SPRING/SUMMER 2020
FINTONA FILE THE BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE OF FINTONA GIRLS’ SCHOOL
GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
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Contents
Connect with Fintona
PAGE 1 From the Principal
CONNECT WITH FINTONA
PAGES 2-3 What I Learned from 2020 PAGES 4-5 Digging Deeper in Year 6 PAGE 6 Social & Emotional Learning for Return to School PAGE 7 Reimagining the Transition to School PAGES 8-9 Full STEAM Ahead PAGES 10-11 Our Young Achievers PAGES 12-13 Introducing our 2021 Student Leaders
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PAGE 14 Making a Difference and Championing Change PAGE 15 Guest Speakers Broaden Horizons PAGES 17 - 18 A Celebration of Art in 2020
Connect with Fintona online and stay up to date with our community through Instagram Facebook and Linkedin Instagram: Fintona.girls.school
PAGES 18-19 Fintona Family Connection
Facebook: FintonaGirls
PAGES 20-27 OFA Births, Deaths News of Old Fintonians Reunions
Linkedin: Fintona Girls’ School
Important Dates for 2021 TERM 1 28 January – 1 April TERM 2 20 April – 25 June TERM 3 13 July – 10 September TERM 4 4 October – 7 December SCHOLARSHIP DATES Scholarships are open to new and existing students entering Years 5 to 11 in 2022. Academic/Music (Years 5 – 11) Applications close 12 February 2021. Testing 20 February 2021.
PAGES 28-29 Thank you to our Donors
All-Rounder (Years 8 – 11, New Students) Applications close 12 March 2021. Interviews 22-26 March 2021. SCHOOL TOURS (ELC – VCE) Wednesday 3 March Twilight 5:00pm – 9:00pm Tuesday 4 May 9:00am – 11:00am
Fintona File Spring/Summer 2020 Number 78
Editors Cameron Arnold Kate McPhee
Published by Fintona Girls’ School 79 Balwyn Road, Balwyn Victoria, Australia 3103 CRICOS 00139C
Cover Front Cover: Ms Kate Brooke with Year 6 students in Science.
P: +613 9830 1388 Back Cover: E: fgs@fintona.vic.edu.au “Untitled” www.fintona.vic.edu.au by Genevieve Gill
Contributors Thank you to Fintona staff, students, parents and OFA members for their articles, news stories and photos. Photography James Byron and contributors Design JWB&CO
This document has been produced to international environmental Print management standard ISO14001 by a certified green printing company.
Ellikon
This document has been produced to international environmental management standard ISO14001 by a certified green printing company.
Wednesday 16 June 9:00am – 11:00am Tuesday 24 August 9:00am – 11:00am Tuesday 12 October 9:00am – 11:00am ELC Open Day Saturday 1 May 9:00am – 12:00pm For more information on our upcoming tours, visit our website or contact the Registrar on 9830 1388.
From the Principal A crisis reveals the values, culture, capabilities and connection of an organisation.
outcomes. Reimagining the Curriculum revealed high levels of flexible and creative thinking, and what and how we taught changed. Collaborating in small groups is an effective way to learn and a great skill to develop, and we saw this in the use of break out groups on Zoom and MS Teams, along with new ways of discussing ideas in shared forums and online documents.
2020 continues to present us with challenges and opportunities. As I write this piece, our Year 12 students, who have only recently returned to on-site learning, are about to celebrate their final day at school, and our Year 8 and 9 students are about to return for their first class on-site since June. In a year full of change, Fintona students, staff and parents have embraced the disruption and found ways to adapt and grow.
In thinking about what employers want and the skills needed to succeed, the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) notes that ‘technology has seen the types of tasks we do at work change, freeing up workers to spend more time interacting with people’. So, while learning and developing a range of job specific skills is important, personal connections and the ability to communicate well and with ease are increasingly in demand, as is flexibility and adaptability.
The above quote comes from a webinar titled ‘Build Back Better’, attended by our Head of Learning, Teaching and Development, Ruth McKinnon, which asked leaders to reflect on what would remain in our programs and ways of operating, and what had we learned about our community, having worked through the COVID-19 pandemic. In reflecting, first and foremost, Fintona has a learning culture that we value highly. As a result of remote learning, we developed new skills in communication, while at the same time identifying and covering the essential key learning GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
Problem solving, research and communication skills were put to the test by our students and the School overall. Perseverance and creativity shone through. Staff, students and parents alike impressed with their willingness to embrace the unknown, to try something different, to experiment and to challenge the status quo. In a time of such uncertainty, our community really has thrived in so many ways. Our foray into online learning certainly provided a window for our students to showcase how they could be adaptable and flexible. Not
in terms of us seeing and measuring such, but for them to see how readily they could respond and thrive during such an unpredictable time; for them to see that no matter the environment, they could continue to do what they do well. As a community, we displayed cohesion and strength; we were able to remain connected and we communicated well. We used and adapted the tools at our disposal, learned new skills and found different ways of doing things. Moving forward, these strategies will be incorporated into our ‘new normal’ that will include an enhanced blended learning model for our girls that includes the use of technology, not every lesson every day, but when it makes the learning more effective and provides opportunities for greater ownership of the learning. Age Quod Agis Rachael Falloon Principal
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What I Learned from 2020
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As I started Year 12 this year, never in a million years did I expect that my final year at high school would eventuate as it did. Whilst ‘2019 Claire’ might have thought that spending months by myself may have been rather enjoyable, being the introvert that I am, the realities of a six-month lockdown were a fair bit bleaker. It was hard- I don’t think there is any way in which one might view this year differently. With a hesitant beginning, almost as if schoolfrom-home was a novel, temporary situation, the days became longer and more challenging. However, between the at-home SAC’s, the sometimes-stunted class discussions, and the frequent internet complications, were opportunities for growth and a different form of connection. I became closer with my friends, I discovered that, when challenged, I tend to adopt an acquiescent sense of optimism, and my year level was bonded by our shared experiences. The teachers went above and beyond to keep us motivated, always staying in contact, answering questions, and being willing to help us if we were in need. This year, in all its difficulties and challenges, has provided me with skills that I would not have attained in a different year: resilience, determination, and optimism. These are all qualities which can only be developed when challenged, and I believe that they will hold me in good stead in the future. While not the year I necessarily wanted or expected, I will truly treasure my memories and experiences in remote learning at Fintona. Claire Walters
For every student, Year 12 is a year that tests your perseverance and resilience, it is a year that encourages you to challenge your potential and confront your weaknesses. For my peers in the Class of 2020 and myself, we have experienced academia in a way that not many before us have. We began the year with the Senator’s Induction and our Introductory Camp, both anxious and excited for the prospects that were in front of us. By the time Term 2 approached, it was clear that as a cohort, we would complete Year 12 alongside the opportunities and obstacles of a global pandemic. Remote learning soon became normality and with that, came the novelties of completing assessments via Microsoft Teams and speaking to teachers on video call. Whilst I know everyone had their fair share of technological hurdles, it was truly inspiring to be part of such a new and creative form of learning. House music, debating and cross country took place online where all students and especially the Year 12 leaders contributed to reinventing how community events function. These activities relied on enthusiasm and certainly made unforgettable memories for everyone involved. Towards the end of the year, we were lucky enough to return back on campus for the last 2 weeks of our schooling life. During these last few days of timetabled classes, everyone made the most of being in class together with our teachers and preparing for the upcoming exams. I am extremely grateful to have been able to complete Year 12 alongside my year level as well as all the teachers at Fintona. Ellen Sampsonidis
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Digging Deeper in Year 6
The students have risen to the challenge of ‘digging deeper’ in science lessons by questioning why we get certain results – sometimes they can be unexpected. 4
FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
Year 6 girls have been immersed in new science lessons with Ms Kate Brooke, Fintona’s Senior Campus Science Biology teacher. After graduating from Fintona in 1999, Ms Brooke majored in genetics and physiology in her science degree and is particularly passionate about biological sciences. “I am curious about the world around me and interested in finding out how and why it works the way it does,” says Ms Brooke. In recent years, Fintona’s staff recognised our Year 6 girls’ readiness to be challenged at a deeper level with teachers who are focused on subject knowledge and skills. English, Maths, Unit of Study and Science were all restructured in 2020, introducing specialist teachers in these core subjects. “The students have risen to the challenge of ‘digging deeper’ in science lessons by questioning why we get certain results – sometimes they can be unexpected. They ask questions like how could we improve our experimental design or take our investigation further? Does this lead us to another scientific question? How could we design an experiment to investigate that?”
