ASPECTS
News & views from SMGS
Friday 21 February 2020
In this issue.. FROM THE PRINCIPAL Technology and Education - EdTech
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF WELLBEING Uniforms and the launch of Positive Education
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF JUNIOR SCHOOL New learning experiences in Week 4
FROM THE HEAD OF BOARDING A great start to the 2020 school year
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES Upcoming events and opportunities
ALUMNI STORIES Alumna, Dr Katherine Booker’s journey in Solar Cell Technology research
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT World of Canvas and Stage 6 Information Evening
WHAT’S ON COMMUNITY NOTICES
ON THE COVER: Perfect weather for the Year 8 Camp
Contents
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04 From the Principal
Technology and Education - EdTech
10 From the Director of Curriculum and Academic Development World of Canvas and Stage 6 Information Evening
10 From the Director of Junior School New learning experiences in Week 4
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14 From the Director of Wellbeing
Uniforms and the launch of Positive Education
16 From the Director of Activities Upcoming events and opportunities
20 From the Head of Boarding
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A great start to the 2020 school year!
22 From the Careers Advisor
Thoughts on technology and digital literacy
24 Alumni Stories
Dr Katherine Booker (2001), Post-Doctorate Research Fellow at ANU
28 What’s On
A quick view of what’s happening over the coming weeks
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29 Community Notices
News, events and notices from around the community
ASPECTS EDITION: 2019 Term 1 Week 2 EDITOR: Caroline Richards DESIGN: Brooke Darlington
www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
PHOTOGRAPHY: Callum Ross Craig Moore Heidi Shvetsoff Melissa Bell Christine Philpott Danielle Ternes Brooke Kennedy Julie Wright
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Year 12 Geography Field Trip: As part of their investigation into Ecosystems at Risk, Year 12 Geography students recently joined staff from the Kosciuszko Education Centre to undertake fieldwork within the National Park. Photo: Callum RossGrammar School Snowy Mountains www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
From the
Principal
TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION - ‘EDTECH’
THIS PAST WEEK, HOLDEN COMMENCED THEIR HISTORIC MEDIA STATEMENT BY STATING THAT IT WAS “WITH A HEAVY HEART, GMH WILL BE RETIRING THE HOLDEN BRAND IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND” PERMANENTLY. AS HAS BEEN REPORTED WIDELY IN THE MEDIA, HOLDEN WAS A QUINTESSENTIAL AUSTRALIAN BRAND AND THE THOUGHT OF IT DISAPPEARING AS OUR COUNTRY’S LEADING MOTOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURER FOR MANY DECADES, WAS SIMPLY UNTHINKABLE. GROWING UP IN THE 70S AND 80S, I WAS ONE OF THE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ASPIRED TO ONE DAY OWNING A V8 HOLDEN. SO, WHAT HAPPENED? I don’t pretend to know I have any more insight than the next person; however, the demand for Holden vehicles reduced very significantly over the past decade and a half, in particular. I was surprised, and also not surprised, to read that last year more people in Australia bought a Toyota Hilux, for instance, than all Holden brand vehicles combined, by quite some margin. The appetite for the traditional family vehicle, and also by governments and the fleet industry, simply changed to SUVs and smaller, more efficient cars, for many reasons. Holden did not appear to adapt as well to a reconceptualised market as some others did, aside from manufacturing expenses and other complexities involving subsidised marketplaces, and so much more, which I acknowledge. The essence of adapting cannot be ignored. With hybrid and electronic cars now well and truly in play, it will be interesting to see which manufacturers continue to adapt sufficiently into the future, where the need is undeniable. We have seen this before with Kodak. I have read www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
literature previously that Kodak were the first to develop and pioneer technology for the digital camera with a special research and development team, but key senior executives determined that digital cameras were a fad and would never take off, preferring to remain focused on what they were so good at and which had led to their prior success. They didn’t adapt and it is therefore no coincidence that they are no longer around. I recall also a market-leading manufacturer of woollen blankets quite some decades ago had the same view about duvets/doonas, considering them a fad too and, yes, they no longer exist either. Too many other examples can also be identified. In addition, we are seeing massive changes globally in trends of manufacturing through to retail markets, as we all know, particularly with online activity. Education systems and schools are not immune, despite their size and essential nature. I have said this before, but when I was in school, there was enormous benefit in being able to remember and recall large amounts of information. Being
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a doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer, and so forth, all relied heavily on being able to store and retrieve large amounts of precise information for a wide range of applications. Clearly it wasn’t practicable for any professional to run off to the local library to check a fact and return to the office to confirm it with a client! Schools fed into this as their methodology of learning what was most valued. The problem is, schools are struggling to adapt and break out of this historical methodology (now around two hundred years old) and reconceptualise education for the modern global knowledge economy that is well and truly upon us. The Higher School Certificate, NAPLAN, ICAS, to me, are all examples of this compliance, as is a curriculum that favours this approach. I do see value in these test types as they provide us with a snapshot of students’ knowledge and skills in those fundamental learning areas, but that is only part of the picture, and that is the issue. These tests do not really prepare students ideally to adapt to the skills 5
demanded in a range of positions and careers; for example, working in areas of artificial intelligence, machine integration learning, customer relation management, creative concept design and other technologically focused careers. In Year 10 Careers, we are looking at a case study example of Dr Jordan Nguyen, who is an excellent example of taking foundational knowledge in engineering and pioneering biomedical engineering ingenuity to invent new technologies for people with disabilities. I encourage parents (and students) to look at his website https://www. drjordannguyen.com/ as just one example of an inspirational modern application of what I am talking about. Fortunately, schools are beginning to demonstrate significant leadership in spite of the challenges. A new paradigm of learning awaits to meet the needs of a new workforce with emerging demands and skills that has instant access to more information than any person could possibly digest in a dozen
