas Koh, Alexander Blair, Carlin Flynn, Minula Salgado, Marcus Mo, Dylan Cramer, Lars van der Sar, Daniel Hales, William Wildberger, Lachlan Story, Lachlan Davidson, Panav Kothari, Isaac Foley, Revis Ryder, Charlie Robertson, Ben Rucklidge SECOND ROW: Eddie Vijayasekaran, Gourab Sharma, Anish Weerasooriya, Harry Upton, Tom Pickering, Stephen Anastasas, Satesh Bertolini, Martin Huang, Reuben Brady, Blake Shi, Jonathan Abraham, Billy Templeton-Knight, Hamish MacKinnon, Tanay Dwivedi, Ilario Cherubino, Riley Grimwood, Amresh Suppiah FRONT ROW: Alexander Boeddinghaus, Andrew Davies, Joshua Terriaca, Will Hayes, Akshayan Sivaanujan, Aaryan Mandal, Ms Melanie Hastie, Ms Jane Shannon, Ms Annie Rees, Harry Kailis, Lochee Forshaw, Albert Yau, Harold Smith, Nathan Huang, Tom Goodwin

Cadets: Surf Life Saving

JAMES GREENSHIELDS AND THOMAS HEWITT / PARTICIPANTS

This year, Christ Church continued its partnership with North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club to help cadets from Year 10 learn important skills, which may be used to save someone’s life.

During first term, the boys were taught basic surf lifesaving skills using rescue tubes and longboards, making surf craft rescue ready and important fundamental medical components, such as DRSABCD. Fitness and discipline were also worked on, with the boys completing regular run-swim-runs and having a gruelling introductory fitness session with old boy Guy Mouritz.

Second term saw a shift away from North Cottesloe Beach with the sessions being conducted on campus during the winter. Cadets learnt first aid treatments, such as dealing with asthma and anaphylaxis as well as slings, bandaging and oxygen therapy. But the real challenge for the cadets was braving the freezing cold river water to learn unconscious and conscious spinals.

The unit moved back to North Cottesloe in Term 3, but a series of late season storms meant that cadets endured freezing winds and large swells. This ultimately prepared them for the culmination of the surf cadets unit, an all-day Saturday practice session and then the Sunday Bronze examination, in which 63 Year 10 boys achieved their Bronze Medallion. However, all cadets were now equipped to be effective first responders.

Term 4 saw the completion of the Surf Life Saving Cadets course, with 11 of the Year 11 leaders achieving their ART qualification, while the cadets learnt about different aspects of the club, such as the use of drones and beach set-up for patrols. Congratulations are extended to: • Year 10s Sam Grayling and Tom Offer who were selected to attend the

Surf Life Saving WA Youth Leadership

Forum in December

• Year 11s James Greenshields (winner) and Thomas Hewitt (runner-up) in the

Royal Surf Lifesaving Cadet of the Year (Community Division) in January

• Year 12s Tom Fox, Cooper Whiting and

Oliver Pemberton awarded Honours for their contribution to surf lifesaving and the community

• Tom Fox who was the recipient of the CCGS Surf Life Saving Cadet of the Year Award.

On behalf of the cadet unit, we would like to thank Mrs Bronwyn Fricke, Ms Alli Gould and Reverend Nick Russell, as well as Mr Elliot Rockett, Mr Henry Pemberton, Mr Ollie Stockwell and the rest of the surf club instructors, for their dedication and hard work.

Surf Life Saving Cadets

BACK ROW: Tom Offer, Luke Pelliccione, James Appleyard, Charles Greenwood, Oscar Crosby, Lincoln Hill, Oliver Pentony, Preston Browne-Cooper, Angus Towner, Zeph Netherway, Jakob Kinney-Graham, Oliver Wheatley, Charlie Foulkes-Taylor, William Johansson, Sam Gibson FIFTH ROW: Luke Annear, Seville Cooper, Oscar Argyle, Will Jones, Finn Buxton, Austin Leggo, Lennox Badger, Myles Blake, Charlie Butlin, Charlie Buckman, Ronnie Hobson, James Wheeler, Jeremy Reynolds, Angus Park, Billy Ure FOURTH ROW: Ethan Yem, Zachary Trott, Max Yeo, Maxwell Bennett, Austin van der Struyf, Finn Klug, Sivan Sharma, Cody Barrett, Flynn Kappler, Travis King, Luke O’Callaghan, Timothy Lonnqvist, Hugo Fischer, Charlie Mill, Daniel Feltham, Lachlan Afonso

THIRD ROW: Tom Kennington, Massimo Di Giulio, Samuel Grayling, Christophe Gardner, Tom Edibam, Van Butler, Archie Martin, James Ferguson, Benjamin Shipton, Oscar Evangelista, Charlie Scaddan, Jake Yeo, Matthew Tan, Bence Kovacs, Mason Beck, George Warner, Joshua Neervoort SECOND ROW: Regan Tubby, Bertie Arundell, Thomas Michael, William van Dongen, Tom Fox, Balin Daw, Harry Morgan, Joshua Fowler, Charlie Billingham, Oliver Pemberton, Henry Pemberton, Scott Caporn, Oliver Austin, Dawson Greig FRONT ROW: Jensen Kirby, Rowe O’Callaghan, Peter Cooney, Samuel Fretwell, Thomas Hewitt, Mr Will Greenwood, Rev Nicholas Russell, Ms Alli Gould, Ms Bronwyn Fricke, Ms Sharon Bryant, Cooper Whiting, Kit Bakker, James Greenshields, Ash Gibson, Fletcher Wetherell

Chess

PSA Champions

LUCAS HOGAN AND EMIL ONG / CO-CAPTAINS OF CHESS

The first major chess event was the House Arts tournament. The competition was fierce. En passant moves were executed with military precision. There were numerous brave sacrifices, many of which were accidental. There were also great upsets. Co-Captain Lucas Hogan suffered a devastating loss to underdog James Renouf (Year 9) in round two.

The annual Junior and Senior CCGS Chess Tournaments were held at the beginning of Term 2. In the Junior tournament, Henry Stokes (Year 7) produced some beautiful chess and took out a decisive victory. The Senior tournament also saw some nail-biting games, with Co-Captain Emil Ong managing to edge out the competition.

The first competition was the Four Schools Tournament. The team consisted of Year 9s James Gregory, Max Pearse, Jack Poulson, James Renouf, Jeremiah Wang and Andy Wu, and Year 12s Lucas Hogan, Emil Ong and Nicholas Tan. Despite the strong competition from Scotch, Hale and Aquinas, we managed to procure a convincing victory, with our top four boards winning 24 games and losing none. Quite a remarkable achievement.

We were feeling well-prepared heading into the PSA competition in Term 3. With three Year 9 players taking part in their first PSA tournament, we were quite apprehensive. In the end, after four hours of intensive chess, our team of Lucas Hogan, Emil Ong, Max Pearse, Nicholas Tan, Jeremiah Wang and Andy Wu produced a decisive performance, winning our fixtures against the other six PSA schools. This victory capped off 12 years in a row of PSA trophies, all owing to the strong chess culture at CCGS. A special thanks goes to old boy Josh Fry for coaching the team and to Mr Jack Damon for co-ordinating Chess at the School.

Chess Representative Team

BACK ROW: Andy Wu, James Renouf, Jack Poulson, Jeremiah Wang, Aaron Goh FRONT ROW: James Gregory, Emil Ong Ee Zy, Lucas Hogan, Nicholas Tan, Max Pearse

