CLASSES AT WINDERMERE FARM
Learning through practical experience
JUNIOR SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION
Fostering lifelong personal growth.
OUR NEW JUNIOR SCHOOL CAMPAIGN
Promoting what we have to offer
THE HSC WE ALMOST DIDN’T HAVE The challenges faced by students and staff
OUR NEW UNIFORM
The story behind our bold and stylish new look
ROUND SQUARE
INTERNATIONAL
Values and opportunities shared
Welcome to The Chronicle. Of greatest significance in this edition is the change that the Round Square movement will bring to the School, as outlined by the Principal, Dr Andrew Parry, on page 3. Round Square’s origins are from the philosophy of Kurt Hahn, who believed in educating young people for life in the fullest sense. In future editions of The Chronicle, we’ll be working to keep you informed about the many ways that the Round Square movement will influence our
school and community as we become more fully engaged with over 200 member schools around the globe. It is a membership that will affirm our ‘regional heart, global spirit’ philosophy and help us to embrace and celebrate our unique identity.
Jennifer Divall Head of Marketing and CommunicationsCredits
Publisher Kinross Wolaroi School 59-67 Bathurst Road Orange NSW 2800 (02) 6392 0300
reception@kws.nsw.edu.au
Editor Jennifer Divall
Head of Marketing & Communications
Alumni Relations
Louise Kempson Events and Alumni Officer (02) 6392 0300 ex-students@kws.nsw.edu.au
Journalism
Skye Manson
Hannah Sparks
Photography
Brenton Cox
Laura Cole
Design
Jen Hill
Printing
GK Craig Printing
Contributions
Reader contributions are welcomed. Please forward to jhill@kws.nsw.edu.au
Kinross Wolaroi School is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia
Front cover: Learning at Windermere Farm
Back cover: The New Kinross Wolaroi School Uniform
e are delighted that Kinross Wolaroi School has been granted membership to Round Square, a worldwide association of schools which share a commitment, beyond academic excellence, to personal development and responsibility through service, challenge, adventure and international understanding. Membership will assist us in creating courageous and compassionate leaders who are prepared to discover and embrace cultures and nationalities in ways that promote meaningful understanding and respect.
Round Square is an internationally diverse network of 230 like-minded schools in 50 countries on six continents that connect and collaborate to offer world-class programs and experiences, developing global competence, character and confidence in our students. Round Square schools understand the strong link between character education and academic success. We also share the belief in the immense value of a holistic education where we provide experience deliberately structured to develop the whole person. We are so fortunate to live and work in a wonderful regional centre with such beauty and a strongly engaged community, but to prepare students for the future, we must also help them understand the wider world in which they live. Round Square provides us with a framework to enhance our focus and brings together many of the philosophies and values we already possess.
Round Square schools share a commitment to experiential learning: learning by doing – a philosophy already embraced by KWS. The Regional Engagement Enterprise (TREE) pioneered by Kinross Wolaroi School is an example of one of the many ‘hands on’ learning experiences we provide in our broad educational offering. Many of life’s lessons are learned through practical experience and these often remain with us throughout our lives. They help us build character, discover our capabilities and find purpose.
This understanding lies at the heart of the educational philosophy shared by Round Square Schools and is the vehicle used to help all students reach their full potential.
The Round Square movement was formed in 1966 by a small group of school leaders who were inspired by the ideas and approaches of Dr Kurt Hahn, a visionary educator and key figure in the development of learning through experience, commonly referred to as experiential learning. He believed that given the right opportunities and encouragement to go beyond our comfort zone we will discover there is more in each of us than we know, that we can be more inquisitive, inventive, tenacious, courageous and compassionate than we think.
He possessed a very clear vision of the type of school that he wished to create and it was nothing like the one he went to. He believed a school should be designed to help students discover their interests and passions, not just prepare them for exams. Education should be devoted to the development of character. Hahn founded two of the original Round Square member schools, Schule Schloss Salem in Germany and Gordonstoun in Scotland. His philosophies also lie at the foundation of the Outward Bound Movement and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Round Square schools are founded on a philosophy which embraces six pillars or IDEALS that are embedded within their academic, co-curricular and pastoral programs:
• International Understanding
• Democracy
• Environmental Stewardship
• Adventure
• Leadership
• Service.
These IDEALS form the foundation for the development of creative, responsible, and caring global citizens.
By exploring the six ideals, students embark upon a learning journey to develop their capacity and confidence so that they are equipped to make a positive difference in the world. Schools are encouraged to shape the Round Square educational philosophy to meet their specific needs and fit the context of each
member school.
Schools work together to create best practice for their unique settings by sharing ideas and comparing initiatives and approaches to how they explore each of the ideals. They collaborate creating classroom projects, setting challenges, hosting and attending conferences, sharing ideas, exchanging students and having students work together in international teams while undertaking community service projects.
Students connect with other young people from around the globe in virtual and physical spaces to learn from one another where they can voice their opinions, explore similarities and differences, and celebrate diversity. Students also have the rewarding and enlightening opportunity to develop new friendships in different cultural contexts.
We have engaged in the Duke of Edinburgh Award program for many years and it is growing in popularity at KWS. The Award strongly aligns with the philosophy of Round Square and a number of our students achieve the pinnacle of the scheme, the Gold Award. We have also developed an extensive International Student Exchange Program with us presently having a relationship with nine schools around the world. Round Square will provide opportunities for more students to be able to benefit from such enriching and valuable experiences.
In September this year six students and two staff will attend our first International Round Square Conference that is being held in England at Oxford University. Students from across the globe will reside in university accommodation and engage in discussion and activities. Such an experience for our students will be life changing. My Oxbridge experience certainly was.
I am very excited by what we can gain and contribute to Round Square. It’s philosophy is in perfect harmony with how we at Kinross Wolaroi view education, where we see education of the whole person as the whole point. We celebrate our regional heart yet appreciate the importance of possessing a global outlook.
It goes without saying that the start to this school year has been an eventful one. Thankfully, we all work together as a whole community to make the school run smoothly. I acknowledge role that is played by everyone – students, staff, families, volunteers and the many others who are involved in the life of the school. Without each group’s input, we would struggle to work effectively and to achieve our aims. Thank you for the part that you play.
The School Council, in our newly incorporated structure, is the Board of Directors for the school company. In the simplest terms, the Council is responsible for oversight and planning, and the school management, led by the Principal and Business Manager, takes care of the daily operations of the school as they put the school’s strategic plan into action. The Council does not get directly involved in daily matters. However, without being directly involved, the Council works closely with
the Principal and Business Manager by providing guidelines, asking questions, and having a full understanding of the workings of the school. Management share reports on all aspects of school life, and the Council, at regular meetings, analyses these reports and makes many decisions, including decisions about finance, risk, policy and capital expenditure. In the last year this has included the process of incorporation, the COVID 19 pandemic, the new uniform, budget and strategic planning and the appointment of new members of Council as others end their term.
In the coming months we plan to turn our attention to more focussed Environmental and Social Governance and will form a working group of Council members and other stakeholders to take this forward. This area of governance is increasingly being flagged as a key part of good governance. The Australian Institute of Company Directors states, ‘Climate change has rapidly evolved from one seen as an ethical and environmental issue to one that presents material
financial risks and opportunities for organisations — across short, medium and long terms.’
To achieve all of this, we need to have a Council of skilled and committed people, and I would like to acknowledge the time that is given, and the skill that is put to work by each member of Council –all of it in a voluntary capacity.
Over the last year or so, we have farewelled the following Council members – Mr Andrew Kermode, Dr Paul Bloomfield, Mr Dan Blyde and Ms Caroline Myers. Each one has contributed significantly to the good governance of the school over many years.
Also in the last year we have been pleased to appoint the following members of Council – Reverend Alan Robinson, Dr Radha Srikanth and Mrs Katrina Sweetapple.
We all look forward to working closely with each other and management into the future for the good of the students and wider Kinross Wolaroi Community.
In the coming months we plan to turn our attention to more focussed Environmental and Social Governance”
Rev Andrew Cunningham, Chair of School Council
Windermere Farm invites Kinross Wolaroi School students to learn through practical experience. This gives students real-life application of the theories they learn in the classroom, and students are more likely to recall their learning experience if they have actively participated in the learning process.
Windermere Farm invites Kinross Wolaroi School students to learn through practical experience.
This gives students real-life application of the theories they learn in the classroom, and students are more likely to recall their learning experience if they have actively participated in the learning process.
There was a real buzz of activity at Windermere in 2021, with the Junior School visiting the farm weekly or fortnightly and the Senior School utilising the farm for contextualised learning tasks.
In the Junior School, PreKindergarten students fed pigs, climbed trees and dug for insects, while Kindergarten students celebrated their first 100 days by planting 100 strawberry plants. The rest of the Junior School was involved with a wide range of farm operations, from shearing to lamb and cattle marking and tagging, fencing and mowing.
In the Senior School, Year 7 to 10 Visual Arts students had the opportunity to paint, photograph and draw the
farm, while Year 8 Geography students completed water and soil tests to monitor the farm’s health. Year 9 and 10 Agriculture students designed and measured the dam capacity to improve the health of silver perch fingerlings, while Year 10 Science students tracked the genetic activity of ewes.
Year 11 Business Studies students completed a case study on Windermere and were able to use it as an example for their assessment task on operations, making suggestions on how to improve the farm layout and efficiencies.
Year 11 Biology students undertook a biodiversity audit of the farm, while Year 11 Hospitality students took part in a series of outdoor cooking workshops using farm produce.
History students made use of the archaeological dig site to find buried treasures from years gone by, while Year 7 PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) students raised and planted vegetables that will be used as part of their good nutrition and Paddock to Plate unit.
Finally, the School’s cattle were rehomed to the beautiful, new cattle yards built at Windermere.
Director of TREE (The Regional Engagement Enterprise), Sue-Ann Gavin, said engaging students in real-life
experiences creates life-long learners.
“Our Windermere campus gets students excited about learning new things and having the opportunity to connect the learning in one subject to a much broader spectrum. They are not learning in isolation, rather across all curriculum areas, building a much stronger foundation of learning,” she said.
“The fact they can understand the importance of purchasing food locally to reduce food miles and then come out to Windermere and create a meal that has been completely grown and bred here is very special. They are applying their newly-acquired knowledge to life and encouraging others to do the same. Learning at Windermere makes learning fun and enjoyable.”
KWS values are also applied at Windermere, with students developing Courage as they step outside their comfort zone; Respect for the land and animals; Inclusiveness in new opportunities; Resilience when things don’t go to plan and a Commitment to planning, building and creating.
2021 was the perfect opportunity for this, with COVID-19 encouraging staff to embrace more opportunities for learning outside the confines of a conventional classroom setting.
Our Windermere campus gets students excited about learning new things and having the opportunity to connect the learning in one subject to a much broader spectrum. They are not learning in isolation, rather across all curriculum areas, building a much stronger foundation of learning.”
