Edition One 11 FEBRUARY 2022
THE DRAGON
Know le d g
e Faith S e r v
ice
FORTNIGHTLY NEWS AND EVENTS FOR ST GEORGE’S PARENTS
From the Principal Tina Campbell
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Dear St George’s Families and Friends,
for your child is greatly appreciated. Mrs Wohlnick is even wearing designer N95 masks daily with student artwork!
Welcome to 2022! The new school year is always about managing change. New teachers, new classes, new facilities, new expectations, new routines and for many, a new school. Whilst this inevitably brings with it a degree of excitement there are also naturally some nerves at the start of the school year. Throw COVID-19 new mandates and constant updates plus compulsory mask wearing into the mix and we have certainly had an interesting start to the academic school year thus far. 2022 will be one where we can expect to continue to pivot, adjust and change the guidelines within the school as we make decisions to ensure that St George’s students are safe, well cared for and happy. These communications will come to you regularly as and when we receive such notifications and updates from the Department of Health or the Department of Education. We will then adjust them to fit the St George’s way, adapting them to our unique setting. For now, the most important part of all our lives is for everyone to wear their mask properly and your assistance in encouraging this
What I can report is that the students are indeed happy, that there remains a buzz of excitement about the commencement of the school year, that they are loving the new Laurence Library on Level 2 and that even behind their masks we can see many smiles and hear much laughter throughout the School. 1
St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
Despite the restrictions, we are working hard to live our school theme for the year of ‘Dream Big, Work Hard, Make it Happen’. These seven short words are our inspiration for the year ahead and I hope will resonate for all within the School and assist every one of us to aspire to achieve greatness in our own small way.
The importance of friendships increases in adolescence as we begin to move away from seeking the advice and guidance of our parents and assert our own independence and individuality through our friends. In supporting your children to find or reaffirm good friendships as the school year starts, it is important to help them to recognise that the most vital quality in any friendship is the way that the relationship makes them feel. If the friendship makes them smile and feel good, that they can be authentic within their friendships, then it is a positive one. If the answer to these things do not hold true, then perhaps it might be time to make changes and that’s OK too. Friendships do not always last forever; they can need forgiveness and at times and even good friendships can move on. What is important is that as we begin a new school year, we encourage our children to welcome new friends into their friendship groups. This is equally as important as reconnecting with old friends.
One of the biggest concerns for students across all Year Groups, and potentially for parents too as students begin the school year, is whether they will find friends here – will they have a ‘tribe’ at school? Finding friends is something that we talk about often with students here at St George’s striving to support everyone to quickly feel connected and find friends both in their classes and through their co-curricular experiences. We can help our children with friendships by talking to them about their new school friends. This is particularly important when the social nuances of friendships normally made visible through our smiles are currently hidden by our constant mask wearing.
Linda Stade, an educational writer, speaker, and consultant in Western Australia writes much about the importance of good friends and what healthy friendships look and feel like. She has created a Friendship Manifesto, which you may find useful in supporting your children to build and grow good friendships here.
We all need friends in our lives. Friends help us to understand ourselves better. They are the people with whom we often share our inner secrets. They are the people we have fun with and who make us feel happy. Friends make us laugh and help us to relax. They help our mental health; they relieve stress, and we will undoubtedly miss them greatly if ever we need to head into periods of quarantine this year. Our friends support us to talk through any serious issues or concerns we might be facing, they encourage healthy behaviours, give us emotional support when we need it, help our self-confidence, and support us to be our best selves. With all these different strengths needed of good friends, having only one BFF is unlikely to be practical or fulfil the many differing needs we have of our friends. To continue to grow and flourish we need to have friends from both inside and outside school. Technology has somewhat shifted the definition of friendships in recent years and by the click of a button we can now add a friend or make a new connection. Having hundreds of friends online is however not the same as spending time in person with a friend. So, whilst it is important to have online friends, friends in person within the real word are crucial to our positive wellbeing.
Good friends should be cherished. They are the most wonderful part of our lives. I hope your children find many great new friends here at St George’s just as I have as Principal. Warmest wishes to you all for what might be a bumpy 2022, but we are ready and will manage the twists and turns together. Mrs Tina Campbell
A S C
INTERNATIONAL
Sharing Cultures | Creating Friendships
Part of The Anglican S chools Commission (Inc.)
