Connections Magazine December 2020 Edition

CONTENTS Being a Positive Human Through Difficult Situations Voci Choir The Show Must Go Online ELTHAM College 2020 Ethics Olympiad Team

CALENDAR FEB 1

FEB 27

MAR 4 MAR 19

ELTHAM Esports Rocket League Alumni News

9

Alumni Reflection Alumni Community

11 Notices

Alumni Sporting Clubs Alumni Profile

13 Swipers Gully and Cooking Club Swipers Gully Feature Recipe Foundation News The ECCA Way ECCA News Community: Where Are They Now? From the Archives

MAR 24

MAR 27

APR 28 MAY 19

MAY 21

JUN 15

JUL 21

JUL 23

Welcome Morning Tea

Harold Mitchell Performing Arts Centre, 8.45 – 9.30am

Open Day ELTHAM College, 9.00am – 2.00pm

International Womens Day Dinner

Swipers Gully Training Restaurant, 7.30 – 9.30pm

Class of 2000 - 20 Year Reunion / Class of 2001 - 20 Year Reunion Swipers Gully Training Restaurant, 6.30 – 10.00pm

ELTHAM in Action

Harold Mitchell Performing Arts Centre, 9.00 – 11.00am

Class of 2019 - 1 Year Reunion Venue TBC, 6.30pm

ELTHAM College AGM 8.00 – 9.00pm

ELTHAM in Action

Harold Mitchell Performing Arts Centre, 9.00 – 11.00am

Class of 2010 - 10 Year Reunion / Class of 2011 - 10 Year Reunion Swipers Gully Training Restaurant, 6.30 – 10.00pm

ELTHAM in Action

Harold Mitchell Performing Arts Centre, 9.00 – 11.00am

ELTHAM in Action

Harold Mitchell Performing Arts Centre, 9.00 – 11.00am

Past Staff Reunion Swipers Gully Training Restaurant, 7.30 – 10.00pm

CONNECTIONS

Editorial

BEING A POSITIVE HUMAN THROUGH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the things that drives ELTHAM College is a fundamental belief in humanity. It’s somewhat ironic that we can understand more about our humanity by the fact that we can't be together, as was the case for much of this year.

What has become clear is how important human connection is – this goes back to the very foundations of the College. We yearn for connectivity and that yearning has been significant of late, which is why a focus on wellbeing and gratitude is important.

In response, the College has had multiple contacts with every one of our families throughout the year. Our Leadership Team has also made contact with our staff to check in with them. We were also pleased to receive care packages for our Year 12 students from Help 3095 and Surrounds, a volunteer-run community group made up of residents of Research, Eltham and Eltham North.

Despite the challenges of 2020, one of the really positive outcomes from this year is that learning has been relatively ‘gently’ impacted.

Our learning has been maintained and the capacity to learn remains strong. We have also had to learn how to be positive humans through such difficult situations and at the same time we’ve demonstrated deep gratitude – especially to our families and teachers.

We are fortunate to live in a very lucky part of the world – the lucky country. We should show gratitude for the place we have in the world and not take it for granted. We should focus on what we have rather than on what we haven't, so that we celebrate Emerson’s words and “cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you …”

I want to thank our community for their efforts during 2020 and look forward to welcoming back our families next year.

Simon Le Plastrier Principal ELTHAM College 1

CONNECTIONS

News

VOCI CHOIR ELTHAM’S VOCI CHOIR, COMPRISED OF 32 STUDENTS FROM YEARS 4 – 6, CONTINUED TO BRING MUSIC TO OUR COMMUNITY. Singing and creating harmonies with other singers is an amazing feeling, something we were keen to maintain during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Voci Choir would usually rehearse once a week after school and participate in multiple performances each year, both at the College and in the wider Eltham community. In 2020, Voci rehearsed face-to-face for approximately four hours in total – every other rehearsal was held online via Microsoft Teams.

The process of making music online is extremely challenging. Given the substantial time delay, no one can sing at the same time, so a choir cannot actually sing together. Rebecca Mason and I structured our online rehearsals to keep the students as engaged and interested as we could.

We would both be visible on camera and banter with each other and the students. I would sing and then ask them to sing back, all the while only ever hearing my own voice.

Towards the end of each rehearsal, I would mute my microphone and ask Rebecca to play the piano so we could all sing along. Again, no one could hear anything but Rebecca playing and their singing.

In effect, the idea of choir as we knew it was compromised.

I decided that the young students who kept turning up each week needed the reward of hearing the result of their hard work. It wouldn’t be the same of course, but we would offer virtual performances that demonstrated their development and they could finally hear those harmonies!

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In Term 2, the members of Voci agreed to record from home their parts for the song Dance Monkey.

The challenges continued as Rebecca and I worked through the multiple ways this could be achieved.

Rebecca recorded her piano part and sent it to me.

I then recorded vocal guide tracks, one for each vocal part. The students used the guide track to sing along at home and had someone record them on video singing their part.