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lifetimes. We need to place greater value on intelligent ideas, creative application and critical concepts, not so much nice, neat work and a surface level of factual learning. A key feature is focusing more on gaining a solid grounding of understanding (not just remembering without understanding) so that information stored can be flexibly applied to solve problems of any nature in the workplace. Further, creating new ideas and processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness is also key, not just doing the same old thing. I am going to take a guess that every employer and self-employed parent (of which we have around 40% at SMGS) and the other 60% of our parents who are employed in a wide variety of positions for bigger and smaller businesses at various levels of leadership and responsibility, each have a need for employees to think laterally, solve problems, show initiative, communicate and collaborate effectively, work independently and interdependently, and be creative … and not just remember singular points of knowledge or routines. At SMGS, we are working together to build a culture among staff and also to develop in our students a way of thinking that promotes those 21st century attributes actively and intentionally. New programs launched this year, pairing with some developed and evolved from recent years, are aimed at this need for younger learners. Existing traditional routes of learning are also being strengthened.
strengthened and is an active behind-the-scenes priority that will be rolled out over the coming years, which will see ongoing improvements in our teaching and learning. A great deal of research is being utilised, including that undertaken by leading tertiary institutions here and internationally, as well as blending what we know works and what doesn’t from many years of collective professional practice. I am excited that various school leaders and teachers will be profiling these ongoing improvements over time to keep you as parents informed about our journey as a modern educational learning environment where we indeed are adapting to changes in society around us, and not putting our heads in the sand, doing the same old thing that was successful in a past era. STAGE 6 - YEARS 11 AND 12 INFORMATION EVENING Our appreciation is extended to all present, mainly Year 11 students and parents, who attended this week’s Senior Information Evening on HSC results, ATAR calculations and UAC procedures. It is tough to make silk out of a sow’s ear, as they say, as this topic isn’t exactly riveting and exciting; rather, it is pretty heavy-going, where we project jargonistic information overload on all present. Nonetheless, it is important information and whilst not immediately obvious, understanding some of the key concepts can really help our seniors better navigate all of these areas and gain as much advantage as possible.
In addition, our learning methodology is being www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
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We also appreciate not everyone was able to attend in person on that evening. Dr Darryl Nelson is preparing a video of the evening, where all slides with commentary are available to anyone from our parent or student body who attended (to review) or for those who were not able to attend. Please contact Dr Nelson if you would like a copy. YEAR 8 AND 10 CAMPS With Year 7 having returned from camp in Week 2, and Year 8 and 10 on camp this past week, the campus has been very quiet and calm – not a reflection of those cohorts, of course, rather just fewer bodies in motion! Most certainly the Year 8 and 10 campers were much more fortunate than Year 7 who, in the end, we recalled owing to the ongoing thick smoke amid a dry, brown and black landscape – what a difference a couple of weeks makes! We had finally this year organised all Years 7 to 10 to be out on camp in the same week to minimise students losing their teachers at various times. However, the crazy weather this year ended those plans and we were forced to change our schedule. We will re-try for that model in 2021. My thanks to all students attending and our staff, including Mr Frize, Mrs Bell, Mrs Siegenthaler, Mr Bland and, previously with Year 7 camp, Ms Smith, Mr O’Brien, Mrs Pratt and Ms Taylor. Without doubt the intentional learning of an outdoor camp designed by professionals places our students into a different learning environment, which aims to complement their indoor learning back at school. We look forward to hearing more of these benefits as they return. 7
ALUMNI AND OLD SCHOLARS As we acknowledge and celebrate our 25th year of operation, it is an ideal time to reach out to Old Scholars (all past students of any grade) and Alumni (Year 12 graduates) to learn more about where they are and what they are doing. We have heard from some recently who are doing amazing work all over the country and even beyond. Of course, many consider their work to be ‘nothing special’ but we think everyone’s story is important and would love to hear from any past students of Snowy Mountains Grammar School. We are planning to facilitate a reunion dinner this year for all past scholars to come together, and more details will be available soon. If anyone has links to past students, please let them know this and that we are seeking any memorabilia too which may be of interest and which we can borrow on loan for a short while to show our community during the winter period. Congratulations to one Alumni member, Julia Weber, Class of 2014, who is a finalist in the NSW Harvey Norman Young Woman of the Year Award for her work in improving financial literacy in young people from all backgrounds. We will be launching our Alumni page soon and will be very pleased and proud to profile many of our Alumni and Old Scholars. Watch this space! DR ANDREW BELL
Snowy Mountains Grammar School
www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
From the
Director of Curriculum & Academic Development
This week we presented our World of Canvas evening where parents were shown how to log in to observe their child and learn how Canvas is used to support learning in the classroom. The event was well attended this year and we thank all parents and carers who were present. I have a pre-recorded session with the introduction to the evening that is being finalised and I will send the link once complete.
for parents, carers and students and details the HSC and ATAR procedures, careers and wellbeing aspects of Stage 6. For those of you who were unable to attend, I have also prepared a prerecorded presentation that will be released shortly. If you have any questions about either of these events or the content covered, please do not hesitate to contact me.