In preparation for the restructure this year, teachers worked with Faculty Coordinators to closely align the new Year 6 program with the program in Year 7 and beyond. Our senior teachers are aware of the assessments and curriculum in upper year levels and are able to design the Year 6 program to prepare girls for these challenges early. “I think understanding the scientific method of hypothesising and investigating whether this hypothesis is supported or refuted and why this may be the case is important. I also think skills to sensibly undertake practical investigations and skills in understanding how to present and analyse scientific data clearly and effectively are very important.” “We have studied Matter, Natural Disasters and Electricity so far. We are just commencing our final unit on Construction Engineering in Term 4. This will involve lots of challenges for the students to undertake in small groups.” “[I enjoy] their youthful enthusiasm and energetic approach to their studies! They challenge me with lots of fantastic questions so we go along our learning journey together.”
“I feel that the girls are very enthusiastic about hands-on, practical activities in the science laboratory. This has made 2020 a bit challenging given the remote learning setting but we have made the most of the lab when we have had access to it and the students have coped remarkably well.”
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Social & Emotional Learning for Return to School It had been months since the Junior Campus girls had been together in person; their smiles were broad and infectious as they joyously entered the classroom again. It was wonderful to finally have them back on Campus. In the first weeks of the girls’ return, their teachers created opportunities for them to engage in social learning activities that promoted teamwork, cooperation, effective communication, listening to others and being open-minded. Activities such as partner drawing, bridge building in groups and a team scavenger hunt required girls to work in a group or with a partner, something they had missed during remote learning. In the classroom, they re-acquainted themselves with the subtleties of being in a group; valuing others’ opinions, taking turns when speaking and showing kindness. Within days it was the warm and friendly Junior Campus environment with which we are all familiar with and love. Eleni Goulas Head of Junior School
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“I think at school I am going to be making things, like drawings, and decorating things.” – Alexia
Reimagining the Transition to School
2020 has created opportunities for us to reimagine the important transition process for our 2021 Preps. The children’s regular visits throughout the year to the Prep Room with their ELC Teachers have been replaced by visits from Prep Teacher, Mrs Brittany Creek. “[Despite restrictions], we have still been able to see each other each week and share experiences together. Having the girls in a familiar environment during transition has been a great support to them throughout this unsettled year,” said Mrs Creek. Games, books and outdoor adventures have created meaningful moments for conversation, laughter and the sharing of ideas and personal stories. Children have also met individually with Mrs Creek and their parents to build relationships, share critical information and discuss the year ahead. These touchstones between Mrs Creek, the girls and their families are critical as they transition from the Early Learning Centre into the Junior School next year and will provide a strong foundation for a successful start to Prep.
“Mrs Creek is the big girls’ teacher. I think at school we are going to do fun things… I think I am going to learn writing and how to draw properly. I am excited that I will be with some of my friends.” – Esme
“Mrs Creek is going to teach me to write the numbers and the words. I will wear a Prep dress. My shoes have to be black and my socks need to be white.” – Claire
“I am looking forward to sharing my classroom with the girls. I cannot wait to see the looks on their faces when they see what the Prep classroom actually looks like.” said Brittany. Cara Mearns Head of Early Learning Centre GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
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Full STEAM Ahead for the Beyond Science Centre
Next year will be a very exciting time for the School, as we open the first building in our three stage Master Plan, our Beyond Science Centre. The Beyond Science Centre will be another timeless piece in the Fintona landscape, serving our girls well, both now and into the future. Our teachers inspire our girls to become extraordinary learners, and in supporting our teachers to lead learning and nurture ambition, we endeavour to provide them with the best resources. Fintona’s buildings and grounds are uniquely designed to recognise our history and look to the future. The Beyond Science Centre will continue to build on our unique setting, creating an environment that will highlight the rapidly progressing fields and relationships between the areas of Science, Mathematics, Technology and Design to enrich learning opportunities.
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Late 2019 at our Community launch, we set a Campaign target of $2 million dollars. We are absolutely delighted to tell you that we have exceeded this target and have raised an incredible $2.15 million dollars towards this building. Our sincere thanks to Tourmont Incorporated for seeding the Campaign with a $1-million-dollar contribution. We would like to thank past, current and future Fintona community members who have supported this Capital Campaign by donating to this incredible building. We look forward to thanking you again, in person, at the opening of the Beyond Science Centre next year and taking you on a tour to see firsthand the building and how it will continue to support the education of current and future Fintonians. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Fintona Community and will acknowledge all donors to the Campaign in the next issue of the Fintona File.
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Our Young Achievers
L - R: Kristen Goh, Keira Xu and Genevieve Retallick
Prestigious Monash Scholars Program Congratulations to Year 10 students, Kristen Goh, Genevieve Retallick and Keira Xu who have been selected into the prestigious Monash Scholars Program. The Program helps high-achieving secondary school students develop and excel, both academically and personally by experiencing University life through a series of organised events. Scholars are able to explore their passions and develop a broad suite of study skills. According to Keira, “I applied for the Monash Scholars Program because I heard that it is a fantastic way to broaden your knowledge, gain an insight into university life and connect with like-minded people. I hope that through the program, I will be able to explore new and exciting fields of study and equip myself with the study skills and interpersonal skills necessary for university.”
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For Genevieve, she has been lucky enough to already attend some sessions via Zoom, where she has been able to present questions to previous Scholars and to leaders of some of the courses at Monash University. “I have found these sessions very informative and interesting to listen to because it has really made me think of what I might want to do when I leave School,” said Genevieve. Kristen is interested in a career in either science, design or business and she’s hoping that through the Program she will be able to gain a clearer understanding of potential University courses and careers that she may like to pursue.
Talented Ballerina Commerce attends Royal Student Ballet’s Summer of the Year School Year 7 student, Ada Story has been dancing since the age of three and trains for 17 hours a week. Her favourite styles of dance are classical ballet, character and contemporary. This year, she successfully auditioned for two exclusive intensive summer ballet school courses in London and Paris. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the course in Paris was cancelled but London’s Royal Ballet School moved their program online. The intensive course ran for three weeks and with the time zone difference, Ada was able to attend her usual classes at Fintona during the day and then the Royal Ballet’s classes late into the night. “Although disappointed not to be attending the classes in person, they were still very enjoyable and managed to feel intimate, interactive and personal. I was able to make improvements to my technique and artistry in more depth, in such a short period of time with lessons I learnt in those classes,” said Ada. The artistic directors monitored the classes and Ada was delighted to be chosen for direct entry into next year’s intensive course which she is hoping to attend in person. She has also been awarded a ‘Direct to Finals’ audition invitation for 2021.