We had performances in living rooms, music rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and the outdoors.

I then collated all the audio of the students, mixing it together in Garage Band and combining the video footage in Adobe Premiere Pro. I thoroughly enjoyed developing these new skills.

The final product was something to behold. So good in fact that Term 3 saw us do another virtual performance. This time, even more impressively, Voci learnt Accidentally Kelly Street from start to finish online. The pride we all felt when the College shared this with the community on the College Facebook page was well worth the efforts by everyone involved.

The Voci students now have two amazing recordings to hold onto and remember the year that was 2020. We are very much looking forward to singing together in person. It will be amazing to hear all the voices coming together in song.

Nicole Howard Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator

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CONNECTIONS

News

THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE IN A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER, PERFORMING ARTS AT ELTHAM LOOKED QUITE DIFFERENT. In 2020 many productions poised to open in Melbourne were cancelled or postponed indefinitely. The performing arts industry has suffered terribly in this temporary new world – as many artists have been unable to receive assistance, the hashtag #artiswork has been shared far and wide.

This year thousands of families around the world have huddled around their TV screens to watch the Broadway Musical sensation Hamilton after it was added to Disney+. This celebrated production has certainly been the most popular theatrical event to come out of the COVID-19 lockdown.

It is under these conditions that we decided to persevere and continue to develop our productions and upskill our performers.

The Year 9 – 12 Play Shakespeare on Love was rehearsed online. Each week the whole company met and rehearsed on Zoom. Although not ideal, it did provide a great opportunity to investigate text, sharpen understanding of the words within the work and develop the key skills when performing Shakespeare: to know what on earth you’re talking about. In the end, over 50 students from Years 7 – 12 worked onstage, backstage and as part of the creative team to bring these three short stories to our community via our Live Events page on mE. As we headed back into stage 3 restrictions, we begin to rehearse the 9 – 12 Musical Chicago and the 5 – 8 Production Best of Broadway in a similar way, again having only had a few face-to-face rehearsals or none at all.

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Each week we posted choreography videos with tutorials and music to learn and held rehearsals online using Zoom.

Stage managers, cast and the creative team worked diligently on both of these productions, and although there was unfortunately no performance outcome, there was a great deal of vital learning and skills development.

We also ran three weekly drama clubs and a VCE Theatre Studies preparation class to develop skills and maintain engagement with drama and creativity while in lockdown. There were drama clubs for Prep – Year 2, Years 3 – 6 and the Senior School. Each week we ran improvisation exercises, script inquiry, objective work, creative design activities and more. For the Senior students taking on VCE Theatre Studies in 2021 we ran sessions on vocabulary, theatre styles and production analysis, and we also worked to find a play to present next year.

Although in 2020 the Arts saw many of its live events cancelled, we are proud that we maintained connections and ensured that the theatre family stayed together.

Nick Waxman Head of Visual and Performing Arts

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CONNECTIONS

News

ELTHAM COLLEGE 2020 ETHICS OLYMPIAD TEAM TACKLING THE BIG ISSUES WE FACE IN THE WORLD TODAY.

Each day we see ethical questions being grappled with on a local, national and global scale. Indeed, even in our own lives we encounter moments where we face ethical dilemmas.

The study of Humanities enables students to consider issues that have emerged both historically and within the contemporary world, to consider what is the ethical response to those issues and to strengthen their own ethical thinking.

In recognition of the importance of the Humanities and 21st century education more broadly to foster ethical thinking, this year the Humanities department entered an ELTHAM College Team in the Victorian Middle School Ethics Olympiad. The team of five students from Years 7 and 8 have been meeting with Humanities staff to prepare ethical responses to eight case studies.

We have discussed a range of real-life issues, such as whether it’s ethical to opt out of being an informed citizen who is active in the political process, or whether the environmental impact of flying means it’s not ethical to travel by plane. We have considered and debated these interesting ethical questions through different lenses including the utilitarian approach, rights approach and the common good approach to ethical thinking. As we consider and debate each issue, we have been formulating the team’s perspective on each case.

In late November our team will meet with the teams from other schools online for four Ethics Olympiad heats. Each heat is not conducted as a debate with opposing views, but rather an opportunity to engage with peers in discussion and consideration of the issue. Each team presents their ethical resolution and defends whatever position they believe is right, showing they have thought about the issue carefully, deeply and perceptively.

At the time of writing we do not know what the outcome will be, however having spent time with the team members, I am confident they have the thoughtfulness, awareness and ethical thinking required to face whatever ethical challenges the future holds.

Anne Muller Head of Humanities 6

ELTHAM ESPORTS ROCKET LEAGUE TOURNAMENT USING TECHNOLOGY IN THE SPORTING ARENA. Skill, teamwork, tactical awareness and communication are the hallmarks of sporting success. But with 2020’s restrictions, we wondered how could we still display these attributes in a sport-starved environment?