On the same evening we held our Stage 6 Information Evening. This evening is designed
DR DARRYL NELSON Director of Curriculum & Academic Development [E] darryl.nelson@smgs.nsw.edu.au www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
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From the
Director of Junior School JUNIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY HAVE STARTED THE YEAR. THIS TERM WE HAVE OBSERVED MANY INSTANCES WHEN THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE KIND AND CARING TO ONE ANOTHER. WE ARE PLEASED THE STUDENTS AT OUR SCHOOL EMBRACE THE SCHOOL’S CLIMATE OF FRIENDSHIP AND ACCEPTANCE, WHERE WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT AND AS A RESULT UPHOLD OUR SCHOOL VALUES OF COURAGE, AUTHENTICITY, RESPECT AND EMPATHY.
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Bounce Back
This has been supported by the relaunch of Bounce Back for 2020. Bounce Back is our social and emotional learning program that supports the development of resilience, bouncing back after setbacks, how not to over worry about a problem and to look for the good things in any situation. These life skills will take a solid twenty-four months to embed into our school culture. We are encouraging the use of the acronym for Bounce Back that serves as a reminder for students and exposes them to the language we would like them to understand. For the Bounce Back launch, students spent an afternoon rotating though four activities in groups of K-6. During each activity our older students clearly supported our younger students and ensured they knew what to do and were engaged in the activities. Each station focused on a skill that supported social and emotional development.
Year 3 Violins We are thrilled to launch a new music program that has been introduced to Year 3 students this year. We recognise the developmental benefits of learning to play an instrument and how this can have a positive effect on their educational growth. The Year 3 students have commenced a one-hour whole group tuition session per week with Mary-Anne Simpson (Snowy Strings), supported by our specialist music teacher, Sue Sell. This is a year-long program where students will learn to read music and play beginner violin. We will be aiming for performance opportunities throughout the year. Students have been allocated a violin on loan, to be brought to school each Friday and taken home for practice at the end of the day. We are very excited to launch this new program to enrich the musical experience for students. 11
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Year 12 Buddies Year 12 buddies immersed themselves in K-2 Gross Motor last week. This was an invaluable strategy to bond with our K-2 students, especially prior to our Swimming Carnival. Year 12 take opportunities throughout the year to engage with K-2 students as older role models, offering friendship and support. We appreciate the organisation of this experience by our Junior School Captain, Keaulana Sinclair-Smith. Keaulana has also organised Year 12 to visit our playground every Thursday lunchtime to play with K-2. I wonder who will have more fun ‌Year 12 or K-2?
Garden Club Garden Club finally had a sunny day to plant and water in the new vegetable seedlings. Students planted beetroot, broccolini, corn, kale, strawberries, leek and snow peas. The garden is overflowing with spinach and herbs due for harvesting soon. I see a certain group of Year 4 girls sneaking into the garden to nibble on mint. They also enjoy eating their lunch in that space as it is calm and peaceful. It is lovely to see students enjoying the garden and exploring the tastes of our herbs. We are looking forward to planting the two large olive trees in a position that overlooks the vegetable garden very soon.
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Turning Circle Each morning from now on from 8.30am there will be a staff member waiting at the turning circle to supervise students getting out of the car as parents do the quick drop-off. The same will occur in the afternoon from 3.20pm. We will trial this in the hope that it will keep the drop-off/pick-up traffic flowing.
Please note that morning supervision of children commences at 8.30am. Please ensure students do not arrive any earlier than that as teachers may be in meetings, doing teaching prep for the day or may be in other areas of the school. Students are able to enjoy passive play in Eat Street between 8.30am and 8.45am supervised by a teacher.
HEIDI SHVETSOFF Director of Junior School [E] heidi.shvetsoff@smgs.nsw.edu.au 13
Snowy Mountains Grammar School
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From the
Director of Wellbeing Welcome back to all our Senior School students and their families. I have been very impressed at the way in which our young men and women have returned to school ready for 2020. The summer, as we are all aware, was not the break we had all planned and needed. The Wellbeing Team has been proactively working with individuals and groups to ensure we assist them to return to routine as soon as they feel ready. Most students have enjoyed being back, seeing their friends and beginning the new year. A very special and warm welcome to the new families to Snowy Mountains Grammar School. With seventy-nine new students, we have a lovely mix of new and returning students.
through our tutors to individual students. In the first instance, tutors will ask students to remain behind and rectify any minor uniform issues. If they continue, parents will be informed of any ongoing (or major) issues.
I will be writing in each Aspects on a variety of Senior School issues and I will ask the Deans of Students to contribute regularly as well. Regular student input will appear too, with reports across all areas, including the SRC. The focus will be on Positive Education and Wellbeing articles across the Senior School (both day and boarding) and we will be looking to include some current research in the media regarding adolescents.