Debating

ED STODDART / CAPTAIN OF DEBATING

WADL Debating Team

TEAM MEMBERS: Bailey Alcock, Dylan Ang, Luke Annear, Frederick Azis, Aditya Barua, Anurag Barua, Will Blackwell, Reuben Brady, Max Brampton, Eduardo Caceres-Sandoval, Andrew Calderwood, Luca Campitelli, Callum Chin, Tommy Crage, Timothy Creed, Lorcan Daly, Harry Davison-Petch, Harry Della-Vedova, Ari Fisher, Carlin Flynn, Aaron Goh, James Greenshields, Tommy Greenshields, Edward Hadi, Jonah Hanikeri, Sam Harding, Max Harrison, Rory Hart, Sam Hasluck, Edward Hellings, Lucas Hogan, Hawk Hughes, Harry Kailis, Ben Kao, Zach Kuenzel, Vibhav Kumar, Zak Leaman, Thomas Lloyd, Daniel Maldon, Krish Mall, Aaryan Mandal, Alex Molyneux, Shrayen Moodley, Sean Morgan, Joshua Neervoort, Joshua Ng, Wesley Peh, Samuel Ramachandran, Evan Ratcliffe, Ben Rippey, Aubrey Rogers, Thomas Salter, Gourab Sharma, Sivan Sharma, Aman Shetty, Rohan Shetty, Rohan Shrestha, Sam Singleton, Akshayan Sivaanujan, Ed Stoddart, Lachlan Story, Seb Twiss-Yuen, Jeremiah Wang, Oliver Wright, Andy Wu, Gary Xu, Rishi Yogesan

TEACHER IN CHARGE: Mrs Bec Sheridan

After a somewhat turbulent Debating season last year, with the cancellation of the West Australian Debating League (WADL) competition, the boys entered the season with renewed fervour. The year started with skill development sessions for novice and junior debaters, with the Year 12 leadership group prioritising a strong foundation. Two strong CCGS teams emerged as the primus inter pares of the Senior division, with the Year 12 team proceeding to the quarter finals.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, all debating competitions went ahead with full capacity. We saw encouraging signs of development with CCGS 2 and CCGS 4 of the Junior division making it to the finals and Junior CCGS 2 winning its division. It looks as though the Church Debating fraternity is slowly but surely reclaiming its position of dominance within WADL, with each year surpassing the achievements of the last. Aside from our WADL performances, we also saw a consistent standard of performance in the UN Youth Australia Evatt Trophy Competition. This model UN style-debating competition has risen quickly in prominence and is now the largest competition of its kind in Australia. Two teams reached the semi-final round, with the team of Harry Davison-Petch and Ed Stoddart continuing through to the grand final and emerging as State champions.

Having concluded an incredibly fruitful season, it is important to acknowledge the diligent work of the teachers in charge of Debating. A huge thank you to Mrs Sarah Downes and Mrs Bec Sheridan who facilitated training sessions, watched debates and supported teams from all age groups across the season. Their hard work, in combination with the promising talent of the prospective leadership cohort, will undoubtedly raise the profile of Church Debating in the years to come.

Enigma

MAX HARRISON AND HENRY MCRAE / PARTICIPANTS

Enigma is a Christ Church program run after school on Thursdays, which encourages gifted and talented boys in Years 7 to 9 to pursue individual areas of interest. Boys work collaboratively in teams on individual projects, developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills while being supported by incredible ex-Enigma mentors from Years 10 to 12.

In Terms 1 and 2, the boys were divided into three groups to complete different modules, each covering an area, such as busting popular myths with science, solving escape rooms and sudoku puzzles, and investigating the science of food. After that, they had the opportunity to create a project around one of these modules. They included catapults firing Mintie projectiles, escape rooms, an investigation of introverts and extroverts, mood-lifting music, and a robot race between year groups. Additionally, there was also an investigation into how appearance affects credibility, and some homemade hovercrafts guided by magnets. All of this led to a diverse exhibition of our findings at an afternoon presentation in Term 4.

Enigma provided a stimulating outlet for the students’ creative and scientific minds. Friendships were made and debates were sparked. Everyone in Enigma came out with fascinating, unique knowledge, whether it be how to complete an escape room, or how much bacteria is on the Chemistry desks. Overall, Enigma was amazing this year!

Thanks to Mr Daniel La Galia, Dr Claire Molinari and Ms Caitlin Owen for their mentoring, engaging sessions and organisation.

ESports

ROB DODDS / CO-ORDINATOR

Esports is an organised and exciting form of competition based around computer games. It provides students with powerful opportunities to develop collaboration, communication and critical thinking skills, while also learning positive gaming and online behaviour strategies.

