Newsletter
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL Edition Fourteen 18 September 2020
Contents From the Principal ......................................................................................................... 1 From the Head of Curriculum ................................................................................... 5 From the Head of Pastoral ......................................................................................... 7 From the School Chaplain ..........................................................................................11 From the Head of Health and Physical Education.................................................. 13 Administration News ................................................................................................... 17 School News ................................................................................................................. 18
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
As we begin Spring, it is a time of renewal and growth. A nice metaphor for our School community as we finish Term 3 and head into the end of what has been a very ‘different’ academic year across the globe. With only one week of term to go, our Year 12’s are just coming to terms with the fact they are nearly at the end of their secondary education journey. This is a very resilient group of young people who have dealt with the challenges of the impact from COVID-19 and adapted so well. They are in good spirits as they prepare for their last final in-house examinations during the second week of the school holidays and I wish them all the very best as they seek to complete the last sprint to the finish line. For the rest of our students, I encourage you to keep working hard and wish you a peaceful and restorative holiday break over the October holidays. I hope families get the time to enjoy the company of each other and take advantage of the blessed position to be able to do so. Travel safely!
this generation, it is also a great thing that the challenges in the realm of mental health are being addressed so much more and no longer seen as taboo. Education organisations have changed significantly in recent years, responding to the pastoral needs of our students and seeking to support them as much as possible in the area of mental health. I am proud to say that our pastoral team, so ably led by Mr Hardman, are doing terrific things in this space, with the aim to promote good mental health and to encourage the seeking of help when it is needed. Families are encouraged to talk and communicate openly and regularly about this issue to permit early intervention wherever possible. The School has multiple resources available, including those shared last week, that may be of benefit to families. Please contact your child’s key pastoral contact if you would like more information or have any questions. I commend and thank our Student Guild for running the activities throughout last week. Indigenous Culture Working Party As our community is aware, the School has initiated an Indigenous Culture Working Party. It was so thrilling to see the excitement and energy that was generated within the group at our first gathering, and in particular having representation from all key
ROUK Day/Week Sadly, RUOK Day/Week appears to have become one of the most significant and important awareness campaigns the School participates in each year. Whilst it is sad in the sense that mental health is such a wide-spread concern for young people of 1
St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
stakeholders in staff, parents and students. We also have strong representation from the Aboriginal community who have contacts to indigenous organisations that may be able to support us in our future endeavours. The group will be meeting again next week to discuss the Anglican Schools Commission Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and how we as a school will seek to implement it. I thank those that were in attendance and look forward to the positive developments as we roll out our shared strategies. Some, but not all, of the members are in the photograph below:
School Events This week’s busy calendar caused me to once again reflect on how lucky we are in this State to be once again be able to implement our co-curricular and extra-curricular events with limited restrictions. This week alone saw the Year 12 Drama Solo’s at the Comedy Club, ‘September Songs’ at the heritage listed previous Perth Girls School, and the River Cruise. I thank our staff for being so diligent in ensuring external venues have appropriate COVID-19 risk management strategies in place and for making sure our participants adhere to our expected level of health and safety measures.
Student Guild 2021 Selections As our outgoing Guild members wrap up for the year, the School now looks to the future leaders who will take over the formal mantle of leadership in 2021, and following the nomination speeches it is clear we will continue to be in capable hands. There is nothing more powerful than a genuine leader who speaks from the heart, reflects our Christian values and puts themselves forward for the right reasons – to serve others. This was clearly evident throughout the process. Good luck to all applicants, but either way it is hoped that every single person who put themselves forward for a position will still seek to help the leadership team in 2021, as they have so much to offer. All students who nominated will have a follow up meeting to offer feedback and discuss their role next year, along with sharing a morning tea with the Executive Team on the day of the public announcement.
Interschool Athletics Carnival - Another Win Congratulations to our interschool athletics team who took home the win in the ACC ‘H’ Division carnival recently – AGAIN! After an ACC re-structure saw us remain in this division, even after winning it last year, we turned up and did it all again. I was fortunate to be able to spend the whole day at the event and certainly got caught up in the moment. The thing that stood out for me was how indicative this type of day is in terms of reflecting what we celebrate as a school community, including having each other’s back, going beyond our comfort zone, supporting and working together to achieve success. There were students who stepped into events at short notice who, regardless of the
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position they finished, earned points for the School. When you only win by 15 points, every single performance counts. Additionally, the response and support of those students back at School was a highlight. Due to the live streaming of track events, our entire population could be there with our athletes and they certainly got behind them. The video shared of the Year 7’s in their classroom when the final result was announced clearly displayed what it meant to them. I couldn’t be prouder! Thank to Mrs Scheele, Mr Garsallah and Mr Caplan for all the work leading up to the day. Their ongoing support and time sacrifice to prepare our athletes so well is greatly appreciated. Student Celebrations A couple of shout-outs to two of our Year 11 students:
Bernard Bolum has recently returned from participating in the running of an Indigenous Athletic Camp in the Pilbara region. Bernard sacrificed not only his time, but also his chance to represent at the ACC Interschool Athletics Carnival in which he was destined to do extremely well in, so as to support indigenous students who don’t have access to high level coaching or appropriate equipment. This attitude and approach is something we value highly at St George’s and we thank Bernard for contributing and representing his school and family so well.
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St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
New Staff Member We have recently welcomed Michelle Hort, our new Marketing Specialist, to our team and we are extremely excited to have her on board. We have shared with Michelle the strength of advocacy that our parent body offer our community and she is looking forward to working with us all to celebrate the incredible organisation that we are. Welcome, Michelle.
It is with great pleasure that I announce one of our international students, Earlene Manorekang (Mai), has been accepted into the Culinary Arts Academy in Switzerland to begin in April 2021. We are so very thrilled for Mai and on behalf of all at St George’s we congratulate her on this wonderful achievement. We look forward to keeping in touch with Mai and sharing in her future achievements.
Blessings
Gary Racey Principal 4 Edition 14 2020
From the Head of Curriculum Ms Victoria Kelleher
Year 12 Examinations Friday 2 October – Monday 12 October Our Year 12 students will sit their Semester Two Examinations for their ATAR subjects during Week Two of the school holidays. These exams are the final school-based assessments our students will complete before they sit the ATAR exams. A copy of the timetable has been sent to the Year 12 students through SEQTA. All at St. George’s wish our Year 12 students so much success as they move towards these important examinations.
Year 9 Discoveries & Year 10 Future Discoveries ‘Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think’ Einstein 1879-1955
St. George’s is excited to introduce a new program for our Year 9 and Year 10 students. Year 9 Discoveries and Year 10 Future Discoveries, will be implemented in Year 9 in Year 12 ATAR Examinations 2020 2021 and Year 10 in 2022 and incorporate Students can now download a copy of their personalised written examination timetable from research, education, and real-world phenomenon https://studentportal.scsa.wa.edu.au showing the to engage students in a wide range of activities, bringing past and future into the present, date, time, and location of each examination in enabling the investigation of choices. The aims which they are enrolled. of both programs are to encourage and enable It is important for our students to note the students to: following information: Candidates must arrive 30 minutes prior to the Engage in a sustained, self-directed investigation examination start time. This will allow time for seating, administrative processes, and the reading within a real-world phenomenon. of instructions. Generate new understandings through in-depth investigations. No allowance can be made for candidates who miss the examination session through Increase understandings of the economic, social, misreading the timetable. political, and cultural influences which shape The Year 12 ATAR course written examinations people’s perceptions of the world. timetable is final and no changes will be made. Develop the skills, attitudes, and values to encourage a sustainable future in which the welfare of both people and the planet are of equal importance. 5
St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
Both programs employ specific pedagogical practices including guided inquiry, rigorous learning focused projects and blended mastery. This type of education is a move away from the traditional and embraces the 21st Century by equipping students with the skills needed for the future workplace. Students and teachers choose to focus on a real-world phenomenon: culture, globalisation, social media, or something more problematic like climate change. Students study a phenomenon that interests them and use scientific inquiry and problem-solving skills with the aim of understanding it and demystifying it. They are encouraged to question the world around them, prioritizing how over why, to make observations. Both programs build tangible connections between curriculum theory and the real world, but also serve to link the various, separate subjects that we teach at school. The programs integrate the learning of important transferrable skills such as investigation, resourcefulness, communication, and collaboration, but more importantly, they allow our students to own the learning process, transforming them from passive participants within education to active learners.Year 9 Discoveries and Year 10 Future Discoveries go beyond STEM by combining it with the creativity of the arts and humanities, giving the next generation a rounded, holistic education.
Important Dates for Year 12 Students Wednesday 30 September: TISC Online 11.00pm: ‘Early Bird’ application fee deadline you pay the standard application fee after today. Final closing date for some courses. Monday 5 October – Monday 12 October: Semester Two Examinations Thursday 22 October: Year 12 Final Assembly and Valedictory Monday 2 November: WACE ATAR Course Written Examinations Start Monday 2 November: WAUFP Examinations Start Monday 21 December: WACE Results and University Admissions Advice Letters
Victoria Kelleher Head of Curriculum
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From the Head of Pastoral Mr Hilton Hardman
The message for R U OK Day? 2020 was: 'THERE'S MORE TO SAY AFTER R U OK?' 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, and circumstances have made it even more critical for us all to stay connected and, for those who are able, be willing to support those around us.You don't have to be an expert to keep the conversation going when someone says they're not OK. By knowing what to say, you can help someone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they're in crisis, which can make a positive difference in their life.
The students Guild planned and organised all activities for this week, and the success of this week was a credit to them. The fundraising page raised over $1220, which surpassed the original goal of $500. This speaks volumes of our school community and the willingness to support those in need and the understanding of the necessity of this support in our community.
A number of activities were run throughout the week such as Just Dance, Art workshops, meditation, Sport, Free dress, Music workshop, Drama workshop, Guest speakers on mental health and the Student Guild handed out Wristbands to all Students and Staff. It's essential that as a school, we continue to have these conversations and create awareness amongst our student community. Overall, a well-run event lead by the students for the students.
At St Georges Anglican Grammar School, a large emphasis is placed on Pastoral Care and student's mental health. This week focused on creating awareness around this day and supporting others.
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Upcoming events: Senior school social – Friday 18/9/2020 Mandela Charity Day and Theater Challenge – Wednesday 23/9/2020
Hilton Hardman Head of Pastoral St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
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Information from Jane Genovese: Guest Speaker
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From the School Chaplain Ms Sarah Stapleton
When I heard that the Student Guild were running R U OK? activities last week, I was really pleased. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and should be treated accordingly. One morning I stood in the lobby asking questions of the students in exchange for raffle tickets. The easiest question for students to answer was ‘Name a mindfulness activity.’ I received many good answers, my favourites being sleep, music and exercise (ok, so sleep is not really mindfulness, but it certainly helps!). Meditation was mentioned with regularity also, but I wonder how many of us take the time to sit still, to let worries and stresses fade into the background, and spend time in quiet contemplation. My favourite type of mediation is prayer, and I do my best to spend time in prayer every morning and evening. As we get closer to returning to the Cathedral for Chapel on Mondays, I wonder whether the change of scenery will help staff and students to experience prayer and worship with new eyes, and renewed enthusiasm (I certainly will enjoy a break from preaching to my phone camera, and hearing myself broadcast throughout the school, from the individual PCG Chapel services!). I owe a debt of gratitude to the PCG teachers who have conducted classroom chapel on Mondays for many more weeks
than we first expected. I am very grateful to their persistence, patience and faithfulness. I hope that, as we resume our practice of prayer and praise at the St George’s Cathedral, we will find respite and sanctuary in our return to Mother Church.
Sarah Stapleton School Chaplain
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St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
From the Head of Physical Education Ms Jodie Scheele
The 2020 H-Div Champion ACC Athletics Team Congratulations to the mighty St Georgian ACC Athletics Team who consistently performed with composure and tenacity even when the pressure was on. We were neck and neck with Emmanuel Christian College and St James Anglican School shifting throughout the event from 1st place into 2nd and 3rd place with just a few points in it all day. It really was an incredible team effort, with every point mattering in both field events and running events. It takes courage to race, just imagine staring down the track at this:
A new initiative by the ACC – Associated & Catholic Colleges of WA, was providing a live stream through a private YouTube channel. This enable the community back at school to watch the races live. It was brilliant to hear of the electric atmosphere back here in the building with classes watching their peers as the races took place. The roof nearly lifting off when it was announced that we won. The live stream will take place at future carnivals and is a great way to build school spirit. Many thanks to Mr Gary Racey for being there for the day. To Mr Yousri Gharsallah for his work and dedication to the students. Mr Daniel Caplan looked after the official roles and has really melded into St George’s. Mr Alex Hanssen came out of the results room unscathed and reported that it really came down to the final Senior Girls Relay that pulled us into the win. Many thanks to the parent helpers and student officials who dedicated their time in the necessary ACC official roles.
Most importantly to the ACC students, you never cease to amaze me in your approach and your abilities.You are all brilliant ambassadors of the School. Many people come and talk to me commending you on your effort and attitude at the event. Most importantly to the ACC students, you never cease to amaze me in your approach and your abilities.You are all brilliant ambassadors of the School. Many people come and talk to me commending you on your effort and attitude at the event. ‌St Georgians‌you are all amazing!
Jodie Scheele Head of Health and Physical Education
From the Head of Physical Education Ms Jodie Scheele
School Administration ENROLMENT WITHDRAWALS Whilst we are always saddened when any of our families leave us, reality suggests that it does happen from time to time for various reasons. Therefore, a reminder to families considering a change in 2021, whether that be because of moving house/State or other, notice to the School must be received no later than Friday 25 September (last day of Term 3) or Term 1 2021 fees will be charged in lieu, in accordance with the forms signed at enrolment. To explain that better, if your child notifies their 2021 withdrawal at any point after the date listed above, a full terms fees (Term 1, 2021) will be charged to the family account. In saying this, it is hoped our families stay with us and we continue the education journey with you all.
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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. 18
St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter