Head of Drama, Ms Tiffany Crittle, travelled to New York, Paris and Amsterdam to immerse herself in physical theatre, while Junior School Teacher, Mr Nick Amato headed to North America to learn more about the IB’s PYP programme

REFLECTION

As a learning community, Wenona has long embraced critical thinking, resourcefulness, risk-taking and reflection. By applying to become a PYP school, Wenona will join an influential, international teaching community that shares up-to-date, evidence-based teaching practices and offers staff high level training. This will help to further drive our students love of learning and enhance their motivation to succeed.

My six-week PYP journey across North America was truly life changing. It not only reinvigorated my passion and enthusiasm for my job, but it also confirmed to me that PYP is best practice teaching. Initially, it was hard to process all the information and ideas that I’d taken away from my Fellowship, particularly as the schools I’d visited in North America were considerably more advanced in their PYP journey than Wenona. But as the second semester got underway, I hit my stride, applying my learning to develop a new PYP unit with the support of my colleagues and the Year 5 students.

One of the key takeaways of my trip was to avoid ‘over planning’, but instead allow natural connections to unfold within the learning experience. This helped to increase student agency and engagement immeasurably. For example, our unit ‘How the World Works’ was set against the backdrop of Australia’s worst ever season of bushfires. As we followed this story in the media each day, the students became increasingly passionate about climate change and its effects on the Australian landscape. They began to make authentic real-world connections to their learning, asking intelligent questions that

would not have been out of place on the world stage at a Global Sustainability Summit. It was hugely encouraging to see the PYP approach in action, with students engaging critically with the media. Observing them reflecting deeply on social, political and environmental issues and holding important, but respectful conversations in the classroom was equally inspiring.

The insight and ideas I gained from visiting leading PYP schools have proved invaluable in planning the scope and sequencing of different inquiry units, and in helping to develop lessons and resources to share across the Junior School. It has been a privilege to share information with my peers, working across different year groups and stages to support the Junior School staff as they implement PYP in their classrooms. Moving forward, I hope the international network of IB educators I met on my Fellowship will support our teachers and students to collaborate on global projects that extend teaching and learning in new and innovative ways.

The implementation of PYP has made it an exciting time to be a teacher at Wenona. Given that the IB program is still in its infancy in Australia, there’s an opportunity for the Junior School to stand in the vanguard of teaching and learning here, playing an active role in the future development of the education landscape both in Australia and around the world. My Fellowship confirmed to me that our students will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the PYP program, providing them with a fresh and challenging education that will equip them for the world of tomorrow.

SEEDING GRANTS

AS PART OF MY ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, “ I WAS AWARDED A WENONA SEEDING GRANT TO DO A FRENCH LANGUAGE IMMERSION COURSE IN LA NOUVELLE-CALÉDONIE.”

MY ISLAND HOME

Discovering a slice of France on Sydney’s doorstep

BY VANESSA FURLONG ALEXANDERSON

SPANISH/FRENCH TEACHER

Located a short flight away from Sydney, La Nouvelle-Calédonie was an unforgettable opportunity for Languages Teacher, Vanessa Furlong Alexanderson, to live life ‘à la française’. Here, she perfected her spoken French, all while immersing herself in the country’s exotic mix of French and Melanesian culture.

It’s said that when British Explorer Captain James Cook first discovered this South Pacific archipelago in 1774, he named it New Caledonia because its pristine wilderness reminded him of Scotland. Flying over Grande Terre, the baguette-shaped mainland of New Caledonia, I was immediately struck by its beauty. From the air, I could see a dreamscape of sugar-white sand fringed by pine trees and glittering lagoons, with green mountain peaks running down its central spine.

This island paradise - just a hop, skip and a jump from Sydney - has been home to the Kanak people for more than 6,000 years, yet French influence can be felt ‘partout’ across this island chain. Motorists drive on the right-hand side of the road. French is the main language. The hypermarchés are piled high with French wine, cheeses, patés and buttery croissants. And in the tropical heat of the afternoon, locals can be seen playing a lazy game of pétanque in shady city squares.

