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FINTONA FILE

SPRING / SUMMER 2021 The Bi-Annual Magazine of Fintona Girls’ School

CONTENTS

2022 SCHOOL TOURS

F rom the Principal A culture of team work

Taking action against climate change

4 6 8 10

eet our Student M Leaders for 2022

16 18 20 22 24 32

Commanding the room Schools for Wildlife biodiversity garden

Competing on the world stage at the Olympics

History: Developing critical skills for life beyond the classroom

Wellbeing: Body image & eating disorders

We invite you to discover how Fintona unearths the extraordinary in every girl at one of our school tours in 2022.

Connecting with our community through art

Thursday 10 March from 4.00pm

Extraordinary Achievements My Fintona journey

Fintona Festival ELC Open Morning Saturday 30 April from 10.00am

Morning Tours Registration commences from 9.15am, with the Principal’s address promptly starting at 9.30am.

Celebrating Art in 2021

Wednesday 25 May Thursday 11 August Tuesday 11 October

Meet our teachers

Old Fintonians Alumni

CONNECT WITH FINTONA

Donors

Stay up to date with our community through Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Instagram Fintona.girls.school Facebook FintonaGirls Old Fintonians’ Alumni (Official) LinkedIn Fintona Girls’ School

FINTONA FILE Spring/Summer 2021 Number 80 Published by Fintona Girls’ School

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

Wurundjeri, Woi Wurrung Country 79 Balwyn Road Balwyn VIC 3103 Australia CRICOS 00139C +61 3 9830 1388 fgs@fintona.vic.edu.au fintona.vic.edu.au

Editors Cameron Arnold Kate McPhee Front Cover Year 7 student Ibby with friends Contributors Thank you to Fintona staff, students, parents and OFA members for their articles, stories and photos.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

A CULTURE OF TEAM WORK Being part of a team is a vital and highly valued part of working life. Collaboration, developing the capacity to listen to others by interacting with a broad cross-section of society, enhancing one’s happiness and sense of self, all emerge from being part of a team. The American Psychologist released The Science of Teamwork in 2020, a study of the evidence that working in a team can make you smarter, more creative and more successful. A pivotal idea explored in the McKinsey and Company report is that teams made up of members from diverse backgrounds (gender, age, ethnicity) are more creative and perform better by up to 35%. When honest feedback, mutual respect and

personal openness underpin a team, the members were 80% more likely to report higher emotional wellbeing, according to this study. At Fintona, we are a small school community that creates wide-ranging opportunities for our girls to be part of a broad cross-section of teams, on the sporting field, through co-curricular endeavours and in the academic field.

We embody a culture of girls supporting each other to build skills. Older girls are role models and mentors for younger girls; experienced team members offer guidance to those who are newcomers to a field. This process of collaboration means creating space for girls who begin with only limited experience, but through commitment and the mentoring guidance of their teammates, grow into competent and skilful team members.

We have a culture of getting involved, underpinned by a curiosity for trying something new — from joining the hockey team or a debating team, to putting up your hand to speak on behalf of the class. Our girls can all have a go at whatever they are interested in exploring. They are not on the sidelines cheering or observing, they are participating, learning the rules of the game, developing the necessary skills, and making an increasingly significant contribution as they evolve and mature.

Through their participation in a broad range of teams, Fintona girls are honing their skills physically, intellectually and emotionally, so that they emerge as thoughtful, capable and confident young women who know themselves and their peers deeply. They are expressing their individual personalities whilst contributing to the purpose of the team, but most importantly of all, they are having fun in a team environment and stretching themselves to embrace new opportunities.

Inclusivity is a strong thread in our whole school approach to being part of a team. Olivia, a graduate of recent years, expressed it well when she spoke at an Assembly: ‘There is always room for one more. Don’t be afraid to put your hand up for a team.’

In this edition of the Fintona File you will read of just some of the opportunities our girls have to be part of a team, of students expanding their capabilities and of Fintonians, young and old, doing what they do well. Rachael Falloon Principal

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

TAKING ACTION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

We are Linh and Saria, Year 9 students who run the Fintona Green Team. Through the Green Team we encourage younger students to take small steps towards sustainability, as well as work with teachers and captains to accomplish large-scale projects. At the beginning of 2021, we decided to lead the Green Team because we felt that Fintona’s sustainability could be improved with student-led action, and that’s what the Green Team is aiming for. The Green Team consists of many different year levels, from Year 5 to Year 11 students attending in support of improving our sustainability at school. In our lunchtime meetings every fortnight, we plan our activities around our audience. Our usual meetings involve a younger demographic, so we like to incorporate hands-on projects and simplify bigger concepts, such as putting up hand-drawn posters around the School, and during lockdown holding plant-based cooking sessions. In a situation where we are presenting for Year 7 and 8 students, we expand on cause and effects of specific environmental issues, whether it be the impacts of global warming or the effects of fast fashion.

We have many ongoing projects. In 2021, we put a lot of effort into a campaign for a better recycling and compost system at Fintona and we are thrilled to announce that we have achieved that. We also have many smaller ideas and events that are in the planning stages, such as the Fintona Op-Shop, Inter-school Environment Summit and an Energy Free Day. We would also like to encourage more people to join the Green Team: running the group online during 2021 has been hard, so we are aiming to improve the Green Team overall next year. Despite facing the Pandemic again this year, we have tried our best to reach realistic sustainability goals. Earlier in 2021, we discussed and worked hard on improving the bin systems at Fintona, from the two-bin system to an increased range of recycling bins, cardboard recycling bins, general waste bins and even a coffee cup bin. We have also focused on smaller things during Remote Learning, such as plant-based cooking sessions with the younger students. A key lesson we learnt this year is that sustainability is ongoing; as mentioned above, we have multiple ideas which we are currently refining so that they can go ahead next year. We have also tried to expand beyond Fintona, by working with other schools across Melbourne, and the Boroondara Council.

As leaders of the Green Team, we are always thinking and planning new ideas and have shared a number of home sustainability ideas with many year levels. One critical way to improve sustainability at home is how you deal with your garbage: recycling, composting, and soft-plastic-recycling. Other little things, are buying from sustainable fashion brands, eating more plant-based food, using reusable coffee cups/cutlery, reducing plastic, and joining organisations which are fighting climate change. Within the Fintona community we have continually engaged and promoted environmental sustainability in a variety of forms. We strongly believe in inspiring students to create their own passion and motives to advocate for a better environment on a global and local scale. By holding open discussions, presentations and being available to answer any questions, we hope we have achieved this.

Overall, we are proud of how much a small student-led group has accomplished this year alone. We are also happy with how the Green Team has encouraged younger students to take little steps towards a healthier Earth. This is only the beginning of Fintona’s sustainability journey, and we look forward to continuing what we have started. Linh and Saria Year 9

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

MEET OUR STUDENT LEADERS FOR 2022

With plenty of ambition, enthusiasm, drive, and vision, we are excited to see what our 2022 Senior student leaders will bring to their respective roles and how they will make their mark on the Fintona community.

SCHOOL CONSULS

Boyne | Helena Thijs

Genevieve Retallick

‘I hope to make Boyne a House full of friendships across year levels and full of students eager to be involved for the team.’

‘I applied for School Consul because I really want to do my part in giving back to this school that I love so much, by adding to the family feel that Fintona provides, and helping nervous students feel calmer and more welcomed, just like the School leaders helped me was when I was in Year 7.’

Clarke | Mia Biondo ‘House is the best part of my week and I love to see people I don’t normally get to talk to. I also just love seeing everyone’s smile.’

Annie Walters ‘As Consul, I can only hope to match the impressive standard the past leaders of this school have set — to be open, kind and supportive to all the students. Every girl at Fintona has such amazing ideas, and by being a small school we are fortunate that those ideas are able to be heard and put into action.’

