Newsletter ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL Edition Eighteen 06 December 2019
Contents From the Principal ......................................................................................................... 1 From the Curriculum Coordinator ........................................................................... 2 From the Head of Pastoral .......................................................................................... 4 From the Head of English ............................................................................................ 8 From the Head of Art ................................................................................................... 9 From the Humanities Department ............................................................................ 11 From the Language Department ................................................................................ 13 From the Music Department ....................................................................................... 15 From Head of Health and Physical Education .......................................................... 17 From the IT Manager .................................................................................................... 19 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
As this is the last newsletter for 2019, I would like to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you within our school community for making this such a vibrant and wonderful place to be. Our students, parents, staff, School Council and friends of St George’s have all contributed to making this year such a successful one. Your input and investment during the consultation phase of the 2020 - 2025 Strategic Plan and participation in the School’s re-registration process was greatly appreciated. The outcome was achieving the maximum number of years possible for registration and completion of a visionary 5 year plan that genuinely reflects who we are and gives absolute clarity of direction. I can’t wait to see the exciting, city based learning strategies and programs that we will implement in the years to come.
Our Admissions Officer, Mrs Kiff, is leaving for Parental Leave for 2020 and is being replaced during this time by Mrs Nicola Russell. We welcome Nicola and wish Christie Lee all the very best for the new addition to her family. To our families, I look forward to sharing our school’s ongoing development with you throughout 2020. You will return to a building that has a new façade, refurbished café, ground floor redevelopment and the Senior Learning Centre at Central Queensland University - there is a lot to be excited about! As we enter into this season of Advent and we ready ourselves to celebrate the birth of Christ over this Christmas period, my prayer for all families is that we prioritise the Spirit of Giving that typifies the Spirit of Christmas. It is our job to live by the teachings of Christ and to consider and serve others during this Holy period. I pray that you enjoy a safe and prosperous time together, reconnecting with each other and your loved ones.
Additionally, I would also like to convey my sincere thanks for the exceptional effort and untiring commitment that our staff have Blessings. demonstrated throughout the year. Our school is indeed blessed to have such dedicated professionals and I think all would agree that they have done a tremendous job Gary Racey in ensuring your children have been cared Principal for and supported in striving for personal excellence. To those who are leaving us; Mrs Tanham, Ms Cox and Mrs Caspersz, thank you for your energy and investment in our school. We wish you all the very best in your future endeavours. 1
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From the Curriculum Coordinator Mrs Angela Tanham
End of Year Reports Semester Two Reports will be available on SEQTA Engage after 3pm on Wednesday 11 December 2019. I encourage all parents to use their child’s report to focus on the positive, set goals for improvement and to reward growth in areas of learning. Information in relation to descriptions and the Australian Curriculum reporting benchmarks can be found on the Schools Curriculum and Standards Authority website (https://www. scsa.wa.edu.au/). Success at school is measured also by participation in school life, attendance and the ability to collaborate with others. In the new year, it is useful to set goals and targets that may be centred on successful transition, wellbeing or learning growth.
2020 Classes and Timetable The teachers, led by the Heads of Learning, are currently working through the placement of students in classes for 2020. We take this process very seriously and we look to meet the needs of every student. The teachers have a wealth of knowledge about each child and are therefore best placed to make these decisions to suit each child’s academic, social and emotional development. Students will be able to see their 2020 timetable towards the end of January, before school recommences. Final Farewell I wish to take this opportunity to say farewell to the St George’s Anglican Grammar School community and to thank you for allowing me the privilege to work with your children for the past five years. I have been extremely fortunate to work with such wonderful children and staff members and will miss seeing them everyday as I move to the new chapter in my life.
Year 7 – 11 Presentation Night The Year 7 – 11 Presentation Night is an opportunity to celebrate the 2019 school year. Academic awards will be announced on the evening and we will also have an opportunity to be entertained by our talented music students. All Year 7 to 11 students are expected to attend the evening. Students are to wear their formal winter uniform. An invitation has been sent out to all families and we encourage all parents and guardians to attend. 2
Angela Tanham Curriculum Coordinator St George’s Anglican Grammar School Newsletter
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From the Head of Pastoral Mr Hilton Hardman
With this being the last Pastoral newsletter for 2019, I am somewhat reflective on the year and in particular, change.
