Newsletter
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL Edition Twelve 21 August 2020
Contents From the Principal ......................................................................................................... 1 From the Head of Curriculum ................................................................................... 3 From the Head of Pastoral ......................................................................................... 5 From the Head of Science and Mathematics .......................................................... 7 From the Head of Music ............................................................................................. 11 From the School Chaplain ...........................................................................................13 From the Head of Health and Physical Education.................................................. 15 From Outdoor Education ........................................................................................... 17 School News ................................................................................................................. 20
St George’s Anglican Grammar School; an exciting, innovative co-educational secondary school based in a high-rise building in the Perth CBD. The School caters for local and international students in Years 7-12, and is a proud member of the Anglican Schools Commission network of schools in Western Australia. We are committed to child safety and protection, and expect all staff, volunteers, visitors to the School and contractors to respect and abide by all policies, procedures and practices developed and put in place by the Anglican Schools Commission (ASC) and/or the School in this regard.
From the Principal Mr Gary Racey
CAPPUSATIONS Coffee and Chat with the Principal As you may have seen advertised recently, I am introducing a regular coffee and chat with Principal, which we will call ‘Cappusations’. This was planned to be introduced earlier this year, but COVID threw a spanner in the works. Therefore, I am thrilled to invite you to join me for an informal, round table conversation on any discussion points you
corporate sponsorship may be a proposal welcomed by some. One of the biggest challenges in schools today is resourcing programs, both from a staffing perspective and a physical perspective. While St George’s manages our finances extremely well, we are always seeking to expand our offerings and will be doing so again in 2021, particularly in the area STEM, Digital Technology and Outdoor Education. Therefore, it is important that we consider other avenues of income for the benefit of our students.
find of interest on Wednesday
2 September from 8.45-9.30am. These
With this in mind, if any parents own or are part of a business that may be keen to offer occasions will be scheduled on a monthly basis, some sponsorship, we would love to hear so don’t worry if you can’t make this one. No from you. Whilst this may be one of the focus RSVP required. areas for our Progressive Community Engagement Group, it would be nice to start gathering some ideas and options now as we plan for next year. Progressive Community Engagement Group The inaugural Progressive Community Engagement Group meeting was held on Wednesday 5 August, with 15 or so parents in attendance. It was exciting to hear some of the reasons for participation from our parent group and the ideas that are already being generated. The team acknowledged the importance to develop some parameters and a framework within which this group will work, before we consider strategies and implementation of sub-groups. This will be the focus as we head towards the next meeting mid-September.
Corporate Sponsorship Opportunity Whilst the timing may seem odd, or potentially insensitive, to discuss the idea of corporate sponsorship when so many business have been dealt a blow through a loss of I thank those that were in attendance and income due to COVID-19, there are still some look forward to meeting the other parents organisations that are thriving. Hence, the who have shown an interest. opportunity to support the School through
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St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
Service at St George’s – Anglicare Sleepout Although details of this event will be noted later in this newsletter I wanted to take the time to sing the praises of our community for the incredible fundraising effort in support of the homeless population of Perth. The amount raised was a phenomenal considering the size our school and I sincerely thank the students and staff who stayed overnight at 50 William to make it happen. In response to COVID-19, the event was cancelled at Optus stadium; however, our students got the genuine city experience after sleeping on our rooftop. There is no better way to build empathy than having a personal experience and I am sure our participants came away with a very different understanding of what so many people in our community live like every single day; rain, hail or shine. I thank Mrs McCann for coordinating the sleepout and to the 8 other staff who helped to supervise the students. Our service program seeks to build character through the service to others and is absolutely key to shaping young minds and helping to create positive members of society. Thank you to all who give of their time to make this happen at St George’s. Science Week One of my annual highlights is to see the Science Department’s display and program for Science Week. This year’s theme was kept well under wraps in the lead up and did not disappoint. I will not steal Ms Donovan’s thunder by sharing the activities that students participated in, but I do thank her and her team for taking the time to celebrate all that Science has to offer.
