83 minute read
FEATURES
Over the past year, our staff have used their knowledge, skills and professional development to enrich Wenona in different ways. We’ve also welcomed new members of staff, who’ve brought interesting skills and experience to the School community.
Advertisement
Before the pandemic hit, our lives were defined by speed. But the pace of life has slowed dramatically for everyone and as Michele Brennan points out, moving at a slower pace has given us capacity for deep reflection, which is invaluable when it comes to viewing art.
THE ART OF SLOW
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
By Michele Brennan Head of Visual Art, Photography and Digital Media
As the subject of the world’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa is a must-see for anyone visiting Paris. But peering out from behind her box of bullet-proof glass in the Louvre’s Salle des États, her smile hints at the irony of it all. Crowds jostle for position in front of the painting each day, but barely spare more than a cursory glance as they scramble for their iPhones. On average, visitors spend a mere 15 seconds with the Mona Lisa, just long enough to grab the obligatory selfie before moving on. In a strange paradox, it’s become virtually impossible to see the world’s most enigmatic smile with fresh eyes.
The Mona Lisa remains the most popular painting in the Louvre, a testament to the fact that we cannot consume a work of art in one visual gulp. And nor should we. Art reaches us all differently; and it has the power to challenge and transform us in profound ways. But to truly connect with a work of art, we need to spend time with it, savouring its visual details, unravelling its stories and exploring the possibilities inherent within it. The more time we devote to contemplation and reflection, the more dynamic and intimate an experience it becomes, grounded in the way it stimulates our imagination, intellect and at times, our emotions.
Stepping into a museum or a gallery for the first time can be an alien and overwhelming experience for our young people. In addition to fanning my students’ creative instincts, one of my greatest pleasures as an educator lies in cultivating their appreciation of art by visiting museums. Interacting with art has clear, immediate transformative benefits for our young people. It exposes them to adults who, through their work, embrace risk, questioning and experimentation. And it expands their thinking about what art is and what it means in society. In the words of Aristotle, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
Whenever I stand before a work of art for the first time with my students, reaching into the conversations that ultimately help to shape understanding, we each embark on a journey of discovery that is as different and unique as we are. Like the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the artist’s creative process, the experience of spending time with art never follows a predictable path. And therein lies the thrill.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of attending an International Symposium for Art Educators at the National Gallery in Canberra, where I attended a lecture by Rika Burnham, Head of Education at the Frick Collection in New York. As a leading theorist and practitioner of art museum teaching, Rika was warm and passionate, poetic and engaging as she discussed how students strive to find meaning. For her, the ‘roadmap to understanding’ lies in empowering young people to ‘see’ a work of art and to mindfully absorb each individual detail – including those hiding in plain sight. Rika’s ability to articulate her own transformative teaching experiences resonated powerfully with me. My philosophy has always been to embolden my students to forge their own connection with art in order to inform their understanding. In art, as in life, interpretation matters, but it is often a process of negotiation. By nurturing their creative, critical and visual thinking skills, along with their confidence to express their own ideas and listen to the perspectives of others, my students develop their capacity to make meaning.
In 2019, I completed a Masters of Education at UNSW, which gave me an opportunity to connect the insight and experience I’d gained through my own critical practice to the field of research. As part of my studies, I undertook a Capstone Research Project, focusing on my Year 9 Visual Arts students and the process by which they made meaning when viewing art. This included an observation of their personal interactions with art, peer engagement and collaborative discussion, as well as conversations with educators and art historians. The results were illuminating. It highlighted the capability of young adolescents to reflect on their own beliefs and theories of art, to value difference, to engage in creative and divergent thinking, and to apply deep knowledge in order to construct meaning – all highly valuable and transferrable skills that have far reaching implications.
As part of my research project, I accompanied my students to see the 2019 After Nature exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art featuring the work of Janet Laurence, one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Occupying two large galleries and including sculptures, installation, photography and video, the exhibition was an exploration of living things in all their beauty, complexity and fragility. Aesthetically alluring and spectacular in scale, Laurence used glittering shards of laboratory glass, displays of deceased birds, dried coral, and fallen trees encased in bandages and scattered with rock salt to pose serious questions about the effects of climate change on the natural world.
Art can be a powerful catalyst for building understanding about contemporary issues. After Nature challenged my Year 9 students to contemplate some big ideas that are currently playing out on the global stage: the plight of nature and its potential restoration. I asked my students to take time to immerse themselves in one specific work of art: After Eden 2012. I asked them to observe. To question. To evaluate. To interpret. After Eden 2012 was a combination of installation, video footage and audible soundscape. It included all the paraphernalia of the Science laboratory: bell jars with specimens floating in formaldehyde; stuffed and mounted animals; and ghostly images of wildlife teetering on the verge of extinction, which were cleverly projected on to sheer veils of fabric, so they seemed to recede and vanish like the animals themselves. All this played out against an eerie soundscape of breathing, a sign of life that connects humankind to all other living things.
After immersing themselves in After Eden 2012, and taking time to absorb its sensory and emotional effect, I gave my students an opportunity to share their observations and ideas with one other. We then participated in guided research to give the exhibition more context, drip feeding information to provoke discussion, before coming together as a class to share our thoughts and ideas. This served to amplify and enrich the experience for everyone. Through the pattern of conversation, it was evident that the students didn’t arrive at their intellectual and aesthetic conclusions spontaneously. Instead, they traced meaning through a combination of contemplative and transcendental moments, collaborative discussion, teacher intervention and additional research.
This process helped to unlock the students’ critical and creative expression, and passion, but it was also a uniquely powerful learning experience that served to deepen their attachment and understanding of Laurence’s art.
The uplifting and lasting benefits of studying Visual Arts for young people cannot be underestimated. It has the capacity to transform their perspective on the world, prompting them to participate in open-ended discussions of relevant, topical and contemporary issues, and giving them the confidence and agency to articulate complex, abstract concepts. Visual Arts teaches young people to think independently, to reflect on their own ideas and to engage with new ones. And it reinforces the value of difference and the importance of embracing multiple perspectives in order to enrich and expand their thinking – all of which are highly transferable competencies that will serve them well in their future careers. But beyond enhancing their creative and aesthetic sensibilities, studying Visual Arts contributes to significant personal growth during adolescence, a time when our young people are forming their own sense of identity, beliefs and values.
Unlike many of those who visit the Mona Lisa, obscured as she is by the flashes of multiple iPhones, everyone has a right to ‘see’ art. Close looking and open-ended conversation about art is an influential part of our Visual Arts program at Wenona. It instils confidence and highlights the value of critical self-reflection. But above all, it gives our young people the self-assurance and skills to form their own sophisticated worldview grounded in art.
A Student’s Response to After Eden 2012
After Eden features projections that hang on sheer silk from the rafters and haunting taxidermy animal specimens that line the walls. Combined with an ominous soundscape, the sterile and darkly lit room is the site of a memorial to the state of collapsing ecosystems. The video projections are in negative, which is often reflective of old photographic practices, symbolising the passing and fleeting nature of life for these adored species. The taxidermy on the walls is frighteningly realistic, however it seems out of touch, as if the life force has been extracted. The droning soundscape and dim lighting facilitate complete audience immersion, further prompting considerations on the state of the natural world. This artwork incites contemplation about the conditions that the earth’s environment has been left in.
Year 9 Visual Arts Student
He was a civil engineer and a Maths teacher, before finding his niche in facilities management. But Joseph Germanos’s role at Wenona allows him to leverage all his skills, including his passion for problem solving!
A SIMPLE EQUATION
GALILEO
More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greek mathematician, Euclid, solved a numerical puzzle in one of the most staggeringly brilliant breakthroughs of human thought, namely that the list of prime numbers is infinite. Twenty centuries later, Albert Einstein discovered E=mc2. Through this deceptively simple equation, Einstein was able to discern a connection between energy and mass, two concepts that had hitherto seemed worlds apart.
When I think about the beauty of maths, my thoughts are not about symbols on a page, but rather the power and elegance of its arguments and its capacity to build bridges between unconnected worlds. From my earliest school years, I enjoyed the challenge that maths provided me to step out into the unknown, using logic and reason to search for patterns and solve puzzles through deductive thought – skills that now seamlessly translate to the real world when I’m faced with problems. I was also inspired by the work of outstanding mathematicians like Leonhard Euler and Carl Friedrich Gauss. After excelling in Mathematics in the HSC and having a strong fascination with the built environment, it seemed an obvious step to undertake a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (majoring in Structures) at The University of Sydney. Maths is, after all, the language that explains our physical world.
For centuries, humankind has been using its ingenuity to conceive, design and construct buildings, transport infrastructure, energy systems, flood defences, water supply and sewage systems that enrich the world we live in. Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, the English Channel Tunnel, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are all timeless feats of engineering. Indeed, without the provision and maintenance of sustainable and efficient infrastructure, our world would struggle to meet the challenges brought on by new technologies, population growth and climate change.