DEPUTY CONSUL Tash Lucas ‘An effective leader is one who focuses on the development of every individual in order to improve the group and not just themselves. To achieve this, good leaders are those who lead, yet listen and encourage others to achieve their goals.’

HOUSE CAPTAINS Boyne | Chantelle Dao Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

‘I applied for the leadership position of House Captain as I feel my positivity and enthusiastic personality best suit this role and I wanted to ensure that House activities were full of energy.’

Clarke | Tara Kitchin ‘Confidence, experience, and understanding are qualities that make a good leader.’

Hughston | Abbey Jacobs ‘I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the House activities during my time at Fintona, so to be able to lead Hughston for all of these events is such a privilege.’

Hughston | Lara Sirianni ‘As a leader I want to help create a welcoming environment for everyone. I want to make House a fun and enjoyable time where students can connect with each other.’

Maxwell | Emily Sticca ‘I hope to encourage all the girls in Maxwell to give everything a go and give it their best shot, but more importantly, ensure that everyone has the best possible time whilst doing so.’

Maxwell | Natalie Xavier

Drama | Charlotte Dowling

‘I like the culture and community of Maxwell and want to develop this further as CoCaptain. I was House Captain in Junior School and adored the role. I enjoyed getting to know each of the girls in my House, which I’m looking forward to doing in Maxwell for 2022.’

‘Drama has been such a big part of my life and I want to share why I love drama so much with the Fintona community, and hopefully encourage other students to participate and have fun.’

Murdoch | Aimee Liu ‘I hope I can encourage younger year levels to participate in House events, as well as to enjoy every single House meeting.’

Murdoch | Zoe Stefanatos ‘A good leader is someone who is passionate about the role that they are in, as well as being friendly, sociable, determined and reliable for the people that they are leading.’

Ower | Mattea Black ‘I feel so proud of my House when I wear the purple top during events, and therefore being a House Captain means I can lead Ower with that same pride.’

Ower | Samanthy Sudheshan ‘The environment in House is something I love and I want to share my House pride and passion with the rest of the girls.’

ACTIVITIES CAPTAINS Art | Kristen Goh ‘I enjoy the creative process of art, and it has always been a constant in my life. Fintona has allowed me to think deeper and more critically about art, and in new ways, and with this leadership opportunity, I hope to help students with their art endeavours.’

Debating | Livia Tropea

‘I have always maintained a huge passion for the environment and applying for Environment Captain was one way I wanted to inspire others to also instil such a passion.’

Languages | Eileen Liang

‘I applied for the position of Languages Captain because language studies have always been my favourite subjects at school. I also wanted to deliver my passion for languages to the younger girls and hopefully encourage more girls to continue their language studies.’

Library | Alianna Huang ‘I hope to achieve a greater sense of community in the library with not just the students who enjoy reading but also anyone who would like to join, and to create a social environment where students can make new friends.’

Music | Amelia How ‘I think a good leader is someone who is able to listen and co-operate with others, whilst maintaining the ability to make final decisions on behalf of the group. Being open to constructive criticism is also a quality that I believe a good leader would display.’

Sport | Dayara Jayatissa ‘As Sports Captain, I hope to encourage all students to participate in Fintona’s amazing sports program. Even if sport may not be their specialty, giving it a go can make a huge difference both physically and mentally as trying new sport can build students’ confidence and resilience.’

STEM | Keira Xu ‘I love challenging myself and being STEM captain will challenge me in a way that is different from how STEM subjects have challenged me.’

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

‘I wanted the opportunity to connect with and guide the girls who enjoy debating like I do, and help make the program as strong and enjoyable as possible.’

Environment | Shivangi Kakkar

COMMANDING THE ROOM 6

To be heard in today’s society is a vast accomplishment; the lines between what is news and entertainment are becoming increasingly blurred as more people, many with little understanding of an issue, confidently present their ideas in 60-second vignettes. The ability to deliver a well-researched speech in a persuasive manner has never been more important.

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

As Coordinator of both the Public Speaking and Debating programs, alongside my role within the English faculty, it has become my mission to equip Fintona’s students with the ability to both recognise and deliver strong persuasive speeches. Too often I have seen intelligent and hardworking girls miss opportunities because of a lack of confidence in their abilities. It has become so important for every girl to be able to say that their voice and opinions are valid. For them to take their place in the world where they command the room, rather than ask for permission to speak. Whilst there are many overlaps to the skills of debating and public speaking, they do, of course, differ. Public speaking is an individual skill, whilst debating requires teamwork alongside strong communication in order to win the day.

In Public Speaking, students develop in their use of rhetoric and voice together, providing them with a skill that can be adapted to any scenario, whether it be a boardroom, an art gallery or an awards ceremony. Public Speaking asks students to analyse their own perspectives and have the confidence to reveal them to the world. This confidence in their ideas and clarity of expression is reflected within the classroom as students are increasingly engaged in presenting their own philosophies, resulting in more student-led learning opportunities.

is equally supported by her peers, is a particular strength of the Fintona debating teams. It may be simplistic to say, but the camaraderie within the debating sorority at Fintona cannot be matched.

Debating provides students with complex problems to solve as a team, everything from which speaking role suits them, to developing a compelling case over the course of three speakers. The sportsmanship, empathy and trust that is built between debaters, where each girl supports and

And they do it very well.

My own passion for these programs began with my involvement as a student. However, the drive and determination I have for ensuring the programs are functioning at the highest level comes from the Fintona girls. They understand the value of learning how to stand up for themselves and to stand up for others.

Philippa Elder Debating & Public Speaking Coordinator Image: Swannies Award Winners (best speaker in the division) L — R: Yasmin, Mathangi, Livia, Amelia, Charlotte

In 2021, Fintona students have achieved some extraordinary results in Debating and Public Speaking competitions.

DEBATING Ten teams represented Fintona in the in DAV schools competition Two teams made the Octo finals

PUBLIC SPEAKING DAV Intermediate Competition Charlotte Fels

Winner

Yasmin Gordhandas Second runner up

Five Swannies (best speaker in the division)

Demi Arvanitis

Fourth

Year 11

Livia Tropea

Katy Tam

Fifth

Year 10

Charlotte Fels, Yasmin Gordhandas

Year 9

Amelia Graham Mathangi Sritharan

Victorian State Team Livia Tropea

A member of the State Debating Team that won the National Championships

DAV Junior Competition Vicky Huang

Grand Finalist

VCAA Plain English Speaking Competition (PESA) Charlotte Fels

Winner, State heat and State semi finalist

Dora Li

Runner up, State heat

Australian National Team Livia Tropea

A member of the Australian Team that ranked 14th overall out of 76 participating countries. Livia was ranked as the 36th best speaker out of 286 participants, the 2nd highest Australian team member

DAV Women’s Competition Amelia Graham

Member of the winning team Image below: 2021 Senior Campus Debating Squad

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

SCHOOLS FOR WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY GARDEN

‘I really enjoyed when we learnt how to plant the plants and when we also learnt which animals are native to Australia and if we could find any in the playground.’ Emily Semczyszyn

In the weeks following our Junior School students’ return to school, we watched the culmination of a hands-on cross-curricular project, largely facilitated through lockdown, spring to life. The new garden between Buick Hall and the Early Learning Centre was designed by Year 4 students to incorporate local indigenous plants and attract wildlife to enhance biodiversity. In partnership with The Schools for Wildlife program, facilitated by CERES School of Nature and Climate, and with the support of Fintona’s Gardener Helen Kinross, Year 4 students conducted a habitat survey; investigated indigenous flora and fauna; tested soil samples to check pH, composition and degree of water absorption; and created a scaled design of their garden.

Links with First Nations perspectives were imperative for students to develop a deeper understanding of the caretaker role we each have in maintaining our beautiful surrounds, and each lesson began with an Acknowledgement of Country. Skills in Science, Maths, Geography and Design and Technology were employed by students throughout the project as they worked together with local experts to design and create the new garden.

