Newsletter
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Edition Fourteen 20 September 2019
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.
Contents From the Principal ......................................................................................................... 1 From the Head of Curriculum .................................................................................... 3 From the Head of Pastoral .......................................................................................... 5 From the Humanities Department ............................................................................ 7 From the Physical Education Department ...............................................................11 From the IT Manager ................................................................................................... 13 School News ................................................................................................................ 15
From the Principal Mr Gary Racey
So, the good news is that the Cats are still alive in the AFL Finals series, but sadly the Eagles are not. Commiserations to our school population who go for the local team, but let’s send some positive thoughts for my team tonight! Go the Cats!
environment that is created whereby our young people are so very comfortable exposing themselves in such a potentially vulnerable way. To be in a school that embraces individuality and does not negatively judge others is a rare and beautiful thing. You simply cannot put your finger on it, but we are a special school that makes every person feel accepted and welcome. Well done to every person involved for being brave and putting themselves out there.
With only one week of term to go, our Year 12’s are now coming to terms with the fact they are nearly at the end of their secondary education journey. They appear to be coping well and preparing busily for their final in-house examinations during the second week of the school holidays. I wish them all the very best and hope they achieve the results they have been working towards.
The other wonderful thing on display is the ongoing connection with our alumni, who not only hosted the evening events but also sat in the audience and were on the judging panel. Additionally, a terrific result to support the Cystic Fibrosis charity. Thank you and well done to Mrs Fassom for her coordination of a brilliant day.
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Student Guild 2020 Selections An extremely proud day for me recently as I For the rest of our students, I encourage listened to our 2020 Student Guild you to keep working hard and seek some candidates presenting their speeches in the rest and recuperation over the October Cathedral. To be walking away from the holidays in preparation for a big finish to the presentations thinking the School would year next term. Keep safe! be in safe hands with any of these students leading us next year certainly puts a spring Mandela Charity Day in your step. Every single student embedded If anyone wants a visual representation of their own personality into their speech and the culture at St George’s, all they need to were very well prepared. There is nothing do is spend the day watching the events of more powerful that a genuine leader who the Mandela Charity Day. The Lip Sync speaks from the heart and is there for the Battle, Theatre Sports, and Glee activities right reasons – which is to serve because demonstrate the strong inter-year they care. Good luck to all applicants, but connection and caring and supportive either way it is hoped that every single community we are part of. It is a day that person who put themselves forward will still gives me goose-bumps as I see an seek to help the leadership team in 2020,
as they have so much to offer. All applicants 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 public announcement. Electrocity and ASC Rock Concert Congratulations to our Music department for preparing our students for two exciting events recently: Electrocity performed at the Anglicare National Conference and Awards Night at the State Reception Centre. Our Rock Band participated in the ASC Rock Concert at Peter Moyes ACS. This type of experience highlights the quality of the School’s co-curricular program and the reputation that our Music program has in the community. Real life experiences to prepare our young people for the world they will enter at the conclusion of their secondary education – it doesn’t get any better than that. ASC Board Chair Farewell The Chair of the Anglican Commission School Board, Mrs Barbara Godwin, was farewelled at the Hyatt Regency recently following her announcement to retire at the conclusion of 2019, and our very own Ronan Dixon was asked to perform. Ronan is well known to the ASC Board, having previously played at the 2019 ASC Board Dinner. He is such a wonderful representative of St George’s as both Head Boy and a fantastic musician. Mrs Godwin’s 2
retirement brings an end to a long and illustrious career with the ASC – 17 years as Principal of St Marks ACS, followed by 11 years as Chair of the Board. Her contribution and legacy will last for years to come and St George’s thanks her for her support over the years. Interschool Athletics Carnival Win Congratulations to our interschool athletics team who took home the win in the ACC H Division carnival recently. An incredible effort by all and sundry. Plenty of trophies in the cabinet now, in addition to the interschool swim team win earlier in the year. We certainly fight above our weight in this area of the school. Well done Ms Scheele! Mrs McCann Farewell We farewell Mrs McCann for a short time at the end of this term as she takes parental leave in anticipation of her baby’s arrival in October. We wish her and her family all the very best as they welcome their new addition, and look forward to her return in 2020. Mrs McCann’s absence will be filled with a combination of internal cover, due to some staff losing Year 12 classes, and the introduction of Mrs Jan Hay. Mrs Hay is a previous staff member at St George’s so will settle in quickly and ensure the consistent and stable delivery of the curriculum and pastoral program to our students. Blessings
Gary Racey Principal
From the Head of Curriculum Mrs Angela Tanham
Year 12 Semester Two Examinations Year 12 students will sit their Semester Two Examinations for their ATAR subjects during Week 2 of the school holidays. These exams are the final school based assessments the students will do before they sit the ATAR exams from Wednesday 30 October to Tuesday 19 November. The students have received copies of their individual WACE exam timetables. They must take these to each exam. All Year 12 students completing ATAR courses should have established a study timetable to ensure they are well prepared for their examinations. Doing past exam questions, under exam conditions, is one of the best ways to revise. Other effective study strategies include: Explaining an important concept to your mum, dad, teddy bear or bedroom wall. Creating a mind map on an important topic. Creating flash cards and then asking someone to test you.
Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN Results The school has received the NAPLAN results and a copy of the report been mailed home to parents and guardians. Parents should keep the Report in a safe place as duplicate copies are not available. The reports will also be available on SEQTA Engage to download and print out. An initial analysis of the NAPLAN shows pleasing results for St George’s. In both Year 7 and 9 the School is above State and National averages in all areas of testing and above or at the same level of averages is comparison to statistically similar schools. The Growth Charts of students between Year 7 and Year 9 have shown pleasing results with growth in Spelling, Writing, Reading and Numeracy occurring at a greater rate than the National, State and Statistically Similar School comparisons.
All at St George’s wish our Year 12 students every success as they move towards these important exams.
Scam Employment Flyers Last week a parent reported that his child had come home with a flyer offering tutoring work for high school students. The person handing out the flyer requested personal information from the student including a name and email address. Other students also reported to the school that they had been handed the same brochure and asked to supply the same personal details. As a school we have addressed this issue by discussing with students during Protective Behaviours the importance of not providing anyone they don’t know with personal information. This includes giving it in person, over the phone or the internet. Students have also been made aware of how they can be vigilant to various forms of scams. Parents and students can find more information about scams at
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All of the above should be done with your phone turned off to avoid the distraction of the constant ting or buzz. If you find it hard to turn off the phone, hand it to mum or dad for safe keeping.
the Australian Competition and Consumer room, chill out zone and photo booth. Commission website www.scamwatch.gov.au Date: Saturday 21 September 2019 2.00 – 10.00pm Venue: RAC Arena, 700 Wellington St Perth Careers Cost: $49.95 University of Western Australia A Day at UWA for Years 10 and 11 The University of Western Australia has designed “A Day at UWA” especially for Year For more information and to register visit https://www.murdoch.edu.au/study/under10s and Year 11s. graduate-students/events-and-resources/ Between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, students will future-students have the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops, meet UWA students and staff, and explore the different degrees and exciting opportunities within the university. Food and drinks will be provided throughout the day.
Curtin University Early Offers Program Apply by 30 September 2019 to receive your Curtin offer before the ATAR exam period. Knowing you’ve got your place at Curtin sorted means you can spend more time Parents and guardians can register their child preparing for your exams. For more information visit https://study.curvia the link below. The closing date for registration is 20 September 2019. Please tin.edu.au/early-offers/ note that places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Date:Tuesday 8 October For more information and to register for these events visit https://www.notredame. For more information and to register visit: https://alumni.uwa.edu.au/events/year-10-11- edu.au/events-items/admissions-info-evening a-day-at-uwa-evening-session Sound On Festival Perth’s only festival for high schoolers is back and better than ever. This is way more than your average festival. Not only will you be able to listen and dance to your favourite acts, you’ll also be able to hear the artists give advice on our artist panel, and enjoy a bunch of other free experiences including a glitter bar, gaming
Angela Tanham Curriculum Coordinator
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From the Head of Pastoral Mr Hilton Hardman
On 11 September, Dr Jane Genovese did a presentation to parents on Study Hacks. It was well attended with all parents being able to take something away. Below is a summary of her presentation for those parents who were unable to attend and a reminder to those who were there on the night.
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From the Humanities Department Ms Courtney Evans
Year 9 and 10 Humanities classes enjoyed two guest speakers who have both served for the Australian military. Bill Thompson is a Nala Kala Boodga man who went to Vietnam when he was 20, serving with the infantry in Long Tan and returning to Australia to continue a 27 year army career. He spoke of his experiences as a forward scout and the nature of warfare during this time. This talk coincides with the Year 10s studying the aftermath of World War II and the Freedoms and Rights movements of the 20th Century.
consider their own importance as future story tellers in our community. Our students were curious listeners and asked insightful questions, warmly welcoming Bill and Ron with kindness and respect.
Courtney Evans Humanities Department
To follow on Ron Bradfield, from Yarns r Us, spoke of his family’s experiences in Western Australia during the 1960s through to now giving insights into the impact of the Stolen Generation. Having served 10 years with the Army and Navy he had stories of mateship and shared insights into how a community can come together during times of adversity. For the Year 9s he put the war service of World War I Western Australian Aboriginal soldiers into the historical and political context of the 20th Century. Having served with the great grandchild of one of these men, Ron connected the distant past with our world today. He invited students to take pride in their agency and
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From the Humanities Department Ms Lauren Carrick
The Year 7’s recently visited the Constitutional Centre as part of their Civics and Citizenship unit in Humanities. The students participated in two separate units, The Constitution and You and Referenda. The Year 7’s have been learning about the Constitution and the importance of it as well as the process involved in changing it. At the Constitutional Centre the students learnt about the Australian Constitution, the Houses of Parliament, and the Separation of Powers. They also heard about events in the lead up to the 1967 Referendum, the most successful referendum in Australian history, including Aboriginal and Indigenous Australians in the total population count. We spoke of the Freedom Ride that occurred in regional NSW during 1965. These people were fighting for the freedoms of Indigenous people of Australia. It is very important for the young people of our society to have an understanding of the political system and know the importance of their opinions, encouraging change within the world.
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From the PhysEd Department Ms Jodie Scheele The 2019 St George’s ACC Team should be jumping for joy after they took out the Overall Shield, winning the 2019 H-Division Carnival. It was an incredible team effort highlighting the importance of each individual competitor and their contribution to the overall scores. We had no individual champions but what was important was we had strength and depth across each age division, contributing to our overall success and achievement. The girls won their Overall Aggregate shield and were strong competitors across all running, jumping and throwing events. All student competitors are commended on their representation of the School, upholding the St George’s spirit, displaying incredible willpower and being true ambassadors of the School, as did the Student Officials, who successfully fulfilled their roles in the carnival organisational. Thank you very much to all our parent helpers who assisted on the day and for sacrificing their time to fulfil the ACC requirements. It was great to have many families come along and support the team. Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr Yousri Gharsallah and Mr Peter Quan for their supervision and guidance of the team. It has been a very successful ACC Carnival year. We won the ACC G-Division Swimming back in March which elevates us to F-Divison in 2020 and now our win in Athletics will push us into G-Division. St George’s is a force to reckon with and our sporting prowess is noticed.
The Year 7’s have been enjoying Monday’s lunchtime going “OUT” opportunity, where both classes have been walking down to Elizabeth Quay. It has been great to get out and active and enjoy the facilities down at the Quay. We will continue to do this into Term Four.
I wish everyone an active, adventurous and recuperating School Holiday!
Jodie Scheele
Head of Physical Education
2019 ACC Athletics Team Under 13 Under 14 Audrey Hunt Bonnie Baugh Kaylee Chin Sydnee Gould Zara Brown Shanae Green Serena Lee Meg Lang Holly Williams Milla Howard Maya Hardley Mikayla Sherman Audrey Degenaar Macy Mackey Taleisha Mills Tristan Bow Harrison Flower William Moesker Tom Sweeney Nathan Mitchell Koby Pascall Malacai Berrington Dan van Olden Harry Joyner Francis Bolum William Owen Alexander Brits Asher Cox-Cullen Dylan Herbert Mason Chin Under 15 Open Brianna Goss Eliza Griffin Clara Saull Petra Tan Lillyana McKay Lola McQueen Laval Olivia Flavel Jessica Klimek Ali Griffen Lara McDonald Jemima Beal Elija Sparrow Harry Maude Bernard Bolum Samuel Crowford Benedict Bolum Matthew Porter Isaac Blackwell Koki Matsuo Sam Johnson Hugo Wong Charles Beck Jack Joyner Findlay Samuelson
From the IT Manager Mr Jason Wakefield
I was very thankful to jump on the bus and assist at the ACC Athletics H Division Carnival last week. I was even more elated when I witnessed St George’s not only take both of the Junior and Senior Girls awards but grab the overall trophy! Well done to Ms Scheele and the team. What a beautiful day it was to be outdoors!
619 blocked dangerous or highly suspicious websites In light of the above stats, please make sure the students’ device/s are at least protected by a reputable anti-virus program. NB: It is school policy to have an active anti-virus installed on all computers using the school network so please take advantage of our free offering of Trend Micro found on the student’s SEQTA Learn home page. Instructions can be found under SEQTA > Documents > Trend Micro for Students
The IT department recycles your household batteries. Please use this FREE facility to dispose of all your expired batteries (not including car and phone batteries). The bin can be found in the IT Manager’s office on I also helped out at the ACC Swimming Carnival earlier this year where we also won level 1. More info here. overall… perhaps I should just go to all of Let’s reduce landfill together! the events from now on? Trend Micro last 30-day Stats - Taken from the logs for all computers 100 files terminated or blocked due to suspicious or known behaviour 5 spyware/grayware files cleaned 223 blocked websites found in the Malicious category 73 virus/malware quarantined or cleaned (FYI: most of them occurred on MacBooks) 13
TIP OF THE WEEK – A faster way of working with Windows 10 Credit to these guys here Why click twice to execute a task? Halve the number of clicks you make in your lifetime! Open Explorer > View > Folder Options > Settings > Single-click to open an item. Now next time onwards you will need to click only once to open a file or a folder. St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
Hold down the Shift key as you drag a folder or file to the Recycle Bin to delete it instantly. You will not be able to Restore files sent to the Recycle Bin this way. Hold down the Alt key and press Tab key to switch between programs on the desktop Hold down the Alt key and press Spacebar to display the System menu for any active window If you have missed any of our IT articles this term, I encourage you to have a read of them here as they may contain information that could help you out in your everyday life. One such article covered information regarding a home internet safety product from Disney. More information here: https:// cybersafehouse.com
Jason Wakefield IT Manager
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School News Student Term Dates - 2020 Term 1 30 January - 9 April New Student Orientation 29 January Students Mid Term Break, Friday 28 February Term 2 30 April - 3 July Students Mid Term Break, Friday 29 May Term 3 27 July - 25 September New Student Orientation 24 July Students Mid Term Break, Friday 21 August Term 4 13 October - 9 December 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.
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. SEQTA The St George’s Anglican Grammar School SEQTA account is not assigned to a staff member and, therefore, is not monitored. Please contact the staff member directly to ensure prompt action to your message. Uniform Shop St George’s uniforms are purchased from Matrix Uniforms Showroom, 1 Hasler Road Osborne Park or online. Uniform fittings are available from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday. The Science Department needs your help! Donations of any old working fish tank accessories will be gratefully received to fit out our 2 new fish tanks. We are seeking the following: • Gravel; • Lights; • Filter and Air pumps; • Decorations (Plastic plants etc); and • Large sheets of acrylic or polystyrene. Also, any ice cream containers (any size, with or without lids) will also be accepted. Students can bring their donations in directly to the Science department or their Science teacher.
Upon withdrawal of a student from the School, all fees and charges incurred for that student are payable to the School in full within seven days of exit.
Newsletter Advertising The School enjoys hearing news of St George’s parent community events but recently, the School has received a number of requests to advertise parent-run events
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in advance. As the events and details thereof are outside of the School’s control, we can no longer accept these requests or assist in the promotion of these events.
We do encourage parents to continue planning get-togethers, and are happy to include a photo and a short report on the activities in the newsletter after they have been held.
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VacSwim 2019 You can now enrol your children in VacSwim swimming lessons for the October school holidays. With swimming pools and beaches a big part of the Western Australian lifestyle, it’s important your children are safe in the water. Programs are available for children from five to 17 years and cater to all skill levels – from beginners to those doing their Bronze Medallion. They are being offered at pool venues across the State. Enrol your children in VacSwim now at education.wa.edu.au/swimming Find a location near you at education.wa.edu.au/swimming
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CBD Transport Survey or Mapping Exercise The Perth Greater CBD Transport Plan will guide the transport future of Perth’s city centre for the next decade, enhancing liveability, supporting new business opportunities and attracting visitors and new residents. The Plan is being developed by the Department of Transport (DoT), in close consultation with the City of Perth and our Transport Portfolio partners - Main Roads Western Australia and the Public Transport Authority.
The consultation period is open between Thursday 22 August and Friday 27 September 2019. Further information about the Plan (including a map of the Perth Greater CBD) is available on the DoT website. Should you have any queries in relation to the project, please contact DoT’s Perth Central Transport team at PerthCentral@ transport.wa.gov.au Thank you, Perth Central Transport Team
As part of the Plan’s development, contributions will be sought from interested stakeholders and the wider community across each key stage of the project to capture their transport vision for the city. The outcome will be a 10-year vision for transport investment in the Perth Greater CBD, and a four-year program of evidence-based initiatives. We want to hear from you, your staff and students to help us shape the first stage of the Plan. How to have your say You can share your experiences by participating in an online survey or mapping activity via My Say Transport or by emailing what you believe are the transport and access issues, challenges and opportunities facing the Perth Greater CBD to PerthCentral@transport.wa.gov.au 20 Edition 14 2019
St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
Year 7 Monday’s Ministry of Fun
Every Monday lunch time Mrs Lazenby takes the Year 7 students to Elizabeth Quay for fun and games. The students participate in basketball, cricket, hopscotch, elastics, skate-boarding and water activities. This has been such a successful lunch time event with the students that we will continue until the end of the school year.
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