Our pastoral system received an exciting overhaul which had a clear focus for each Year Group. Change can be exciting or scary, but with this change, our delivery was altered but not our focuses on providing the student with content that will support in their development for school and beyond. Our PAWS and PBP programs have linked in with the school’s dedication in developing the whole students. Pastoral Care will remain a key focus at St Georges, and these two programs place the school in an excellent position to support our students with a proactive approach to areas of concern.
and experiences that are not always possible within the confines of the classroom. Moving into 2020: National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence 2020 On Friday 20 March 2020, our school will stand together against bullying and violence to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). The NDA is Australia’s key anti-bullying event for schools. It is a positive day of action which strengthens our everyday message that bullying and violence have no place at St Georges Anglican Grammar School. As a proud NDA school, we are encouraging all parents and carers to save the date for the NDA, being held on Friday 20 March. More details will be announced in Term 1, 2020 about our events.
Preparing for the Year Ahead Rest, relaxation and time with family and friends is the main goal for students over With this being the first year of our new the end of year holidays. However there signature programs, I am excited for 2020 are some things that students might like to and the future with continued refinement consider doing, perhaps towards the end of and development of these programs. the holidays, that will make their school year “The secret of change is to focus all your energy, ahead much easier, particularly senior not on fighting the old, but on building the new” students. – Socrates” Organise and rearrange your room and Year 10 Camp study space to make it a more effective Camps are an important part of St George’s learning area. Anglican Grammar School’s teaching and learning programs. The School’s camp Sort out all of your materials for school, program enables students to further their decide what to keep and how to organise learning and develop their social and your work and if you can improve your filing emotional skills as it provides opportunities systems. 4
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Set up term planners for the year so you can map put your due dates when the year starts. Set up a study timetable for the year, so you have clear times allocated to complete your schoolwork during the week. Think about building your skills in any areas of weakness or any areas you’d like to develop new skills in like touch typing. If you can find out any of the novels you will be studying in the coming year, read them over the holidays. For senior students consider downloading the syllabus documents for the subjects you will be studying. Of course, we also want students to refresh their mind and body, catch up on their sleep and take the time to focus on enjoying a healthy lifestyle.
Hilton Hardman Head of Pastoral
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From the Head of English Mrs Susan Lazenby
Published Poets: Phoebe Cala-Willis (Year 11) and Rachel Sullivan (Year 10) Primo Lux, the brainchild of poet and teacher Veronica Lake, is an anthology of student poetry published in Western Australia. Another poet and teacher, Roland Leach writes that the initiative for establishing this was to give young writers an avenue for publishing their poetry and a forum where their creative voices could be heard. He adds that over many years, students have enjoyed having their work in print and gives them the impetus to continue writing. The quality of the work is excellent and each year, more young voices are heard. In this year’s anthology, two of our students have had their work published. Rachel’s poem ‘Fire’ and Phoebe’s poem ‘Her Chamber’ were selected from entries across the state. At the Primo Lux 2109 launch on Monday 2 December in Fremantle, both Phoebe and Rachel read out their poems to their audience.Veronica Lake commented that our students ‘did us proud’. And proud we are of the creative work they composed. Congratulations to Phoebe and Rachel!
Susan Lazenby Head of English 8
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From the Head of Art Ms Carol Wohlnick
Year 12 Pulse Perspectives 2019 Congratulations to Isabella Cotter Year 12 Visual Art whose art work was selected for the Year 12 Pulse Perspectives. Her work was selected from over 500 entries for the 2020 Exhibition, which will be held at the Art Gallery of WA from 7 March – 29 June 2020.
The West Elm Window Display After weeks of preparation the design for the West Elm Christmas window was finally realised and installed on Friday of Week 6. Several of the Year 10 Visual Art students ably assisted with this unique Art and Design opportunity to experience the role of merchandiser for this well renowned US based retailer here in the CBD.
After much detangling Year 10 Visual Art Students Mackenzie Wilson, Meghan Green and Eve Kirkpatrick
Isabella Cotter Year 12 with part 1 of her work during the year and her completed diptych.
The Competition was entered by Ms Wohlnick, Head of Arts during the last school holidays with a concept related to the true meaning of Christmas: ‘Peace on Earth and Good will to All’. The Design Brief required the final piece to be eye catching, sustainable and to have a Christmas theme. ‘Think Christmas.Think festive fun. And then make it recyclable’.