There was a heavy emphasis on maths in my degree, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But Civil Engineering encompasses a broad spectrum of areas, and so I also had an opportunity to study units related to stakeholder engagement, virtual modelling, geology, environmental impact and data analysis. The scope of my degree gave me a deeper understanding of how, through efficient use of capital, land, operating budgets and natural resources, Civil Engineering can help to improve communities. It also exposed me to the latest technology, research and sustainable thinking.
After I graduated from university, I worked as a Structural Engineer for a small Sydney engineering firm. While it was an interesting role, there was a higher level of automation and repetition than I had anticipated, so after some time, I decided to return to university to complete a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary Mathematics), hoping to combine my love of maths with teaching. After a brief stint in the classroom, I realised that what really motivated me was the sort of ‘out of the box’ thinking I’d been able to explore at university. By chance, I saw a job for a Facilities Manager with Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) overseeing the operational maintenance and capital planning of more than 150 Catholic schools across Sydney. I was delighted that my application was successful.
Like any workplace, a school cannot function properly if its facilities and working assets aren’t in order. Everything matters, from its décor, to the physical layout of its indoor and outdoor spaces. And everything from health and wellbeing, to learning outcomes, to productivity and efficiency can be enhanced by a rigorous approach to Facilities Management (FM). A large amount of the dayto-day work involves working through various facilities, addressing building and maintenance issues – heating, lighting, plumbing, fire safety systems, air conditioning, space allocation – to determine the best solutions to problems that arise. A burst water pipe or a leaking roof can have a ripple effect on daily operations. Maths is a useful skill to have in a role where the ability to quantify needs and results is critical to getting the job done and finding the ways and means to continue maintaining and improving a facility can be augmented through solid, logical mathematical skills.
Working as a Facilities Manager also helped me realise that my civil engineering skills were highly transferable. I was able to harness my decision-making, critical thinking and data interpretation skills to ensure that all school facilities remained in good operating order, staff and students were safe, and the schools remained a friendly and inviting environment for all. My background as a civil engineer also enabled me to lead the design, construction and rollout of a variety of different projects for SCS. This included the implementation of new playground facilities across all schools to maximise learning needs and development outcomes for more than 70,000 students. It gave me a unique insight into how all the design elements of a school campus must combine if they are to successfully meet the needs of staff, students and the environment.
After six years with SCS, I applied for the role of Facilities and Property Manager at Wenona in September 2020. The history and reputation of the School is outstanding, and I’d heard great things about its leadership. I was also excited by the evolution of its campus, which reflected the School’s appetite for change and innovation. Wenona has an interesting blend of beautiful, old, heritage buildings, alongside brand-new innovative buildings (such as the state-of-the-art Athenaeum building), which from a FM perspective, offers scope to work across a wide variety of assets. Wenona’s commitment to urban greening is also impressive as it connects the community with nature in a range of new and exciting ways. Exterior views offer a connection to the natural environment, allowing staff and students to sense the outdoor climate and time of day. Of course, these benefits come with challenges that need to be managed, which was an added incentive for me when applying for the role.
It’s been a fantastic decision to join Wenona. There is amazing potential here, both in terms of the physical assets and the opportunities that are presented to staff and students. FM is a profession that is driven by change. Whether it is new technology or changes in the design of teaching and learning spaces, our field is defined by the need to constantly adapt or modify our facilities to respond to change. The opening of The Athenaeum and the Allawah Centre has meant that the physical space of the School has grown significantly over the past year. As a result, the management of these facilities has had to become even more robust. The Leadership Team are open to new ideas and there is a genuine desire to unlock new purposes and capabilities from the built environment. The staff are highly capable, proactive and dedicated too, which speaks volumes about the culture of the School.
In my role, there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ day. Each day brings its own unique and unexpected challenges to analyse and solve. My success depends on my ability to be flexible, to learn on the job, and to keep up-to-date with an ever-increasing level of technical skill. But the ability to monitor, plan, evaluate and respond to problems calmly and efficiently is also critical. While I take a high-level view – ensuring compliance with government regulations, boosting operational efficiencies, projecting future business conditions and adjusting strategies accordingly – I am also responsible for overseeing contractors and the Maintenance Team and assessing issues as they arise to ensure daily operations are running smoothly.
I’m excited about the future. By tracking emerging trends and investing in the right organisational capabilities, Wenona is well positioned to increase the impact of its built environment for the benefit of the entire community. Implementing an Asset Management System, which will incorporate a planned, preventative maintenance schedule, is a priority for me. It will allow the School to take a more integrated approach to FM, backed by data. A workplace is the sum of its parts. Managing everything holistically will mean the School’s infrastructure is equipped to evolve with the times and can thrive in an agile, unpredictable environment. There are other projects underway to update classrooms and boarding facilities too.
While maths has proven to be a lot more intuitive and technology-driven in my career than at school, I’ve found it invaluable in my approach to FM. Clever, creative strategies count in the real world, but so do good solutions derived from logic.
Since stepping in to the role of Director of Student Opportunity and Career Education five years ago, Samantha McFetridge has developed a wealth of insight, expertise and opportunity to help support our students as they strive to find the right path for them.
EXPANDING HORIZONS
I’ve always been fascinated by the world of work and I have a genuine interest in careers education. I began my career as a PDHPE Teacher, which is an area of teaching that I continue to practise and enjoy. But in 2016, having undertaken a Master of Education, Career Education and Development at RMIT, I was appointed as Director of Student Opportunity and Career Education at Wenona. Taking on this role was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I’ve never looked back! It’s rewarding to be able to provide our young women with authentic opportunities to explore potential career pathways that best suit their individual strengths, interests, aptitudes and aspirations.
I had a seamless transition into this role, which I largely attribute to the leadership roles I’d already held at Wenona, including Year Coordinator in Senior College and Head of House. Working in these roles highlighted to me how much I enjoyed the counselling side of working with young people, which is a major component to this role.
I like the collegiality between school careers professionals here in Australia and overseas. We connect via network groups, informal catch-ups, and social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter to share best practice in supporting young people in their career aspirations. And I have also forged strong relationships with universities globally, engaging with academics and course providers to stay up-to-date with entry requirements, new courses and pathways, and graduate opportunities.
In 2020, I was appointed as the AISNSW Convenor for the inaugural AISNSW Careers Network Group. As we meet via Zoom, it’s been a fantastic opportunity to widen our networks and meet like-minded career professionals in the independent sector, including in regional and remote areas. This year, I also had an opportunity to take part in the Game Changers podcast, which explores innovation in education and share some of the initiatives that we’ve implemented at Wenona.
One of the most exciting aspects of this role is that the careers’ landscape is always changing; you need to be agile in order to take advantage of the ever-evolving opportunities in this space.
In my first 12 months in this role, I underwent a huge learning trajectory, which was challenging but also exciting. I feel fortunate that Wenona has always been supportive of my professional growth and development. Over the past five years, I’ve been given countless opportunities to gain industry experience, working with some of the best careers professionals globally, which has really helped to expand my knowledge and understanding in different ways.
In July 2017, I was awarded a Wenona Seeding Grant to attend the inaugural College Counsellors Teacher Seminar at St Andrews University in Scotland. The eightday intensive program was facilitated by Oxbridge. It covered British, American, European and Asian university
admission requirements, so it was an opportunity to learn how to prepare our students to be successful in their applications.
The program helped me to better understand the interview process for universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, the role of the British Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), and the personal statement that students are required to write for British university admission, as well as what the universities are looking for in letters of recommendation. Similarly, I gained insight into what American universities expect to see in students’ 500-word personal essay.
While I was in Scotland, I also visited the University of Edinburgh and toured the business and medical schools there. It was an eye-opening and informative experience in terms of the admissions process, the course structure and the learning environment.
My Seeding Grant was extremely beneficial to my professional development. Not only did I build relationships with careers professionals and universities globally, but it helped me to see how pivotal a wellcrafted personal statement is to the success of a university application. In recent years, this has become important in Australia too, where universities are looking for well-rounded applicants. They view co-curricular and service activities favourably and expect students to have a range of transferable skills, which will be critical to their success in their future learning environments. Wenona’s focus on service learning and providing a holistic education to our students has meant that they are well placed in this regard. We’ve also taken steps to ensure they build a portfolio of transferable skills in Senior School, which has been highly successful. Australian universities are increasingly making early offers to our students and in fact, 80% of the Class of 2020 received an early entry offer to university prior to receiving their HSC results and ATARs
In 2018, Wenona reintroduced the Academic Tour for Year 11 students giving them an opportunity to visit universities and colleges beyond Sydney, including Melbourne, Queensland, the ACT and regional areas of NSW. This has been a successful way to encourage our students to extend their study horizons and explore a diversity of options across Australia and overseas. This is borne out by the fact that in 2020, ANU in Canberra was the second highest destination preference for Wenona graduates.
Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our international university applications, but typically between 6 to 10% of Wenona students are exploring study options overseas. Wenona is now a UCAS -registered study centre and in 2018, we also became a Cambridge testing centre, which means that our students can sit exams for highly regarded UK institutions such as the Russell Group universities, which includes Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, London School of Economics, Queen’s University Belfast and King’s College London.
We currently have Wenonians at Caltech (California University of Technology), Carnegie Mellon University, University of Southern California (USC), University of California San Diego, NYU Kings College, University College London (UCL), The University of Arts London (UAL) and University of St Andrews (Scotland).
We are extremely fortunate to have such an engaged and supportive community of alumnae. They lead at all levels across all sectors of society, so they are an invaluable source of information, insight and guidance for our students, helping them to see what’s possible post-school and exposing them to different perspectives and career pathways. Our Student/Alumnae face-to-face talks have been an integral part of our Careers Education program for several years now, but as a result of the pandemic, we had to shift them online with the launch of our Wenona Twilight Alumnae Talks. They have given us the ability to connect remotely with alumnae around the world and increased participation from our students, staff and parents.
We’ve had sessions with people from a variety of fields and disciplines, including ophthalmologists, architects, physiotherapists, engineers, digital marketing specialists and interior designers. And we’ve heard from alumnae who’ve switched jobs or transitioned into different careers. It’s a great way of emphasising to our students the need to develop a portfolio of applicable skills and capabilities. And it shows them the importance of resilience and adaptability in a world that’s in a constant state of flux.
The future of work is changing. We know that we need an innovative and entrepreneurial generation of young people, yet automation has disproportionately affected our young people’s capacity to secure the entry-level roles that essentially help them ‘learn to work’. Wenona is working extremely hard to equip and inspire students for a radically different future of work where they will not only survive but thrive!
Doris Yu (2018PY)
King’s College London
Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics
I chose to study overseas because I wanted to challenge myself and really experience living on my own away from my family. It was definitely quite tough at first and I was very homesick, but since London is such a diverse city, there are lots of international students who are in the same boat as me. They were willing to meet new people and we explored the city together. I found the international aspect of living in London to be invaluable. I’ve met people from countries like Palestine, Barbados and Malaysia, in addition to the European countries nearby. It’s been really interesting to learn about different cultures and lifestyles. Unfortunately, my first year was cut short by the pandemic and I’ve decided to take a gap year from my studies as I applied to King’s College because I wanted to experience studying in London rather than online.
Isabella Camplisson (2016PY)
Caltech and Post Graduate at Oxford to study Medicine
Five years ago, I made the bold decision to apply to university in the US. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I’ve spent the last four years living just outside of Los Angeles and studying at the California Institute of Technology. I chose to come to the US not only to get a world-class education, but also to step outside my comfort zone and experience a completely different way of life. Studying here has been packed with incredible experiences, from co-authoring publications, to shadowing neurosurgeons in Germany, to being accepted to study Medicine at Oxford University, to making friends that I’ll call family for the rest of my life. To anyone considering studying overseas even just for a semester, do it!
Rebecca Karnani (2018PY)
University of California, San Diego
Bachelor of Science: Mathematics and Economics
After graduating from Wenona in 2018, I moved to the US to attend the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) where I major in Mathematics and Economics and minor in Critical Gender Studies. Since being at UCSD I have met amazing people, am making incredible memories and have tried to get involved as much as possible. I am part of the sorority Delta Gamma, mentor girls from a local high school with the organisation Women SPEAK, play on the UCSD club field hockey team, have even become an ambassador for the sustainable drink company Guayakí and have just recently been accepted as an intern for the UCSD Women’s Centre. I chose to study internationally because I wanted to experience living in another country alone, make new friends and open myself up to new opportunities and adventures. I think my time at Wenona prepared me well for this endeavour especially with the help of Ms McFetridge!
There’s always something delicious cooking in the Food Technology kitchen at Wenona. And professional chef, Karly Camilleri’s culinary skills have continued to inspire our students passion for cooking during lockdown.
A WINNING RECIPE
By Karly Camilleri Food Technology Assistant and Professional Chef
Nigella has her capacious scullery and Heston Blumenthal his science lab, but the culinary stage has now been set at Wenona. In 2020, the School opened its new commercial-style Food Technology kitchen. Encased in glass at the entrance to The Athenaeum – with a flatscreen TV livestreaming lessons to curious students passing by – this sleek, streamlined space is very much a centrepiece of the new building.
While it may all sound slightly intimidating, there’s no bellowing, bullying chefs here. No complex recipes or obscure ingredients. No gladiatorial gastro-combats against a tensely ticking clock. Instead, students glide between the cooktops and workbenches, fridges and sinks, happily peeling, chopping, whisking and whirring as they hone their culinary skills and knowledge.
It’s every professional chef’s dream to work in a brand new, commercial kitchen, so imagine my excitement when I arrived at Wenona last year! The kitchen is stocked with every gadget I could wish for, including rows of gleaming KitchenAids that are much admired by passers-by as they sit atop their shiny stainless-steel benchtops. But best of all was the warm welcome I received from staff and students. It’s the first time I’ve worked as a chef in a school environment, and I’ve never been happier. This warm, friendly and inspiring space is full of joie de vivre. And I’ve yet to meet a student who doesn’t like cooking. It’s the perfect playground for me to work alongside talented teachers, supporting our young people to build a repertoire of dishes and gain insight into the science behind them.
From the earliest age, I loved to cook. By Year 12, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as a chef. Choosing a career path can be daunting, especially when you’re looking at a highly competitive industry that requires years of extraordinarily hard work, long hours and investment to progress. But food was my passion, so straight after my HSC, I applied for an apprenticeship with the Accor Hotel Group in Darling Harbour, where I was plunged straight into cooking. This gave me all the basic skills, while I also studied for my Trade Certificate in Commercial Cookery. It was a baptism of fire, but since I’ve always seen food as my life, I never questioned how hard it was and I never wanted to change professions, even on the hardest days.
After two years, I moved to the Park Hyatt in Sydney, where I had the privilege of cooking for people like the Sultan of Brunei, Sir Paul McCartney and Russell Crowe. A highlight of my career was working in the corporate box during the Sydney Olympics, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of Australian history. Attracted by the versatility and creativity of the dessert menu, I then became a pastry chef for the highly respected chef, Anthony Musarra. At his benchtop, I mastered the delicate art of choux and crème pâtissière, but I was also able to reimagine traditional confections, drawing on exciting new ideas, techniques and flavour combinations. After four years, I opened my first café with my husband. We’ve since owned two more cafés/food stores.
My inspiration for cooking comes from many sources, including programs designed for armchair cooks! I was addicted to the last series of Masterchef, but I also love the SBS Food Channel. The best cooking shows not only make you hungry, they dangle a tantalising new lifestyle in front of you, giving you a seamless view of cuisines from across Australia and around the world. Nigella, Rick Stein, Matt Evans, Donna Hay, Luke Nguyen…I watch them all. I’m immediately whisked away to local farmers’ markets, fossicking among the trestle tables laden with giant vats of olives, wheels of cheese, and rainbow displays of herbs and spices. It’s intoxicating.
As chefs, we never switch off. Our minds are always searching for culinary inspiration. I admire Luke Nguyen because he’s redefined Vietnamese cuisine, combining traditional techniques and flavours to give them a uniquely modern twist. His restaurant, Red Lantern, is one of my favourites, but I’m also a big fan of Catalina and Sake at The Rocks. Japanese is probably my favourite cuisine for its freshness and its diversity of flavours, but it’s not something I often cook at home. When you work full-time and have busy children who need lifts to sport or other activities, you need a repertoire of quick, easy nutritional meals. The most wellthumbed cookbook on my shelf is Donna Hay’s The New Classics. There are more than 275 recipes to choose from, so I always find plenty of family-friendly ideas here.
Cooking – and indeed the way we eat – has changed significantly over the course of my career. As the old saying goes, we eat with our eyes first and never has this been more apt! We’re living in an age where the younger generation especially, love to share their food online by giving it a colourful, snappy Instagram vibe. It’s set the tone for a whole new aesthetic movement, but it’s also democratised food and made it more accessible to everyone. When these Instagram-friendly food posts go viral, they can completely change the way we eat. The craze for ‘smashed avo on sourdough’ is testament to this. Social media has helped to reframe the way young people interact with food on a fundamental level. These days it’s more about pleasure, adventure, and experimenting with new cuisines and flavours. And of course, they are more likely to take care when they are preparing a dish if they think a photo might be taken of it. An image can never tell the whole story when it comes to something as tactile, intimate and personal as food, but Instagram has certainly added an ingredient of fun to an industry that has traditionally had a reputation for being rarefied and exclusive.
