St Hilda's Ammonite Summer 2015

Ammonite Summer 2015

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From the Principal Mrs Kim Kiepe Principal

Preparing girls for the future Welcome to the Ammonite, our new look St Hilda’s magazine. It is with great pleasure we share news of St Hilda’s with you as well as providing some in depth stories from our students and Old Scholars.

As 2015 draws to a close, after an extensive consultation period, we are preparing to launch our new Strategic Plan, STRATEGIC FOCUS 2020. We have articulated the essence of St Hilda’s by clarifying our Purpose, Vision and Values and identified seven focus areas for the next five years.

Our planning has taken into account the fact that our digitally connected young students are entering a world of unprecedented opportunities enhanced by technological advances.

We are also very aware of the daunting challenges that accompany the exciting possibilities that lie in our students’ future. Our hyper-connected world is reflected in the fact that every single day, we collectively post 4.5 billion ‘likes’ on Facebook status updates, while Facebook generates some 150 billion daily connections. The immensity of this actively connected world is belied by a lack of personal contact, thus leaving individuals with a deep feeling of disconnection.

Connectedness can be defined as a sense of belonging to a community, a feeling that you matter, that your contributions are valued and others care about you (Osterman, 2000). Our staff appreciate that our school plays an important role in helping students feel a sense of inclusive belonging in the St Hilda’s community. Teachers also understand that this sense of inclusivity helps to St Hilda’s Ammonite

build individual resilience. Belonging is critical to wellbeing, thus we all seek ways to connect with others.

Recent literature suggests that a common experience in 21st century living is a feeling of increased isolation, along with higher than previously recorded mental health issues.

Throughout the year, we have continued to connect with our school and wider community, as reflected in a range of activities. Our Junior School students got involved in community fundraising for VisAbility WA and so helped support the vet care, food and training for Hilda, a Guide Dog puppy. Hilda will one day make a profound difference to the life of someone who is blind or vision impaired. Similarly, our Senior School students were connected through Pyjama Day, raising money for Princess Margaret Hospital. Appreciation cards, in the format of ‘warm fuzzies’, were an excellent way of acknowledging the positive moments happening at school, alongside giving recognition to the kind and thoughtful actions of others. Our school alumnae are also enthusiastic supporters of staying connected, evident in the recently held events in Sydney and Singapore.

I hope you enjoy this edition of the Ammonite and are as impressed by the wealth of talent found within the St Hilda’s community as I am. I am greatly looking forward to 2016 and continuing our commitment to preparing girls for the future, by developing tenacity, confidence and compassion.

Osterman, K. F. (2000). Students’ need for belonging in the school community. Review of Educational Research, 70, 323–367.

Contents 4. Council update 5. Snippets 8. Let it snow 12. Seussical The Musical

Galleries

13. The Story Biz 14. Senior School Cross Country

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15. Junior School Cross Country 16. Books 17. Wooleen Station 18. Parents and Grandparents 20.

Media

22. Bottle for Botol

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23. Getting to know Anu 24. On the runway 26.

Sporting excellence

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Red Roof-tiles

30. Rites of passage 32. When life gives you lemons 34.

Brain teasers

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From the Chair of Council

Ms Deidre Willmott Chair of Council

Council update Welcome to our new magazine Ammonite. I am delighted to be able to share with you news of the School Council.

is “innovation”. What stands out though is the growing importance of understanding science and technology in so much of what we will be doing.

We have had another busy year commencing with the commissioning of our new Principal Mrs Kim Kiepe by Archbishop Roger Herft on 2 February 2015.

With the new Nicholas Rinehart Science Centre and our outstanding academic staff we aim to inspire each of our students in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.

Since then the School Council has been working with Mrs Kiepe to develop a new strategic plan, STRATEGIC FOCUS 2020, which identifies our key areas of focus for the next five years.

The School Council strongly believes that St Hilda’s must prepare our students for life by nurturing tenacity, confidence and compassion. We need to keep up with developments particularly in technology so that we can provide the highest standards of education and so that our students are equipped to take on the challenges presented by an increasingly digital world.

While we cannot see exactly what the future holds we can already be confident that the way we work and the jobs that we do are changing. If we think about how much the way we stay in touch as families and friends has changed in our lifetimes we can begin to imagine how this change will continue.

Western Australia is a world leader in many areas including resources, agriculture, medical research, biodiversity, marine research and astronomy with the development of the Square Kilometre Array. Many more opportunities await us and the word on everybody’s lips

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The arts also remain at the heart of our School giving our students world knowledge and confidence in communicating and performing, all skills that our students will need throughout their lives.

We were proud to name the Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre this year as recognition of the important place that the centre has in the School community.

The School Council is focussed on the role that the School continues to play in the lives of our former students especially those who go on to build careers and in turn send their daughters to St Hilda’s. The School has an important role in supporting working mothers as you juggle the challenges of combining family and career.

This year we have said farewell to our long serving Treasurer Rob Appleyard who has done an outstanding job guiding the School through our extensive construction program. We extend our thanks to him.

On behalf of the School Council, thank you for your support for the School and our important role in preparing Western Australian women for life.

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Celeste Kalnenas with one of her prizes

Top French honours Congratulations to Celeste Kalnenas (Year 11) who won first place in Western Australia at the recent Alliance Française French competition. Across the State, there were 470 students enrolled in the Year 11 exam with approximately 1760 students from Years 9 to 12 participating overall. St Hilda’s students did very well, with many of them awarded certificates for the highest level of achievement.

National History Challenge

Well done to our Junior School National History Challenge champions who were presented with their medallions and certificates by Mr Peter Collier MLA, Minister for Education, at the recent ceremony. Hilary Andrews (Year 6) was first in Western Australia, Primary Schools section, first in the State Open Australian Wartime Experiences and Highly Commended in the Museum Exhibit category with her research project on the Leadership and Legacy of Australian wartime Prime Minister John Curtin.

From around the School

Snippets

Maths not a problem for Years 5 and 6 Congratulations to our Year 5 and 6 girls who competed in the Australasian Mathematical Olympiads, a problem solving competition made up of five competition papers completed throughout the year. Girls have been developing skills and confidence in interpreting questions and choosing efficient strategies to find solutions.

Faye Hadi received a trophy as the highest scorer for 2015. Erica Lee received an Achievement Award for her endeavours. Faye Hadi, Hilary Andrews, Emily Whelan, and Lauren Yee received badges for scoring in the top 10%. Aurelia Thompson, Erica Lee, Samantha Warren, Caitlin Pigeon and Lauren Pudney received cloth badges for scoring in the top 25%.

Margot Kelsall (Year 6), Sophie Brooks (Year 6) and Sienna Bailey (Year 6) were runners up in the Primary section for Western Australia and placed in the State Open Federation category for their animation on Federation leaders, Sir Henry Parkes, Alfred Deakin and Edmund Barton.

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Meet Hilda

The newest member of our St Hilda’s community is Hilda the trainee guide dog. Thanks to our Junior School students and families who raised over $36,000 for VisAbility WA with their 2015 Lap-A-Thon. Over 400 students ran around the School Oval in three 20 minute sessions completing up to 22 laps each. Sponsored by friends and family, their hard work has raised enough funds to train and look after Hilda. Great effort!

Year 6 Community Service Committee members Harriet Mann (left) and Ava Renouf with Hilda

Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre At the end of July, we acknowledged and celebrated former Principal Joy Shepherd’s contribution to St Hilda’s and her support for the Arts by naming our iconic arts building in her honour.

Sum success Mai Hoang (Year 11) has been invited to attend the prestigious 2016 National Mathematics Summer School in January 2016. We are also delighted that our previous attendees - Annie Jiang (Year 12) and Laura Peh (Year 12) have also been invited back as mentors.

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This is an outstanding achievement. Only six students are chosen from Western Australia each year to attend the two week residential school in Canberra and with Mai’s attendance, an amazing six St Hilda’s girls have attended in the last six years.

Titration is a chemical analysis technique used to find out the concentration of an unknown solution.

Judging is based on the values each team reports and are ranked on their accuracy compared to the actual concentration.

Back: Faith Chow (left) and Monika Blankenburgs; Front: Eloise Colvin (left) and Haifa Feeney

Above L to R: Faith Chow, Lara Edmands and Laura Peh

Congratulations to three Year 12 students who won gold in the WA Titration Competition and then went on to take out the National title. Lara Edmands, Faith Chow and Laura Peh individually completed a complex titration at the competition run by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Each gained a gold plaque for their results.

Always a popular sport with our students, our hockey girls had a great season in 2015. Not only did we emerge as IGSSA Champion School, a number of girls were chosen to represent Western Australia and Australia. Congratulations to Isabella Suleski (Year 10) and Angela Chilwell (Year 10) who are part of the Australian School Girls’ U17 team that will compete in South Africa next year. Well done also to our St Hilda’s girls who represented WA in the U13 National Hockey Championships in Sydney: Matilde Helliar (Year 7) Holly Fredrickson (Year 7), Mollie Pethick (Year 8), Christine Aitken (Year 8), Sophie Skirving (Year 8) and Paris Chisholm (Year 8).

Another highlight was a visit to our Junior School by Monika Blankenburgs (Senior Hockey Captain) and Faith Chow (Vice Captain) who inspired our youngest minkey players.

