seasons at
stannies TERM 2 | WINTER 2021
Celebrating Our Spirit
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Year 8 Visual Year 12 Metals student, working on his HSC Major Work 2Jack, |Art SEASONS AT STANNIES
Welcome
From the Head of College Dear members of the St Stanislaus’ College Community The front cover of this edition of Seasons at Stannies shows most definitely a change in season. Two weeks ago Stannies received its first significant snowfall since 2015. It marked a very cold halfway point to the 2021 College year. This term saw the return of Rugby after the cancellation of the ISA season last year. We travelled for seven consecutive weeks to Sydney and Orange to observe COVID restrictions and accommodate some schools who thought the trip to the Central West was too taxing. Rugby certainly is important to the culture of Stannies but it is a continuing, frustrating myth that it is all we do and every young man must play. This season sees Stannies return to the ISA Soccer competition in the Under 13s age group and the plan is to grow these teams through the College for a complete fixture in a couple of years. Recorded here are many examples of young men participating in a whole range of academic, spiritual, artistic and sporting pursuits as part of the normal business of Stannies life. It is pleasing to see boys involved in a number of activities across a range of activities. Some are excelling, though all are developing as good young men with their mates.
Excitingly this edition of Seasons at Stannies also contains an announcement from Paul Toole, our local Member of Parliament, confirming NSW Government funding to commence the first two stages of our new Master Plan. The implementation of our Master Plan will see a complete rejuvenation of our facilities over the next fifteen years. The initial stages will see the relocation of the Guthrie Library to become a contemporary Learning and Research Centre and a refurbishment of the McMahon Wing to provide a variety of flexible spaces to support our 4Cs pedagogy. These refurbishments will directly impact student learning outcomes and are much needed. In addition to the NSW government support, the College community will contribute almost $3 million to these first stages. We are currently seeking funding to upgrade our boarding facilities and are hopeful of a positive response in time for the next edition of Seasons at Stannies. Every term is a busy one. If we are not careful we can just roll into the next one without taking time to acknowledge, affirm and celebrate the many achievements of our boys in the last couple of months. Enjoy reading about the term that was! Mr Lindsay Luck, Head of College
Transforming Schools The acronym 4Cs is shorthand for developing the capacities for Creativity, Critical Reflection, Communication and Collaboration. They are inherent in all of us however we need to develop and engage with them in our own context to ensure we grow in our ability to apply them. Like a muscle, the 4Cs need exercise to strengthen. Humans are capable of and depend upon creativity, critical reflection, communication and collaboration to navigate our lives, whether we know it or not. The work we are doing here at Stannies, particularly with our Year 7 students as they gather evidence of their learning, reflecting and their challenges, is done with the aim of supporting all students as they become citizens of the 21st Century world beyond school.
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Stannies Family
Vincentian Voice In the foyer of the Slattery Wing entrance of the College, where students pass through each day, hang two portraits. One is an icon of St Stanislaus Kostka and the other is an icon of St Vincent de Paul. The Vincentian Order is a member of the Society of Priests and Brothers founded in Paris in 1625 by St Vincent de Paul and this order have been the custodians of the College for the past 154 years. The St Vincent de Paul icon was commissioned Wilkinson
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College to honour 130 years of the Vincentian presence at Stannies.