Open Day As this newsletter goes to publication, we will be holding our 2020 Open Day. I thank my Executive, administration team and teaching staff for their preparation and coordination of the event, and also those students who willingly gave up their midterm break to participate in lessons to demonstrate to those not part of our community what it means to be a St Georgian. We had a fantastic turnout; however, some visitors left disappointed as it is not so easy getting into our school with enrolments at capacity in most years. It is hoped our students know how lucky they are! Student Celebration A huge shout out to Callum McGillivray for demonstrating resilience and persistence in the face of adversity. Callum suffered a significant spinal injury after a road bike accident earlier in the year, requiring him to wear a back brace for many weeks and not being able to compete for 4 months. However, I am pleased to say that Callum is back on the bike and competed in the State Junior Road Cycling Competition on the weekend of 8/9 August. He came 3rd in the road race, which was over 35km, and then backed this up with a 3rd place in the 10km time trial. We congratulate Callum on this mental strength to come back with such strength an inspiration!
Blessings
Gary Racey Principal
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From the Head of Curriculum Ms Victoria Kelleher
Assessment Schedules Term Three Assessment Schedules have now been sent to all families through SEQTA. These schedules are a good indication of busy periods during this term, when your child might need a little more support. My previous article attempted to justify the actions of adolescents and alluded to how the teenage brain is occupied with many things. Unfortunately, school and study can often be at the bottom of that busy brain.
Study Skills Learning to study is a skill. When I asked some of my students about studying, their responses revealed they find studying a challenge and the challenge can be very different for each student. ‘My notes don’t help me to study’, ‘I get distracted while studying’, ‘I get anxious when taking tests’, ‘I don’t remember what I have read’, ‘I get bored and tired when studying’, ‘It takes me too much time to read and study’, ‘My notes are not helpful for studying’, ‘I just read and hope I remember it’. These comments are nothing new. Students need opportunities to develop their own study method to personalise their own learning. 3
In their research paper, Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology, researchers John Dunlosky, Katherine A. Rawson, Elizabeth J. Marsh, Mitchell J. Nathan, and Daniel T. Willingham, reviewed the effectiveness of commonly used learning techniques and shortlisted five of the most effective study methods for teenagers’ academic success: 1. Elaborative Interrogation – Although it sounds scary, this method simply involves the student asking the question ‘why?’ and attempt to answer the ‘why?’ while they are studying. This method forces them to elaborate on their understanding of the facts because if they don’t understand the information, they cannot explain the ‘why?’. 2. Self-Explanation – This method requires the student to provide an explanation while solving each step (a very handy technique when studying Mathematics). Selfexplanation also works well when students are studying a topic that they don’t know much about as it encourages the student to find out more. 3. Practice Testing – This method is simply when the student tests themselves, perhaps using flashcards, Quizlet or having a study buddy? Textbooks often offer additional practice questions, that students could complete and give to their teachers for feedback. Practice testing can help students mentally organize their information and improve their retention and recall of material.
St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
4. Distributed Practice - Distributed practice is the opposite of cramming. This method is better than an all-night study session before the big exam because the human brain must see something repeatedly over the course of time to effectively commit it to memory. This is because spacing out readings and self-testing means repeatedly needing to recall what content has been covered and engaging their long-term memory.
summarise what has been learned (in the Summary section). The Cornell Note Taking System allows a student’s brain to work in several different ways to help them understand and retain information.
5. Interleaved Practice – This method involves practicing several problems or course content in a single study session. A student might study humanities by writing an essay, using techniques covered in English. Or in languages, a student might chose to study vocabulary by placing words in grammatically correct sentences. Interleaved Practice provides students with an opportunity to study content as it might appear in the test. Along with using one, or a number of these methods, one of best study tips I could offer is to write down what needs to be studied. Do not highlight! Highlighting as a tool for studying has generally been demonstrated to be ineffective for improving memory or recall. Writing down what needs to remembered is most helpful because of the need to put thoughts into words, and the process of handwriting can be helpful in this regard. The best technique which supports the five methods listed above, is the Cornell Note Taking System.