The project incorporated the broader social imperative of learning about plant and animal species indigenous to our local area and helped connect students to our local community and the environment. It is a wonderful legacy for our Year 4 students as they finish their time on the Junior Campus and it was clear they thoroughly enjoyed the project.

‘It was rewarding to learn alongside the students and be guided by the expertise of others. The girls engaged with curiosity, showed themselves to be spirited inquirers and showcased the love of learning we know Fintona girls all strive towards.’ Amy Miers Year 4 Teacher

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

COMPETING ON THE WORLD STAGE AT THE OLYMPICS ‘I think it has been really important for me to reflect on my season as a whole and see even making it to the start line as something to be proud of.’

In July this year, Fintona’s Running Coach and Old Fintonian, Georgia Griffith (’14) competed at the Tokyo Olympics in the 1500 metres event. Whilst her time did not qualify her for the finals, the entire Fintona community was cheering her on and was very proud of her selection in the Australian Olympic Team. With so much uncertainty in the world, Georgia said it was a challenge to stay focused and positive in the lead up. Georgia worked through this by directing her focus onto the things she knew she could control such as training and rehabilitation. Georgia had suffered quite a few injuries so there were big question marks when qualifying for Tokyo, and then later even making it to the start line.

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

‘After a nervous week waiting to find out if I would be on the Olympic team, getting the confirmation was an absolute dream come true. My dad had very kindly kept me company that day and it was great to be able to share that excitement with him. I was honestly over the moon and couldn’t keep the smile off my face for weeks,’ said Georgia.

The biggest impact COVID had on Georgia’s Olympic experience was not having her family, partner, coach, or friends present. ‘It honestly felt like such a team effort in getting to the start line, so it did feel different not having any of them physically present to share this moment. But I knew they were all watching and cheering me on back home so I took comfort in that,’ said Georgia. The Australian Olympic Committee recommended that interactions with other countries’ competitors were kept to a minimum at the Olympics. This meant no mingling at the dining hall; however, Georgia said that you could still interact outside in the village and sometimes on the transport buses with competitors from other countries. Despite restrictions, she was, however, somewhat pleasantly surprised that the lead up to the race and the race itself, felt quite similar to previous international competitions.

‘Whilst there were no crowds, there was still the same level of competition and the same level of nerves and the same (if not more) number of friends and family watching me back home,’ said Georgia. ‘I felt both incredibly nervous and excited to enter the stadium for my race. On one hand, I was quite anxious that I hadn’t had an ideal lead up training and injury wise, and on the other hand I was also very excited that I had made it to the start line and was about to make a long-term dream a reality.

Since her return to Melbourne, Georgia has been focusing on making her body stronger to handle a full load of training. Next year, she will be working towards qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the World Championships in Oregon. 2022 will certainly be a busy year for Georgia. The Fintona community congratulates Georgia on her outstanding achievement of competing at the Tokyo Olympics and wishes her all the best for the upcoming athletics season.

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

‘A highlight of my Olympic experience was the supportive team atmosphere amongst the Australian athletics team. The Aussie athletes who had finished competing got completely into cheering and supporting the Aussies still competing, and it was awesome to be a part of that. Even though athletics is an individual sport, moments like these remind me that everyone is working towards the same goal of being at their best, and it is was special to share that with my teammates,’ said Georgia.

When asked what she learnt from her Olympic experience, Georgia said that one lesson was not to compare yourself to others and recognise everyone is on their own journey. ‘My whole season and even race really felt like a battle, and whilst I was initially disappointed in my result, I think it has been really important for me to reflect on my season as a whole and see even making it to the start line as something to be proud of,’ she said.

HISTORY

DEVELOPING CRITICAL SKILLS FOR LIFE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM 12

History is currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity within the school curriculum. As a teacher and lifelong student of history, it does not surprise me that others are once more discovering how fundamental this discipline is to a first-class education.

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

We have long recognised the importance of the content of history. George Santayana, the Spanish-American philosopher warns us, ‘Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.’ We have evidence of this truism playing out over and over again throughout the centuries. Students of history are familiar with making links between demagogues and the power and persuasion of propaganda. They learn that human nature is frail and how easy it becomes to find a scapegoat when society is challenged. They learn that even the fairest of law systems can so easily become compromised. They make links between episodes of the past and those playing out in real time today. The importance of the content of history and its ability to develop empathy and understanding has long been accepted as a vital part of our education process.

Less talked about, but no less important are the skills that are developed within the history classroom, particularly that of critical thinking. In this world where fake news is now acknowledged as a real and threatening force, critical thinking cannot be underestimated. History students are assessed on their ability to scrutinise all published medium, including books, periodicals, articles, paintings, photographs, posters, pamphlets, and even social media postings. Underpinning the discipline is the appreciation that there will necessarily be a variety of interpretations of the same event. Students of history are not told what to think or feel. Instead, they are encouraged to examine pertinent evidence, recognise different perspectives, and most importantly develop their own understanding. We have a duty to equip our students for life beyond the classroom, and critical thinking is a discipline that every young person should have within their skillset. It is a navigational tool that will enable a student to build her own world view based upon a strong and sturdy foundation of truth. Skills of synthesis,

analysis and evaluation are finely crafted within the history curriculum. I may be biased, but I believe there is no richer context in which to learn the skill of critical thinking than History. Nicci Dempsey History Teacher

In Term 4, State Education Ministers met to discuss the draft Australian Curriculum for History. The HTAV (History Teachers Association of Victoria), sent a letter to the Honourable James Merlino outlining the fundamental role history plays in the curriculum and emphasising the development of a skill base that is ever more important in today’s digital world. You can read the letter by visiting: www.htav.asn.au/htavnews/letter-to-theminister-for-education

WELLBEING

BODY IMAGE & EATING DISORDERS

Fintona’s School Counsellor Olivia Smith is a registered Educational and Developmental Psychologist who has over five years’ experience working with children and adolescents, with a particular interest in anxiety and eating concerns. Earlier this year, Olivia hosted a webinar for families on body image and eating disorders and here Olivia shares some of the insights presented to parents at this webinar.

Parents should be aware of the following possible indicators of an eating disorder:

As a society, we are acutely aware of the impact of COVID-19 and extended lockdowns on children’s mental health. For children and young people who thrive on routine, predictability and being around their peer group, this effect is only magnified. It would be of little surprise to anyone that mental health services have been inundated by people seeking support. This has been particularly pronounced in the area of eating disorders; the Royal Children’s Hospital has reported a three-fold increase in these presentations since 2019. It is thought that the combination of isolation, lack of structure, uncertainty about the future and increased use of social media has created a perfect storm, with young people seeking some sense of control over their lives, albeit in a maladaptive way.

As a community we all have a responsibility to role model healthy relationships with food and exercise. Some ways to do this include:

Body image refers to the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions we have of our bodies, while an eating disorder refers to changes in behaviour, thoughts and attitudes towards food, eating, weight or body shape that have a detrimental impact on an individual. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to body image pressures, and the associated risk of mental health problems, including eating disorders.

Sufferers will often go to great lengths to hide signs of an eating disorder. Some may not recognise that their behaviours are unhealthy and can be reticent to seek help.

– not labelling food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – regularly eating together as a family – refraining from discussion about weight or dieting in front of children or young people – encouraging young people to be critical consumers of social media, recognising that images are often altered and do not reflect reality. Most importantly, praise your child for who they are as a person, to reiterate that this is what they are valued for (rather than what they look like). Olivia Smith School Counsellor

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES For proactive approaches: Confident Body Confident Child (for younger children): www.confidentbody.net Body Kind Families (for older children/adolescents): www.butterfly.org.au/get-involved/ campaigns/bodykindfamilies

If you have concerns about your child: Feed Your Instinct: www.feedyourinstinct.com.au Eating Disorders Victoria: www.eatingdisorders.org.au or 1300 550 236 The Butterfly Foundation: www.butterfly.org.au or 1800 33 4673

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

Eating disorders are thought to affect at least 9% of the population, with only 6% of those with an eating disorder deemed ‘underweight’. They are incredibly serious and can have long term health impacts as well as cause psychological distress and a difficult relationship with food and exercise. Early intervention is crucial.