The painting commemorates St Vincent the Teacher. Vincent was the teacher of Pierre, Henri and Jean Francois Paul, three children of the Florentine banking and noble Gondi family. They are pictured in the Icon on the left of St Vincent. The three adult figures at the bottom of the painting are the parents of the children, Monsieur PhilippeEmmanuel de Gondi and Madame de Gondi, Françoise Marguérite de Silly along with Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal of Retz and Archbishop of Paris who also was a member of the Gondi family. It was prior to and during Vincent de Paul’s lifetime that the Gondi were at the peak of their influence and power in France. The Church in the Icon is from Folleville near Amiens
Gerard Wilkinson, a Vincentian from Sydney, contacted me regarding the commission of an icon of St Vincent de Paul. He specified that he wanted six members of the de Gondi family included. Given this challenge of including six other figures apart from Vincent, I set to work to design something that would not distract the viewer from the central figure of Vincent while at the same time respecting Gerard’s specific requests. Hence you will see the children in the background and at the bottom I have included the three adults surrounded by a decorative version of the fleur de lis - a stylized lily composed of three petals bound together. It was often used by the French aristocracy and appeared on the former royal arms of France. Icons are different from Western art. They are purposeful in that they aim at drawing the viewer ‘into relationship’ with the one being depicted. To achieve this, the icon has basically two dimensions in its drawing and layout, with the third dimension being in the eye of the viewer. The most important part of an icon is the face - especially the eyes. So to facilitate the purpose of ‘creating relationship’ between the person being depicted and the viewer, the
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in northern France. This Church is a very short distance from la Maison de Gondi, the ruins of which are still able to be seen today. It was in this Church that Vincent preached his mission sermon in 1617 which eventually led to the formation of the Congregation of the Mission (The Vincentians) in 1625. Madame de Gondi was influential in the formation of the Congregation inspiring Vincent to continue his work of preaching the Mission as well as providing the finance to enable Vincent to gather other priests to help in the work. This icon was painted by Sr Mary Burke, iconographer at Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Australia whose work is known for its beauty and attention to detail.
main figure will always have both eyes visible, sometimes looking directly at the viewer. I have presented Vincent in this way, looking towards the viewer, inviting a response to his gaze. I have also depicted Vincent holding a copy of the Gospels. It is decorated to indicate its importance. I added this as a symbol of Vincent’s life as he sought to live according to the Gospel and in the footsteps of Jesus, especially in his care for the poor. His right hand is held in the form of blessing, symbolising his desire for the wellbeing of others, including the viewer. In our world where the divide between the rich and the poor is widening in an alarming manner, it was a pleasure to work on this icon of a man who cared about that difference in his time and sought to bring about change for those left behind. I found that spending time with him, letting his gaze invite me ‘into relationship’ with him and with the God whose kindness, mercy and care for the vulnerable inspired and directed his life, was time well spent! I am grateful to Gerard Wilkinson for giving me the opportunity to work on this icon and to get to know Vincent. Writing icons is a real passion for me. The icon as a symbol holds great depth both artistically and theologically and the colours are so rich! Sr Mary Burke, Iconographer
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Creativity Join the Band Dr Anita Collins, an award-winning educator, researcher and author in the field of brain development and music learning reflects in her TED talk How playing an instrument benefits your brain: Did you know that every time musicians pick up their instruments, there are fireworks going off all over their brain? On the outside, they may look calm and focused, reading the music and making the precise and practiced movements required. But inside their brains, there’s a party going on.
strengthens those brain functions, allowing us to apply that strength to other activities.
What is it about making music that sets the brain alight? The research is still fairly new, but neuroscientists have a pretty good idea. Playing a musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once, especially the visual, auditory, and motor cortices. As with any other workout, disciplined, structured practice in playing music
For these reasons, playing music has been found to increase the volume and activity in the brain’s corpus callosum, the bridge between the two hemispheres, allowing messages to get across the brain faster and through more diverse routes. This may allow musicians to solve problems more effectively and creatively, in both academic and social settings.
The most obvious difference between listening to music and playing it, is that the latter requires fine motor skills, which are controlled in both hemispheres of the brain. It also combines the linguistic and mathematical precision, in which the left hemisphere is more involved, with the novel and creative content that the right excels in.
“Music can change the world”, Beethoven The Creative and Performing Arts Faculty delivers a vibrant visual arts, music and drama curriculum for our students. This year, the CAPA Faculty welcomed musician, composer and teacher of piano, brass, voice, improvisation and music technology, Mr Rowley Moore. Rowley joins the College from Trinity Grammar’s Music department. He attained his Diploma in Music Education from the Conservatorium in Sydney and holds qualifications in Audio Engineering and Production having worked for TCN-9, EMI and
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Jingles Australia as a composer, engineer and music producer for documentaries and commercials. Rowley says that his life goal is to bring the love of music to all students, as well as to continually develop his own performance and compositional skills. Rowley leads the Stannies Band, rehearsing before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is during these rehearsals that our younger musicians get to know the senior and more seasoned musicians, learning the do’s and don’ts of rehearsal protocol and performance routines. The Stannies Band recently performed at the end of Term 2 Assembly to great acclaim.