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Over the break, we have been reviewing the Senior School Expectations document, which is published to assist new and old students understand the day-to-day expectations at SMGS. The SMGS Board has also (very recently) approved a review of the Uniform Policy and Guidelines. Thank you to parents who have written to either Dr Bell or myself requesting additions or changes to the current policy. I would like to thank most of our students for their appearance and encourage others to address the minor issues like hair, makeup and jewellery. UNIFORM
The main focus areas are: • • • • •
Plain grey socks (boys) - not branded Belts (boys) Haircuts (boys) SMGS school bags – to and from school (all students, including boarders) No jewellery, except for one set of PLAIN studs or sleepers (girls) in the lower lobe only No visible make-up (girls) Dress length to the knee (girls) Black leather lace-up school shoes - not sports/ skate style.
Students will be given a timeframe to comply with the dress code before we begin to notify parents. It is an important aspect of who we are, and wearing the uniform correctly reflects both self-pride and pride in our school. We ask parents to assist us with the minor corrections to some students. Please note our pastoral care system relies on your child’s tutor being the first person you contact for issues or questions related to the day school. This can be via email or telephone. Your tutor will be contacting you to introduce themselves to you, if they have not done so already. In Boarding, the supervisors and Head of Boarding all share this role for our boarding community. Please ask your child the name of their tutor teacher. It always helps to develop this important relationship, as the tutor will remain with your student until they graduate from SMGS.
The following uniform issues may be communicated www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
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CAREMONKEY CareMonkey is another vital communication tool used by SMGS. Please ensure you are correctly joined to this tool. Problems can be addressed, but we send all notes through this portal. Canvas is the learning platform used daily by staff and students, so parents should enrol in order that they can see in real time assessment dates, notifications and tasks your child has in each subject they study. POSITIVE EDUCATION This year the Wellbeing team is rolling out a new pastoral care program called Positive Education, which is based on the science of Positive Psychology, to encourage and support individuals, schools and communities to flourish. Positive Education focuses on specific skills to strengthen relationships, build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience, promote mindfulness and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Every Tuesday and Wednesday this term, year groups will be working with the Wellbeing Team and teaching staff on the Positive Education program. The program has a clear sequence and allows students to build on their skills every year at SMGS. The program is hands-on and allows students to explore these skills in a supportive space before using them in their everyday lives. The focus areas for each year group are: Year 7
New Beginnings • Goals • Organisation • Making friends • Working together
Year 8
Communication • Self/others • Skills • Goals • Empathy • Asking for help • Conflict resolution
Year 9
New Year New Me • Best possible self • SMART goals • Commitment to achieve
Year 10
Happiness • Science of happiness • Happiness and purpose
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Year 11
Healthy Mind and Reflection • Academic • Health/fitness
Year 12
Hope • Developing hope • Forward-thinking
Over the course of the first four weeks at SMGS the Wellbeing Team has been active and engaging in a variety of important days. We had our first Wellbeing session with Year 7 to 9 students. These sessions aim to support and navigate the complex challenges our students face in their lives and will focus on the concept of “The Digital World”. Students were split into gender groups and engage in discussions and activities around responsible phone use, staying safe online, sharing of images and digital presence. We held our inaugural Boarders’ Activity Weekend, and Year 12 had a wonderful afternoon of fun with their K- 2 buddies. The Year 12 students also travelled to the University of Wollongong for a careers-focused visit. It’s a wonderful start to their final year. Years 7, 8 and 10 have been on camp. Camps are a combination of challenging outdoor activities alongside bonding and teamwork games. We look forward to hearing next week of the Year 8 and 10 students’ adventures. Part of the Positive Education program focuses on reflecting on our own strengths and building on others that we might need in our life. Students and staff engage in a strength test (online) and discussions, then focus towards identifying when strengths are used by yourself and others. This is a great exercise for everyone to start the year with, and we will regularly refer to these throughout the year.
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KELLI WILSON Director of Wellbeing [E] kelli.wilson@smgs.nsw.edu.au www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
From the
Director of Activities MUSICAL Rehearsals for our 2020 school musical, We Will Rock You, are well underway, with over fifty students involved in acting, singing, dancing, playing in the band and designing sets and costumes. Students, please let Mrs Batson know if you are interested in the multi-media or promotional teams or, parents, if you are interested in assisting with sourcing and/ or making costumes.
The Australian Mountain Bike Interschool Championships are to be run at Thredbo from 19 to 22 March 2020. The events will include Downhill, Flow Trail, Cross-Country, Pump Track and the Team Sprint. Schedule: The MTB Interschools schedule is located at the following link:
SNOWIES MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL Congratulations to the SMGS students who competed in the Snowies Mountain Bike Festival. A special mention to the following students who competed in the 15km cross-country event on Sunday in tricky and slippery conditions: • • • • •
Archie Landon-Smith – 1st - 10-12 year-old boys Sam Stynes-Garratty – 1st – 10–12 year-old girls Catherine Stynes-Garratty – 2nd – 15-18 yearold girls Jessica Dawson – 2nd – 13–14 year-old girls Gabi Forman – 1st - 13-14 year-old girls.
https://www.thredbo.com.au/mtbinterschools/ schedule/ • • • • •
DHaRCO Cross-Country Team Relay - Thursday 19 March (school-nominated team) Maxxis Flow Motion Cup - Friday 20 March SRAM Cannonball Downhill - Saturday 21 March Rockshox Pump Track Challenge - Saturday 21 March 21 (school-nominated team) Osprey Cross-Country - Sunday 22 March.
Information is now available and a CareMonkey notification has been sent out. Please see Mr Ben O’Brien for further information or contact him on ben.obrien@smgs.nsw.edu.au .
EQUESTRIAN Cooma Netball Gala Day Equestrian students are beginning their preparations for SMIEC and the North West Equestrian Expo. We will be completing the equestrian uniform order in the next few weeks. If there are any queries, please contact Mrs Krista Mower on krista.mower@smgs.nsw.edu.au MOUNTAIN BIKING Australian Thredbo
MTB
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Interschool
Championships,
This is to be run at the Cooma netball courts, Snowy Netball Complex, on Friday 13 March 2020. Students will travel by bus, departing at 8:00am from school and they will return to school in time for the regular afternoon bus transport home. Please see Ms Emma Smith for further information or contact her on emma.smith@smgs.nsw.edu.au SMGS SWIMMING CARNIVAL - 28 FEBRUARY 2020 (Term 1 Week 5)
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This is to be run at Berridale Swimming Pool on Friday 28 February.
are looking forward to a competitive team being selected. With the new carnival date, the turnaround of entries for HICES and ISA carnival is extremely tight.
Uniform and What to Bring Students should come in their sports shorts, sandshoes and house shirts. House shirts may be purchased from the uniform shop and should be worn to all carnivals. Students should also bring swimmers, goggles, hat, towel, sunscreen, lunch and a water bottle. Swimming caps MUST be worn in the pool and SMGS will provide house caps for all swimmers. Please also pack warm clothing in case of cold weather.
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Events • • • • •
Ages are taken at 31 December 2020. Swimmers must swim in their correct age groups. 8 and 9 Years events include a 25m Free, Back, Breast, Fly. 10 Years and Up events include 100m Free, 50m Free, Back, Breast and Fly. Students will nominate for events with their House Captains. Please note these events are all under race conditions. No aids or flotation devices are allowed in Championship events. We will run non-Championship events during the day, if a swimmer is not confident.
Parents Parents are very welcome to join us for all or part of the day. If you would like to offer some assistance, please put a note on the CareMonkey notification. All help would be much appreciated. Please note: Carnivals
HICES/ISA
Representative
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HICES (Junior School) will occur on Monday 9 March at SOPAC Sydney. This event is for Junior School students and will be held at the Sydney Aquatic Centre at Homebush, from 8.30am until 3.00pm. The representative carnival is held annually for all independent primary co-educational schools who are members of HICES. As the carnival is in Sydney, we do require students to travel to and from, and stay with parents or a guardian. SMGS is unable to provide a staff member who can take these young students away. ISA (Senior School) will occur on Wednesday 11 March at SOPAC Sydney. The team will travel to Sydney on Tuesday 10 March, leaving school at 12:00pm. We will stay overnight Tuesday and Wednesday and will return on Thursday during the day. Further information will be available once selections are complete.
Cricket Gala Day The Snowy Monaro All Girls Thunder Cricket School Cup Gala Day will take place on Tuesday 17 March, 2020. Students have already advised their interest in joining the team and training will commence next week. The Gala Day is to be run at Nijong Oval, Cooma. Students will travel by bus, departing at 8:00am from school, and they will return to school in time for the regular afternoon bus transport home. Please keep an eye out for the CareMonkey notification and see Mr Brendan Alcorn for further information or contact him on brendan.alcorn@ smgs.nsw.edu.au
A team will be selected based on SMGS swimming carnival times to represent SMGS in Sydney at the ISA Carnival (Senior School) and HICES (Junior School). These are prestigious carnivals and we 17
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MR MARTIN PHILPOTT Director of Activities [E] martin.philpott@smgs.nsw.edu.au www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
2020 Musical - We Will Rock You __
Picture a dystopian world where media and technology are used to regulate cultural influences and music. A society where young people have no control over entertainment choices and are banned from making their own music. This is the setting for We Will Rock You, the musical presentation from Snowy Mountains Grammar School for 2020. With rehearsals well underway, the performances scheduled for May will allow the cast and crew of over 50 rebels to revive the age of rock and entertain audiences with some of Queen’s all-time favourites including Radio Ga Ga, Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Bohemian Rhapsody and of course We Will Rock You. Students still wishing to be involved with the multimedia or promotional teams are encouraged to speak to Mrs Batson. The production team would also welcome any parents who are interested in assisting with sourcing and making costumes.
