25 June 2021
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ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Edition Nine
Newsletter Fortnightly news and events for St George’s Parents
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. WINSTON CHURCHILL
From the Principal Tina Campbell
As we edge closer to the end of term and look forward to the delights of school holidays, hopefully with some sunshine to brighten our days, we find ourselves reflecting on what we have achieved this term and whether on reflection we have been successful. To make such a statement depends on your own definition of ‘success’ – success can mean that feeling of excitement about what you do, sticking with whatever matters to you despite at times it feeling like an uphill battle and living a life that you can feel proud of. It is, at its core, the idea of having accomplished an aim or objective. There are no hard and fast rules for success and no shortcuts to achieving success. The true meaning of success lies deep within each of us. To be successful we need to consider how to be successful as an individual. We all aspire towards something quite different and for each of us our definition of success will be different – for some of us it will be a life full of happiness and for others top marks in exams. For some it will be winning the race, for others it might just be making sure that we are fit enough to compete. For some it will be surviving the day and for others it will be A school of the Anglican Schools Commission Inc.
performing on stage or having a good night’s sleep. What is important however is that we each know our own definition of success and work hard to aspire towards it, one small step at a time. If we dream to be successful, we must also be prepared to face failures since there are few successes in life that occur without a failure. A strong will power, determination and passion to succeed can turn a failure into success. If we think success, we often reap success. Creating our own goals and vision for our lives both now and into the future are crucial to us leading successful lives. Next term our Awards Assembly will recognise one aspect of success for us here at school. We will celebrate the achievements of our top academic students and equally those for whom their attitude and effort have shown the greatest improvement over Semester One.
We will also recognise those students selected to be part of our very first Student Representative Council (SRC) where we will begin to work more closely with the student body in creating a St George’s family where everyone has a voice, everyone is heard, and everyone matters. We will also be awarding our mentor badges to our Year 10 – 12 students selected to be a part of this special mentoring program, led by Reverend Sarah, seeking to build upon our cross-year group links and sense of community that is so vital to us at St George’s. We will also be launching our own ‘Containers for Change’ campaign. Led by the Student Guild, we will be doing our own little bit to have a more sustainable environment at St George’s – a small step towards what we hope will allow us to become more successful in this area. We will also be introducing a paper recycling bin within all classrooms. On reflecting on the term that has been, we have, in my view, had huge successes in a wide variety of areas throughout the School – we have been amazed by our School production of ‘The School of Rock’, we have coped admirably with a variety of tests and exams we have faced, we have applauded our cross-country runners in both the inter-house and inter-school competitions, we have come together
as a community to celebrate my commissioning as Principal of St George’s, the Lord Mayor visited St George’s and we are now proudly part of ‘Brand Perth’ discussions for the City of Perth. We juggled the demands of school photos, our students survived their outdoor camp experiences in Years 8, 9 and 10, our musicians were involved in the ASC Piano Competition and Rock Concert. Our soccer team reached the finals in NWAS sport, we came together as a whole school for Lincoln Charity Day, we took part in the walk for Reconciliation, and we celebrated in our own spirited style St George’s Day which also saw us involved in a range of service-learning activities. We certainly have much to celebrate. Jamie Anderson in a Tedx Talk states “Success is great and shooting for the moon is great. But out there in the universe, there are a lot of moons. So just make sure the moon you are shooting for is your own.” This definition of success certainly depicts the concept of greater personal fulfillment in defining what success means for us as individuals and is one which holds true for me. Term Two has been a successful one and I am excited about Term Three and all that lies ahead. I hope that Term Two has been successful for each of you. I wish you a restful and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing you all as we begin Term Three together on Monday 26 July. Tina Campbell
Introducing our new Academic Staff for the start of Term Three With Miss Carrick and Mr Caplan departing us for new adventures next term we welcome two new members of the St George’s teaching staff.
Miss Jamie Pedler
Miss Katie Wilkinson
Phys Ed and Health Department
Jamie comes to us from Newman College where she has been teaching Health and Phys Ed since 2019 and more recently as a Head of House. Before coming to Newman, she taught at Nagle Catholic College in Geraldton. Jamie is a country girl having been raised in the Kimberley in a small town on the river called Kununurra. She spent her childhood camping, fishing, doing water sports and being fully immersed in the outdoor life. This is what developed her passion for Phys Ed. Jamie loves cooking, is partial to catching up with her friends for coffee and is an avid traveller when COVID allows. Her last holiday was a safari through five different countries in rural Africa. She is excited about joining St George’s and is committed to making her lessons fun, exciting and memorable.
Humanities Department
Katie joins us from the United Kingdom where she has been teaching in London for several years. She is looking forward to teaching both Humanities and English at St George’s and will be visiting her classes in the last week of term to get to know them a little better prior to starting with us full time from the beginning of Term Three. Her ultimate passion is for History, although this is closely followed by her love for her new puppy Zazu and her enthusiasm for netball and the West Coast Fever. At over 185cm tall you will understand why Katie enjoys netball so much when you meet her!
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Chaplain’s Corner This week Mrs Campbell and I accompanied our Student Guild to the Wesley Uniting Church for the launch of Refugee Week. I was very grateful to the students that gave up their lunch time to listen to stories from people who have travelled from wartorn countries in the hope of finding safety and security here in Australia. Time and time again I find myself grateful and surprised by the heart and reliability of St George’s students. They are on the whole thoughtful and collegial. They are a credit to the school and the people who raised them (give yourselves a pat on the back!). In our chapel services, we follow the Lectionary of the Anglican church. The lectionary gives us set readings to use in services, as we work our way through the year. This term we have explored themes from the Gospel of Matthew around the law and how Jesus reframed the law to encourage us to open our hearts to God and each other in love and reconciliation. This week I reminded the students in chapel that one way to dispel self-criticism and criticism of others is to ask questions. Asking questions helps us to get to know other people, as well as our own motivations. Asking questions usually dispels assumptions and doubt, and it is a great way to
Refugee Week
2021
break down barriers and fear. When we choose to get to know someone before we judge or criticise, we are far more likely toGetfind common ground and involved at www.refugeeweek.org.au common interest – and all of these things help to build healthy communities. This term I have taken time to appreciate the community that is St George’s Anglican Grammar School. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it. Chaplain Sarah
20-26 June 2021
Coordinated by
Photo credit: Michele Aboud
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Susan Lazenby
Semester One is drawing to a close, and after 11 weeks of school this term it is time to relax, unwind, be with family and friends, read some good books and maybe watch a movie or two. It is also time to take stock of the winter uniforms which seem to have shrunk over the term. Please check that skirt hems touch the top of the knee and that trousers are the correct length. Blazers are to be worn to and from School every day by students from Year 7 to Year 11. The Year 12 students must wear their blazers on Mondays but may wear their leavers jackets on every other day unless there is a
formal occasion. The holidays may be a good time to get such items dry cleaned in preparation for Term Three. A reminder that school bags form part of the School uniform, so students must use the regulation backpack or trolley bag on their journey to and from school. Please mark all belongings clearly with their owner’s name; this helps the reception staff return stray possessions. In Week 11, any remaining lost property will be on display in the Café. A reminder Term Three starts on Monday 26 July.
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2 July 26 July
Music Festival Year 10 Immunisations Maths Empowering Girls Day Music Festival Concert Battle of the Bands Final day of Term Two First day of Term Three
5 August
Inter-house Athletics Carnival St George’s Anglican Grammar School
Pastoral Focus Hilton Hardman
Youth Mental First Aid
On Friday 18 June, we celebrated Lincoln Charity Day by having a lovely afternoon enjoying activities at Ozone Reserve. Students could participate in inflatable obstacle courses, wrestle in sumo suits, play dodge ball, jump on a bouncy castle and more. We were so lucky to have such beautiful weather on the day, and it was good to celebrate in a Lincoln House activity again after the last one was cancelled. This year we were raising money and awareness for Headspace. A youth mental health organisation that is helping to provide health services to 12–25-year-old members of our community. So often we race through life without stopping to take
care of our minds. While it is now more understood, mental health often carries a negative stigma that Headspace is working hard to change. For example, if we fall over and injure our arm, we would visit the doctor to seek support for our physical health, and we must do the same for our mental health.
A huge thank you to the City of Perth for allowing us to host the event at Ozone Reserve and to Monsterball for supplying the inflatables. Of course, the day could not happen without the support of the staff, students, and parents of St George’s. Thank you to those who have already donated! If you are interested in supporting Headspace, you can donate at the link below. Donations will be open until the last day of term. Click to donate.
ST GEORGE’S SUPERSTARS Saira Afridi
Saira, Year 11, is part of the 2021 YMCA Youth Parliament which culminates in a week of debates held in the October School Holidays. Saira answered a few questions about her involvement. What was the selection process? You must complete an application and answer three questions about an issue facing young people that you are passionate about, why you believe you should be selected and what you hope to achieve through participating. The Youth Parliament ‘taskforce’ then select the most suitable candidates. What does Youth Parliament involve? Youth Parliament is a mock of the Western Australian State Parliament. All participants are placed in a committee, government or opposition and allocated an electorate. I am in the Multi Cultural and Indigenous Affairs Committee,
Government and the Youth Member for Perth. We work together to create a bill that helps to tackle an issue within Western Australia. I am also my committee’s supporting minister and will introduce our bill to the Parliament. What have you been working on? The Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs committee has worked hard in creating our bill, the “First Nations Peoples Cultural Awareness School Training Bill 2021.” Our bill works to teach primary school students, in both Private and Public schools, real First Nation’s history and cultural awareness, taught by First Nation’s elders along with non government organisations. Our program looks to teach this extremely important part of Australia’s identity in a culturally appropriate, engaging program that will have a positive impact on Australia’s future. How have you found this process? I have found it very enjoyable. Although at times, it has been very overwhelming, this is something I am very passionate about and I look forward to further participating in the Youth Parliament Program.
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Curriculum Update Victoria Kelleher Semester One Exams
differently moving forward. Reflection allows our students to: • Take ownership and responsibility for their learning • Actively reflect on the studying and learning approaches that help and hinder success • Improve their learning and studying approaches For this reason, we are inviting all students in Years 7 – 10 to attend Parent, Student and Teacher Meetings with their parents. Students in Years 10 – 12 will complete a Reflection document in class, with their teacher, and will bring this with them to the meeting. Our Year 10 – 12 students should be in attendance where possible at these meetings as they help to build such reflection and growth in their learning. Their written reflections will allow them to review the feedback received, set a subject specific SMART Goal and identify how their teacher can support them in their goal. This will then form the basis of the meeting. Further information and online booking details will be sent to our St George’s families on Friday 2 July along with the Semester One reports.
This week marked the end of the Semester One Examinations for our Year 10, 11 and 12 students. Exams provide our students with the opportunity to reflect on their progress through Semester One and set new goals for Semester Two. Learning to be a self-directed learner, through reflection, is an important skill. American philosopher and educator John Dewey noted, “we do not actually learn from experience as much as we learn from reflecting on experience” (Posner, 2005. A Guide to Reflective Teaching, p. 21). Once our senior students receive their examination scripts and the accompanying feedback, they should begin their reflection process. This will help them assess what they have done well and what they need to do to succeed. During this reflection, students should ask themselves the following questions: • What could I have done differently to prepare for my exams? • What will I do differently in class, preparing for assessments, completing homework and preparing for the next exam? • What do I need to spend more time studying in Semester One Academic Awards the days before the exam? Semester One Academic Awards will take place • What new approaches to studying can I take? on Friday 30 July (Week 1, Term 3). This Principal’s Assembly will provide us with a wonderful Parent, Student and Teacher Meetings opportunity to acknowledge the academic Parent, Student and Teacher Meetings will take achievements of our students in Semester One. place in Week 1 of Term 3. There are two dates for The awards include Subject Excellence, Academic these meetings, Tuesday 27 July (1.30pm - 6.30pm) Excellence, Attitude and Effort and, potentially, and Thursday 29 July (3pm - 6.30pm). Reflecting our first Lydda Award recipient. Further details on on their progress allows our students to think the time of this assembly will be communicated to about what works for them and what they can do families prior to the end of this term.
Around the School OUTDOOR EDUCATION
City Farm to further extend their learning and enjoyed a hands-on experience. Established on a former industrial site in East Perth, Perth City Farm was a polluted site that has been lovingly rehabilitated by volunteers to become a Western Australian icon for environmental sustainability and community engagement. It provides space and opportunities to build community connections, educate and enable people to live sustainably. The students enjoyed their visit and learnt much from the experiences shared. On 16 June, a group of Year 9 and Year 10 students represented St George’s at the State The Year 9 students have been looking at waste, Orienteering Secondary Schools Championships. water, energy and growing their own food The championships were held at Fred Jacoby Park, throughout Term Two. Last week they visited Perth Mundaring. The course, consisting of landscaped 5
St George’s Anglican Grammar School
Around the School
gardens containing many trees planted from around the world and bordering the State forest to the north and west, provided a safe and interesting environment for the competition. The students needed to navigate all the control points in sequential order until they reached the finish. Congratulations to all participants, it was indeed a fun day out and about in nature celebrating the beauty of Western Australia. Jackie Sullivan | Outdoor Education Teacher MY PLACE IN WA
On Thursday 3 June, Claire Beltz, Mehki LucerneKnight, Katherine Mullaney, Sienna Ryan, Sebastian Searle, Jacob Spargo and Mrs Kania attended the “My Place in WA” event at the WA Museum Boola Bardip. Our students were one of only fifteen schools invited by Colin Pettit, the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, to the event designed to get their creative minds working in an interactive workshop that captured students’ voices. Representatives from local government and industry were invited to listen to the students’ ideas. The morning began with two guest speakers, Suzie Zuber and Ben Kent, who are architects specialising in urban planning. They talked to the students about ‘place makers’ and urban design. They were then challenged with the question, “What do you need in your neighbourhood?”.
The students discussed their ideas and planned out where the amenities should be located, and how they were connected to other amenities in the local neighbourhood, to make it a liveable and special place for teenagers. The final activity encouraged them to think about how their neighbourhood is activated and how the spaces can be flexible and adaptable, to make it a place for everyone to enjoy. Katheryne Kania | Head of Humanities ATHLETICS Students have been running, jumping and throwing again in preparation for the up-and-coming Inter-House Athletics Carnival. We are incredibly fortunate to offer our students such a wide and varied range of sporting facilities due to our city location. UWA Sportspark, at McGillivray Reserve, is across the road from the West Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) and we often have elite athletes going through their paces on the state-ofthe-art cinder track.
The Inter-House Carnival will take place at McGillivray on the 5 August 2021 (in the case of inclement weather then the back-up day is the 10 August), so lock the date into your diaries as we would love to see lots of support for the students. I encourage families to come along and be a part of the day. Carnivals are always a highlight of the year and I look forward to making this another exciting St George’s event!
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Around the School Students who perform well at the inter-house event will be selected to represent the School at the ACC G-Division Athletics Carnival. This will be held at the State Athletics Centre, Stephenson Ave, Floreat on Monday 6 September. Again parental support is warmly welcome. Have a healthy, active and enjoyable holiday. Jodie Scheele | Head of HPE ON A MUSICAL NOTE The Music Department was recently involved in the ASC Rock Concert held at Peter Moyes Anglican Community School. All St George’s rock bands, from Years 7 to 11, were involved in the Concert together with a large number of other Anglican schools from across WA. It was a marvellous event with all the different schools supporting each other’s performances.
Next week is our Battle of the Bands and Music Festival Concert at Gilkison’s Dance Studio. Grab a ticket and come and see our Rock Bands and selected musicians perform. Book Now. What’s coming up in Music: Monday 28 June - SGAGS Music Festival Tuesday 29 June - Music Festival Concert and Battle of the Bands (7pm, Gilkisons Dance Studio. Jemima Beal | Music Captain
MUSO PROFILE
Jeremy Webb, Year 11 Instrument: Drums and guitar What first got you interested in Music? Mr Newton is a good lad who helped me get into the music program.
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IN THE WORLD OF SCIENCE As we wind up an incredibly busy term, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the many achievements our students have made in Science so far. Each day our students turn up with a great attitude and are presented with challenging content, or practicals that stretch them beyond their comfort zones. Our students never fail to amaze me with their adaptability, curious nature, creative thinking and some old fashioned hard work to solve such challenges. Nobel Pathway The Year 9 Nobel Pathway have almost finished their Marine Biology unit. We headed off to AQWA to see all the organisms, to learn more about how to communicate scientific information, and to inspire their imaginations to help them finish off their final task ‘The Ultimate Marine Animal’. Students were fully engaged and wonderfully respectful of the displays, the living animals and the many little children that descended into AQWA! Next semester the Year 9 Nobel Pathway takes a significantly different route, heading into the world of Forensic Science. I am excited to see what amazing skills our students will gain and extend in this new unit.
What’s the best thing about Music at St George’s? All the different musical opportunities offered here at St George’s Why should other people do music? Music is engaging and really fun and a good social opportunity. What’s your advice for anyone learning Music? Play what you enjoy and join a band as soon as you can.
St George’s Anglican Grammar School
Around the School LANGUAGES
Big Science Competition All students from Year 7 – 9 participated in the Big Science Competition in May. This competition is designed to test students problem solving skills and scientific inquiry skills in a range of Science contexts. I am proud to announce the following outstanding results. YEAR 7 Distinction: Harvey Miller Federico Dos Santos YEAR 8 High Distinction: Cooper Wallace Distinction: Owen Lane Maia Louw YEAR 9 High Distinction: Olivia Reid Distinction: Emily Shoebridge Kaylee Chin, Imogen Allmark, Cameron Jones, William Moesker Hamish Monk
On Wednesday, 23 June, our Year 10 students studying Japanese visited the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre. They spent the day using the language to learn and talk about famous Anime and Manga, as well as designing and describing their own manga characters. It was a fantastic day and we are looking forward to going back again later in the year to enjoy some more immersion learning. Here are some photos of them taking part in the activities!
There were also a significant number of Credit Awards achieved! I extend my congratulations to everyone involved, I am proud of their achievements. General Science Our Year 8 students have been learning all about cells, the organs they form and the systems they can be found in. This has resulted in many discussions about how the body works and lots of dissections to help imagine how our own body looks from the inside! The skills from dissections and microscopy will assist our students visualise more abstract concepts and will help them in their future Science studies. Its been a lot of fun working with these students this term! Danielle de Witt Japanese and Mandarin Teacher Charlotte Dawson | Head of Science St George’s Anglican Grammar School
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