But nowhere feels more French than the country’s bustling capital, Nouméa, which was to be my island home for the duration of my stay. Over a third of the island’s 268,000 residents live here. And with its ritzy cafés and chic boutiques, it’s easy to see why it has been dubbed the Paris of the Pacific.

Why La Nouvelle-Calédonie?

As part of my ongoing professional development, I was awarded a Wenona Seeding Grant to do a French language immersion course in La NouvelleCalédonie. My aim was to further my knowledge of French language and culture while exploring La Nouvelle-Calédonie as a potential destination for any Wenona students interested in undertaking a French language exchange program. Rather flying for more than 24 hours to France - and coping with the challenges of jet lag and distance - the flight to La Nouvelle-Calédonie takes less than three hours. This makes it an ideal choice for Language students who want to hone their French conversation skills, while also absorbing the country’s intoxicating mix of history, culture, lifestyle, traditions and environmental diversity.

Meeting my French host family

Even though I’ve travelled widely and love the visceral thrill of being somewhere new, I was still nervous about meeting my French host family for the first time. The pressure to forge an instant connection felt overwhelming and it made me reflect on the courage it takes for our students to participate in an exchange program overseas.

Fortunately, my concerns dissipated as soon as I met my ‘French mum’ Claire. Along with Claire’s husband Daniel and their daughter Gabrielle, my ‘French family’ were warm and welcoming. They embraced my learning journey, assisted me with my homework every night and patiently helped me to perfect my spoken French. Claire kindly took me under her wing socially too, letting me tag along to her yoga, line dancing and aerobics classes. She invited me to social events with her friends, as well as taking me to do the weekly food shop at the local hypermarché, all of which gave me lots of additional opportunities to practise my spoken French.

La cuisine

It’s hardly surprising that the cuisine in La NouvelleCalédonie is heavily influenced by Gallic flavours, but along with the croissants, cassoulet and crêpes, I also sampled traditional Kanak cuisine. This included, Bougna, a generations-old casserole of chicken or fish mixed with sweet potatoes, yams and coconut milk, which is then wrapped in a parcel of banana leaves and cooked over hot stones. Civet de Rousette - another popular dish - is a surprisingly delicious ragout of red wine and stewed bat! And of course, a bounty of seafood is pulled fresh from the sea each day, including the fabled obsiblue prawns, which have become an unrivalled delicacy on Michelin-starred tables worldwide.

New Caledonia

THERE IS SOMETHING INTELLECTUALLY “ LIBERATING ABOUT DISTANCE AND I RELISHED MY FORTNIGHT OF INTENSIVE FRENCH CLASSES.”

Attending French School

There is something intellectually liberating about distance and I relished my fortnight of intensive French classes at le Centre de Rencontres et d’Echanges Internationaux du Pacifique (CREIPAC). The school has been providing personalised language tuition to both adults and high school students since 1992. Located in a seaside setting, CREIPAC prides itself on helping its students to discover the French ‘art de vivre’.

Each day, my group - which included a sea captain, a yoga teacher, business people and retirees - focused on writing, listening, reading and speaking in French. The course follows the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERFL). It incorporates French language syllabuses and curriculum guidelines, the design of teaching and learning materials, and the assessment of foreign language proficiency.

At the end of the course, we had to sit an exam. Given that I hadn’t sat an exam since my university days, it was daunting to say the least. We had an hour to complete a reading, writing and listening section, before having an impromptu 10-minute oral exam. This experience gave me a newfound appreciation for my own students and made me reflect on how I could respond more empathically to their doubts and insecurities about the language’s complexities.

In addition to CREIPAC, I also had a one-and-ahalf-hour private lesson each day, which enabled me to expand my vocabulary, finesse my grammar and perfect my pronunciation. I found that my conversation skills really flourished here, and I was able to converse at length about topics such as the recent independence referendum, lifestyle differences between ‘New Cal’ and France, and my observations about the country’s culture, food and traditions in comparison to life back home.