With all school and community sport unable to proceed, an opportunity arose to run an ELTHAM College Esports tournament of Rocket League. The basic premise is for gamers to create a team of three, build their own car and use their vehicle to hit a soccer ball into a goal in an online enclosed indoor arena.

24 teams signed up to play this online tournament, including one staff team. They were split into two divisions based upon previous experience, playing a series of five rounds to determine the finalists.

The better performed teams quickly strategised together, organising training sessions, talking team tactics and communicating their advice and commands via the live Discord channel.

The Grand Final saw Team Carry (consisting of Year 11 students Hamish, Mason and Donald) square off against the undefeated Three Rocketeers (Year 12 students Matthew, Callum and Tyler). The Grand Final of the Rocket League tournament was screened live via the Twitch platform to the College during assembly time at the end of Term 3, with commentary by Quarantainers Guy Mitchell and Craig Seckold.

The Rocketeers took an early lead in the best of three Grand Final series, winning the first match, although it was Team Carry who came back from 1 – 0 down in the second match to level the series 3 – 1 and ultimately take the title of ELTHAM College Rocket League Champions.

A big thank you to Chris Capewell and the Team Administrators at META High School Esports for making this tournament possible. We hope this event will be an ongoing addition to the rich diversity of offerings in the co-curricular space.

Craig Seckold Guy Mitchell Director of Sport Outdoor Education

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ALUMNI

News

ALUMNI NEWS

Our Classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019 recorded a video of encouragement for the Year 12 students, sharing their wisdom and wishing them luck for their final term of high school. This initiative was run alongside a new mentoring program that seeks to partner recently graduated alumni with Year 12 students based on interests, passions and goals. Past students also presented their “top tips for successfully transitioning from high school to university” in assemblies this year. At the Year 12 Valedictory we officially welcomed the Class of 2020 to the Alumni Association.

Whilst we were unable to hold our reunions in 2020, we are hoping to see our alumni in 2021 for a delayed celebration. We are also launching a new project next year that will connect our alumni through business as another avenue for promoting collaboration and support.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the strength of community and the power of human connection – whether within arm's reach or a virtual hug away.

The ELTHAM College Alumni Association’s mission has always been to reach, connect and support our past students, parents and staff by offering a diverse range of vibrant events and services that drive a sense of community. This mission has been more important than ever this year.

Supporting our Year 12 students in 2020 has been a prominent focus of our work. The Alumni Association sponsored Tyson Day (Class of 2007) to present to the Year 12s. Tyson, a career counsellor, encouraged the students to explore their passions, practise gratitude and develop a ‘personal pitch’ to help sell themselves as they enter a new chapter of their lives.

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Our ECAMP group have been hard at work connecting alumni through music, theatre and performing arts. Their virtual concert in November was a huge success and a tribute to their hard work and dedication.

The Alumni Association continues to connect with our community through Alumni E-News, which is emailed out quarterly to share updates and alumni stories. We love hearing and sharing your stories and successes. Please reach out to our Alumni Coordinator with your personal or professional achievements by emailing alumni@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au

Naomi Taranto (Class of 2016) President of the ELTHAM College Alumni Association

Alumni Association Meetings 2021 Conference Room, ELTHAM College, 7.30pm – 9.30pm Tuesday 2 February Tuesday 23 March Tuesday 15 June (AGM)

We encourage you to also stay connected to us through our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and to get in touch if you have ideas on how we can support you! facebook.com/ElthamCollegeAlumni alumni@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au linkedin.com/in/elthamalumni

ECAMP performing at Open Day

ALUMNI

Reflection

ALUMNI

REFLECTION

Fiona Bowie – Class of 2002 When asked to reflect on my time at ELTHAM and how it has influenced my career, two teachers emerged front of mind.

Firstly, Mr Whitford, who ran the Outdoor Education department and was the driver behind the incredibly successful white-water kayaking program.

Kayaking taught me so much about resilience, determination, teamwork, leadership and just giving things a shot, even if you don't feel ready!

Secondly, Ms Bellamy, who taught VCE Geography with a great passion that was hard to ignore. When I think back on the subject now though, I don’t remember as much focus on climate change nor the concept of sustainability, as there is in the world now. Interesting that my following career pathways all have foundations in the importance of Geography.

My journey following graduation saw me complete a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in Zoology and Conservation Ecology. After working for a number of years in Environmental Management of construction projects in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia, it was time for a rethink. This sustainability thing was gaining momentum and the reality of climate change was getting real.

I wanted to make a change and I wanted my career to make a difference.

I headed back to the University of Melbourne to complete my Masters of Environment, majoring in Sustainable Cities. After a stint in Denmark, I returned to the construction industry and am a Sustainability Manager for major infrastructure projects such as Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel and Level Crossing Removals. I love my job; maybe not on a minute to minute basis, but it's great to look back and see major improvements I've been able to achieve.

On a smaller construction scale, my partner and I recently bought an old Victorian era terrace/shopfront in Fitzroy North. We intend to restore it to its former glory whilst putting everything I've learnt about sustainability into practise. I now have a 2-year-old son who gives me even more incentive to not just be satisfied with minimising my impact on this earth, but to leave it in a better condition.

