Q News | Issue 41: In Praise of Parents

ISSUE 41

In Praise of Parents How to Get Kids to Pay Attention The Importance of Reading It Takes a Village

Queenwood acknowledges the Cammeraigal people who are the traditional custodians of the land on which the School is built and we pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

QUEENWOOD LOCKED BAG 1 MOSMAN NSW 2088 +61 2 8968 7777 q@queenwood.nsw.edu.au queenwood.nsw.edu.au ABN 83000532696

Issue 41

Welcome

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week may be a long time in politics, but a day is an eternity in a pandemic. Things have moved very quickly this semester and I am grateful for the engagement and support of our community who have responded with patience and optimism at every turn – and there have been many turns.

This issue of QNews pays particular tribute to our parents who balanced remote work, remote learning and remote routines with such grace – we applaud you, we thank you and we hope your girls know how lucky they are to have you.

In these pages you will find articles about how parenting is built through daily routines and humble actions often unnoticed – motivating children to complete household chores, reading at bedtime, supporting cocurricular passions, managing social calendars, modelling kindness to others.

Family relationships are forged in these routines, altered and re-moulded in recent months as we carried each other through an unprecedented period. Congratulations – we made it to the end of 2021!

Ms Elizabeth Stone, Principal

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Contents

Features

A Lost Secret: How to Get Kids to Pay Attention DR MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF

“ Many studies have shown that when teachers foster autonomy, it stimulates kids’ motivation to learn, tackle challenges and pay attention.”

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The Importance of Parents Reading with Children – even after children can read DR MARGARET KRISTIN MERGA

“ We should not stop reading with our children just because they have learned to read independently.”

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On topic Why Teaching Early Literacy is so Important ANNI SANDWELL “Together we can develop early literacy skills as a vital foundation upon which to build further skills.”

It Takes a Village

Help When You Need It!

Q&A

BELINDA MOORE

JENNI LIN & NATASHA MAZAY

VICTORIA TEO

“How do some parents make it look so effortless and as if they enjoy these highly organised routines?”

“Connecting deeply with communities allows us to engage in a meaningful conversation during a time of crisis.”

“ Music is an international language. You can communicate with people from all over the world.”

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Going Green

Failure by Design GREG McARDLE

“Queenwood’s transition to a new bin system has been very exciting to oversee.”

“So, what do we teach in design? We teach the art of problem solving. ”

Year 12 Design & Technology, Textiles and Visual Arts Major Works

Reflections

YEAR 11

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A Culture of Service

Our People

Best Foot Forward

ALICE TOMPSON

Celebrating Queenwood staff

SHARON JOHNSTON

16 Student work

KINDERGARTEN

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YEAR 12 Contents

Latest news Nota Bene The latest news and events

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“I am only two years out of school and already I can see the impact that the Social Justice Program had on me.”

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“Children are incredibly adaptable and, given the appropriate support, are capable of achieving way beyond what we imagine.”

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Community news Alumnae

Parents

Contributors

The latest news from Queenwood Old Girls

The strong partnership between the QPA and the School

Letters to the Editor

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Postscript

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Contributors

With thanks to our contributors who gave up their time to share their insights, wisdom and experience with us.

Dr Michaeleen Doucleff

Belinda Moore

Alice Tompson

AUTHOR & JOURNALIST

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

CLASS OF 2018

NPR SCIENCE DESK

Mrs Moore has worked in independent schools for over 30 years with a focus on sport and cocurricular and how skills learnt in these activities nurture and develop the individual in all aspects of life. She has consistently advocated for schools to provide opportunities where young people can find an activity they love and share this experience with like-minded peers.

Alice is studying a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Advanced Studies (International and Global Studies) at the University of Sydney. She and some of her fellow students are in the initial stages of building a connection between Women’s College and Jarjum College in Redfern: Jarjum’s mission is to educate urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are not coping in mainstream education.

Dr Doucleff is a global health correspondent for NPR’s Science Desk, where she reports on disease outbreaks and children’s health. She has a Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Berkeley, a Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Caltech. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Hunt, Gather, Parent which describes a way of raising helpful and confident children.

Dr Margaret Kristin Merga ACADEMIC MENTOR FOR QUEENWOOOD’S JUST READ RESEARCH PROJECT

Dr Merga’s research areas include reading engagement, literacy, health promotion in education, technology in education, and higher education. She has taught in schools in Australia and internationally and has been Queenwood’s academic mentor for the Just Read research project. She is currently a senior lecturer in the University of Newcastle’s School of Education.

Anni Sandwell HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Our new Head of Junior School joined us from Tudor House during lockdown. Her daily video messages to students became legendary. She can be found walking the corridors of Queen Street with a trail of enthusiastic red-shoed girls behind her.

Greg McArdle HEAD OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Serial home renovator, surfer, mountain biker and outdoor enthusiast, Greg McArdle joined Queenwood in 2018 as Head of Design and Technology.

Jenni Lin & Natasha Mazay YEAR 11 STUDENTS

Jenni and Natasha are passionate members of the Social Justice Club and Cleanwood. They know that actions speak louder than words and regularly volunteer for Rough Edges, as well as initiatives that inspire younger members of the School community, to contribute in thought, word and deed.

Editorial EDITOR Emma Macey COPYWRITER Emma Macey LAYOUT & DESIGN Rosa Morgan ILLUSTRATION

hellorosamorgan.com PHOTOGRAPHY

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jamesgreen.com.au rachelgutierrezphotography.com

Letters to the editor

“ He is a scholar and a gentleman, and a dear and cherished friend.”

MS ELIZABETH STONE REFLECTS ON HER PARTNERSHIP WITH MR CHRISTOPHER DAUNT WATNEY. MORE ON PAGE 54.

MOST LIKED Left: We said farewell to Mr Daunt Watney with a very special assembly.

We will miss you CDW! Below: It’s been a joy to see students on campus!

LIKE TO SHARE? Do you have photos from your Queenwood days that you would like featured on Social Media? Please send them to communications @queenwood.nsw.edu.au Re: Remote Learning

Re: Year 12 Events

Re: My Place Exhibition

As we approach the end of a very challenging term, we wanted to express our gratitude to all Queenwood teachers and support staff.

No one could have predicted that our girls would spend what would be more than a term doing remote learning.

An enormous thank you for the wonderful farewell you orchestrated for the Class of 2021.

Thank you for the crayons.

Such a lovely initiative and I can’t wait to see all the work.

Our girls are doing well, in no small part due to the ongoing work of their teachers in keeping learning interactive, challenging, and creative. During a time of great uncertainty Queenwood has provided structure, stability and engagement for our daughters.

You managed, yet again, to personalise each of the occasions whilst also providing little surprises and touches that made the events memorable.

YEAR 12 PARENT

JUNIOR SCHOOL PARENT

Correction: QNews Issue 40, p.68, Ms Violet Medway passed away in her Mosman home, aged 87 in 1996.

HAVE YOUR SAY Send a letter to the editor communications @queenwood.nsw.edu.au

QUEENWOOD PARENT IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Feature

A Lost Secret: How to Get Kids to Pay Attention DR MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF AUTHOR & JOURNALIST NPR SCIENCE DESK This article was first published as part of the NPR series How to Raise a Human, 21 June 2018.

LEFT: Gelmy Tun Borgos helps in the kitchen making tortillas with her mother in their home in a small village in the Yucatan. Adriana Zehbrauskas for NPR

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ifteen years ago, psychologists Barbara Rogoff and Maricela Correa-Chavez ran a simple experiment.

They wanted to see how well kids pay attention — even if they don’t have to.

They would bring two kids, between the ages 5 to 11, into a room and have them sit at two tables.

Then they had a research assistant teach one of the kids how to assemble a toy. The other kid was told to wait.

Rogoff says they would tell the second child, “You can sit over here, and in a few minutes you’ll have a turn to make this origami jumping mouse,” — a different task altogether.

Rogoff and Correa-Chavez wanted to see what the waiting child did.

Would she pay attention to the research assistant. Or did she goof off?

They ran this experiment on about 80 kids, with two different backgrounds: white, middle-class children from California and Maya children from Guatemala, whom she had been studying for years. The difference was like night and day.

Many of the American kids slouched in their chairs, stared at the floor or looked around the room at the posters.

One little boy started making explosive noises, pretending a toy on the table was a bomb. “He was throwing his hands into the air and saying, ‘It’s going to explode!’” Rogoff says.

In contrast, the Maya children were more likely to pay attention. Some of them sat perfectly still in the chair, staring at the instructor. The Maya kids showed sustained attention about twothirds of the time, Rogoff and colleagues concluded. The middle-class, American kids did so exactly half as often.

Why such different results?

As we recently reported, Maya kids are encouraged very early on to pay attention to what their family is doing so they can learn how to do chores and work collaboratively with their family.

But Rogoff and other Maya researchers think there’s more to the story. They think these indigenous children have something that many American kids have lost.

What is attention?

In the U.S., there’s growing concern about the ability of children to pay attention. That, on average, the attention span of kids is declining.

But what if it’s not attention that’s the problem — but something that triggers attention.

Attention is a tricky beast. Unlike some brain processes, say vision or the ability to detect faces, there’s not one key region in the brain that controls our ability to focus on one task and disregard distractions.

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Feature

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“ The circuitry that controls attention was more active throughout the entire experiment when participants were motivated to finish the test.”

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“Instead it appears [that] hundreds of different parts [of the brain] have to communicate and interact with each other when we pay attention,” says neuroscientist Monica Rosenberg at Yale University.

And measuring how well a person’s brain can execute this complex process has been thorny, say cognitive neuroscientists Mike Esterman and Joe DeGutis at the Boston Attention and Learning Lab. For years, Esterman and DeGutis have been developing a standard test to measure how well people can focus — or at least that’s what they thought they were measuring.

“So we bring people in a lab, like college students, and give them these tests to do on the computer, which count how many times their attention lapses,” Esterman says.

For instance, a person is shown a series of images on the screen.

Esterman tells the person to press a button every time a city pops up.

“So we show them a bunch of city images,” he says. “And you’re kind of going along, pressing the button, as city after city passes on the scene. Then all of the sudden there’s a mountain scene, and the goal is to stop pressing.”

If your brain wanders, you’ll make a mistake and accidentally press the button, Esterman adds.

The more mistakes you make like this, the worse your ability is to pay attention, the researchers thought.

But then a few years ago, they decided to tweak the experiment.

Right before it began, they told the college kids: “If you do better on the task, it would end sooner,” Esterman says. “And you can get out of the

lab sooner.”

In other words, Esterman gave the volunteers more motivation to pay attention.

The results were shocking.

“The extra motivation increased the person’s ability to sustain attention by more than 50 percent, “ Esterman says.

“We were kind of blown away by the size of these effects.”

The researchers could even see changes in how the brain worked when people were motivated.

The circuitry that controls attention was more active throughout the entire experiment when participants were motivated to finish the test, DeGutis says.

Whereas, without the motivation, this circuitry tended to flash on and off.

For some people, the motivation can be just as important as their innate ability to pay attention, Esterman says.

“If we don’t measure how motivated a person is [while taking these tests], then we may not be measuring their true capacity to pay attention,” he says.

And DeGutis agrees. “One of the things we’ve realized is that it’s hard to separate motivation from sustained attention,” he says.

“If we’re not looking at motivation, then we’re really missing the boat in terms of attention.”

So maybe the Maya children are more attentive in the origami/ toy experiment — not because they have better attention spans — but because they are more motivated to pay attention. Their parents have somehow motivated them to pay attention even without being told.

To see this Maya parenting firsthand, I traveled down to a tiny Maya village in Yucatan, Mexico,

“ The parents feel very strongly that every child knows best what they want,” she says. “And that goals can be achieved only when a child wants it.”

and visited the home of Maria Tun Burgos. Researchers have been studying her family and this village for years.

On a warm April afternoon, Tun Burgos is feeding her chickens in backyard. Her three daughters are outside with her, but they are doing basically whatever they want.

The oldest daughter, Angela, age 12, is chasing a baby chick that’s gotten out of the pen. The middle girl, Gelmy, age 9, is running in and out of the yard with neighborhood kids. Most of the time, no one is really sure where she is. And the littlest daughter, Alexa, who is 4 years old, has just climbed up a tree.

“Alone, without mama,” the little daredevil declares.

Right away, I realize what these kids have that many American kids miss out on: an enormous amount of freedom. The freedom to largely choose what they do, where they go, whom they do it with. That means, they also have the freedom to control what they pay attention to.

Even the little 4-year-old has the freedom to leave the house by herself, her mother says.

“Of course she can go shopping,” Tun Burgos says. “She can buy some eggs or tomatoes for us. She knows the way and how to stay out of traffic.”

Now the kids aren’t just playing around in the yard. They’re still getting work done. They go to school. They do several afterschool activities — and many, many chores. When I was with the family, the oldest girl did the dishes even though no one asked her to, and she helped take care of her little sisters.

But the kids, to a great extent, set their schedules and agendas, says Suzanne Gaskins, a psychologist at Northeastern

Illinois University, who has studied the kids in this village for decades.

“Rather than having the mom set the goal — and then having to offer enticements and rewards to reach that goal — the child is setting the goal,” Gaskins says. “Then the parents support that goal however they can.”

The parents intentionally give their children this autonomy and freedom because they believe it’s the best way to motivate kids, Gaskins says.

“The parents feel very strongly that every child knows best what they want,” she says. “And that goals can be achieved only when a child wants it.”

And so they will do chores when they want to be helpful for their family.

With this strategy, Maya children also learn how to manage their own attention, instead of always depending on adults to tell them what to pay attention to, says Barbara Rogoff, who is a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz.

“It may be the case that [some American] children give up control of their attention when it’s always managed by an adult,” she says.

Turns out these Maya moms are onto something. In fact, they are master motivators.

Motivating kids, the Maya way Although neuroscientists are just beginning to understand what’s happening in the brain while we pay attention, psychologists already have a pretty good understanding of what’s needed to motivate kids.

Psychologist Edward Deci has been studying it for nearly 50 years at the University of Rochester.

And what does he say is one >> IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Feature

“ Many studies have shown that when teachers foster autonomy, it stimulates kids’ motivation to learn, tackle challenges and pay attention.”

>> of the most important ingredients for motivating kids?

“Autonomy,” Deci says. “To do something with this full sense of willingness and choice.”

Many studies have shown that when teachers foster autonomy, it stimulates kids’ motivation to learn, tackle challenges and pay attention, Deci says.

But in the last few decades, some parts of our culture have turned in the other direction, he says. They’ve started taking autonomy away from kids — especially in some schools.

“One of the things we’ve been doing in the American school system is making it more and more controlling rather than supportive,” Deci says.

And this lack of autonomy in school inhibits kids’ ability to pay attention, he says.

“Oh without question it does,” Deci says. “So all of the high stakes tests are having negative consequences on the motivation, the attention and the learning of our children.”

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Now, many parents in the U.S. can’t go full-on Maya to motivate kids. It’s often not practical — or safe — to give kids that much autonomy in many places, for instance. But there are things parents here can do, says cognitive psychologist Mike Esterman.

For starters, he says, ask your kid this question: ‘What would you do if you didn’t have to do anything else?’

“Then you start to see what actually motivates them and what they want to engage their cognitive resources in when no one tells them what they have to do,” Esterman says.

Then create space in their schedule for this activity, he says.

“For my daughter, I’ve been thinking that this activity will be like her ‘passion,’ and it’s the activity I should be fostering,” he says.

Because when a kid has a passion, Esterman says, it’s golden for the child. It’s something that will bring them joy ... and hone their ability to pay attention.

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ABOVE: Gelmy, 9, and sister Alexa, 4, climbing trees in the backyard of their family home in the Yucatan Peninsula. Adriana Zehbrauskas for NPR

You can read more from Dr Michaeleen Doucleff in her best selling book Hunt, Gather, Parent.

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Response to feature

“ …as attractive as it seems, the idea that fun generates learning is not well supported by the research, which suggests that the effect is much stronger in the other direction: success feeds motivation, and proficiency breeds passion.” JUST ASK STUDENT VICTORIA TEO. MORE ON PAGE 22.

Michaeleen Doucleff makes the case in her fascinating book Hunt, Gather, Parent, for incorporating indigenous parenting practices into modern parenting. In this article, she explores how a child’s attention is dramatically influenced by their motivation and considers lessons to be gleaned from how indigenous cultures prepare children for adulthood.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Doucleff’s article examines scenarios in which children’s attention is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivation, the internal drive to persist, is something of a holy grail for teachers. After all, if we can cultivate in children a hunger and drive to learn, the sky is the limit!

Few would dispute that intrinsic motivation – a willingness to work in pursuit of higher values and without regard to external rewards – is superior to extrinsic motivations such as financial benefits, praise or the avoidance of penalties. No matter the context, intrinsic motivation is one of the most powerful ways to boost learning and encourage positive behaviours.

Yet few of us are purists and most people rely on a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. The desire for fitness and a healthy lifestyle (an intrinsic motivation) should ensure that a rational person will jump out of bed and exercise every morning. As we know only too well, however, the decision each day is subject to the tension between future goals and immediate comfort. That tension is strong enough that many people need to build in extrinsic motivators to achieve success. This might entail finding a training partner whom we are loath to disappoint; promising ourselves a reward if we complete five sessions a week; or declaring a goal to friends and family to impose extra pressure on ourselves. Would extrinsic

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motivators like these sustain a reliable, lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle? Unlikely. But they may be useful to get over a hump when establishing new habits.

Teachers must engage daily with the art of stimulating motivation. Extrinsic incentives certainly have a role to play but if applied for more than a short period of time, they not only lose effectiveness but can backfire – making a child dependent on constant promises of reward or even undermining their natural enjoyment of learning. We are therefore constantly trying to direct our students’ focus towards a higher purpose or deeper meaning.

Two Elements of Intrinsic Motivation Doucleff’s work with Indigenous communities prompted her to link motivation to autonomy and she points to academic research which confirms the value of allowing students agency in how to direct their attention. This has long been important in a Queenwood education. Our emphasis on cultivating independence in our students rests on our belief that it underpins the confidence, autonomy and selfrespect that is necessary for our students to chart their own course in a complex world.

Many important life skills can be acquired by observation and imitation of adults. The human race has relied on this process for millennia and evolutionary psychologist David Geary describes knowledge acquired in this way as ‘biologically primary’.

The examples Doucleff observes – learning how to do chores and manage family life – are skills children have needed throughout history to acquire quickly and without the luxury of a dedicated education system. Human brains seem well adapted to the acquisition of such knowledge with relatively little intervention, so leaving children to direct their

own attention and absorb all they can makes perfect sense.

So, is the quest for optimal learning as simple as loosening up the timetable and allowing children to discover for themselves, through self-motivated study, the rewards of scholarship? Would this deliver highly motivated students who would learn better and then fearlessly engage with the world?

It might – but not on its own.

The research referred to by Doucleff stresses that autonomy must be accompanied by competence. In order to sustain intrinsic motivation, students need to believe not only that their study has value but also that they can meet its challenges.

This is an important qualification. It’s not enough to create an academic ‘sandpit’ in which children can play. They also need to encounter challenge and receive regular affirmation that their hard work can meet that challenge.

How does this translate into a context where children are required to acquire what Geary calls biologically secondary knowledge? The so-called basics of an education today were largely unknown to humanity even a few thousand years ago.

Modern education demands of primary school students a level of literacy which was beyond almost all of humanity until the last few centuries, and of secondary school students a level of numeracy and technical understanding which was until recently accessible only to scholars of genius. Reading, writing, algebra, calculus – at the core of what we teach today – are recent inventions and human history shows us that such knowledge is not spontaneously

acquired through self-directed social interactions.

Yet, while autonomy will not be enough on its own, it remains an important element of intrinsic motivation. The challenge for schools is thus to incorporate autonomy and intrinsic motivation as far as possible into a challenging academic environment.

In this context, other factors come into play. One pitfall is the cognitive bias known as the wellknown Dunning-Kruger effect, whereby the person who knows least about a given topic is most likely to believe they are highly competent in it, i.e. the less you know, the more you think you know.

It is well established that those learning something new are poorly equipped to understand that they need to do next to improve their learning. Rather, raw beginners need an expert to guide them through the relevant concepts and skills in the right order and at the right time. Thus, the aspiration towards autonomy has to be balanced against the pitfalls of inexperience.

Another pitfall is when motivation is equated with ‘engagement’, which can degrade into, simply, ‘fun’. If students have fun learning, the thought goes, then they’ll be inspired to work hard and achieve excellence.

Now, we are very much in favour of fun at Queenwood and clearly there is some truth in this.

Learning is not made easier by being dreary. But as attractive as it seems, the idea that fun generates learning is not well supported by the research, which suggests that the effect is much stronger in the other direction: success feeds motivation, and proficiency breeds

passion (just ask student Victoria Teo, more on page 22). It is much easier to fall in love with something when you’re good at it, and no-one relishes the feeling of unrelenting incompetence for hours at a time.

So one of the first priorities for a teacher is to ensure that challenges are set in the Goldilocks zone for each student: low enough to be achievable with reasonable diligence, but high enough to create a sense of achievement and reinforce motivation.

The art of teaching, therefore, is to break down learning into small, achievable steps which, once attained, reinforce a student’s sense of competence; and to link each of these small challenges to a larger picture which has meaning for students and underpins their sense of autonomy. This is an art indeed!

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MS ELIZABETH STONE PRINCIPAL

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Just Read

Dr Margaret Kristin Merga has been working alongside the Q Literacy Committee for over two years, tracking the impact of a program that creates time and space for all members of our community to Just Read for pleasure.

The Importance of Parents Reading with Children – even after children can read DR MARGARET KRISTIN MERGA SENIOR LECTURER, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE This article was first published in the online publication The Conversation, 28 August 2017.

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any of us will be able to recall the enjoyment of shared reading: being read to and sharing reading with our parents. However, my research has found that of the 997 Year 4 and Year 6 respondents at 24 schools who took part in the 2016 Western Australian Study in Children’s Book Reading, nearly three-fifths reported that they were not being read to at home.

A sample of these children also participated in interviews where I asked them how they felt about shared reading. While a few children did not mind no longer being read to, others were disappointed when it stopped.

For example, when I asked Jason about his experience of being read to by his parents, he explained: “… they kind of stopped when I knew how to read. I knew how to read, but I just still liked my mum reading it to me.”

His experience is common, with other recent research suggesting that more than onethird of Australian respondents aged 6 to 11 whose parents had stopped reading to them wanted it to continue.

But why is it so important for us to keep reading with our children for as long as possible?

Research has typically found that shared reading experiences are highly beneficial for young people.

Benefits of shared reading include facilitating enriched language exposure, fostering the development of listening skills, spelling, reading comprehension and vocabulary, and establishing essential foundational literacy skills.

They are also valued as a shared social opportunity between parents and their children to foster positive attitudes toward reading.

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Just Read

>> When we read aloud to children it is also beneficial for their cognitive development, with parent-child reading activating brain areas related to narrative comprehension and mental imagery. While most of the research in this area focuses on young children, this does not mean that these benefits somehow disappear as children age.