Student Hosting Opportunity The Anglican Schools Commission International is looking for caring families to host* regional, interstate and international students intending to study at St George’s Anglican Grammar School. • NO COST TO REGISTER • LONG TERM HOSTING • SHORT TERM HOSTING • TEMPORARY HOSTING (SCHOOL HOLIDAYS)
All enquiries to: Accommodation Coordinator | homestay@asci.edu.au
*Hosts are paid a weekly fee
www.asci.edu.au
2 St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
Chaplain’s Corner my hands has changed. I promise you my heart is in it now! I consider so much more carefully when I touch my mask, how and when I clean my hands and I hold in my heart deep love and care for the welfare of the people with whom I share communion.
Dear friends, I write to you in a state of gratitude and joy that I can still send love all the way from the Cathedral via this newsletter. In what might be considered a challenging start to the year, I am counting my blessings. I am grateful that we are still doing this ‘together, apart’ thing in my ministry to St George’s Anglican Grammar School – grateful that I can still count myself as a member of the St George’s community and grateful that as of Monday we can have small gatherings to worship at St George’s Cathedral.
I am so grateful that we are still have the choice to abstain from gathering, to hand sanitise, to wear masks, to be mindful of being physically socially distanced when we can because it means that we still have the ability to care for each other in a real and practical way. I am sad that we can’t get together as we used to, but this is temporary and even have one class together to worship is exciting.
‘Together, apart’ seems to be how we will be operating for just a bit longer, but I do think the end is in sight. This morning at the Eucharist I shared my thoughts about hand sanitizing and the Gospel of Mark. In a seminal moment (Mk 7, Vs 19) Mark’s gospel states ‘Thus he declared all foods clean.’ thereby opening up the kingdom of God to the gentiles (i.e., all of us), the people who did not abide by the laws set by God for the people of Israel.
For now, my heart is full of gratitude that I can still do something to protect my community from the pandemic that is on our doorstep.
But this declaration comes from an argument about hand cleaning (so very ‘now’). Jesus’ point about purification rituals is this: There are more important laws to obey than just outward shows of religious observance. It is more important that our hearts are good than it is that we are ‘ritually’ good. I wish you all the very best as you continue to celebrate the many positives in your lives as members of the St George’s Anglican Grammar School Community – we are indeed all blessed to be a part of this very special school.
So, what does this mean for us? This morning I contemplated the act of washing my hands with hand sanitiser at the Eucharist. There were many times in the past when I sanitized just because it was prescribed. There was no COVID in Perth and I was confident that whether I did with care or not, we would all be safe. But now times have changed, COVID is in our community and the way I sanitise
Chaplain Sarah
The Laurence Library opens its doors “The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” Albert Einstein The new Laurence Library, located on Level 2, is nearly complete. The stage is set, and we are now just waiting for the shelves to be filled. It is going to be a wonderful place for all students to explore. It will offer peace and quiet for those looking for a bit of respite, it will inspire productivity for times when students need to crack down and get things done, and it will offer a wide range of books and resources for students to discover. It will also hopefully inspire a love of reading.
We encourage everyone to pop in and meet Dr Pedersen, our Library Services Coordinator, and Ms Grzelka, our Library Assistant, who will orientate students with library operations and provide assistance when needed with academic studies, choosing a novel to read, IT issues and all things in between.
Attention Year 7 students! The first exciting activity in the Laurence Library is the launch of the Library Lego Club for Year 7s. If you would like to be part of the Library Lego Club, please email Dr Pedersen with your expression of interest by Monday 14 February to apedersen@stgeorges.wa.edu.au. Who wouldn’t want to be part of building the Titanic and discovering its hidden wonders? 3
St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
I am also available to answer questions from student and parents, provide advice and help students to navigate, what can be, a complex a system. In addition to overseeing the APEx and Careers coordination, I can also be found teaching my specialist subject – Human Biology and Science. About me: I am a Scottish science teacher who taught in Glasgow for six years before winning a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in the United States. I was teaching on the Jersey Shore as it was hit by Hurricane Sandy in 2012! After the scholarship I taught in London for three years before moving to Perth. I have taught in a range of Perth schools including Penrhos and St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School. I am passionate about STEM, equal opportunities and representation and innovation in teaching. This is one of the reasons why I am very excited to be teaching in the unique setting of St George’s Anglican Grammar School that has the city as its campus.
I am excited to be joining St George’s Anglican Grammar school as the new Alternative Pathways and Experiences (APEx) and Careers Coordinator. The role is incredibly motivating and rewarding and I am already enjoying getting to know each student. Careers Counselling has changed over the years to align itself with the modern world. Today counselling is about listening to students and helping them make choices which can lead to a fulfilling and rewarding career path. It is also about supporting students to take steps now which will set them up for success later. This can range from selecting subjects to providing information about different pathways from University, TAFE, apprenticeships, and direct entry to the workforce. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is supporting young people who want to take alternative pathways (non-ATAR). These days there are so many different ways that students can achieve their goals and I am here to help them.
