Seasons at Stannies Spring Edition 2021

seasons at

stannies TERM 3 | SPRING 2021

Celebrating Our Spirit

Willem with Spring vegetables from Sunnyside Farm Year 8 Visual 2 |ArtSEASONS

AT STANNIES

Publication note: Some images used in this edition of Seasons at Stannies were taken before lockdown.

Welcome

From the Head of College circumstances to change. We were still a busy and vibrant community utilising different means.

Dear members of the Stannies Community Our Stannies Term 3 contained two distinct seasons: the first five weeks with boys learning on-site and the last five weeks with boys learning online. The continuing impact of Covid-19 restrictions was both disruptive and disheartening.

Even when things were comparatively normal at home, our sporting and artistic endeavours were interrupted by the restrictions in place in Greater Sydney from the beginning of term. The end of term was not what we would hope for our senior boys.

What was consistent and exciting across the term is that Stannies did not shut down or become dormant while we waited for our external

This edition of Seasons at Stannies shares some highlights where we continued to honour our mission, traditions, relationships and student voice. These are the things that make us who we are and have ensured our success during this time.

Thomas Aquinas defined hope as the stretching forth of our desire toward a future good, even if that good is difficult to attain. In other words, hope means choosing to act in ways that lead us closer to what is good and loving, even though the future is often unknown and beyond our control.

I am sure you will see our confidence and hope in these pages. As Marty Rubin is reported to have said, “The deep roots never doubt spring will come”.

Our community remains strong and lively because of our trust in the name of the Lord.

Mr Lindsay Luck, Head of College

Transforming Schools At Stannies, we are supporting students in learning capabilities known as the 4Cs: Creativity, Critical Reflection, Communication and Collaboration. The 4C capabilities are supported by The Learning Disposition Wheel. There are nine learning dispositions that are organised into three broader themes of intrapersonal, interpersonal and cognition.

The learning dispositions are used to support learning by identifying strengths and challenges that can be developed for each student. We educate as a community – families and staff – to enact a plan for every student. 4C Pedagogy aims to build learners that are self-aware and independently driven by offering learning opportunities that empower the learner where they are at.

Dr Miranda Jefferson, Co-Founder and CEO 4C Transformative Learning, states “Teachers understand the world of the learner by guiding them through experiences, deep questioning, discussions, actions and reflection. Pedagogy begins with teachers building a collaborative relationship with the learner.”

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Stannies Family

Vincentian Voice The Vincentian mission is the inspiration of Saint Vincent de Paul. As a young priest-chaplain on a French nobleman’s estate in the early seventeenth century, he first discerned a pastoral need for a dedicated group of priests to renew the faith of peasants in the French countryside.

He planned and worked to accomplish this, in France and beyond, by means of extended campaigns of preaching, instruction, worship and parish renewal to support the work of the local clergy.

The Vincentian community that followed over the next 400 years understood the Mission could flourish in a practical way through education and the establishment of schools. Vincentian educational involvement primarily included secondary education, priestly formation and teacher training.

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Since Vincentian Priests and Brothers came to Australia and the Pacific region, they have been involved in teaching whether in secondary schools (Bathurst and Bendigo) or in seminaries located in Marsfield, NSW; Rostrevor, Adelaide; Guildford, WA; Mosgiel, New Zealand; Suva, Fiji and Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Saint Vincent’s College, a day and a boarding school for boys and girls in Natovi, Tailevu Fiji, is a Vincentian school providing education to the local community, students from the Pacific Islands and international students.

Saint Vincent’s has a long-standing relationship with Stannies, including visits from our staff and students to Fiji to share life experiences, support the school through community service projects, provide access to tools and materials, deliver fundraising donations and play rugby. These outreach activities are at the heart of the College Vincentian Charism and values.

Fiji is described as a middle-income country and one of the more developed of the Pacific Island economies; it remains a developing country with a large subsistence agriculture sector.

The College staff continue to fundraise in support of St Vincent’s through monthly staff lunches and raffles and to date, have raised $5,450.

Fiji’s quick response to COVID-19 contained cases effectively, however, the impact of global lockdown on the Fijian economy has been severe, affecting an economy heavily dependent on tourism, exports and remittances.

Our support is needed now more than ever.

In Term 4, we will be holding an online fundraising lunch supporting Natovi with some great speakers and a silent auction. More details will be released in the coming weeks and we look forward to you joining us.