As young people’s attitudes towards reading reflect their experiences of reading at home and at school in childhood and beyond, providing an enjoyable shared reading experience at home can help to turn our children into lifelong readers.

However, not all shared reading experiences are enjoyable. Some children described having poor quality experiences of being read to, and children did not typically enjoy reading to distracted or overly critical parents. In some cases, parents attempted to outsource this responsibility to older siblings, with mixed results.

While many children really enjoyed the social aspects of

reading and being read to as valuable time with their parents, they also felt that they learned from these experiences. For example, listening was felt to provide an opportunity to extend vocabulary, and improve pronunciation.

Gina recalled the advantage she lost when her parents stopped reading to her, as: “… when they did read to me when I was younger, I learnt the words; I would like to learn more words in the bigger books and know what they are so I could talk more about them.”

Similarly, Craig explained how being read to enabled his academic advantage in literacy, as “they were teaching me how to say more words”, and “that’s why I’m ahead of everyone in spelling and reading and English”. When this stopped “just because my mum thought I was smart enough to read on my own and started to read chapter books”, Craig was disappointed.

In addition, children were sometimes terrified of reading aloud in the classroom, and this fear could potentially be alleviated

ANNI SANDWELL HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Why Teaching Early Literacy is so Important Research shows how important it is to take an explicit approach to the teaching of early literacy if students are to flourish. Together we can develop these early literacy skills as a vital foundation upon which to build further skills. Getting this right from the beginning is essential.

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through greater opportunities to practise at home.

Hayden’s anxiety around reading aloud at school related to his lack of confidence, and his tendency to compare his skills with those of his peers. He described himself as “always standing up there shivering, my hands are shivering, I just don’t want to read, so I just start reading. And I sound pretty weird”. No-one read with him at home, so he had limited opportunity to build his confidence and skills.

This research suggests that we should not stop reading with our children just because they have learned to read independently.

We should continue reading with our children until they no longer wish to share reading with us, ensuring that these experiences are enjoyable, as they can influence children’s future attitudes toward reading, as well as building their confidence and competence as readers. It is worth the effort to find time to share this experience with our children in the early years and beyond.

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2020 marked the beginning of a review of the NSW Curriculum, starting with a focus on Kindergarten – Year 2. Syllabus writers, professional associations, academics, teachers and subject matter experts worked together to plan methodically what should be taught in NSW schools to give teachers and students more time to focus on the key learning areas and therefore to equip every student for success both at school and beyond. The new English syllabus (Kindergarten – Year 2) is due to be released in 2022 and >>

>> implemented in 2023.

It will be structured and sequenced to highlight the connections across oral language (speaking and listening), reading (fluency and comprehension) and writing. We therefore find ourselves with a systematic, deliberate, explicit English syllabus – no longer leaving things to chance and not presuming children will pick up skills incidentally from immersion in whole language teaching. Queenwood is wellplaced to deliver this syllabus, as we already assess and differentiate for individual students, deliver structured phonics and invest heavily in professional development in this area for our experienced staff.

ORAL NARRATIVE

Through speaking and listening activities we develop expressive (spoken) and receptive (heard) language, recalling events and re-telling stories, predicting text, describing illustrations, learning songs, rhymes, poems, role play, understanding and effectively using increasingly complex vocabulary. Building oral narrative is a vital foundation to the reading and writing process.

Parents can offer support by promoting conversation: listen to and speak with your children; seize opportunities in the car, on walks, at mealtimes; ask questions and build on answers; and put away the iPhone, tablet and minimise screen time (now we’ve all returned to school!).

Build comprehension through conversations about books, movies and shared experiences. Sing, learn poems, role play, encourage imaginary play, bake, encourage

children to play cards, board and construction games. Give multistep instructions to children.

Model well-spoken English.

READING

Research shows that there are five key components of reading which should be explicitly taught. To move from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’ all five elements must be mastered.

This approach is referred to as Synthetic Phonics (synthesising or blending of sounds to make a word and enable children to read) and involves systematically teaching parts of words so that children can learn to read and write. The five elements are: Phonemic awareness (understanding that words are made up of sounds); Phonics (the relationship between sounds and letters); Fluency (automatically reading without the need to decode each word); Vocabulary building; Comprehension.

Reading researcher, Timothy Shanahan (2018) reminds us to ‘make sure children receive daily, explicit, systematic decoding instruction.’ Drew (2020) states, ‘When students understand how to read letters and sounds, they can then put together words.’

A wide range of decodable readers are used for the Queenwood early years home reading program. These books are written to practise specifically what has been taught during explicit, phonics instruction at School.

A synthetic phonics approach recommends that children are exposed to quality literature every day. The daily Queenwood Just Read program rests on the premise that the more we read, the better our vocabulary and background >>

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17

Just Read

“ Encourage children to inquire – find out from books. Follow instructions and recipes, look at letters and numerals, signs and posters in the environment.”

>> knowledge – which is why this School initiative extends to the whole community, with parents and teachers as role models regularly demonstrating reading for pleasure and sharing the girls’ love of reading.

Parents can offer support by weaving reading into everyday routines at home. Read home readers as a matter of routine.

Acquire books for your home – visit bookshops and libraries.

Read aloud to all K – 6 children.

Be seen as a ‘reader.’ Encourage children to inquire – find out from books. Follow instructions and recipes, look at letters and numerals, signs and posters in the environment.

WRITING

Students create written texts based on their knowledge of the writing process (using modelled examples, word walls, lists, environmental print and texts read), utilising increasingly complex sentences, grammar, punctuation vocabulary, with varied sentence beginnings for effect.

They practise correct formation of lower-case and upper-case letters with increasing legibility, fluidity and automaticity as well as digital

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technology (word processing).

They understand and respond to texts through discussion and later creating texts using similar structures, intentional language choice and features appropriate to their audience and purpose.

Parents can offer support by encouraging their daughters to make lists, keep a diary, create signs, draft stories, write letters and party invitations (real life connections add authenticity, purpose and incentive to developing literacy skills).

Research shows how important it is to take an explicit approach to the teaching of early literacy if students are to flourish. Together we can develop these early literacy skills as a vital foundation upon which to build further skills.

Getting this right from the beginning is essential.

•

Semester 2 2018 ƣ S ilent reading trial for Years 7 – 11.

Semester 1 2019

Semester 2 2019 ƣ A warded Association of Independent Schools (AIS) research grant.

Just Read Research Project Timeline

ƣ S ilent Sustained Reading (SSR) proposal presented to the Executive Team. ƣ T imetable adjusted to accommodate 20 minutes of daily SSR. ƣ S SR rebranded as JustRead.

ƣ P resentations to staff, students and parents. ƣ First data collection. ƣ G ifting of books to all staff.

Semester 1 2020 ƣ D r Merga professional development (PD) to all staff. ƣ Launched JustRead. ƣ F ormation of the Student Advisory Committee.

Semester 2 2020

ƣ P arent surveys and staff focus groups.

ƣ B ook talks in Senior School.

ƣ J ustRead continues during remote learning (COVID-19).

ƣ I nterim Report to AIS submitted. ƣ Final data collection. ƣ P reparation for writing academic articles.

Semester 1 2021

ƣ G ifting of books to new Year 7 2021 students on Orientation Day.

ƣ N ew staff JustRead induction. ƣ Data analysis. ƣ C ontinued knowledge translation through conferences, presentations and articles. ƣ Gifting of books to all staff.

Semester 2 2021 ƣ A IS Research Symposium presentation. ƣ Project evaluation. ƣ P reparation of final Report for AIS. ƣ J ustRead continues during remote learning (COVID-19).

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It Takes a Village It may take a village to raise a child but it takes the skills of an SAS commando to get them to all their activities on time, at the right venue, with the correct equipment, without tears (either your child’s or your own), while avoiding a parking ticket.

BELINDA MOORE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Often the planning for your daughter’s cocurricular commitments can start weeks in advance, particularly if you have more than two children and multiple activities. Throw in a birthday party, a play date, or a sleepover, and you are teetering on the edge. Why do we do it?

How do we do it? How do some parents make it look so effortless and as if they enjoy these highly organised routines?

One answer is that we are supporting our children in the pursuit of enjoyment and happiness derived from doing something they love with people they like. Happiness is a by-product of emotional health and the greatest influence on our happiness turns out to be our own mental, emotional, and physical habits, which create the body chemistry that determines happiness. Without delving into the science too much, it is all about serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin.

As parents we are keenly aware of our responsibility to encourage our children to participate, try new things, learn from mistakes, develop positive relationships, and learn to make good decisions on their own.

How we choose to support these opportunities for our children can differ from family to family and most of us are influenced by our own childhood experiences in some way. Take the classic example of the parent who was a successful athlete; the expectation would be that their child is in possession of some of these genetic traits and therefore should be exposed to sport to test this theory. Should it be the same sport, a different sport, many different sports? What age do you start? How long do you persist?

What happens if they find a sport they like but they are not good at it?

What happens if they find a sport where they have talent and they don’t like it? This highlights one of the greatest challenges of parenting: decision making.

There is no rule book and the game plan may have been abandoned as your child did not seem to understand the importance of sticking to the game plan and the decisions have multiplied exponentially anyway and you just wish someone else would make the decisions for you.

Often, we get it right and many decisions are more straight forward because of our own set of values, or focus on keeping our child safe, or limitations in our own capacity. We also know (usually), which battle is worth fighting, when to say sorry and when to own up to the fact that we really do not know what the best decision is in a particular set of circumstances.

What do we do when we don’t have the answer? Fortunately, Queenwood considers raising confident, compassionate young women 20

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

as a partnership between parents, professionals, and the School.

Our staff are experts whom you can turn to for guidance and advice, whether it be an academic, wellbeing or cocurricular concern.

If there’s anything I’ve learnt from my background in sport, it’s that working as a team provides a strong foundation for success.

One of the greatest challenges we have as parents is working out exactly what it is that makes our children happy and how we can contribute, facilitate, support, encourage, monitor, manoeuver, and at times mandate, the experiences that will sustain their happiness. Sometimes we have to wing it, sometimes we are on the money, sometimes we need some help and that’s OK. If the whole community works together – girls, parents, teachers, mentors – then we can raise kind, considerate, compassionate, tolerant and responsible young people that will make a positive contribution to the world.

•

Help When You Need It! Jenni and Tash explain the purpose of the Emergency Relief Fund and why students love to offer support to this important initiative.

JENNI LIN & NATASHA MAZAY YEAR 11 STUDENTS

T

he Emergency Relief Fund was created so that Queenwood can provide swift and efficient aid during times of crisis. The funds are raised by Queenwood students through activities like trivia nights, bake sales and mufti days, and then set aside so they can be accessed when the need arises. A quick response during a crisis can make all the difference.

Decisions on how the funds are deployed are made by informed students who make a proposal to the School. It’s a confronting task as we must consider which of the multitude of worthy causes we wish to support and how much money we want to offer. However, taking initiative is ingrained in our Queenwood culture: we strive to take meaningful action, to stand with, and to support the vulnerable and marginalised in local and international communities.

Connecting deeply with issues and communities allows us to engage in meaningful conversations about what people really need during a time of crisis rather than just assuming and creating additional burdens.

For example, in Social Justice Club we discussed issues that arose during bush fire season in 2020 when some communities found the overwhelming number of donations of goods became a logistical problem.

Some communities requested items like supermarket gift cards that were easy to store and distribute and could be used to purchase fresh produce that would not perish during transport.

One of our recent Emergency Relief Fund donations went to the Jesuit Refugee Service. Within days of the South West Sydney lockdown being declared a national emergency, we were able to swiftly provide $1,000 in aid. The donation contributed to funding for food banks, employment support and safe spaces for women seeking asylum.