Learning about cultural diversity

A visit to the stunning Tjibaou Cultural Centre, designed by Renzo Piano and located on its own lagoon on the outskirts of Nouméa, was a chance to delve more deeply into the region’s past. Named after the Kanak political leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou (19361989), the centre celebrates the history and culture of the local Kanak people, and recognises the cultural diversity that exists within the wider Pacific region. This was an opportunity for me to appreciate the richness of tribal art, learn more about local traditions and better understand the close relationship that exists between the Kanak people and the environment.

This was further reinforced by my visit to a local primary school, where the students were learning about the importance of ecosystems. They were excited to tell me about the abundant marine life that surrounds them, including the turtles, fish and coral reef. Similarly, they had lots of questions for me about Australia’s native flora and fauna. During my stay, the upcoming 2020 independence referendum was a frequent topic of discussion. In the 2018 referendum, which had been long-deferred, long-awaited and for some, long-feared, the country decided against independence by 56.4% votes to 43.6%. Although the referendum took place peacefully, it continues to cause friction and divide between local people. Throughout my stay, I was careful to remain openminded, responding in a respectful way to any comments about deep-seated political issues.

Les Tricot Rayés

A day trip with my host family to beautiful Amadee Island, just off the south west coast of Nouméa, forced me to confront one of my biggest fears: snakes! The island’s surrounding lagoon is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its crystal-clear waters are teeming with sea turtles, colourful coral and fish. However, Amadee is also home to a large population of venomous striped sea snakes. Dubbed ‘tricot rayé’ (striped knit) by locals, the snakes hunt for the eels, small fish, crabs and squid that live in the shallow waters of the coral reefs, before returning to land to digest their food. While my host family assured me that the snakes are very timid and slow on land, I wasn’t convinced - particularly when I found out that their venom is more potent than a cobra’s, there is no known antidote, and if bitten, death occurs within minutes! While I appreciated the island’s beauty, I was relieved to bid ‘au revoir’ to the ‘tricot rayé’.

REFLECTION

Even in this increasingly homogenised global age, we can still marvel at the diversity of human cultures, traditions, beliefs and lifestyles, and my trip to La Nouvelle-Calédonie certainly served to reinforce this. By immersing myself in the home life of a French family and engaging in study there, I was able to increase my linguistic and cultural competency immeasurably and improve my pedagogy.

The Australian curriculum emphasises the importance of engaging in different linguistic and cultural spaces. And it challenges students to notice, compare, analyse and reflect on their own language and culture. Sharing my cultural and linguistic insight with my students has resulted in some fascinating classroom discussions - and encouraged them to consider La Nouvelle-Calédonie as a destination for a French exchange program!

Talking about the differences and similarities between Australian, French and Melanesian culture has increased student engagement. And linking the French language to their lives in a

personal way has led to deeper intercultural reflection. This level of inquiry is critical to the development of our Language students, but it’s also important for Wenona students more broadly, equipping them with a more holistic understanding of the world and honing their critical thinking skills.

There’s a strong culture of reflective practice at Wenona, and my trip to La Nouvelle-Calédonie has given me an opportunity to discuss cultural and linguistic connections with my colleagues in the Languages Department. These collaborative conversations have been beneficial to our pedagogy. They’ve enabled us to broaden our understanding of how to teach French, helped us to adjust to the specific needs and preferences of each student, and encouraged us to infuse more passion and playfulness into our classroom activities. Above all, improving my linguistic and cultural knowledge of French has equipped me to deliver the aims of the new curriculum with confidence and creativity.

‘Merci beaucoup’ Wenona!

GOOD It’s my first lesson with Grade 1 at Kim Dong Primary School on the outskirts of Hà Giang in northern Vietnam. These children started school for the first MORNING, time a few weeks ago, so they’re new to sitting still in a classroom. They can’t read or write in Vietnamese yet, let alone English. Lessons need to include lots of games, singing and dancing to keep their interest. VIETNAM And shouting. Lots of shouting. These small children are loud and enthusiastic shouters. “Horse! Horse!” I’m prancing like a sweaty, middleaged pony in front of 35 six-year-olds, overenunciating those tricky English sounds that are difficult for Vietnamese ears to hear and Vietnamese mouths to say: “Horrrrrrssssss!” Now my arms are up like a roof over my head. “Howwwwwssssss!” the children shout. “Howwwwwwssssss!” After 40 minutes the lesson is over and I’m exhausted. But it’s time to trot next door and do it all over again The real education of with another class. “Horse! House!” My Vietnamese teaching English abroad teaching partner and I deliver this lesson three times in two hours. The students learn two new words each