I look forward to getting to know all of you too as the parents/ carers/guardians of St George’s students. If you need to contact me, please do so via my email stagore@stgeorges.wa.edu.au
I also teach careers courses, coordinate work placements, and send out important information and reminders through the Careers Newsletter – Careers Compass, which will come out once a month.
Mrs Sharan Tagore
School Operations
There is good news from Tara Uniforms that some backorders are arriving including school bags which are now available. However, girls’ socks have still not arrived; the tracksuits and jumpers are delayed until March/April, but they do have most other items in stock. Please contact Tara Uniforms directly on 6148 5000 or by using their website. We also have an internal school bag available to assist in carrying books for classes between floors and buildings. These are available from front reception.
Susan Lazenby
The start of this year has brought with it a series of events that test our mettle and resilience, hasn’t it? But we shall prevail, as we always do; after all, this is the St George’s Spirit! Our much-anticipated new style student diaries have been delayed by the disruption to the supply chain and the washing away of the railway tracks during the floods in South Australia. We are expecting the diaries to arrive in Week 3 and they will be distributed to students as soon as they arrive into the School. Our aim is to help students develop transferable skills, and diary use for organisation is a strategy we will be encouraging much more strongly this year. To achieve this, students will be expected to carry their diaries to every lesson and use them for recording and planning homework, assessments, and tasks. To help students manage this, there is a 2022 calendar to record when tasks are due.
“When a team feels like a family, they will go all out to love and serve one another” Perry Noble Each day as our students arrive, there is a sense of completeness in our buildings. One new student remarked that ‘the teachers really care about us here’ and that they already felt like one of the St George’s family. This sentiment has been echoed by other new arrivals. Kudos to our great teaching staff and to the many students who extend the hand of friendship to the newer members of our School Community. We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet everyone as we had previously planned to do. Until then, take care.
We ask that Parents, Carers and Guardians of Year 7 and Year 8 students sign the diary weekly. Working together, we can engender an appreciation for good organisation. The diaries can also be used by all Parents, Guardians and Carers to write notes to teachers. This is just another way of building strong communication between home and school. All parents can still Direqt Message teachers via SEQTA.
Mrs Susan Lazenby
4 St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
Pastoral Focus
ST GEORGE’S SUPERSTARS
Hilton Hardman
Our PCG and House system are central to our Pastoral Program at St George’s. Through it, we aim to focus on building a sense of community, developing resilience, offering opportunities for personal, social and emotional development and providing emotional support. This year has seen the Pastoral Team hit the ground running with the New Student Orientation Day and Senior Students Day. It was exciting to see our students fill the classrooms and fully engage in all programs and activities during the course of these days.
Xavier Camacho Year 11 Xavier did it! He has achieved his dream of obtaining his pilot’s licence on his 16th birthday and is now the youngest person in Australia to have a pilot’s licence.
Our Year 7 students listened to Claire Eaton talk to them about starting Secondary school and received one of her books titled Hello High School. This was the first time we have invited Claire to St George’s to talk to our students and it will become a yearly feature of the New Student Orientation Program. Claire offered the students excellent advice about friendships, acceptance and coming together as the new St George’s Year 7s.Claire finished the day with a parent session which was extremely informative and well received by many of our Year 7 parents.
Xavier has spent the last month studying navigation, maths, physics, engine mechanics, meteorology, and aviation law to prepare for the intense theory two-hour exams… and a lot of flight training. Congratulations Xavier, your achievement is well-deserved and credit to your continued commitment and hard work.
As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, our Guest Speaker Program plays a vital role in supporting and educating our students. On Senior Students’ Day, Dr Jane Genovese addressed our Year 11 students on Transitioning into Year 11 and our Year 12 students on Exam Hacks: Strategies to make life less stressful. Our Pastoral Program will see 21 Guest Speakers’ sessions for our students in the following areas: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Anglicare WA, Health Relationships: Respect Anglicare WA, Healthy Relationships: Boundaries Anglicare WA, Health Relationships: Violence in relationships WA Police: Personal Safety and Awareness in the City Bully Zero: Understanding Bullying Anglicare WA, Poverty & Inequality: Homelessness Paul Litherland: Online Safety Consumer Credit Legal Service, Banking System, Credit and Debit, Financial Literacy & Buying your first car Consumer Credit Legal Service, SCAMS, Mobile Phones & Consumer Law Youth Choices Performance, WA police: Bullying and Cyberbullying Anglicare WA, Mental Health: Mental Health in Society Armed for life: Leavers Armed for life: Screen Addiction Armed for life: Healthy Relationships Armed for life: Drugs and their effect
McKenzie Wilson Class of 2021 Recent 2021 graduate, McKenzie Wilson, has had both her Year 12 artworks for Unit 3 and Unit 4 Year 12 selected for the 2022 Art Exhibition: Pulse Perspectives 2022. This is an Art Gallery of WA exhibition celebrating the artworks of students who completed Year 12 Visual Arts in 2021. It is wonderful to see one of our talented young artists celebrated in this yearly showcase in Perth.. The Exhibition will be open from 20 April to 24 July 2022 at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. It is a must see on the Arts Calendar.