Additionally, we donated $500 to the UNICEF Haiti Fund to support affected communities following the devastating earthquake in August.

We also donated $1,000 to the UNICEF Afghanistan Fund helping to provide safe passage for those fleeing from the Taliban.

Students are fully embracing the opportunity to participate in the Emergency Relief Fund, using their passion to serve others, particularly in these uncertain times. The knowledge that we are making a difference has boosted our spirits and given us purpose during an otherwise bleak few months. The effort put into this project has showcased the underlying respect and compassion that Queenwood students have for humanity, and their drive in seeking justice for those facing adversity.

•

Dear Ms Tamberlin, I particularly like the Women’s Space that the Jesuit Refugee Service provides. Refugees and other vulnerable groups of people are otherwise left behind in the pandemic as there is such an overwhelming essence of fear and chaos these days. After reading some reflections from the frontline, the struggle of JRS to be able to continue as per usual by providing food and services is starting to fade, and many families are losing touch with them. Overall, I think the Emergency Fund is critical in this moment to help organisations like this to survive through these unforgiving times. Hope you’re faring well in lockdown.

Tash

Hi Ms Tamberlin, I saw on ABC news last night that many migrants and refugees haven’t been receiving home care packages or adequate support from the government.

I can’t imagine how difficult their situation is, especially with the rental shortage and lack of casual work due to COVID-19. I was reading about the Jesuit Refugee Service last night and saw that they have been hosting vaccination clinics for refugee communities as well so I think donating to them would be a fantastic idea!

Thanks, Jenni

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Q&A

Hitting all the Right Notes with Victoria Teo Q speaks to freshly minted Music Captain, Victoria Teo, about what she’s gained from her love of music and how she plans to share that with the world.

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What is your earliest musical memory?

I started with the Suzuki method; my teacher actually brought that method to Australia. The first thing that we used to learn is how to stand properly; I was maybe 3 years old and my teacher would make a cardboard mat and he would trace out your shoes so you could learn the different positions to stand; I had stickers all over the card and that was one of the greatest memories. I remember I did lessons before school in a small church in Wahroonga. In the Suzuki method you have group lessons where you play with a bunch of people and you play the same piece so it’s not about

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

playing as a soloist, it’s about playing as a community. All these little kids around you, just playing the exact same piece and smiling together.

Do you remember your first performance?

I was about 4 or 5 and I went to Matsumoto in Japan for a summer convention with the Suzuki method.

I was combined with people from all over the world. With the Suzuki method, there are different books and you all play the same pieces so basically these kids from all over the world met in a big gymnasium hall and played together. It was absolutely fantastic

to see everyone; all these different “ Travelling teachers with their little classes.

You build wonderful friendships that and playing are so close because you travel and is amazing you learn everything together. I’m still best friends with the friends that because I made when I was 3. It’s really nice. music is an And did you have a very tiny violin? international Yes, I think it was an 8 , but I had friends with a 30 which wouldn’t language. been more than 30cm I don’t You can play have think. It was very tiny and barely and share and made a sound. communicate Are you from a musical family? parents do not know anything through music My about music, but they spend lots of time making sure we get to lessons with people and things like that. My sister plays; from all over when I started playing the violin, my sister came to my group lessons and the world.” th

th

she started playing the violin as well.

Later on, she started the double bass and she actually plays a viola a bit as well. So yeah, that’s nice.

Earlier this term, you were named a Music Captain; what are your plans for the music program next year?

I’m really looking forward to the House Music Festival. It’s one of the biggest events in the school calendar and I really want to get every single person in the school involved. I have to compose and arrange different pieces so that everyone, with or without musical experience, can be part of it and love music culture like I do.

It’s competitive, but it’s friendly and I love that, especially after this year when we haven’t been able to play together or sing because of COVID-19 lockdown.

Playing with other people seems really important to you; is that why you auditioned for the Rising Stars program at the Conservatorium of Music?

VICTORIA TEO ON THE COVER

When I was in Year 3, I auditioned for the Rising Stars program because a few of my friends were trying out.

I got in! Every Saturday we go to the Conservatorium of Music and lesson participate in tutorials or lessons with amazing teachers. We do theory,

technique, and performance. A lot of professional musicians that are quite well known came out of that program which is inspiring. It’s the community that is just wonderful; I think the music community is one of the strongest because you have to see each other often and you work hard. It’s my 7th or 8th year this year. When I joined, I was the youngest girl and then I’ve gone through and evolved and now I’m an old hand. They’ve added a junior section, so there’s a lot of younger kids coming up which is awesome. I know there are some other Queenwood girls in the younger years who will be joining the program in 2022 which is exciting.

So, you’ve been doing this since you were 3 years old; are you going to stay part of the music community after school? What are your future plans?

I would like to continue music, but it’s kind of hard because of COVID-19, and we’ve seen the effect that it’s had on the music and arts industries.

If things recover, I would like to travel and work with different coaches and teachers. Travelling and playing is amazing because music is an international language. You can play and share and communicate through music with people from all over the world. And that’s why going overseas and doing all those conventions really helped me to connect with other people; I want to keep doing that.

You mentioned lockdown; how did that impact you personally?

I have quite an old music tutor at the Con who didn’t really cope with technology. I got into habit of recording videos and then sending them for feedback. I’m usually really scared of making recordings because if you mess up, you’ve got to start from the beginning which is different to a live performance where you just keep going – this means you always do worse in a recording. So, lockdown has helped me overcome that fear, just through having to confront it regularly.

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Q&A

“ I like YouTube for listening to classical music… you can see all the emotion in (the performer’s) movements and that’s what I love.”

>> What are you listening to at the moment?

What do you do for fun when you don’t have a bow in your hands?

I like my pop, but then I have those times where I just want to listen to classical. I like YouTube for listening to classical music more than Spotify, because then you can see the actual performance and you can see all the emotion in their movements and that’s what I love. My most favourite right now is the Mendelssohn String Octet, and it’s a piece that I’m actually analysing for my IB Extended Essay. Mendelssohn is my favourite composer; he composed this piece when he was 16 which came as a shock to me. I’m playing this awesome piece as at the same age that he composed it with the friends that I’ve known since I started learning the violin – I love it!

Well, music does take up a lot of my time; and that’s what I do for fun.

I have different lessons, not just with violin, but piano and then orchestra.

These things take dedicated work, commitment. Now I’m in Year 11, I have to balance practicing at a serious level and studying at the same time.

For me, it’s like, I still need to keep up the practise otherwise I’ll lose the skills and being good is the fun part.

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But I also like volunteering. We have a house up near the Hawkesbury and there were really big fires that devastated the community in that area in 2020. Our land wasn’t affected, but lots of people were. We saw that money donated didn’t always go to the volunteer firefighters who were on the ground so my family went to Coles and

“ I need to keep up the practise otherwise I’ll lose the skills and being good is the fun part.”

filled up car loads and car loads of food and power bars and energy drinks (and chocolate) and we helped make sure everyone had what they needed to just keep going.

I’m part of Social Justice Club too and my friends and I try and think of other ways to help, like when we wrote to the farmers during the mouse plague because we read about the crops that were destroyed and their houses that were invaded. But that problem seems to have eased through the winter. It was interesting to talk to people and connect with them as it’s so different to where we live.

what to do and don’t worry about all the techniques. When you’re performing, it’s all about just showing what you’ve done and being proud that you’ve come this far. Just enjoy the emotion of the performance.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Everyone should just try and have a go at music. Join a choir, perform in an ensemble, listen to music, play music with friends. Music is a great way to meet people in your year group but also to bond with other years too.

•

As we speak, HSC examinations are about to begin. Do you have any advice for Year 12 Music Students?

Music is a very emotional art form.

Once you’ve put in the work practising timing, intonation, trust that you know IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Visit Esther Road to view Year 12 major works, sign up to convert the QUTE to solar power, read through Kindergarten reflections, learn about Cleanwood’s new recycling program and be inspired.

There has been a lot happening both inside and outside of the classroom; here is a quick look at what the students have been up to…

Student work

Year 2 holding their paper echidnas during a Mathematics lesson. The echidnas were created by folding two sheets of paper in different ways to create fractions.

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Student work

Going Green We speak to Lilias Smart, Scarlett Smith and Stella Vidler about their IB CAS project and their vision for a cleaner, greener Queenwood.

ABOVE: The newly purchased recycling bins and instructional stickers.

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What is CAS? All students studying the IB diploma are involved in a CAS project, which focuses on creativity, activity, or service. Our group undertook a direct service initiative within our school community.

What was the issue you identified?

In the past, Queenwood has installed bins in the playground and all the contents have gone to landfill. We noticed all the classrooms had paper recycling bins which the girls always used.

We thought: What if we provided

the option to recycle lunch and other waste in the playground as well?

We spoke to our teachers who said the School was considering an alternative waste company who specialised in sustainability so we worked with staff to purchase recycling bins for Senior School campuses.

How did you address the problem?

Queenwood’s transition to a new bin system has been exciting to oversee. However, installing these bins around our school was only the first step. A 2019 Planet

What can & can't go in our

ORGAN ICS BIN YES

NO

ALL FOOD WASTE!

ANY Plastic, glass or alumin ium produ cts

foods, such Cooked and raw fruit, vegetables as dairy, bread, their peels, too! and don’t forget

mixed mater ials

Cardb oard takea way conta iners & bambo o cutlery

they’re not lined Just make sure single-walled with plastic – only ed cardboard is accept

Items that combin e cardboard, plastic or foil, such juice boxes, ice-cre as am cups & milk cartons BioPak

Paper napki ns, plates & bags TEA BAGS

label With the paper still attached

Remember:

IF IT GRO WS, IT CAn GO!

BioPak

packaging Any single use branding, that has BioPak cups and including plastic ing Code 7 lids with Recycl cups! as well as coffee

BioPak

0003_Cleanwood_Recycling_CreativeDev_Posters_S1_v1.indd 3

1/11/21 11:08 am

What can & can't go in our

PAPER BIN

YES

NO

Plain, coloured & scrap paper Gloss y paper Cardb oard boxes paper s Magazines & news Books & notepads

Any food produ cts coffee cups

Although they’re made from paper, they’re lined with plastic on the inside, so they can’t be recycled

ANY Plastic, glass or alumin ium produ cts

Envel opes

even with clear

film

(when placed in

a box)

mixed mater ials

Items that combin e cardboard, plastic or foil, such juice boxes, ice-cre as am cups & milk cartons

rs Paper folders, divide ts & docum ent walle Shred ded paper

DID YOU KNO W?

Staples Don’ t need to be removed

(There’s a big magnet that finds them during the sorting process!)

0003_Cleanwood_Recycling_CreativeDev_Posters_S1_v1.indd 1

1/11/21 11:07 am

What can & can't go in our

CO-MIN GLE BIN

Any food produ cts coffee cups Soft plastics

with recycling codes

JUICE, SOFT-D RINK & WATER BOTTL ES

ALUMI NIUM & TIN CANS JARS GLASS CONTA INERS & INERS, PLASTIC FOOD CONTA YOGHURT TUBS & FRUIT PUNNE TS LIDS FROM TAKEA WAY COFFEE CUPS ALUMI NIUM FOIL Scrunched in a

Was it successful?

NO

YES PLASTIC PRODU CTS 1, 2 & 3

big ball

Including chip & popcorn packets

Glad wrap Or BuBBL E WRAP PLASTIC BAGS STYRO FOAM PACKAG ING TISSUES, NAPKINS OR HANDTO WELS mixed mater ials

Items that combin e cardboard, plastic or foil, such juice boxes, ice-cre as am cups & milk cartons

E MAKE SURE ALL WAST FOOD VER IS DRY WITH NO orLEFTO liquid into the

Empty any food er. disposing your contain

ORGANICS BIN before

1, 2 OR 3

0003_Cleanwood_Recycling_CreativeDev_Posters_S1_v1.indd 2

1/11/21 11:07 am

What can & can't go in our

LANDFILL BIN YES

IF YOUR RUBBISH ISN’ T ON THE PAPER Co-MIN GLE or ORGAN ICS BIN LISTS. ..