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From the
Head of Boarding
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It has been a very busy start to the year in Boarding, with many new faces, both staff and students, and a full house to commence the year. We have fifteen new students joining the community from Years 7 to 11. Staff have worked hard on ensuring the new boarders had the opportunity to connect in a relaxed and fun environment. We enjoyed games on the oval and a closed weekend in Week 1. A special thanks to those staff from day school who gave up their weekend time to join us for activities. While the weather and conditions were not always kind to us over this weekend of planned activities, we still managed to enjoy a barbecue picnic on the river, a relaxed Sunday barbecue breakfast and some swimming and games in and around the lake. This really gave boarders the opportunity to connect and get to know each other. Starting at a new school can be difficult at the best of times but starting at a new school and commencing boarding for the first time can be a very daunting experience. There are many routines to get to know and follow, connecting socially takes courage and confidence, and being away from friends and family can mean you feel quite alone. I am happy to say that our new boarders have settled in well and all have taken on their new adventure with a brave and positive 21
mindset. It has been a pleasure to see many new relationships formed and to observe our regular boarders supporting new boarders at feeling welcome and comfortable within our community. I am excited about our boarding staff team this year. We have four new staff: Jack Murphy and Teresa Lamont, both experienced in boarding, have joined the team as Senior Residential Supervisors. Danielle Fox and Sinikka Christo, both local ladies, are new to the team, and two familiar faces, Narelle Willems and Nadia Maxwell, continue on our team. We all enjoyed several days’ staff induction and training and had a great opportunity to connect as a team prior to the boarding house re-opening for 2020. A very warm welcome to our new boarders, their families and new staff, as well as returning boarders and their families. We look forward to sharing fun times throughout the year while working towards connecting as a community and of course supporting our boarders while encouraging independence, healthy learning habits and positive social and physical wellbeing.
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JULIE WRIGHT Head of Boarding [E] julie.wrightl@smgs.nsw.edu.au www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
From the Careers Advisor
The world as we know it is forever changing and evolving, and this is particularly significant for those who are currently at school or are about to transition to life beyond school. Transition-tobeyond-school programs need to be devised to provide students with â€œâ€Śthe skills and knowledge that will enable them to make and implement career choicesâ€? (Rogers and Creed, 2000, p.3). At SMGS our daily programs provide students with the opportunities to explore, develop and build on the skills they will need once they leave school. Research states that the skills required fall into two broad categories: technical and non-technical. Over the next few issues of Aspects I will be exploring each of these skills and how programs at SMGS support the development of these skills. Technical skills are those can be taught explicitly to people to allow them to perform specific tasks. The most prevalent technical skills that students can acquire prior to leaving school are digital skills. www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
Regardless of whether students are continuing with study or entering the workforce, the world today requires a competent level of digital skills. Whilst the future cannot be predicted, what can be expected is an increase in computerisation and digitalisation of both the workforce and study facilities. Therefore, it is imperative that when students leave school they can confidently live in the digital era. This year we have introduced a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) program for all students in Year 7 and 8 which focuses on coding, robotics and engineering. The program is designed to allow students to explore these areas in an interactive and supportive environment. The school has been able to create this class on top of their normal curriculum subjects of Mathematics, Science and Technology and Mandatory Technology, as the school values the skills that our students need now and into the future. The STEM faculty is being led by Dr Adam Lloyd who
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believes “these skills are going to serve them well in all aspects of their life, both professionally and personally”. In Year 9, students engage in Digital Skills lessons each week which are designed specifically to focus on technical skills, including productivity tools such as Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as digital literacy skills which allow students to confidently, creatively and critically meet the demands of society. In Year 10, students also engage in Digital Skills, with the focus this term on misinformation and “fake news”. This is important because students need to be able to differentiate between what are factual and reliable sources of the information and what are not.
that are meaningful and useful is a critical skill that needs to be developed as they enter Year 11 and 12, while they are also utilising all the digital skills that they have learnt from Year 7 to 10. These will all be used as they embark on their final years at school. The technical skills are one component of the skills that the research suggests students need to develop prior to leaving school and, with this in mind, SMGS provides many opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate these skills. “In a world that’s increasingly run on technology, computer science is a liberal art that every student should be exposed to, regardless of their path in life.” [Hadi Partovi]
In Year 11 and 12, students are taught the skill of note-taking. This technical skill helps students to study effectively. Teaching students to take notes 23
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EMMA SMITH Dean of Students (Year 7 – 8), Careers Advisor [E] emma.smith@smgs.nsw.edu.au www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
Alumni Stories Snowy Mountains Grammar School Alumna (Class of 2001, Dumolo House), Katherine Booker was one of SMGS’ firstever students when the school commenced operations in 1996, she was also the 2001 School Captain. With an interest in STEM subjects and a passion for renewable energy research, Katherine went on to complete a BSc from the University of Newcastle and then a PhD in Chemistry. After completing her studies, she accepted a position with the Australian National University where she competed a postdoctoral fellowship in Solar Cell Technology research.
KATHERINE BOOKER (2001, DUMOLO HOUSE)
Katherine says that it was a combination of the then SMGS Physics and Chemistry teacher, Mr Merv Jones, and her lab DR partners who helped to nurture her interest in the STEM pathway and says that SMGS’ focus on outdoor activities, music and community, as well as academics, also really helped her to be a more well-rounded individual. Of Katherine’s time at SMGS, English Teacher, Mrs Anne Jones said, “there was nothing Kate couldn’t do!”. This sentiment was echoed by many of the teaching staff who taught Katherine. Continue reading about Katherine’s journey in our interview below:
1. What tertiary education path did you follow after you graduated from SMGS? After leaving SMGS I went to the University of Newcastle and completed a science degree (BSc) and then continued in science research through an Honours project and a PhD (Chemistry). I always really liked the lab-based research side of things, so doing a PhD made sense to me even though it was a pretty big commitment. 2. How did you become interested in that pathway? www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
I always leaned towards STEM subjects at school and we had a great Physics and Chemistry teacher at the time (Mr Jones) who helped me to stay interested and motivated through to the end of Year 12. Plus, I had a good lab partner. 3. What is your current occupation, organisation, position and tenure? Since completing my studies, I have been employed at the Australian National University in Canberra (nine years now!). I have been employed on a few different projects and completed a post-
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doctoral fellowship in that time, but the projects and fellowship have all been related to solar cell technology research, specifically in chemical engineering aspects. 4. What is your biggest source of motivation for your career and life pursuits? Certainly my biggest career motivation has been focusing on renewable energy and (trying!) to help make it better. I feel that the work we do in this area is important and that keeps me interested. The ANU is also full of such impressive researchers in this area who are having an impact on a global scale and who I am lucky enough to work with every day. Outside of work, family is a big motivator. With two little ones, we spend a lot of time on outdoor pursuits and hopefully teaching them to love and appreciate our special region as much as we do. 5. What are some of your most memorable moments from your time at SMGS? Some of my most memorable times definitely came from the Duke of Edinburgh hikes! We explored some amazing areas in the mountains and on the coast, honed our hot chocolate-making skills and were never without a bit of excitement (getting lost, lightning storms, impromptu campsites, “shortcuts” (thanks, Mr Moolman!) etc.). 6. How did your time at SMGS help you in your journey? SMGS was, and I’m sure still is, a totally unique learning experience. Being such a small school (only seventeen students when I started!) meant that everyone was just thrown in together and had to learn to make it work. We had to work together as a really small community and figure things out as we went along, which I think taught all of us some valuable skills. The focus on outdoor activities, music and community as well as academics also really helped me to be a more rounded individual.
As I said, Duke of Ed. was a big thing and included social service aspects as well as the hikes. I was in the band for most of my time and was very involved in rowing in my last couple of years there. The touch football comp used to be a big thing - there was a teachers’ team as well as student teams in the Jindabyne competition (anyone remember Shepherds, Sheep and Lambs?). And of course, the skiing… 8. What advice would you give to students who are beginning their HSC journey and starting to think about their future after they graduate? The future is surprising! I think there are very few people who know exactly who they want to be and what they want to do when they are just starting out on their HSC journey. If you concentrate on what you like doing (not necessarily just what you are good at) I think you give yourself the best chance of finding your way into something that fits. 9. What does it mean to you to be a part of the SMGS Alumni/Old Scholars Community? SMGS was such a big part of my life. And it still is, through the friends that I still have and the connection that it gave me with the Snowy Mountains region. Having been there from the very first day the school opened, it’s a pretty special thing to be able to stay a part of the community and watch the school continually grow and evolve. Are you a Snowy Mountains Grammar School Alumnus/Alumna or Old Scholar? We would love to hear from you! Head to: https://www. smgs.nsw.edu.au/community/alumni/
7. What programs and co-curricular opportunities did you participate in? 25
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Throughout the world on Sunday 8 March, communities will gather together to celebrate and commemorate the diverse and invaluable contribution of women in society. As Sunday 8 March does not fall on a school day this year, Snowy Mountains Grammar School will be hosting our 2nd annual International Women’s Day breakfast on the morning of Monday 9 March. The theme for our local event is:
“Inspiring Young Women in the Snowy Monaro Region”
Wales and prior to joining Nine, Lauren worked as a snow reporter in the NSW ski fields. Tickets for the International Women’s Day Breakfast are $25 for students and $30 for adults and can be purchased until Sunday 8 March 2020. Please note that tickets must be pre-purchased and will not be available on the day. Students will be required to attend the breakfast in full school uniform and parents are asked to drop their children at Rydges at 6:50 am. The female student body will walk to school at the conclusion of the breakfast.
The aim of our International Women’s Day breakfast is to foster connections between local community Please ensure that specific dietary requirements are members and the young women in our region, expose emailed to angela.dutch@smgs.nsw.edu.au. our young ladies to the myriad of career opportunities available, and inspire them to pursue a life of purpose To purchase your tickets, head to: and passion. https://smgsiwdbreakfast2020.eventbrite.com.au Female students in Years 7-12 from SMGS are invited to attend. Inspiring and successful female role models If you have any questions please contact one of the from our school community and the wider community following SMGS IWD committee members: have been invited to share their life journey surrounded by a table of students, with guests rotating every twenty Angela Dutch on angela.dutch@smgs.nsw.edu.au minutes. There will be additional tables set aside for Melissa Bell on melissa.bell@smgs.nsw.edu.au female staff members and mothers who would like to Brooke Darlington on brooke.darlington@smgs.nsw. join in celebrating this day with us. edu.au Our keynote speaker this year is SMGS Alumna Lauren Tomasi. Lauren is a journalist with 9News Sydney. She studied journalism at the University of New South www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
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Meet our 2nd Annual International Women’s Day Breakfast Keynote Speaker, Lauren Tomasi old. Moving to a brand-new place can be daunting, but taking that leap led me to new opportunities which have led me to where I am today. If you get an I am a journalist with the Nine Network. I work on opportunity, go for it! Grab it with both hands and make the nightly 6pm Nine News bulletin. I’ve worked with the most of it. Channel 9 since November 2015, first on the Today Show as a reporter/senior producer, before moving 5. If you could offer any advice to young women tackling a big goal or going after their dreams, into the newsroom in August last year. what would your advice be? 2. What does IWD mean to you? Take it one step at a time. Remember not to get ahead IWD is about celebrating the achievements and of yourself. It’s brilliant to have a big long-term goal, the progress we, as women, have made. It’s about but it is equally important to remember that each small empowering women and, importantly, empowering stepping stone to get to that big goal is so important. Stop and acknowledge those small steps, and don’t the next generation of women. give up. Don’t ever give up – failure is inevitable, but failure itself is progress. Fall down nine times, and get 3. Who inspires you and why? up ten. You’ll get there. You need to believe in yourself There are so many brilliant, intelligent and passionate . women in my field who are game changers for the 6. What did you want to be/do when you grew media industry. My colleagues are leaders in their field, up? and there are many I look up to. The woman who inspires me the most is my mum Michele, who never Honestly, growing up, I had NO idea what I wanted to once gave up on me and helped me to grab every be! There were so many fields and jobs that interested me, and as I entered my senior years in high school opportunity I could, to get to where I am today. and had an opportunity to participate in activities like 4. What challenges did you face in working public speaking, it became clearer to me that I wanted to pursue a career in the media. By the time I was towards your goals? applying for university in Year 12, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. How did you overcome these challenges? One of the first, and biggest, challenges I faced was moving away from home to Sydney at eighteen years 1. What is your current occupation, organisation, position?
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www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
What’s On WEEK 5
WEEK 6
Thursday 27 February
Thursday 5 March
Junior School Swimming program, session 2 Contact: emma.smith@smgs.nsw.edu.au
Junior School Swimming program, session 3 Contact: emma.smith@smgs.nsw.edu.au
Friday 28 February
Friday 6 March
SMGS Swimming Carnival, Berridale Pool Contact: martin.philpott@smgs.nsw.edu.au
Open Day Contact: bronwyn.canham@smgs.nsw.edu. au
Saturday 29 February ACER Scholarship Test, 9:00am-12:30pm Contact: bronwyn.canham@smgs.nsw.edu. au Saturday 29 February – Sunday 1 March
Sunday 8 March International Women’s Day Twynam House Clean-Up Day Contact: brendan.alcorn@smgs.nsw.edu.au
Boarders’ Exeat weekend Contact: julie.wright@smgs.nsw.edu.au
www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
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Community Notices
Gidgillys Early Education and Care is proud to bring Jindabyne and its wider community ‘Jindabyne OSHC’. Jindabyne OSHC is an outside school hours care facility located at the Snowy Mountains Grammar School offering qualified and dedicated Educators to care for school aged children after school hours in a safe, fun and relaxed environment. This opportunity is for all school aged children in the Snowy Monaro region.
playground, toilets and the eat street area. There will be plenty of open-ended resources for the children to use! • Healthy afternoon tea provided • The children will have an opportunity to complete homework, if they wish. • We provide an environment where the children can relax, develop relationships and have no pressures, so homework is definitely optional!
What to expect at Jindabyne OSHC program:
If you require your school aged children to be cared for after their school day we offer our services from 3.20 pm - 6.00 pm weekdays.
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Offers 28 positions with a varied program that will reflect the value of play and social interactions with a focus on the wellbeing of the children. Operated from the SMGS ‘P2’ classroom. The children will also be able to access the oval,
REGISTRATIONS ARE STILL OPEN FOR TERM 1! To learn more, head to and to register head to: https://www.gidgillys.com.au/jindabyneoshc
Snowy Mountains Grammar School
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Writers Group Inaugural Meet & Greet – All Welcome! Wednesday 18th March, 6pm Snowy Mountains Grammar School Library Whether you’re beginning your writing journey, are an established writer, or just thinking about putting pen to paper this group is for you! Monthly meetings Guest speakers Writing workshops
The theme of 2020 will be Journeys … We hope to see you there! Cath Batson
Lee Taylor-Friend
Nicole Warner
For more information contact: leetaylorfriend@hotmail.com
www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
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Snowy Mountains Grammar presents
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Improv games, building to create a performance
A FUN FILLED DAY OF IMPROV! NIDA graduate, Olivia Simone (Winners and Losers, Dance Academy) is coming straight from LA to have a fun filled day playing improv games. The students will get into teams and battle it out with a fun filled improv game day. • • • • • •
Build confidence and self esteem Learn to think on the spot Learn comedy and character building Develop acting skills Work with like minded people Laugh your head off!
Dates: Sat 28th March Time: 10.00am -3.00pm Venue: SMGS, 6339 Kosciuszko Road, Jindabyne NSW Cost: $110 Age: 10 +
www.smgs.nsw.edu.au
For bookings and enquiries contact info@offthebeatentrack.biz or call 02 8005 6711
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