SCSA Year 12 Handbook SCSA have released Part II of the Year 12 Information Handbook. The focus of this handbook is Examinations and is relevant to all students sitting the ATAR course examinations. Information provided in the Handbook includes the purpose of examinations, important dates, Cornell Notes can be used in class, when preparing for examinations and how to access reading a textbook, or using online sources. The results and the WACE Folio of Achievement process involves dividing a page in three and after the examinations are complete. A PDF labelling each section, Notes, Cue, and of this document has been sent to all Year 12 Summary. The basic principle of this system parents and students. is that there is a place to record facts (in the Victoria Kelleher Notes section), a place to write down questions (in the Cue section), and a place to Curriculum Coordinator
From the Head of Pastoral Mr Hilton Hardman
Parent Guest speaker On 11 September (week 7) St George’s Anglican Grammar will have Dr Jane Genovese in as our Guest speaker for our Parent body. She came recommended by one of our parents, and after having her deliver her presentation on Exam hacks to Year 11 and 12 students, it was clear she would add value in a talk to parents. Below is the outline of her talk along with a brief overview. Study Hacks: Helping Your Child Study Smarter (Not Harder) Research shows that unless students are explicitly taught study skills, they won’t just magically pick them up. In this presentation, Dr Jane Genovese draws on academic research, as well as her personal experience studying law and psychology and a PhD, to share what she considers essential study strategies and skills for students and parents.
and practical talk which will allow you to have insight into how your child can study smart. Student Guild 2020 Over the next couple of weeks, we will be holding the elections for the 2020 Student Guild. For some positions, speeches will take place in front of the whole school, while for others, speeches will be in front of House groups. I have the pleasure of working closely with the Student Guild, so I know what a great opportunity student leadership is for our students. Through serving our community, our young leaders learn how to inspire, innovate and delegate. They learn how to manage – both themselves and others – and they learn what integrity really is. I’d like to take the opportunity to extend my thanks to those students who will be applying for positions in the 2020 Student Guild and to wish them well. It is no small thing to have the courage to put yourself out there in front of your peers and the broader school community, and I congratulate our candidates on taking this first step.
About Dr Jane Genovese Dr Jane Genovese graduated from Murdoch University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Psychology with First Class Honours and received a Vice Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence. In 2017, she completed her doctoral thesis in education and psychology. She is the author of several books, including Study Hacks:Your Survival Guide for High School and the comic Smart Study: How to Study Less and Get More. More information around this talk and others taking place will be sent out in the days to come. Please mark this date on your calendar and take the time to come in and listen to an insightful 5
Hilton Hardman Head of Pastoral St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
From the Head of Mathematics and Science Ms Charlotte Donovan
News From Science and Maths National Science Week has arrived! This year we are celebrating ‘International Year of Plant Health’ and the students and teachers have been delighted with the forest that has grown overnight in the basement. Students have been exploring the forest, naming all the animals and searching for QR codes, to learn more about plants and the importance of plant health for sustainable life on Earth. Each day this week we are immersed into Science and encourage every member of the school community to #findyourscience. On Monday we welcomed Yvonne, from WA Birds of Prey, who gave our Year 7’s, and some lucky Year 12’s, an incredible lesson on raptors, where they live in the Perth CBD, and the role WA Birds of Prey play in rescuing, rehabilitating and returning raptors back into the environment. Our students were amazed at how close these birds live near our school in the CBD and were in ’raptures’ when Yvonne showed us her 5 different birds. We learnt that the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal in the world, we now know the difference between an owl that uses hearing for hunting versus an owl that uses eyesight. We were fortunate to meet the celebrity Kite, who starred in the film Paper
Planes, and Midge, the Wedge-tailed Eagle, impressed us with his 2 metre wingspan and gave all the students and teachers a chance to hold him and stroke his downy chest. We even met a fledgling owl, whose face only a mother could love! Students and staff are encouraged to enter the Science Week Photo Competition. Send in your best plant photo to Mrs McCann, who will print and display them. The ‘People’s Choice’ will be awarded to the photo with the most votes. Entries close Friday 21 August and voting closes early next week. The hotly contested Annual Science Week Kahoot will run on Wednesday. Prizes will be awarded for the winning student from each PCG. Good luck! The remainder of Science week will give students a chance to explore energy transformations in popcorn, to build hovercrafts, and to plant and take home a small succulent bowl. A massive thankyou goes out to the tireless Science Department, who give up their l unchtimes to excite and engage our students in the wonderful world of Science.
Charlotte Donovan Head of Science and Mathematics
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From the Head of Mathematics and Science
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From the Head of Music Mr Michael Newton
In The Music Department The St Georges music department has had a makeover! The music rooms have been completely renovated and two new practice rooms have been added as well as a stage area in the main room. Make sure to come check it out at recess or lunch.
In other news, Electrocity ensemble was nominated for a 2020 WAM ‘Song of the Year’ award. Unfortunately they didn’t win this year, but it is still a great achievement since there were over 1,000 entries and Electrocity was one of the few finalists. Electrocity Ensemble has also been commissioned by the WA branch of the Australian Society of Music Education to write a piece as part of their Augment and Inspire project. The piece and associated teaching resources will be made available to schools all over Western Australia.
4. Why should other people do music? Other people should do music because it is great fun you can learn a new skill and you can be a part of a big community 5. What’s your advice for anyone learning Music? Don’t give up and keep trying and eventually you will master any instrument you play. Kate van Olden Music Captain
Michael Newton Head of Music
Muso Profile – William Corcoran (Yr 8) 1. What instrument(s) do you play? Voice. 2. What first got you interested in Music? I first got interested in music because of how many opportunities there were so I decided to give it a try. 3. What’s the best thing about Music at St. G’s? There are great music teachers and there are many co-curriculars and opportunities to do music
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From the School Chaplain Ms Sarah Stapleton
Science Week has begun, and thus far it has been fabulous! How exciting to meet not only a Barn Owl (yes, just like Hedwig!) but also a Peregrine falcon, a Boobook owl, a Kite and a Wedgetailed eagle (and the sweetest baby Barn owl I have ever seen). Thank you Charlotte Donovan for allowing us the experience, it was wonderful!
tower, or Barn Owl sleeping in a tree near the Convention Centre. The way that animals and plants adapt and respond to their environment reminds me of how resilient the natural world is. As God’s revelation to us, it stands as something to be treasured and conserved. Happy Science Week everyone!
I have been reflecting recently about the benefits of working and learning in the city. Our school sits right amongst the happenings and excitement of Perth, and I am so grateful to be in amongst the hustle and bustle. We get the full experience of life in the city, from wealth and opulence to poverty and need. I see the Divine in all sorts of places, in the faces of the homeless; in the diversity of the crowds; young people with fabulously coloured hair and edgy outfits; families bringing their kids in for a day at the shops, and I am moved by it all. The other thing I love about the city is nature. Nature is my first stopping point when I want to de-stress, ground myself, and be reminded of God’s presence in the world. I enjoy watching the ducks in the Supreme Court Gardens as well as pigeons strolling the footpaths and the flowers that change with the seasons. Now, thanks to Yvonne from WA Birds of Prey Centre, I know that I should also look up, into the trees and tall buildings. If I am really lucky I will see a Peregrine Falcon making its nest in a high rise 13 Edition 12 2020
From the Head of Physical Education Ms Jodie Scheele
Physical Education has been “fizzing” into a great start to Term Three: We had a sensational Inter-House Athletics Carnival bringing us all together to participate, excel, strive and enjoy. Year 7 Netball PE classes at UWA courts. It has been great to have student umpires leading the mixed, competitive games. Year 8 European Handball who are enjoying playing on a full-sized court and having the space to execute their skills. Year 9 Basketball at Loftus and Year 10 Badminton at UWA is challenging students with new skills and game play. Up and coming NWAS Winter Sport One Day Carnivals, for both Year 8 and 9 and Year 9 and10. Here we will enjoy playing in a draw for the day at four different venues. The sports the students will engage in are Netball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer and Badminton. More to report in the following newsletter. NWAS Year 7 and 8 Thursday 27 August NWAS Year 9 and 10 Friday 28 August GOOD LUCK TO ALL TEAMS, PLAY WELL AND REMEMBER “SPORT IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT”, ACC.