THEN IT LOOKS LIKE ILL IT’S GOING TO LANDF

Ark study showed that although 96% of Australians are eager to recycle and reduce their waste, 94% still make mistakes when it comes to recycling. Placing just one piece of waste in the wrong bin causes the whole load to go to landfill. 80% of the items buried in landfill can be recycled, which is an issue that can be addressed through awareness.

Our response was to develop and carry out a recycling education campaign within the School to assist with the roll out of the new bins. This campaign has involved a school-wide presentation about how to use the bins, as well as working alongside Queenwood designers to create posters and bin labels that inform and prompt action. Through raising awareness about correct recycling practices, we hope Queenwood’s efforts to recycle and reduce waste are successful.

NO IF YOUR RUBBISH IS ON THE PAPER Co-MIN GLE or ORGAN ICS BIN LISTS. ..

PLEASE RECYCL E IN THE APPRO PRIATE BIN

Being in lockdown has meant we haven’t yet been able to deliver our campaign face-to-face with the Queenwood community.

This means it is a bit early to know whether our campaign has been successful. But Quay Clean, our school’s waste distributor provides us with frequent waste audits.

Our aim is to increase our average recycling rates to consistently above 80%, like the other organisations Quay Clean has worked with like the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Cricket Ground.

It is important that students and teachers alike understand how to recycle correctly as instilling good habits early to help us move towards a more sustainable school will require everyone to participate.

What are the next steps?

The report from the waste component for the first month the bins were installed showed over half of our waste is now being recycled.

A good start, but we will need to improve to reach our goal of 80%.

Cleanwood are looking to introduce some exciting competitions and prizes across the school, so keep an eye out in 2022!

What did you learn?

Working with a professional designer was an amazing opportunity. It allowed us to produce a campaign that embodied Queenwood values and spirit, thus establishing its presence within our school community. This process showed us the importance of documentation and planning, as we had to consider how our design choices would influence the audience and motivate them to participate (even when no one is watching).

We briefed the designer who offered us five alternative creative territories for the project. In deciding on a creative direction we realised that it wasn’t about looking pretty, it was about educating people about the consequences of their decisions in a way that motivated rather than chastised. We paired the aesthetic (colours, fonts, shapes) from one creative territory with the concept from another, as presenting information with clarity was our most important objective.

•

THIS PAGE: Information posters that were created by the students and designer.

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Student work

Failure By Design Parents often ask me: So what will my daughter study if she chooses Design & Technology or Textiles & Design for the HSC? A simple question, with a myriad of possible answers.

Study in a creative subject will open doors to many areas as it encourages personal exploration, investigation and invention. A student undertaking these subjects will need to operate in a multidisciplinary space, where problem solving is married with technical skill, creativity and the commercial realities of designing for market.

Yet perhaps most importantly, a student undertaking study in these disciplines will have to learn how to fail, do so repeatedly, and become comfortable with that. Salvador Dali famously quipped: Have no fear of perfection…. you’ll never reach it. A perspective at odds with a broadly held social belief that success rests in the ability to avoid mistakes.

But this is not so in the area of design; quite the opposite. As they explore a brief, students must become adept at failing, they must embrace it wholeheartedly. Paula Scher, graphic designer and artist, observes that ‘it’s through mistakes that you can actually grow’. You have to get bad, in order to be good. So, what do we teach in design? We teach the art of problem solving. We teach the skill of learning through robust exploration.

We teach students to grow ideas based on targeted research and rigorous testing. We teach students to see a path forward when the road they were on leads to an impasse.

When students undertake their Year 12 studies, we all look forward to the annual exhibition, where their creativity is showcased and their technical skill in a range of technologies is highlighted. What most don’t see is the hours spent toiling to turn pattern pieces into a gown crafted from bias cut silk, or the multiple prototypes supporting the development of a seed bank able to be distributed to Year 7 students across the country.

We can teach anyone to laser cut, use CAD, 3D print or draft patterns, but to harness their creativity, girls themselves must develop essential skills in problem solving, project management and most importantly the ability to build success from failure. Only a handful of the students exhibiting work this year will pursue a creative career, but all of them have learnt invaluable lessons. In completing their projects, the girls have spent a year learning from their mistakes, building resilience as they develop their craft. The ability to embrace challenge, to research, to collaborate, to reflect, to learn from mistakes: these are transferable skills.

This year, more than any other, our girls have had to be resilient and adaptable. Producing a major project in Design & Technology or Textiles 30

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

GREG McARDLE HEAD OF DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

& Design is no easy feat. Producing a major project in lockdown… well that takes a special type of character – a young woman with grit, determination and a sense of humour. As they reflect on the year that was, it would be possible for students to do so with a sense of lost opportunity, however, I’m pleased to say that the Queenwood Art, Design and Textiles students can look back with a sense of pride in all that they have accomplished.

As you view the works in the 2021 Year 12 Major Works Exhibition, look beyond the image and see the hours spent, the detail that only patience and commitment can achieve, and the unbridled creativity that make teaching in this area such a joy. I hope you also appreciate the failures that preceded the success, without which, these exceptional works would not be. To the Art, Design & Textiles students of 2021 we say well done – in the face of adversity you have shone. To the parents who have supported the girls in navigating their major projects during home learning – we commend you. •

Textiles & Applied Sciences

Lucy Forrest

Selected for Shape Showcase 2022

TEXTILE ART IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Textiles & Applied Sciences

Student work

32

Isabella D’Andreti

Sarah Ezzy

Charlotte Mason

COSTUME

COSTUME

APPAREL

Jamaica Sanders

Lilly Still

Rebecca Winton

APPAREL

COSTUME

COSTUME

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

Hannah Starsmeare

SOLAR POWERED MODULAR LIGHTING

NATIVE GARDEN RESOURCE KIT

Design & Technology

Charlotte Mason

Millie Hayes

Elise Cope

Stephanie Preller

MODULAR URBAN BEE HABITAT

REUSABLE FACE MASK

ROWING COXSWAIN KIT

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Visual Arts

Student work

Jemima Close​ Extremities​ DRAWING 34

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

Selected for ArtExpress 2022

Visual Arts

Saskia Emery​ Rhapsody: On a Windy Night​

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TIME BASED FORM​

Chelsea Proutt​ Pupdemic​ DRAWING, WATERCOLOUR, LASER ETCHING​

Student work

Kindergarten reflect on their first year at Queenwood...

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Latest news

From participating in Wellbeing Days to saying farewell to the Class of 2021, it has been an exciting (and interesting) semester. We have survived another stint of remote learning, built cardboard homes, won the Plain English Speaking Award, participated in the Q Olympics and celebrated Book Week…

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Nota Bene A hard act to follow

Plastic Fantastic

Maeve Cox was recently ranked #1 in the World Monologue Games; 3rd in the Global Youth Category was named a Breakout Performer. Maeve also competed at the Sydney Eisteddfod, receiving Gold in News Reading/ Radio Announcing, Silver in Australian Poem U19s and Silver in the Actor’s Championship.

Inspired by the project to save White’s Seahorse in Sydney Harbour, Kindergarten – Year 6 students created an artwork out of recycled plastic lids. Thanks to Mr McArdle for making the timber frame!

Senior School

Junior School

National Winner

Staying on track

Congratulations to Nikki Han who was announced National Winner of the Plain English Speaking Award and was also selected for the Archdale Debating Representative team.

Years 3 – 6 participated in a Create a Q Challenge during lockdown. The aim was to create the shape of a Q when exercising. The Q shapes were tracked by students when walking, running, riding a bike, scooter, skateboard or even rollerskating.

Year 10

Junior School

Just One Bat Year 5

Apple Cui was awarded a Gold Award in The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition in October. Apple’s essay and artwork, titled Just One Bat, portrays her thoughts and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Encore!

Valé Molly

Congratulations to Sarah Bernard and Rebecca Winton, who were both nominated for ENCORE. ENCORE is a showcase of a selection of performances and compositions by Higher School Certificate Music students. Well done to both students!

Our neighbour’s cat Molly spent much of her day sunning herself under the arches in Junior School and receiving love and affection from the girls. She passed away peacefully on 29 August 2021 at age 16. She will be missed.

Year 12

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Junior School

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

Funds raised for those doing it rough Senior School

26 students from Years 10 & 11 slept rough at home to raise money for charity Rough Edges.

The students raised over $10,000.

The latest news and events

How QUTE!

Prefects

The Q Ute (or the QUTE, as it’s been named) for the Electric Vehicle Project has landed. Mr Draper is looking forward to converting it to solar power with Year 9 – 12 in 2022.

With the welcoming back of all students to Junior School, the Semester 2 Year 6 Prefects were presented with their long-awaited badges

by Mrs Sandwell.

Senior School

Chalk it out Junior School

Cheer! Cheer!

Year 11

Congratulations to Sophie Darton for her awards in the recent Cheerbrandz Nationals competitions. Sophie’s phenomenal achievements in Cheer performance and choreography include: Super National Champions for Senior Lyrical; Overall Grand Champion for Senior Pom, Senior Lyrical and Open Jazz; 2nd Overall Grand Champion for Hip Hop and Senior Jazz; and 3rd Overall Grand Champion for Open Lyrical, Senior Jazz and Open Pom. Well done to Sophie and her team, XDream!

Year 6

Inspired by the Me & UooUoo Public Art Project in Melbourne, Charlotte got out onto the streets and created her own design.

Places & Spaces

Good Luck!

Year 10 Visual Arts explored what home means to them. Inspired by a range of artists, they created cardboard structures and dwellings.

Bears and cupcakes were prepared and delivered to Year 12s before their HSC Trials. The QPA also gave each girl a posy of flowers, while Junior School and Ms Stone wrote good luck messages accompanied by a Freddo Frog.

Year 10

Year 12

So dramatic!

Year 9

Spot the damsel, the villain, the sidekick and the hero. Year 9 Melodrama performances took to the online stage in lockdown, complete with music, costume and epic storylines!

Year 6 enjoyed an introduction to Water Polo at Senior School with coaches Mimi, Nikita, Emilia and Abbey who are all Queenwood Alumnae.

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Nota Bene We will miss you CDW!

Dance, dance, dance!

Senior School

Senior School

We said farewell to Mr Daunt Watney with a very special assembly on Tuesday 30 November. Students and staff wore their CDW masks while listening to speeches, watching recorded messages and having one last sing-along with the man himself.

Dance Company A participated in Dance Life Unite in May this year.

The group came second in their age group.

Well done to the team!

We will miss you!

Wellbeing Week Senior School

After days of rain and cold (in November?), Senior School enjoyed warm weather and sunshine for Wellbeing Week – a week of waterbased activities and team challenges in the outdoors. The program was run to reward students and allow them to reconnect following a challenging period of remote learning and isolation.

Social Justice Club Donation to Vaccinaid Senior School

The Queenwood Social Justice Club recently donated $1,000 from the Emergency Relief Fund to UNICEF Vaccinaid. The donation will help UNICEF deliver 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable – especially those who work tirelessly to protect and build futures for children.

Operation Art Junior School

Congratulations to Cindy Han in Year 2. Her artwork Pink Fish was selected for Operation Art – an initiative of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Cindy’s work will go on permanent display in a NSW hospital or healthcare service.