The oil on board diptych is a still life painting produced in the time honoured The submitted design won Phase 1 of the grisaille technique. The work skilfully conveys contest for WA and was destined for its meaning through symbolism and allegory. 9
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installation in the windows of the Perth store, Hay Street Mall. Five other finalists were also chosen for other stores across Australia. The designs were selected by a panel of judges including Sydney celebrity designer Kitiya Palaskas.
The Peace Doves for Christmas installation in progress Hay Street Mall, Perth Ms Wohlnick would like to thank all students who participated in the project. Either in making the origami pieces, stringing and hanging the doves or installing the final art work. It could not have been done without the students’ enthusiastic participation. Phase 2 of the process now begins, with the design entering the national voting phase where the public vote online for their favourite window. Voting opens on the West Elm website on 6 December. The national winner will be announced on Monday 16 December 2019.
City Art On Monday 30 November our future upper school Visual Art students visited the Art Gallery of Western Australia. The main attraction was The Lester Prize, Portrait Exhibition. The visit forms part of the Visual Art Curriculum for 2020 and provided students with an inspiring and authentic learning experience for the beginning of their course work for next year.
From the Humanities Department Ms Lauren Carrick
The annual Year 8 Market Day was held on Tuesday and a fun time was had by all. This assessment was a brilliant chance for the students to be creative and work on their entrepreneurial skills. It was a challenging task requiring good communication skills, as going into business with your friends is a big test. There were over 15 stalls boasting home made goods such as honey crackles, cake pops, popcorn, bubble tea, waffles and scrumptious rocky road, just to name a few. This is an end of unit task that the Year 8’s participate in as the culmination of their Business and Economics unit. This experience provides the students with a real taste of what it would be like to create and run their own business. Many valuable lessons are learnt in completing this task and the students thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lauren Carrick Humanities Department
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Year 8 market day was an amazing experience and gave us a glimpse of what real life business is like. Dealing with customers, creating products and finding a way to make profit was sometimes challenging but was worth it in the end. It was great to see every group working hard and co-operatively to create a fun and intriguing store. Some selling brownies, bubble tea, churros and more we all had so much fun and are grateful for the experience. It was interesting to see what other market stalls were selling and how much business can impact day to day life. Thank you so much Miss Carrick for organising this assignment it was so much fun! Milla Howard
Lauren Carrick Humanities Department
From the Languages Department Mrs Danielle de Witt
Mandarin Luncheon Today was amazing, we went on an excursion to Dragon Palace dim sum restaurant in Northbridge. We went for lunch. At the front of the store there were fish tanks of lobsters and other fish. When we walked in there was a waterfall that went into a little pool that I think had goldfish. The tables we were on had a big spinning plate in the middle (lazy Suzan). On the plate there was already 2 whole plates of prawn crackers that were gone in a flash. The food came out almost as soon as we got there. We got so much food, but my favorite was the steamed pork buns and the vegetable noodles. After I was finished, I was stuffed from amazing deliciousness. All the food was made with care, and all of the mouthfulls were delightful. It was sad to leave because the food was amazing. Today was amazing and I will never forgot what we did today. Written by Tilli Nossiter Yr:7
On Monday 2 December the two year 7 Mandarin classes went on an excursion to Dragon Palace. Dragon Palace is a Chinese restaurant which provides many different traditional foods eaten in China. The excursion that we went on gave the year 7’s better insight into Chinese dining and allowed us to taste foods of another country that we normally wouldn’t eat. Some of the foods we ate included pork buns, egg tart, dim sim, prawn crackers and fried squid tentacles. Most of the foods tasted excellent and were overall enjoyed by the group, the only exception to this being the egg tart, of which many students did not enjoy as much as the rest of the food. I am glad that our year group were given this opportunity to further explore Chinese culture. Emily Shoebridge It was absolutely AWESOME!! I had so much fun discovering things about my friends’ tastebuds and the atmosphere and food was fantastic. This experience gave me a great opportunity to try new foods and to test out my Mandarin skills - even if I only used them to ask for more water!! I had a great time with my friends and am very grateful for the