Our CAPA teachers create an environment where students can flourish in their musical pursuits and now that opportunity has become even greater. The Faculty recently purchased a range of musical instruments, both pre-loved and mint condition, from Charles Sturt University. A rare opportunity arose to view and select instruments ranging from an upright piano to percussion, bongo drums, drum kit accessories and double bass. These instruments reflect the interest of our Stannies students and will create an opportunity for more access and music enjoyment for all year groups.
Creativity
Thursday morning Band rehearsal
Rowley, bringing it all together
Band rehearsal
Band rehearsal
Band rehearsal
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Collaboration
A day in the life of the Ref All the action begins with breakfast, carries through to lunch and concludes with dinner. The Stannies Kitchen has been feeding hungry students since the 1870s, currently catering all the meals for fulltime and weekly boarders plus some day students for lunch. So far this year, our Stannies Catering Team has prepared around 45,360 meals. Weekly dinner menus reflect the tasty home-cooked style meals our boys love, like flamegrilled chicken burgers with lettuce, cheese, tomato, avocado and mayonnaise; spaghetti bolognaise with tomato and corn salsa with garlic bread and oven-baked or steamed fish, chips, tartare sauce and lemon wedges. Meals are prepared for breakfast, recess, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper with salad bars aplenty and tasty desserts like doughnut cake with strawberries and cream and chocolate; strawberry and cream mousse, our crowd favourite chocolate crackles and biscuits and Milo for supper. Students have their meals in the Junior Refectory known as ‘The Ref’. A refectory is a dining room, especially in boarding schools and academic institutions and the name derives from the Latin refectorium, which means “a place one goes to be restored”. Stirling’s dinner: Tacos with cheese, sour cream, avacado and salad
Drew and Riley with their Pancakes for breakfast
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It is here we serve meals to our College guests and visitors, mark the end of term with staff lunches, celebrate our House Feast Days, however, it’s also about so much more than food. The Ref is where our students gather to eat their meals, but it’s really about the place we all come together to get to know each other, have a meal with boarding staff, engage with students from different year groups and hang out with friends.
Collaboration
Lunchtime Salad Bar
Sweet and Sour Chicken for lunch
“People who love to eat are always the best people” Julia Childs
Joseph House Feast
Nick preparing his Scones for supper
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Collaboration
Co-curricular & Sports Highlights Congratulations to these Stannies students on their selection for representative teams and placing in competitions. Jack Heffernan Year 10 2nd place Intermediate Section Young Rural Achievers
Kosema Finau Year 7 Silver medal 4 x 50 Medley NSW Country Championships Long Course
Waryk Holmes Year 10 NSW Athletics Team Australian Track and Field Championships
William van Gend Year 12 3rd place Senior Section Young Rural Achievers
Sterling Carter Year 12 CIS Cross Country
Knox Gibson Year 8 Swimming Australia Australian Age Swimming Championships
Tyler Johnson Year 10 Bronze medal 400 Individual Medley Finalist 200m IM and 100m breaststroke NSW Country Championships Long Course
Tom Collins Year 10 CIS Cross Country
Cooper Starkey Year 7 WRAS athlete North v South Academies Cup Golf Tournament
Logan Johnson Year 7 Silver medal 4 x 50 Medley NSW Country Championships Long Course
Sean Macfarlane Year 8 CIS Cross Country
Hamish Scott Year 9 Representation of Country 15 Year Squad
Jack Mulligan Year 7 Silver medal 4 x 50 Medley NSW Country Championships Long Course
Brendan Mitchell Year 7 1st place Junior Section Young Rural Achievers
Sam Wilson Year 10 Selection and named U16 NSW Merit Touch Football Team
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Collaboration
Dylan Challita Year 12 ISA 1st XV
Riley Langfield Year 11 ISA 3rd XV
Cohan Lorusso Year 10 ISA 16s
Jack Morrison Year 12 ISA 1st XV
Jacob Smith Year 11 ISA 3rd XV
Wil Taylor Year 11 ISA 16s
Bede Smeallie Year 11 ISA 1st XV
Cooper Wright Year 12 ISA 3rd XV
Dylan Thurston Year 10 ISA 16s
Denzil Begley Year 12 ISA 2nd XV