This year, the first ever Beatty Cup Esports competition saw 16 drivers from each House battling to gain pole position in four rounds over the year. The atmosphere at these events was electric and, in the end, Queenslea House took out the title of champion for 2021 in a nail-biting finish in the grand final.

The boarding community also used the same format for its own successful Esports evenings.

Christ Church Grammar School also hosted Western Australia’s first ever FUSE Cup (Federation of United Schools Esports) event, joining the premier international Esports competition across the Asia Pacific. Two Year 7 and 8 teams competed with peers from across regions and learnt about digital wellbeing in a safe and positive environment. FUSE Cup’s Chief Operating Officer Dan Martinez joined us virtually from Melbourne to enjoy the excitement and educate the students about microtransactions and the dangers of gaming addiction.

With a new activity in the Beatty Cup competition and more FUSE Cup events next year, 2022 promises to be an exciting year for Esports!

Informatics

MAX GODFREY / CAPTAIN OF INFORMATICS

Informatics, also known as competitive programming, is a mind sport in which participants code up solutions to computationally well-defined problems.

2021 has been another incredibly successful year for the CCGS Informatics Club, with many members receiving awards. We had three perfect scores in the Canadian Computing Competition, two perfect scores in the Bebras Australia Computational Thinking Challenge, and some stellar performances in the Oxford University Computing Challenge, including Aidan Lim (Year 8) achieving first place in the junior division. We also had two teams invited to the University of New South Wales ProgComp grand final for the fifth year in a row. Our Year 11 team of Joshua Chen, Roman Green and Kenneth Lo won the grand final, closely followed by our Year 12 team of Angus Finch, Max Godfrey and Aditya Muthukattu who finished third.

One of the most important events of the year is the Australian Informatics Olympiad. The top 25 participants nationally, in Years 7 to 11, are invited to attend the Informatics School of Excellence at the Australian National University. This year three boys were invited: Joshua Chen (Year 11), Andy Wu (Year 9) and Carlos Jin (Year 7).

The abundance of awards and the fact that Christ Church has two or three boys invited to the School of Excellence each year, really attests to the strength of our IT Department – specifically, the huge amount of work Mr Jan Honnens puts into the club for which we are all incredibly grateful.

Mock Trials

MAXWELL BRAMPTON AND HARRY DAVISON-PETCH / CO-CAPTAINS OF MOCK TRIALS

Mock Trials began with a large and enthusiastic Year 11 turnout, and passionate Year 12s coming back for more. Two strong teams were split between the experienced Year 12s and novice Year 11s.

The three compulsory rounds saw a mix of civil and criminal matters being advocated by over 100 teams in the Law Society of Western Australia’s Mock Trials competition this year. They ranged from complex contract law disputes, to theft of a School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) marking key and assault causing bodily harm. All trials were held at the Supreme Court and judged by experienced barristers and solicitors.

The year began with a strong victory by both Christ Church teams, putting their advocacy skills on display. Feeling good after a comprehensive win, the teams began preparing for the next trial, in which one team won and the other lost. However, both bounced back with two more wins in the third round.

Overall, in the preliminary stages of the competition, Christ Church teams won five out of six cases, a commendable achievement. Our success was furthered by the three consecutive wins of the ‘Usual Suspects’ team, led valiantly by Year 12 and Co-Captain, Harry Davison-Petch.

As a result, the Usual Suspects placed sixth on the ladder and progressed to the finals. Winning the next three trials, the team advanced to the grand final judged by the Hon Chief Justice Peter Quinlan SC in Supreme Court 1.

The team consisted of Year 12 students Harry Davison-Petch and Stuart Everett, as well as four hard working and dedicated Year 11s, Eduardo Caceres-Sandoval, Tim Creed, Harry Della-Vedova and Jack Francis. Despite tremendous efforts and a stellar performance on the night, we were edged out by a strong St Mary’s team who took the trophy.

Despite a disappointing result, being able to participate in so many trials and appear before the Hon Chief Justice in full robes was a reward in itself. The teams’ hard work and commitment, alongside invaluable support from old boy Tom Robins and Ms Vanessa Badaraco ensured our success. Christ Church Mock Trials teams have a bright future ahead.