Sue-Ann Gavin, Director of TREE (The Regional Engagement Enterprise)
Events such as Science Week were also celebrated as a way for students to get stuck into life on the farm. The 2021 theme, Different by Design, was linked to the United Nations Year of Fruits and Vegetables, which meant some of the scientific discoveries, inquiries, activities and themes examined fruit, vegetables, tea and food waste. Kindergarten students made healthy fruit skewers, Year 1 students tasted freshly-harvested honey from Windermere’s flow hive, Year 3 students enjoyed roasted potatoes on the campfire and made their own butter, and Year 6 students used locallyprocessed meat from Windermere to make their own sausages.
Mrs Gavin said the increased trips to Windermere were extremely rewarding for staff and students.
“Students were able to understand concepts that are usually taught through text and images in a real-world context. They quickly made connections between new content and their understanding of the world. In addition, they worked collaboratively to solve problems and make new discoveries. This contextual
approach to education allows students to learn across key learning areas simultaneously, creating an authentic and meaningful approach to learning,” she said.
Windermere has also been the perfect space to support student wellbeing, which was vital during such a challenging year.
“From structured leadership workshops to exercise and gardening, Windermere has been a transformative learning space and source of enjoyment and relaxation for students,” Mrs Gavin said.
“This year, a Junior School TWIG team was established, which meant interested Year 5 and 6 students could meet weekly at the farm to further their interest in cooking and agriculture. Students enjoyed campfire cooking, harvesting honey, making soap from local ingredients, building irrigation systems and initiating a new market garden.”
Needless to say, there are endless opportunities for growth at Windermere and next year looks set to
be bigger and busier.
“Following the success of our Term 4 ‘Windermere - where learning comes alive’ initiative, all Junior School students will have a fortnightly timetabled class at Windermere. This will once again become a curriculumdriven, contextual-learning experience that builds on what they have learnt and experienced this year,” Mrs Gavin said.
“Our PDHPE students will also have timetabled classes at Windermere to experience the mountain bike, frisbee golf and spartan challenge courses. Hopefully, our silver perch will be joined by some brown trout and we can include some fishing activities for our students. Weekend campouts for our boarders and community workshops are planned for 2022. We will also be having our first Windermere Open Day. The growth of the market garden should see us generate enough food to feed the boarders on a regular basis. We are also on the lookout for a couple of milking goats to further enhance the learning opportunities for our students.”
“From structured leadership workshops to exercise and gardening, Windermere has been a transformative learning space and source of enjoyment and relaxation for students.”
Sue-Ann Gavin, Director of TREE
In 2022, the Junior School is embarking on a Numeracy project with the Australian Independent School’s Association (AIS), a writing project with the Australian children’s author Tim Harris, and strengthening its use of Windermere to provide authentic opportunities for concepts learnt in the classroom to be applied in the ‘real world’.
These projects will be led by our new Leader of Contextual Learning and Leader of Learning and Wellbeing. These roles help provide real-life opportunities for students to consolidate their understanding of concepts learnt in the classroom through hands-on, practical experiences. In doing so, we are future-proofing our students by teaching transferable skills they will put into practice outside of our School. Our approach to education is deliberately structured to develop the
whole person so each child can grow, flourish and discover their abilities and passions in life to be the best they can be. As part of a Pre-Kinder to Year 12 school, the Junior School aims to set a new standard for holistic, contextual learning through The Regional Engagement Enterprise (TREE), Round Square partnership and facilities available at our School farm: Windermere. Our leaders in learning will support staff and students with contextualising the curriculum, developing student agency and strengthening our bond with the local community - creating endless
opportunities for our students well into the future.
In 2022, the Junior School has developed a purpose-built space to facilitate learning in STEM. ‘AREA 51’ is resourced by our Leader of Technology and Innovation. This new position has been developed to enact the vision for the School’s digital programs and resources, supporting enhanced learning, communication and business efficiency. The role will develop, streamline, support and build the digital capacity for all students, from Pre-K to Year 6, providing a firm foundation as students transition into the Senior
School. Working with key staff, this role will continually revise and adapt the School’s frameworks and programs to ensure an authentic use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.
Attention to student wellbeing is a central focus at KWS, reflecting the Christian faith and values that underpin all aspects of the School’s culture. Student wellbeing programs concentrate on strengthening physical and mental health, as well as developing skills that promote lifelong personal growth. Our aim with implementing a restorative approach to student interactions is to build resilience and empathy;
What will I bring to the role of Head of Kinross Wolaroi Junior School? There is not a single answer to this question but a blend of qualities and characteristics, at the heart of which is a person who is above all a teacher who wants the students in her care to thrive and grow.”
Head of Kinross Wolaroi Junior School, Denise Hayward
and to support and nurture students towards respect for self and others, personal integrity and responsibility, compassion and appropriate conduct. Restorative practices acknowledge personal perspectives, leading to restorative conversations with mutual understanding and relationship restoration as the core focus.
In 2022, restorative action and the work of URStrong will be a focus in the Junior School as staff are guided by our Leader of Learning and Wellbeing. This role recognises that for students to flourish in their learning, they need to be flourishing emotionally. The
role acknowledges the importance of effective wellbeing programs and frameworks to support students alongside rigorous academic programs.
The leadership roles in the Junior School will assist with building a learning community and developing a holistic curriculum, reflecting the School’s commitment to providing a challenging, enriching, inspiring and supportive educational environment for students and staff. Consistent with the School’s Strategic Plan, Vision, Mission and Values, Junior School staff will be working with students to develop and implement a school-wide vision for
learning.
The poet Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. In a school setting, these words greatly resonate with many of the day-to-day routines and experiences we have. One of the most powerful examples is the daily interactions we have with all students and staff in the Junior School. Greeting every member of our community upon their arrival at the School each morning is important. By starting the day with someone saying, ‘I see you, I know you,
I’m connecting with you, and you’re important to me,’ we bolster a feeling of belonging and readiness to learn.
2020 and 2021 were like no other in our lifetime. Each day presented a unique set of challenges, and I have never been so grateful for the systems, policies and procedures developed to deal with these situations. Being organised and having the necessary planning and preparation in place has given us the time to focus on people.
We spent a lot of 2021 developing systems that enable teachers to focus on core business. I believe teachers should be given the autonomy to do what they
do best. They need to know they are trusted to do their jobs. I am a strong believer in the power of collaboration. Timetables are organised so all teachers are a member of a team that meets with the Leaders of Contextual Learning and Learning and Wellbeing each week to collaboratively plan. I work closely with the Principal and the Senior Management Team. These relationships are key in shaping the immediate and long-term direction of the School. Kinross Wolaroi Junior School is a community that is embracing change. Our numbers are growing and in 2022 and we are moving to double streams
across the School.
Developing students’ thirst for learning is at the heart of what we do each and every day. This is not so they can grow up to be something, but rather, so they can answer the invitation to think about what kind of person they want to be and about all the different things they might want to do. What will I bring to the role of Head of Kinross Wolaroi Junior School? There is not a single answer to this question but a blend of qualities and characteristics, at the heart of which is a person who is above all a teacher who wants the students in her care to thrive and grow.
In 2021, the world moved cautiously into its second year of living with COVID-19. The Junior School was looking forward to a new year, with students on-site and all planned activities being able to take place, albeit with some modifications to meet health guidelines. However, as COVID-19 numbers began to climb towards the end of semester one, staff started refining plans in preparation for the region to return to online delivery. They knew how important it was to provide a flexible and uninterrupted delivery for students’ educational needs.
For a few weeks, staff not only planned face-to-face programs, but also for remote delivery - a program that would provide a structured school day and encouraged independent and flexible learning options. This meant when the first, one-week lockdown was introduced, we were able to pivot overnight to remote learning. We had learnt many lessons from 2020. With the improvements in ICT platforms, school systems and approaches to teaching online, we knew we had a remote learning offering that would be a more
engaging and sustainable experience for students, families and staff. The short period of online learning set us up well when the longer lockdown was announced mid-way through term three.
We knew our delivery had to consider the different needs of our community and the fact that many families and staff were juggling multiple people working from home, the availability of devices, different levels of student independence and the strain all this placed on human relationships and on reliable connectivity and data. Our primary goal was to support students in a way that minimised any disruption to their learning - no easy feat when you are working with students from four years of age.
With all of this in mind, we developed a Remote Learning Program that provided students with direct instruction, online resources and classes led by teachers and support staff. This included a simplified timetable for students to follow, with breaks between lessons, opportunities for self-paced learning and regular wellbeing sessions. The structure of the day was very deliberate to provide screen breaks for students and staff alike. The plan was
prepared with accommodations in mind for students who face challenges in accessing reliable internet. The partnership between the School and our families was of great importance during remote learning. Families were encouraged to reach out with any concerns about learning or wellbeing, with staff specifically assigned to monitor communication.
Just like learning on campus, there was a planned structure for each day of remote learning. This was designed with the best outcomes for student learning and wellbeing in mind, as well as to provide time for teachers to give feedback and plan lessons. The timetable was structured to reflect what is covered in a school day, with variations due to the unique opportunities learning from home provided. All key learning areas were scheduled, including specialist lessons. It was important we continued to deliver the whole curriculum for our students, not a partial offering. The core subjects of English and Maths were covered early in the day, followed by Humanities,
By creating a supportive, friendly environment, where learning loss and socio-emotional needs were acknowledged, we were able to make concerted efforts to keep students on track.”
Denise Hayward, Head of Junior School
Sciences, and specialist subjects in the afternoon. A one-hour lunch before the final lessons of the day provided students and staff alike with a good ‘brain break’. This structure meant students had access to teachers throughout the day and teachers had time to provide feedback and plan lessons. Each day ended with staff gathering together to share tips on what was working and brainstorm solutions to what was not.
Families were provided with one whole school timetable to enable students and parents to map out online lessons across a number of different year groups. Weekly teaching and learning overviews, outlining lessons for the
week, were available on Teams each Sunday by 5pm. These were updated each afternoon in preparation for the next day. By providing this, it was hoped families could plan their working arrangements and students could organise any specific materials they needed for a lesson from the take-home remote learning pack or from the digital resources provided online
Every day started with the whole grade gathering together. It was important to us that teachers were present at the start of each lesson for a period of explicit teaching, which was recorded and could be accessed at other times. We knew it was not always
possible for a student to attend all lessons. Explicit teaching was followed by a task intended to provide students with the opportunity to continue to embed new knowledge and skills supported primarily by the involvement of the class or specialist teacher, teacher’s aides and for some students, due to their young age, parents and caregivers. Student work was submitted and returned using Seesaw in PreKinder to Year 2 and Teams for Years 3 to 6. These platforms enabled teachers to provide timely feedback as required. Throughout remote learning, the content of what we taught did not change, but the delivery did to ensure
teaching and learning continued. We knew remote learning was about so much more than just setting work. It was about engaging with students and providing the support to ensure they were understanding and being able to apply what they were learning. It was important to us to maintain regular connections with students, to provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and collaboration. The real challenge of remote learning was maintaining relationships. So much of teaching is about relationships; being able to read a student’s body language, knowing when to provide support or when to step back. This crucial part of teaching is very hard to engage through a small screen. Alongside remote learning, we offered on-site supervision for children of essential workers. Students working on-site followed the remote learning program, with support from teaching staff. The School catered for the learning of students from Pre-Kinder to Year 6 in the familiar grounds of the Junior School.