Emmanuel Achmar Year 10 ISA 16s
Connor Wilkin Year 10 ISA 16s
Garang Diing Year 12 ISA 2nd XV
Nelson Dusan Year 10 ISA 16s
Oliver Kemp Year 12 ISA 3rd XV
Lochlann Jacobs Year 10 ISA 16s
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Critical Reflection
Speaking about Debating and Spelling
Quinn with his Spelling Bee awards
Speeches, Spelling and Debating: a Public Speaking update from Quinn Jones, Year 7 So far, as a new Year 7 student, my experience with the teachers and other boys at Stannies has been great. One of the best parts of the year to date has been the numerous English extracurricular opportunities that myself and others have been given, including the inter-house Debating Competition, the CWA Public Speaking Competition and the Diocesan Spelling Bee. The first English-based competition I competed in was the debating competition. I was in B1 busily preparing with my debating partners. Our topic was: ‘People should have to have a licence and registration to ride bicycles’. We were the negative team. I remember doing my best as the first speaker and I thought I had done pretty well and had set up a tidy defence for the affirmative team to attempt to destroy.
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Unfortunately for me – fortunately for him, I guess! – some legend absolutely tore my arguments to shreds in a matter of minutes and left me standing there quite gobsmacked at how well this student had prepared.
schools from the Bathurst Diocese; MacKillop College Bathurst, St Johns College Dubbo, James Sheahan Catholic High School, St Raphael’s Catholic School Cowra and St Mary’s Catholic School Wellington.
Our team ultimately lost the debate, but it was a lot of fun. I actually felt a little happy that my argument had been decimated by such a smart guy.
Here’s how it worked: we all sat in chairs on a stage, with lanyards around our necks that had numbers on them. We sat in the order of the numbers. The judges and announcer were to our left, with the audience directly in front of us.
On the day of the CWA Public Speaking, Harry and I drove with Mrs Cain to the Robertson Park CWA Hall in Orange, where we delivered our speeches. Two students from MacKillop College Bathurst were present as well as other students from Scots All Saints College Bathurst, Kinross Wolaroi School Orange and other schools. I performed my speech, which was about Eco Tech. My mate Harry performed his speech, which was about disasters. Harry paced the room smartly to gain the entire audience’s attention; a very clever tactic, as he had a lot of good things to say. Afterwards, we all went to Macca’s (yay!). Harry, Mrs Cain and I arrived at school at around 4.30pm. Even though I didn’t win, this was a great experience to watch other people perform their speeches and learn a couple of things for next year. The next day, I travelled to Wellington with Mrs Ros King and two other Stannies students, Riley and Bilal. Once again, I was in a hall with other people, this time from Catholic
Each contestant would go up to the microphone placed on the stage and spell their word. The judges would then inform them if they were right or wrong. If they were right, they went to the next round. If they were wrong, they sat down in the audience to then watch the next round. A round ended when all contestants had spelled (or attempted to spell) a word. Round by round, elimination by elimination, the contestants slowly dwindled until our number was half of what there had been at the start. One of the contestants received the word ‘egalitarianism.’ The hardest word I received was ‘poignant.’ It seems like all that reading paid off! In the final round, everybody before me had gotten their words wrong. You could probably understand what I was feeling at this point – a sense of dread. As I got up and walked to the microphone stand, I wondered, what word would I receive? Would getting this far have been for nothing? I waited for my word...
Critical Reflection “Spell ‘morose’.” My heart rose. A smile crossed my face. I knew this word! I leaned into the microphone, as giddy as a Stannies schoolboy. “M-o-r-o-s-e.”
When I got back to school, Riley, Bilal and I got our photo taken with our awards. I then dropped the shield off in the English staffroom. and ran all the way to G4, just in time for Period 6 English and apologised to Mrs Hunt for being five hours late!
of these things and look forward to participating in more Stannies events in the future.
I had a great experience doing all
Quinn Jones, Year 7
A special thanks to Mrs Cain and Mrs King for taking me to the places I needed to go to have this extraordinary experience.
“That is correct.” What a relief. I had made it! I sat down, almost refusing to believe I had spelled the word correctly. I watched as every other contestant got their word wrong. I had won! An extra round was played to find a second place getter. I was put in front of a table next to the runnerup, who held her medal while I held my golden shield. I watched one of the other Stannies boys finish his competition and afterwards, we all went to Macca’s to recover and celebrate (yay again!).
Congratulations to the following students who took part in these events: Debating - CWA Public Speaking Competition: Fintan Sinclair Year 11, 2nd place Peter Woodhead Year 12, Highly Commended Josh Borland Year 12, Participation Harry Collins Year 8, Participation Diocesan Spelling Bee: Quinn Jones Year 7, Spelling Bee Champion Stage 4 Riley Longhurst Year 8, Certificate of Participation Bilal Said Year 10, Certificate of Participation
Harry, Quinn and Bilal
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Communication
James up front For Year 12 student and Prefect, James Zhang, this years’ Anzac Day was a special day for him. James participated in the Anzac Day march in Sydney as one of the members of the Australian Air Force Cadets Band, which was led by Mr Ben Simon, Commanding Officer of 312 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets based in Kempsey. During the march, James played the snares and he said that it was a privilege to participate. “We had the privilege to play and lead them into the parade as they celebrated 100 years of the RAAF,” he said. “It’s amazing. I think there were only 30 cadets that went on this and to have the privilege to have been picked to represent Bathurst and be in front and get involved. It was an absolute privilege.”
involved in sports at Stannies when he commenced in Year 7. “Cadets is where I’ve developed a lot of my skills, being there every week,” he said. “At the beginning, I wasn’t too involved in sport at school, so I thought I’d get involved and develop an interest and when I joined, there was so much opportunity not just in Bathurst but also outside of Bathurst,” he said. “I’ve been to Canberra and Richmond. I’ve lived in air force spaces, I’ve learned the way the air force works. It’s definitely influenced me to want a career in the air force.” The Australian Air Force Cadets
James is proud that he was the only Bathurst cadet selected to participate in the march. Being selected was based on a number of factors including experience, music ability and his involvement in the cadets. “I was the only person in Bathurst that was picked to go because I think the band commander has a lot of trust in me,” he said. “There was lots of practice on the Saturday before the march and then on Sunday, we went off to the big show.” Every Tuesday, James spends his afternoon at the Bathurst Airport participating in cadets, something he picked up as he wasn’t too
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James Zhang
(AAFC), known as the Air Training Corps (AIRTC) until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF). Along with the Australian Army Cadets (AAC) and the Australian Navy Cadets (ANC) it is part of the Australian Defence Force Cadets. The AAFC can teach valuable life skills and helps members develop qualities including leadership, self-reliance, confidence, teamwork and communication. Some activities undertaken by the AAFC include flying, fieldcraft, adventure training, firearms safety training, drill and ceremonial, service knowledge, aeromodelling, navigation and gliding.
Celebration
Year 7 Insight
Mr Siejka’s Year 7 Science class
Jack, Henry and Will
James, Ashton and Harley
Oliver, Finn and Jack
Will, Jackson and Cameron
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Celebration
Year 7 Insight
Kai and Darcy
Angus and Rhys
Wade and Noah
Tom and Tyler
Year 7 with Ms Bonny in PDHPE Josh
Spencer and Asher
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Aedan and Luca photographing their work
Celebration
Year 7 Insight
Harvey and Joey
Quinn watching the paint dry
Ms Willoughby’s Year 7 Art class
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Community
Old Boys Goings On The St Stanislaus’ College Old Boys’ Association (SSCOBA) continues to grow and develop with a renewed and rejuvenated committee, a fresh approach to our activities and a growing membership base. The committee is hosting a SSCOBA fundraising dinner for 2021 — the Blue and White Gala. The dinner will be a great celebration of our Stannies community and the funds raised will be for the renovation of the Number 1 and Number 2 Ovals with the view to upgrading the rugby posts on the Number 1. This will only be possible with support and fundraising on the night. How can you assist? The Old Boys’ Association is asking for donations of all types and sizes to appeal to our guests at the gala. The following are items and experiences we are seeking for donation to help in reaching our fundraising target:
Stannies 1st XV Rugby team
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auction/silent auction/raffle items along the lines of holiday lets, experience vouchers like Bridge Climb and wine tours, artwork, long lunches, catering packs, cases of wine, accounting services, financial planning, web design, hairdressing/ beautician vouchers and so on. Some individuals and organisations are also opting to make a cash donation to contribute to the fundraising effort, which is also very welcome. Please contact oldboys@stannies. com to establish contact and enquire about or make a donation. So when is the Rugby? 17 July: St Augustine’s College (home) 24 July: Kinross Wolaroi School (home) 31 July: St Pius X College (away) 7 August: Oakhill College (home) The final Stannies game for the season is our Old Boys Round.
Stannies Rugby 1st XV players will be presented with their jerseys by notable Stannies Old Boys in the lead to what will be for some students, their final game for Stannies. All Old Boys, regardless of year group, are invited and encouraged to attend. This game leads into the Blue and White Gala fundraising dinner and the night’s festivities. The Old Boys will have a shop and membership sign-up desk at the home games — an opportunity to come and say hello and join up with our new $25 annual membership. The membership comes with a free members cap, quarterly ‘Seasons at Stannies’ publication and discounts on merchandise. For Blue and White Gala ticket enquiries, please email oldboys@ stannies.com Jack English (1996-2001), SSCOBA President
Community
BUILDING BOOM
Deputy Prefect Malcolm Bartlett, Paul Toole MP, Head of College Lindsay Luck, Head Prefect Jacob George, Deputy Prefect Peter Woodhead
The NSW Government is set to inject more than $5.86 million into a major building project at St Stanislaus’ College.
funding of $238 million is available in 2020/21, with the funding committed to 57 projects at Independent and Catholic Schools across NSW.”
Member for Bathurst, Paul Toole, announced that Stannies will receive the capital assistance under Round 2 of the government’s 2020/21 Building Grants Assistance Scheme (BGAS).
“Under the scheme, grants are directed towards Independent and Catholic Schools with the greatest need, to support non-government schools to build, extend or upgrade their facilities to provide more student places in growing communities.”
Mr Toole said the total cost of the project was $8.37 million for the “redevelopment of the secondary school to construct contemporary facilities for general learning, the library, art, science, technical and applied studies”. “In 2019, the NSW Government committed $500 million funding for the Building Grants Assistance Scheme over four years. Project
The BGAS is providing funding from the NSW Government and administered by the NSW Catholic Block Grant Authority and the Association of Independent Schools of NSW Block Grant Authority. Head of College, Mr Lindsay Luck, says, “Thank you to Stannies
Old Boy Mr Paul Toole MP for his support in announcing our successful application for NSW Government funding. “ “I would also like to acknowledge the efforts and expertise of the College Board and in particular our Finance Committee for all their work and dedication in developing our new Master Plan for the College. The work will commence with the first two stages of the Master Plan. These planned refurbishments will directly impact student learning outcomes and are much needed.” “In addition to the NSW government support, the College community will contribute almost $3 million to these first stages ensuring a quality environment for the education of our current and future generation of students.”
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EVERY DAY IS OPEN DAY AT STANNIES.
Personal tours are available with a member of the College Leadership Team. Further information about scholarships, tours or enrolments is available from the College Registrar, registrar@stannies.com or 6331 4177
JOIN US AT STANNIES www.stannies.com
@stanniesbathurst
Page 14: Bradley Jurd. Main article courtesy of the Western Advocate Page 19: Mr Brian Wood, Electorate Officer, Media and Communications
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220 Bentinck Street (PO Box 97) Bathurst NSW 2795 Phone: 02 6331 4177 Fax: 02 6334 4285 Email: registrar@stannies.com www.stannies.com