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opportunities, like these, that us students get! I put my tastebuds to the test and tried crispy vegetable spring rolls, and tasty sesame seed noodles - along with some yummy vegetables that I had never even seen or tasted before! Overall this excursion was super fun and it was a delicious adventure! Thanks Mrs de Witt, Haruka and Miss Carrick - and of course Dragon Palace!!! Isla Andrews The ‘Dragon Palace’ excursion was not as I had expected! As soon as I stepped into the restaurant, I received a real sense of what it would be like to be in the presence of a Chinese restaurant in China. The waiters all brought our steamed goods on trays and some even on bamboo holders! There were many delicacies that I had never tried nor seen. There were squid rings, prawn dumplings, egg tarts and pork buns, which all were unique to my tastebuds. I enjoyed the experience, and speaking to the waiters in Mandarin, although the food wasn’t something I would usually indulge in, but I was entertained by the process. On each table, we had plates and chop-sticks, and a large lazy susan that moved our food around for us. The chairs had beautiful fabrics clothed around them, and I found this very interesting. Overall I really, really enjoyed visiting the ‘Dragon Palace’ with my classmates, and I hope we will be able to experience this more in the future, although I think the teachers were a bit stressed by all of us chaotic children! Zara Brown
I believe that this excursion to the Dragon Palace enhanced our performance in learning Mandarin. This was a very fun experience that helped us practice our Mandarin vocabulary. It was very nice food which can not be replicated by any culture except for the Chinese culture. Mason Chin It was great to practice my Mandarin in a fun and engaging, zero pressure environment. It was also great to learn more about Chinese culture, by experiencing it first hand. It helped me further understand the sentence structure pronunciation of the words. Overall it was a delicious and educational experience. William Corcoran I found that this excursion to Dragon Palace gave us a unique taste of Chinese culture and enhanced our understanding of the subject. Hamish Monk
Danielle de Witt Language Department
From the Music Department Mr Michael Newton
In The Music Department The Music Department has been very busy these last few weeks as we have had the On the Roof Concert, and the Orientation Day for the new Year 7s. These were both very successful events. Everyone performed very well at the On The Roof Concert and all in all it became an amazing night to end the year for the concerts. Orientation Day was also very successful as we got to play instruments with the new students, and we all had a great time too. To end the year we have the FreedomFEST which is on the last day of school. This is an exciting event to which all the students get to play a musical piece and everyone gets to dance and have an excellent time to end the year. End of last year we also had a FreedomFEST which ended up being an amazing event, so we can’t wait for the event this year!
Applications forms are available on the school website, at the bottom of this page. Muso Profile Kate van Olden 1. What instrument(s) do you play? I play Alto and Tenor Saxophone and I sing. 2. What first got you interested in Music? My family in South Africa is all part of pipe bands and I always loved listening to them play and I think that lead me to involve myself with more music at home. 3. What’s the best thing about Music at St. G’s? There is no limit to a student’s creativity. The school has so many amazing resources at our fingertips so that we can create any type of music we want. There is also no pressure to be perfect. It gives students an opportunity to not be judged and try things out of their comfort zones. 4. Why should other people do music? It is a way to become creative and imaginative as well as being something that can take away the stress of school life.
5. What’s your advice for anyone learning Music? Instrumental Lessons My advice is don’t be afraid to take a leap If you would like to enrol to learn an and try new things. When an opportunity is instrument at St George’s next year, now given to you, try it. It just might be fun. Also, is the time to submit your applications. St never give up on your music even if you George’s offers lessons on: Clarinet, Saxophone, Flute, Trumpet, Trombone,Violin, aren’t the best. You can still be an amazing Viola, Double Bass, Guitar (Acoustic, Electric musician as long as you use your skills creatively and in a way that makes you enjoy or Bass), Drums, Piano and Voice. music.
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Coming Up and Opportunities Monday 9 December – Presentation Night (Swing Band Performance) Wednesday 11 December – FreedomFEST Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 February – Electrocity FRINGE WORLD performances. Tickets available from https://fringeworld. com.au/whats_on/electrocity-ensemble-fw2020
Michael Newton Head of Music
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From the IT Manager Mr Jason Wakefield
Holiday Computer Maintenance For my last newsletter, I thought I should recommend a few things to do whilst you take a nice, long break.
family, you can get Trend Micro now from SEQTA.
Extra warranty and accidental coverage With the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, you may have scored a good deal with a BYO device, which I hope meets our minimum or recommended specifications. Over the years serving in multiple schools, I have seen plenty of cracked screens come across my desk that Refresh your laptop’s operating system have had to be sent back to Every year I prefer to come back with a the manufacturer for fresh install of the operating system. This expensive repairs. Please ensure that you way, it de-clutters the hard drive of unused have purchased an extended warranty that and unnecessary apps. Both methods come includes accidental breakage cover. If not, with an option to keep your existing files, you should be able to contact the however, in these scenarios, it’s always advised to take a backup of all files you do not manufacturer’s sales team. I recommend 3 years and then rotate the device for a new want to lose. one after 3 years eg.: 3year warranty device Windows: https://support.microsoft. from Year 7 – 9, new 3year warranty device com/en-us/help/4026528/windows-10-refrom Year 10 – 12. set-or-reinstall macOS: https://support.apple.com/en-us/ The IT department recycles your household HT204904 batteries. Please use this FREE facility to dispose of all your expired batteries (not Then using their school email address and including car and phone batteries). The bin password, they can grab the latest Office version from https://portal.office.com; Trend can be found in the IT Manager’s office on Micro anti-virus is available from the SEQTA level 1. More info here. Let’s reduce landfill together! home page and, if they have the access, Adobe Creative Cloud is available via the Want to find out how easy it is to manage Creative Cloud Desktop app. the family’s Internet at home or when they are out and about? Anti-virus trials More information here: Most new Windows laptops will come with an anti-virus trial. I recommend you remove https://cybersafehouse.com that specific anti-virus and grab our free offer of Trend Micro. If you are a new family Jason Wakefield in 2020, we will send out a welcome email IT Manager containing further information on how to grab yourself a copy. If you are an existing
From the Health and Physical Education Department Ms Jodie Scheele
Year 8 student, Bonnie Baugh, was recently interviewed by Channel 9’s The Today Show about her skateboarding journey. With Skateboarding being introduced into next year’s Olympics in Tokyo, there is a lot of interest in the community about skating and, in particularly, the growth in the number of girls hitting the skate parks. The School would like to congratulate Bonnie and her family on her interview, and we are keen to follow her skating pathway. With Bonnie’s potential, anything is possible. All the best Bonnie!
Arriving to St George’s only this semester, Year 8 student Callum McGillivray is certainly excelling in the sporting arena. He was part of our winning ACC Athletics Team, but his passion lies in road and track cycling. On Tuesday morning, up at Kings Park, Callum took part in a time trial for Midland Cycling Club. There were two professional riders, who have competed in the Tour de France, and Callum’s aim is to reach this professional level. We wish Callum every success in his quest! 2020 Term One, will be the beginning of our Swimming programs here at St George’s. PE classes will be transported to UWA pools again for their yearly swimming lessons. Early morning swimming training also begins Week Two Term One, week beginning 3 February 2020. I am sorry to report that we are unable to use Mercedes pool anymore so we are looking at a couple of pool options which I will confirm soon. Training will be twice a week from 6:30 – 7:30 am. It has been a fantastic Physical Education year and it is because of the way the students actively involve themselves in every activity. They always enthusiastically take part which makes teaching super fun. It has been a successful year as well, scoring a win in both the ACC Swimming and Athletics. 2020 will also see growth within the PE Program. We have an exciting introduction of Outdoor Education to the Curriculum, which will be hosted by our new staff member Mrs Jackie Sullivan. Jackie has years of expertise, knowledge and
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a huge amount of passion for her subject. We welcome her to our school and look forward to building a Outdoor Education program that is exciting and engaging. Merry Christmas to everyone and stay healthy, active and enjoy a blessed festive season.
Jodie Scheele Health and Physical Education Department
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 Matrix Uniforms will be taking appointments for fittings starting from December. Appointments can be made by calling 6148-5000 or sales@matrixuniforms. com.au The Matrix showroom, 1 Hassler Road, Osborne Park will be open until 19 December at 4.00 pm and will reopen on the 6 January 2020. Any online orders that are placed during the holidays will be delivered to the school on Tuesday 28 January 2020. We will also open on a Saturday in January, the week before school starts, on 1 February 2020 from 9.00 am – 12.30 pm for the working community that can’t visit the showroom any other time.
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. 19
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