Jodie Scheele Head of Health and Physical Education
Under 13’s Ava Watters, Abbey Peters, Amelie McKeown, Charlotte Bense, Lara Jones, Zuri Hawkins, Phoebe Taber, Mya Findlater and Owen Lane, Gary To, Jacob Bow, Henry Beck, Campbell Bradley, Caedyn Cheeseman and Aramis Surtees Under 14’s Zara Brown, Holly Williams, Sadie Tibbitts, Meg Purser, Maya Hardley, Serena Lee, Kaylee Chin, Audrey Hunt and Taj Racey, Cooper Zuideveld, Nathan Mitchell, Harry Joyner, Asher Cox-Cullen and Dylan Herbert Under 15’s Bonnie Baugh, Milla Howard, Meg Lang, Shanae Green, Mikayla Sherman, Lauren Martin, Sydney Gould and Francis Bolum, Jacob Radici, Koby Pascall, Daniel van Olden, Callum McGillivray and Sam Beck Open Eliza Griffin, Ali Griffin, Alice Conroy, Brianna Goss, Molli Mentink, Jordan Day and Sam Johnsen, Isaac Blackwell, Bernard Bolum, Benedict Bolum, Findlay Samuelson and Charles Beck
Athletics training continues every Wednesday after school at Mc Gillivray Reserve, in preparation for ACC Athletics Carnival held at the State Athletics Centre on Friday 4 September. We have a team of 60 students competing at this event. Congratulations to the following students on being selected to represent the School.
From the Outdoor Education Department Ms Jackie Sullivan
Outdoor Education – Year 9 and 10 This semester has been a busy and exciting time for Outdoor Education. Due to many changes due to Covid 19, the Outdoor Education program had to be modified but I was very proud of all of the students for their adaptability and commitment when times got a bit tough. Lucky enough I was able to still run the two Excursions at the end of Term 2 and the start of Term 3. Year 9 – Orienteering Excursion to Jorgenson Park – Kalamunda This excursion was well received by all students. They were able to demonstrate the skills they had learnt at school and were able to be challenge in a bush setting. All students completed the day in groups of 3, using their compass and map to find control points which were placed throughout the park. I would like to thank Tony Simpkins from Orienteering WA for helping to develop an Orienteering Map for Elizabeth Quay for us to use with our classes. Thank you to Mr Caplan for coming on this excursion with me. Year 10 – Mountain Biking – Mundi Biddi Trail – Dwellingup Students left school at 8am, driving on the
bus straight to Dwellingup. On arrival we met Mr Peter White, who was our guide for the day. Students were allocated a Mountain Bike before two students were allocated a ‘Navigation Leader’ and ‘Back rider’ position. These two students navigated the group using a map on both the Mundi Biddi Trail and the Marrinup Mountain Biking trail. These two jobs were rotated throughout the day, so most of the class got the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership qualities. The day was well received by all students, but I am sure everyone was very tired that night after riding 20km on challenging terrain. Thank you to Mr Caplan for coming on this excursion with me. Upcoming Events – Term 3 - Friday 21 August – I look forward to meeting prospective parents at the ‘Open Day’, demonstrating many of the Outdoor Education skills currently taught in both the Year 9 and Year 10 programs. Term 3 - Thursday 24 August – Year 9 Orienteering Excursion – Jorgensen Park, Kalamunda Term 4 – Thursday 15 October – Year 10 Mountain Biking Excursion – Mundi Biddi Trail – Dwellingup Urban Descent – QV1 Abseil 2020 I have been invited by Terry Hewett from Adventure Out to attend this wonderful day. I will be involved in a training day at either Mountain or Boya Quarry prior to the event, and on Friday 30 October I will be attending the QV1 Abseil to observe the overall roping operations on the day. This is a very exciting opportunity for me to be involved in.