Stannies Family

Rebuilding the bure

Rebuilding the bure

Find out more about Natovi A reflection from Mrs Stella King, History Teacher “It was a privilege to be able to accompany 25 students and three staff on the Rugby and Vincentian tour of Fiji. Our students engaged well with the locals, happily participating in every opportunity offered. We played three games of Rugby with one draw and two defeats but came home all the better for the experience.

Our Vincentian focus was at St Vincent’s School at Natovi.

We were thrilled by the reception from the locals, and when we immersed ourselves in their cultural ways, we were surprised by what we learned about ourselves. At all times, I was very proud to be seen with our students and be considered part of the tour. Strangers would approach us in the towns to find out where we were from and what we were in Fiji for. The Fijians were very supportive and were happy to help us feel accepted. It didn’t take us long to adjust to ‘Fiji Time’, and our students also quickly developed friendships with both students and staff alike. They were very popular with the younger children of each village.

Our work on the bell tower was greatly appreciated by Madame Principal. This tower had lost its roof in Cyclone Winston, and the school had been unable to repair this important central point of the secondary school. Thanks to our TAS teacher Mr Phil Lewis’ expertise, Geography teacher Mr Jack English’s organisation and Mr Luke Howard’s skills, the boys were able to rebuild the structure.

All that is required to complete the tower is the attachment of the tin roof followed by the reeds. Hopefully, this can be completed by the school in the near future.”

A reflection from Mr Jack English, Geography Teacher and Rugby Coach “The Fiji Stannies Rugby 1st XV tour was a long time in the making and definitely worth the wait. The tour was timed perfectly in preparation for the season ahead and

Rebuilding the bure

it didn’t disappoint. We hit the ground with a group of young Stannies men intent upon building as a team and becoming a cohesive unit. With plans to work on structure, building phase play and unity, we most definitely achieved all of these things. We met some tough opponents and encountered ‘Fiji Time’, which at times was our friend and other times our foe.

The young Stannies men were humble, courteous and polite at all times and a credit to the College. The day where the boys, Mr Lewis and Mr Luke Howard, our team physio, rebuilt a bure ravaged by Cyclone Winston in early 2016, was both a great way to give back and demonstrated the fantastic team dynamic the tour helped create.

In going on tour, we expected to play games – we learned to play marathons. We came to play teams – we appeared to play entire villages. We played by the whistle that at times was not blown. When our teammates went down, we helped them up and got going. We learned that playing for the 1st XV at St Stanislaus’ College is a privilege, not a right.

The tour is something we will reminisce about for many years to come. The staff cannot express enough their thanks to the 25 players who made the tour. A fantastic experience for all and sundry.”

A reflection from Ben Rudgley, Year 12 2019, College Dux “The most memorable experience during the Fiji Tour was the stay at our brother-school Saint Vincent’s College in Natovi. The school sits upon a hill overlooking the ocean, a beautiful, majestic view that made the experience even more special than what it was already.

The whole team and staff could also feel the Vincentian connection with the students of Saint Vincent’s College, aurally displayed through the singing of the Vincentius in unison, the school song being one of the many things that we had in common with our brother school.”

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Creativity

Year 7 Visual Arts During Term 3, Year 7 Visual Arts with Ms Willoughby has been investigating the genre of Street Art. Street art is unofficial and independent visual art created in public locations for public visibility. Street art is also associated with the terms independent art, post-graffiti, neo-graffiti, and guerrilla art which is intended to make a personal statement about the society that the artist lives in. The work has moved from the beginnings of graffiti and vandalism to new modes where artists work to bring messages, or just beauty, to an audience.

The students were taught about stencils during class; they then commenced creating their stencils with whatever materials they could find at hand. Some used paper, skateboard decks, paddock bashers and even a dog kennel as surfaces to print their stencils on. Many have used spray paint, while others used any colour paint available and worked by sponge application.

Cutting implements have ranged from stencil knives and box cutters with makeshift cutting mats made from pieces of wood or cardboard.

Derived from the Italian word graffio (“scratch”), graffiti (“incised inscriptions,” plural but often used as singular) has a long history. For example, markings have been found in ancient Roman ruins, in the remains of the Mayan city of Tika in Central America, on rocks in Spain dating to the 16th century, and in medieval English churches.

In the online learning-from-home environment, students came up with some amazing graffiti pasteup characters and stencil artworks. These emerging artists have been very engaged with this unit of work, and the results demonstrate the consideration and care taken in creating their works.

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Adaptable and resourceful, their creative problemsolving skills achieved great quality results. Thanks to all our parents who were so enthusiastic in helping their boys source the equipment to complete this task.

Many students enjoyed the process of cutting stencils so much that they created four times the amount of required work!

Ms Kate Willoughby, Visual Arts Teacher

Creativity

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Collaboration

Feast Day Celebrations On enrolment each of our students is assigned a place in one of six Houses.

Sometimes this is a random selection, others are placed in the same House as their older brother or their father and even grandfater.

Each House represents a core value of the College and each value is part of the Vincentian Charism, which is embedded in all aspects of College life.

Students are part of a multi-years House Tutor Group, which meets daily. House communities and House values become touchstones for students as they navigate their development from Junior to Senior school students and for paths beyond Stannies.

The House Tutor engages with students to monitor their daily

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wellbeing and communicate with parents, teachers and support professionals to ensure the wellbeing of each of their tutees.

In addition, Tutors explicitly teach and reinforce positive behaviour for learning programs.

The House system is a hallmark of the Stannies safe and connected Vincentian community and is celebrated through the House Shield inter-house competition.

Students compete to win House points in the swimming carnival, debating, spelling bee, athletics carnival, Finn Cup, basketball and soccer.

One House tradition, which includes all students from all years regardless of individual abilities and skill set, is the annual House Feast. A feast day is any day set aside for a religious or other celebration. The word “feast” has

a dual meaning in the Catholic church, as a general term referring to any celebration, but also as an official level of celebration. The most important point of a feast day is that they are meant to be celebrations. Students gather in the Ref, where catering staff have prepared and laid out plates of savouries, sweets and fruit and vegetable snacks. Included in the celebration is a huge, decorated cake that the House Captains serve to their team.

Collaboration

House Feasts play an important part in developing student camaraderie, which gives meaning and cohesiveness to the House team experience. They also remind us of the great works of some awesome role models who have gone before us.

St Charles Borromeo: Cardinal and Archbishop during the Counter-Reformation, patron saint of spiritual leaders.

St John the Apostle: An apostle of Jesus and Gospel author, St John played a leading role in establishing the early church in Jerusalem.

St Joseph the Worker: Husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus, patron saint of the universal church.

St Justin de Jacobis: Vincentian priest and missionary who travelled to Ethiopia. He spread the Vincentian Charism by working to assist the sick and the poor.

St Vincent de Paul: Founder of the Congregation of the Mission, patron saint of charitable societies and recognised for his charity and compassion for the poor.

St Francis Xavier: A great Catholic missionary who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India and Japan. One of the founding members of the Jesuit order of priests.

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Collaboration

Co-curricular & Sports Highlights Congratulations to these Stannies students in their roles as student representatives and on their selection for representative teams and placing in competitions.

Bathurst Regional Youth Council Congratulations to Year 11 students George Eliades and Tom Rodenhuis on their nomination and selection to the Bathurst Regional Youth Council for 2021/2022.

and working on projects, promoting the work of the Youth Council and assisting with the running of Youth Council events.

CIS Cross Country Congratulations to Stirling Carter (Year 12) for his recent CIS Cross Country results.

This was Stirling’s final year at cross country, after competing every year since he was in Year 4. This year he placed 24 of 59 in the 8km event, with a time of 32.14.

Tom Collins

George Eliades

Sean Macfarlane Stirling Carter

Tom Rodenhuis

The Bathurst Regional Youth Council provides a key link between young people in the Bathurst Region, the Bathurst Regional Council and other youth service providers.

Being a part of the Youth Council involves attending regular meetings, voicing ideas, developing

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Congratulations also to Tom Collins (Year 10) and Sean Macfarlane (Year 8) on their impressive performances in the CIS Cross Country event at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Tom ran the 6km race in a time of 25:25:762, placing 51 in a field of 71 and 8 of 10 in the ISA. Sean ran the 4km race in a time of 16:21:533 placing him 30 in a field of 61 and 6 of 9 in the ISA.

Western Region Academy of Sport (WRAS) In August each year, WRAS celebrates their athletes who have completed their WRAS program.

At this time, they also acknowledge some of the very high achieving and most dedicated WRAS athletes.