Mock Trials Team

BACK ROW: Harry Della-Vedova, Timothy Creed, Matthew McGrath, Gabriel Porter, Emil Ong Ee Zy, Rohan Auret

MIDDLE ROW: Stuart Everett, Dylan Ang, Aditya Barua, Eduardo Caceres-Sandoval, James Greenshields, Aditya Muthukattu, Jack Francis FRONT ROW: Mr Tom Robins, Lucas Hogan, Ed Stoddart, Harry Davison-Petch, Max Brampton, Daniel Zhou, Nicholas Tan, Ms Vanessa Badaraco (Teacher in Charge)

Outdoor Education

MAX INGHAM / YEAR 7

I could barely contain my excitement on the bus. Friends and adventure are two of my favourite things! On the Year 7 Camp at Kooringal, I was not disappointed. Not in the slightest.

Over the course of the four days and three nights that the Year 7 House groups spent there, we took part in a variety of incredibly fun activities and experiences. Most notably, abseiling, rock-climbing, canoeing and sleeping in both hootchies and tents under a stunning show of stars that needs to be seen to be believed. Additionally, its famous food lived up to its reputation, with the traditional Kooringal breakfast rivalling that of even the fanciest Perth restaurants.

As we spent more time at the magical place, I felt the bonds with my friends strengthening and growing. People, whom I hardly knew at the beginning of the year, became some of my closest friends through intense conversations about the Dockers at dinner and laughs in the dorms when we really should have been asleep. If the Year 8 Camp is even close to as much fun as this one was, I can’t wait.

ALEX MOLYNEUX / YEAR 9

Having missed out on the Leeuwin trip last year due to COVID-19, the Year 9 cohort was eager to resume their Outdoor Education experience with a camp at Kooringal.

The first day involved an introductory session of canoeing and high ropes, followed by rogaining on Day 2, and then a five-day expedition of bushwalking and canoeing. The last night, and the highlight of the camp for many, was the 15-hour solo experience in which boys had to camp on their own for the night, with a gap of at least 200m between each boy. Though some groups missed out on activities due to severe weather, we all enjoyed camp. On behalf of all Year 9 students, I would like to thank the Kooringal staff for giving us this opportunity.

Outdoor Education

CAPE TO CAVE

JETLEN EGERTON-WARBURTON / YEAR 8

The wide-open expanse of Margaret River, with its wildlife and ancient caves, was a truly eye-opening experience. The first day of walking was on the actual Cape to Cape Track, with sections of wild and windswept beach as well as rolling dunes over beautiful swell and reefs. The second day’s trek was a relatively short one, on which we walked into Giants Cave armed with headlights and helmets and came out understanding silence a little better. My favourite walk was on the last day when we stopped halfway through to abseil. I loved this walk the most because everybody was exhausted, so we had no choice but to look at our glamourous surrounds and absorb it.

NICHOLAS THYER / YEAR 8

After a lengthy but entertaining bus ride we arrived at the Straw House, a family farmhouse in Witchcliffe. We were ready to meet our camp leaders and pack our bags for the long trek ahead. Let me tell you, it was one to remember.

The Cape to Cave outdoor education camp was one of my favourite experiences to date. The caving and abseiling provided the thrill; cooking our own meals gave us new skills; the cultural and environmental sessions provided us with awareness; and the long but rewarding hikes across some of Australia’s finest coastline taught us perseverance and how to appreciate the incredible part of the world in which we live. Boys next year can expect ups and downs, hikes, songs, maps and lots of healthy eating.

Philanthropy

JAMES RUSS / CAPTAIN OF PHILANTHROPY

2021 saw Philanthropy at CCGS enjoy another successful and empowering year, with the entire School engaging in the Students’ Scholarship campaign in addition to other objectives. The prefect group wanted to build a theme of generosity and giving across the student body, coinciding with an emerging social conscience about world issues.

The Students’ Scholarship, an incentive billed as ‘for the boys, by the boys’, returned as the flagship philanthropic product of the year, wherein boys across all years made donations and sacrifices to create an opportunity for one boy to attend CCGS who would otherwise not have had the opportunity due to financial constraints. Highlights of this campaign saw the teachers face off against the students in a heated and heroic dodgeball match; boys in the Prep School exhibiting their most outrageous pairs of socks; and daily contributions from all House tute groups in the Refectory. We were successful in achieving our target amount and superseded our expectations as a result of the generosity that the community demonstrated – a wonderful outcome.

Other notable initiatives included our Bushfire Appeal in February to support the rebuild of rural environments in the wake of the Perth fires.

Overall, this year provided ample opportunity for us to cultivate an environment of generosity at CCGS through philanthropy, and all who were involved would undoubtedly attest to our success in this area.

Service in Action

GARNDUWA

BAILEY VAN DER STRUYF / PARTICPANT

During the April school holidays, Bertie Arundell, Tom Stevens, Jack Turnbull and I, along with Mr Liam Casson, joined Garnduwa at the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome. There we met a group of Indigenous boys from across the Kimberley region for a young men’s leadership and cultural camp to be held across four days.

Our experiences included spear-making, spearfishing and mud crabbing, as well as a cultural walk with traditional owner Bolo Angus. We ran a footy clinic at One Arm Point for the local primary school. We enjoyed plenty of swimming in the blistering heat and many laughs around the campfire in the evening. On the final night, we were lucky to experience a traditional Indigenous dance around the campfire from Bolo and his family.

The trip was a wonderful opportunity for us to gain a deeper insight into Aboriginal culture in that area and to experience this breathtaking part of Western Australia. I’d like to thank Mr Casson and Mr Mark Tait for the remarkable experience.

KUNUNURRA

DYLAN ANG / PARTICIPANT

September 2021 saw Mr Neil Saggers, Mr Tom Goodbourn and 14 Year 10s and 11s leave for Kununurra, a town near the border of WA and the Northern Territory with a population of approximately 8000 people. We were invited to East Kimberley College (EKC), a K-12 public school filled with laughter, fun and excitement.

During class hours we used hand actions to learn simple words, such as ‘hinge’ and ‘bridge’. It was interesting to see how different the children at EKC learn. Their pedagogy has a more instructional approach compared to the discovery-style learning that we are used to at CCGS.

Physical Education class was also a blast; the blazing 38-degree weather didn’t seem to deter the Year 2s. They played rounds of rock paper scissors, hopscotch and downball, and had a graded test to see how well they could master a forward roll.

Lunchtime was the highlight of our trip. The children waited eagerly outside the staff room for us to emerge and play with them. We engaged in fun games such as tag, four square and footy.

Like all good things, our journey to Kununurra came to an end. It will be a trip that we will never forget and one to cherish forever.

MARBLE BAR

MAY

MATTHEW MENEZES / PARTICIPANT The Marble Bar Service in Action trip gave us the opportunity to spend five days in Australia’s hottest town, as student helpers in the local school.

The days consisted of assisting with some good old Mathletics, helping the younger children learn how to write and spell and assisting with swimming lessons. There was even a bit of community cricket.

The trip held many highlights for me: revelling in the lunchtime games of basketball in which losing became a common trend; the conversation I had with the one of the community elders in which she discussed particular traditions and how the young boys of her family learn to hunt and prepare kangaroo; the morning bus ride (a far fetch from catching the 703 to school), passing multiple stations and rural communities.

Personally, I learnt so much about Aboriginal culture, from the little lessons the kids taught me about respect, to the greater outlook of a sense of gratitude. The Marble Bar trip is something I’ll always remember.

SEPTEMBER

SEAN MORGAN / PARTICIPANT

Prior to leaving, we believed that our main role would be to teach, but we were very much mistaken. Instead, we were the ones learning, and we learnt a lot, though it was not what you would typically find in a Christ Church classroom. We found that attempts to teach Maths dissolved into chats about weekend hobbies of camping and sports, and reading time transformed into profound discussions about identity, culture and family.

Needless-to-say, we were also taught a lesson or two by the local children on the basketball court. What they lacked in height, they certainly made up for with fiery enthusiasm and Steph Curry-like shooting ability, making our group question Matt ‘3-point’ Bailey’s place in the First Basketball team.