I would like to acknowledge that Terry was very kind and donated all of the roping gear that is currently used inthe Outdoor Education program. If you have any queries about Outdoor Education please email me at jsullivan@ stgeorges.wa.edu.au
Jackie Sullivan Outdoor Education 2020 was the first year that Outdoor Education was available as a subject at St George’s and, even despite some major setbacks due to COVID-19, it was a very good first year. We started the year off by doing rock climbing and learning rope skills in Term 1 before we spent most of Term 2 doing Trangia cooking and first-aid until the very end where we did mountain biking.The mountain biking unit culminated in a whole day excursion at the beginning of Term 3 to the Munda Biddi trail. Our rock-climbing unit involved us going every Wednesday of Term 1 to a rock-climbing facility called The Hangout for around 7 weeks. Over the weeks, we tried out and climbed a variety of walls which we were assessed on. At the same time, we spent the Thursdays learning how to tie knots, an essential skill when venturing to the outdoors. However, our term was cut short when we went into lockdown due to COVID-19. During the lockdown, our options became very limited and we ended up starting our Trangia cooking unit early by doing cooking at home. When we finally returned to school in Term 2, we had to postpone our mountain biking unit to the very end and ended up doing Trangia cooking and first aid for most of the term. However,
we spent the Wednesday lessons of the last two weeks doing biking tracks through South Perth and to Optus Stadium. On our ride to South Perth, we were met with extreme rain which taught us that we always need to prepare for everything when biking as many of us did not pack raincoats.These rides were to prepare us for the Munda Biddi trail day trip that we attended at the beginning of Term 3. On the Thursday of the first week of Term 3, we took a bus ride to Dwellingup where we hired bikes and started the on the Munda Biddi trail. We travelled along the track for around an hour until we reached the Marrinup Loop trail.The loop had many downhill and uphill parts as well as obstacles on which tricks could be performed. The loop took around 2 hours and was extremely fun. Overall, outdoor education was a great addition to subjects at St George’s and should be here to stay, with more students hopefully joining in the coming years - Giles Heather
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St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
School News
Student Term Dates - 2020 Term 3 27 July - 25 September New Student Orientation 24 July Students Mid Term Break, Friday 21 August
SEQTA The St George’s Anglican Grammar School SEQTA account is not a monitored platform. Please contact the staff member directly to ensure prompt action to your message.
Term 4 13 October - 9 December
Computer Rental Agreement Computers are not always reliable and will sometimes fail and require repairs. This causes the student to, sometimes, go without a computer for a couple of weeks. The School can now offer free loan computers when required. Parents/guardians, please fill out and sign the agreement form here and allow the IT department 24 hours to prepare a computer for use.
Student Term Dates - 2021 Term 1 29 January - 01 April New Student Orientation, 28 January Students Mid Term Break, Friday 26 February Term 2 21 April - 02 July Students Mid Term Break, Friday 4 June Enrolments The School Enrolment Policy requires one full term’s notice in writing prior to the withdrawal of a student from the School. Where such notice is not received, the School will charge an amount equal to the tuition fees for that current term. To avoid fees in lieu being charged, notice of a student’s withdrawal must be received by the School before the first day of the School Term preceding the Term of the student’s departure. If this does not occur, families will be charged the remainder of the current Term, plus an additional Terms fee in lieu.
Battery Recycling Used batteries are being collected in the IT Manager’s office. Please take advantage of this free facility. What batteries can be collected? Dry cell batteries include AA, AAA (single use or rechargeable), C, D, button batteries, 9V, 6V and cordless power tools. What batteries cannot be collected? Lead acid batteries, such as car batteries, and mobile phone batteries cannot be collected. Please contact your local council for details of how to dispose of these batteries.
More information can be found here: Upon withdrawal of a student from the School, https://www.mrc.wa.gov.au/School-community/ all fees and charges incurred for that student Battery-programs/School are payable to the School in full within seven days of exit. If the account has been paid in full and a refund is due, payment will be processed for the full refund due within seven days of exit. 20
St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter