Newsletter
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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 .................................................................................... 4 From the Head of Pastoral .......................................................................................... 5 From the Head of English .............................................................................................10 From the Humanities Department ............................................................................ 11 From the Physical Education Department ...............................................................15 From the IT Manager ................................................................................................... 16 School News ................................................................................................................ 18
From the Principal Mr Gary Racey
I would like to extend a warm welcome back to all members of our school community. I hope you enjoyed your time together over the recent school holidays and have had the opportunity to reconnect with each other as a family. Term 4 is another busy term, complete with an array of school community activities that I hope you and your family are able to enjoy and contribute towards. The Anglican Diocese of Perth response to comments by the Archbishop of Sydney I thank the numerous families who recently touched base with concerns over comments made by the Archbishop of Sydney and his suggestion that some people ‘leave the church’ due to their sexual orientation. Whilst such comments can be extremely challenging to hear, the positive outcome was the response from both the Archbishop of Perth and the CEO of the Anglican Schools Commission that clearly reminds our Anglican community as to the ethos and philosophy surrounding this conversation. It is hoped that all families had the chance to read and discuss with each other the open letter as provided from the CEO of the Anglican Schools Commission, The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM, that included an excerpt from the Archbishop of Perth’s response. St George’s is proud to uphold the
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inclusive and accepting nature of the governing bodies we represent and embrace all individuals as they are. Our school is a safe and welcoming environment for one and all and I am proud to serve and lead this organisation because of the values we espouse. Climate Change Protest In recent weeks, many students and parents have spoken to teachers about climate change; how students can respond to it and have a voice in the conversation. Awareness of this issue escalated in August 2018 when a Swedish schoolgirl, Greta Thunberg, missed school for a day to protest against the lack of action by the Swedish government. This small step leapt onto a global stage as students throughout the world took up the cause. We do not educate children for that knowledge to remain suppressed. We do not encourage children to have a voice for it to remain silent. History tells us that the enthusiasm of youth has driven extraordinary change. Therefore, we encourage our young people to take a stand and investigate the numerous ways to enact change in the world. However, our primary focus as a school is the safety and well-being of those we have duty of care over. Therefore, it is essential that parents/guardians are aware as to the school’s response when faced with what would be considered uncontrolled environments such as the recent protests in the CBD. Whilst these are important and key moments, they can leave the School vulnerable in keeping your child safe. St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
Therefore, as a school, we may choose to not participate in such activities, unless the risk management permits an appropriate level of safety. This means it may not be possible for the school to release students from our building during such events, whether there be parental permission or not. If families determine their child will participate, parents are encouraged to either keep their child away from the School for the entire day or personally pick up and drop them off. Normal absentee processes should be followed. It is requested that if students do decide to participate in politicised type activities, that they do so in civilian clothing and not in the School uniform (unless it is a sanctioned activity by the School). Additionally, when events like this occur outside the front doors of our school, along William Street, we may have to initiate action whereby entry or exit is limited or postponed until we are provided with the all clear. This may include not permitting senior students out at recess and/or lunch, keeping students at the Queens building, or cancelling an excursion. If we cannot guarantee the safety of our charges, we will take action.
schooling – excitement at seeing each other when school returned, nerves upon receiving their exam marks, laughter during some of the farewell activities, and sadness at leaving friends and a familiar environment. It is hard to believe that at the time of delivery of this newsletter our Year 12’s will have walked out of the ground floor foyer at 50 William Street for the last time. The Graduation Assembly, Service and Dinner held on Thursday, October 24 was a wonderful way to mark the end of our journey with our Year 12 cohort. Whilst it is always difficult to say goodbye, it is also so very exciting for them. This group have led by example and set the tone for future Year 12 groups. Their legacy is one of respect, maturity, care and warmth. Farewell to you all - keep in touch!
2020 Student Guild Whilst our Year 12’s will be sorely missed we are excited by the Year 11 cohort taking on the mantle of leadership. Formal leadership positions for 2020 were announced publicly this week, with a formal commissioning to occur in Term 1, 2020. Congratulations to the successful candidates – I look forward to hearing of how you plan to support and help our student body evolve over the next 12 months. In saying this, we are in the blessed position Commiserations to those who missed out to be adjacent to many of these types of on a role – I commend you on your bravery rallies and hence can watch from the safety for putting yourself out there and of the school building and ‘participate’ in encourage you to seek ways to lead and every sense of the word. The conversation is serve. You don’t need a title to make a just as important as the action. difference and have an impact! Year 12 Valedictory – The journey comes to an end! There have been mixed emotions for the Year 12s in their last week of formal 2
St George’s Art Exhibition What an absolute delight it was to be part of the opening of the St George’s 2020 Art Exhibition on the evening of Tuesday 22
October. We were most fortunate that the CEO of the Anglican Schools Commission, The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM, was available to open the event for which we thank him. Our students created some absolutely stunning pieces that reflect and showcase the high quality of our Art Department. If you have not had the chance to attend the exhibition as yet I would strongly encourage you to do so before it closes on Friday 1 November. A big thank you to Ms Wohlnick for her leadership and implementation. Expansion and refurbishment It is hoped that the recent communication to families regarding St George’s expansion (Ground Floor 50 William Street + Level 10 William Street), in addition to the Café refurbishment has generated some excitement in the households of St George’s families. We simply cannot wait to unveil the spaces in 2020 and settle into using them to enhance our programs and curriculum delivery. Enrolment updates As mentioned previously, enrolments continue to go from strength to strength with waitlists getting longer and longer. So much so, it is forcing the School to look at the number of families keen to secure a spot and question whether we should open up another class in some year groups. Whilst this has not been determined, I encourage families who have family, friends or work colleagues whose child would like to join our community, to get their name down ASAP. There are many benefits of increased numbers for our current families so please advocate for our school.
Term 4 Staff update We welcome Mrs Jan Hay who is covering some of Mrs McCann’s teaching load whilst on parental leave. Some classes have been absorbed by other staff who have lost Year 12 classes. Student celebrations I recall at this very time last year that I made mention of one of our amazing athletes, Maddie Curtis, who at the time had just returned from Melbourne training with the Australian Ballet School and was selected to perform in the WA Ballet’s Production of the Nutcracker. Well, Maddie continues to go from strength to strength and has just been chosen to represent Australia in the Youth American Grand Prix in New York in April 2020, known as the biggest global network of dance that seeks to support and develop world class dancers. I joked with Maddie about getting some of her ballet shoes signed so I can store them away for a rainy day, but it is not as silly as it sounds. Well done, Maddie, you continue to make us proud! In conclusion, I encourage all students to hit the ground running and make the most of this term. It is not too late to improve performance and marks for the Semester Two reports, so get to it!
Blessings
Gary Racey Principal
From the Head of Curriculum Mrs Angela Tanham
Year 12 Valedictory Last night we celebrated the culmination of the Year 12 students school education with the Valedictory Ceremony and supper. This event is always a special occasion for the students and their families, giving them an opportunity to farewell the school and thank their teachers. We wish all of our Year 12 students well in particular for those about to commence their WACE and WAUFP examinations. University of Western Australia Early Offer Year 12 Domestic and International students who have a predicted ATAR of 80 or above can apply for an early offer from UWA. Applications must be submitted before 29 October 2019. Central Queensland University Start Uni Now (SUN) CQUniversity’s Start Uni Now (SUN) initiative provides Year 10*, 11 and 12 students an opportunity to study university units whilst still in high school.
If you require further information, please email the SUN team or call their Student Advice team on 13 27 86. Year 11 Students Please be aware of the following significant dates for all Year 11 students:
13 November Year 11 Study Day 14 November Year 11 Exams Commence 22 November Year 11 Exams Conclude 25 November Year 11 Students recommence classes 9 December Year 7 - 11 Presentation Evening 11 December Final Day Term 4,Year 7 – 11. Day concludes at 3.30pm
The course gives students an insight into university life, and students may be eligible for direct entry to CQUniversity (excluding quota managed courses).
It is an expectation that all students return to school on Monday 25 November and attend all classes prepared to review examinations and commence Year 12 content.
Visit the CQU website for further information on SUN, including a current list of available SUN units.
Angela Tanham Curriculum Coordinator
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From the Head of Pastoral Mr Hilton Hardman
At our Chapel service on Monday 21 October, we inducted the 2020 Student Guild. Part of that ceremony is always to thank and acknowledge the outgoing Guild. I have had the pleasure of working with the 2019 Guild this year; they are an amazing group of students who have put the needs of other students before their own. I would like to express my gratitude to the Guild for their leadership, humour and support. One of the key messages passed on during this service was for the incoming leadership group to understand that they are a caretaker of their elected position. They should strive to leave it in a better state than when they received it as they are not only a representative of their school and house, but also a representative of each person who has held that position before them. Like those before them have left their legacy, it is time for them to start theirs. I have no doubt the 2020 Guild will serve our school community with the same level of energy and enthusiasm. Congratulations to those students. Head Girl: Eliza Griffin Head Boy: Marvel Sukadis Service Captain: Eliza Webb International Student Representative: Grace Solibun Lincoln House Captain: Halla Harding 5
Gandhi House Captain: Maddison Phillips Mandela House Captain: Chantelle Wellsted Year 9 Camp 2019 On 18 September, the Year 9 students embarked on a 2 hour journey south of Perth to Camp Mornington. Full of energy and anticipation, students were eager to dive right into the activities the camp had to offer. The aim of the camp was simple, it was to force students outside their comfort zone, where they will be truly testing their resilience and their ability to work cohesively as a team. One of the highlights of the camp was the Quiz Night. Students partook in challenges such as the cup flip challenge, the 5 minute plank, the thirst quenching lemon-eating challenge and the group dance-off and it was a great way to finish off a very busy term. Below are a reflection provided by students who attended the camp: “The Year 9 class arrived at school ready for the long 2 hour drive to Mornington for what I can now call one of the most enjoyable camps I have ever been on. First up for me was raft building, which was something I really enjoyed, except for the fact it was pouring with rain and the water was freezing, well at least that’s what I was told from everyone who fell into the river.” Day 2 saw us enjoying archery and a high ropes course. Archery was full of new skills and losing a few arrows which wasn’t part of the plan. We conquered fears in the high ropes course which St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
required us learning specific teamwork skills to complete it. The sun was finally out on our last day just in time for us to head home, but before we did there was one last activity for us to face. This was the toughest challenge of all, abseiling. We started with what seemed to be a little daunting, the 10m wall which turned out to be a huge adrenaline rush, so much so that I did it twice before heading to the 20m wall. Although the 20m wall was a terrifying sight it was my greatest accomplishment at camp and one that I definitely want to do it again. This camp taught our class a lot, not only some important life skills, how to work as a team and how as a class we can all come together to achieve goals and support each other no matter what happened last week. None of this would be possible without the amazing support from our teachers, Mr Quan, Miss Cox, Mr Hardman and Mr McBride – you have all given us the opportunity to make lifelong memories. Thank you.”- Jessica Green
was designed to test us.They taught us the importance of teamwork, initiative, trust, and resilience. The first night we watched a movie and the second we had an activity night. It was a chance for teams to earn more marbles through a series of interesting and fun challenges. By the end of the night, the winners were decided. The Teen Titans won the marble competition. Their prize included the teachers serving the winning student’s breakfast. Camp Mornington was a great experience for everyone, and we can’t wait for next year!” - Alexandra Griffin The wonderful memories was compounded by great staff and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Camp Mornington staff for providing our students with an amazing experience. I would also like to thank Mr Hardman, Ms Cox and Mr McBride for their support during camp. Peter Quan Head of Gandhi
“Camp was an opportunity for people to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. We were put into groups for each activity and also introduced to the marble competition. A competition where students could earn marbles for doing good things, facing fears, being kind to other students, using initiative and helping out. At the end of camp, there was a prize to be won for the group with the most marbles. Each activity was an opportunity for us to get out of our comfort zones. From high ropes to archery to abseiling to raft building, each one 6 Edition 15 2019
Year 8 Camp The Year 8 camp took place from September 18 – 21 late in Term 3. We spent 3 days and 2 nights at Boshack Outback, a camp held on a farm in the north east from Perth. The theme of the camp was resilience as the students were challenged to take part in activities that may be out of their usual comfort zone.
Shout out to Miss Donavon for making fun little mind games for us.The final day we were able to chill out and reflect on our experiences, before the drive home. Overall going to Boshack was an amazing experience and camp brings out the best in everyone. It’s a time to have a break from school and technology and make new relationships with teachers and students.” - by Bonnie Baugh Year 8
It was a great way to close the term with both staff and students enjoying the camp immensely. During camp, the students participated in canoeing on the lake that the camp was built next to, learning about the land and indigenous culture and taking bush walks and tours of the Boshack farm. Below is a testimony of the camp from one of the students who attended:
I would like to thank Deryck and the staff at Boshack for hosting a fabulous camp. I would also like to thank Ms Donovan, Ms Evans, Ms Hewitt and Mr Lewis for their help and support during camp. Finally I would like to thank the students for being amazing. Many students challenge themselves in activities, made new friends and incredibly, we didn’t have to confiscate even one mobile phone!
“When we arrived at Boshack I was so excited, Vincent Lim I knew it was going to be a fun few days. We Head of Lincoln House were shown our tents and we got settled in (it was very nice and cosy). Then we got split into Hilton Hardman our two groups. On the first day we did some Head of fun activities like shelter building and canoeing. It was very funny when my boat capsized, and we Pastoral had to swim back to shore in front of everybody. At night we went for a nice walk and sat in front of a campfire roasting marshmallows. It was so beautiful, and the sky was so clear that we could see the Milky Way. The second day was great, we all slept well. We went orienteering (like a treasure hunt) which was really fun. I had bad luck and slipped and fell into some mud which was funny for my peers, but we still finished back at camp before everyone.We also went on the farm tour which was amazing. We fed horses, learned how to pick up marron, round sheep, and got a little history lesson about the area and how Boshack came into existence. 7
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From the English Department Mrs Susan Lazenby Book Week 2019 What fun we had with the St George’s inaugural Book Week. The theme for this year is: ‘Reading is my Special Power’ and English teachers swanned around in silver capes like true superheroes with special reading powers. We had a range of events including reading stories aloud during lunch in the shared space of room 2.5. Kate McCaffrey, author of award winning young adult fiction was our Writer in Residence on Tuesday, spoke to classes of students, telling them about how she became a writer, and what inspires her. Students were keen to hear her read from her books and they asked her plenty of interesting questions. Book Week was also the launch of an annual writing competition: The Mighty Quill. Students entered either a narrative or poem with the idea of ‘place’ as an important feature. The result will be announced at the final assembly for Term 3. The highlight for Year 7 and Year 8 was the dressing as a character from their favourite book. The requirement for the competition for the best costume was that it had to be created sustainably. It was time to upcycle, recycle, repurpose and hit those fabulous Op Shops. Our students, parents and grandparents were creative, and the parade was a success. Thank you to Year 12 student Celeste Kershaw who helped with the judging. Celeste made her own costume - Jo from Little Women.
Book Week culminated in two teams ‘Writing a Book in a Day’. Miss Carrick champions this very long day each year so that students from Years 7 to 9 can create an illustrated book to enter in a nation wide competition. It was an epic effort that was celebrated with pizza and much relief! We are already making plans for Book Week 2020 so start reading and thinking about which character you might be next year.
Susan Lazenby
Head of English
From the Humanities Department Ms Courtney Evans
History Matters One of the brilliant aspects of teaching is that we live life-long learning. Every day new research emerges that helps us push the boundaries and challenge the status quo and being in the dynamic environment of St George’s we are invited to explore 21st Century learning and are supported in our quest for more knowledge. During the recent school holidays, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the National Conference of History Teachers of Australia, held in beautiful leafy Adelaide. The three-day conference explored the theme of ‘history matters’ and we heard from amazing guest speakers such as Justice Michael Kirby and Dr Richard Harris.
to examine the evidence provided by her colleagues in the other disciplines to ‘paint the picture’ of the rise and fall of a kingdom. While we separate out each subject it is important to understand the interconnectedness of all knowledge. The historian cannot work isolated from the scientist. The scientist can work more ethically with a sound understanding of the past and dialogue with the historian. The lecture I presented was an exploration of how to privilege Indigenous perspectives in the classroom that is exploring war narratives. This talk was based on work I have been doing with parents, students and local members in our community to promote Reconciliation, and a unit that I have been developing this year for the Year 9s and Year 10s. St George’s students continually inspire me with their creative and unique perspectives and passion for telling alternative narratives. Without an incredible community like we have at this school it is difficult to work on such exciting projects both within and outside of the classroom. The talk was then presented to the 3rd Year Bachelor of Education students at Edith Cowan University, to spark conversation about how they can plan and implement courses and lessons in an inclusive and engaging way.
Something that struck me as significant was the relationship between Science and History in the real world. Dr Richard Harris, Australian of the Year, spoke of the South Australian adventurer Hubert Wilkins who has all but been forgotten by history. Dr Harris spoke passionately of Wilkins’ life as a World War I photographer, civilian scientist, advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and ‘last explorer’ while imploring the 150 history teachers in the room to ‘remember him’ to our students. Courtney Evans One workshop focused on the Medieval Humanities Teacher civilisation of Angkor Wat, a city we would not understand without scientific, technological and geographical skills and understandings. The job of the historian was St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
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From the Humanities Department Ms Lauren Carrick
Year 7 excursion The Year 7’s visited the Town of Victoria Park council office and participated in a mock discussion about a $100,000 Community Grant. The students could allocate the money towards a skate park in Burswood Peninsular, a charity to feed the homeless or put the money towards teaching Aboriginal languages in schools. After a lengthy discussion, and a number of questions from the public gallery a number of solutions were discussed and voted upon. The students decided that the grant should be shared three ways between teaching Aboriginal languages in schools, feeding the homeless and created the option of funding renewable energy sources. A big thank you to Councillor Bronwyn Ife and the staff at the Town of Victoria Park the students thoroughly enjoyed the real life experience.
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From the PhysEd Department Ms Jodie Scheele We certainly have talented students here at St George’s and there is no exception within the sporting arena. The School would like to congratulate the following students on their sporting achievements. Year 7, Maddie Curtis has a bright and exciting ballet future. Maddie’s commitment, talents and dedication has awarded her a scholarship to the Bolshoi Ballet for a Summer program. Maddie was the winner of the Vibe International Ballet competition which was held in Perth. But her greatest achievement is being selected to represent Australia in the Youth American Grand Prix. This is the most prestigious youth ballet competition in the world. Qualifying rounds are held in cities all over the world. Maddie flew to Melbourne to take part in the two days of assessments. Maddie will be flying to New York in April 2020 to compete. Congratulations to Maddie and her family.
We also have two very talented athletes who excelled at the ACC Athletics Carnival and achieved selection into the ACC All Stars Athletics Team. ACC All Star teams are honorary teams comprised of the top performers across all ACC schools from all the Divisions for Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. A new student to St George’s,Year 9 Arthur Baker absolutely smashed his 800m race running it in 2.07:41, earning him a place in the team. Also in Year 9, Ali Griffin continues to excel in Cross Country and Athletics where she was selected as the All Stars 1500m competitor, running it in an incredible time of 5.13:46. The school is very proud of Arthur and Ali and wish them continued success in their pursuit for athletic excellence.
From the IT Manager Mr Jason Wakefield
I was on paternal leave for the last week of Term 3. My second and perhaps final child entered this world, a son! I have returned to work, somewhat disheveled, but there is so much happening that it keeps me going! Over the past couple of terms we have been trialing ‘edge gateways’, looking for a product that will suit our requirements and all the while keeping our network environment safe. Our latest trial report reveals that we are more or less on par with the education industry. However, in regards to IT security, we always need to be relevant, updated, and one-step ahead.
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 level 1. More info here. Let’s reduce landfill together!
TIPS OF THE WEEK - macOS Tips & Tricks Credit to these guys here Do unit conversions in Spotlight – e.g.: One product that integrates well 1300 acres to hectares or $1,300 in EUR Yes, run Windows on your Mac – You can with one of the edge gateways either run Windows alongside macOS with a we looked at is called Saasyan virtualization app like VMware Fusion, Assure - https://www.saasyan. Parallels Desktop or VirtualBox, or partition com.au/products/assure/ It covers the Cyber Welfare portion where, your hard drive to install windows on to run it full bore on your hardware using Boot among loads of features, staff can receive alerts relating to a student’s web search that Camp Assistant (in your Utilities folder). Batch rename files – you can select a could involve self-harm, for example. It is used by a fair number of reputable Australian group of files then select Rename either from the right-click contextual menu or schools around the country. from the drop-down button marked with a cog icon in Finder windows. When you do, you get the option of adding text, replacing In light of all this talk on text, or applying a format such as a name and security, please make sure an automatically incrementing counter. the students’ device/s are at least protected by a reliable Plus so much more in the link above. anti-virus program.
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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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