At a time when Hello Fresh, The Dinner Ladies and Uber Eats are serving up family meals across Sydney, not all young people are acquiring the basic culinary skills at home. The good news is that everyone starts out as a novice. There’s only one way to learn and that’s to start cooking. Like any budding chef, I’ve built my culinary repertoire on the back of innumerable culinary disasters, from claggy loaves to rock-hard cakes. Cooking teaches you to be resilient and to bounce back from food fails. In the words of Julia Childs, “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” Possibly the funniest moment – although it was less so at the time – was when my husband I were cooking
for the Packer family at a charity event at Taronga Zoo. I was cooking prawns on a hot grill and at the very moment the guests wandered over to eat, there was an enormous sizzle. A possum had elected to do its business from a tree above. Luckily everyone laughed and said, “Well, we are at the zoo!”
One of my favourite lessons at Wenona so far, was when last year’s Kindergarten students visited the kitchen to make cookies. They were so enthusiastic – so much so that a few bowls of chocolate sprinkles mysteriously disappeared even before we’d started cooking! Another standout moment was working with Year 9 students as part of their ‘Food for Celebrations’ unit, helping them to make intricate Gingerbread Houses for Christmas. Their level of skill was extraordinary; I think they even surprised themselves! It’s so rewarding to see the girls’ faces light up when they plate up a dish that they are proud of. You can see their sense of achievement and I love it when they come back the following week to say they’ve cooked the same dish for their families and that everyone enjoyed it.
American writer and passionate home cook, Laurie Colwin once said, “No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” This is so true. It’s why my favourite space in the Food Technology kitchen is the demonstration bench. This is the heart and soul of the kitchen and it’s where the magic happens. Girls watch in awe as dishes are created before their eyes. We always involve them in every step of the process and there’s always a great spirit of camaraderie, collaboration and excitement as we discuss our ideas and share our passion for all-things food!
Food Technology is so important. It’s not just about the cooking. It’s about health and happiness, celebration and collaboration, nutrition and food sustainability, as well as the importance of supporting Australian-grown produce. In this kitchen, girls are learning important life skills that they will use throughout their lives – whether they choose to pursue cooking as a career or as a past-time. I hope they get as much joy out of cooking as I do in helping them.
Food Technology
The syllabus provides students with a broad knowledge of food technology, including the factors that influence food availability and selection, food consumption patterns, food handling, the role of nutrition, the structure of the Australian food industry, production and processing practices, and the activities that support food product development.
The Enrolments Team is the first port of call for any prospective family. But when the School campus was closed to visitors, the Enrolments Team had to find new and innovative ways to help parents choose the right school for their daughter.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
CHARLES DARWIN
The future is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a disorientating, disconcerting sort of a place, where the only constant is change. To thrive here, you need what the great Romantic poet John Keats described as ‘negative capability’ – most notably, a willingness to embrace ambiguity. Strategy is all about the future, and as the Director of Enrolments and Marketing at Wenona, future gazing is central to what I do. For someone who is naturally hardwired to embrace order, routine and control, I find it somewhat ironic that to succeed in my professional life, I must continuously confront the uncertainty that is ingrained in the future.
Maintaining a healthy pipeline of future interest from prospective families is pivotal to the School’s continued growth and sustainability. My role is about leveraging data and insights, following patterns and trends, capitalising on challenges and opportunities, in order to forecast enrolment numbers that will enable the School to make robust, evidence-based decisions about things like staffing, facilities, and targeted resources for individual students. By incorporating risk into my forecasting, it helps the School to build a better understanding of the potential upsides and downsides that are inherent in its future. Of course, the role of forecaster is radically different from that of mythical seer. And from my vantage point at the start of 2020, I had no way of foreseeing the wild card that was about to send such a vast and unpredictable tremor across the world, as COVID-19 bent the arc of history before our eyes. There is no such thing as an easy pandemic; every corner of society is exposed. For schools, the most pressing priority was to provide the best educational experience possible despite the challenges. But independent schools are not only educators, they are also businesses. And in tandem with the importance of keeping current parents informed and engaged, my most important consideration over the past 12 months has been to address the opportunities and challenges presented by a COVID-19 world in order to maintain a strong pipeline of enrolments.
For parents, making an informed choice about their daughter’s future schooling without an opportunity to visit the School was stressful. This meant a radical rethink of Wenona’s tour mornings, where prospective families traditionally come to explore our campus as part of their application process. We had to respond quickly and creatively, filming detailed virtual tours that would still offer prospective families a chance to get a feel for the School during a period when they were unable to visit it for themselves. We filmed detailed walk-through tours of our classrooms and facilities, along with our favourite outdoor spaces, and then paired this footage with behind-the-scenes photos to give visitors an insider’s view of what life at Wenona looks like.
We livestreamed our open days and orientation days too, with presentations from the Principal, members of the Executive team, and senior members of staff to
outline the overall ethos and aims of the School. This included what the School was doing to maintain learning opportunities, support mental health and wellbeing, and offer activities like sports and fitness, music and drama, art and dance. There were also reflections from students to give their personal insight into day-to-day life at Wenona, along with useful video clips and advice about what to expect. The world might have changed forever, but we wanted to reassure our prospective families that Wenona remained true to its roots and its values; that its heart and soul were unchanged. With families confined to their homes, and with so much digital information at their fingertips, it was overwhelming for some prospective parents to navigate these new online waters, so the Enrolments team stepped up to create a list of FAQs, with opportunities for prospective families to follow up with virtual chats or phone calls to discuss areas of interest such as boarding life or sports provision.
Typically, Jackson House, the building that houses the Enrolments Office, is a hive of activity, with a constant stream of prospective families arriving for interview. But last year, the silence of Jackson House belied the flurry of work being carried out both inside the building and – during the height of the NSW COVID-19 lockdown – in the Enrolment team’s makeshift home offices across Sydney. Along with the support of senior teachers, we conducted more than 115 interviews via Zoom during that period, many of them from our dining room tables at home!
Wenona is committed to building an intentionally diverse community. We value the opportunities this presents to our students, raising their awareness to the world which exists beyond the confines of our North Sydney campus. One of the ways in which the School seeks to engage with the wider international community is through the enrolment of overseas students. Typically, they join our vibrant Boarding House, or they live in the local community with their parents or a relative who has an approved guardian visa.
Recruiting overseas students has been part of a long-term enrolment strategy for Wenona. Over the past four years, I’ve made a concerted effort to build relationships with various external companies to assist with recruitment, including AEAS and a small number of selected education agents in China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. I’ve also worked hard to develop rigorous policies and procedures, which enable the School to be a registered education provider for overseas students who wish to study in Australia on a student (500) visa. Wenona
operates under the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training for Overseas Students 2018. This National Code is a consistent set of standards that govern the protection of overseas students and delivery of courses to those students by providers registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). All our policies and procedures are regularly reviewed as part of the School’s accreditation process.
Prior to 2020, along with the Registrar, Ms Rebecca Dong and Wenona’s International Development Coordinator, Mr Greg Mikkelsen, who is fluent in several languages, I travelled extensively to promote Wenona to overseas students and their families. We travelled to Australian School Expos, both in Australia and overseas, where we were able to establish strong working relationships with education agents and schools offshore. But then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel was suspended.
In a ‘normal’ year, business plans might ebb and flow with changing conditions while still respecting strategic imperatives. But in the slipstream of COVID-19, it was clear that a strategy built on the premise of bringing the world closer together needed to evolve. It was an opportunity to stop, reflect and think about different opportunities for Wenona. We couldn’t travel overseas, but we could attend virtual School Expos in places like China and Hong Kong, as well as speed-dating style workshops with education agents in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. These events were so successful that we marked the 12-month milestone of the pandemic with considerable optimism, with plans to attend virtual events in new and emerging markets, like Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The pandemic has proved particularly disruptive for Wenona’s current overseas students. Some of them chose to remain in Australia and live with guardians. Others returned home. The four students who returned home to China and Hong Kong were unable to return to Sydney due to travel restrictions. While one is continuing to study remotely from Hong Kong, the other three have elected to leave Wenona and study at schools in China. Over the past 12 months, Mr Mikkelsen, along with our Head of Boarding, Mrs Nonie Ayling have worked tirelessly to provide practical and emotional support to our remaining overseas students in Australia. This has included visiting them at their guardians’ homes to ensure they feel supported in every sense, along with coordinating holiday programs to engage them at a time when they would normally be with their parents.