Remote learning provided many unique opportunities for students to authentically share who they are. The timetable was structured in lessons for students to explore things they were passionate about and develop ideas in the field of design and technology. This meant students could share how they worked on the farm, their passion for music or sport, or their love of construction using paper, lego, wood or metal. Students investigated topics they wanted to learn more about, from authors to world wars, the oceans to beekeeping. Students became teachers as they shared their interests with their peers.
Throughout remote learning, maintaining connections and sustainability was at the forefront of our minds. By creating a supportive, friendly environment, where learning loss and socio-emotional needs were acknowledged, we were able to make concerted efforts to keep students on track. We knew it was important to focus on specific foundational skills and knowledge instead of overloading students with academic and curriculum requirements. Only through being a motivated and supported community, with students, parents and staff working together, could the KWS Junior School community not only respond to, but also thrive, throughout the challenge of learning in a socially-distant manner.
The Year 12 academic and pastoral staff were nothing short of selfless. While having to navigate the complex terrain of remote teaching, a blend of remote and classroom teaching, and additional HSC support, they were remarkable.”
Claudia McCalman, Senior Years Coordinator
THE HSC WE ALMOST DIDN’T HAVE
If there’s a year group that should be congratulated for showing resilience in the face of adversity, it’s the Class of 2021.
Following a year of disrupted learning, in August 2021, Year 12 students were told their HSC exams would be postponed by a month and may even be held online.
Senior Years Coordinator, Claudia McCalman, said everyone’s health was the top priority for HSC organisers at the time, with COVID-19 still prevalent.
“There were ongoing concerns about the safety of students and invigilators all congregating in one place while the pandemic was still virulent and the efficacy of delivering exams online if they couldn’t congregate,” she said.
In the end, it was decided that HSC exams due to begin on 7 October would be pushed back by a month to 9 November, which meant revision and the stress of exams would continue for Year 12 students until the exams ended on 1 December.
These changes also required staff to implement measures that would ensure students were appropriately supported while learning from home, at a time when they would usually have already left school.
“As well as our ongoing support remotely on Microsoft Teams with practice papers and revision opportunities, we delivered workshops and one-on-one meetings for students who wanted additional support,” Mrs McCalman said.
“Pastorally, Year 12 mentors met with their students at least twice per week,
either remotely or in the Derek Pigot Auditorium (DPA); school psychologists reached out to students who may have been vulnerable due to their remoteness and there was daily monitoring of the students in the DPA study hall. There was also constant wellbeing interaction on Teams.”
The HSC study centre established in the DPA - where exams would eventually take place - provided a highly supported, dynamic study area for students to work independently on timed practice papers or collaboratively on worksheets and learning objectives. It was also a space for Year 12 students to meet with staff and attend workshops.
Mrs McCalman said staff went above and beyond to help Year 12 students navigate their tricky exam period.
“The Year 12 academic and pastoral staff were nothing short of selfless. While having to navigate the complex terrain of remote teaching, a blend of remote and classroom teaching, and additional HSC support, they were remarkable. I actually don’t know how they coped, except to say they all extended themselves past expectations,” she said.
Some students, such as elite athlete Phoebe Litchfield, also had to juggle the rigours and pressures of training, competing and performing in their chosen sports with their academic responsibilities.
“To be perfectly honest, last year was a challenge for me,” said Phoebe. “I tried to stay on top of cricket and school, but the HSC year was a step above. Having completed my HSC on the road, it was extra complicated and stressful. I definitely relied on emails and video chats
with teachers to get me through. I guess the biggest challenge in 2021 was missing face-to-face learning. However, my teachers and peers were so supportive, and it definitely made the year easier having them only a few clicks away!”
Mrs McCalman said she was extremely proud of how Year 12 coped amid added pressures, during what’s already considered a challenging period.
“There are many students who struggled against personal hardships, yet managed to overcome terrible obstacles and hurdles to sit their HSC. And any rural students who had to deal with wifi issues, are to be commended for their perseverance!” she said.
And in the spirit of maintaining a positive attitude, there was one small silver lining to postponing the HSC that Year 12 students were grateful for.
“The best thing to come out of the changes was the extra month that allowed students to revise and study on campus with support. This definitely helped their preparation,” Mrs McCalman said.
Some of the changes implemented to provide additional support to Year 12 in 2021 will also continue to benefit students preparing for the HSC in the future.
“I love Teams for both academic and pastoral care. I believe some of our teaching patterns remain, especially recording classes and having central areas for keeping resources online,” Mrs McCalman said.
From farming pearls to travelling the globe and heading off to university, the future is bright for our the Class of 2020 despite experiencing a disruptive final year.
Despite cancelled field trips, limits on visitors to the school and reduced experiential learning - what could only be described as one of the hardest years Year 12 students have ever faced - our new graduates continue to inspire us.
Senior Years Coordinator Claudia McCalman remains in touch with many of our graduates after guiding them through their final year of school. She regularly chats to them over the phone to see how their journeys are progressing and meets them for coffee in person when they’re back in Orange.
“In my capacity as Senior Years Coordinator, I constantly reflect on the strength and positivity of the 2020 and 2021 Year 12 cohorts. They just kept going in the face of every challenge, ploughing on with a smile and determination that was awe-inspiring,” said Mrs McCalman.
“I am so pleased that so many of them achieved their ambitions despite the turbulent journey. They went off into jobs on stations, apprenticeships, university degrees and gap years. Ultimately, the cohort united over their
shared experience.”
One of the biggest challenges for the 2021 Year 12 cohort was the limited options for experiential learning, with excursions to the theatre, field trips and bringing experts into the classroom all restricted during COVID-19. The cohort also missed important celebratory moments, such as the musical and sports carnivals.
Staff recognised this early on and worked hard to provide relevant and dynamic learning opportunities online and face to face. Students also dug deep and displayed enormous amounts of self discipline. The result has been incredible, with two male students now pearling with Paspaley, some off on gap years in the UK and others undertaking challenging university degrees.
“I am so proud of the 2020 and 2021 cohorts for navigating uncharted waters in such a positive and determined manner,” said Mrs McCalman. “It bodes well for the future that these young people have experienced uncertainty yet conquered fear; experienced isolation only to value friendship and
community even more; and experienced disappointment only to truly value what they have accomplished in this time. I am immensely proud too of how KWS staff and administration rallied to nurture and support the students over this time.”
The future is also bright for our current Year 12 students with restrictions now easing and an incredible year group to look up to - proving the sky’s the limit if you apply yourself and persevere against the odds.
“There is no doubt a return to a new normal will allow a more immersive school experience with carnivals, the musical, and all manner of excursions already taking place,” said Mrs McCalman. “While I was initially worried that the current Year 12 cohort had two years with no leadership role models, they are an outstanding cohort, full of courageous leaders and social justice warriors! I think they will keep forging ahead academically and socially, to be a year that we look back on with pride.”
The unique challenges raised by remote learning were quite invigorating!”
Mr Micah Pearce, Information and Communications Technology Manager
In 2021, Kinross Wolaroi School’s Information and Communications Technology staff moved quickly to prepare students, staff, and families for a second period of remote learning.
Heading into another lockdown in 2021 was challenging for most, but for Information and Communications Technology Manager, Micah Pearce and his team, it was a chance to improve the systems put in place the first time around.
“We focused on improving and expanding access to learning resources that were traditionally only accessed while at school,” said Mr Pearce. “This built upon the foundations laid in lockdown V1 (2020). A good example of this was the library system, ‘Oliver’, being upgraded to allow staff and students to securely access resources while in remote learning conditions.”
ICT staff relied heavily on feedback from other staff, students and parents during the lockdown period, and knew it was critical to increase the support and training for ICT services for staff and students to efficiently participate in a remote learning environment.
“We went back to the fundamentals and in collaboration with leading teaching staff, focused on improving skills and understanding of our internal systems to deliver remote learning while improving the support we offer to all staff and students,” said Mr Pearce.
“The students displayed incredible resilience to the challenges created by remote learning. They embraced the technology required for remote learning, and I noted from students new and creative ways to utilise that.”
Creating an online environment for an entire school community is an immense challenge, but one that Mr Pearce and his staff found immensely rewarding.
“The unique challenges raised by remote learning were quite invigorating!” said Mr Pearce. “The ICT infrastructure that was designed before remote learning needed to be considered/planned. Making improvements for the remote learning environment was immensely satisfying.”
Lockdown V2 also gave ICT staff the opportunity to improve ICT technology and support for when learning returned
to the classroom.
“Personally, I’ve learned to listen and understand for longer before implementing any changes. Technology relies on humans, and the best solutions can still fail without proper planning, training and support,” said Mr Pearce.
“We were also able to accelerate some improvement projects to the School’s ICT infrastructure, which will better support the school community into the future, regardless of the remote or oncampus delivery of learning.”
The School’s ICT Department exists to support a modern, challenging, and rapidly-evolving educational environment. Despite the lockdown in 2020-2021, ICT staff were able to lay key technological foundations that will allow for several exciting improvements that staff, students, and parents will benefit from in the very near future.
“I’m excited for what’s in store for 2022 and the initiatives coming to improve communications for parents and students across the school community,” said Mr Pearce.
The new uniform offers improved variety, quality and fit across the entire collection. The range takes into account age and developmental needs, as well as gender. Fittings for many items are either unisex or available in classic and tailored cuts to suit every body shape and preference.
The time for change was right given the current uniform had been in place since the 1970s and no longer supported the School’s branding. The new uniform represents the School’s long and complex history and the exciting, innovative and comprehensive educational institution it has become.
There will be a generous, two-year phase-in period, so that by 2024 all students will be in the new uniform - a year ahead of the School’s 50th anniversary. While all students will have the option to wear the new uniform in 2022, it will only be compulsory for Pre-Kinder, Kindergarten and Year 7 students. Students can continue to wear the old uniform while the new uniform is optional, however, there won’t be any crossover.
Key changes include shorts and trousers for everyone - a bold transition from the black, velvet frocks and brown, ribbed woollen stockings worn by the Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) in the 1930s. These necessary changes were flagged by the Uniform Review Committee, which was established in 2019 and consulted with parents, past parents, students, ex-students, Junior School staff, Senior School staff and the School Leadership Team.
Feedback demonstrated the uniform should include more options for comfort and a more unisex look. The new uniform needed to accommodate all
body shapes and provide students with practical choices as they move from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood.
The transformation was supported by Jonathan Ward and Noone, both leaders in their fields. Jonathan brought creativity, vision and his experience as Executive Designer at RM Williams from 2015 to 2021 to the project. Noone brought expertise in encapsulating history and tradition as Australia’s oldest tie manufacturer and a leading school uniform manufacturer. The latest options in natural and manmade fabrics were considered, although the importance of the wool industry to the School’s history and current families could not be ignored.
While the new uniform offers practical options for each year group, key colours were carefully selected to unite the uniform and demonstrate the School’s history. The sky blue was chosen from the School’s crest; green to represent the PLC historical influence; royal blue to represent the Wolaroi historical influence; white as a neutral colour and navy as the anchor.
The result is a uniform that offers a wardrobe of schoolwear that consists of a best dressed, core uniform that everyone must have, as well as a range of everyday options for extra comfort and individuality. Best dressed items will be worn for assemblies and School representation. There are no longer summer and winter uniforms, all items are trans-seasonal. Students will, however, be required to wear their blazer to and from School and for formal occasions including School assemblies.