Congratulations to Year 12 student, Hannah Jacobs on being awarded Fintona’s Commerce Student of the Year for 2020. Hannah, who is a School Consul, is studying Economics, Accounting, English, Mathematical Methods and Japanese and completed Unit 3/4 Legal Studies last year. She developed an interest in Commerce through taking various electives and was inspired by guest speakers who have held many engaging discussions in class about different aspects of the industry. “Through studying commerce, I have learnt much about society’s functions, the economy and the world around me, which will hold me in good stead moving forwards after graduating from Fintona,” said Hannah. Hannah is interested in the many and varied aspects of finance, economics and the law, and is the worthy recipient of a $100 bank account from Bendigo Bank who have generously sponsored this award for the past eight years. Chris Williams, Commerce Co-ordinator and Hannah Jacobs
FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
Year 10 Debaters win State Grand Final Congratulations to Eileen Liang, Dinuri Maligaspe and Livia Tropea who are this year’s DAV Debating C Grade (Year 10) State Champions. In a competition of 120 teams from schools throughout the State, with over 400 students participating, the girls had an impressive season which culminated in them defeating Trinity Grammar School in the Grand Final. Representing the negative on the topic ‘That we should separate the art from the artist’ the girls put up a convincing argument, referencing the work of Caravaggio, literary theory and the importance of challenge within the art world, eventually presenting the most convincing contention; winning the day with a 2-1 split across the panel of three adjudicators. All three girls have been named as best speaker in one or more of the finals debates highlighting the strength of the team as a whole.
With debating taking on a different medium and the competition being conducted via Zoom, the students adapted quickly and showed their strength all throughout the season with this outstanding achievement. The growth they have shown, not only in their presentation styles and confidence, but in the depth of their argument and understanding of the art of persuasion, has been integral to their success.
L-R: Dinuri Maligaspe, Livia Tropea, Eileen Liang
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L-R: Sophie Lauder and Chloe Chiu
Laura Nan
Year 8 Geography Students in Top 1% of Australia
Laura invited to Elite Maths Training Program
Fintona’s Year 8 Geography students, alongside over 65,000 students from almost 700 schools, entered the 2020 Australian Geography Competition. The competition tested students’ geographical knowledge and skills. A number of our students performed to a very high standard. 60% of our students achieved either a High Distinction, Distinction or a Credit.
The Australian Mathematics Olympiad Committee (AMOC) School of Excellence training school is an invitation-only mathematics program offered only to the very best of elite mathematics students across Australia. The program provides a developmental environment for the next group of inspiring maths minds who are destined to compete and represent Australia in the Maths Olympics internationally. Students are selected to join the group based on their consistently high achievements in the competitions run by the Australian Maths Trust.
Most impressively, two of our students were placed in the top 1% of all Year 8 students across Australia. We heartily congratulate both Sophie Lauder and Chloe Chiu on achieving this wonderful result. Similarly, Arabella Boschetto was placed in the top 2%. We also congratulate Sienna Thomas, Mathangi Sritharan, Makayla Spindler, Justina So and Chanel Chen who received High Distinctions, placing them in the top 12% of all students who entered the competition.
“It was no surprise to us when Laura Nan (Year 7) was invited to be part of the 2020 AMOC School of Excellence training program,” said Ms Cathy Devlyn, Fintona’s Mathematics Co-ordinator. Laura has an amazing ability to be able to readily see solutions to maths problems that take others a long time to process. Throughout the year she has been working alongside our mathematical-person-inresidence, Mr Anthony Harradine and enjoyed uncovering some unique and intriguing maths patterns and proofs. 11
Introducing our 2021 Student Leaders Formal leadership positions begin in the Junior School at Fintona when girls can apply for a range of positions in Year 4. When girls transition to Middle and Senior schools, there are a wide range of opportunities to develop leadership skills through community service, school camps, GSV sport, guest speakers and the Leadership Development Program introduced in 2020 for Years 9 to 12. In Year 12, each student holds the position of Senator and are all leaders of the School. Many students also apply for additional leadership positions including Consuls, House and Co-Curricular positions that are voted on by their peers and teachers after a selection process involving speeches and interviews. We recently asked each of our 2021 leaders what makes a good leader, why they applied for their chosen leadership position and what they hope to achieve in their position. We are delighted to introduce the following students who will hold senior leadership positions in 2021.
SCHOOL CONSULS
Marianna Giavris “I believe the cornerstone qualities which leaders must embody are honesty, integrity, and resilience: every leader must be honest, accountable for their actions, and not be discouraged by hardship or failure. But most importantly, overarching all of these, there must be an approachability and a willingness to learn. A leader will never have all the answers, nor should they be expected to. I think the true measure of a good leader is found in the way in which people in positions of leadership foster and encourage the creativity and successes of those around them.”
Kara Whitbourn “As Consul, I hope to bring a sense of togetherness, security and trust amongst my peers. After such challenging times in 2020, I want to help everyone readjust and kick start a new year in 2021. It has been a year of uncertainty and greater separation from each other, so I envisage a greater emphasis on creating a holistic community that is Fintona.”
DEPUTY CONSUL Neroli Dancey “I have always loved the community that is Fintona. I constantly feel unconditionally supported by the staff, teachers and families of our small community. I felt my passion for Fintona would be beneficial and I knew I would not be alone with any endeavours that I was to take within my leadership position.”
HOUSE CAPTAINS BOYNE Olivia Johnson “I believe that the traits of enthusiasm, curiosity, being understanding, empathy and accountability are important for a leader to have.” Maanya Kapoor “A good leader is motivated and is able to have a positive impact on everyone around them. They should also be passionate and genuinely care about people.”
CLARKE Emma Puglia “In being a House Captain, responsibility primarily revolves around organising and managing house activities in a way that is inclusive and respectful.” Catherine Zheng (& Boats Captain) “A leader is someone who can lead a team comfortably and respectfully, and remain organised and motivated to do their job to the best of their ability. A leader also listens to others and acknowledges everyone’s ideas, showing initiative and stepping forward to do the right thing.”
Read more about our 2021 student leaders online at www.fintona.vic.edu.au/student-leaders-2021 12
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HUGHSTON Jessica Le “I would like to reflect the influence of the past Hughston House leaders as they have encouraged me to become more self-confident and open-minded to House activities.” Ava Orrico “I’ve also enjoyed looking up to the House Captains, seeing how they worked as a team, and had lasting impressions and relationships with some of the girls. This helped me to realise that being a House Captain was the position for me.”
MAXWELL Mia Pope “For me, as a 2021 House Captain, I have to always remind myself to remember what I valued and was grateful for in leaders when I was a younger girl, and I hope I can emulate that impression past captains have left on me to impart on the younger girls today.” Lauren Smith “I would love to achieve a cohesive House that works together and always has fun. I want to ensure everyone is involved and supported. I hope that through this endeavour over the next year everyone will love being a part of Maxwell House and be proud of representing green.”
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OWER Emily Kha “As House Captain, I want to be able to connect with the younger year levels more and become a closer House.”
COMMUNITY SERVICE Aleen Dhaliwal “I have been both incredibly privileged and appreciative to attend a school of such calibre from a very young age, for it has defined so much of my character; through my peers who surround me, the care of the staff, and the opportunities it offers.”
ACTIVITIES CAPTAINS DRAMA Zara Burk “Performing encourages self-expression and builds confidence, and I believe it is important to give students an arena where they can forge friendships and relinquish self-doubt to simply enjoy creative performance.”
ART Shangyou Yang “I am extremely grateful for this leadership experience, and that is why I am determined to encourage students to get involved in the wide range of art opportunities offered by our School and to maintain the diverse and welcoming art environment.”
DEBATING Jasmine Ye “One of the things I love about Fintona is its diverse cocurricular opportunities. Debating is one of the cocurriculars I have persevered with ever since Year 7 and this activity has brought me many benefits including boosting my confidence, teamwork and communication skills.”
LANGUAGES Belle Moss “I am very interested in both the language and the culture of foreign languages and am studying French and Japanese. I think it’s important for all the students to be aware of the cultural differences between countries.”
LIBRARY Jenny Feng “I believe that by reading books, you can better understand the world around you, with both its integrity and flaws.”
MUSIC Sherry Wang “I will aim to get more students involved in musical performances in all sorts of ways and create opportunities for students to gather and appreciate music. Music is a language shared by everyone and should not be limited to a small number of players.”
STEM Lily Shi “It is important that women’s voices in the STEM area get attention, not only because it is such an important field, but also because we have girls’ power in STEM.”
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Making a Difference and Championing Change This year, a group of Year 11 students with a passion for politics and global affairs have set up a new Fintona Club, the International Politics and Economics Club (IPEC). Jenny Jian, Jenny Li, Lily Shi, Shangyou Yang and Sherry Wang formed IPEC to provide a casual platform for students to express their perspectives on current global affairs relating to politics, economics, social and ethical issues. Every Tuesday lunchtime, IPEC holds a discussion session either on MS Teams during remote learning or in-person when back at School. The IPEC Team works hard to foster an open and welcoming atmosphere so that students bond easily across year levels and aren’t afraid to share their ideas and broaden their opinions about global affairs. The sessions usually begin with a short video or presentation to inform students about the weekly topic. Afterwards, the team poses questions to debate or a series of scenarios for everyone to discuss. Topics are diverse and have included Trade War, COVID-19, philanthropy, animal testing, male rights, and euthanasia.
session, our team conducts plenty of research and compresses it into key information to present to students in a lucid yet captivating way”. Though it has been a challenge for everyone on the team during remote learning, the students have endeavoured for IPEC to add to the vibrant Fintona community, and have found themselves enjoying every moment along the way. The future of IPEC is looking as bright as ever.
According to the IPEC Team, the Club is not designed to replicate the classroom experience. “Our Team will only occasionally guide the discussions and lead them in a casual but thought provoking manner as we aim to create a pressure free learning environment for students. “The preparation for each topic discussion is a complex but rewarding process. Firstly, we start with a brainstorm of all possible topics that are relevant in the current context and then select the one that we believe is the most debatable. For each 14
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Guest Speakers Broaden our Students’ Horizons
IMMUNOLOGY AND ITS FUTURE
LIVING IN ANTARCTICA
TALES OF COURAGE AND RESILIENCE
THE ROLE OF BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS IN DECISION MAKING
As part of National Science Week, Year 9 Science students were fortunate to listen to guest speaker, Catriona NguyenRobertson, an Immunologist at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity who is carrying out research into how immune cells react to fat molecules in her study of Tuberculosis bacteria.
Antarctica is a major unit of study in Year 8 Geography and this year, students were fortunate to have Dr Stan Malachowski, a current parent, share his experiences of being stationed there.
During remote learning, students in Years 4 to 6 and Year 8 enjoyed an online session with Australian adventurer and author, Tim Cope. Tim shared stories about his remarkable journey of travelling 10,000 kilometres on horseback from Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, the Ukraine, to Hungary retracing the trail of Genghis Khan. He talked about the importance of courage and resilience and the techniques he used to document his adventures. Tim has written books about his adventures; the most recent, an adaptation for young readers called ’Tim and Tigon‘.
Year 10 Economics students participated in an interactive presentation on behavioural economics run by Dr SweeHoon Chuah, Professor of Economics at the University of Tasmania.
Catriona gave a wonderful insight into the day-to-day life of a research scientist and what inspired her to pursue a career in biomedicine. She ranked curiosity and creativity as important skills in driving research as she said constantly asking questions drives research and you also need to have the imagination to come up with innovative research ideas. Catriona said she saw the future of biomedicine becoming increasingly more cross disciplinary, with biomedical scientists working closely with those specialising in fields such as data, bionics and artificial intelligence.
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As a Science Officer in the 1980s, Stan was based at Davis Camp for 14 months followed by another 6 month stint carrying out research into the global climate as well as completing his PhD in physics. From an underground lake isolated from the world for over 25 million years and featuring 3,000 different life forms, to translucent fish that have created their own anti-freeze, Stan provided a fascinating eye opening account of Antarctica.
Tim also shared tips about the art of journaling and this led to the students spending a session writing a journal around the theme of ‘a day in their life of remote learning’. Students were invited to submit their journals as a record of the Pandemic to Fintona’s archives so that future students, perhaps 100 years from now, could look back on how students learnt in 2020 during the pandemic.
Swee-Hoon explained why behavioural economics is extremely important in influencing economic modelling. Students were fascinated to learn about the decoy effect which introduces an undesirable option to steer people towards a target product, which will be the one with the highest profit margin. According to student, Maya Martin, “it was fascinating to learn about how Starbuck’s utilises this method. SweeHoon used the example of Starbucks ‘Venti’ size coffee as it makes the ‘Grande’ size seem more reasonable in comparison so consumers are more likely to choose this more expensive option. Any time three size options are available, the decoy effect is likely to be in play.” 15
A Celebration of Art in 2020
Adapting to the challenges of the remote learning environment, Art and Design subjects here at Fintona have continued to provide students with an opportunity to explore and document the world around them. Drawing heavily on critical and lateral problem solving processes and skills, adjustments were made to a number of projects so that process based art and design learning could, for the most part, be implemented as it would have here on Campus. The sending home of task specific art packs were vital to the success of the learning during this time. Aside from a number of highly successful learning outcomes, it also allowed parents and carers an insight into the inquiry based production process that our students work through to create artworks and functional designs. It was also pleasing to note the opportunity it provided students with, to reduce screen time and continue to develop their fine motor skills.
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Remote learning also enabled students from ELC to Year 12 to enrich their learning with experimentation and exploration. An example of this saw textile students using fruit and vegetables to dye fabrics and photography students using plastics to distort lighting and focal points. Brit Biviano Art Co-ordinator 16
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Remote learning also enabled students from ELC to Year 12 to enrich their learning with experimentation and exploration.
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1. Amelia Saricam, Prep 2. Penelope Donovan, ELC 3. Luka Gracie, Year 12 4. Tiffany Spencer, Year 6 5. Emma Wang, Year 5 6. Oceana Ma, Year 2 7. Estella Black, Year 12 8. Mathangi Sritharan, Year 8 9. Yoyo Zhiyi, Year 9
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Fintona Family Connections Leigh Johnson (Ellerbeck’87)
L - R: Olivia, Leigh and Zoe
For some of our Alumni, their Fintona journey beyond the School gates extends to becoming a Fintona parent as well as past student. Old Fintonian, Leigh Johnson’s (Ellerbeck ’87) connection to Fintona began as a Year 7 student in 1982 and now over 30 years later, her two girls attend the School.
WHAT WERE YOU INVOLVED IN AT SCHOOL?
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FINTONA FOR OLIVIA AND ZOE?
I was very involved in a number of activities including debating, hockey, athletics, and tennis. We had the Senator Leadership System which gave all girls an opportunity to lead with Consuls being elected by peers on a rolling month basis.
Together with her daughters, Olivia who is in Year 11 and Zoe in Year 9, they share their thoughts on what makes Fintona a special place.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HAPPIEST MEMORIES FROM YOUR SCHOOL DAYS?
Both my girls have been at Fintona since ELC. It’s a very close-knit school and you do feel part of a strong community. Given the gender bias that persists today in our society, I was very keen on a single sex school for Olivia and Zoe as I believe it provides them with an ideal learning environment.
LEIGH WHAT HAS YOUR JOURNEY LOOKED LIKE SINCE LEAVING SCHOOL?
After Year 12, I studied Commerce at Melbourne University and went on to have a career initially as a chartered accountant then over 20 years in the finance industry (banking). I worked and lived in the UK for 10 years working at Deutsche Bank. Living in another country provided me with a different perspective and set of opportunities, not least of which was travel, which is a lot more accessible when living in Europe. My husband also studied in France for a year during this time so I spent a lot of time commuting to France on weekends. That year certainly made me wish I had pursued languages more at School so I have encouraged Olivia and Zoe to continue with their language studies.
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I have many happy memories from my time at Fintona including some traditions that continue today including House Drama, Shakespeare Day and Valedictory Evening. I also look back fondly on the processional music, March Militaire (it used to involve the whole school not just Year 12) and I remember it required quite a few rehearsals; I’m not sure how the teachers kept their patience! I must add that the brown school uniform probably doesn’t bring back the best memories. It was good to see it change, but on the other hand it certainly was a distinctive colour. WHAT HAS ATTENDING FINTONA MEANT TO YOU?
HOW HAVE THEY BENEFITED?
At a smaller school with a wide range of subjects and co-curricular activities on offer, I do think you are provided with opportunities you may not get at another school. Olivia and Zoe have greatly benefitted from these opportunities as everyone is encouraged to get involved and try new things. The School continues to develop and it’s exciting to see the Beyond Science Centre being built which both my girls are looking forward to using next year. HOW DID A FINTONA EDUCATION HELP SHAPE YOUR CAREER?
The School instilled in me and my peers a sense of confidence to pursue my goals.
The small classes and amazing teachers who were very approachable made a lasting impression on me. I remember feeling extremely supported through my studies, particularly in Year 12 (HSC). When Olivia joined the Middle School, Miss Goldsworthy, Mrs Hawker, and Ms Rowe who taught me were still at the School. FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
OLIVIA AND ZOE WHAT MAKES FINTONA A SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOU?
OLIVIA
Fintona is a special place for me because we have a great sense of community. Given that the School is small, teachers and students all get to develop strong friendships and support each other. I also really enjoy all our co-curricular activities, especially sport, where we compete as a team which truly bolsters our sense of community.
ZOE
I really appreciate Fintona’s small size, as this has allowed me to get to know the majority of girls in my year level, so there are always plenty of friendly people to chat to. Alongside this, the teachers work really hard to create an environment where we can interact and learn with each other. This allows me to feel really involved throughout classes and provides me with the ability to observe the different perspectives of my peers. WHAT ARE YOU INVOLVED IN AT SCHOOL?
OLIVIA
I’m involved in GSV sport including hockey, basketball, athletics, swimming, and cross country, and I also do debating and sing in the choir.
ZOE
Sport is one of my main hobbies so I like to be involved as much possible in GSV weekly sport and carnivals including cross country, swimming, diving, track and field. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS?
OLIVIA
I always love going on school camps and the Year 7 trip to Central Australia was definitely a highlight for me. Other great memories include winning the GSV hockey championship and going to the athletics finals, as well as many great classes with my friends and teachers.
ZOE
School camps stand out, whilst not the most glamourous, they allow me to connect and overcome challenges with my peers in a different environment. In particular, I really enjoyed Year 8 camp to Gembrook, as it allowed me to disconnect from my usual routine and experience different aspects of the Australian outdoors. My favourite activity from this camp was abseiling, and I remember all of my group being very nervous. We all encouraged each other to overcome this challenge, which created a supportive team environment where we all thrived.
ZOE
My mum is an extremely determined person, and I rarely see her give up on what she wishes to achieve. In particular, I remember asking her to help me with a difficult question on my maths homework, and even after half an hour of trying different strategies she was still persistent to solving the question, eventually arriving at the answer. Whilst I will never spend this long doing a maths question, this experience highlighted to me how my mum’s hard work and persistence has led her to success. My mum’s ability to overcome hurdles that come her way motivates me to move past minor setbacks and continue with new ambitions. WHAT SORT OF CAREER ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?
OLIVIA
I’d like to pursue engineering, humanitarian law or music in a job where I’m able to create new things.
ZOE
My mum encourages me to continue to be curious and branch out into different areas of study and discover what I enjoy. I’m interested in science and hope to pursue a career in this field.
HOW DOES YOUR MUM INSPIRE YOU?
OLIVIA
She is a great role model for not being afraid to pursue what you want to achieve and knowing your value, as well as the importance of your relationships with other people in the workplace and in the rest of life. GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
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OFA
Old Fintonians’ Alumni SPRING/SUMMER 2020
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FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
News of Old Fintonians BIRTHS Congratulations to Louise Bawden (’99) and husband, Casey Grice on the birth of their son, Parker Gregory Grice on 20/5/20 in California.
PASSION FOR DRAMA CONTINUES BEYOND SCHOOL The Fintona community is saddened to learn of the death of the following Old Fintonians: Kim Roberts (Hawthorne ’96) 16/1/20 Julie Wentworth (Lang ’51) 16/2/20 Suzanne Motherwell (Thompson ’67) 24/5/20
Even before they had finished Year 12, Old Fintonians Lucy Seale (’16) and Nicola Dobinson (’16) were planning on forming a theatre company together. Both keen thespians, they had met in Year 10 Drama Class and then studied VCE Theatre Studies and Literature together. Unsure if student theatre at university would let them take on big responsibilities straight away, they decided to act on their plans and set up Shakespearean Jeans. The company provided Nicola with an opportunity to continue her costume design work and stage management, whilst Lucy was excited to pursue acting and directing. Along the way, they have each performed a variety of roles, including directing, design, producing, production management, publicity/marketing, composition and performance. Shakespearean Jeans’ first production was an all-female staging of Euripides’s ‘Medea’ followed by the contemporary Australian drama, ‘Speaking in Tongues’ by Andrew Bovell, and a short comedy, ‘Devision’. Last year’s production, ‘Her Hour Upon The Stage’, was written by Lucy and inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. At the beginning of this year, Lucy and Nicola wrote,
GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
L - R: Nicola Dobinson (’16) and Lucy Seale (’16)
staged and performed in a two-person comedy circus show ‘How To Be A Good Person’ which drew on their three years of training with the Women’s Circus. Nicola is studying at The University of Melbourne and is currently writing a history honours thesis on the lead-up to the Iranian Revolution in 1979. She would like to pursue post-graduate study in diplomatic history, but she is also keen to continue her design and visual art practice. This year, Lucy has completed her Bachelor of Arts at The University of Melbourne and recently worked as an Assistant Director at Complete Works Theatre Company, while also participating in a placement with the Melbourne Theatre Company. According to Nicola and Lucy, “We were both very interested in theatre at School and worked together on three school plays and several Shakespeare Day performances. We were very lucky to have teachers who instilled in us a passion for literature and drama, and are grateful for the creative opportunities offered to us at Fintona.”
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OFA OLD FINTONIAN RECEIVES SUPREME COURT PRIZE
NEW BOOK FROM ACCLAIMED AUTHOR
Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Anna Wotherspoon (’14) who has been awarded a prestigious Supreme Court Exhibition Prize by the Supreme Court of Victoria for her Honours thesis. Anna is currently completing a combined Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Science Degree at Monash University.
Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Jane Godwin (’81) on the release of her most recent book for young people titled ‘When Rain Turns to Snow’, a coming of age story about finding out who you are in the face of crisis and change.
Anna attended Fintona from Year 6 and was involved in a wide range of sports including hockey, tennis and crosscountry as well as debating. In her final year at School, Anna was a House Captain and combined this leadership role with studying English, English Literature, Legal Studies, Biology, French, and Mathematical Methods. She was awarded Premier’s Awards for English and Legal Studies. “Receiving the Supreme Court Exhibition Prize was a wonderful way to round out my Honours experience. My thesis considered whether animals are a suitable object of property rights by drawing upon traditional theories of private property. I landed upon this thesis topic because I have a longstanding interest in the human treatment of and interaction with other animals,” said Anna. Next year, Anna will start her graduate year in Law at Herbert Smith Freehills.
Jane is a highly acclaimed and internationally published author of many books for children and young people including novels ‘When Rain Turns to Snow’, ‘Falling From Grace’ and ‘As Happy as Here’, and the picture books ‘Go Go and the Silver Shoes’ and ‘All Through the Year’. Jane is also the co-creator of the highly successful historical fiction series ‘Our Australian Girl’.
Hawker who taught me English. Kate Bechet encouraged a love of art, and Eril-Jane Reid was a wonderful politics teacher,” said Jane. When Jane was developing the Our Australian Girl series for Penguin, she and a colleague Davina Bell visited Fintona several times, where the girls in Years 5 and 6 gave them feedback on the early manuscripts. According to Jane, this was very helpful, and some of the girls ended up featuring on the covers of the Our Australian Girl books. “The books are still going strong, and I will always see the Fintona girls as a vital part of the development of that series.”
Jane has received many commendations, including the Queensland Premier’s Award (Children’s Books), the Aurealis Award and the Animal Welfare Award, and short listings in the CBC Book of the Year Awards, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize), the Family Award for Children’s Books, and the Australian Book Industry Awards. Her book, ‘Tilly’ has been shortlisted for the 2020 Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award. After completing Year 12, Jane took a gap year and then studied a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies at RMIT. Most of her working life has been as an editor and later publisher of books for young people at Penguin Books Australia, as well as being a writer. “During my years at Fintona, I had several inspiring teachers, including Helen Dick who was my Literature teacher and Ann
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FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
A global pandemic has meant a year like no other and has affected almost every aspect of life not to mention worldwide travel. Whether on a working holiday to relocating permanently, we have many Old Fintonians spread across the globe and our thoughts extend to them all during this challenging time. Here, three of our Alumni share their experiences of living overseas in 2020.
Postcards from 2020
SAMANTHA BOXER (MAYNE ’86) HAS LIVED IN AMERICA FOR OVER 30 YEARS. HERE IS HER ACCOUNT OF LIVING IN THE US DURING COVID-19. I moved to America in 1989 after one year as an AFS Exchange Student, and became a dual-citizen in 2002. Ironically, I live in the suburb of Corona in California with my husband and two daughters. My parents still live in Melbourne, and my sister is living in Alice Springs. I try to visit at least every year or two, especially so that my children can experience the wonders of Australia and their extended family. I also maintain friendships with a number of Old Fintonians and I even made it to my 30 year reunion in 2016. Chatting with Miss Butt was a rare treat! After finishing Year 12 at Fintona and my Senior Year at an American high school, I trained as a Chef in several bakeries and restaurants. I now do consulting work in the field of hospitality. A few years ago, I developed an Australian café concept for a couple of guys, serving up a variety of pies, sausage rolls, pasties and baked goods in Southern California. In mid-March we were placed under a State ordered lockdown. Our school and college systems closed for in-person instruction and have yet to reopen for the new school year which began in August. Virtual high school classes are very disappointing in content and structure. The teachers rarely stay on a Zoom session for the entire period, and assign very little homework. The classes are also shorter than they would normally be. The college experience for my older daughter is significantly better with the Professors
GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
being better prepared and offering more challenging discussion and assignments. Restaurants are permitted for outdoor dining and take away, however indoor malls, theatres, churches, gyms, personal services and many other businesses remain closed. Face masks are mandatory in public and the majority of people comply but not without complaining that their constitutional rights are being violated. In the early days of COVID, we had a curfew from 6pm until 6am. There were never any formal restrictions on visitors to our homes, but the underlying rule was that you were to stay home. There was a rush on many items at the supermarkets, and even now, 6 months on, paper goods are in short supply. Theme parks in California have not reopened and I doubt they will in 2020. Other states like Florida have allowed theme parks to reopen with strict regulations on safety including temperature checks, face masks and social distance guidelines of 6 feet. I visited Walt Disney World in Orlando in August and felt safer there than I do at my local supermarket. Intra-state travel is permitted but some international travel remains restricted.
Income taxes are due in the USA in April, but this year it was extended to October to allow people the extra time and use of their money. Fortunately, no one in our family has tested positive for COVID, however it is widespread in our community. I have known a couple of people who contracted the virus and who have now recovered. The hotspots in Southern California have been centred around the inner city areas and retirement communities. Part of our daily routine includes checking the LA Times newspaper for the latest statistics. As a family, the enforced time at home has meant that we have painted bedrooms, organized closets, bonded over silly TV shows, passed along family recipes and cooking techniques, and watched a family of squirrels take up residence in our yard (a great source of entertainment for our two cats!). My view throughout this time is to “Focus on our future, while still learning from our past”.
My husband, a Chartered Accountant, has been incredibly busy helping his clients with government offered loans and forgiveness in an effort to keep their businesses open during the shutdowns. 23
OFA SALLY COX (’92) IS AN EXPAT IN HONG KONG HAVING MOVED THERE FOR WORK. In January 2019, I relocated to Hong Kong with my husband Andrew and two daughters, Sophie (9) and Lily (7). I work for a German multinational chemical company called BASF and was offered an opportunity to join the Asia Pacific headquarters. My career has been focused in corporate communications, however, in the past few years I branched out into other functional topics such as Human Resources. I am currently Vice President – People, responsible for Human Resources, Corporate Affairs and Real Estate for the company across Asia. It’s a challenging and diverse role working on many topics with many different people and cultures across the region every day but I love it. Hong Kong is a dynamic and exciting city to live in. We have loved living right in the heart of the city in a high-rise apartment, a real change from our home in Kew. But Hong Kong has a hidden side that most tourists don’t see away from the bustling city streets, restaurants and markets. We’ve really enjoyed getting out to experience the amazing hiking in the mountains, beautiful hidden beaches and small islands with their more traditional ways of life. Hong Kong is changing as it moves closer to full handover in 2047 when the current system of ‘’One country, two systems” with mainland China will expire, but for now it continues to operate as the international city it has been for many decades. It’s been interesting to teach our daughters about these political and societal challenges while the debate has happened around us and they’ve seen first hand the protests and changes underway. 24
Like most people around the world the biggest challenge this year has been COVID-19. Living in a densely populated city, we have been wearing masks in all public outdoor and indoor areas for many months now. Sports facilities, playgrounds, public beaches, cinemas and entertainment venues are closed but restaurants are still open with only 50% capacity and tables of two allowed. Temperatures are also taken when entering public buildings. Our daughters attend the Australian International School Hong Kong, which like all schools here, has been running online learning since January. Managing the impact of social distancing restrictions, home schooling and our own work from home has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever experienced. On a positive note, the girls’ skills with computers have increased hugely. They are both so adept at handling their laptops, Google classrooms, recording videos, and uploading files. Remote work has now become so accepted across the workplace and I think this is a big step forward for allowing our staff to have permanent flexibility in their work hours and locations.
in fact, the supermarket shelves look almost identical to home! With over 100,000 Australians living in Hong Kong, it’s not hard to run into other Aussies. We’ve been amazed at meeting people here who it turns out went to the same school, lived around the corner or have some sort of connection to us. This is our second time living overseas, we also lived in Tokyo when the girls were very small. I really believe these international secondments have given our family a great opportunity to make new friends from different backgrounds and have some unique experiences as a family, particularly the opportunity for travel. The girls are growing up with an awareness of the world, different cultures and experiences which are much broader than they would ever experience at home.
We do miss Australia, and usually when there are no travel restrictions, it’s just a short flight back to visit friends and family. However, working with my colleagues across Asia in countries such as India and Korea which have been much harder hit by COVID-19 we feel pretty lucky to be here. We can even buy most of our favourite Australian items here, including Vegemite; FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
Postcards from 2020 JIAYING ZHANG (’06) SHARES HER EXPERIENCES OF LOCKDOWN IN LONDON I’ve been living in London for the past five years. My foothold to moving was being offered a job at one of the ‘magic circle’ law firms in their private equity department. I stayed there for a number of years, and now work at the London offices of Simpson Thacher, which is a New York-headquartered law firm that specialises in private equity. Unlike many Australians who move back after two or three years, I’ve found my permanent home here: last year I got engaged to a Frenchman (Madame Gowdie will be pleased to hear that my French has improved slightly as a result) and we bought a house together in East London. The coronavirus crisis has impacted the UK profoundly. Back in March, little was known about the virus, and the Government was concerned about overloading the public health system, so enforced a strict lockdown whereby we were only allowed to leave our homes for one hour of daily exercise or essential travel (buying groceries or seeking medical assistance). People in the UK started preparing for an apocalypse, partly inspired by the panic buying in Australia, and were stockpiling basic necessities such as toilet paper, soap and canned/frozen food. It was easy to be swept up in the mania of it all. I survived by relying on online grocery deliveries, supplemented with the occasional Deliveroo. On weekdays, I was fortunate enough to be distracted by the franticness of work. Weekends on the other hand, were no longer a reprieve but felt like Groundhog Day – one hour a day of outdoor exercise meant that I was stuck in a maddening loop of retracing the same few neighbourhood walking trails. GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
When the restrictions were relaxed over the summer, people here flooded to the pubs and the parks. British summers are short and sweet, so everyone was delighted to be allowed outside again for as long as we wanted and to finally see friends and family again. The initial anxiety about the virus seemed to have disappeared. People were out sunbathing in the grass again, old men piled into the sports bars and local markets were resurrected. I spent so many weekends in the summer having socially distanced picnics with friends, who I’d been craving to see for months.
So much is in limbo now as we wait for a vaccine to be developed. It’s difficult to plan things like holiday travel, Christmas in France or even our wedding, which is now indefinitely postponed. However, I’m trying to make the most of things and in the British spirit, “keep calm and carry on”. Sending all my best wishes to the Fintona community, in Melbourne and beyond.
The highlight of this year has been getting my hands on a bike. Bikes have been a hot commodity since lockdown; most shops in our area have long waiting lists. I eventually got mine at the end of summer, and I’ve been using it almost daily to cycle to work and on weekends to explore the city again. Just last weekend I rode along the Thames, and past Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey - it was striking to see these iconic landmarks again after so many months being tethered to our neighbourhood. We’re now in autumn, and cases in the UK are rising again so there’s been a steady stream of new restrictions: bars and restaurants shut at 10pm; no socialising in groups of more than 6 people; no indoor gatherings with other households. Recently we celebrated a friend’s birthday dinner in a restaurant courtyard with no heating, in freezing conditions. We were all wrapped up in coats, gloves and hats, and our food was cold within minutes of reaching the table. But it was still worth it for the human interaction. 25
Reunions
NSW/ACT Reunion
THURSDAY 10 SEPTEMBER L - R: Jenny Della Torre (McKendrick ’62), Judy Moyes (Smith ’51), Robyn Vines (’69), Marian Paynter (Lobban ’60), Margo Morgan (Le Lievre ’59), Jolly (Katrina) Priestley (Armstrong ’64), Barbara Shaw (Thompson ’67), Seated: Cath Watson (Widmer ’62) L - R: Di Deane (’73), Michelle Harris (Lucovich ’62), Jessica O’Bryan (’87), Helen Jane (’78), Sally Todd (Bickerstaff ’73), Adele Outteridge (Samuel ’63), Barbara Gunn (’64), Daniele Williams (Lucovich ’60)
QLD Reunion
SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER L - R: Liz Vines (’70), Prue Jay (Love ’66), Nancy Sinclair (Backholer ’63), Diana Pinkney (Goodson ‘65), Sue Vandeleur (Leaver ’57)
SA Reunion
SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER
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FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
OFA Connect with Fintona
UPCOMING OFA EVENTS Reunions postponed from 2020 have been rescheduled and all dates are subject to COVID restrictions.
REUNIONS 2021 Classes of 1960/61 & 1965/66 55/60 Year Reunions Thursday 21 October 10am Classes of 1970 & 1971 50 Year Reunion Saturday 1 May 12 noon Classes of 1980 & 1981 40 Year Reunion Saturday 29 May 12noon Classes of 1990 & 1991 30 Year Reunion Friday 12 March 6.30pm - 8.30pm Classes of 2000 & 2001 20 Year Reunion Friday 14 May 6.30pm – 8.30pm
INTERSTATE/COUNTRY REUNIONS North East Victoria (Benalla) TBC WA Saturday 8 May NSW/ACT Thursday 9 September QLD Saturday 23 October SA November SPECIAL EVENTS OFA Art Show Tour & Afternoon Tea Thursday 2 September OFA Golf Day TBC
LAUNCH OF 2020 ALUMNI FILM
JOIN THE OFA FACEBOOK GROUP Please join the Old Fintonians’ Alumni Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/ ofafintona to keep up to date with Alumni news including reunion dates and photos.
SHARE YOUR NEWS We love to share special and significant achievements of Old Fintonians. Please send your news to Kate McPhee, Alumni Co-ordinator at kmcphee@fintona.vic.edu.au.
We are delighted to launch this year’s Alumni film featuring one of Australia’s best and most influential winemakers, Louisa Rose (’87). After graduating from Fintona, Louisa completed a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in physics, from The University of Melbourne. Relocating to South Australia, she then went on to study winemaking, graduating as Dux in 1992. Whilst studying, she worked as a cellar hand at Yalumba in the Barossa, and then returned to join the team after completing her qualifications. Twenty-nine vintages later and now Chief Winemaker, Louisa has been involved in almost every facet of winemaking and cellar management. Louisa’s film can be viewed via the School’s website at www.fintona.vic.edu.au/ our-community/alumni.
Classes of 2010 & 2011 10 Year Reunion Friday 8 October 6.30pm – 8.30pm Classes of 2015 & 2016 5 Year Reunion Friday 6 August 6.30pm – 8.30pm Class of 2020 Morning Tea Thursday 18 February 10.30am
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Building Fund Donations 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. From 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020, the following families have kindly given to the Building Fund through the voluntary contribution option with their School fees. A
Mr S & Mrs S Dewal
Ms L Huang
Mr H Lin & Ms Y Luo
Mrs S Alnabet & Mr A Salma
Mr L Ding & Mrs H Dai
Mr D J Little & Mrs M W M Tan
Mr J R & Mrs J L Pace
Mr M Aulakh
Mr A J Donovan & Ms C Gaidatzis
Mr G P Hughes & Mrs N Wheeler
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Mr A & Mrs L Longo
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Mrs J Pastore
Mr Z Lu & Ms X Geng
Mr A & Mrs S Pelusi
Mr H Lu & Mrs J Sun
Mr C Perera & Dr S Muthumuni
Dr R Azad & Dr S Anbarjafari B
Dr J C Dowling & Professor J M L Brotherton
Mr B Huo & Mrs H Cai J Mrs R F Jacobs
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Mr Z Duan & Mrs Y Mao
Mr K Jayasinghe & Ms D Seneviratne
Mr J R Bennett & Ms C L Rogers
Mr G D & Mrs G M Duncan
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Mrs Y Lu
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Mr A G & Mrs R M Jenkins
Dr M & Mrs M Lucas
Mr B C W Poon & Ms W Tang
Mr X Fan & Mrs R Liang
Mr T & Dr L Jeyaretnam
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Mr B Jia & Ms X Gao
Mr X Ma & Mrs H Liu
Mr D L & Mrs T M Preston
Mr N & Mrs R Fels
Mr W Jiang & Mrs X Qi
Mr J Ma & Ms N Zhang
Mr A Fitsioris & Ms O Tsara
Mr S M & Mrs L Johnson
Mr T & Mrs R Madden
Dr S & Mrs S Rathnayake
Mr C & Mrs M Frost
Mr R & Mrs R Johnston
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Dr D T Ratnam & Dr I Thevarajan
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 A Bridgeman & Ms A Lo C Mr Y Cai Mr D Calello & Ms M Deak Mr P G Campbell & Ms M I McKinnon
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Mr J N & Mrs M F Manning
Mrs H R Gassert
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Mr S & Mrs A Mansour
Mr Y Geng & Mrs Y Huo Mr J Georgarakis & Ms L Teti
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Mr J B Gilligan & Ms S L Mabin
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Mr L Chen & Mrs L Tang
Mr J L Gonsalves
Mr T & Ms Y Chen
Mr K A & Mrs J Gordhandas
Mr S Chen & Ms H Wang
Mr S Guan & Ms X Chen
Mr Z Chen & Mrs Y Jin
Mr J Guo & Mrs H Peng
Mr S & Mrs M Chen
Mr Y Guo & Ms Y Mu
Mr C & Mrs L Chen Mr T P & Mrs B Chenu Mr B & Mrs J Commerford Mr D Curry D Mr Q Dai & Ms L Wang Mr C & Mrs C Daly Mr M C & Mrs K M Dancey Dr C De Silva & Dr T Gunasekare
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Mr W & Mrs T Malic
Mr A & Mrs L Garczynski
Mr F Chai
Mr P Chen & Mrs C Yang
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Dr M Razzaghighadikolaei & Mrs T Sang Mrs F Reid Dr R Retallick & Ms E E Bolitho Dr B Roushdy & Ms T Keddis S
Mr D K Maxwell & Mrs P Brasch Maxwell
Mr T Saricam & Mrs V Burelli
Mr B & Ms C P McInerney
Mr G Shang & Mrs D Zhang
Dr H Lazaris
Mr H J & Mrs J K McKenzie
Dr H Shen & Ms X Chen
Dr N V Le & Dr K Y Tang
Mr Z Mei & Mrs M Shao
Mr D Shi & Mrs W Jing
Dr S T H Lee & Ms M Lam
Dr P Mihailescu & Dr N L Sinha Roy
Mr G Singh & Mrs S Kaur
Dr C Mok
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Mr N Muniratna & Ms C Green
Dr C Solnordal & Dr A Dennis Mr K Somaia & Mrs Z Horakova
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Mr A & Mrs T Lewin
Dr S Muruganandan & Dr N Nadarajan
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Mr B Li & Mrs J Chen
Mr S Najibi & Mrs S Goodarzi
Dr A & Mrs S Hodge
Mr D Li & Mrs J Ni
Dr P T Q & Mrs A O Nguyen
Mr N & Mrs L Hordern
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Mr W Ni & Mrs X Dong
Mrs J How
Mrs Y Li
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Mr J Liang & Ms B Yu
Mr M M Nihalsingha & Mrs A R De Silva
Mr S Hu & Ms S Wang
Mr J Liang & Mrs J He
Mr W Hu & Mrs L Lin
Mr X Lin
O Dr M Othman & Dr H Abdul Hafidz
Dr A Singh & Dr P Bordbar
Mr S D & Mrs I C Spindler Mr G & Mrs J Stanley Dr G & Mrs A Stefanou T Mr S S Taheri Miran Mahalleh & Mrs R Ghorban Pour Mr H Tang & Ms Y Jiang Mr Y Tao & Mrs Y Yang
FINTONA FILE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
Annual Giving Appeal We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Fintona Community, and thank the following Donors for their support of the 2020 Annual Giving Appeal towards the Beyond Science Centre, Library and Scholarship Funds.
Mr T Taouk & Ms M Romanous
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Mr C Tay & Ms A Siew
Mr Y Xiong & Ms Y Zhang
Mrs A J Adams
Ms F Mason & Mr M Walters
Mr P W Teng & Ms C C Wu
Mr F Xu & Ms H She
Dr S Ang & Dr K Gordon
Mrs L McAlister
Dr V Thijs & Mrs E Nivelle
Mr Q & Mrs J Xu
Dr D A & Mrs E Thomas Mr M M Thompson & Ms K M Parker Mr A Tjangdjaja Mr M J Tropea Mr H & Ms C Truong V Mr I & Mrs B Varughese Mr C & Mrs D V Ventura Ms R N Vitarelli W Mr W Wang & Mrs X Yang Mr J Wang & Ms D Qiu Mr Z Wang & Ms J Sun Mr Z Wang & Ms T Ding Ms E Wang Mr D Wang & Mrs D Peng Mr Y Wang & Ms J Yuan Mr Y Wang & Dr J Ye Mr Q Wang & Ms W Wei Mrs J Wang Dr K Wang Mr D S & Mrs J A Whitbourn Mr S J & Mrs M Wilson Mr A & Mrs B Wimalasuriya Dr A S K Wong
Y
B
Mrs L A McClenaghan
Mrs P F Badham
Ms A McIntosh
Mr Y Yan & Ms J Qin
Ms J Bethell & Mr P Smart
Mrs M F Miller
Mr K Yan
Mrs B J Brady
Mrs J Mitchell
Mr B Yang & Mrs H Yuan
Mrs V Burelli & Mr T Saricam
Mr H Yang & Ms Y Ma
C
P Mr J R & Mrs J L Pace
Mr G Yang & Mrs H Gu
Mrs P Carder
Mrs D Peng & Mr D Wang
Mr T Yang & Mrs X Long
Mr T J Clarke & Ms H C Mould
Mr B C W Poon & Ms W Tang
Mr M Ye & Mrs J Cai
Ms C E Condell
Mr Z You & Ms J Zhang
D
Mr C Yu & Mrs G Shi
Mr L Ding & Mrs H Dai
Mr S Yu & Ms D Dudek
Dr M A Doig OAM
Mr K & Mrs D Yu
E
Mr A Yuen & Dr C Chong
Mrs L I Elliott-Robson
Mr K Yung & Ms T Mak
Mr L & Mrs D Enverga
Z
F
Mr C P & Mrs G Zapris
Mrs P Farmer
Mr Z Zeng & Mrs Y Liu
Mrs H K Francis
Mr Z Zhang & Mrs Z Ou
G
Mr J Zhao & Mrs L Han
Dr Y Gao & Ms W You
Mr J Zhao & Mrs H Wang
Dr K A & Mrs H R Gassert
Mr H X Zheng & Ms L Lin
Mr J Georgarakis & Ms L Teti
Mr G Zheng & Mrs Y Liao
Mrs A M Gordon
Mr S Zhou & Mrs X Cui
Mr J Guo & Mrs H Peng
Mr K Zhou & Mrs Y He
Miss S Guo
Mr G Zhou & Ms H Yi
Mr S Wong & Mrs S Koh Mrs S Wong Mr W Wu & Mrs Y Cao Ms B Wu
H Mrs J T Hadges Mrs B Herbert Mr T Hinh & Ms E Lee K
R Dr D T Ratnam & Dr I Thevarajan Mrs M Ross AM S Dr H Y Schnagl AM Ms F Shub Mr S D & Mrs I C Spindler Dr G & Mrs A Stefanou Mrs L A Steven Mrs P Stevens T Mr H Tang & Ms Y Jiang Mrs A & Mr F Tankir Mrs B F Trebilcock V Mr S Venkatachalam & Dr L Arunachalam W Mrs C A Watson Y Mrs C Yang & Mr K Yan Miss C Yeoh
Dr A B & Dr A Kapoor L Mr L Li & Mrs M Yang
We also thank those donors who wish to remain anonymous.
Mrs Z Liu & Mr X Li
GREAT THINGS COME FROM A SMALL PACKAGE
29
SENIOR CAMPUS 79 Balwyn Road Balwyn VIC 3103 Australia JUNIOR CAMPUS 80 Balwyn Road Balwyn VIC 3103 Australia
P. (03) 9830 1388 E. fgs@fintona.vic.edu.au www.fintona.vic.edu.au