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ALUMNI

Notices

COMMUNITY NEWS NOTICES Births Keep us in the loop!

Please email us at alumni@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au if you have recently welcomed a new baby, celebrated a loved one or have a story to share.

Aiden Chan, born 16 May 2020. A son for Kevin Chan (Class of 2006) and Doris Leung.

Luca Aaron Heezeman, born 3 October 2020.

A son for Milenka Heezeman (Maffei) and James Heezeman (both Class of 2007).

Taya Ellen Frazer, born 22 September 2020. Matilda Lee (Tilly) Fraser, born 18 A daughter for Brooke (current ELTHAM October 2020. A daughter for Kerristaff member) and Trevor Frazer (current anne and Josh Fraser (Class of 2005).

ELTHAM staff member and Class of 2004). A niece for Hamish Fraser (Class of A niece for Stuart Frazer (Class of 2006).

2003) and Sam Fraser (Class of 2008).

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Ruben John Green, born 18 March 2020. A son for John and Emma Green (Whiteley, Class of 2005), a nephew for James Whiteley (Class of 2008).

Oliver John Pannunzio, born 18 July 2020.

A son for Mark Pannunzio and Laura Johnston (both Class of 2005). A nephew for Scott Pannunzio (Class of 2009) and Clair Johnston (Class of 2007).

ALUMNI

Sport

ALUMNI SPORTING CLUBS In Memory Notices

Former staff member Kathie Zerkel (1944 – 2020), passed away in October 2020.

Kathie came to the College in 1975, teaching English and acting as Senior Mistress in the fledgling Secondary School.

She soon took over the role of Year 8 Level Coordinator. During the 1990s, Kathie became the Deputy Head of Middle School and when the City Campus was created in 1996, Kathie was its first Director and the driving force behind many of the exciting initiatives that were a part of that pioneering concept.

Kathie was a lively spirit and a valuable colleague who will be fondly remembered by many students and staff members.

Keith McKechnie Former staff member Graham Nowacki passed away 21 December 2019. Graham taught at the College from January 1975, becoming the Headmaster of the Preparatory School in January 1980. Graham left the College in 1986, to take on the Head of Junior School role at Scotch College.

PLEASE NOTE: In the last edition of Connections magazine it was reported that Karen Bulmer (Class of 1980) had passed away. This was an error and the College profoundly apologises to Karen and her family and friends for any distress this may have caused.

RECCC News During lockdown this year Research Eltham Collegians Cricket Club remained connected, with our Season 2019/20 Award winners being presented online and via a five week online personal training program.

We welcome back two quality players, James Cummane (Class of 2016) and Jordan Jackson (Class of 2014). Notably in the off-season Kristy McGuirk was the winner of the Division 2 East Spirit of Cricket for season 19/20.

With no community sport over the winter months, we are eagerly anticipating the start of Season 2020/21.

We will field five Senior sides, a Veterans side and an Over 60s side. We will field sides in Under 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s, so if you are a Junior Cricketer looking to play, please contact us. Our All Abilities Team are aiming to get a season up in the new year. The club fields two Girls sides – Under 16s and 13s – and we welcome all new players.

Please note our COVID Return to Train/Return to Play plan has been adopted.

Brad Purvis, President Enquiries: reccc.general@gmail.com

Turtle News Things are starting to look up at the Turtledome. The break, whilst certainly not an ideal situation, has been a blessing for some. Old bodies were rested, volunteers had a break, players and committee members have had more time to spend with family and partners, and the oval has never looked better!

We do acknowledge however that things have been tough for some, particularly with regards to wellbeing.

For many members of our club, playing sport has a positive impact on their mental health. Preserving, protecting and improving the wellbeing of young people is a large part of why the Turtles exists. With our incredible culture at the club of inclusiveness and acceptance, we hope this provides a place for everybody to feel comfortable and to be part of a caring community.

To ensure we stayed connected, our playing leadership group and coaches have been checking in with players and members of the club regularly. This was an initiative instigated by our players on the back of some robust and thoughtful discussions around R U OK? Day. As the public health situation improves, so do our chances of being able to meet up for a kick and a BBQ, and check in on each other in a more authentic and regular way. If you’re interested in getting involved at the Turtles as a player or volunteer, please contact me on 0414 547 637.

Ben Crellin, President Enquiries: ben.r.crellin@gmail.com 11

ALUMNI

Profile

ALUMNI PROFILE

Kyle Davis-Hill – Class of 2014 Since graduating from ELTHAM College in 2014 I have been pursuing a career as a chef. Shortly after graduating I commenced an apprenticeship at the renowned Bistro Gitan in South Yarra. After completion of my apprenticeship, I worked as a chef de partie in some of Melbourne’s finest hatted restaurants, including the two hatted Saint Crispin.

My desire to further my career and work in Michelin starred kitchens in Europe led to a three year stint in London. My first two years saw me working at the one star Michelin gastropub The Harwood Arms, owned by renowned Australian chef Brett Graham. I worked in Tom Kerridge’s first London Restaurant within the five star Corinthia Hotel. My final year in London I spent with Nest Restaurant Group, cooking in an exciting and innovative modern British restaurant. I was also an integral part in running a series of unique tasting menu pop-up restaurants across England and Wales.

This time spent abroad in London has been a pivotal period in my career. I have developed as a person and this is an experience that I will never forget. Due to the pandemic, life in our industry has been placed on hold and I have recently returned to Melbourne.

Restaurants are doing it tough right now and it saddens me to see the industry struggling. This is probably the biggest setback the hospitality industry has ever seen. But this industry is always adapting and will evolve and bounce back! When restrictions ease, I have landed a role at Jacques Reymond’s new venture, Frederic in Cremorne.

This industry nurtures so much raw talent and is incredibly rewarding. I would highly recommend a career in hospitality based on my own experience going through ELTHAM College’s Hospitality program, which gave me an incredible starting point and helped me to identify where my passion resides.

The College’s philosophy to nurture students’ passions and create world-ready students has given me the confidence and skills to be where I am today. I am excited to see what the future holds.

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SWIPERS GULLY

Feature

SWIPERS GULLY AND COOKING CLUB WHILE NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL, THE HOSPITALITY TEAM HAVE ADAPTED TO THE CHANGES BROUGHT BY 2020.

The Hospitality industry faced many challenges this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Swipers Gully Training Restaurant had to remain closed for much of the year and students were learning and cooking at home more than at the restaurant.

This year the Certificate II in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations) and Certificate III in Hospitality has had to run differently to other years. For example, instead of serving customers at Swipers, we had to move to a ‘simulated restaurant’ where the students cooked for themselves.

The kitchen students prepared the food, plated up and served it before sitting down and enjoying what they prepared, while the food and beverage

students rotated their serving roles, serving both food and beverages to the kitchen and front of house students while maintaining COVID-safe protocols.

Fortunately throughout remote learning we were able to bring students back to school to do their essential practical assessments for Hospitality.

That was positive for the students, who enjoyed coming back in to do some practical tasks, seeing their friends and having some social interaction while applying their theoretical knowledge.

Some of the cooking can be practised at home to develop students’ cooking skills and knowledge.

This year I set up ‘Cooking Club’ to assist with remote learning and also to share cooking ideas and tips with the wider College community.

access them. I created these cooking videos at home in my own kitchen, with my wife filming me as I made some easy dishes using simple techniques the students will use once they return to College learning.

We’ve had some good feedback about the videos – the most popular dishes were the pumpkin soup and also the chocolate brownies. I spoke to several families during parent teacher interviews who told me about the Cooking Club dishes they made together and substitutes I should use in my recipes, which was lovely feedback to hear.

Patrick Murphy Hospitality Trainer

I posted tutorial videos up on mE and also on the Swipers Gully Facebook page so everyone can 13

SWIPERS GULLY

Recipe

RECIPE SALTED CARAMEL PANNA COTTA WITH WELSH SHORTBREAD AND STRAWBERRY SALAD Method For caramel sauce 1. In a heavy based pot add sugar and salt over medium-high heat until it starts to turn a caramel colour (6 – 10 minutes). Slowly add the cream to the dark caramel sauce and whisk together.

Allow to cool.

For the panna cotta 1. Pour the milk and thickened cream in a saucepan over mediumhigh heat and bring to a light simmer. Dissolve gelatine in a bowl of cold water. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add to the hot milk mixture. Whisk until dissolved.

2. Pour the caramel sauce into the mixture, whisking as you pour.

3. Pass through a strainer. Distribute evenly into Dariole Moulds.

Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.

Ingredients Caramel sauce 120g sugar 150ml thickened cream Pinch of salt Panna cotta 250ml thickened cream 210ml milk 3 gelatine leaves

Welsh shortbread 125g unsalted softened butter 170g plain flour 40g caster sugar 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest 40g almond meal 1 tsp. ground ginger A few drops of vanilla essence

Strawberry salad 200g strawberries ½ lemon zest 2 tbsp. icing sugar 1 tbsp. olive oil 4 mint leaves Pinch of rock salt

For the Welsh shortbread 1. Beat the softened butter and sugar together well until pale.

2. Add the orange zest, ginger and mix through. Add the flour and almond meal and mix thoroughly into a soft dough.

3. Place a large piece of cling film onto a work surface and wrap dough.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

5. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 2mm thick.

6. Cut out using medium cutter.

7. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden-brown. Leave the shortcake to cool and become crisp.

Strawberry salad 1. Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut strawberries into evenly sized quarters. Carefully mix them with the icing sugar in a bowl (taking care not to crush them) and leave to one side.

2. Mix the lemon zest and olive oil together to form a dressing, then drizzle to coat the strawberries in a small layer. Add the sliced mint leaves and a pinch of rock salt as required.

To serve When the panna cotta is chilled, run a knife around the moulds and gently turn out onto a plate. Place two biscuits on the plate and garnish with the strawberry salad.

TREAT YOURSELF AT SWIPERS GULLY TRAINING RESTAURANT For great food and excellent value phone 9437 2222 for bookings during the school term.

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FOUNDATION

News

FOUNDATION NEWS LITTLE FLYERS .

The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated life in Victoria for most of this year, having a hugely negative impact on the Australian economy.

Many Victorians have lost their employment and a vast range of businesses have been closed for months and may never re-open. This, together with the requirement of many to work from home, has diminished the demand for child care resulting in a significant loss of custom for our six child care and kindergarten businesses.

However despite these financial hardships, I am pleased to report that Little Flyers Learning Centres have managed to continue to provide excellent care and education for those children who have been able to attend. We have also been able to provide an engaging home learning experience for all of our children who have not been able to attend a Centre in person.

I salute the educators and staff of The Eltham College Foundation who have resiliently attended work for the past seven months, much of which has been during lockdown, to care for and educate the children of our families.

The Board of the Foundation would also like to acknowledge Simon Le Plastrier and ELTHAM College’s Leadership Team, who have excelled in leading the

school through this torrid period, providing an excellent education to students, much of which has had to be provided as home-based learning. This has been managed seamlessly by the College and has ensured that, not only have the students been kept safe from COVID-19, but have continued their 2020 educational experience in an exemplary way against all odds.

At the time of writing this article, schools are again starting to re-open.

The students of ELTHAM College will be excited to return to their learning base at Research to finish their academic year in the way it began. Congratulations to the College and its families on what has been a challenging year.

It has been exciting to see the College grow in stature through this period.

The Foundation is looking forward to 2021 and a new year in which we can support the College to achieve its goals for the future.

Iain Cowan Eltham College Foundation CEO

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ECCA

News

WELCOME, CONNECT, SUPPORT THE ECCA WAY ‘Welcome, Connect, Support’ is ECCA’s motto. But how do you do this when a pandemic hits and you are told to “stay apart to stay connected”?

College as co-curricular programs. This is due to a number of factors we’d like to explore further, with clearer guidelines introduced regarding the responsibilities of the College versus ECCA and FOGs.

In a year that seems to have tried to keep us apart, ECCA has actually achieved a lot. While we couldn’t do a lot of what we originally had planned, the unwavering dedication and passion from our Committee and Social Representatives ensured we stayed in touch as much as possible. We just had to rethink how we Welcome, Connect and Support our community.

This review involved surveying our current family community; we will continue to consult with key stakeholders seeking input and feedback as new guidelines are developed.

We were able to hold a welcome sizzle at the beginning of the year for our ELC – Year 6 students; unfortunately our popular Year 7 welcome event could not go ahead (we look forward to hosting a special event for these students in 2021).

We approved two staff applications – one for recycling plastic gloves in the Science area and another for the development of a water cart to be used at College events. We funded a subscription to Parenting Ideas, purchased gifts for Year 12 students, provided lunch vouchers for Three Leaves Café or Swipers for students and coffee vouchers to say thank you to staff. We continue to support the purchase of Christmas books for ELC and Prep students. We also agreed to fund a presentation by Dr Michael Grosse but have had to put that on hold for now.

ECCA Review Update The ECCA Constitution (which governs ECCA and its sub-entities such as Friends of Groups) needs significant updating to provide greater clarity for our dedicated committee members and our extended community. In recent years many Friends of Groups (FOGs) have ceased operation or their activities have been subsumed into the

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The value and importance of our community volunteer organisations is undisputed. The history and connection opportunities that both ECCA and Friends of Groups have facilitated over the last 20 years have been deep and enduring. This review is to ensure appropriate levels of support and governance are provided for all groups connected to the College, while reviewing the intent and goals of each entity. This will provide greater clarity to guide us now and into the future.

We would like to thank ECCA’s outgoing President Jacqui Ward, along with Felicia Pellegrino and Carol Griffin who have stepped down from Vice President roles. Thank you for your tireless efforts – you have all been influential contributors to ECCA. ECCA would like to congratulate all students on their resilience in what has been a challenging year. We are proud of our young people and their ability to adapt and keep going. We would also like to thank staff for supporting our children through these tough months in what has been a very different learning environment for all.

Want to help out?

We are always happy to welcome volunteers to help with ECCA events and initiatives.

If you have ideas to share or time to spare, we’d love to hear from you. Please email ecca@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au

Join the ECCA Committee ECCA is run by a group of parent volunteers and staff. We meet once a month to organise community building events and discuss how we can support the College in providing a world-class educational experience for our young people.

If you are a current family and would like to get involved with the committee of management, we invite you to come along to a meeting to see what it involves.

ELTHAM Community Association (ECCA) meetings 2021 Conference Room, ELTHAM College, 7.30 – 9.30pm Wednesday 17 February

Ruth Bailey ECCA Interim President

Wednesday 24 March Wednesday 2 June

A NOVEL BUNCH "There are no faster or firmer friendships than those formed between people who love the same books" – Irving Stone Over the past three years of regular meetings of A Novel Bunch, the ECCA book club, friendships have blossomed. Together we navigated the streets of 1930s Barcelona in The Shadow of the Wind, gawped at the antics of school mums in Big Little Lies and been challenged by Miss Jean Brodie in her prime.

A Novel Bunch grew from an idea of two parents, Felicia Pellegrino and Jacqui Ward, who were

looking for a different way to connect with parents.

The book club has grown from just five members at the first meeting in 2017 to a core group of ELTHAM parents who meet six times a year to share thoughts and provocations regarding our latest reads.

During COVID lockdown, A Novel Bunch moved online to discuss this year's novels: Norwegian Wood, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Fed Up, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Eye of the Sheep, Here Until August, The Guest List, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Picnic at Hanging Rock.

novels we were reading was unaffected by moving to an online platform.

A Novel Bunch is open to parents and carers from any year level. We meet each term, either via Zoom or in the D D Davey Library (Senior Library) on a Tuesday night from 7.30 – 9.30pm.

Jacqui Ward and Felicia Pellegrino A Novel Bunch

Moving to Zoom meetings was unexpectedly delightful, allowing us to remain connected and support each other through an isolating and enduring time. Communicating our heartfelt feelings and the spirited passion we felt about the

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COMMUNITY

News

COMMUNITY OUR CLASSES OF 1980 AND 1990 WERE UNABLE TO HAVE A REUNION THIS YEAR. WE CATCH UP WITH A FEW ALUMNI TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE NOW. CLASS OF 1980

Murray Browne I’m married to Lisa, have two adult children and live in Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.

I have been a Financial Planner for over 30 years. I played AFL footy at Collingwood in the 1980s and coached in the VAFA (Victorian Amateurs) after AFL. Footy has always been both my hobby and my passion.

I am grateful for the health and wellbeing of my family.

Robyn Gorfine (Wilton) I have such fond memories of my school years at ELTHAM College. I can't quite believe that it is 40 years ago that we left school to embark upon our adult life. My first degree was in Early Childhood Education and I became a kindergarten teacher. After more study, I then moved to the area of pastoral care in education, then into special education.

I have been very fortunate to have employment in a field I have such a passion for. I am currently working part-time, getting ready for retirement.

My husband and I have lived in Diamond Creek for 35 years and we have three great adult kids, two ‘bonus’ kids (a son-in-law and daughter-in-law) and one adorable two year old granddaughter. Being a Nanny is wonderful.

I enjoy walking, reading, baking and travelling. My husband and I had planned to do a lot of traveling this year – once the world is healthier, travel will be something to look forward to.

Helen Pichler (Tribe) I started Form 1 at ELTHAM College in 1975 and completed HSC in 1980. I graduated as

a Registered Nurse at the Austin Hospital, studied Midwifery at the Mercy Hospital for Women and completed my Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health Nursing at RMIT. I moved to Patterson Lakes in 1997 where I currently live with my husband and our 18 year old daughter. I work part-time as a Maternal and Child Health Nurse for Frankston City Council. In my spare time I enjoy travel, skiing in winter and spending time out on the Bay in summer – we have had to put all those activities on hold this year! I am grateful for good health, friends and family.

Allen Staff I moved to the US in 1982 and completed a BS Ed at the State University of NY in 1985. I lived in upstate New York for 35 years, working in the Aviation industry as an FAA Certified Engineer, engine builder, private pilot and Finger Lakes Regional Airport manager. I raised my four children there and now have two grandchildren in Florida.

I moved back to Melbourne in 2017 to marry Fiona. I’m currently Head of Safety and Maintenance at Moorabbin Airport. I enjoy time with my parents at their cattle farm in Kinglake West. I have been given a very full life with great opportunities and challenges that have made me the person I am today. My family has been with me throughout this journey over decades and thousands of miles. I’m still spanning continents, but the true love of my life has brought me back to Melbourne.

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CLASS OF 1990

Ewan Delbridge I missed many reunions because I moved to the USA after completing study at Monash University in 2000. I married my beautiful American bride Becky in 2006 and we currently live in Cleveland, Ohio. I work at Lubrizol, a job which has afforded me countless opportunities to travel to parts of the world I’d never dreamed of (like Japan and Saudi Arabia). We are trying to spend more time each year in Australia and hope to retire/relocate there one day soon. I am blessed beyond imagination.

Todd Fraser I am a medical specialist in Intensive Care Medicine. I have worked as a Director of ICU and a helicopter retrieval specialist. I live in Queensland with my wife and three sons.

Meagan Franzmann After graduating I studied a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design at RMIT. This

led to some amazing career opportunities in the fashion industry, travelling the world as a designer, buyer and fashion forecaster. It is wonderful to return to ELTHAM College as a parent and see how it has evolved, bringing back great memories. During my time at ELTHAM the first Observatory was established, so it was fantastic to attend the 2019 opening of the new state of the art Observatory. I am grateful for the opportunities I had during my time at ELTHAM College, and to be able to give my children, now at ELTHAM, similar opportunities within a nurturing community.

Kate Lascelles In 2000 I moved to Sydney, working firstly as a Drama/Language teacher, later transitioning to recruitment, then finally into the area I still work in and am passionate about – training and facilitating. I moved to Singapore as a director with an Australian business and soon met my now husband Ben (a fellow Australian). We moved to London for a stint and we now live on Sentosa Island with our four year old son Xavier and beautiful dog Atticus. My company, The Open Space, delivers soft skills training and coaching in the areas of Emotional Intelligence and Communication to people across many industries and geographies. My team and I have had the privilege of working with some of the most recognisable brands in the world, travelling to places like Japan, Kenya, Mexico, NYC, India and China. We miss our families and friends in Australia but love the tropical lifestyle in Singapore.

Inouk Mackay (nee Arnall) I am married with two children, Hannah (13) and Spencer (10), and we

live in Elwood. My daughter has adopted my passion for athletics and netball and is an avid participant in both. I work as an established Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, delivering a specialised program via Telehealth for Australians suffering excessive stress, anxiety, low mood and phobias. I combine this passion for mental health and client wellbeing with continued work in the media industry as a TV/video presenter and voice-over artist. I love catching up with a number of my best friends from ELTHAM College – 30 years on, I am very grateful for the lifelong friendships I made at school.

Darshini Selvasingam I was enrolled at ELTHAM in Year 12 as an International Student from Malaysia. There were only a handful of us, mainly from Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. My journey to school every day was a scenic one as I lived in Warrandyte – way different from the city life I was used to in Malaysia. I graduated from Monash University with an Engineering degree. I returned to Malaysia in 1995 to work on the iconic Twin Towers and later in the field of Radars and Air Traffic Management. I changed careers and returned to work in Sydney for eBay. I returned to Malaysia in 2015 and am currently the Director of the Regional Delivery Center for Singtel and Optus. This year has taught me to be grateful for my family, friends, job and colleagues. I’ve never really been a fan of technology (how ironic, seeing that I am an engineer) but today my children sit for university/international exams online, I work and communicate with my stakeholders and sisters in Melbourne and Toronto via Zoom and MS Teams, and if not for this pandemic, ELTHAM Alumni would never have found me! I’m not on social media except for LinkedIn and I am honoured to have been able to say “Hello”.

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CONNECTIONS

Feature

SPRING FLING AND THE COLLEGE CUP FROM THE ARCHIVES

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Gumboot tossing, piggyback races, hat parades – these activities were all part and parcel of ELTHAM’s Spring Fling and College Cup. Both events, held from the 1970s to 1990s, were started by Keith McKechnie, who was the Head of Middle School and taught at ELTHAM from 1976 – 1995. “I started them as a bit of lighthearted fun and they evolved from there,” says Keith.

The Spring Fling was held on the Friday closest to the start of September. Gumboots were thrown to see who could lob it the furthest, as students competed against others in their year level.

Students could dress casually but the hat parade was where the fashion stakes were raised.

The College Cup took place on the soccer oval the Friday before the Melbourne Cup. “There were half a dozen races, with a race for each year level – for example, the Year 7 Maiden Plate, the Year 9 Derby and the Year 12 Stakes; we used all the racing jargon,” says Keith.

As well as organising the day, Keith was responsible for making the grand prize, the College Cup. “I used to make the College Cup in my garage,” he says. “It consisted of an ice-cream container that was stuck on a little bit of wood as a pole with a base and a ribbon around it.”

KMcK M.C. Spring Fling 1995

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CONNECTIONS

Feature

1980 College Cup

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Students became the horses in this piggyback race.

“Mainly the lighter girls from each year levels were the jockeys and the stronger boys were the horses, but it didn't always turn out that way, and some of them didn't even make it around the track,” says Keith. In addition to the year level races, there was an open race for the College Cup, and a Fashions on the Fields event for the best dressed girl, boy and staff member.

C Dressed to the nines with a top hat and a bow tie for the College Cup, Keith opted for a boater hat for the Spring Fling. “I have a very large supply of different kind of hats,” he says.“I also had a Madras cotton jacket and some funny striped pants to go with it.

I made sure I wore them so there was something different!”

EC Keckers leads the Cheer Squad 1989

Keith’s inspiration for creating these fun events came from his days teaching in the US. “I had taught at an Intermediate School in San Francisco for four years and I guess we did a lot of silly things there too,” he says. “There was a very good, warm relationship between the students and the teachers and I carried that over into my work at ELTHAM College so we could have some fun. In the Middle School we spent a lot of time focused on the wellbeing of the studentsand there was a real emphasis on good pastoral care certainly right throughout ELTHAM.”

Samantha Allemann Community Relations E 21

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