Leadership Day Year 5

Junior School held a Year 5 Leadership day in October. One of the sessions was devoted to teamwork, with teams participating in challenges such as River Crossing with scooters, Master Mind and Mat Movers (shown here).

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The Bear Pit Junior School

Congratulations to Alessandra McWilliam in Year 4 who was the Stage 2 winner of the Bear Pit Public Speaking Competition 2021.

The annual competition is open to North Shore Schools.

The latest news and events

Congratulations to the Year 10 and Juniors debating teams, who won their debates in the IGSA Archdale Debating Competition on Thursday, 23 November!

Actor Director Presentations Senior School

After eight weeks of Australian Drama experiential and research workshops, our 2022 HSC Drama girls synthesised their knowledge and understanding of staging, characterisation and production in their Actor Director Presentations.

Worms!

Year 1

Year 1 explored the Queenwood worm farm during October. The girls had so much fun and learnt a lot about the life cycle of worms.

Learn To Swim Junior School

Kindergarten and Year 1 participated in an intensive learn to swim program.

Our own Librarian and Q Aquatics administrator, Miss Edwards, was in the water coaching alongside the girls.

First LEGO League Senior School

Book Week Whole School

We were finally able to wear our Book Week outfits on campus in November. Students arrived dressed as their favourite book characters to suit this year’s theme of Old Worlds, New Worlds, while Junior School staff dressed as Gods and Goddesses.

Walk for Kindess Junior School

The Junior School Community walked 38,089 kms during the 4 week Walk for a Kinder World initiative in Term 4. They celebrated with yellow ribbons, sunflowers, bees and kindness chains on Friday 12 November, 2021.

The RoboQueens completed their First LEGO League (FLL) competition on Saturday 13 November, 2021. First LEGO League is an international robotics competition with challenges in a range of STEM skills for students aged 9 – 16.

Picnic & Performance Year 9

Year 9 Drama performed outdoors to meet COVID-19 guidelines.

Not deterred by the challenge, girls used the natural landscape as their set and their final performances of Mamma Mia and Into the Woods were enjoyed by the public and passers by in our Picnic and Performance in Hunter Park.

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Latest News

Art is considered to be a vehicle for expression, healing, connection and culture. During a time of great uncertainty and isolation, the Queenwood fundraiser for Macleay Vocational College – My Place – encouraged students, parents, staff and guests to connect by creating original works for the community.

A Culture of Service A ALICE TOMPSON CLASS OF 2018

LEFT: The My Place exhibition encouraged students, parents, staff and guests to connect by creating original works for MVC.

s with most things, gaining some distance from high school has made me better appreciate the lessons I was taught, and the opportunities I was given at Queenwood. I am only two years out of school and already I can see the impact that the Social Justice Program had on me. I see it in my engagement with the world around me, and my ability to navigate new challenges and connections with people.

In the college and university environment, I have been exposed to a range of new worlds, even from behind a computer screen. As I broaden my horizons and meet new people, learn, and engage more with the world – a sometimesdaunting process – I am often reminded of my experiences with Macleay Vocational College through Queenwood.

Having been separated from my high school and university peers for the better part of two years, I am in awe of how we were able to create such a bond with the

MVC students in such a short period of time.

My year as Social Justice Prefect taught me some unanticipated skills; one of the most significant is creative problem-solving. When I heard about the exhibition fundraiser for MVC, I was again reminded of the power of connection through creative thinking and expression.

One of my most impactful memories from school is the trip I went on to MVC in Year 11. During one of our day visits to the school, a group of us Queenwood students took part in a short art class with MVC students. I am not a talented artist, and at the time I was just enjoying the break that painting provided from some of the other, heavier experiences of the trip. But, with hindsight, I understand the bond that was created in that classroom between me and MVC through art. Now, when I look at my small canvas, I think about how I was able to connect >> IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Latest News

RIGHT: A selection of artworks by Queenwood & MVC students, staff and community.

>> with a whole group of people from a different place, life, and culture, through this non-verbal form of communication.

Even if I do not understand art, I can understand its role as a vehicle for expression, healing, connection and culture.

An art auction that connects Queenwood students with MVC students through a common medium is such a wonderful way to share our worlds and experiences. And, raising funds to purchase art equipment so that students at MVC can express themselves creates a reciprocal culture of healing and belonging.

Being disconnected from much of our world during lockdown has left us with a blank canvas on which to draw new, stronger lines between our communities. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences and lessons I have gained from the Social Justice Program at Queenwood; they have given me the confidence and compassion to get involved with, and start new connections at, my college. I sometimes think about the MVC students I met, and how different our lives are.

I am appreciative of that little canvas I painted at MVC – an object that holds a lot of memories, and connections.

This art fundraiser is an opportunity to give someone else the ability to express themselves through art – an equalising platform for healing, and bonding.

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The My Place exhibition will live on as a time capsule, helping us remember our varied responses to the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Our People

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4

Social distancing guidelines prevented the Executive Team from gathering for a group photo, but they were excited to consider a creative way to mask-up ahead of returning to campus in Term 4.

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1. Elizabeth Stone Principal Elizabeth steers the ship from Mission Control in an astronaut’s helmet.

2. Christopher Daunt Watney Deputy Principal Christopher wears a mosquito mask and Akubra hat as he plans his Australian road trip.

3. Belinda Moore Deputy Principal Operations Belinda loves an ocean swim and wears a snorkel to see clearly.

5 9

8 6 7

4. Emma Macey Director of Admissions Getting right to the bottom of all things strategy, Emma is in a deep sea diver’s helmet.

7. Anni Sandwell Head of Junior School Even though the bees in Junior School are stingless, Anni remains alert in her bee keeper’s hat.

5. Gavin Russell Director of Academic Operations Keeping Year 12 safe during examinations, Gavin dons a surgical shield.

8. Sharon Johnston Deputy Head of Junior School Avid Field Hockey fan, Sharon, wears her goalkeeper mask.

6. Jennifer Brown Director of Curriculum French teacher and larrikin, Jennie, wears a fun French mask (and matching beret)!

9. Wendy England Director of Business & Finance In case of contamination, Wendy wears a casual HAZMAT suit.

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Staff News

Best Foot Forward Over the past thirteen years, Sharon Johnston has championed sport and physical activity in the Junior School, been a mentor to her colleagues, and been part of school-wide decision-making as a member of the Queenwood Executive Team.

Why did you decide to become a PDHPE teacher?

I moved from a rural Primary School in Victoria that had two classrooms and two teachers to a High School that had 900+ students and specialist teachers. My PE teacher was inspirational, introducing me to cross country running and formal sport lessons. I decided that if, as a teacher, I could have half the impact she had on me I would have a fulfilling career.

I started my teaching career as a High School teacher and continued for the next decade. After having children and living abroad, an opportunity to teach PE to a preschool to Year 12 cohort at Yokohama International School (YIS) was offered, and I knew after a day in the primary section that this was where I wanted to be. It was not unusual to be teaching 3 year olds in the Early Learning Centre, followed by a Year 12 recreational sport lesson. You can guess which class was the most demanding... it wasn’t the 3 year olds!

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What was your first teaching job when you finished University?

I taught at Wellington Secondary College in Mulgrave, Victoria. Several of my students were refugees after fleeing Cambodia and Vietnam. One told how he had escaped his country by boat and that not all on board made it to the Australian coast. The tales of how he and others struggled to get from Northern Australia to Victoria, find a home and community to feel safe in and then embark on a new life without their parents to guide them were truly incredible. He taught me more in my first year of teaching than I could ever hope to teach him in a lifetime!

You have taught all over Australia, and the world! In what ways did this benefit your teaching practice?

Our family has been fortunate to experience living overseas following my husband’s career. With each relocation it was important for me to settle our family and build connections within the community – so being part of a school was a natural fit. I had the hidden tag of ‘PE maternity cover specialist’ which usually meant anywhere from 3 – 8 months of taking on someone else’s workload and often the pressure of having to write reports having taught a group for 4 – 6 weeks.

I quickly learnt how to make the most of every teaching minute, make meaningful observations, provide essential feedback and keep records.

The art of learning student names and finding memorable moments for each was essential in building teacher-student trust. Looking back it is easy to recognise the richness of the diverse experiences in not only living and raising a family abroad but also being able to work. The exposure to different curriculums and rich learning environments was made all the more special by having colleagues with diverse teaching and life experiences as well as students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Having relocated several times I would like to think that I have acquired an increased capacity for and an appetite to embrace change. When new students and families arrive and seek to settle into

life at Queenwood I feel a strong empathy with the challenges they face having navigated many similar obstacles myself. I have always had a strong sense of the need for inclusiveness and kindness towards others. My appreciation for diversity and inclusion was profoundly deepened when I was completing a project within an EASL course (English as a Second Language). A Kindy student of Vietnamese origin adopted by a French family read fluently to me in French and was starting to come to terms with learning English. All this while living in Japan!

Seeing my own children thrive in international schools and the skill of their teachers, it was apparent how incredibly rewarding a teaching career can be.

I realised too, that children are incredibly adaptable and, given the appropriate support, are capable of achieving way beyond what you and I imagine.

My teaching philosophy was crystalised for me during our time abroad. As a teacher, my challenge and responsibility remains to help each child realise her strengths, develop confidence and help her discover just how capable she is.

When you settled back in Australia, you started at Queenwood. What stands out to you from the first few years of teaching here?

My first interview was with the former Director of Sport, Jane Lilycrop, for a position as a sports coach.

I couldn’t believe she wanted me to work at Rawson Oval! I am still excited about spending time in such a beautiful location with bushland and amazing views of the harbour whilst teaching girls at sport. From the moment I entered the building, the Junior School felt like a large family and I knew that this was a place I wanted to be part of. The quirky traditions are part of the intrinsic fabric of the school; from those little red shoes, to celebrating the School’s Birthday and having pink cupcakes – only Queenwood could pull this off.

Why do you think it’s so important to encourage young people to be active?

Being active has many well documented health benefits; maintaining a healthy weight, having a base level of fitness that enables your body

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Staff News

>> to work efficiently, keeping you well both physically and mentally, having energy to get through the day and give your best. Being active allows a sense of freedom that allows your mind and body to explore the environment around you and often involves spending time with others outdoors. Perhaps most importantly, being active is often associated with being with friends and having fun.

In your Executive Role, you have championed the message of Kindness in the Junior School – tell us about some of the initiatives you’ve taken part in and the impact this has had on the girls?

In addition to the buddy system which involves Kindergarten and Years 1, 5 & 6, we recognised a need to further develop student connections across all year levels. Research suggests that in addition to friendships in a cohort, expanding the network to other year groups is beneficial. Using the existing House System, a set of vertical clusters were created.

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for all Year 6 students to be leaders, to be a significant older student for the younger girls. In 2019 we held several cluster activities to build connections; lunches, shared reading, confetti kindness messages and cluster groupings at our major carnivals. The older girls thrived on these opportunities and the younger girls idolised their older role models. These connections extended beyond the formal cluster times to interactions during break times.

If you had to pick only one sport to play, to watch and to coach for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

This is an easy one and it is no secret that my first sporting love is hockey. My High School PE teacher introduced me to this game and I was hooked from the first session.

Representative playing and coaching opportunities enabled me to travel within Australia and overseas, and opened my eyes as to what might be possible beyond rural life. Coaching has been a large part of my sport involvement for over 40 years, I get a great deal

“ I realised that children are incredibly adaptable and, given the appropriate support, are capable of achieving way beyond what you and I imagine. ”

of satisfaction in bringing a group together to be the best they can be as a collective and individually.

Interestingly I was keen on cricket as a youngster, but there were no pathways for girls teams back then. Who would have thought that cricket would become a high profile Australian sport with television coverage!

Finally, what is your favourite book to read?

Good question and I can’t narrow this down to one. I have discovered through Just Read that the author Chris Hammer is a favourite.

His novels, The Scrublands and Silver are two of my most memorable reads over the past year.

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NESA Curriculum Reform CATHERINE PHOON HEAD OF SPECIALISED PROGRAMS

M

y role at NESA was working as a part of a team on curriculum reform. I was placed on the PDHPE team. This involved working with a number of teachers across all sectors from around the entire state.

This is the first comprehensive reform of the NSW curriculum in three decades, starting with the foundations for our youngest students.

As a team we went through the current Kindergarten – Year 6 syllabus, discussing essential components of learning, before making decisions regarding the sequence of learning and developing the continuum.

In addition, I had a quality assurance role – making sure that teachers are using the principles of universal design for learning in syllabus planning so that all students are given an opportunity to access the curriculum and reach their potential.

I wrote the early access points for prior Early Stage 1. This is the first time that the Government has included these students.

Access content points provide opportunities for students to build knowledge, understanding and skills towards the Early Stage 1 outcomes.

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Staff News

Ms Elizabeth Stone reflects on the legacy Mr Christopher Daunt Watney leaves behind at Queenwood as he says farewell to his role as Deputy Principal and career in teaching to embark on his next adventure in retirement.

Farewell Christopher Daunt Watney MS ELIZABETH STONE PRINCIPAL

Mr Daunt Watney grew up in Africa, was sent to boarding school in England at a young age, and eventually made his way to Australia. He began his career as a journalist and theatre critic where he was paid by the word – which only encouraged his natural instinct to explore the outer limits of the English vocabulary.

It has not been hard to tell which notices and policies are the fruits of his labour – words such as ‘opprobrium’, ‘infelicitous’ or ‘cartilage adornment’ (for excessive piercings) are not just a linguistic delight but a dead giveaway! Ever the English teacher, he knows more poetry by heart than most of us have ever read and will launch into The Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English at surprising moments.

Having served in senior positions in leading schools in Sydney and New South Wales, he first took on Headship at Redlands in 2002 and then went on to lead Trinity Anglican School in Cairns. After 13 years of Headship, he was ready to return to Sydney and also to return to a role that brought him closer to the daily life of students, and it was our great good fortune that he agreed in 2016 to step into the role of Deputy Principal of Queenwood.

His exceptional service in this role is well known to you all. He has brought energy, insight and astute judgment to his oversight of the daily life of the School. He has brought all his years of experience to our strategic work and, perhaps most visibly, he has overseen the pastoral care of the Senior School girls with untold patience, deep wisdom and immense compassion. At the core of a school is its care for students, and Mr Daunt Watney’s contribution has set an example for us all.

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On a personal note, it has been my great pleasure to begin almost every day with a quiet chat with Mr Daunt Watney.

We have shared ideas, frustrations, insights, current affairs and distant visions. He is a scholar and a gentleman, and a dear and cherished friend.

For the last few months, however, he has been sharing with anyone who will listen the demonstration video of his camper trailer in which he plans to set off with his wife, Annabel, to explore this great continent. We thank him for the tremendous legacy he leaves in the lives of our students and wish him all the very best for the future.

“ At the core of a school is its care for students, and Mr Daunt Watney’s contribution has set an example for us all.”

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Alumnae

Just Read showcased alumnae authors and our strong literary heritage...

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REMEMBERING MISS BEATRICE LILIAS RENNIE 58

CELEBRATING QUEENWOOD’S 96TH BIRTHDAY 60

FOUNDATION DAY SPEECH 63

Alumnae Queenwood Old Girls

This section of the QNews celebrates the contribution alumnae make to the community, both within the School and beyond. Connected by your shared values and formed by your shared experiences, your compassionate and accomplished peers follow a remarkable variety of paths.

In the following pages you will read stories about your friends and see images of them reconnecting. We would love to hear your news; please contact us via email community@queenwood.nsw.edu.au or by telephone +61 2 8968 7721 if you would like to connect.

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From the Archives

September 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of Miss Beatrice Lilias Rennie’s passing on 4 September 1971.

Remembering Miss Beatrice Lilias Rennie

Alumnae

MIRIAMA SIMMONS ARCHIVIST

P

arents of students who are also alumnae may remember Miss Rennie in the library during their time. Some grandparents may remember her as their Headmistress between 1925 and 1962. Miss Rennie has been remembered for her air of strength and leadership and her infectious love of literature.

For our current families and girls, she is remembered as one of the school’s founders alongside Miss Lawrance.

The School’s Birthday falls on the same day as Miss Rennie’s birthday and when the first students discovered this, they brought her flowers to celebrate.

Over the years this has become a lasting tradition, though Miss Rennie began to feel embarrassed receiving flowers on the School’s Birthday and requested they be gifted to ‘the School’ and then shared within the community. On one particular birthday, Miss Rennie was unwell and unable to attend the School’s festivities. The girls gathered beneath her window and held their flowers up so that she might see them and feel a little better for it. This gesture has been repeated through the years and now the ‘raising of the flowers’ is an integral part of the School’s Birthday ceremony.

The girls hold their flowers up towards the Medway Building and give thanks for the remarkable contribution of our founders.

At the conclusion of the ceremony the flowers are still shared with local Retirement and Nursing Homes.

I hope you were able to share a cupcake with your daughter today to celebrate Miss Rennie’s legacy. In her forty-six years with Queenwood, working alongside Miss Lawrance and then Miss Medway, Miss Rennie guided Queenwood through countless successes and challenges.

In 1962 Miss Rennie retired as Co-Principal, however, Queenwood remained her home and she continued to take part in Junior School prayers, greeting arrivals, and working in the library.

At the 1971 Thanksgiving Service for Miss Rennie, Miss Medway presented a speech that recalled her accomplishments as an educationalist and person. The speech ended with the reassuring truth that “we did not, and cannot, lose her. She is part of the living spirit of Queenwood.” 50 years later the contributions of Queenwood’s founders continue to guide future generations of young women.

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This article was originally published on the School’s 96th Birthday.

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Alumnae

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Alumnae

Queenwood Celebrations

Celebrating Queenwood’s 96th Birthday MATILDA KEARNS CLASS OF 2018

Matilda ‘Tilly’ Kearns attended Queenwood for 13 years and is a Red Shoe Girl. Tilly is an Australian Olympian, competing at the recent Tokyo Games in the Australian Water Polo team.

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G

ood morning Guests, Parents, Teachers and Students.

I cannot believe I’m speaking to you all here as a guest at the School’s Birthday. It’s only been 3 years since I too was celebrating Queenwood, with my excessively big bouquet of flowers.

I always listened intently and admired the guest speakers that spoke at school events. I always had full intentions of making my big dreams come true, so with every speaker I envisaged that one day it would be me sharing my very fond memories of Queenwood, and my big life journey that followed. The one thing I didn’t quite count on was it being like this, via video chat, and being so soon after I had graduated. Nevertheless, it is an absolute honour to be speaking to you all today.

So thank you so much Ms Stone and Ms Hughes for asking me.

Now some of you might remember me from the 2018 graduating class – I was the one with a wet ponytail

FAR LEFT: An image of Tilly taken during Queenwood’s 2017 rebrand.

LEFT: Tilly in her Australian Olympic uniform.

dripping down the back of my dress always.

But for those who don’t, I’m Tilly Kearns.

I’m 20 years old. I’m a water polo player, and I am an Australian Olympian. But I am also much more then that. I am also a student at university, a part time employee at a sportswear company and a Red Shoe Girl.

Becoming an Olympian was something I had dreamt of, always. Before I even started playing water polo my mind was set on becoming an athlete. I think Queenwood hyped me up too much because after the school swimming carnivals I was convinced my destiny was swimming, and after the athletics carnivals I thought shot-put was my calling.

At age 13, I dabbled in water polo, playing for Queenwood in the IGSA competition, and the local Friday night club competition. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Not long after, I worked myself up the ranks and

Alumnae

“ I envisaged that one day it would be me sharing my very fond memories of Queenwood, and my big life journey.” into my first Australian Junior team. I was in year 9. Once I had made this team, water polo essentially became a full time job. My schedule went a little bit like this – wake up at 4am, drive to Homebush, train in the pool for 2.5hours, drive straight to Queenwood, depending on the day; I would have school water polo training, then would drive straight to Sydney University for my club training, get out of the pool at 9pm, and wake back up at 4am, 5 days a week, every week. It was absolutely gruelling. Actually thinking of it now makes me feel a little bit sick.

Straight after graduating from Queenwood, I was given the opportunity to play water polo and study at the University of Southern California, in the United States. So I took the leap, knowing that it would be that point of difference between myself and the next girl vying for that Olympic spot. It worked!

I was asked to come back and train in the squad for Olympic selection. >> IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Queenwood Celebrations

“ A s soon as my water polo took off, I came to absolutely love it.

The Queenwood culture brought it out in me. Their direction made me feel proud of who I am, and opened my eyes...”

Alumnae

>> After living in the AIS for 4 months, our team took off for a tournament in Italy. We landed in Dubai, and was waiting at the gate for flight number 2, when we were told that while we were in the air, a global pandemic had struck, and we had to go back to Australia immediately. 30 hours of flying to land exactly where we started. Soon after, the Olympics were postponed. Then a whole year later, the team was finally announced, and I had made it.

I could talk forever about the Olympics, but I’d like to focus on how Queenwood’s core values have been supported in my journey. These values are defined, however they also have different meanings to different people. So this is my take: In school, I went through all the things any young girl would – insecurities, friendship struggles, a detention for forgetting my panama hat. I was bigger and stronger then all of the girls in my year.

My shoulders were, and still are, twice the size.

I even grew out of my red shoes before anyone else.

In the early years of school I did struggle with this. But as soon as my water polo took off, I came to absolutely love it. I could do all these things that others seemed to be amazed of! The Queenwood culture brought it out in me. Their direction made me feel proud of who I am, and opened my eyes to accept the world as it is, and not resist who I am.

There were SO many times where I just wanted to be a normal student at school, or just to at least get more then 5 hours of sleep. I missed birthday parties and formals, school camps and even the HSC trials, which I eventually had to do separately after a 26 hour flight. I remember having the conversation with the 62

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wonderful Mrs Macey, talking about how much I was struggling with the load, and her springing into action to get me the help I so needed. I owe it to all of my teachers, especially my unforgettable Year 12 teachers – Ms Saunders, Ms Harvey, Ms Cannon. Thanks for turning a blind eye to me sleeping behind my laptop up the back of the classroom, and for not batting an eyelid when I would slip into Period 1, as it was ending.

Fast forward to 3 years later. My team lost the Olympic quarter final, going down to Russia by one goal. This was easily the hardest moment of my water polo life so far. We were so absolutely set on winning a medal. And just like that, the prospect was gone.

This is where courage comes into play. Courage is strength in the face of defeat. We had to get back up, and play two more games (4 more days) to determine who would come 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. Trying to play when your dreams had been crushed is pain.

The feeling my team was feeling was the worst pain of all in the world of sport. So I stand here as a proud Queenwood girl, knowing that I pulled together, along with my team, so much courage to get that next highest position, being 5th. We beat the Netherlands, one of the best teams in the world, by 7.

Girls, COVID-19 has thrown you the biggest challenge Australia has had to face. Muster up all of the courage in the world, it truly is a powerful thing.

You’ve got this, because Per Aspra Ad Astra, through Struggles to the Stars.

Please always feel free to reach out to me.

I will drop anything for a fellow Queenwood student and all of the brilliant staff. Thank you and Happy Birthday Queenwood!