We took a trip to the local hospital, where we not only had a snakebite treatment lesson and sat inside the ambulance, but also learnt about the challenges associated with rural medicine.

It is difficult to put into words the impact this trip had on my world view. It sounds cliched, but seeing the gratitude, joy and connection of the children to each other, the land, and us had a huge effect on me. I really cannot recommend this trip enough to Year 10s; I figure that any school trip that makes you cry, is one worth going on.

Service in Action

NULLAGINE

NICHOLAS NG / YEAR 11 PARTICIPANT

Sam and I, along with Darcy Shephard and Sebastian Chandraratna, were fortunate enough to travel to Nullagine to attend a remote community school for a week. It was a humbling experience to see how the children in Nullagine lead their lives and experience schooling.

It was very interesting to see how the school was run. Uniform and hair policies were much more relaxed. We started each day with an hour of recreation and found ourselves playing a lot of basketball. Being very tall, Sam found himself to be a very effective rebounder against the smaller Year 3s.

Around 11 children attended the school that week, ranging from Years 3 to 12. It was eye-opening to see the same Physics topic being taught to all students.

SAM ENGLISH / YEAR 11 PARTICIPANT

On our first day, we were taken by the head teacher, Mr Farn, and a group of small, axe-wielding children to hunt witchetty grubs, a local delicacy. It was certainly a difficult process to find the small, white critters. It involved cutting down and looking in the roots of small shrubs that only the local children managed to find. After the grubs were cooked over embers, we all managed to down at least half a grub, despite Darcy’s initial reluctance.

Our Service in Action trip to Nullagine was one of the highlights of our year. We learnt heaps about a new, rich culture, and received more from those children than we could ever possibly teach them.

YAKANARRA

HAMISH BROGAN / PARTICIPANT

In Term 4, Mr Tom Shalders, James Thomas, Fletcher Wetherell and I journeyed to the remote Indigenous community in the Fitzroy Crossing region called Yakanarra. We arrived to a crowd of smiling children and knew that it was going to be a very enjoyable week. While there, we involved ourselves in the local Athletics Carnival, which showcased many talents, most of which would impress Mr Tim Chaney. We were excited to see the children’s natural skills despite lacking the equipment and training to which we are accustomed. Their happiness and lust for life was infectious and emphasised the true value of relationships over material things.

JAMES THOMAS / PARTICIPANT

Yakanarra Community School consists of 25 students and three classrooms, one for early learners (Pre-Primary to Year 3), a middle school (Years 3 to 6) and the senior school (Years 7 to 9). The sense of family within the school and community and the fact that we were welcomed with open arms was truly special. Capture the flag was a popular game at recess. After school, all it took was a knock on the door from one of the children to spark basketball at sunset or a game of footy on the school’s oval. The feeling of being a genuine part of this community made the experience very meaningful, enjoyable and something I will definitely remember.

FLETCHER WETHERELL / PARTICIPANT

Our trip was a real eye-opener for me, especially the cultural and spiritual experiences. We connected with the elders of the community, the schoolteachers, the shopkeepers and most importantly, the children. The latter always made us laugh, literally following our footsteps everywhere.

My most enjoyable moment was our evening visit to the Fitzroy River. We jumped in the school troopy and ventured out to the station ruins, where we wet a line and had a swim in the croc-infested water. Later that night, while sitting around the fire rolling some snags, we experienced a truly remarkable spiritual experience in which we were taught to respect the land. We were told to be quiet and listen to sounds enacted by the spirits. We listened to Dreamtime stories while an elder played guitar and sang.

This experience taught me to always look for the signs the land gives us and to show the most respect to it so that it will respect you in return.

Sony Camp

NEIL SAGGERS / DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES

This year’s successful Sony Camp hosted 20 special needs children over three days and nights at Walters House.

A great group of returning Year 12s from MLC and CCGS worked with over 40 staff and more than 30 Year 11 volunteer assistants, resulting in a fantastic time for the campers and excellent respite for parents and carers.

The campers really enjoyed the on-campus experiences which included art activities and games, and of course several swims in the school pool. We really enjoyed our time at Leighton Beach with our great friends from Disability Services Australia, who provided some excellent surfing opportunities.

The Year 11s and 12s worked very hard, assisting with COVID-19 cleaning and other routine tasks, as well as interacting enthusiastically with energetic campers. Their effort and energy were a credit to the group.

The input of MLC staff and our use of their gym for games and activities was really valued. We continue to build strong links through the co-operative nature of Sony Camp. Once again, we thank Alliance Catering, with Anne and Clare in Sandover Dining Hall providing delicious meals.

Christmas lunch was served to appreciative parents and tired but elated volunteers. Special thanks to Mrs Joanna Simpson, Mr Neil Saggers and Mrs Lisa Broxton for their 16 years of involvement in Sony Camp. The team also wished Mr Alec Barbour, Head of Design and Technology, and a committed member of Sony, a well-deserved long service leave.

Student Environment Committee

DYLAN ANG / PARTICIPANT

With the leaders of our world working to reach net zero emissions, the Student Environmental Committee (SEC), under the direction of Mr Daniel La Galia, set out to educate the Christ Church community about environmental issues.

In Term 1, we continued our partnership with the Student Wellbeing Committee by co-ordinating Ride to School Week. Boys and staff were encouraged to ride to school in Week 7 as a way of driving positive change in the school community. Professional BMX rider Todd Meyn performed gravity-defying stunts on the Preparatory School oval to a large and captivated audience.

At the beginning of Term 3, members of the SEC attended the Waste Wise Student Meet at Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC). This was the first-ever school environmental conference in which students from several schools, including MLC, Bob Hawke College, Mazenod College, Aquinas College and Churchlands Senior High School, convened to discuss strategies to make our schools more sustainable. Ben Nowrojee (Year 12) spoke eloquently about the CCGS SEC. Time was allocated to networking and discussing initiatives. These included an in-house composting system, a glasshouse and dedicated days to reduce carbon emissions.

Our highlight of the year was the Environmental Carnival held in Term 3. The Refectory was turned into a makeshift carnival, with games, donation boxes and baked goods. Boys who completed the SEC suggestion cards, donated stationery, batteries and clothing, or won a game, received a prize. Congratulations to Austin Prentice (Year 11) and Andrew Tan (Year 11) who were awarded prizes for their suggestions. Special thanks to the 2020 Year 8 Enigma group who created a waste sorting game that was further developed by Angus Finch (Year 12) this year. A basketball recycling game, to teach students the importance of placing rubbish in the correct bins, had a high participation rate. The carnival was a great success with students even more educated about the School’s waste systems.

Many thanks to Environmental Prefect Ben Nowrojee, Mr Daniel La Galia, Mr Samuel Wallace and all members of the SEC for their tireless efforts throughout this productive year.

Venture

TOM EDIBAM / PARTICIPANT

Venture was not without its challenges. A low point was Day 3; we spent five hours without a break, carving out a path in the dense bush, fighting through the foliage, blistering heat and the painful stings of bull ants, only to discover we had trekked a kilometre in the wrong direction and still had a huge beach walk and road to go. However, this was offset by the highlight that was Day 4; a much kinder walk that finished at Coal Point campsite, where we all slept on the beach away from the mosquitos and enjoyed the majestic night sky, chatting and laughing for hours, feeling like we could easily crush the days to come. It’s moments like these in which the true Venture experience becomes apparent. We learnt o f each other’s strengths and weaknesses, our struggles and our triumphs, and came to realise our inner spirit.

JACKSON MACRI / PARTICIPANT

Joining the School halfway through this year, it soon became apparent that Venture was an important part of the Christ Church experience and a challenge looked forward to by all. For a new boy, Venture provided a way to get to know people better outside the confines of the classroom.

Our Venture trip was blessed with fine weather for the majority of the time. We walked a large section of the Bibbulmun Track and I struggled adjusting to the requirements during the first few days. However, as the trip progressed and the walking became easier, our group really enjoyed the experience.

Being new to WA, I hadn’t ventured far from Perth, so it gave me the opportunity to experience the Walpole and Denmark area.

My thoughts? Venture was a challenging but extremely rewarding experience, and I can say I am a better person because of it. I also gained friendships I will take with me into Year 11.