BY SARA VERGE

ENGLISH TEACHER AND HEAD OF RALSTON HOUSE

Braving Vietnam’s final frontier to volunteer as an English language teacher, was both rewarding and enlightening for Sara Verge. The experience tested her patience, creativity and sense of humour, but it also gave her a much better insight into teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students.

lesson. Tomorrow it will be “goose” and “goat”.

Hà Giang, Vietnam’s final frontier

Located in the northernmost reaches of Vietnam on the border with China, the isolated province of Hà Giang is off the country’s well-trodden tourist track. With its dazzling sweep of towering peaks and sculpted rice terraces, Hà Giang is one of those rare places in the world that hasn’t yet been corralled by modernity. But intrepid travellers are starting to brave the seven-hour bus trip from Hanoi to Hà Giang city, drawn by the opportunity to trek through the stunningly scenic mountains to the north of the city and experience the diverse cultures here. The area, which is a UNESCO-listed geopark, is home to people from 17 different ethnic minority groups, including the Hmong, Dao, Tay and Lolo people.

For many of these people, English is a third language. Their ethnic language is their first language, and Vietnamese - the language of the majority Kinh people of Vietnam - is their second language.

THANKS TO A WENONA SEEDING GRANT, I LEFT “ SYDNEY IN OCTOBER 2019 TO SPEND FOUR WEEKS AS A VOLUNTEER ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER IN HÀ GIANG.”

As is common to Indigenous peoples across the world, these ethnic minorities face a range of social and economic disadvantages. Helping ethnic minority groups to learn English enables them to participate in the economic opportunities that are unfolding as a result of the emerging tourism industry, opportunities that would otherwise be taken up by businesses owned by people from Hanoi.

Applying my Diploma in Applied Linguistics and TESOL

Thanks to a Wenona Seeding Grant, I left Sydney in October 2019 to spend four weeks as a volunteer English language teacher in Hà Giang. For the past two years, I’ve been studying for my Diploma in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the University of Technology, Sydney. My time in Vietnam enabled me to consolidate my academic understanding and hone my classroom skills in English language teaching. Additionally, through volunteering my time and skills, I was able to make a positive difference to a marginalised community in northern Vietnam, putting into practice Wenona’s motto of Ut Prosim, that I may serve.

Highland Community Centre, Hà Giang

As well as teaching Grades 1 and 2 at the Kim Dong Primary School, I taught teenagers and adults at the Highland Community Centre in Hà Giang city. Being able to speak English is a valuable skill, and one that gives people increased access to job

opportunities. In my adult conversation class, there was a mother of three who was planning to open a homestay, a young woman who wanted to be a chef in Hanoi, and several young men who were working as ‘Easy Rider’ guides, taking tourists as pillion passengers on motorbike tours of ‘The Loop’ - a four-day route from Hà Giang city up into the mountains.

Instagram posts and YouTube videos of switchback roads winding through spectacular limestone mountains, and village marketplaces thronging with Hmong and Dao people in colourful traditional clothes, have inspired an increasing number of tourists to travel to this isolated part of the country - Vietnam’s final frontier. As a result, English-speaking guides are in high demand here.

English is a difficult language for Vietnamese speakers to learn, just as Vietnamese is fiendishly hard for English speakers - at least, I found it to be so. There are sounds in Vietnamese that don’t exist in English - and vice versa. Vietnamese speakers’ ears are not attuned to certain English sounds, and their lips and tongues are not used to creating them. Pronunciation was a big focus in the classes I taught, as this is an area where some of the Vietnamese English teachers I worked with struggled. My next (and final!) subject in my university diploma is Phonology and Pronunciation. My time in Vietnam has taught me that this is a vital component of language teaching and learning.