•

Foundation Day Speech MRS LEE DOROTHY TREDINNICK OAM JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHER 1987 – 1993

I

LEFT: Mrs Lee Dorothy Tredinnick during her recorded Foundation Day Speech.

first met Mrs Marjorie James OAM in the staffroom at Queenwood Junior School when I came to teach in 1987. Each year, Queenwood supported a charity and the girls from Kindy to Year 12 were involved in learning to support others. After we retired, Marjorie and I both worked in voluntary organisations, and we were each awarded an Order of Australia for our service. When you help others, you receive more than you give; not in being given a reward, but in knowing that you have made a difference in someone else’s life.

Happy Foundation Day Queenwood.

•

RIGHT: Mrs Lee Dorothy Tredinnick in the 1988 Kindergarten school photograph.

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QPA

Thank you Parents for all you did during lockdown.

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PARENTS FROM THE ARCHIVES 66

REMOTE LEARNING 68

QPA Queenwood Parents’ Association This section of the QNews is for our Parents’ Association who work tirelessly to facilitate and strengthen the parents’ partnership with the School. Your energy and goodwill is vital in building a school in which your daughters can flourish.

In the following pages we recognise the contribution parents make in organising social events, welcoming new families into our community, providing practical services like second-hand uniform sales; raising funds for equipment and programs, offering assistance for school events, and providing us with a useful sounding board.

In this issue, we wish to express our gratitude to the patience and support of our parents during an extended period of remote learning prompted by the spread of COVID-19.

If you would like to be involved in the QPA, please get in touch via email presidentqpa@gmail.com.

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From the Archives

Since Queenwood’s earliest days parents have supported the School by donating to Prize Funds, presenting sports awards, chaperoning excursions, and assisting at school events. Over the years parents have continued to provide support while also creating new initiatives and forming committees.

QPA

MIRIAMA SIMMONS ARCHIVIST

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M

rs Sylvia MacCormick approached Miss Medway in 1970 with the idea of providing satisfying, healthy lunches for girls on campus.

The canteen opened in 1971 with Canteen Mums volunteering their time.

In 1972 the success of the canteen allowed the Canteen Mums to donate $1,000 to the purchase of colour video-tape, walkie-talkies, and an overhead projector.

It was also Queenwood parents who paved the way for the uniform shop. Following the success of the Clothing Pool in 1988, Catriona MorganHunn, Michelle Mitchell, Neryl O’Neill, Pam Campbell, and Judy Jonathon began to work towards the goal of a ‘one-stop’ Uniform Shop in 1993. That same year the Uniform Shop was able to contribute $25,000 to the Queenwood Association Funds to purchase Junior School computers.

The willingness of Queenwood parents to involve

themselves in their children’s school led to the formation of The Queenwood Association Incorporated, The Parents’ Association of Queenwood.

Formed in 1989 the QPA has thrived through the support of Queenwood families.

The QPA works to facilitate parent socialisation, gift equipment and materials to the School, alongside continuous support and donations – fund-raising and friend-raising.

•

QPA

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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QPA

Remote Learning

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QPA

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Postscript Are you a numbers, words or pictures person? Which of these puzzles do you find easiest to solve?

JOKES

CHESS

We celebrated Father’s Day with these Dad Jokes:

See if you can beat our student chess champ, Chelsea Huey, with a check mate in one move. White to move.

1: W hat did one wall say to the other?

2: W hy do fathers take an extra pair of socks when they go golfing?

A

A

A

B

B

B

C

C

C

D

D

D

E

E

E

F

F

F

G

G

G

H

H

H

I

I

I

3: W hy did the scarecrow win an award?

4: W hat did Baby Corn say to Mama Corn?

5: H ow do you get a squirrel to like you?

Thank you to Year 11 student, Kate Snashall, for providing these jokes. Kate was the 2021 U16 State Finalist in the Melbourne Comedy Festival Class Clowns competition.

ANSWERS: ANSWERS: ANSWERS:

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QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

A. Qf3# B.A.Bc2# orB.Be2# C.orBf2# D.C.Rg4# E.D.Qh7# F.E.Bg4# G.F.Rh5# H. I:H. f5# A. Qf3# B. Bc2# or Be2# C. Bf2# D. Rg4# E. Qh7# F. Bg4# G. Rh5# H. Ng4# I: f5#I: f5# Qf3# Bc2# Be2# Bf2# Rg4# Qh7# Bg4# G.Ng4# Rh5# Ng4#

CROSSWORD

1

2

3

4

5

We’ve learnt all sort of new words overhearing what languages our students speak at home with their families.

6

7

8

9

10

11

ACROSS

DOWN

3.

How do you say baby in Swedish?

1. How do you say child in Samoan?

5. How do you say your place of birth in Yolngu (the language of the mob in northeast Arnhem Land)?

2. How do you say dog in Portuguese (feminine)?

6. How do you say parents in Hungarian?

5. How do you say Grandfather in Polish?

8. How do you say family in French?

9. How do you say grandmother in German?

11. How do you say family in Gaelic?

12. How do you say father in Spanish?

14. How do you say brother in Slovak?

4. How do you say sibling in Latvian?

12

13

14

6. How do you say sister in Croatian?

7. How do you say cat in Finnish?

10. How do you say mother in Italian?

13. How do you say home in Slovenian?

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES: PAGE 75 IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Postscript

What we’re reading We asked our staff what was on their nightstand during lockdown...

Animal

by Lisa Taddeo

Animal is a depiction of female rage at its rawest, and a visceral exploration of the fallout from a maledominated society. With writing that scorches and mesmerizes, Taddeo illustrates one woman’s exhilarating transformation from prey into predator.

72

World Without End

by Ken Follett

World Without End takes place in Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. This time the extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroads of new ideas – about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race – the Black Death.

QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

The Ruby in the Smoke

by Philip Pullman

When Sally’s dear father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, she is left to fend for herself, an orphan and alone in the smoky fog of Victorian London. Though she doesn’t know it, Sally is already in terrible danger.

Soon the mystery and the danger will deepen - and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke...

Tidelands

by Phillipa Gregory

Philippa Gregory begins a sweeping new series with the story of a poor, uneducated midwife named Alinor who is tempted by a forbidden love affair – but all too aware of the dangers awaiting a woman who dares to step out of the place society carved for her.

Conversations With Friends – A Novel

by Sally Rooney

See What You Made Me Do

by Jess Hill

All Our Shimmering Skies

by Trent Dalton

A sharply intelligent novel about two college students and the strange, unexpected connection they forge with a married couple. Written with gem-like precision and probing intelligence, Conversations With Friends is wonderfully alive to the pleasures and dangers of youth.

In this confronting and deeply researched account, journalist Jess Hill uncovers the ways in which abusers exert control in the darkest – and most intimate – ways imaginable. She asks: What do we know about perpetrators? Why is it so hard to leave? What does successful intervention look like? Combining exhaustive research with riveting storytelling, See What You Made Me Do dismantles the flawed logic of victimblaming and challenges everything you thought you knew about domestic and family violence.

All Our Shimmering Skies is a story about gifts that fall from the sky, curses we dig from the earth and the secrets we bury inside ourselves. It is an odyssey of true love and grave danger, of darkness and light, of bones and blue skies; a buoyant, beautiful and magical novel abrim with warmth, wit and wonder; and a love letter to Australia and the art of looking up.

The Namesake

by Jhumpa Lahiri The Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans. Lahiri brings great empathy to Gogol as he stumbles along the first-generation path, strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs.

With penetrating insight, she reveals not only the defining power of the names and expectations bestowed upon us by our parents, but also the means by which we slowly, sometimes painfully, come to define ourselves.

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

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Postscript

What we’re listening to We asked our parents what was beaming through their AirPods as they escaped online work and pounded the pavement...

Ms Represented

One hundred years after Australia elected its very first female parliamentarian, journalist Annabel Crabb and comedian Steph Tisdell chart the rise of female politicians in Australian politics and the unbelievable things they got up to along the way.

Nice White Parents The Sporkful

A podcast for people who love to eat and talk about the wonderful world of food, this James Beard award-winning pod features interviews with food celebs, discussions on important issues like whether a hot dog’s a sandwich and much more.

This five-part series reported and hosted by Chana Jaffe-Walt will take you inside one public school to expose what’s wrong with the system and how it got that way.

Clear your schedule, because you’ll be tempted to marathon the whole series in one sitting.

Song Exploder

You may have come across the Netflix show by the same name, but did you know that Song Exploder started out as a podcast? Music fans who always wondered about the origins of their favourite songs will want to browse this podcast’s catalogue.

The Lazy Genius

Whether you’re having a hard time keeping it together or need a little kick in the pants, this podcast will help. Get advice on how to deal with little things like organizing your life or big stuff like navigating political differences or religion.

Full Story

You’ve seen the headlines, now hear the Full Story. Every weekday, join Guardian journalists for a deeper understanding of the news in Australia and beyond.

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QNEWS SEMESTER 2, 2021

Science Vs

Science Vs takes on fads, trends, and the opinionated mob to find out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between.

This Day in History Class

From the desk of “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” This Day in History Class quickly recounts a titbit from today’s events in history.

This American Life

Longtime listeners may already know this Pulitzer Awardwinning storytelling podcast as the radio show of the same name. Its huge backlog of episodes alone is great fodder for marathon listening.

Revisionist History

Professional sports can be like soap operas with scores.

Some serious drama surrounds the entire industry. This podcast unpacks famous rivalries and behind-the-scenes drama you may have missed in a wellresearched, gripping format even those who don’t generally follow them can get into.

The Alarmist

The sinking of the Titanic.

The Flint water crisis. That McDonald’s coffee lawsuit.

This podcast investigates some of the greatest mishaps, failures and catastrophes of our time; how they happened, what went wrong and whether they could have been prevented. You’ll have so much fun, you won’t even realise you’re learning something.

Unravel True Crime: Snowball

Season 4: Snowball tells how an average family’s encounter with a charismatic Californian con woman cost them everything.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES CROSSWORD: ACROSS

DOWN

3 Bebis 5 Dhawal 6 Szülők 8 Famille 9 Oma 11 Teaghlach 12 Padre 14 Brat

1 Tamaititi 2 Cadela 4 Brālis 5 Dziadek 6 Sestra 7 Kissa 10 Madre 13 Doma

JOKES:

CHESS:

1.

I’ll meet you at the corner.

A. Qf3#

2.

In case they get a hole in one!

B. Bc2# or Be2#

3.

Because he was outstanding in his field.

C. Bf2#

4.

Where’s Pop Corn?

E. Qh7#

5.

Act like a nut.

F. Bg4#

D. Rg4#

G. Rh5# H. Ng4# I: f5#

IN PRAISE OF PARENTS

75

Postscript

We are currently seeking 2023 scholarship applicants for the following awards:

BUILD-YOUR-OWN (BYO) SCHOLARSHIPS An award for curious, talented young women with demonstrated interests and abilities in any field willing to share their passion with the Queenwood community.

GRACE LAWRANCE BURSARIES This means-tested bursary is awarded on the basis of academic potential and ability to positively contribute to the life of the School.

PER ASPERA AWARDS This means-tested award recognises that in some circumstances academic records may not fully reflect the abilities of an able student.

ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS These scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic potential and ability to contribute to the life of the School. Candidates who perform well in the academic test are interviewed by the Principal and awards are given at her discretion.

MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS Music scholarships encourage excellence in Music and develop the talents of gifted musicians. Students of orchestral instruments, band instruments, voice or piano may be awarded either part or full remission of tuition fees based on the result of an examination, audition and interview.

FURTHER INFORMATION QUEENWOOD.NSW.EDU.AU/ ENROLMENT/SCHOLARSHIPS

DONATE TO BURSARIES QUEENWOOD.NSW.EDU.AU/ ABOUT/SUPPORT-US

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