Congratulations to Cadel Lovett (Year 9) on receiving the WRAS 2021 Strength and Conditioning Award and to Cooper Starkey (Year 7) on being awarded the WRAS 2021 Golf Squad Athlete of the Year.

Collaboration Australian Schools Rugby Union (ASRU) Congratulations to Jack Morrison (Year 12) on his selection in the 2021 Australian Schoolboys President’s Team.

Cadel Lovett

Since 1969 the Australian Schools’ Rugby Union has selected Australian Schoolboy teams to play other nations both in Australia and overseas.

The title of Australian Schoolboy is synonymous with players of high rugby skill and outstanding personal character.

Jack Morrison

The ASRU Selection Committee met on several occasions and reviewed the teams and selected them based on matches played throughout the 2021 season.

Cooper Starkey

Stannies also acknowledges the hundreds of players who provided the chance for the successfully selected players to be named by participating in trial days and selection matches held all over the country during the year.

ISA Rugby Representatives ISA Rugby training was held at Blue Mountains Grammar during Term 3. From this training day, our Stannies ISA Representatives were announced on the following teams: ISA 1st XV: Dylan Challita, Jack Morrison and Bede Smeallie.

ISA 2nd XV: Denzil Begley and Garang Diing.

ISA 3rd XV: Oliver Kemp, Riley Langfield, Jacob Smith and Cooper Wright.

ISA 16s: Emmanuel Achmar, Nelson Dusan, Lochlann Jacobs, Bede Smeallie, Jack Morrison, Garang Diing, Cooper Wright, Denzil Begley, Dylan Cohan Lorusso, Wil Taylor, Dylan Challita, Ollie Kemp Thurston and Connor Wilkin.

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Communication

Student Voice We are happy to announce that the Year 12 Prefects have selected the members for the new, inaugural Student Representative Council. We have started the SRC to increase student voice and ensure that your opinions and perspectives are heard and valued.

The SRC will speak with their year groups at year group meetings to discuss any issues or suggestions that we, the Prefect Team can fix, in order to create a school environment that understands and focuses on student’s voices.

Members of the SRC will be responsible for communicating these opinions back to the Prefect Team so that we can try our best to help out and solve any problems.

The SRC will meet with Prefects every fortnight to let us know what’s going on with each year group.

Semester 2 SRC members

Year 9: Hamish Scott, Jack O’Hara, Isaac Lane, Rory Sullivan, Jordan Nelson

Student Representative Council role statement Description

Years 7 to 10 students who have an interest in representing their cohort in areas that will enhance their own and other’s Stannies students College experience.

Appointment Process

Appointments are made in the middle of Terms 2 and 4 each year.

Years 7 to 10 students nominate themselves or others via the Google Forms application.

Year 12 Prefect Team makes a shortlist of up to 10 students each year group.

We are hoping to rotate the members of the SRC every semester to give more of you the opportunity to be a part of it.

So, when the time comes, nominate yourself for the role. Ultimately, the Student Rep Council has been made for you, so each of your voices can be heard.

Year 10: Khota Mara, Mitchell Sullivan, Yusuf Abdalla, Liam Gildea, Mitchell England

Year 12 Prefect Team and senior staff create a shortlist of five students each year group.

Successful applications are named towards the end of Terms 2 and 4 Tenure

One Semester: Terms 1 and 2 or Terms 3 and 4.

Students are invited to apply or reapply, once each year (not each semester).

Duties

Lead the College community in their own way by sharing generously their God-created gifts.

Jacob George, Head Prefect

Assist with whole school events.

Semester 2 SRC members Year 7: Nate Boylan, Eddie Curtin, Spencer Cain, Wilson Chenhall, Reuben Driscoll

Generate ideas that will improve College life on behalf of their cohort and discuss these at year group meetings and present them to the Year 12 Prefect Team.

Year 8: Harry Collins, Ryan Maher, Ben Noonan, Dave Noonan, Max Humphries

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Work with staff to lead by example in all areas.

Look after the College environment.