Old Scholars in the news Joan London (Hankin ‘65) has won the Kibble Literary Award, the University of Queensland Fiction Book Award and the 2015 Patrick White Literary Award for her novel The Golden Age.

From around the School

Hockey success

Chemistry is right in Year 12

Sabina Shugg (‘84) was named an AM in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours “for significant service to the mining industry through executive roles in the resource sector and as a role model and mentor to women.”

Rachael Young (’10) has been making headlines in her quest to raise $20,000 as part of a graduate fellowship with Mamma Hope to support the needs of young girls in Kenya.

Rachael was the successful applicant of the Old Scholars Association Travel Award this year and will use the funds to further her voluntary community efforts in Kenya. Rachael is passionate about working on a special program with local community leaders to address the education, dignity and self-reliance of girls who have few opportunities.

Congratulations to Luci Trevaskis (‘14) for her win at the 2015 ATOM Awards held in Melbourne this week. Luci is the national winner of the Best Senior Secondary Fiction category for her short film Dark Matter. The film was part of Luci’s 2014 WACE submission.

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Let it snow St Hilda’s Ammonite

As former students will know, ‘the ski trip’ has always been an iconic outdoor adventure for many in their senior years at St Hilda’s.

July 2015 was no exception as 47 Year 11s headed off to conquer New Zealand.

Year 11 adventurer Lucy Irvine reports.

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It was 3 July when 47 very excited Year 11 girls set off to the beautiful South Island of New Zealand for an adventure of a lifetime. For most girls it was their first New Zealand visit. Our 10 day trip began in stunning Queenstown where our hotel was right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu.

Shopping and enjoying the foodie delights of Queenstown got our holiday off to a great start and then the outdoor fun began. We had three incredible options, which were zip-lining, bungee jumping or canyon swinging. The zip-line activity was absolutely amazing and is famous for having the steepest zip line in the world, which can reach speeds of up to 70 kmph!

This adventure option was an amazing way to see Queenstown’s breathtaking scenery, and everyone who participated said it was an experience they would never forget. The bungee jump option, involved girls bravely jumping off a 400 metre platform! This activity offered the girls a unique and adrenaline fuelled experience. The final adventure activity was the canyon swing, which had an exhilarating 60 metres of free fall and a 200 metre swing over the canyon, which provided yet another magnificent view of New Zealand’s stunning natural beauty.

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After these exhilarating options we caught the iconic skyline gondola up to Bob’s Peak to watch a traditional Maori Haka performance. The Haka display gave us an insight to New Zealand culture and history and some girls were even given the opportunity to join in.

After two nights in Queenstown, we set off early in the morning for the Cardrona Ski Resort. Most of us stayed in chalets on the mountain which was, thankfully, a one minute walk to the ski lifts. A few girls lodged in nearby Wanaka and had the benefit of a hot spa! The snow conditions and weather were perfect and we were lucky enough to have fresh snow every day. While staying on the mountain, we had to cook for ourselves, which was challenging but we managed to survive. We also tackled ski school which ensured we all improved in our skiing no matter our initial skill level. One of the highlights after a hard day’s skiing or snowboarding was heading backing to our cosy warm chalets for hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows safe from the minus 8C temperatures outside.

Matilda Nelson, Lucy Irvine and Naomi Hermans

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Gallery Seussical The Musical 12

“Oh the thinks you can think, when you think about Seuss!” And that’s just what our wonderful cast showed us with our 2015 School Production Seussical The Musical.

Our thanks to everyone who supported us in the audience, back stage or in the orchestra.

Gallery The Story Biz

Year 6 delighted friends and family with The Story Biz - a wonderful romp through favourite fairy tales with a modern twist.

Walt Dizzey is fresh out of stories and he has lost control of his company.

Luckily, Jacob Grimm has one last story saved for a rainy day! First performed by our 2015 Year 12s in 2009, this was a great drama finale for our girls.

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Gallery Senior School Cross Country 14

Our Senior School girls had an amazing cross country season by coming second at IGSSA! Congratulations to all girls and coaches for an incredible team effort.

Attendance at training has been outstanding and all students supported and encouraged each other at training and competitions.

A special mention to Year 10 who won their pennant.

Gallery Junior School Cross Country

Congratulations to our Year 3-6 Cross Country team who represented St Hilda’s. Our girls ran beautifully, displaying courage, determination and strength. Well done to Year 3 and Year 4 who each took out their year pennant.

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Gallery Books 16

We love books! Fact, fiction inside or outside, reading to ourselves or reading to others. Book Week is an annual highlight with our littlest readers coming up to the ‘big school’ to enjoy story time with our Year 8s.

Junior School also enjoyed a popup library amongst the gum trees and a book swap to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Gallery Wooleen Station

Our Year 10s concluded their St Hilda’s outdoor education at Wooleen Station in the heart of the Murchison with a 10 day trek. We hope the experience will always inspire them to appreciate their environment and the people they journey with.

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Gallery Parents and Grandparents 18

Something magical happens when parents turn into grandparents and we were delighted to share some of that magic with so many at Junior School this year. Our Junior School Mothers were treated to some pampering as part of our Mother’s Day celebrations and our Year 12 girls enjoyed a night out with their Dads at the Annual Father Daughter Dinner.

Gallery Parents and Grandparents

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Rina Hiraiwa models for Ashiyana Malil (photographer) and Lydia Matthews (set designer)

Media

Media is one of those words that we hear frequently that seems to have many meanings, so we asked our Media Studies teacher Lisa Barrett what media means for our students.

Media is the forgotten art form. People assume that media is a technical course where students learn how to use software like Photoshop and Premiere Pro but Media Production and Analysis (MPA) is a wonderful art form that offers new opportunities for students to express their creativity through filmmaking, photography, digital media content and even radio.

MPA allows a student to look at the world they live in and experiment with ways of seeing, points of view, society myths and discourses and popular, as well as traditional, culture and figure out where these and how these aspects of life ‘fit’ in their world. Our personal contexts are what shape our art in media. The way we were raised, our beliefs, experiences, education, culture all have an impact on how we ‘see’ the world and how we portray that world to others.

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Storytelling at the heart Our students experience media texts that challenge the traditional ways we create art through Australian and international filmmakers and photographers, visual styles and techniques but most importantly, our stories.

Storytelling is at the heart of our courses. All the technical ‘bells and whistles’ cannot strengthen a weak storyline; all the special effects in the world won’t endear an audience to a character unless that character is portrayed authentically. We challenge students to express their stories with sophisticated style and complex detail and in turn they challenge the audience to consider the world in a different way.

MPA has the ability to light a creative fire in a student.

For a student who has not previously considered media, simply picking up a DSLR camera is sometimes all it takes to inspire to create, using a tool that had previously not even been considered. Playing with a lighting kit, changing a lens to experiment with depth of field, balancing a tripod so that you get the desired angle suddenly become creative outlets, not techniques or tools used to pass an assessment; suddenly a student loses the fear of doing something ‘wrong’ and instead composes a shot to simply see what effect that style will have... to ‘play’ for art’s sake.

Georgia Jones, Eliza Gnauck and Lucy Moran applying the finishing touches to their projects

Annual showcase Every year, St Hilda’s showcases the work of the media students across Years 8 to 12 at the Wide Angle Media Festival. This event exhibits the top examples of work from media students across all years and across film and photography. Attendees get the opportunity to vote for their favourite media production and trophies are awarded to the production from each year group that receives the highest amount of votes from the public, with the overall highest scoring production being credited on the perpetual shield every year. Organised and run by the student Media Committee, the event truly creates a vibrant and energetic atmosphere by celebrating all entrants, not just the favourites. With a photographic exhibition as well as audiovisual productions screened during the program, there are many texts to experience; varied in topic, sophisticated in concept and impeccable in detail. A fantastic window into the world of media at St Hilda’s.

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Bottle for Botol Christine Parfitt (’02) is an Old Scholar making a difference with her charity Bottle for Botol.

Through this charity, Christine is bringing together Australian and Balinese schools to address the environmental impact of plastic and alternative solutions for a sustainable future.

Bottle for Botol came about following Christine’s undergraduate studies in Marine Science Conservation Biology at Murdoch University. In her passionate quest to study turtles, Christine travelled to remote areas of Bali where she studied the language and worked with the local community teachers and volunteers.

Christine was alarmed to find that school students sourced drinking water by buying it in small sealed plastic cups. Not only was this expensive for families with limited incomes, it was generating considerable plastic

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waste. With clear foresight, Christine saw the possibility of solving both problems with Balinese students owning a stainless steel drinking flask and filling it with water from a central dispenser.

It’s a concept we take for granted in Australia but in Indonesia, where water is otherwise boiled to be fit for drinking, this basic idea is ground breaking.

Christine has received recognition for her efforts through the Federal Government’s Endeavour Awards and is now pursuing a PhD on the impacts of an education program to compliment Bottle For Botol. Fifteen Australian schools are currently partnering with Bottle For Botol, rewarding children internationally through this engaging program.

You can find out more at www.bottleforbotol.org

GHS and St Hilda’s Old Scholars Association

Getting to know Anu Anu van Hattem (Palmoja ’75) is our new GHS & Old Scholars Association President. Already a familiar face to many as a hardworking Old Scholar and our immediate past Deputy President, not many know of her dedication and experiences as the Honorary Consul for Estonia.

For Estonians abroad in Western Australia, Anu is the first point of contact when a passport goes missing or an ill-fated accident results in a hospital visit. “I have learnt to be resourceful, remain calm in the face of crisis and focus on solutions” says Anu, speaking of the far reaching challenges faced by many visitors to Perth.

“Young Estonian travellers are particularly vulnerable because they face language difficulties and inexperience.

To those lost in a foreign country, having someone who speaks Estonian, offers comfort and provides direction to community services is a great help.”

Encouraged by the Australian and Estonian signed Working Holiday Maker Agreement, more Estonians are travelling from their small Baltic State homeland to Australia on a short term working visa.

An active Estonian community in Perth provides a welcome place for many upon arrival, thanks to Anu’s effort in establishing a play group and singing group.

“I am privileged to touch the lives of so many people who share their stories and take me into their confidence.

I love the rich multicultural influence of the Estonian people and the special events that we proudly celebrate” says Anu. Born in Australia, Anu is the only child of Estonian parents who joined the post war migration.

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On the runway 24

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Fashion and food have truly come together in our new Food and Textiles Building which has more space for creativity and the results are speaking for themselves. Our Annual Fashion Parade was a showcase for our senior girls in Years 10 to 12 and an opportunity to have a real world experience.

The students had to run the event themselves organising everything from developing the run sheet, liaising with a photographer, planning lighting, staging and music as well as making refreshments and waitressing. Like any fashion show, behind the scenes on the day there were a few ‘wardrobe malfunctions’, broken zips, wobbly shoes and modelling nerves but once on the catwalk, all ran smoothly.

“This is my first year at St Hilda’s and I was really impressed with the standard the girls achieved,” said Materials, Design and Technology teacher Cassandra Horvath. “It was a really rich experience for them and they had to consider and execute all the elements of a professional fashion parade.

“Our Year 12s had an open brief to work with a client to produce garments for a specific occasion. We had a wedding gown, vintage bathing suit, evening wear, denim wear and men’s formal wear. The garments were all produced by adapting a commercial pattern and required a high level of sewing skills as well as corsetry, beading, lacework depending on the garment.

“Our Year 10s tackled altering a dress pattern to suit ‘a day at the races’ and the Year 11s pictured their clients on a Greek island holiday with a range of casual wear. In a time when most clothes are mass produced commercially, it was heartening to see the hard work the girls put into their designs.”

Official opening Our thanks to Old Scholar and fashion designer Fenella Peacock (’83) who officially opened our new Food and Textiles Building in July. Fenella provided inspiration to our Year 12 students with her passion for all aspects of the fashion industry and her advice on its many different career paths.

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Sporting excellence Each year we celebrate the sporting achievements of our girls at our Sports Assembly. Our sporting program provides all girls the opportunity to participate in a variety of sporting activities including IGSSA sporting competitions and fitness activities. We also acknowledge those senior students who have become members of the 24s or 30s Club for students who participate in 24 or more IGSSA sports during their time at St Hilda’s. It is also an opportunity to congratulate all girls who have been selected to represent either Western Australia or Australia in their chosen sport.

29 students from Years 7-12 represented Western Australia and/or Australia in 2015.

State Representative award recipients Year 7 Sienna Eddy Selected to attend the National Dance Championships in Queensland

Matilde Helliar Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Sophie Lim Attended the WA State Junior Swimming Championships

24s Club new members Alice Nixon Matilda Simcock Zoe Thomson Catherine Fenna Jessie Knox Tess Sproul

30s Club new members Brittany Crawford Alex Finlay–Jones Georgia Sturgeon Monika Blankenburgs

Holly Mellor Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Year 8 Christine Aitken Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Paris Chisholm Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Jessica Eidne Represented Western Australia in Synchronised Swimming

Lucie Lodge Represented Western Australia in Equestrian

Mollie Pethick Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Sophie Skirving Represented Western Australia in Hockey

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30s Club members Monika Blankenburgs, Georgia Sturgeon, Alexandra Finlay-Jones and Brittany Crawford

24s Club members Jessie Knox, Matilda Simcock, Tess Sproul, Zoe Thomson and Catherine Fenna

Year 9

Elizabeth Middleton

Amy Brades Represented Western Australia in Athletics

Tia Eddy

Represented Western Australia in Indoor Hockey

Isabella Suleski Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Selected to attend the National Dance Championships in Queensland