It is a uniform that respects and unites the School’s long heritage and that students will wear with pride, now and for many years to come.
A transformation 50 years in the making, Kinross Wolaroi School is excited to introduce a fresh and contemporary academic uniform that will best suit today’s students and community expectations.
Jonathan Ward is one of Australia’s most prominent designers. Now, he brings more than 40 years of experience working with luxury fashion brands and Australian celebrities to design a comfortable, durable and worldclass uniform for Kinross Wolaroi School.
Ward boasts an impressive CV. In his pioneering days, he spent significant time abroad, studying at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City and subsequently working with global fashion houses including Yves Saint Laurent.
By 1988, Ward had established Jonathan Ward Couture and was designing evening wear and bridal gowns for Australia’s most notable celebrities, personalities, supermodels and movie stars.
During his 15-year tenure as Executive Designer at R.M. Williams, Ward also collaborated with household names such as Qantas, Tourism Australia, Virgin Blue, Westpac, Elders, Emirates and the Australian Paralympic Committee.
Today, Ward uses his revered expertise to assist Australia’s most prominent independent schools to design uniforms appropriate for all year levels and purposes including academic, sport and accessories.
The extensive experience Ward brings to the design, concept and manufacturing of school uniforms in the Australian context has given Kinross Wolaroi School a uniform that inspires pride while being functional, timeless and long lasting.
Jonathan worked closely for almost three years with Dr Parry and the School’s Uniform Committee, which comprised current parents of different year levels, past parents, ex-students, Junior School staff, Senior School staff and the School Leadership Team. Students were also consulted for their direct feedback on how the uniforms felt
and looked.
“My involvement has been extensive and meticulous in providing what I was commissioned and love to do - redesign and upgrade a uniform for the students of today and the future,” said Ward.
It was important to Ward to design a uniform that provides a lasting legacy as a relation of Kinross Wolaroi School alumni. The project was close to home as Ward’s sister, aunty and uncle all attended the School.
“My sister attended Kinross Wolaroi School from 1975 to ‘76; my Aunty attended Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) Orange in the mid-1930s and my Uncle attended Wolaroi School before then. They were all from the Tottenham district in Central NSW and both my Aunty and Uncle have since passed away. My sister now lives in Sydney but is still in contact with many of her friends in the Tottenham district and from boarding at Kinross Wolaroi through the reunions,” said Ward.
Re-designing KWS’ uniform not only created an opportunity for Ward to revisit his family’s long history with the School, but also the School’s history, which proved to be a great source of inspiration.
“The most significant inspiration for this collection came through my extensive research of the School archives and the history of the PLC and Kinross Wolaroi uniforms. I felt it was really important that we encapsulated a new style of handwriting that was distinctive yet respective of the School’s history and traditions,” said Ward.
“Looking to the future, the most obvious concept to take forward was utilising what I call the united colours of Kinross Wolaroi. The sky blue that represents the school crest, the bottle green that represents PLC Orange and the royal blue that represents Wolaroi School, combined with white as a neutral
colour and navy as the anchor. Bringing these colours together unites past and present and looks to the future with a distinctive and contemporary feel.”
Having grown up in the Australian bush and as the Ambassador of the Wool4School program for ten years, it was also important to Ward to incorporate into the uniform the natural fibre that grows around KWS. As a result, garments are made from a mixture of durable constructions of poly-wool and poly-cotton, as well as elastin in some to add comfort.
“I grew up in the Tottenham district on mixed farming and grazing properties. I was educated at boarding school in Sydney and spent a few years back on the properties before pursuing my career in fashion and design,” said Ward. “I’ve kept many connections with the bush through my life and career. After leaving school, I completed my wool-classing degree, which was a great interest to me as a fibre and still is today through my design and career.”
“I believe the uniform we have created for Kinross Wolaroi School’s current and future cohort is world-class. The garments are smart and suitable for best-dressed and everyday wear, with a nice mix of classic and tailored fits for girls and boys.
“A trans-seasonal wardrobe approach of compulsory and optional items are a key feature for the junior, middle and senior school. Garments have been designed to be play-based for younger years to make them fit-for-purpose and age-appropriate. There are also highlight pieces, such as sleeveless puffers and durable outwear garments.
“I feel privileged and honoured to have had the opportunity to partner with the School, sharing my extensive experience in providing a new uniform collection for the present and future needs of the School and students”.
Noone is Australia’s oldest and most respected tie manufacturer. The company has been perfecting its craft since 1947 and is the only one to maintain production locally in Melbourne. Noone’s extensive experience and commitment to deliver ‘best in class’ were why Jonathan Ward, Dr Parry and the Uniform Committee entrusted the company to design a tie that will be worn by students well beyond their schooling years.
Noone Managing Director Michael Farrugia and Sales & Marketing Manager Melanie Whitling worked closely with Uniform Designer Jonathan Ward for two years to develop a tie that unites the new uniform and is appropriate for all years. The result was not one but two ties.
“It was important to Jonathan that the younger years had a playbased uniform, so we decided not to incorporate a tie into the Kindergarten to Year 5 uniform,” said Melanie. “Instead, we designed a tie that will be presented to Year 6 students as a right of passage into the Senior School and a second tie that will be worn by Year 11 and 12 students to celebrate their transition to Seniors.”
The Year 6-10 tie encapsulates the new school uniform colours with sky blue, green, navy and royal blue stripes, while the sky blue stripe is dropped from the Year 11-12 tie to create a statement piece.
“Year 11-12 students will wear a beautiful, poly-wool striped blazer as their rite of passage and so the tie has been designed to complement the blazer. It also has a corporate base in preparation for years well beyond school,” said Melanie.
In the same way as redesigning the uniform reignited Jonathan’s family connections to the School, it was a familiar journey for Noone, which was contracted to design the original school tie back in 1970. The process also
furthered Jonathan and Noone’s longstanding working relationship, having previously designed and manufactured uniforms together for reputable schools in Sydney and country NSW.
This relationship meant Noone was also able to manufacture the uniform Jonathan designed and could ensure the uniform was made with comfortable fabrics as Jonathan envisaged. An example of this is in a number of the sports tops, which are made from a one-ply material, which means they’re reversible while breathable and stretch. The girls’ shorts and trousers also have stretch in them.
Noone’s forward-thinking approach means it’s already looking into materials that are sustainable and good for the environment. In the next 12 months, the company will start manufacturing the shorts and pants for future orders with a fabric made from 30 per cent recycled bottles. That means every pair of pants will remove six to eight plastic bottles from landfill.
Melanie and Michael are proud of the uniform that will be worn by KWS students for the next 20 to 25 years.
“It’s a wardrobe approach to dressing and it’s based on student comfort. It’s really pleasing to see there are multiple choices for students. It’s beautiful, contemporary and coordinated, so it has a really great balance and the colour palette is beautiful,” said Melanie.
“The striped blazer and ties are real statement pieces and maintain a traditional school uniform look and feel,” said Michael.
Head of Marketing and Communications, Jennifer Divall said the campaign is a great opportunity to let local parents of children aged under 12 know what’s on offer at the Junior School.
The focus of the campaign is that the whole child is the whole point in our Junior School.
“Parents choose KWS for their children because of our proven record of consistently good outcomes, because we offer a distinctly regional school experience and because of our commitment to educating the whole child, for the whole of life,” said Ms Divall.
The campaign included print and digital promotion, a strong presence in Orange’s major retail centres, flyers distributed in the city’s 15 childcare centres, a competition, and it even
featured on the back of the School’s buses. Having launched with an eyecatching “Big Dreams, Born Here” headline, the campaign will continue with themes that address academics, wellbeing, connection and opportunity.
The Junior School currently has 239 students and 31 staff members and is proud to offer a diverse and expansive academic program, expansive co-curricular program and unique opportunities to empower students to develop a strong sense of self.
“The Junior School offers its students an environment which engenders respectful relationships and acceptance of diversity. Our unique, place-based learning philosophy also provides learning experiences outside of the classroom and connects students to the environment and community. And our staff strive to create an aspirational learning community with a strong commitment to quality education and good discipline,” Ms Divall said.
This is evident in the new projects and initiatives rolling out across the Junior School.
“The state might have been in lockdown, but our students continued to thrive as our dedicated staff connected and taught every day throughout remote learning. We also used this time to refurbish our facilities, creating dedicated spaces for flexible learning options and further exploration through Area 51. Furthermore, we are developing our approaches to learning in Numeracy and we are partnering with Australian children’s author Tim Harris to enhance our literacy program,” Ms Divall said.
“Our co-curricular and extracurricular programs are expanding every day as we look to build on passions ignited in the classroom. And with a new uniform in 2022, access to our School farm ‘Windermere’ and our focus on contextual learning, it is definitely time for local families to take a closer look at what KWS has to offer.”
The School has launched a new campaign that demonstrates how Kinross Wolaroi Junior School is about more than just education.
Two of our students (Year 10 and 11) and three of our staff attended the Round Square International Conference, ‘Blue Skies and Brave Conversations’, between 20-24 September 2021.
The conference was virtual and delegates were online between 4pm and 7pm each day, listening to guest speakers, watching cultural performances from all over the world, debating different topics with other students and discussing the themes of the conference: ‘Identity and Inclusion, Climate Action and Ethical Leadership’.
Kinross Wolaroi School’s Round Square Representative and Technology Teacher, Kate Anderson, was one of the three staff who attended.
“It was important for KWS to attend the conference as we are a new member school and it was a great way to learn more about the Round Square organisation, engage with likeminded people and listen to different viewpoints,” she said. “Schools can demonstrate the Round Square IDEALS any way they wish and an international conference provides both staff and students with the opportunity to share ideas and grow.”
Round Square schools share a commitment to character education and experiential learning built around six themes – our IDEALS – International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service.
The Round Square IDEALS are underpinned by twelve Discoveries that students explore on their learning journey: inquisitiveness, tenacity, courage, compassion, inventiveness, ability to solve problems, self-awareness, sense of responsibility, appreciation of diversity, commitment to sustainability, communication and team-working skills.
“The Mission statement for KWS states that ‘As a school of the Uniting Church in Australia, we exist to provide a challenging and holistic education that equips our students to live meaningful lives and make a positive contribution to society.’ The School’s approach to education supports the values of Round Square and over the coming years we are excited to incorporate more Round Square activities into the curriculum as well as offer students opportunities outside of our School,” Ms Anderson said.
The learning from the conference will be implemented into daily life at KWS through the sharing of information with fellow students. 2022 will see the formation of student committees, a place for students to discuss the issues they feel passionate about and plan for change.
“Some conversations are harder to have than others, particularly for teenagers, and so a committee that is welcoming and a safe space will allow for those conversations and planning to take place,” Ms Anderson said.
As a global program, Round Square also provides an opportunity for our students to expand their horizons.
“The world is connected through technology in a way like never before
and teachers are educating students for jobs that may not be invented yet. Global connections and understanding are a necessary part of students’ education in order to farewell engaged, committed and emotionally intelligent KWS graduates,” Ms Anderson said.
In order to help our students develop into well-rounded people ready to enter adulthood, our staff must also be well equipped and remain at the forefront of the latest teaching practices. With that being said, Round Square is also a great resource for our staff.
“Staff have some wonderful opportunities as a result of working at a Round Square school. There is the chance to collaborate with other schools, to share resources and team-teach. For example, Food Technology students in Year 9 could share recipes with a school in India as part of their ‘International Celebrations’ unit of work,” Ms Anderson said. “Fifth-grade students learning about outdoor cooking and regenerative farming could also link with a school in Germany to share farming stories. Innovation for staff is only limited by the individual themselves.”
KWS is still in the early days of its Round Square journey as a new member. However, Year 10 students were introduced to Round Square through a day devoted to developing leadership skills through a series of activities and speakers. Meanwhile, boarding students will host a postcard in 2022. Lastly, the prefects will have some time to unpack Round Square and discuss possibilities for their involvement.
The School’s approach to education supports the values of Round Square and over the coming years we are excited to incorporate more Round Square activities into the curriculum as well as offer students opportunities outside of our School.”
RoundSquare Representative and Technology Teacher, Kate Anderson
The new 800sqm Industrial Technology building is designed by McIdowie Partners architects, who created a simple, clear span building that provides students and staff with a state-of-the-art, healthy and safe environment for metal work. It features a specialised extraction system to remove welding fumes, as well as a remote building management system for climate and energy management.
Principal, Dr Andrew Parry, said the building has been cleverly tucked into an under-utilised space between the school’s Agriculture plot and Cadet store
and will offer a major gain in teaching space without encroaching on other learning areas, sporting ovals or internal roadways. He said the students often worked on large projects such as trailers and furnishings and the new building would accommodate these easily.
He said the school had a long record of achieving top ranking results in the subject areas. “Seven Kinross Wolaroi students were nominated for the InTech exhibition of HSC major works in 2020 and two students were selected to be part of the Shape 2020 exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo,” Dr Parry said.
“These subjects allow students to research, create and refine projects in metals and engineering, with a focus on understanding materials, skill development and workmanship. Students develop important, lifeworthy knowledge about planning, design, tools, machinery and workplace safety but importantly the subjects also build their confidence and self-awareness.”
Kinross Wolaroi’s Head of TAS, Simon Lunn, said, “The current philosophy of our workshops is to allow students to fully fabricate their HSC projects in-house using equipment
that would be found in industry. Our equipment includes a fleet of WIA MIG welders, cold saws, full-sized computercontrolled guillotines for sheet metal cutting and a computer-controlled pan brakes for sheet metal folding.
“With the new building we will be introducing a new programmable CNC plasma cutter which will import the students’ CAD drawings, then cut the components out from sheet metal and plate. We expect the implementation of this industry standard technology will modernise the way we think about design and manufacture, increase workshop efficiency, minimise costs and waste, and provide an overall improvement to our end projects.”
Due to the popularity of Industrial Technology and the issues surrounding OH&S, it became abundantly clear that we needed to create a safe and appropriate space for our students to build their future projects in.
It was the musical that almost didn’t happen, but in many ways, Kinross Wolaroi School’s last-minute performance of The Addams Family perfectly encapsulated how we all found moments of joy and supported one another in an upside-down world.
It was 4:45 pm on Wednesday, 14 July, two days before the curtains were due to be drawn, and news broke the scheduled three performances of The Addams Family would have to be cancelled due to rising concerns of a potential COVID-19 outbreak.
“It was absolutely devastating for the cast and staff who had worked so hard over the past two years in rehearsals,” Assistant Director and Co-Producer, Catherine Litchfield, recalled.
“We began this production in 2020 but had to cancel it due to the first lockdown in Orange. We began rehearsing again at the start of 2021, with a few changes to the lead cast for various reasons, including a Year 12 student leaving,” Director and CoProducer, Alex Dunkley, said.
While rehearsals continued, they looked far from normal, with the live band replaced by backing tracks and singing limited to a choral ensemble of eight.
However, there was one unintended benefit to postponing the musical by a year. For the first time, Year 12 students who had joined the cast in Year 11 were able to take part in the performance.
“This meant we were graced with a talented group of senior and experienced students in main roles. They were a great example to the junior members of the cast and worked very hard to juggle the demands of HSC studies and learn their parts and songs,” Ms Dunkley said.
So, after two years of hard work and many changes, it was hard to accept the show wouldn’t go on for a second time. Fortunately, there was a glimmer of hope.
At the last hour and in a bid to save The Addams Family, the School decided a small, family-only performance could go ahead on the Saturday evening following the cancelled performances.
It would require staff and students to dig deep and adapt to the everchanging restrictions, but everyone was determined to come together to deliver a comical and entertaining feast.
Jonty King would appear in the quirky, lead role of Gomez Addams; Catie Crisp would join him on stage as his lovely, morbid wife Morticia; their daughter, Wednesday, would be played by Ella Andrews and she would be joined by her on-stage boyfriend, Cale SlackSmith as Lucas.
Kate Dowd, Duncan Holland, Charlie Hall, Sam Durkin, Ethan Kairaitis and
Oscar McLaughlin would also star alongside 30 vibrant chorus dancers to bring a hilarious and energetic piece of musical theatre to life.
The staff, including Ms Dunkley, Ms Litchfield, Mr Key, Helena Rollo as Stage Manager/Props/Costumes, Andrew Orme Smith on Set Design and Scenic Art; Ben McGrath as Production Assistant and Gomez Understudy; and Babs King as Production Assistant also came together to ensure the show would go on.
The final performance was a resounding success and not only
showcased the hard work of everyone to pull off a musical at the ninth hour, but also the immense talent among the cast.
“The production has been described by all who saw it as the best production the School has produced,” Ms Dunkley said. “It is so unfortunate that more people couldn’t see it, but those who did, commented on the professionalism of the students, the attention to detail, the unity of the ensemble and the quality of the singing, dancing and acting.”
While Ms Dunkley and Ms Litchfield aren’t in a hurry to produce a musical during COVID-19 restrictions again,
they are proud of how the students adapted and determined to ensure the School musical remains an integral part of the Performing Arts offering.
“There were several difficult factors for the students to cope with throughout the two years we were in production,” Ms Dunkley said. “Having to maintain social distancing and wear face masks during our intensive camp week proved challenging given the nature of a musical. The most difficult part was the performances being cancelled so close to opening night.
“What this experience did showcase,
however, was the innate resilience of all involved, their passion and genuine care for each other. The students took this incredibly difficult news in their stride and demonstrated such grace, strength and determination in producing what was a truly phenomenal, one-off, family-only performance. What I took away from it was just how amazing our students are. They formed a beautiful musical family that cared for and supported each other - a family that in many ways reflected the values that were being explored in The Addams Family musical.”
Jonty King deserves special praise for his amazing resilience in the face of adversity and the sudden loss of his father Dave King during rehearsals. Jonty worked tirelessly during the camp week and showed enormous strength of character during production week, taking to the stage to deliver flawless performances despite coping with the devastating loss of his dear father. Dave was a wonderful supporter of Performing Arts at KWS and he would have been enormously proud of the way Jonty was able to focus and deliver his striking and humorous portrayal as Gomez Addams.
n Wednesday morning 13 October 2021 we had the special opportunity to officially induct our Student Leaders in a small ceremony that was streamed to the School and our community. Each leader pledged their commitment to serve the school and to uphold the values of Kinross Wolaroi School and the Uniting Church. It was marvellous to be able to personally present our student leaders with their Badges of Office and to wish them all the best as they embark on this
very special opportunity to serve the students of the School and in doing so making KWS a better place.
Our Head Boy, Mac Webster and Head Girl, Ellen Arundell delivered outstanding addresses of encouragement and appreciation of the very special opportunity that all our student leaders have before them. Our Captains powerfully revealed what excellent hands we are in, and I greatly look forward to working with the leadership team over the next 12 months. It is very clear our community will be very well served indeed.
Our new Leadership Team have a
wonderful opportunity before them, an opportunity to make our School a better place, to build upon the special time-honoured traditions of KWS and to demonstrate their initiative and vision by starting new practices and establishing new traditions.
The challenges of leading in the current climate will require them to innovate and refine how student leadership might look in our unusual circumstances. However, these challenges do not change the fundamentals of leadership. Regardless of our environment or context, our leaders must act with integrity, be compassionate,
demonstrate courage and an enthusiasm to serve the School and student body.
Students of the School will view them as role models and we learn our behaviours through the observation of others. What our Student Leaders do and say will establish the accepted culture for the students of Kinross Wolaroi.
Each of our leaders will need to make decisions about their approach to leadership. Will they have the courage to do what is right and not what is necessarily popular? Will they have the courage to call out negative behaviours and be an upstander?
As the great US Civil Rights leader
Martin Luther King attested:
“The ultimate measure of a leader is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.”
Leadership is easy when everyone agrees with you and the decision you make is popular. The true test of leadership emerges when navigating the right path is not painless.
We will be fabulously served by our Student Leaders for 2021-2022 and I am most excited to see their impact upon the life of the School.
Dr Andrew ParryHead Prefects: Mac Webster
Ellen Arundell
Deputy Head
Prefects: Charles Williams
Annabel Pengilly
Senior Boarder
Prefects: Bryce Commins Audrey Gill
Prefects: Sally Carter, Bryce Commins, Audrey Gill, Harry Gutterson, Luke Hunter, Ella Kirby, Chanel Knight, Tom Negus, Georgia Robson, Gian Wynn.
Blackman House:
Hannah Richardson
William Denman
Brown House:
Isabelle Medway
Xanthe St Clair
Dean House: Molly Smith
James Glasson
Douglas House:
Cailin McKay
Dylan Tucker
Gordon House:
Josie Clarke
Saxon Buckley
McLachlan House:
Sophia Nelson
Benjamin Jones
Richards House:
Josephine Taylor
Charlie Willis
Williams House: James Ferguson
Lucy Gilbert
Loader House: Annabelle Woods
Miller House: Josie Clarke
New House: Hannah Richardson
Stuart Douglas: Lydia Alston
Weymouth House: James Ferguson
Wolaroi House: Frank Poulton
Good afternoon, Dr Parry, esteemed staff and my definitively resilient peers, I’d like to begin by thanking you all for this opportunity. I am very grateful for the chance to wear Harry Potter robes and pretend, just for a few minutes, that I really did receive a Hogwarts’ letter when I turned 11 and that it is from there we are graduating. I am also grateful for all your support – any successes I have achieved this year would not have been possible without the foundation of acceptance, friendship and respect nurtured by this school and its community. So, to all of you: my peers, teachers, mentors and friends, thank you.
Now, this wouldn’t be a 2021 speech if I didn’t acknowledge the unprecedented situation we have experienced this year. I think we can all agree that the word ‘resilient’ has begun to lose a little of its meaning to the graduating class of 2021. These have been two years of upheaval and disruption in which everything I thought of as fixed, factual and fundamentally true were inverted by Covid-19 and all its wonderful variations. Take hugs, high fives and handshakes. I’ve always overthought greetings as it is and now it’s even worse. Is that rising arm going to become an elbow bump? A jaunty wave? A rushed hug? (Promptly followed by covert glances around to see if anyone saw this breach of social distancing). Suddenly, just acting normally became abnormal.
This shift wasn’t easy for anyone. I don’t think a single person has found doing the HSC in a pandemic easy or particularly fun. Then again, I don’t think anyone doing the HSC can call it easy or particularly fun. If anything, Covid gave our year a whole lot of clout and a warped kind of bragging right. You think you had it bad? Our classes became computer screens, friends became coloured circles and teacher’s desperate and probing questions were met by an overwhelming silence which few dared to break. I think my engagement in online learning was primarily driven by pity. I feel like us students have received a lot of sympathy but I think I would rather be taught in a pandemic than teach. So, to our endlessly supportive
teachers, thank you for trying.
Then there was the “graduating” when we weren’t sure if we would ever return for exams. Closing my laptop after the chapel service was almost comical. Graduation… via zoom… In my trackies… With a cup of tea. A completely surreal, almost dizzying experience. Nothing seemed real.
A close friend of mine, talented and infinitely supportive, encapsulated this feeling with one word: derealisation. Aka the feeling that the world around you is unreal, distorted or distant, a natural and inevitable consequence of the uncertainty we faced. This is one reason I am grateful to be here today. Here, in this hall. I am surrounded by people who have brought colour, depth and focus to my last, and favourite, year of school. It is paradoxical that in a year characterised by physical detachment and isolation I felt the most connected to my cohort, a group of individuals I have come to value and trust. Individuals who are delightfully different: artists and academics, filmmakers and farmers, socialites and solicitors.
I’m going to be controversial and very on brand now because, despite knowing most people here wanted exams to be called off, I’m glad they went ahead. I’m not glad NESA made the maths papers so difficult, but that is another issue entirely. Finishing my exams one by one gave me a sense of closure which couldn’t have been achieved with an assessment-based estimate. I heard ‘pens down’ and I knew it was over. Breathing into a mask for three hours was done. But so was stress, study, lessons, lunch time handball games, walking to class, sitting in the quad, wandering to the canteen, chess in the library: all done. All finished. Closing a laptop can’t compare to the bittersweet mix of relief, sadness and excitement I felt, and continue to feel.
I’m sure that many of the things I have learnt in school and studied for the exams will fade into some dusty, undisturbed corner of my brain. Without the palm cards, summary sheets, practice papers – most of the intricacies of knowledge will blur and distort, replaced by new ideas, thoughts and questions inspired by the new phase of life we are all entering. There are some things which school, and Kinross
specifically, have taught me that will be harder to forget. When I arrived at Kinross at the beginning of Year 10, there were many things I did not know. I did not know that some schools had bar soap and paper towel in their bathrooms. I did not know where any rooms were or how to find them. Friends and friendly acquaintances were a mass of strangers whose names I just. Kept. Getting. Wrong. (Jess Mosely, I am so sorry for all the times I called you Emily L’Estrange in my first few days in Year 10 English 2, you always bore the misnomer with dignity and humour). Also, I didn’t know myself. I wasn’t even sure if I was a nerd (if there ever was a question, I think this year, and this speech especially, has settled it unequivocally). I was fifteen and I wanted to be like everyone else, because I thought being like everyone else is easy and stress-free and a nice way to avoid tricky questions about oneself. I am seventeen (going on eighteen) and thanks to school, I know a lot of things. There is the obvious knowledge school imparts - a^2+b^2=c^2, T. S. Eliot was a really sad, slightly relatable modernist poet, World War II started in 1939, the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell – and the less obvious. What you learn at school depends on who you are as a person and there is no invaluable knowledge: academic or emotional, scientific or social – it is all worth knowing. I learnt, and am still learning, that I am often wrong. I thought being like everyone else was the easy way out. I now know there is no such thing as being like everyone else. And if there was, I wouldn’t want it anyway.
As Shakespeare said in his tragicomedy “The Tempest” (date, 1610, for those advanced students who have already forgotten) ‘our revels here are ended… we are such stuff as dreams are made on’. It is probably lazy to quote from a prescribed English text but here we are. Here we are. Ready to go. About to be set free into a world of taxes, travel and tortoises (I needed a third t) where we can forget the Pythagorean theorem and learn all the things we don’t yet know.
Ad astra per aspera – to the stars through adversity. Good luck, good wishes and goodbye. I am going to miss you all.
Ad astra per aspera – to the stars through adversity. Good luck, good wishes and goodbye.”
Our location in the Central Tablelands of NSW means we enjoy four beautiful and distinct seasons.
On June 10 2021, just ten days into winter, the best snow in almost 20 years turned our beautiful campus into a winterwonderland!
For some of our boarders (and teachers!) it was their first experience of snow.
While the severe weather prevented some of our community from making it onto campus, there was still plenty of ‘Snow Day’ fun to be had – even the Principal couldn’t resist the snow!
With all the uncertainty surrounding the year, there was a great feeling of joy and sense of achievement that we could all come together to celebrate this very important milestone in the lives of our Year 12 students and their families. The day finished with the Year 12 Graduation Celebration at Philip Shaw Winery on Thursday 2 December. It was a spectacular cocktail evening under the stars, featuring live music, many very happy students, parents and staff. A marvellous celebration of achievement and one desperately needed following the two problematic years we have all faced. Our community was ready to party – and they did! The feedback from so many families was that ‘the cocktail model’ was one we should adopt for the future. We all had an amazing evening.
On December 2 we said farewell to the Class of 2021. A celebration was had on their final day with house lunches, signing of shirts, a school walk through to say goodbye and the graduation ceremony. The day was filled with mixed emotions. We will miss you year 12 but we cannot wait to see what happens for you, in the next chapter of your lives.
On Friday 3 December 2021 our Year 6 students gathered in the Derek Pigot Auditorium for their farewell from the Junior School. A formal dinner was held, with excellent speeches from the student leaders, Oscar Chandler-Sullivan and Georgie Phillipe; signature bears signed and some dancing too.
It was tremendous to see our Year 6 students enjoying this special occasion marking the conclusion of the Junior School years and we very much look forward to welcoming them to Senior School in 2022. Our sincere thanks to their Junior School staff who went to a great deal of effort to ensure the event was such a success.
“I’d heard so many positive things about Kinross Wolaroi from friends in the region, so when the role of Head of Student Wellbeing came up, I was excited at the prospect of leading a dedicated wellbeing team in best practice,” Ms Kite.
Olivia Kite had somewhat of a lightbulb moment during her first few years teaching Business Studies and Commerce at Waverley College, Sydney.
She recognised that how her students behaved inside the classroom was often indicative of their experiences at home or with their peers.
“If a student came to class disengaged, I’d chat to them and it would become apparent, more often than not, that something outside the classroom was bothering them,” said Ms Kite.
Ms Kite became interested in ways to support her students outside the classroom to help them flourish inside the classroom.
Ms Kite raised her hand to help the College shift from a horizontal year system to its current, vertical wellbeing system and pursued her passion all the way to a Masters in Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Now, she’s excited to put to practice what she’s learnt to support the social, emotional and cognitive needs of students at Kinross Wolaroi School as the new Head of Student Wellbeing.
“I’d heard so many positive things about Kinross Wolaroi from friends in the region, so when the role of Head of Student Wellbeing came up, I was excited at the prospect of leading a dedicated wellbeing team in best practice,” said Ms Kite.
“The wellbeing initiatives at KWS already help students develop resilience, strengthen their character, make safe social, emotional and physical choices, and demonstrate empathy for those around them. It is these tenets and foundations that I look forward to building on in my role as Head of Student Wellbeing.”
Orange may not be home for Ms Kite, but she has many friends who previously worked at KWS and encouraged her to apply for the role.
She is also a seasoned traveller, with her love of triathlon taking her all over Australia and will be making the move from Sydney with her trusty, five-yearold English pointer, Biscuit.
“I really enjoy all the benefits of triathlon - the fitness, meeting likeminded people, the challenge, the variety and the coffee stops along the way,” said Ms Kite. “I recently completed my first 70.3 Ironman in Cairns and will be training for another 70.3 event in 2022.”
Ms Kite’s eye is fixed on the horizon and she’s pedalling hard towards a big year in triathlon and a big year for wellbeing at KWS.
“In 2022, KWS will be rolling out several new wellbeing initiatives that will continue to support KWS students and seek to educate and raise awareness around the contemporary issues facing our youth,” said Ms Kite.
“These programs are designed to gather information about the wellbeing of each student, so Head Mentors and Wellbeing Mentors can ensure the
needs of students are being met. These proactive programs will uphold the four key tenants of Self, Leadership, Character and Empathy by helping students recognise and celebrate these within themselves.”
It’s an important step in the right direction, with student wellbeing more important than ever before and something KWS is committed to fostering.
“The wellbeing of students is becoming more and more pressing in today’s society. Researchers and educators recognise that an individual’s adolescent years are the most impactful years of their lives; recognising these formative years as the prime time to help individuals develop resilience, identify their strengths, build character, flourish and develop healthy coping skills and strategies that will prepare them for life,” said Ms Kite.
“Focusing on modelling and building respectful relationships, healthy emotional and social connections with the members of their communities are other key areas that ensure our kids have every opportunity to achieve their full potential.
“Studies show that an effective wellbeing framework in a school environment is the key to developing students with grit, determination, resilience and fulfilled lives. The Wellbeing Team at KWS will continue to be trained to, and supported in, providing and creating an environment that allows students to flourish.”
Volunteering as an adult is an opportunity to show young people the importance of giving back to the community, and is why Sarah Glover became President of the 2022 Parents & Friends Association (P&F).
Mrs Glover has a long association with Kinross Wolaroi School and lives just outside of Orange with her husband, who is a geologist, their daughter, who is in Year 8 at KWS, and two dogs.
Her role as President of the P&F is to listen to parents and friends of the School and guide the Executive to highlight social and fundraising opportunities that foster positive relationships within the school community.
“I was interested in giving back to the School community and realised this was an opportunity to role model community service to my daughter,” said Mrs Glover.
The new P&F formed in September 2021 and comprises Mrs Glover as President, Leanne Lett as Vice President, Jo Balcomb as Treasurer and
Orion Jandera as Secretary. Committee members are then supported by Senior School Representative Ned Sweetapple, Junior School Representative Jacqueline Heagney, Boarding Representative Caroline Ivey and their assistants.
“Among the team, we have some amazing corporate, accounting, organisational and medical talent. They represent parents from the Junior School and Senior School,” said Mrs Glover. “The defining skill of the group is the enthusiasm and drive they bring to the task of serving the community and encouraging positive relationships.”
It hasn’t been the easiest start for the new P&F, with COVID-19 causing disruptions to regular events and meetings.
The P&F generally meets during Week 3 and Week 7 of each term in the boardroom of Wolaroi House. However, their first meetings had to move online and off-campus to ensure they were COVID-safe.
While this hasn’t been ideal, Mrs Glover said one of the positives of moving the meetings online is that more people can be included.
“The AGM was held off-campus via a
hybrid system of in-person attendance and Zoom attendance. This model was again used successfully for our first meeting. We are particularly seeking to improve this experience for the Zoom audience to encourage boarding families to be involved,” said Mrs Glover.
The P&F acknowledges that COVID-19 has been disruptive for everyone and has placed a high priority on bringing the school community back together.
“After two years of uncertainty around social gatherings, we are working hard to provide some social events. Whether it’s reacquainting with old friends or meeting new friends, I think we are all happy for the chance to catch up and be a part of our school community,” said Mrs Glover.
“After all, we are all responsible for the creation of community at our School and we want one that is warm, positive and welcoming for our children. We are currently working on ensuring every year group enjoys a social get-together.
“We are also canvassing support for fundraising and events in 2022 and 2023. I invite everyone to attend the P&F meeting to hear more about all of these.”
The defining skill of the group is the enthusiasm and drive they bring to the task of serving the community and encouraging positive relationships.”
Sarah Glover
At the end of another outstanding season for Kinross Wolaroi Rowing, the School was the recipient of a number of accolades on Saturday 19 June 2021 at the Rowing NSW End of Season Awards in Sydney. Kinross Wolaroi secured the Combined Junior Shield (for the first time since 2015), which is awarded to the schools and/or clubs who received the most points in all Men’s and Women’s Novice and Under 16 and Under 17 events throughout the season.
Ms Alex Cropley and Mr Andrew Gannon were joint winners of the Schoolgirl Coach of the Year Award for the 2020/21 season.
Finally, the NSW Union of Rowers 2021 Youth Development Scholarships of $1000 were awarded to students Freya Neville and Isabella Scammell to further their rowing careers. A big thank you to our national rowing champion, Bella and her Dad, Hugh, who attended to represent the School, and a big congratulations to all involved!
Kinross Wolaroi touch football stars represented ISA at the 2021 CIS Touch Football Trials where our representatives were Claudia Mason, Charlotte Ivey and Lilly Clarke in the u15 girls and India Krause & Josie Clarke competed in the u18 girls. Congratulations to Josie and Lilly who have been selected for their respective CIS representative teams and a huge ‘well done’ to Josie, who was named in the Touch Football Australian National Youth Squad!
Ollie McLaughlin, of the Class of 2021 decided he wanted to explore the possibility of studying and continuing his swim training in the United States of America.
Ollie medalled at the Australian championships in the 100 backstroke in 2021 and trialled for the Olympic Games. Following these events, Ollie gained interest from Division 1 NCCA Colleges in various parts of the US and received several offers of scholarship.
After careful consideration, Ollie decided to accept a scholarship offer from Fairfield University in Connecticut, located 1 1/2 hours north of New York City, set on a beautiful campus of 200 acres, complete with inspiring sporting and coaching opportunities and most importantly offering Ollie the degree he wants to study, International Relations.
Ollie will compete for Fairfield in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and will leave for the US in August 2022 to commence four years of studies.
Congratulations to Class of 2021 graduate Jonty King for his recent acceptance into The National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). NIDA is a powerhouse for the development of Australia’s creative and cultural sector, challenging current thinking and practice and producing graduates who will be innovators and leaders. NIDA graduates are extremely sought-after and work all over the world on stage, on screen, behind the scenes and leading major events and organisations.
Jonty will be studying a Diploma of Musical Theatre and Screen Acting, designed to integrate the three disciplines of acting, singing and dancing. Jonty followed his dream and love of theatre and hopes through studying this course to become an even stronger performer in musicals, short films and movies.
Catie Crisp has received her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at the end of 2021. It is a fantastic achievement after a disrupted 2020/21. She has been a fantastic Duke of Edinburgh participant and a great ambassador for the school.
With many schools across Australia in lockdown during 2021, the ANU have reported that it was great to see so many students sit the 2021 Australian Science Olympiad Exams. Kinross Wolaroi’s Stephanie Wong achieved a High Distinction in Earth and Environment Sciences. This is in the top 10% of students who sat the exam.
This achievement has earned Stephanie an invitation the 2022 Australian Science Olympiads Summer School and she will be receiving a special congratulatory note from the Dean of the Australian National University’s College of Science. Well done Stephanie!
Elizabeth Kwa’s major Textiles project was selected in the TEXstyle 2022 exhibition. Her work was showcased with other major projects from around the state at the Muse (Ultimo TAFE) from 8 – 13 March 2022.
Year 10 student, Toby Gough competed in the 2021 CWA Inter Group Public Speaking Competition on the 22nd of June. The competition was held in Trundle, Western NSW.
Toby was awarded First Place in the Years 9/10 Section for his speech titled ‘If time travel were real.’ This is a personal best for Toby as this is the first time he has won at both the Central Western Group and the Inter Group competitions. Congratulations Toby on this achievement which is even more remarkable when you realise that he was also busy rehearsing for his part in the Addams family musical production.
Mr John Giuffre retired from a distinguished career of service, education and pastoral care at the end of 2021. He should be immensely proud of the great contribution he has made to the lives of his students and colleagues over the years. John has had two stints on our staff culminating in a total of 23 years. How fortunate Kinross Wolaroi has been.
A wonderfully gifted teacher, a former Head of English and HSIE, National Athletics Coach, Rugby Coach and dynamic Athletics MIC who has inspired many in his care to become better people and to develop a sense of belief and self-worth. A true school master who has tirelessly given of himself for others. His example beautifully illustrates the great value of using one’s talents for the
benefit of others and the community. Thank you, John and congratulations on a most distinguished career.
The nature of education is that each of our departing staff will leave a part of themselves behind, the impact upon their students and colleagues continues long after they have departed. We will certainly miss you John.
Paul and Annie McRae left Kinross Wolaroi School at the end of 2021 to take up positions at St Columba Anglican School in Port Macquarie, commencing in Term 1 2022. Paul as the Head of PDHPE and Annie as a Music Teacher.
Paul’s journey with Kinross Wolaroi started in the mid 1990’s when he was a student at the School, culminating in his role as Deputy Head Boy in his final year. Paul returned as a teacher in 2005 and has given 17 years of dedicated service in numerous capacities: Head of Brown House; Acting Head of Department; MIC Rugby; coach of various sports; and cocurricular endeavours.
Annie has served a similar term of dedication at Kinross Wolaroi, commencing in 2003 as a fresh graduate teacher. She reflects that she has had many wonderful experiences through
the duration of her career at the School. Annie has held many roles outside of teaching: Year 7 Advisor; Junior School Music Coordinator; Acting Head of Performing Arts and Instrumental Music Coordinator K-12.
Paul and Annalie met at Kinross Wolaroi and have grown their family in this wonderful School community and will be greatly missed by colleagues and students.
leading the program. During that time he has held a multitude of positions and roles within the Unit.
Garry has been a fantastic guide and mentor to the students. He has consistently promoted kindness, honesty and responsibility in leadership and provided ongoing discussion and support in the growth of Cadets and the development of their human leadership skills. His approachability, guidance and respect fostered an outstanding rapport with the leadership teams.
Garry came to Kinross Wolaroi with a wealth of experience and an extensive history in the Army where he was involved in service, leadership, training and various Army testing and development programs. After joining the School Garry also joined the our Army Cadet Unit (ACU) where he has made significant contributions in running and
Garry headed up the Operations programs that Kinross Wolaroi currently uses. He has trained with and worked closely with the Australia Army Cadet (AAC) HQ team to ensure that we are delivering a broad range of effective training programs for the growth of our Cadets while in the field. He navigated the detailed, complex and evolving requirements and administration to ensure Cadet training programs meet the training compliancy requirements of the AAC to ensure safety within Cadet programs. Garry also oversaw and lead the Logistics Operations within the unit which involved the acquisition of all unit supplies, irrespective of how major such as camp supplies and uniforms or how minor, such as boot laces. In 2017 Garry was promoted to the rank of Captain (AAC) in consideration of his significant duties and responsibilities within the Cadet Unit.
Annual Cadet Camp, Bivouacs and smaller activities such as Promotions Leadership Camps, Controlled Range activities, ANZAC Day activities, and community support events
such as National Serviceman’s Day, Remembrance Day and Vietnam Veteran’s Day are all activities which Garry diligently arranged and ran with precision. Garry was as presented by AAC HQ with the Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal for his extensive involvement and contributions to the Cadet Program (19 years at KWSACU) in 2020. We have truly been blessed with his extensive commitment to this area of our School lives.
Large parts of Garry’s role in the School have gone on behind the scenes, but have nevertheless been crucial to the smooth operations of the broader business. Transport schedules for Boarding, Camps, Co-curricular, excursions for both the Junior and Senior schools to mention a few, have been planned, scheduled and maintained by Garry in his role overseeing the Transport Team. It is hard to understate the importance of the efficient operations of this department, as it “kept the School moving” in a literal sense.
We are most grateful for Garry’s input and diligence as he always strived to make the Kinross Wolaroi community better. Garry will be very sorely missed by all at Kinross Wolaroi School.
Tom Riley and Tina Moshkanbaryans left Kinross Wolaroi School at the end of 2021.
Tom leaves us to join Pymble Ladies’ College as their Head of Upper School. This role presents an exciting challenge and will see Tom undertake a significant pastoral role as well as establishing a new Long Stay Program for the School in their Vision Valley campus.
Tom’s energy and vision has seen us develop a market leading and distinctive educational offering in our outstanding Regional Engagement Enterprise.
TREE has greatly enriched the learning experiences of many students and he leaves a marvellous legacy for the future. Tom has also made an excellent
contribution to our Wellbeing Program and has laid the foundation for a most effective Wellbeing Framework.
Tina will take up a temporary role at Knox Grammar School in 2022. Tina – Miss Mosh – has shown excellent leadership as Co-ordinator of Learning Support and has overseen the restructure of the Department, the introduction of new electives, the redevelopment Me!Me!Me!, and the creation of a K-12 program. Her care and support for our students has seen her earn great respect from students, parents and colleagues.
We are immensely grateful for their contribution to KWS.
Following six years of association with Kinross Wolaroi School, Miss Alice Bowman made the difficult decision to resign from KWS at the end of 2021.
Alice has accepted the exciting opportunity to work in Randwick as an English Teacher at Emanuel School and looks forward to being closer to her partner in Sydney and growing professionally as a teacher.
Alice has contributed to Kinross Wolaroi School across a number of areas – joining us as a Master of Teaching intern in 2015; then in Learning Support and more recently as an English Teacher and Literacy Co-Ordinator. Alice developed our ‘Boys Boarding Literacy Program’ with admirable enthusiasm and passion.
After three years as Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School, Mr James Boyd resigned from the staff of Kinross Wolaroi School at the end of 2021.
During his tenure, James has played a critical role in managing the School’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students was at the forefront of all actions. This was a challenging and demanding responsibility. James’s strong operational skills, tireless work ethic and strategic vision have seen him make a significant contribution to the life of the School.
Over this period James was also studying for a Master in Business Administration through the Australian Graduate School of Management at The University of New South Wales and intends to devote himself to completing his studies on a full-time basis in 2022.
Mrs Emma Charlton has resigned from her position as Co-ordinator of Literacy and Wellbeing at Kinross Wolaroi Junior School to take up a position outside of the education sector.
Mrs Charlton has worked with dedication, skill and commitment, always seeking to provide the very best environment for the students in her care. Mrs Charlton’s love of her students, professional satisfaction in her work, and affection for the School, has meant she has enjoyed a long and fond association with Kinross Wolaroi School.
Mrs Charlton had a great love of her work and showed great generosity in her contributions to the life of the School both in her classes and her extra-curricular involvements. Emma provided wise counsel as an integral member of the Junior School Executive Team, with a special responsibility for literacy and wellbeing as well as overseeing many key events aimed at building community and a strong sense of belonging, including athletics carnivals, special days and service learning.
Congratulations Seb Key (Academic Staff) and his wife Cassandra on the arrival of beautiful John Samuel Nixon Key (“Johnny”) was born on the 8th December, 4:28am weighing 4.36kg (9lb, 10oz).
We would like to congratulate Genevieve Johnston (former Head of Finance), Dan (Alumni) and Henry on the safe arrival of William Peter Johnston, born Friday 23 July weighing 3.9kgs.
Charlotte Haling (Class of 2019) is a high achiever on and off the field. Since leaving Kinross Wolaroi School, Charlotte has risen to the top of her class in law at the University of Notre Dame, secured a position as a paralegal with one of Australia’s fastest-growing legal practices and been nominated as the Rosebowl Representative at St Andrew’s College.
Charlotte’s latest, impressive achievement is winning The Hon. Justice Geoffrey Bellew Prize for First Place in Criminal Law in only her second year. Charlotte said receiving the prize came as a complete surprise and like a true sportswoman, credits the prize to those around her.
“I was not expecting it at all. I felt very grateful to have come first, but it was a team effort. It would not have been possible without my hardworking and supportive parents, along with my teachers who inspire and challenge me every day,” said Charlotte.
The accolades don’t stop there, either. In her first year of law, Charlotte was awarded The Vice Chancellor’s Academic Merit Scholarship and Colin Biggers and Paisley Lawyers Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement, contribution to the community and leadership.
This certainly caught the attention of lawyers at Colin Biggers and Paisley, who offered Charlotte the paralegal
role. Charlotte now juggles working at the firm alongside her university and sporting commitments.
“An average day for me involves waking up early to go to training before getting the bus into the city for work. Once I’m home from work, I try to watch a lecture and work my way through assignments. But every day is different,” said Charlotte.
Charlotte has been a high achiever since joining KWS as a boarding student in Year 7. She joined KWS to step outside of her comfort zone and to take on new challenges after growing up on a farm near the small country town of Gulargambone in NSW.
Charlotte quickly became a star across the school, taking on higher duties as a member of the School Representative Council between 201718 and becoming Head of the SRC in 2019. Also proving herself to be a strong leader, Charlotte completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2019, became Company Commander of the Kinross Wolaroi Cadet Unit in 2019 and was awarded an Acadamic Excellence Award for achieving grades that placed her in the top 10 per cent of all students.
Charlotte was also proved to be a key player on the field and netball court. She became Captain of Touch Football in 2019 while playing for the Touch Football 1sts Team and Netball 1sts Team. Charlotte was also a Service
Prefect (2019) and part of the KWS Athlete and Development Support Program (2018-19), showing her dedication to developing sport.
Today, Charlotte is still involved in netball, Rugby 7s, touch football, soccer and running, and helps organise college sport as the St Andrew’s College Rosebowl Representative. Charlotte’s goal is to ensure everyone feels included and welcome in sport.
“I love sport for everything it has taught me about teamwork, leadership, focus and commitment. I have formed many wonderful friendships through my relationship with sport,” said Charlotte.
The high achiever is due to graduate in 2025 and there is no doubt her determination and sportsmanship place her in good stead to help many people as a future lawyer. Charlotte’s goal is to come back to the country to help people in remote towns with limited access to legal aid.
Reflecting on how far she’s come, Charlotte said she’ll be forever grateful to all her teaches at KWS, particularly her former mentor and current Director of TREE (The Regional Engagement Enterprice), Sue-Ann Gavin.
“Sue-Ann always inspired me to challenge myself. I will be forever grateful to Kinross for providing me with the skills and confidence to go out into the world and try to make a difference,” said Charlotte.
After an initial career as an electrical engineer working in Australia, Malaysia and Thailand, Dr Karel Nolles started his own consulting business (Aton Consulting) in 1999 and undertook a part-time PhD in Energy Economics and Electrical Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and George Mason University in Washington DC.
He became a Founding Director of the UNSW Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets in 2005. After gaining his PhD in 2007, he was invited to join Macquarie Bank’s groundbreaking ‘green team’ as a Director. This team subsequently invested more than $500 million into venture capital and project finance across clean technology, carbon trading, water, electricity trading, and renewable energy. He was seconded from Macquarie to be the CEO of a renewables brokerage business and left in 2013. Throughout his time at Macquarie, he continued as a part-time Senior Lecturer
in energy economics at the University of Sydney.
After leaving Macquarie, Dr Nolles returned to consulting while remaining involved in several startups, including a blockchain-based startup with an innovative crypto-based mechanism for buying and selling the energy produced by solar panels.
While continuing consulting and his involvement in various businesses, in 2020 he was appointed as a Visiting Professor at the Joint Graduate School of Energy and the Environment at King Mongkut University in Thailand. While COVID-19 prevented Dr Nolles from travelling to Thailand in 2020 and 2021, he is looking forward to getting back in front of students in Bangkok in July 2022. In the meantime and in his part-time academic capacity, he’s been helping with research papers, presenting online to energy conferences such as ASEAN Energy Week, and helping grad students with their research. He is currently working on a research
paper about the investment challenges related to the rise of electric vehicles and intermittent renewable energy sources.
Dr Nolles is passionate about innovative technology and singles out the vast opportunities opening up in areas such as vertical farming, 3D-printed artificial meats, robotics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and space travel, and notes that being in a regional city isn’t the barrier to participating on the cutting edge of things as much as it used to be.
The engineer-come-academic and economist recently moved back to Orange to take care of his mother after the passing of his father. It’s a full-circle moment, given his father originally moved the family to Orange in the mid1970s so he could teach at TAFE and Karel could attend Kinross Wolaroi. The School was subsequently where Dr Nolles connected with Science and where his son, Lars, now attends school.
By the time the Tatarinov family arrived in Orange, Philip had moved between several towns and schools as his father chased a career as a geologist. However, Philip’s arrival at KWS in 1975, as a Year 10 student, represented more permanence.
Moving to Orange not only meant that Philip’s mother could be closer to her own mother and two brothers, but also that Philip could finish his schooling in a supportive and nurturing environment after a challenging few years at different schools. Much to Philip’s delight, he was instantly surrounded by a core group of friends at KWS. Together, they played cricket, hockey and attended camps with Cadets.
“I loved playing with our cricket team, especially against the other private schools such as Scots, All Saints and St Stanislaus, I also played with the School hockey team in the Orange competition. We were premiers in 1976 and runners up in ‘77,” said Philip. “We were also regularly involved in ANZAC Day marches and attended camp at the Singleton army base with Cadets.”
Still to this day, Philip remains connected to his School friends and recently caught up with a few of them at his reunion.
“It was great to see what Jim Oates, Franz Grossith, Sarah Bidoff, Liz Vearing, Jenny Fenwick and all the others have done with their lives, and how they’ve changed after so many years. To see Grego Elliott and Jim Oates (of Oates & Elliot Incorporated) together was incredible; they were always scheming at school!” said Philip.
Not only did attending KWS foster
lifelong friendships for Philip, but also a lifelong love of trains, sparked by the School’s proximity to the railway line. Philip’s love of trains had been instilled at a young age as he watched his grandfather head off to work as a steam driver at Parkes, and the excitement Philip felt for trains as a young boy only grew at KWS where he realised his passion could become a career.
“If I had a spare period at Kinross, I would catch the Central West Express home to Springhill. I got to know the crew pretty well and they would let me sit up the front. One of the crew members, Len Hadley, let me drive a couple of times and I told him I’d be a driver one day. He laughed and said it would only be because he let me drive!” said Philip.
Breaking into the rail industry wasn’t easy for Philip, however, the teachers at KWS had prepared him for the challenges that lay ahead in the real world and his mother encouraged him to never give up.
“When I graduated, I submitted an application to the railway via the District Locomotive Engineer, Peter Coleman, at the Orange depot. He said there were no vacancies until September the following year, so I ended up working for a few different companies between December ‘77 and January ‘78. However, each company I worked for had windows looking onto the railway line, and when I heard a train close by, I’d dash to the windows and watch it pass. So, each boss knew what I really wanted and told me to follow my dream,” said Philip.
“Mum also encouraged me to write to Mr Coleman every week, so eventually
he realised I wanted to join as a trainee engineman. I got a reply just before Australia Day in ‘78 and was asked how quickly I could get to Sydney for a medical and entrance exam.”
Philip is now retired and lives in the western suburb of Toowoong in Brisbane. However, his memories of KWS and life on the railroad still bring a wide smile to his face, even if they would raise the hairs on the backs of others…
During his first year as a trainee driver, Philip almost derailed the train between Parks and Orange.
“The experienced driver accompanying me assumed I had more experience than I actually did, including knowing how to apply the air brakes. Unsupervised, I tried applying the brakes several times as the train headed down a steep hill approaching Cookamidgera. By the fifth time, the train was exceeding its speed limit by 30 kilometres per hour and was a total runaway!” said Philip.
“Still do this day, I don’t know how we never derailed. The only thing that saved us was a ten kilometre-long straight. The driver training me applied the emergency break and we stopped at the loop, but he had to physically lift me from my seat as I was white and shaking. He drove us all the way back to Orange the next day and I never made the same mistake again. I don’t think the driver ever assumed again either!”
Thankfully, Philip lived to tell the tale and went onto become a Class 5 qualified driver. Philip ended up working all over Australia, travelling across landscapes many of us could only dream of.
Philip Tatarinov, 44 years and 39 days since his first day at Orange Depot.
O.A.M.
P.L.C. Student & Sports’ Mistress 1957
8th November 2020
Kay was a student of PLC in the 1950s, she was Sports’ Mistress of P.L.C. in 1957.
Cathryn Martin, better known as Kay, received an Order of Australia (OAM) medal in 2018. The award was bestowed for Mrs Martin’s lifetime of service to her community.
After moving to a property between Rydal and Wallerawang 57 years ago, Mrs Martin had dedicated herself to every cause that keeps a small community going. The list of organisations she contributed to is formidable, from the Rydal Show Society (including Showgirl chaperone for many years), Country Women’s Association, the Red Shield Appeal, Village Association, Church Union, bush fire brigade and more.
Mrs Martin was notable for her dedication to the NSW Nationals. She received a life membership in 1994 as well as the the inaugural Hidden Treasures Award presented by the Department of Primary Industries’ Rural Women’s Network.
On 8 November 2021 Kay died peacefully at Bathurst Base Hospital. Dearly loved wife of John. Mother and mother-in-law to David, Andrew & Sarah, Johnathan & Julie, Cate and Ian Menz, Stuart & Linda. Grandmother of eight. Beloved sister and sister-in-law to Jean, David & Maureen, Louise and Susan.
Her funeral was held at the family property, “Canobie”, on the Bathurst side of Lithgow. Kay was 91 years old.
Suzanne Lapstun, Dux of the 1987, went on to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. In her University holidays she lectured in Ancient Scandinavian History while sailing around Norwegian fjords before running a theatre in Paris.
Currently based in Rome, Italy, where she works in international development, Suzanne is fluent in six languages and writes, translates and performs poetry in four .
She is also the author of the book ‘Letters From The Arctic’.