The challenges of the pandemic forced the Enrolments team to be versatile and evolve at speed. Huge changes came, one after the other. The success of our enrolments strategy during this time has been contingent on the willingness of the extended School community to adapt to a new reality. This includes the goodwill, grace and understanding of our prospective families, whose patience has been appreciated by the entire team. It has been a joy to welcome families back on site in 2021.
Not everything we turned to during the pandemic will prove useful moving forward. But by forcing us to consider new directions and different modes of work, it has given us a glimpse of how we might operate in the future.
If the last 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that sustainability matters. Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Leake knows better than most the challenges of building and opening a new building during a pandemic.
SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
By Andrew Leake Chief Operating Officer
The potential to make a practical, meaningful difference for others is a strong motivator, as I know is the case for many of my colleagues at Wenona. As Chief Operating Officer, I’m proud to be part of a group whose collective mindset is never satisfied with ‘good enough’. Tried and trusted methods have their place, but we are always looking for ways to improve in our role as both educators and corporate citizens. Throughout the School, we are encouraged to think creatively, kindle our ambitions, forge alliances, explore and solve problems, and share best practice in order to better prepare all our students for the future. From the Board, the Principal, the Executive Team and our staff, there’s a focus on improvement and innovation at Wenona, which is exciting.
Throughout my career, I’ve sought to make a difference on the issues that matter. When I joined the School in 2010, my background in corporate finance and publishing, as well as a fresh Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance helped me to understand the potential for schools to serve as a force for good; particularly – as is the case in my role at Wenona – when it comes to embedding responsible and disciplined business practices. It is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do.
Similarly, my work with the Winston Churchill Trust (see breakout box on page 27) and as President of Governance Institute of Australia (see breakout box), has sharpened my focus on the role of good governance to shape positive change.
Wenona’s values of courage, strength, grace and wisdom underpin our operations. We aim to lead by example in the way we do business. Whilst we take pride in the quality of the experiences and courses we offer to our students, the School is also determined to instil in every girl, the dedication to service and leadership that she will need to move the world towards a greater goal. This extends to educating and inspiring our students to uphold the highest standards of ethics, integrity and transparency in their interactions; the very standards the School endeavours to uphold as part of its corporate governance. In this respect, our role is very much one of stewardship, actively evolving, sharing and reinforcing our culture and values for the good of our students – and society more broadly.
The School has robust governance practices in place that set out clear lines of accountability and facilitate effective decision-making and controls. But no organisation can claim to offer excellence if it is not fuelling innovation through forward planning, investment, and professional and technological development.
Since I’ve been at Wenona, rapid advancement in technology has not only transformed our expectations of what and how our students should learn, it’s changed the way we work. We’re constantly improving how we collect, manage and use data to inform what we do. This requires prudence, vigilance and continuous improvement in order to uphold standards of corporate governance. In this respect, I am fortunate to work with a highly experienced Board and a talented Executive Team led by Principal, Dr Briony Scott, who collectively provide the incentives, support, structure, data, resources, foresight and expertise the School needs. I am also grateful that the School supports my volunteering with two organisations that complement my role at Wenona: Governance Institute of Australia and the Winston Churchill Trust.
When we refer to the places and spaces that form Wenona’s campus, we are also talking about the culture
and the identity of the School. It is in these spaces that we build relationships with one another and form ties with the local community. In one sense, a campus is simply a place for teaching and learning. I would argue it is more than that – it is also a safe place for encounter, play, reflection, sanctuary, interaction, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas. It is the vitality of these spaces that fosters social participation, our sense of belonging, and our physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Over the past decade, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in a range of significant projects at Wenona, from targeted property acquisitions, to building redesigns, to the construction of new facilities and campus enhancements. This includes the acquisition of the Independent Theatre, the design and construction of new facilities such as Woodstock (which caters for our Kindergarten to Year 3 students), the Garden Café, The Athenaeum and the Allawah Centre. Reimagining our built environment has enabled us to expand our horizons and to think differently about how we teach and learn. But it has also promoted social cohesion, participation and connection across the School community.
I’ve also played a role in Wenona’s green infrastructure, improving the size and quality of our spaces. We’ve planted trees and flowers, built green walls, created gardens and fish ponds, and generally ‘greened up’ our walkways and seating areas. The benefits of spending time outdoors have been well-documented: people with access to nature tend to thrive, enjoying better physical and mental health. Having birds, insects, frogs, fish and (deep breath) brush turkeys, ibis, and possums on campus is good. Beautiful, restorative spaces have been created for our staff and students; spaces that also reduce our community’s exposure to air pollutants, noise and heat.
With more than 1,200 young people on our campus each day, we have a responsibility to serve as role models in the way in which we behave, operate and in the environment that we provide to them.
Our students are determined to influence a more sustainable future for the School, a reflection of their growing concerns around climate change and its impact. We have heard their call for improved energy efficiency, resource use and waste management, with some progress made and more to go. Student voice and agency are important, and we know it makes good business sense for our campus to optimise our costs while benefitting the planet too.
While we have processes and policies around operational efficiency in place, we must continue to update them to incorporate best practice and drive sustainability and prosperity. This includes behavioural interventions to ensure sustainable choices are a shared priority across our staff and students, as well as the installation of more efficient technologies, such as LED lighting, low-energy screens, and motions sensors in our classrooms. Moving forward, we are mapping the strategy and steps needed to move towards a zerocarbon future.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we aspire to greener modes of transport. We want to reduce traffic and noise and improve air quality by making it easier for our staff and students to switch to more sustainable modes of transport. To this end, we installed bike storage and change facilities for staff who wish to cycle to work as part of our development of The Athenaeum. And we have worked closely with community stakeholders – Council, contractors, local residents and businesses – to influence the development of the Victoria Cross Metro on the corner of McLaren and Miller Street. With the station scheduled for completion in 2024, it will provide safe, easy and energy-efficient access to Wenona for students and staff from all over Sydney.
Not every job gives you an opportunity to turn exciting ideas into a tangible reality or to play a part in shaping a better world. I feel fortunate to work at Wenona, where no day is ever the same and where there are always projects that challenge people’s expectations of what’s possible – whether it’s implementing systems and processes that are helping the School achieve greater social, environmental, and economic outcomes or transforming the built environment to meet the evolving needs of our community.
Supporting the quest for a safe, sustainable and resilient future for our students – and for the generations of students to come – requires innovative thinking, brave choices and sound governance. It’s a privilege to work on such ambitious and future-focused projects that align with my values, but also set new standards for how we ‘do school’.
Governance Institute of Australia
Governance Institute of Australia is a national membership association, advocating for a community of 40,000 governance and risk management professionals from the listed, unlisted and not-for-profit sectors. Its mission is to drive better governance in all organisations, which will in turn, create a stronger, better society. I am honoured to Chair the Board of GIA.
Winston Churchill Trust
The Winston Churchill Trust provides more than 100 annual fellowships for Australians to travel overseas in order to conduct research to improve Australia. I am the NSW Selection Chair and sit on the national Board.
A SECOND CAREER IN TEACHING
A career as an educator wasn’t the first choice for all our staff. Some forged successful careers in other disciplines first before deciding to make the transition into teaching. Here are their stories.
From Vet to Science Teacher
Name: Linda Herbert, BVSc (Hons) Grad Dip Education Job Title: Science Teacher, including Stage 6 Biology and Earth and Environmental Science
What does a typical day look like for you?
I work part time as a Science Teacher at Wenona. My day starts at 7:30am. If I’m not on playground duty, I generally spend the first hour speaking with colleagues in the Science Department, reviewing my lesson plans for the day, and completing any administrative and planning work. As Science involves a lot of practical work, I need to place orders for chemicals or materials for experiments at least 24 hours in advance, so this requires meticulous planning and forward thinking.
A typical day involves teaching classes, planning lessons, marking and giving feedback to students, meeting with students after school to give them additional guidance with their study, as well as overseeing the care of my Wellbeing group. While there’s a structure to my working week, I like the fact that each day is different in teaching. I’m always using different skills to engage, support and care for our students.
I’m always looking for innovative ways to present content to my students. I’m fortunate that the Science community is very engaged and supportive in this regard. Over the years, I’ve developed a worldwide network of fellow Science educators via social media. It’s a fantastic way of sharing scientific ideas, keeping up to date with the latest research and getting inspiration for my lessons.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I’ve been teaching for 19 years, and yet it seems like only yesterday that I changed careers. Teaching was one of my career options at school, but when I was accepted into Veterinary Science at Sydney University, I decided to choose that path. After graduation, I began my career at Sydney University in a research and teaching role, where I discovered that I loved teaching more than research. Despite this, I still went into private veterinary practice for several years. I finally went back to university to do a Graduate Diploma in Education when my children were at school. As a mature student, I was much more involved and confident, and it made me realise how much I love learning.
What do you like most about your job?
I love the students and I love Science. My job enables me to combine the two. It’s so inspiring to work alongside young people, as they engage in scientific ideas and develop new skills and knowledge. I’m also passionate about improving my pedagogy and teaching practice. Wenona is very supportive in this regard and really encourages its staff to embrace any professional development opportunities available. I also have an interest in the mental health of young people, so it’s a privilege to be able to work with them.
It can be challenging at times, but it’s always rewarding. The subjects I teach are relevant to issues that many of our young people are passionate about, so I feel that even if our students choose a different career pathway to Science, they will still benefit from the things they learn about in class. Above all, I like to challenge myself and this role offers me so many opportunities to grow, whether it’s exploring new technology or taking the plunge on the giant swing at School Camp!
How have you adapted to teaching during lockdown?
The Science Department has worked well as a team, supporting each other to build and share online resources and content. While teaching from home certainly has its challenges, I always find ways to adapt and meet the needs of my students. I miss their energy and the interaction and support of my colleagues on campus, but I know we’ll move past these difficult times, and in doing so, we’ll become more resilient to change.
What is the most unusual thing you’ve had to do?
Science teachers are always doing unusual things. We dissect squid, make models with lollies, and visit water treatment facilities to find out how wastewater is treated. As a teacher, I’ve walked to the top of Mt Kosciusko in gale-force winds, slept in a tent while it was snowing, and slept in a hut with Huntsman spiders. To be honest, once you’ve been a teacher, nothing seems unusual!
What is the worst thing you’ve had to do?
The worst thing I’ve had to do was sleep in a hut with Huntsman spiders – even though I used to be a vet, I’m not great with spiders! It was also a big responsibility to oversee the welfare of a group of girls while a snow storm raged outside our tent.
What skills have you drawn on to succeed in your career?
You need to be flexible, creative and have an ability to problem solve. Good communication is key to working with people. I’d also say that appreciating different viewpoints, ideas and perspectives is what makes us better at what we do.
Is there a crossover of skills between veterinary science and teaching?
I was a small animal veterinary surgeon working in Sydney. I thought I’d prefer working with animals, but I quickly realised how much I enjoyed working and caring for their owners too. Being a veterinary surgeon allows you to develop a range of skills, from preventative medicine to surgery. I particularly loved the diagnostic side of medicine – problem solving. I was also fortunate to work with a wide range of animals, from family pets to wildlife, and this diversity and range of skills really helped me when I started teaching. It highlighted the importance to always have a growth mindset.
What career advice would you give to students?
By the time you leave school, you will have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. But even if you are unsure what pathway to take, don’t be afraid to try something, change direction or embrace new opportunities. The pathway into Veterinary Science is better today as it’s now a postgraduate course. It gives young people more time to experience life and learning before they commit to a course.
From Corporate Lawyer to Legal Studies Teacher
Name: Wendy Campbell, B. Comm, B. Law, M. Teaching Job Title: Legal Studies Teacher
What does a typical day look like for you?
As a part-time Legal Studies teacher, I work a nine-day fortnight, with a few late starts and early finishes in accordance with my allocation. A typical day includes teaching classes, lesson preparation, assembly or Wellbeing time, supervision duties, staff meetings, communication with parents and students, as well as preparing and marking assessment tasks.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I became a teacher two years ago after completing my Masters of Teaching online through the University of New England in 2018. Teaching is my second career. After leaving school, I completed a dual Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law at the Australian National University and after graduating, I was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW.
My first career was in corporate taxation at global accounting firm, PwC. I enjoyed working in the fastpaced and stimulating corporate environment and I learnt invaluable skills, which I now draw on as an educator. I took a career break to focus on our four young children, and it was during this time that my family moved to Shanghai for four years with my husband’s employer.
I think an appreciation of the valuable contribution teachers were making in the lives of my own children fuelled the seeds for my career change. I also yearned for a career that was defined by making a difference, rather than billable hours. When our family relocated back to Sydney, I returned to university to become a teacher.
What do you like most about teaching?
Teaching is a wonderful job for me at this stage of my life. I enjoy the academic stimulation and the opportunity to draw on my legal and life experience during my classes. Within the classroom there is a significant amount of autonomy, which is a privilege, yet also a responsibility. Helping to guide and shape our younger generation is one of the most rewarding outcomes of a teaching career. Legal Studies as a subject presents a unique opportunity to help our students develop into mature global citizens by teaching them to critically assess our current legal system within a framework of equality, fairness and empathy. The introduction of coercive control legislation to reform NSW laws on domestic violence are just an example of the case studies we explore.
How have you adapted to teaching during lockdown?
Lockdown has certainly placed additional pressure on my multi-tasking skills, with students to teach online, as well as my own four young children needing support with their online learning at home. Fortunately, our department was well prepared for the transition to online teaching and I’ve been so impressed by the resilience, flexibility, and positivity of my students. However, there’s no substitute for the energy and sense of connection of face-to-face teaching.
What is the most unusual thing you’ve had to do in your job?
Relative to other professions, I have been struck by how broad the role of teaching is in our society. Far from just being educators of academic content, teachers also play a pivotal role in our students’ lives as mentors and wellbeing providers, as well as offering frontline support on matters of mental health and wellbeing. In this sense, the unusual has become the usual! By the end of term, most teachers are physically and emotionally exhausted!
What is the worst thing you’ve had to do?
Can I say sleeping in a tent on school camp? Just kidding! I enjoyed escaping the chaos of the after-school routine in my own household for the week.
What skills have you drawn on to succeed?
Both law and teaching require the ability to build strong relationships and to work collaboratively with a diversity of people. You also need a strong work ethic and excellent organisational skills to succeed in both jobs.
Is there a crossover of skills between law and teaching?
I was a Corporate Lawyer before becoming a teacher. The skills I needed in that career are just as relevant in my current one: organisation; the ability to build rapport with a cross-section of people; management of superiors, direct reports, and peers; resilience; and the ability to work through stressful situations in a calm manner.
What career advice would you give students?
Pursue what interests you. If you don’t really know what you want to do when you leave school, that’s okay too. While, I worked hard at school, I wasn’t clear about my career pathway, so I chose to study a broad degree, which gave me options. Commerce and law offered me the scope and variety to pursue lots of different opportunities. By the end of the five years, I knew that corporate law was for me.
From Biomedical Research Scientist to Director of STEM and Science Teacher
Name: Dr Alisha Thompson, BSc, Grad Dip Education, Ph.D Job Title: Director of STEM
What does a typical day look like for you?
I work full-time as the Director of STEM, as well as a STEM and Biology Teacher in the Senior School. I’m responsible for cocurricular STEM programs, activities and challenges for Kindergarten to Year 12, so my hours often extend beyond the normal school day. For example, I run a Car Restoration Club on Friday afternoons, as well as Lego and Robotics workshops and Solar-Car Challenges, which might take place at weekends.
When I’m not teaching, a lot of my time is spent planning and liaising with staff from across the School. I also deal with leading scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technology experts to organise lectures or workshops that will expose our students to new ways of thinking about STEM. I’m always looking for engaging projects or activities that will spark their interest, as well as finding female STEM ambassadors who can help to inspire girls to pursue a future in STEM.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I previously worked in Biomedical research, but I’ve always taught in some capacity. I’m passionate about all things STEM, so it felt like a natural progression to go into teaching. I was also aware of the gender imbalance in the STEM industry, so working at Wenona has given me an opportunity to show our young women the different ways in which STEM subjects contribute to the world today and how they can be part of that.
What do you like most about teaching?
I love the variety and scope of this job, as well as finding creative ways to make my lessons relevant to different age groups and interests. I particularly enjoy teaching high school Biology and Chemistry, seeing students develop their flexible thinking and problemsolving abilities, as well as their science-specific skills and knowledge. And of course, the older students appreciate my humour more! I also love it when former students come back to see me to tell me what they are doing, even if they haven’t decided to pursue a career in Science.
How have you adapted to teaching during lockdown?
Finding ways to recreate the excitement and inspiration of ‘real’ experiments in the Science lab in an online environment has been a challenge, but I feel extremely fortunate to be working in a school that prepared its lockdown options early. Online teaching doesn’t offer young people the hands-on excitement and engagement they get from lighting a Bunsen burner and performing a pop test with Magnesium foil. I miss the energy of my students and our conversations in the classroom. They are the reason I teach.
What is the most unusual thing you’ve had to do?
Having the opportunity to take a school group on an excursion to Madagascar. It was the most amazing trip! It was eye-opening for both me and the students, particularly when I had to explain to a 15-year-old what polio is, why the person on the ground was permanently disfigured, and why vaccines are so important. It just not something you ‘see’ anymore.
What is the worst thing you’ve had to do?
I still find dealing with disappointment over exams and assignment results challenging, particularly when I know how hard the student has worked. Of course, learning how to value and appreciate failure or disappointment is an important life lesson, but it’s also tough at times – for both teacher and student!
What skills have you drawn on to succeed?
A willingness to be flexible, creative and committed to lifelong learning. Neither science or education stagnates, so you must be willing to evolve, and be open to new ways of doing things.
Is there a crossover of skills between a scientist and a teacher?
Working in the field of biomedical research exposed me to extensive theoretical knowledge and advanced laboratory skills. Having a strong professional and industry focus, as well as having had the practical experience of a ‘real life’ laboratory, has been invaluable in the classroom. It’s given my students an appreciation for biomedical research and an understanding of why its application is so important. They can see that as a career pathway, it provides so many opportunities beyond research or medicine, including genetic counselling, occupational therapy and patent law to name but a few.
What advice would you give students?
I’ve always loved doing research, so it was a natural progression for me to do a PhD in Chemistry (Biochemistry) at the University of California, Santa Cruz. However, doing a PhD is not for everyone. Teaching is one of the best ways to make an impact in an area you are passionate about. It’s a privilege.
From Documentary Filmmaker to ESS Teacher
Name: Margo Fleiser, Master of Inclusive Education, Grad Dip Education Role: Special Education Teacher
What does a typical day look like for you?
I work full-time as a Special Education Teacher at Wenona, supporting high school students with learning difficulties and disabilities. Although I follow the school timetable, no day is ever the same. I work alongside teachers in the classroom, providing additional support or offering alternative ways of presenting information. I work with students individually or in small groups to help them with specific skills like numeracy or literacy. I also help teachers design learning and assessment tasks that meet individual student needs.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I have been in my current role at Wenona for three years, but I worked as a Teacher’s Aide and Literacy Instructor for five years before this. I got a job as a tutor at a wonderful organisation called Learning Links after I completed my Graduate Diploma in Education, and that really sparked my interest in working with students with learning difficulties and additional needs. I still draw on strategies I learnt when working there.
What do you like most about teaching?
I really enjoy working with students one-on-one or in small groups because you get to form a close, personal connection with them, which is so important when you need to make informed choices about how best to engage or motivate them. I also enjoy thinking creatively about different learning strategies or alternative ways of presenting information that will help to encourage students with their learning. It’s so rewarding when students master a new skill or achieve a new milestone in their learning. Students who are struggling can find it difficult to see the connection between effort and outcome because they have to work so much harder than their peers, so it’s wonderful when they understand that their grit and resilience has paid off. Another rewarding aspect of my job is the opportunity to collaborate with parents, helping them to navigate educational jargon like ‘outcomes’ and ‘assessments’, so that we all share the same goals and priorities for their daughter.
How have you adapted to teaching during lockdown?
There is no doubt that students with additional learning needs find the self-directed nature of remote learning challenging, and some of my students have needed additional support outside their normal classes. But on balance, Wenona has done a great job of supporting students academically, as well as catering for their physical, social and wellbeing needs by helping to keep them connected through lockdown
What is the most unusual thing you’ve had to do?
I’ve had to go on an Army Cadet camp a couple of times to support students with disabilities. Camping in the great outdoors does not come naturally to me and I’ve gradually learnt that if I take the right gear – waterproof clothing, thermals, insect repellent, blister packs – it is much more enjoyable! However, I’ve really appreciated the opportunity to do something that takes me out of my comfort zone and is also a complete break from my normal routine.
What skills have you drawn on to succeed?
Having a growth-mindset is probably the most important aptitude to have in life, regardless of what you do. This basically means thinking of yourself on a path of growth, accepting feedback and thinking of different ways to improve and learn. Above all, don’t think you have to be a certain type of person or have a certain type of intelligence to do what you want to do. There are always multiple career pathways to take you to where you want to be.
Is there a crossover of skills between documentary filmmaking and teaching?
I am originally from South Africa, and I predominantly worked as a documentary filmmaker on the sort of natural history films that you might see on National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. When I first came to Australia, I worked on a film about Ned Kelly, which was a great introduction to Australian culture and history. Later, I was commissioned to write curriculum-related study-guides to accompany Australian-made documentaries, offering teachers a range of learning ideas and activities. Thinking about how students learn and what happens in schools proved to be the catalyst for me to go back to university to study education.
Would you recommend your career path?
Traditionally, you’d go to film school and then find a job with a documentary production. Nowadays, with the internet and technology so readily available, it’s easy for people to produce their own films and distribute them online. Becoming a teacher is a much more formal process and requires either a 4-year bachelor’s degree or a post graduate teaching qualification. While I certainly had lots of interesting opportunities and experiences as a filmmaker, it became increasingly difficult to make a living as a freelancer. However, my daughter is interested in film-making and I will support her if it’s her passion.
From Lawyer to Chinese Teacher
Name: Greg Mikkelsen, BA, B.Law, GDLT Job Title: International Development Coordinator, Chinese Teacher
What does a typical day look like for you?
I am a Chinese Teacher (Mandarin) and I’m also responsible for coordinating Wenona’s International Student Program, Global Diversity Club, International Marketing and Enrolments, and Global Strategy. A typical work day involves preparing lessons, teaching, meeting with students to provide feedback, and supervising student activities. I correspond regularly with Chinese parents in Mandarin on behalf of the School, and I also translate letters or serve as an interpreter when required for parent teacher meetings. I regularly conduct school tours for prospective Chinese-speaking families and I’ve also hosted teacher delegations from overseas. I’ve also represented Wenona at education expos in Sydney and China to promote the School to prospective parents.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I’ve always been drawn to education because I love learning myself. It’s a real joy to be able to share knowledge and encourage others to learn as much as they can. I think education is a truly noble cause and has the power to lift people out of poverty and change the trajectory of their future. I’ve taught in many contexts, including teaching ESL English in Thailand and translating from Chinese to English in Australia. Most recently, I’ve been teaching high school level Chinese, which I really enjoy.
What do you like most about teaching?
I love the variety of my job and the opportunity to interact with people throughout the day. One day I’ll be teaching students about Chinese culture and running lunchtime culture clubs, the next day I’ll be taking students on an excursion to the Chinese Gardens or perhaps leading students on a multi-day hike through Kangaroo Valley.
How have you adapted to teaching during lockdown?
I found the transition to an online learning environment relatively seamless. The Languages Department has long used technology as a tool to both help and improve the language learning process. Many of our resources, including audio and video stimuli, were available to students through our online learning management system prior to lockdown, and students were already familiar with digital tools, such as Education Perfect, so it wasn’t hard for them to adapt to online learning. However, Zoom meetings are no substitute for face-to-face and it’s harder to sustain students’ motivation online.
What is the most unusual thing you’ve had to do in your job?
When I was at an education expo in Beijing last year with Wenona’s Director of Marketing and Enrolments, we were invited to lunch at a prestigious school where we were served a dish that was both gelatinous and spikey. I’m very well-travelled and can eat most things, but this was hard to swallow. On the same trip, I also had to pass the Director of Marketing and Enrolments off as my mother so we could gain entry to my alma mater, Tsinghua University in Beijing!!
What is the worst thing you’ve had to do?
The worst experience was when I was on a 5-day overnight hike with Year 9 students and came down with a terrible cold and fever. We were camping out in a remote area with no road access, so I had to stick it out to the end.
Is there a crossover in skills between law and teaching?
I learnt a great deal from my legal training and experience working in law firms in Australia, Hong Kong and Denmark. These environments challenged me to develop intercultural communication skills and to adapt to different situations. I also received good training in drafting documents and client correspondence, which is very helpful with programming and parent correspondence as a teacher.
Would you recommend your career path?
While a law degree isn’t necessary to do my current job, my past professional experiences have given me a unique perspective, enabling me to take an innovative approach to education, particularly international education. My advice to anyone wanting a career in law would be don’t just pursue a career because of the prestige or potential salary! Choose a field that you are passionate about, aligns with your values, and where you can make a difference.
What career advice would you give to students?
Don’t feel like you should have everything sorted by the time you are 25. Every experience helps you to grow and learn more about yourself and the world around you. Stay true to your passions and convictions, always continue to seek opportunities to learn new things and don’t give up on yourself!
ENGAGE GROW AND
Across the School, the aim of professional development is to learn, to reflect, to seek challenge, to explore new ideas and to embrace new ways of doing things, so that ultimately, we get better at what we do.
WHY LIBRARIES MATTER
By Tracey Porter Junior School Teacher Librarian
We all need a place to think. For me, it’s Manly Library. Over the past 18 months, I’ve spent many weekends here, quietly working on the Master of Education (Librarianship) I’m undertaking through Charles Sturt University – and which I hope to complete this year. At times when the wheels of the intellectual process are slow to turn, I make the short trip to the library for regeneration. With a world of knowledge at my fingertips, this hushed space has played a pivotal role in my study.
In the words of journalist and author Caitlin Moran, “A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination.” As Teacher Librarian for the Junior School at Wenona, I know better than most that the library provides a magical space for our staff and students. Curiosity thrives here. It’s a place that brings our community together in all its glorious diversity and allows people to put the distractions of the world aside. Here they have the freedom to pause, to daydream, and to savour the extraordinary beauty of knowledge and words. As such, the library is both a haven and a gateway to unknown possibilities.
Building a vibrant, collaborative culture, where students are encouraged to exercise their imaginations and sharpen their independent learning skills, doesn’t happen by chance. It’s something that needs to be nurtured. One of the ways the School does this is through its professionally trained team of Teacher Librarians.
In my role as Teacher Librarian for the Junior School – which is currently a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) – I serve as an advocate for inquiry-based learning, supporting a wide range of transdisciplinary skills through each inquiry cycle. I work closely with teachers from Kindergarten to Year 6, helping to foster our students’ inquiry and research skills, and develop their capacity for critical thinking. Searching, sifting, evaluating, applying and producing information is important, particularly in the digital age where our young people navigate a barrage of daily information in a variety of formats. They require practical skills in accessing, managing and creating information in an ethical and sustainable way, as well as the ability to express their ideas and ask relevant questions respectfully. Similarly, teachers need access to reliable sources of information that will enhance the Unit of Inquiry they are exploring. Learning how to locate information online and judge its value and relevance to the topic at hand are skills that are best taught by Teacher Librarians.
Having more than 20 years’ experience as a Primary School Teacher in Australia and overseas before making the transition to Teacher Librarian, has given me a unique understanding of how to support the needs of teachers and students. Over the course of my career, the world of education has become increasingly courageous and innovative. We touch the future through the children we teach today, so we have a responsibility to equip them with the skills, knowledge and capabilities they will need to lead and thrive in a global world.
A dynamic Teacher Librarian can make all the difference when it comes to creating an environment where students have the confidence to question information, challenge assumptions and imagine a future where change, however small, is possible. And they can provide interesting links to resources relevant to a topic or issue that amplify learning opportunities and elevate the educational experience for everyone.
The Teacher Librarian also plays a pivotal role in igniting even the most reluctant student’s passion for reading. I have the privilege in my role of spending time each week with every child in the Junior School, drawing out their passions and gleaning information about what interests them in order to put them on the path to independent discoveries. There’s nothing more rewarding than matching a book to a child and seeing their joy as they immerse themselves in another world, completely absorbed by the twists and turns of the plot. It’s why I start each year with the Genre Café, reading a diverse range of books to encourage the students to recognise their personal tastes and not judge a book by its cover – one of my greatest challenges! Over time, I’ve become a skilled maker of recommendations, finding the right book, for the right child at the right time.
Since I first started working at Wenona in 2014, the library has undergone something of a renaissance, both in terms of its physical space and the diversity of services and experiences it offers. In 2018, it underwent an extensive redevelopment to become a brighter, more modern and flexible space that caters for a wide range of needs and activities. From individual study, to collaborative learning areas, to classrooms for tutorials and group discussions, to reading nooks and sofas, to open-plan areas where individual and group study sessions take place, the library has become a hub for the whole community. The library also functions as a multi-format information centre, curating an extensive collection of books and magazines, alongside a growing selection of digital resources, tools and apps. Teacher Librarians not only have to act as research mentors in order to facilitate a level of ‘serendipitous discovery’, but they must also remain at the vanguard of change, harnessing new and emerging technologies if they are to push the boundaries of teaching and learning.
The Master of Education (Librarianship) has enabled me to combine my love of teaching with my passion for information and literature. It’s helped me to consolidate my pedagogical skills, but it’s also given me a comprehensive understanding of the vast resources our library has to offer. Most importantly, it has reshaped my understanding of what it means to be a learner in the digital age. In doing so, it’s prompted me to offer more intuitive access to information to our young learners, by offering them a blend of experiences, in both the physical and digital space.
Balancing the competing demands of a full-time job with study has been challenging, but I am deeply indebted to my colleagues and family for their generous support in this regard. I work alongside an enthusiastic and dedicated team of librarians at Wenona, who love the library as much as I do and who are just as determined to make sure the next generation of global citizens can read fluently, understand nuances and perspectives, and have the capacity to make themselves understood.
It’s a privilege to work in a library and play my part in helping our young people navigate the world. In the words of popular children’s author, Neil Gaiman, “If you do not value libraries then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future.”
A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
By Phoebe Oakley Learning Support and Psychology Teacher
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” Atticus Finch imparts this important life lesson to his six-year-old daughter Scout in Harper Lee’s powerful coming-of-age novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Put simply: try to see the world through other people’s eyes and empathise with people who are different from you.
Empathy is the novelist’s job. But it’s also the teacher’s job too because students are at their highest capacity to learn and excel when they are surrounded by positive relationships. While teachers are ultimately responsible for delivering the curriculum, the learning environment is significantly enriched if student-teacher relationships are valued and nurtured across the school environment. From my earliest childhood, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I also had an intense curiosity to understand why people think and behave the way they do. This proved to be the catalyst for my choice of degree: Education and Psychology at Macquarie University. Studying Psychology gave me a greater insight into how we learn and retain knowledge, what motivates us to learn, and the social and emotional dimensions that might interfere with the learning process – all of which are an integral part of becoming an effective and empathetic teacher.
In 2017 – my final year as an undergraduate – I successfully applied to work as a Teacher’s Aide at Wenona as part of the Educational Support Services (ESS) Department. This required me to support individual children with additional learning needs in the classroom environment. Children learn best when teaching aligns with their natural exuberance and curiosity, and the best teachers use their knowledge, skill and creativity to trigger a child’s instinct to learn.
As a Teacher’s Aide, I had the privilege of working one-on-one with a range of children, building trusted relationships with them, discovering their individual stories, motivations and mindsets, and finding creative ways to ignite their curiosity and inspire their learning. It highlighted the importance of caring for students educationally and personally, which is a central principle at Wenona. And it was a great way to implement some of the theory and strategies I’d learnt at university, while gaining hands-on experience in the classroom.
By the end of the year, I knew that I wanted to specialise in ESS. I enjoyed the scope and the variety of the work, and I took great pleasure in the strength and warmth of my interactions with teachers and students. Coming alongside an individual student and empowering her to access the curriculum in ways that were meaningful to her was a privilege.
After graduating from my degree, I successfully applied for the full-time role of Senior School Learning Support Teacher at Wenona. I also enrolled part-time in a Master of Special Education at Macquarie University seeking to further develop my knowledge and skills.
I knew that balancing postgraduate study with full-time work at such an early stage of my teaching career would not be easy. I spent countless nights hunched over my desk, burning the midnight oil, followed by early morning study sessions before school. But the time and effort were worth it. The program equipped me with a repertoire of evidence-based approaches, inclusive strategies, and theoretical and practical skills that I was able to implement straight away in the classroom to enrich student learning.
As part of the practical requirements of the program, I visited MUSEC School at Macquarie University and Brigidine College in St Ives, where I was exposed to different thinking, processes, strategies, and teaching methods. A highlight was having an opportunity to observe and implement the Life Skills program at Brigidine, which gave me a much better understanding of how this sort of program can operate effectively within a mainstream school environment.
I was also required to conduct a systematic review of literature in an area of my choosing. I reviewed the effectiveness of video modelling strategy as a means of teaching spontaneous communication to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This taught me how to critically apply evidence-based research to classroom practice and I used this to further review research around guided instruction in literacy and numeracy for students who require targeted support in this area. It’s proved invaluable as a Learning Support Teacher, working to establish where an individual student is in her learning and then collaborating with teachers to tier tasks according to her needs and abilities.
Teaching is already such an intensive job, but with the added pressure of studying, I knew that I had to prioritise my health if I wanted to be at my best for my students. Regular gym sessions and time-out with friends were essential to my mental health and wellbeing. I also found that travelling to and from work was the perfect time to switch off and listen to podcasts. Inevitably, my choice of podcast seemed to gravitate to discussions on brain development and emotional regulation! I guess once a student of psychology, always a student of psychology!
I completed my Masters in 2020. It has proved invaluable to my pedagogy, giving me the rigour to harness research and develop meaningful educational programs within the context of contemporary disability policy and inclusive curriculum practices. I’m confidently able to use evidence-based teaching strategies to engage individual students, set ambitious but realistic goals for them, and to help target teaching effectively so that students gain the confidence to take responsibility for their own learning. Understanding how to use evidence to monitor student progress and evaluate teaching effectiveness over an extended period has also helped me to improve student learning outcomes.