Year 11

Alexandra Ho

Georgia Boxley

Qualified to attend the Australian Age Swimming Championships

Represented Western Australia in Athletics

Siena McQuillan

Sara Foster

Represented Western Australia in Cross Country

Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Elise Michael

Emma Graham

Represented Western Australia in Athletics

Represented Western Australia in Lacrosse

Evie Monro

Olivia Lodge

Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Represented Western Australia in Equestrian

Year 10

Year 12

Jenna Brown

Alexandra Finlay-Jones

Qualified to attend the Australian Age Swimming Championships

Represented Western Australia in Diving

Angela Chilwell

Matilda Simcock

Represented Western Australia in Hockey

Represented Western Australia in Water Polo

Ailish Dey

Denver Young

Represented Western Australia in Athletics

Represented Western Australia in Surfing

Sophie Fenna Qualified to attend the Australian Age Swimming Championships

National Representatives Special congratulations to Zoe Thomson (Year 12) who represented Australia in Sailing. Zoe is currently placed 6th in the top 10 world ranking for 4.7 Lazers.

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2015 Pennant Winning Teams (Terms 1 – 4) IGSSA Swimming Competition St Hilda’s won the 2015 IGSSA Swimming Competition for the fourth consecutive year.

Overall Captain Charlotte Brown Vice Captains Catherine Fenna Georgia Sturgeon Pennants were won by the following teams Year 7 Year 9 Year 10 Our St Hilda’s swimmers won 25 events and broke four records

IGSSA Tennis Competition St Hilda’s finished second.

Overall Captain Sarah Moody Vice Captain

Jessie Knox

IGSSA pennants were won by the following teams Senior C Junior B Junior C Junior D

IGSSA Cross Country Competition St Hilda’s finished second.

Overall Captain Katy Smit Vice Captains

Shaydn Gill

Our Year 10 team is to be congratulated on winning their pennant.

IGSSA Hockey Competition St Hilda’s won the IGSSA Hockey Competition.

Overall Captain Monika Blankenburgs Vice Captain

Faith Chow

Pennants were won by the following teams Year 7/8 B – Equal 1st Junior A

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IGSSA Netball Competition Overall Captain Georgia Sturgeon Vice Captain

Rachel Bright

The 7/8 H team is to be congratulated on winning their pennant.

IGSSA Rowing Competition Captain of Boats

Ellie Brown

Vice Captain of Boats

Alex McCracken

Pennants were won by the following crews Head of the River Champion – Freshman Scull A – Annabelle Blake Consistency Pennant – Year 9 Scull B – Lily Jongenelis Consistency Pennant - Year 10 Scull B – Maddie Lee Consistency Pennant – Year 10 Quad C

IGSSA Basketball Competition Overall Co-Captains Vanessa Anderson Jayde Hope-Blyth Pennants were won by the following teams Year 7/8 D Junior C Junior E

IGSSA Soccer Competition St Hilda’s finished second.

Overall Captain Catherine Fenna Vice-Captain

Tess Sproul

The Year 7/8A team is to be congratulated on winning their pennant.

IGSSA Softball Competition Overall Captain Lucy Irvine Vice-Captain

Annabelle Atkins

Pennants were won by the following teams Junior C Junior D

Student spotlight

Red Roof-tiles Creative Writing Rohanna Stoddart, Year 12 Rabbit-heart trapped by ribs I crept from under the drooping gaze of authority, escaping as he slept in the domestic warmth: a soapsud haze spilling golden from the kitchen sink and flushing cheeks and ear-tips pink.

I scrambled to the fiery crest on shifting scales, my ribcage prison shuddering at the thunder in my breast as the tree-tops smoulder crimson.

At the peak I roared a wild embrace to a world that lurched

I fled through the laundry. Cold and smelling of turpentine, and slipped into the forbidden dusk. I was a bold mutineer, an audacious anarchist who’d ripped her freedom from the all-denying powers and herself become the captain in the transitory hours.

As I plunged into space in an instant where glued lungs could not draw breath and I seemed to sail towards a sky whose bloody sun had soaked the clouds and congealed in lilac depths fated as a fledging Icarus for the broken plunge recklessly provoked, until panic dulled, and I was cradled by tiles warm and real, as night settled itself upon my trembling form.

Outside the ladder gleamed in the bleeding light.

And my toes curled round each burning rung until I reached the dusk so bright and red from the haemorrhaging sun.

There I stood and claimed the sky a barefoot God on red roof-tiles.

A dethroned king, I fled the dark.

And the bruising ache of wings torn off, the edges of my pride so sharp were muffled in the homespun warmth wound strong around my curled embrace.

My own heart slowed to match his pace.

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Rites of passage Creative Writing Katie Roche, Year 12 The floor is an absolute mess. A sticky congregation of cotton balls smeared in bright pink, cotton buds, a swirling flurry of shreds of tissue. It’s the beginnings of a creative modern art piece; some comment on “the waste and focus on beauty in contemporary society”. A tangle of cotton buds, an elaborate stick lattice in white and cream echoing an intricate silky spiderweb. Then dashes of nude, pink and red; feminine, soft colours. Does this associate femininity with vanity and waste?

Whenever there is some excitement, the whole family has to come over to supervise and make sure I’m “a vision when I descend the stairs” as he comes in the front door. And they can’t suppress the need to exclaim the number of years I have been alive.

“Seventeen?”

“Seventeen!”

“I can’t believe it... seventeen...”

“Still so young though!”

“Nothing like we were when we were seventeen, hey Kris?”

“Stop getting distracted, Nina! We only have 45 minutes left you nuffy.”

“Seventeen..”

Mum unconsciously jolts every few seconds, eyes drawn towards her watch, likes it’s some routine or tic. She’s more worried about this than I am. Every previous weekend she’s offered to try a new hairstyle that may work. She succeeded the first time.

As I sat at my desk trying to finish my literature assignment (ironically about the focus on appearance in our society), she divided my hair into thousands of sections and wrapped them around hot cylinders. I felt like my head was in a hot vacuum.

My scalp would be pulled away to reveal a lovely pink and white skull to match the dress.

“Lucky he doesn’t mind.”

“Now remember that you have to be kind and friendly to him, Nin!”

“Just in time too.”

Lucky?

“How could you let her get this old?”

“This should’ve happened years ago.”

“Hold still, Naina!”

I let her apply the extra layer of skin and help her swat away the hands of those trying to help. They just can’t help themselves. Some come past and lovingly caress the side of my face and give a loving look and whisper of good luck.

“Naina, you must be kind-”

“Lucky boy, getting you as a date!”

“And quiet, but not too shy…”

“This is a special night for him-”

“This is a special day.”

“But you enjoy yourself too!”

“And remember to make sure to check how you look.”

“Don’t forget to reapply lipstick...”

Despite the familiar faces and words of comfort, I’m nervous. What if we don’t get along? What if he doesn’t like me? What if I don’t like him? What happens then?

Ash and Jade look up in awe and jealousy. They are mesmerised as mum layers on a toned, glowing second skin.

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Their cheeks are flushed and plumper than ever as they smile and catch each other’s wide-eyed expressions, infected with the excitement exuded by the ten other hoverers. They all lean over mum, instructing and exclaiming. I look straight at mum, avoiding the constant faces popping up on either side. It’s like turning a kaleidoscope around her, the blurry circles excitedly rotate to see what progress has been made in the full 34 seconds they’ve missed from that angle.

St Hilda’s Ammonite

Student spotlight

Nothing, I suppose.

How far away this is from a year ago. This desk was for work. Anything was in reach, tangible. Borrowed books were splayed out, with pieces of paper slid in to mark important sections. Others were stacked on the edges like a thick fortress. It was my own palace.

The books have been replaced with a mound of instruments used to make me as attractive as possible.

This is the art of deception and illusion. I imagine them all wielding instruments in white coats like scientists. I’d like to be a scientist, somewhere, someday. In a lab, with a white coat, instead of this white dress. It would so much more practical and comfortable.

Now it’s time to arrange my hair. After experimentation and much deliberation, they (not I) decide to put it half up. I raise my eyebrows and roll my eyes at Ash and Jade in feigned annoyance. They giggle and I feel a little less nervous. Its only one night, even if it’s terrible, it’s only one night.

My hair is pinned up and sprinkled with small white flowers. I feel like my head looks like a fussy layered cake. Artfully arranged, ornaments strategically placed, sprinkled in “love”. Or maybe in desperation.

Surely he won’t care that much. It’s one night out of a thousand. It’s not like he can change his mind.

“Don’t worry Nin, I think you look about twenty-five.”

This is followed by a knowing wink.

“Don’t worry, Naina, you look no older than fourteen” This is followed by a knowing wink.

How did I get talked into this? Who even is he? Some son of a friend of Aunty Kris. Surely he had someone else.

“Apparently he’s a lovely young man-” “Yes, he has very good manners! I met him last week-” “Good manners! Pah! His manners aren’t what interests Nin!”

“Lila! Nina you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.

You don’t owe him anything.”

“Besides politeness, of course.”

Who is he? Surely he could do better, someone younger.

How can this happen? Why couldn’t I just keep studying and start my life on my own… I could get a job. I don’t need any help. But my parents do…

“His parents are very respectable, I’m sure he’s a charming young man.”

“Naina, you must show your best side.”

“You owe him that, at least.”

“Always smile and control-” “- yourself. It’s not about you, it’s about him.”

Finally, I’m ready. I’m strapped into my shoes and secured into the dress. It’s surprisingly simple and comfortable. Perfect for dancing. Jade holds out the clutch- what a fitting name. It feels likes an anchor point, something to hold onto. I pass the ceremonial line-up of relatives, giving each one a kiss.

My bags are ceremoniously packed by all the relatives. My few belongings and some extra presents for luck slipped into a bag which will be dropped at his home after tonight.

Arm-in-arm, we nervously walk down the makeshift red carpet into the school hall. As we enter the door, I spot a few friends with their dates beneath draping sheets ballooning in the wind.

The tension disappears and I confidently lead him over for introductions.

“Hey Em! This is my date, Tom.” Arm-in-arm, we walk back down the roll of carpet. It’s fraying on the sides and thin in places. His family is on one side, mine on the other. I’m trying to look as happy as I should in this situation. We walk into the reception room and start introductions.

“Let me introduce my new wife, Naina.”

31

When life gives you lemons Photos Year 11 Food class

St Hilda’s is well known for our excellent food and hospitality traditions and many of us have a library of Old Scholar and parent cookbooks to prove it. With summer nearly here, why not try the lemon tart from our Old Scholars Association Centenary Cookbook published to celebrate St Hilda’s first 100 years in May 1996.

Ingredients

Method

Pastry 2 ¾ cups plain flour 200g butter ½ cup sugar 1 egg

Place all pastry ingredients in a food processor, processing until pastry just comes together. Press the mixture into a 30cm flan tin. Prick the base with a fork and bake in a moderate oven for 10 minutes.

Filling Grated zest and juice of 3 lemons 1 ½ cups sugar 3 eggs 100g unsalted butter, melted

Place the lemon zest, sugar and eggs in a food processor, processing until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add the melted butter and process to combine. Lastly, add the lemon juice to combine. Pour the mixture into the tart shell. Bake until the tart is just set, but still a little bit wobbly, about 30 mins.

Cool and dust with icing sugar to serve.

32

St Hilda’s Ammonite

33

? ? ???? ? ?? ?? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ?

?? ???????????????????????????????? ? ? ? ? ? ???? ???????????????????????????????????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ????????? ?????????? ? ???? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ?????????????????????? ??????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ? ? ?? ?? ??? ? ??? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ???? ?

Are you as smart as a St Hilda’s girl? Try your hand at these puzzles courtesy of our Maths Department.

What’s that saying?

2

STAND I

6

HEARTED

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21

22

KNEE LIGHTS

St Hilda’s Ammonite

9

(iiiii)

3

13

10 bad tions

14

MT I will I will I will

5

ROOT O O O O TOOR

10

10

evaletor

18

0

drchickums

10

pod pod pod

15

two

10

19

10

CHAIR

K

K

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K

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K

K

K

You Me

24

12345paint

K

20

M.D. PH.D. B.S.

23

g History

4

me

TIME

17

get get get get

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16

34

e e e e ee

12

p

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me

7

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25

Stands

0, , 2, 3, 4

??? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

?????????????? ????????????????????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ????????????? ????? ??? ?????????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?????????????????????????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ???????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

35

1. I understand, 2. Excuse me, 3. Forget me not, 4. Empty promises, 5. Chicken drumsticks, 6. Halfhearted, 7. Life of ease, 8. Ice cube, 9. Square root, 10. Tripod, 11. See eye to eye, 12. Once upon a time, 13. Elevator out of order, 14. Too intense, 15. Canine, 16. Peas in pod, 17. Bad intentions, 18. 3 degrees below zero, 19.

High chair, 20. Just between you and me, 21. Neon lights, 22. Go down in history, 23. Paint by numbers, 24. Standing ovation, 25. No one understands, 26. D, 27.

The missing domino is 6/6 – add the total dots of the first and second dominoes and then multiply both by the third domino.

Solutions

?

= 60

= 40

= 50

= 30

27 What is the value of the missing domino?

?

D C

B A

Brain teasers

26 Which of the four boxed figures completes the set?

Stay connected Our students and Old Scholars are leading busy and vibrant lives.

Keep up to date with the latest news with: St Hilda’s Website www.sthildas.wa.edu.au St Hilda’s on Facebook www.facebook.com/sthildaswa GHS and St Hilda’s Old Scholars Association on Facebook www.facebook.com/sthildasosa Chronicle Post Quarterly Newsletter for Old Scholars

Postal

PO Box 34 Mosman Park WA 6912

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Bay View Terrace Mosman Park

Telephone

08 9285 4100

Chidley Campus

McCabe Street Mosman Park

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