Attend meetings with the Year 12 Prefect Team during school hours

Celebration

Year 7 Insight

Oliver and Darcy W

Mrs Le Couteur with Max and Hunter

Cooper (Year12) helping Year 7s Darcy and Cooper

Hamish, Jackson and Ollie

Year 7 Visual Arts Google Meet - Crazy Hair Day

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Celebration

Year 7 Insight

Nathanael, James and Owen

Arthur, Harry, Flynn, Josh and Angus

Kosema, Oscar, Jacob and Toby

Will and Cody

Year 7s year group meeting in the Library

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Drew and Darcy

Old Boys Goings On The Stannies Old Boys Association has been focusing its energies for most of this year with the planning of the 2021 Blue and White Gala fundraising dinner and silent auction.

As a result of a series of external delays, they have recently announced a new date for the event, Saturday 20 November 2021.

Community

The Committee is now working hard behind the scenes in the hope of offering a COVID-safe event, providing NSW Health regulations allow.

to presenting the Year 12 graduating class of 2021 with their commemorative SSCOBA ties as is tradition, with a date yet to be set due to current health restrictions.

However, if this is not possible, full refunds will be offered to our loyal supporters/ticket holders.

The proceeds of this dinner are directed to the restoration and upgrade of the Number 1 Oval.

The Committee continues to encourage the signup of Stannies Old Boys from our 2021 graduating year (and any other year), to join the expanding membership base.

The Committee continues to add to its popular apparel range and now has umbrellas and stubby holders in stock to complement the existing Canterbury clothing line.

The Committee looks forward

The Old Boys will be also be launching an extended apparel range, just in time for Christmas and perfect as gifts for family members.

Be sure to follow us on our social media via Facebook and Linkedin.

Stannies No 1 Oval

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Community

Dear Year 12 Me - It All Works Out excellent service that can assist you through the whole process. If you are hesitant, you could always speak to teachers, your parents, or people you know of who are currently in university that may provide advice. If there is a will, there is a way.

Nathan, Noah, Mr Fisher, Nick, Ben and Nick

It feels like decades ago my 18-year-old self was in a position so many others find themselves – at the end of their high school chapter, preparing for the most exciting one: university.

I can distinctly recall this time of year; trial exams, final games for school sport, excitement for graduation and the looming fear that awaited at the end of it all. I will never forget my friends constantly adjusting their ATAR calculators, applying for early entry and trying to enjoy themselves in between.

Although I can never fully understand how the class of 2021 feels with COVID-19 turning their Year 12 experience on its head, I can still offer some universal words of wisdom that may guide you all through the times ahead. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

I look back and laugh at when I was in Year 12, applying for early entry and considering degree options - I literally had zero understanding of how the whole process worked. Confusion around: credit points, prerequisites, subject selection and degree progression plagued my mind. However, I failed to ask for help from anybody - help to clarify what would later become essential knowledge.

If I could go back, I would tell myself to simply speak to someone. Your first point of contact should be the university you are applying to if you have any questions.

For University of Wollongong, Student Central is an

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While it may feel as though heading straight to university or having a gap year are your only two options, let me tell you, it is remarkable how many people I have met, some I now call friends, whose path to UOW was so different from anything I could have imagined. My path was quite conventional. I applied for Early Admission, was accepted before exams, and took up a contract at Kooloobong Village by December.

However, two of my closest friends, between graduating high school and starting university, had a four-year gap of which they worked full-time in retail.

They simply applied to study when they were ready and were accepted within a couple of weeks. Likewise, I know people who went through UOW College to help themselves prepare for tertiary studies. You can come from overseas, or Bathurst such as myself, and still thrive at UOW. So as Donkey told Shrek when all hope seemed lost, ‘if there is a will, then there is a way’, and like Donkey, you will have a way. Work and play hard. It is the home stretch and time is of the essence.

The final recommendation I can give to those concluding Year 12 is to give it your all. Try your hardest in study and exams to ensure you leave with no regrets. In the same way, make sure you enjoy yourself. This time is where you will close the book on your high school days before new people and places take centre stage.

Continue your sporting passions, see your friends, reminisce and make certain you will look back with delight. At the end of the day, it all works out.

I was probably the most notorious stress head in August 2018. As I remind myself of that time, I wish I could have read this letter and known that it is all okay and that even if things do not go according to plan, everyone’s path eventually leads them somewhere.

Noah Watson, Stannies Old Boy 2018 Bachelor of Commerce (Dean’s Scholar), Public Relations Major with University of Wollongong

220 Bentinck Street (PO Box 97) Bathurst NSW 2795 Phone: 02 6331 4177 Fax: 02 6334 4285 Email: registrar@stannies.com www.stannies.com