– sudden exclusion of food groups – evidence of ‘bingeing’ (eating large amounts of food in short periods of time) – engaging in compulsive exercise – avoidance of social situations – seeming highly anxious or moody – severe fatigue – changes to menstrual cycles.

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH ART

Each year, the Connections Program for Year 9 students includes a unit focusing on Community service. Whilst volunteer placements were unable to go ahead this year due to lockdown, students were still able to make a beneficial contribution to the community. Students spent time painting canvases of images that they thought would bring joy to elderly residents at the aged care facility Condare Court in Camberwell. Many students also wrote letters, decorated the envelopes and added special presents such as origami, embroidery, and different types of crafts to the gift of the canvas.

‘The letters to the elderly buddies at an aged care centre really was a highlight of the Connections Program for me. I really enjoyed painting the canvases on campus and then writing letters about ourselves. I also gained perspective of how I can influence someone’s day, just by doing small little things like writing a letter or painting a picture,’ said Alex Retallik, Year 9. The residents were so overwhelmed by the gifts that many decided to do something in return as they felt the students had also had a hard year. In their weekly craft sessions, they too worked on art pieces that they will gift to our students.

When asked about the gifts, one resident said, ‘It has been just delightful to have students in the community think of them during the challenging year they have all had.’

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS 16

AVA MAKES STATE BASKETBALL TEAM Congratulations to Year 7 student, Ava Kirkwood, who was selected for the School Sport Victoria State Basketball team. Whilst the State Tournament her team was meant to compete in was cancelled due to COVID, Ava is looking forward to trying out for the team in future years. Ava has been playing basketball since she was five years old and practises every day. She enjoys playing with her teammates and is looking forward to playing for Fintona in the GSV competition.

FRENCH COMPETITION SUCCESS A number of students achieved outstanding results in this year’s Alliance Française Poetry Competition — Berthe Mouchette. In the poetry recitation category, Caitlin Huang in Year 4 was awarded 2nd place with Onelli Wimalasuriya in Year 3 and Jemima Wilson in Year 10 being awarded 3rd place in their respective year levels. In the poem drawing category, Mila Tankir in Year 5 and Eva Yang in Year 6 were both awarded first place. Isabelle Moss and Claerwen Opat in Year 12 made it through to the second round of the oral exam. Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

A special mention to Sudiksha Dand in Year 9 who took out 1st prize in the written exam and received the Best Year 9 Award in the State. What an impressive achievement Sudiksha. Congratulations to all the students on these great results.

AMOC SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE Congratulations to Dora Li in Year 10 and Laura Nan in Year 8 who have been selected to participate in the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee (AMOC) School of Excellence in December. This program is a highly selective course, run by the Australian Maths Trust, where aspiring and talented mathematics students are mentored and coached by the brightest academics in advanced areas of mathematics. The principle purpose is to develop

mathematical problem-solving skills and identify students who may become members of the Australian team for next year’s European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) and International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). ‘To have two students selected for the program is a remarkable and rare achievement. I’m sure both Dora and Laura will benefit greatly from sharing their insights and interacting with other brilliant maths students, all the while extending their mathematical learning’, said Mrs Cathy Devlyn, Mathematics Learning Leader.

TOP 1% IN AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHY COMPETITION Congratulations to Victoria Gonsalves in Year 8 who was placed in the top 1% of all Year 8 students in Australia in this year’s Australian Geography Competition. Over 73,000 students entered the competition which tested students’ geographical knowledge and skills including graph, map and data interpretation. Well done Victoria on this outstanding achievement.

PREMIER’S VCE AWARD FOR PARMIDA Congratulations to Year 12 student Parmida Najibi who has been presented with a Premier’s VCE Study Award for excellence in Persian.

The entire Fintona community is proud of Parmida and would like to congratulate her on being the recipient of such a prestigious award.

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

The annual Premier’s VCE Awards recognise the top-performing students in the State. This year, 297 students were recognised with awards for their outstanding results.

MY FINTONA JOURNEY 18

WITH YEAR 7 STUDENT IBBY

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

‘I am very happy that we get to end this year out of lockdown, and I hope everyone is as happy as I am to be back at school. My main goals at school are to keep up with my work and do as well as I can in all my subjects.’

My name is Ibby and I am 13 years old. I love to play sport, particularly basketball and football. I came to Fintona at the beginning of this year, and before starting I only knew three people — two from basketball and one from my primary school. This definitely made coming to a new school a daunting experience. However, everyone at Fintona was very kind and welcoming to all the new students. At the start of the year there was a transition day to introduce us to our classmates and teachers. I found this very useful, as it helped me adjust to high school. In Year 7 we study Maths, English, Science, Art, PE, Digital Technology, History, Drama, Geography and Music. We also study two languages from French, Japanese and Latin and I study French and Latin. My favourite subjects are Maths and PE. I love the challenge of Maths as we learn a lot in each class and my teacher Ms Christiansen is always on hand to help if I don’t understand something.

I believe Fintona is special because the small class sizes mean you get to know every girl. Most of my friends who go to other schools don’t know many people in their year level, because their schools are so big. At Fintona, you get to know everyone in your year, as well as girls from other years. We were lucky that our camp was held before lockdown. The trip to Central Australia with Year 8 students was definitely a highlight of my year, it really helped me get to know other girls well and I loved visiting the sights of the outback and learning about the culture of the Indigenous people. COVID has really disrupted school, and remote learning has been a big part of the last two years. Although it is not as good as being at school and seeing my friends every day, I have found remote learning to be manageable. Compared to last year, where my school only had two Zoom calls a day, having a separate call for every class has really helped me focus and learn a lot more.

Fintona has provided many extra activities such as cooking in PE and science experiments which I found to be a lot of fun and have given me a break from sitting at my desk looking at a screen. Being at home so often with no sport to keep me busy, I have had to find many things to do to pass the time. Some ways I have maintained positive include finding new hobbies, such as running, skateboarding, jumping on the trampoline and walking my dog. I am very happy that we get to end this year out of lockdown, and I hope everyone is as happy as I am to be back at school. My main goals at school are to keep up with my work and do as well as I can in all my subjects. My advice to a Year 6 student embarking on her Fintona journey next year would be to take advantage of the small class sizes and become familiar with as many girls as possible. This doesn’t mean being friends with every single person, but not sticking to a small group and only knowing a few girls in your year level. This would enable you to have girls that you know in every class, which can make learning more enjoyable. Ibby Wotherspoon Year 7

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Secondary school is certainly a faster paced learning environment and there’s also a greater variety in what we learn as there are so many subjects on the Year 7 timetable. I’m really into sport and I love that there are so many sporting opportunities including several sports classes each week, House competitions including Swimming, Athletics,

and Cross County, not to mention the weekly GSV competition. This year I have been involved in GSV when available, as well as participating in Preliminary Cross Country. These have been some of the highlights of my year.

Art and design students from ELC through to VCE have continued to adapt to the ongoing learning needs presented throughout this year. Rising to the challenge of working both on campus and remotely, they have managed to maintain their usual high standard of art making.

The uncertainty of the remote learning periods also impacted on the nature of class projects, meaning almost all the Art and Design curriculum had to be reimagined. Year 10 Photography for example shifted to a mobile and digital photography focus rather than traditional analogue processes that relied on the School’s darkroom. And Year 7 Art shifted away from the usual printmaking and painting units to concentrating on experimental drawing techniques using pens, pencils, and watercolour. Whatever the year level or art medium, all students received art kits to use at home to ensure they could continue with their studies. A highlight of the year was students’ positive engagement and willingness to pivot and adjust. Examples of this can be seen in the artwork of Year 10 Architecture CAD models of pet-tecture, the textile repeat prints of Year 8 and the Happy Hundertwasser Houses that were created by the Year 1 Art class. All the houses were inspired by the Artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and his amazing buildings.

Brit Biviano Art Coordinator

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CELEBRATING ART IN 2021

21 1. Emma Yung, Year 6 2. Jemima Wilson, Year 10 3. Tara Burke, Year 12 4. Charlee Xu, Year 3 5. Fiona Fang, Year 7 6. Zimo Ding, Year 8 7. Lydia Geng, ELC 8. Shangyou Yang, Year 12

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MEET OUR TEACHERS 22

BRONWYN BYE Bronwyn is Fintona’s Drama Learning Leader and joined the School at the beginning of the year after spending over a decade living and working overseas. In her spare time, Bronwyn loves to read scripts and novels, watch live theatre and is a big fan of European professional cycling having attended many big races, including Le Tour de France.

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Tell us about your past teaching jobs. For 13 years, I have been teaching in the international school system. After teaching in Australia, I wanted to challenge myself, see the world and learn more about my chosen profession. I spent four years as the Head of Drama at The American School of Doha in Qatar and then nine years as Head of Drama at United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) in Singapore. In an educational sense, my experiences overseas have exposed me to a diverse range of curricula and pedagogies whilst

culturally, I have been inspired by the many wonderful cultures of Asia. As a drama and theatre teacher, I love to bring this knowledge into the classroom by introducing students to incredible theatre forms from around the world. Why did you choose to become a drama teacher? As a teenager with a passion for the performing arts, I think I always knew that my career would lie in that direction. In High School, I was mentored by a wonderfully kind and generous drama teacher, who gave me numerous opportunities to direct, choreograph, design, and manage theatre productions. It was then that my love for drama and theatre found its place as a teacher. People often assume that I became a drama and theatre teacher because I want to perform. Nothing could be further from the truth! I get a great deal more joy from facilitating performers in my role as a teacher or director.

I am incredibly proud of many of my past students who have gone on to study theatre. At the moment I have former students studying at L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, New York University — Tisch School of the Arts in the USA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and NIDA in Sydney. Just thinking about that makes me happy! What do you find rewarding about teaching? Without a doubt, working with young people and seeing them develop their creative, collaborative, and empathetic capacity. It is particularly special to see a student exceed their own expectations of themself in the drama/theatre environment. What makes Fintona special? Having come from a school with over three thousand students, Fintona’s size makes it special. I love that teachers can really get to know their students. You most definitely feel part of a community at Fintona.

GEORGIE O’MEARA Georgie started working in Fintona’s Early Learning Centre (ELC) in the K4 Banksia Room this year. For as long as she can remember she wanted to be an early childhood teacher. She particularly remembers her Grade 1 teacher’s nurturing teaching style and always wanted to be like her when she grew up. Prior to commencing her teaching career four years ago, Georgie worked as a nanny whilst studying a Bachelor of Education Degree. How have you found starting a new job during a pandemic? What a rollercoaster year 2021 has been for us all, a year full of many ups, downs, and far more uncertainty than we would have liked. I am fortunate to work with a team of wonderful, supportive educators across the ELC who have worked tirelessly alongside

me to ensure the smooth delivery of both an onsite and online program. Pivoting into remote teaching brought with it many challenges, though the incredible resilience of our students paved the way for us all. Reminding myself to take each day as it comes has been important! What skills are important to work in Early Childhood? A passion for supporting and nurturing our youngest learners is vital. The ability to embrace the unexpected is also necessary as no two days are ever the same. It goes without saying that there is no such thing as too much patience. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Supporting and observing the children mastering new skills is incredibly rewarding and something I will never take for granted.

What makes working at Fintona special? The nurturing environment that Fintona provides its youngest learners makes it a very special workplace to be part of. What brings you happiness? Last year I became an aunty for the first time to my gorgeous nephew Lenny. Spending time with him post-lockdown is something that brings me great joy. Weekly Sunday night dinners with my extended family are also very special to me. I also love to travel. I spent the best part of my twenties travelling throughout Europe where I fell in love with Croatia and was lucky to call the breathtaking Island Hvar ‘home’ for 6 months, whilst working at a local hostel. Experiencing different places and cultures is something I will always enjoy.

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OLD FINTONIANS’ ALUMNI 24

VALE The Fintona community is saddened to learn of the passing of the following Old Fintonian. Sandra Dean (Jenkins ’57) 14/5/21

REUNIONS 2022 Class of 2021 Welcome Back Morning Tea Friday 25 February, 10.30am Class of 2015 Class of 2016 Class of 2017 5 Year Reunion Friday 4 March, 6.30pm — 8.30pm Class of 1992 30 Year Reunion Friday 25 March, 6.30pm — 8.30pm

INTERSTATE/COUNTRY REUNIONS WA Saturday 7 May NSW/ACT Thursday 8 September VIC North East Victoria (Benalla) TBC QLD Saturday 22 October 25

UPCOMING OFA EVENTS Reunions postponed from 2020 and ’21 have been rescheduled and all dates are subject to COVID restrictions permitting gatherings to go ahead.

Class of 1980 Class of 1981 Class of 1982 40 Year Reunion Saturday 7 May, 12.00 noon

SA November — TBC

Class of 1972 50 Year Reunion Saturday 21 May, 12 noon

Blue and Gold Luncheon Pre 1970 leavers Friday 2 September, 12 noon

Class of 2002 20 Year Reunion Friday 29 July, 6.30pm — 8.30pm

SHARE YOUR NEWS

Class of 2010 Class of 2011 Class of 2012 10 Year Reunion Friday 26 August, 6.30pm — 8.30pm

SPECIAL EVENTS OFA Golf Day — TBC

We love to share special and significant achievements of Old Fintonians. Please send your news to Kate McPhee, Community and Communications Coordinator at kmcphee@fintona.vic.edu.au.

JOIN THE OFA FACEBOOK GROUP Please join the Old Fintonians’ Alumni Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/ groups/ofafintona to keep up to date with Alumni news including reunion dates and photos.

REUNIONS Queensland Reunion Saturday 23 October, 2021

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L — R: Michelle Harris (’62), Daniele Williams (Lucovich ’60), Mary Cameron (Haywood ’58), Adele Outteridge (Samuel ’63), Angela Goldman (Fergie ’77), Jaqueline Fullard (Robson ’84), Annette Ford (Haywood ’77), Jenny Bakken (Moore ’61), Helen Jane (’78)

NEWS OF OLD FINTONIANS

GROUND-BREAKING EPILEPSY RESEARCH After graduating from Fintona in 2013, Old Fintonian, Lauren Bleakley completed a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours from the University of Melbourne. She is now a scientific researcher and PhD student at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. For the past few years, Lauren has been researching the treatment of a rare and severe form of epilepsy caused by a genetic mutation in the HCN1 gene. In a world-first project, the laboratory Lauren works at generated a mouse model with the mouse version of the epilepsy mutation, so that its brain activity, behaviour, and responses to anti-epileptic drugs could be studied. Lauren’s research aims to answer two key questions: one, how do HCN1 mutations cause epilepsy; and two, what are the best ways of treating this condition. By determining effective treatments, it is hoped the damaging roundabout of medication trial and errors can be avoided.

of all the latest research in the field and collaborating with people from varied backgrounds all around the world. Research is always exciting because discoveries are often just around the corner, and you never know if today will be the day that you figure something out that makes a difference,’ she said. Reflecting on her time at Fintona, Lauren says that she was always interested in science and enjoyed studying biology, chemistry and psychology for VCE. She says she was very fortunate to have several great teachers including Ms Dianne Bereza, Ms Julie Goldsworthy, and Ms Lisa Broben who built her confidence, encouraged her curiosity and she would not be where she is today without their influence. Congratulations Lauren on leading this ground-breaking research and for recently submitting your final thesis for your PhD. To read more about the research, an article that appeared in the Herald Sun can be accessed at:

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‘I find scientific research incredibly rewarding because your work can have real, tangible benefits to peoples’ lives,’ said Lauren.

www.florey.edu.au/about/news-media/ meet-the-florey-researchers-working-togive-4-year-old-ebony-and-other-childrenwith-rare-genetic-epilepsies-a-better-lifethrough-world-first-research

‘I also love the fact that every day is a challenge; from learning how to run new experiments in the lab, to keeping abreast

Photo credit: Nicole Cleary, News Corp

DEPUTY ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER FOR VICTORIA APPOINTMENT Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Dana Fleming (’88) on her appointment as Deputy Electoral Commissioner at the Victorian Electoral Commission. After graduating from The University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, Dana worked in the corporate sector specialising in the taxation of superannuation funds and managed investments. In addition to several international roles, her most recent corporate position was leading KPMG Australia’s Asset and Wealth Management tax practice. Four years ago, she joined the Australian Taxation Office as Assistant Commissioner.

As Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Dana is leading the planning of all State, local government and commercial elections, and managing the Commission’s engagement with the Parliament’s oversight body, the Electoral Matters Committee. Dana also manages the Commission’s work with other Australian electoral authorities and local stakeholders to ensure continuous innovation in electoral program delivery. Dana is immediate past Chair of the Fintona Board of Management and is also a current parent. 27

LORD MAYOR’S COMMENDATION Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Georgie Stayches (’93) who is a recipient of the 2021 Lord Mayor’s Commendations that recognises small businesses that have operated continuously within the City of Melbourne for at least ten years.

‘Being a small business owner can be the most challenging and rewarding adventure,’ said Georgie. ‘The last 18 months have been the most challenging for any business owner, especially if you specialise in events — an industry heavily impacted by COVID. With the challenges though also come the rewards, rewards that are even sweeter in the tough times This commendation is the culmination of a wild dream, a clear vision, lots of hard work, moments of doubt, moments of inspiration, moments of joy, crazy challenges, rewarding highs and everything and anything in between,’ said Georgie.

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In 2009, Georgie launched Fetching Events & Communications, a boutique agency specialising in end-to-end management of live, hybrid and virtual events, campaign and project delivery, volunteer engagement and communications. Since then, Georgie and the Fetching team have helped bring to life various exciting projects for nongovernment organisations, community services, profit-for-purpose, education, and sporting associations, and she was always driven by a commitment to making a real difference in the community. Clients have

included Make-A-Wish Australia, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (VIC), Australian Paralympic Committee, Bastille Day French Festival and Crime Stoppers Victoria.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

SUSIE MCKEON (WOODHOUSE) CLASS OF 1980 If you were a student in the seventies at Fintona, you would probably recall Susie Woodhouse dominating swimming events at House Swimming Carnivals. Susie started at Fintona in Year 1 and had a strong family connection to the School with her mother, Jenny Woodhouse (Shipley ’55), aunt, Margaret Hatty (Woodhouse ’58) cousins, Janie Perrott (Woodhouse ‘79) and Debbie Grooby (Woodhouse ‘80) and sisters, Mandy McMahon (Woodhouse ’85) and Cathy Hunt (Woodhouse ’88) also attending the School. In Year 12, Susie was School Swimming Captain. Susie recalls that Fintona was very supportive of her passion for swimming. ‘I think they even changed the date of the Swimming Carnival one year to cater for my swimming commitments,’ said Susie.

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‘Miss Butt was always a great supporter of sport and was so interested in whatever we were achieving. She continued to follow my career, and that of my brother, Rob Woodhouse (1984 and ’88 Olympian) and then of my children, David and Emma. She called me in 2016 when I was at the Olympic Trials and my children had just been selected in the Australian team for the Rio Olympics. I was so honored for her to call me.’

After completing Year 12, Susie graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University (ANU) whilst also holding a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) as part of the initial intake of scholarship holders.

Wollongong City Council, Susie and Ron set up McKeon’s Swim School in 1990 with two staff members. Today, the Swim School operates out of three venues and has 90 staff teaching around 4500 swimming lessons a week.

According to Susie, swimming was different back in the 1980s. ‘It was certainly wasn’t something you could make a career of. The ’80s was probably the start; when sports administrators introduced sports science and international travel opportunities to make it a professional sport to keep athletes involved post high school.

Whilst it was disappointing for Susie and her family to be unable to attend this year’s Tokyo Olympics to cheer and support Emma, it was also a very proud time for the family with Emma’s record-breaking medal tally of 11 medals making her Australia’s most successful Olympian ever. ‘We organised a week-long watch party in our home in with friends and family. In the end it was just the household yelling and screaming at the TV for each of her races. Although, I think most of Australia joined us in our lounge room the day Emma became Olympic Champion and won the 100m freestyle,’ said Susie.

‘At the same time, it was very much an uneven playing field with the Eastern Bloc Nations dominating everything and using performance enhancing substances to do so. I think we were all naive or believed there was nothing we could do so we just ignored it,’ said Susie. For Susie, a standout swimming highlight was the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane where she was able to march in the opening ceremony in front of her family. Another highlight was when she won the 100m and 200m Butterfly events at the World University Games in Edmonton, Canada in 1983. Susie moved to Wollongong in 1987 with her future husband, Ron who she had met at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. After working in Community Services for the

‘When Emma left for Tokyo, we knew she was in the form of her life, but never imagined it would play out like it did and she would step up in every event the way she did,’ said Susie. When asked what her message to current students at Fintona would be, Susie said, ‘Whatever path you choose, enjoy it. Be proud of whatever you do, make the most of any opportunity, but most of all be kind — to yourself and to others.’ Photo: Susie with her husband, Ron and daughter, Emma

RACHAEL BEESLEY CLASS OF 1986 Rachael’s family has a long and proud association with Fintona as her mother Helen Beesley (Wright ’46), sister, Shauna Beesley (’81) and aunts all attended the School. ‘I have always been guided and encouraged by my family who all have outrageously good memories and verve for life, and notably by my older sister, Shauna who is an inspiration both musically and academically,’ said Rachael. Rachael spent both her Junior and Secondary school years at Fintona. From Year 1, she began competitive Calisthenics in which she participated throughout school and tertiary studies. At the young age of six, she began learning the violin and music has been her constant and true source of meaning and means of a livelihood throughout her adulthood. Shakespeare Day, Ancient Greek Day, Netball, Madrigals, Choir and Orchestra as well as violin, piano and music theory lessons were all important parts of her school curriculum, as well as performing for school assembly, concerts and speech nights. After Year 12, Rachael attended the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Graduate Diploma of Arts in Music and a Master of Music at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Based in Europe for over 14 years, Rachael returned to Australia in 2009 and has performed as guest concertmaster with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera. Rachael has also directed from the violin, the Tasmanian and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, as guest concertmaster with Orchestra Victoria and has performed with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and Australian Chamber Orchestra. Rachael is Co-Artistic Director, Director and Concertmaster of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and Co-Director of the Young Mannheim Symphonists music education program, continuing the founding artistic director, the late Richard Gill’s passion for, and advocacy of music education. As a highly regarded and much sought-after teacher and mentor at the Melbourne and Sydney Conservatoriums of Music, and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands, Rachael specialises in the fields of Historically Informed Performance and Practicing in Flow. ‘As a performing musician, I am constantly studying and researching composers and the performance practices of the times, as well as discovering and rediscovering repertoire on period instruments. By learning and absorbing the history of music, I enjoy the challenges this creates and the

versatility this gives to me as a performer to inspire and enlighten audiences,’ said Rachael. According to Rachael, ‘my teachers and my parents have always been incredibly supportive and encouraging of all my endeavours, whether assignments for music, art, social studies, chemistry or geography, bringing theory into practice was crucial to my learning pathways.’ I also appreciated the pure enthusiasm and joy for music-making I received from former music director at Fintona, Mr. Mark Ratican, while my association with Camberwell Grammar School through the School musicals and Year 12 orchestral music studies enabled me to expand my horizons, said Rachael.

With the lifting of COVID restrictions and live performance, education programs and touring by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra starting up again, Rachael is looking forward to reconnecting with her colleagues and live audiences. Rachael is also planning to return to Europe and the United States to continue her international performing, directing and music education work.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW

DR VIOLET KIEU CLASS OF 2001 Fintona taught Violet both the beauty of science, and the importance of arts. Her profession is medicine, as a fertility specialist but she also has a passion for writing. Violet started at Fintona in Year 5 and was encouraged to pursue a wide range of co-curricular activities including hockey, (after school, in the rain), debating, as well as being involved in the library as a book monitor. In Year 12 Violet was Boyne House Co-Captain.

30 After leaving school, Violet entered the University of Melbourne and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery, and Bachelor of Medical Science in 2007. She was awarded the Royal Children’s Hospital Vernon Collins Prize for Paediatrics. Violet also holds a Masters in Reproductive Medicine, with Excellence, from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a Clinical Lecturer at the School of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. Violet has worked in Paediatric Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and is now the Reproductive Services Fellow at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Her unit performs the

only public In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) service in Victoria. ‘This role includes fertility preservation for people with cancer, helping freeze eggs, embryos, sperm, as well as ovarian and testicular tissue, for the future,’ said Violet. Violet says that what inspired her initially was the intersection between birth, women’s health, and surgery but what motivates her now are the patients, and an attempt to help with their fertility journey. During her time at Fintona, Violet felt mentored by her mathematics teacher Mrs Jenny Sharwood OAM. Mrs Sharwood led the Future Problem-Solving team, where Violet’s team reached the National Finals, as well as the Science Talent Search, where the girls won a minor prize for their board game ‘Into Digestion’. Best of all, Mrs Sharwood took the class to a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory! In the arts, highlights were Shakespeare Day, where Violet remembers dressing up as a witch running up the stairs of the beautiful Quad (bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble!), creating a decoupage framed mirror (which she still has today), and receiving the 2001 Boroondara Literature Award for Senior Prose. ‘I continue to write personal essays, with mentorships from the Australia Society of Authors and ACT Writer’s HARDCOPY, and was Highly Commended in the 2020 Alan Russel Award for Memoir,’ said Violet. Memories of Fintona bring back great nostalgia for Violet, providing both a balm and source of resilience in these COVID times. She recently attended her 20 year school reunion, a delightful face-to-face meeting of old friends. Her everyday reality now is that hospitals have moved towards rationalisation of operating lists, so she is working within the re-distribution of the precious resources of people and energy.

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Violet’s message to current students is ‘make time for the multitudes of you; your creative expression is just as wonderful as your productive self’.

WEILYNN TAN CLASS OF 2011

with the right systems so that they can do what they do best, their business.

Weilynn Tan from the Class of 2011 lives in the United States and is the Head of App Market and Strategic Partnership Growth  at a FinTech company.

After a time in a Product Strategy role in charge of the App Market, Weilynn was promoted to her current role. ‘I look after all global strategic partnerships and drive revenue growth through business and product strategies which require business development, negotiating legal commercial terms and ideate, and building and deploying programs to increase revenue,’ said Weilynn.

After studying a double Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law Degree at Monash University, Weilynn worked as an Industrial Relations and Employment Law Paralegal then as a Corporate Litigation Paralegal. She soon realised that the legal field wasn’t for her and began helping small businesses with their social media, events, marketing, business strategy and growth. ‘This is when I recognized that I really liked helping small businesses grow and that I liked building strategies for growth,’ said Weilynn.

‘The best thing that prepared me for my career is not the end outcome but all the brainstorming, strategy, planning, and teamwork that’s required to execute a final project or a team exercise. Being able to recognize people’s strengths and build a plan to achieve a goal is a skill that I’ve taken from School to my career.  Fintona’s small class sizes nurtured this method of thinking

At Fintona, Weilynn loved trying new things and was involved in debating, cross country, community service, and soccer. She credits all her teachers with giving her the resources that she needed to excel and reminding her that through all the doubt she had, she could still do what she wanted to do if she put her mind to it. Whilst moving and working abroad comes with many challenges including visa applications, lawyers, and navigating new foreign systems, Weilynn says it’s certainly been worth it and very exciting despite not being able to travel or visit home during COVID. ‘Mind over matter. Your brain is your strongest muscle. Be ambitious, keep persevering and stay positive,’ is Weilynn’s message to current students at Fintona.

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In 2014, Weilynn relocated to San Francisco and started working for a tech start-up owned by the Financial Times. She then moved to Clover Networks, a cloud-based point of sale platform that provides hardware and software to equip small business owners

‘I enjoy the fast-paced atmosphere and love that I’m working on a product that hundreds of thousands of small businesses are using to help run their business.’

and learning. It equipped me with the ability to work cross-functionally, build teams and processes and then scale for growth,’ she said.

DONORS The Board and Management acknowledge with great appreciation the philanthropic gifts made by members of our community: parents, grandparents, alumni, staff, and friends. Please accept our thanks for your support. 32

BUILDING FUND DONATIONS From 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, the following families have kindly given to the Building Fund through the voluntary contribution option with their School fees.

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Mr M Aulakh Mr J J Badham Mr S Biondo & Ms Y Yaginuma Mr S Biondo & Ms W S Sengotta Mr S & Mrs S Black Mr J F & Mrs T Bolton Mr C & Mrs P Boschetto Mr Y Cai Mr Y Cai & Mrs Z Zhang Mr Z Chen & Ms Q Ling Mr C & Mrs L Chen Mr J Chen & Mrs J Fu Mr S & Mrs M Chen Mr P Chen & Mrs C Yang Mr T & Ms Y Chen Mr L Chen & Mrs L Tang Mr T P & Mrs B Chenu Mr J Cho & Mrs Y Lee Mr D Curry Mr Q Dai & Ms L Wang Mrs H Dai Mr M C & Mrs K M Dancey Mr K Dang & Ms S Gao Dr S D Desai & Dr S B Shirke Mr L Ding & Mrs H Dai Dr J C Dowling & Professor J M L Brotherton Mrs Y Du Mr Z Du & Mrs X Yin Mr X Fan & Mrs R Liang Mr Y Fang & Mrs Y Wang Mr Q Fang & Ms Y Jia Mr I Fang & Ms B Wu Mr X Fei & Ms H Zhu Mr L Feng & Mrs L Jia Ms D P Fleming & Mr B L Masters Mr M J & Ms J Fowler Mr C & Mrs M Frost Mr A J W & Mrs K E Gale Dr K A & Mrs H R Gassert

Mr Y Geng & Mrs Y Huo Mr J Georgarakis & Ms L Teti Dr Z & Mrs W Goh Mr X Gong & Mrs W Yang Mr J L Gonsalves Mr H Gu & Ms X Zhang Mr J Guo & Mrs H Peng Mr Q Ha & Ms S Wu Mr D J Hartnett & Ms A Tennakoon Mr R He & Ms L Ye Mr X He & Mrs Y Qian Mr M Herbert & Ms T Hook Mr T Hinh & Ms E Lee Dr A & Mrs S Hodge Mr M Hookey & Mrs T Leong Hookey Mrs L Hordern Mr C I & Mrs S B Houguet Mr S Hu & Ms S Wang Mr B Huo & Mrs H Cai Mrs R F Jacobs Mr A G & Mrs R M Jenkins Mr T & Dr L Jeyaretnam Mr Z Jiang & Mrs S Xie Mr C Jin & Mrs S Lin Mr S M & Mrs L Johnson Mr R & Mrs R Johnston Dr E Kandare & Dr G Chirima Mr N Kang & Ms Y Lai Mrs T Kapur Mr J & Mrs D Karametos Mr F Ke & Ms X Lin Mr A G Kemp Mr E S N Lau & Ms H H Hii Mr C & Mrs N Lauder Dr H & Dr M Lazaris Dr N V Le & Dr K Y Tang Dr M J & Mrs A L Lear Mr D Lee & Mrs M Noguchi Dr D W C & Dr S Lee Mr M Lei & Mrs L Yang Mr P & Mrs T H Lewis Mr B Li & Mrs J Chen Mr G Li & Ms W Wang Mrs W Li Mr X Li & Mrs Z Liu Mr J Li & Ms C Ling Mr S Liang & Ms Q Zhan Mr J Liang & Mrs J He Dr W Lim & Ms R Liang Mr G Lin & Ms R Sun Mr X Lin Mr H Lin & Ms Y Luo Mr D J Little & Mrs M W M Tan Mr Y Liu & Mrs L Zhang Mr B Liu & Mrs L Wu Mr A & Mrs L Longo Dr M & Mrs M Lucas Mr X Ma & Mrs R Xu Dr J Ma & Dr S Chen Mr T & Mrs R Madden Mr W & Mrs T Malic Mrs A Mansour Mrs X Mao & Mr C Zhao Mr D M Marques & Dr S Chew

Mr D A & Mrs C M Martin Mr N & Mrs B Masalkovski Mr H J & Mrs J K McKenzie Mr Z Mei & Mrs M Shao Mr E Menzies & Mrs X Liu Dr C Mok Dr S Muruganandan & Dr N Nadarajan Mr S Najibi & Mrs S Goodarzi Mr G & Mrs R Nakas Dr P T Q & Mrs A O Nguyen Mr W Ni & Mrs X Dong Mr M M Nihalsingha & Mrs A R De Silva Ms C Nikfarjam Mrs X Niu Dr A Ong & Dr E H Ma Mr J R & Mrs J L Pace Mr S H & Ms E K Parmenter Dr H Pedram & Dr S Hashemi Mr A & Mrs S Pelusi Mr J Peng & Mrs C Zhou Mr G J S & Mrs A E Pitts Mr B C W Poon & Ms W Tang Mr A Purchase & Professor S Garvis Mr Y Qiu & Ms Q Ren Mr Y Qu & Mrs J Zhu Dr S & Mrs S Rathnayake Dr D T Ratnam & Dr I Thevarajan Dr M Razzaghighadikolaei & Mrs T Sang Dr R Retallick & Ms E E Bolitho Mr S & Mrs E Rockey Dr S Salimi & Dr M Horriat Mr D Shi & Mrs W Jing Mrs G Shi Dr A Singh & Dr P Bordbar Dr A S Siswojo & Mrs I Djohan Dr C Solnordal & Dr A Dennis Mr K Somaia & Mrs Z Horakova Mrs M C Spano Mr S D & Mrs I C Spindler Mr G & Mrs J Stanley Dr G & Mrs A Stefanou Mr L Sun & Mrs Y Dai Ms X Sun Mr H Tang & Ms Y Jiang Mr Y Tao & Mrs Y Yang Mr T Taouk & Ms M Romanous Mr C Tay & Ms A Siew Dr V Thijs & Mrs E Nivelle Dr D A & Mrs E Thomas Mr M M Thompson & Ms K M Parker Mr C Toh & Ms O Lau Mr M J Tropea Mr H Truong Mr I & Mrs B Varughese Mr J Wain & Mrs J Arthur Mr M Walters & Ms F Mason Mr Z Wang & Ms T Ding Ms J Wang Mr D Wang & Mrs D Peng Mr Y Wang & Ms J Yuan

Mr W Wang & Mrs X Yang Mr J Wang & Ms D Qiu Mr Z Wang & Ms J Sun Mr Z Wang & Ms L Zhao Dr N & Mrs K Wilsmore Mr S J & Mrs M Wilson Mr A & Mrs B Wimalasuriya Dr A S K Wong Mr S Wong & Mrs S Koh Mr P A & Mrs M L Woosnam Ms B Wu Mr Y Xiong & Ms Y Zhang Mr F Xu & Ms H She Mr Q & Mrs J Xu Mr J Xu & Ms X Wang Mr K Yan Mr Y Yan & Ms J Qin Mr H Yang & Ms Y Ma Mr G Yang & Mrs H Gu Mr J Yang & Mrs J Zhang Mr T Yang & Mrs X Long Mrs C Yang Mr M Ye & Mrs J Cai Mr S You Mr C Yu & Mrs G Shi Mr K & Mrs D Yu Mr S Yu & Ms D Dudek Mr K Yung & Ms T Mak Mr M Yung & Ms L Jap Mr C P & Mrs G Zapris Mr W Zhang & Mrs J Qian Mr Z Zhao & Mrs C Li Mr J Zhao & Mrs H Wang Mr H X Zheng & Ms L Lin Mr G Zheng & Mrs Y Liao Mr C Zhou & Ms Y Shen Mr K Zhou & Mrs Y He

ANNUAL GIVING APPEAL

ROWING FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY

Thank you to the following donors and those who gave anonymously for supporting the 2021 Annual Giving Appeal.

Throughout its 35-year history Rowing at Fintona has gone from strength to strength, with a number of outstanding results, facilitated by growth in participation. As rowing has grown, so has the need for new equipment to keep the team at the top of their game.

Mrs A J Adams Mrs P F Badham Ms E A Balderstone Ms M Beard & Mr S Semczyszyn Ms J Bethell & Mr P Smart Mrs B J Brady Mrs J Brash Mrs V Burelli & Mr T Saricam Mrs E Carr & Mr D Carr Mr S & Mrs M Chen Mrs O M Collins Ms C E Condell Ms A Coote Mrs P Farmer Dr K A & Mrs H R Gassert Mrs A M Gordon Mr J Guo & Mrs H Peng Miss S Guo Mrs J T Hadges Mrs G Ilott Mr K & Mrs T Kapur Mrs K W Lampert Mr C & Mrs N Lauder Ms J Lee Ms Q Ling & Mr Z Chen Mr T & Mrs R Madden Mrs L McAlister Mrs L A McClenaghan Ms A McIntosh Mrs J Mitchell Miss A E Perryman Mrs A C Rodriquez Miss L E Rose Dr H Y Schnagl AM Mrs P F Sharwood Mrs H M Shaw Dr A S Siswojo & Mrs I Djohan Mrs A Smith Dr G & Mrs A Stefanou Mrs L A Steven Mr F & Mrs A Tankir Ms J E Thompson Mr Z Wang & Ms T Ding Western Australia OFA Branch Miss C Yeoh Mr K Yung & Ms T Mak Ms Q Zhan & Mr S Liang

Each year the senior team hold a fun trivia night which raises funds for new equipment. Due to Covid, there has not been that opportunity to hold the annual Trivia night for the past two years, so we are taking our fundraising online. The girls are raising money for new equipment including a new boat and oars, by putting in place a collective challenge to train 1000 hours by Christmas. This challenge will test the girls physically and will also enhance their fitness to place them at their rowing peak for the upcoming rowing season.

We encourage members of the Fintona community to make a tax-deductible donation to help the team reach their fundraising target of $15,000. Every donation, no matter the size will help us achieve our target. Please click on this link: www.asf.org.au/communities/fintona-girlsschool/fintona-rowing or scan the QR code here to donate. 33

Your support is very much appreciated. Alex Clark Rowing Coordinator

Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021

2023 SCHOLARSHIPS NOW OPEN Year 5 — 11 Entry Academic | Music | Principal’s All-Rounder Apply online: fintona.vic.edu.au/scholarships

FINTONA GIRLS’ SCHOOL Wurundjeri, Woi Wurrung Country 79 Balwyn Road Balwyn VIC 3103 Australia +61 3 9830 1388 fgs@fintona.vic.edu.au fintona.vic.edu.au