Harrison Hodge Class of 2021
We are grateful to the number of providers who offer these services, and we will continue to seek specialists to talk to our students on key areas and challenges they face at different stages in their life. Having speakers come into the school remains an important part of our pastoral curriculum and is allowed under current guidelines and constraints.
We were all thrilled to hear that Harrison has been accepted into UWA to study Medicine this year – what an achievement.
We also have a Parents Guest Speaker Series and we are currently rescheduling this to ascertain what can be provided in a COVID safe way for our parents. The Pastoral Team looks forward to another busy year and one that continues to have our students’ wellbeing as a central focus.
5
St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
Curriculum Update
Parent Information Evenings
Anthony Bochrinis
Last week, we hosted our Year 12 and Year 11 Parent Information Evenings remotely via Zoom.
It is a great honour that I write to you this year as the newly appointed Head of Curriculum of St George’s Anglican Grammar School. I hope everyone has had a restful and joyful holiday break and is gearing and ready for a new and exciting academic year.
This was an excellent opportunity to discuss the purpose and goal of delivering our ATAR and APEx pathways to senior school students. This week, it has sparked many great conversations with students as they decide what their final years of secondary schooling will look like via their subject choices for them. It is important to remember that every child is different, different strengths and weaknesses and so all students need to choose their pathway carefully and we as staff here at St George’s are here to help them. My office on Level 1 is always open for students and I am only a phone call away from any parents that want to discuss curriculum matters at anytime.
Finding Your Dream Job I thoroughly enjoy having a conversation with students about what they believe their dream job is and how they can start working towards it at St George’s through their chosen pathways. I believe that a dream job is a blend of something you have an ability in, something that you are passionate about, and something that earns you money. If you made a Triple Venn Diagram, you could complete each of the regions with a dream job aptly at the centre, and non-successful attempts at finding one’s dream job around the outside:
If you were unable to attend these sessions, we have recorded the live streams and you can find access to them via the links below: Year 12 Parent Information Evening Recording Video Link | Password: SGAGS12! Year 11 Parent Information Evening Recording Video Link | Password: SGAGS11!
Senior School Subject Selection and Academic Review To ensure that the experience of our Year 11 and 12 students is as stable as possible, we will be implementing an Academic Review of all Year 12 students I will be working closely with all Year 11 and 12 students as they complete the requirements to achieve their WACE graduation at the end of Year 12. I highly recommend that students use the same tool that we use to track and manage this process which is developed by SCSA and is called the WACE Checker.
OLNA (Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment) Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 who have not achieved a Band 8 or higher in reading, writing and/or numeracy in the Year 9 NAPLAN must sit tests of the related disciplines this semester. The OLNA comprises of online tests in reading, writing and numeracy.
However, when speaking to students what their Venn Diagrams would look like, I receive a common response: "I don’t know”, which is excellent to hear! As young people, it is challenging to know what one’s dream job would look like, especially in our current context where new industries are constantly emerging. Instead, a student can feel confident that they will find their dream job by leveraging the power of choice – something that our ATAR and APEx pathways can offer our students in senior school. This is where intrinsic motivation is born, by fighting for something you want (even though you may not know what it looks like just yet!) and working as hard as you can in school to maximise the number of choices you have in the future.
The writing test comprises of an extended response of up to 600 words and students will have 60 minutes to complete it. The reading test comprises of 45 multiple-choice questions and students will have 50 minutes to complete it. The numeracy test comprises of 45 multiple-choice questions and students will have 50 minutes to complete it. The Round 1 OLNA 2022 testing dates at St George’s are as follows:
Term One Assessment Schedule
Writing Test: Monday 28 February
This week, your child’s Term One Assessment Schedule was sent out via SEQTA Direqt Message. There are several benefits for our staff to have such a schedule. However, its main purpose is to support your child’s organisation for upcoming busy assessment periods throughout the term. Please do be in touch with me if you have not received this or need it to be explained more clearly to you.
Reading Test: Tuesday 1 March Numeracy Test: Wednesday 2 March If you would like to find out any further information regarding these events, please do not hesitate to contact me. We will be supporting these students prepare for these tests here at School. 6
St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
Around the School
ask questions and outlining our School guidelines and procedures to assist with a smooth start to the year.
Dance has begun at St George’s
As Term One unfolds, the Year 7s will settle into a familiar routine and we look forward to seeing them continue to establish new friendships and build their connections across the cohort.
In 2022 we have introduced Dance as an elective for our Year 10 students. In the coming weeks, our Drama Studio will undergo some modifications to make the space a great classroom and rehearsal space for both Dance and Drama students.
What will Week 3 hold? New friendships, I hope. Mrs Taryn Sephton Head of Year 7 - Acting
So far this term, Year 10s have been busy learning their contemporary technique, choreographing short phrases, and exploring the evolution of contemporary dance. Watch this space for updates on class work and performances!
Outdoor Education This year we have another exciting year ahead of us.
Mrs Courtney Crisp
Semester 1 – Year 9 • • • •
Stand up Paddleboarding at Matilda Bay – Term 1 Orienteering at Elizabeth Quay – Term 2 Sustainability Studies – Term 2 Two Excursions – State Orienteering at Whiteman Park, 15 June and Jorgensen Park Kalamunda Orienteering, 23 June
Semester 1 – Year 10 • Indoor Rock climbing – Summit Climbing in Malaga and City West – Term 1 • Knots & Roping skills – done at school on the Level 5 rooftop – Term 1 • Trangia Cooking – Elizabeth Quay – Term 1 & Term 2 • Mountain Bike Riding – Starting at Elizabeth Quay and riding a different route around the city each week. Term 2 • Mountain Biking full day excursion – Munda Biddi and Maringup Trails in Dwellingup, 30 June.
Year 7s off to a great start! It has been wonderful to welcome the Year 7 students into our School. They have continued to settle in well and seem to be enjoying the increased independence and responsibility that comes with being a High School student.
If you do have any questions or queries about the program, feel free to contact me on jsullivan@stgeorges.wa.edu.au Mrs Jackie Sullivan
Summer of Sports Congratulations to everyone! You have all “dived” into swimming in a big way. From the regulars, who have now done three morning training sessions, to all students in their Phys Ed classes. You have demonstrated good organisation and approached swimming with a positive attitude. Thanks for being vigilant with your masks when
Week 1 was all about introductions and new beginnings. Whether it was finding their way to classes, wearing a new uniform and mask, learning about new subjects, understanding bus routes and train timetables, accessing SEQTA and becoming more familiar with using their lock and locker, the Year 7s have taken it all in their stride. Week 2 has seen a focus on organisation, encouraging students to 7 St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON
on the bus. It never ceases to amaze me, the level of willingness for our students to jump in and get involved and maximise opportunities. It is great we are in an outdoor venue, and with university still on their break, we have it to ourselves. Keep up the good work!
from the previous year’s line-up, bringing back songs that were featured in 2021 Fringe, and the Grand Final Parade. Both shows were an overall success, and displayed the past, present, and anticipated future of Electrocity Ensemble. We look forward to more performances in the future. Beth Watt (Bass) Marcus Fairhall (Flute & Electronics)
At this point, the Inter-House Swimming Carnival will take place as scheduled on Thursday 17 February. All students will need to remain in their cohorts throughout the event and it will be a reduced program (not a full day) but it will still be fun, be full of house spirit and have a positive vibe and energy. I encourage you all to get involved The Beijing Winter Olympics has been incredible to watch and a point of interest on the floors each recess and lunchtime. I hope you have been enjoying it too. Ms Jodie Scheele
Electrocity rock at Fringe World Electrocity Ensemble’s latest show “Started with You” brought a range of new styles and experimental genres, thanks to the new, yet strong line-up of 2022. This year saw the introduction of three new members, with our new guitarist Jemima Beal, saxophonist Nick Watt and trombonist Harvey Miller, bringing creativity and a new approach to the show. Our recent repertoire involved strong jazz and swing styles and forms, alongside an electronica theme. The band has expanded its repertoire, introducing jazz, funk, pop, and alternative styles into the list. The show displayed both the talent of each instrumentalist and the overall growth of the sound of Electrocity, with a range of different lyrical themes, tempos, and instrumental breaks. The performance featured returning artists Jackson Edmunds and Kate Van Olden, to bring back four songs
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL A school of the Anglican Schools Commission Inc. KW noiswd cee lo ed mgeGFraaitche SSeerrvviic