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ALL
SAINTS'
COLLEGE
Editors 1\ lark
The Rebirth
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Proofreaders
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Principal Photographer
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CREDITS Front cover artwork by Tim Hewitt, Year 5. Back cover artwork features a page from Year 5 student Stephanie Miller's 'friend hip book'The Frightened Camel. (See article page 28.) The text accompanying this page reads: 'An hour later when they were walking along the beach they saw ahead of them the other camels. Now they were safe. Ashlyn went back to her family and Luke went back to his.' The picture above show the front cover of Stephanie's book.
Just recently, whilst I was watching the television broadcast of the demise of the Essendon Football Club's assault on the 1999 premiership, I became aware of an advertisement (as one is wont to do when it is presented to you every few minutes). I cannot remember the product (apologies to the advertising agency) but I can remember watching two workers on a building site. They were having a lunch break: below them and out of sight there were some ants carrying off a whole lot of food and goodies - to their nest, one supposes. This is the image that came to mind when I was considering the work that goes on behind the scenes at the College: work carried out by the worker ants, who in the case of the College are volunteers. Go along to the College Concert, the Production, a wide range of parent evenings and many other College functions and there is a cup of tea, a biscuit or a tasty slice offered to you by a smiling volunteer. If you attend the College swimming and athletics carnivals and look closely at the finishing and starting lines, you will see parent volunteers helping staff to make the event work effectively. Every week there are volunteers working in the College libraries, covering books and generally helping out with some of the more routine tasks that are necessary for their smooth running. Every term, volunteers help within the classroom, providing gentle support when and where needed. At the recent Senior School Dance Festival two former students helped with the lights and the sound effects for the evening. Last year when I was coaching the Year 8-9 Football Team, one mother
supplied water bottles each week, another acted as first aid assistant and a third offered to wash the jumpers. These mothers were volunteers and did not want to have their efforts made public. We have one parent who has been the official starter at the Senior School Interhouse Swimming Carnival for a decade. There are very many other similar examples around the College. At every turn of the College year, behind the scenes many caring individuals also guide our students towards a better understanding of their own strengths, enabling them to make wise decisions at important moments in their lives. Signing on the dotted line for Year 11 subject choices or putting an X against a name in the Student Executive elections marks the culmination of two such procedures, which are put in place by staff who have the students' long-term interests very firmly at heart. Behind the scenes there are current staff and students, former students, parents and grandparents who quietly step in and help, or see the need and step in, or come when they are gently called. I would simply like to acknowledge these contributions as a part of this CO, whose five 'keynote' articles look 'behind the scenes' in various areas, and note that these 'worker ants' are an integral part of the College culture and the special hallmark of All Saints'. These are the people who keep so many College activities working effectively and efficiently and with good grace. I simply conclude with what none of these people would ever expect, because that is their nature: thank you!
Tony London October 1999
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We travelled east to my Uncle's house, Bearing gifts of drink, chips and sausages In old red eskies. Bright new finery and Christmas relief for year-weary parents Reflected and reflected again in The mirrors of Oakley and Ray-ban. And we gathered there, on the hill, to Mark the death of the old and the beginning's return. Amid the heat-flies and sun-sweat Bald heads drank beer like wise men, whil Others scoffed cheap lollies or Dared the sun with sky-flung footballs. And out the back with the sheep was skinny Uncle Brian, Striding bare-chested in his own peculiar way, Shirt wrapped around his head like a shepherd Under the shelter of the big tree. Lucky the dog with the cancerous nose Made rounds from table to table And promptly vomited for his gluttony. And all around blood thumped Louder in our ears as the sheep, In their own familiar way, Smiled too. Handshakes and alcohol. Barbecue embraces, While everyone took their sunnies off. We all came, to witness; The Rebirth. Shannon Davies Year 12
A complimentary copy of the All Saints' calendar for 2000 is enclosed with this issue of College Quarterly. College families who have paid for additional copies will receive them within the next few days.
COLLEGE
QUARTERLY
Financial matters Revenue The recent annual audit of our finances revealed that 74.8% ($6.475,429) of our income was sourced from tuition fees and incidental fe s such as camps, music and after-school childcare. Government grants made up the bulk of the remaining revenue, representing 23.8% ($2,060,885) of income.
Revenue
$
Net fees
$6.475.429
74.8%
Government grants
$2,060,885
23.8~
Other income
$ 115,730
1.4%
Total
of total
%
8,652,044
MAGAZI
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Some extremely unusual items went r th ham charity auction. Particularly high prices were paid for dubious ancestry. .although a number of 9 nuine an . tSJ)ecial note was a rare and well-seasoned r Gran w.l'lfi(~mt:.M:fttjl s1iming. Aslightly more recent model, Mr id Dund8$, a good figure, and a teacher consortium demonstrated i heavily in College Captain Mr Gareth Parker - a much n model considerably greater potential, and a man who richly deserves th sliming that's coming his way.
Expenditure By far the majority of our expenditure is used to pay for salaries and recurrent expenses: 87.1 % ($7,476,865) was spent in this area. Capital plant and equipment, debt servicing and repayments accounted for 12.1% ($1,041,275). The College made a small cash surplus of $63,804.
Cash flow Maintaining a positive cash flow has caused some concern for the College. Receipt of tuition fees was in some cases slow, causing the College to use overdraft facilities at varying times throughout the year. This in turn added unnecessary costs to the running of the College.
87.1%
Salaries and recurrent expenses
$7.476,865
Interest-free deposits refunded
70,100
O.~
Finance & debt servicing
617,899
7.2%
Capital plant & equipment
423,376
4.9<lb
Total
$8,588,240
Cash surplus
$63,804
Currently we are examining what incentives can be put into place to encourage parents to pay their fees more promptly. This includes the need to be even more prudent in our spending, which in turn will hopefully keep future fee increases to a minimum. Phil Cunningham Accountant
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Critics accused th auctioneer (Mr Anthony Radich) of ruthlessly lifting . at the end of the day the auction raised a pleasing amount for All Sai ' World Vision long-term project, with pledges easily reaching 700. While some investors may live to regret their investments. others may find their shrewd decisions lead to great rewards at a later date. Thanks go to the Social Concern Subcommittee and t e entire Student Executive...and all the hapless bidders. too.
ALL
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COLLEGE
7999 7994
7986
With English teacher Janet Dowling at the Interschool Swimming Carnival.
On camp with Father Dean Griffiths.
Mark Stapleton is leaving All Saints' after nineteen years. We are all sad to see him go, concerned about who will manage to fill his shoes - and slightly envious of his ability to take life by the scruff of the neck and make it do what he wants it to do. For this is a lifestyle move, prompted by a determination on the part of both Mark and his wife Pam to spend more time with their children and 7988 With Brian each other and to enjoy a rural lifestyle in WA's Hanson during a south west. Apart from the Stapleton family, the Staff Colloquium. winners in this story are the staff and students at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School. Mark taught there twenty years ago, before coming to All Saints', and is returning now as Development Officer. His delight at his imminent return is clearly evident, and plans for the move 'down south' are falling into place in typical Stapletonian fashion.. Mark has engaged and entertained generations of All Saints' students and has a network of contacts around the globe - former students who still email him on a regular basis telling him their latest news. He never fails to be delighted by their successes, a reaction that amply demonstrates the generosity of spirit that Mark's friends and colleagues admire even more than his intellectual ability, his outstanding sense of humour - and
As many people will remember him behind a camera.
his ability to shoot a deadline out with one hand behind his back and both legs tied together. His conquests are not confined to former students. Current students warm to his wit and humour but also recognise a superbly talented teacher. Being a man of wide-ranging talents, Mark has contributed to many areas of College life - including our publications (of which College Quarterly is but one) - leaving them all better, richer, and sizzling with his energy. Mark's corner of the administration building has become known for wild and hilarious exchanges and tremendous creativity, and has never been a place for the fainthearted. The eternal optimist can be hard work for those who inhabit a bleaker world: it is fortunate that Mark's humanity has enabled him to temper his exuberance with a real sense of compassion, and even when he has been on the brink of total exasperation with the lesser mortals sharing his patch, kindheartedness and a keen sense of humour have almost always saved the day.
1985 With Dr Eric Speed and his wife, Jean.
We wish Mark, Pam, Jack and Charlie all good things in Bunbury and look forward to building a connection with a school that echoes our own ethos and is, in a way, already our country cousin.
Helen Renwick Special Publications Editor
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7989 At the College Concert with Simon Gipson (Head of English).
COLLEGE
QUAR1ERIY
MAGAZINE
Goodbye Ruth McCracken-Young retired recently, having managed the Uniform Store with a steel-lined velvet glove for fourteen years. A number of farewell events were held for Ruth, who leaves the Uniform Store safely installed in the information age with barcoding and computerised accounts up and running, saving staff from hours and hours of tedious work. Ruth has been the keeper of our uniform standards as long as many of us can remember. During her farewell morning tea in the staff room in September, she commented that while it is the parents who generally make decisions about which school their children should go to, once 'Kim' and 'Mark' get into the Uniform Store, they take over: or try to, anyway! Ruth has steered generations of students away from the too-long, too-short, too-loose, too-tight and firmly towards the 'suitable for All Saints'. The quality of our uniform is directly attributable to Ruth's hard work and thorough approach, and we cannot thank her enough for her work on the College's behalf over the years. We wish Ruth and her husband a very long and happy retirement. Ruth and husband Gordon, pictured during her farewell morning tea in the Staff Room.
Farewell We wish a temporary farewell to Head of Science Kent Williams, who is taking long-service leave and heading off overseas for some adventure and excitement (not too much, mind i). Kent will be back home, nose to the grindstone, for Term 1 of the new school year. Kent pictured during the tree-planting session held during Term 3.
f#lcome A warm welcome is extended to our new Head of the Senior Library, Jan Kaye. Jan joined our library team in August, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge from her long career in education and teacher librarianship. Formerly the Senior Librarian at Christ Church Grammar School, Jan has a particular interest in information technology and learning skills. One of her many roles as Head of the Senior Library will be to teach and assist with developing students' research and inquiry skills. Jan took over from our former Head of the Senior Library, Sandy Potter, who is now enjoying a well-earned rest having retired at the end of last term. We would like to thank Sandy once again for the enormous contribution she made to the Library during her nine-year career with us.
Jan pictured at the Interhouse Athletics Carnival, which she attended before she formally joined the College.
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...Max Jegana members of t ..Je i Tibbi Australian Se in U/16 Mo and first in Duathlon S
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COLLEGE
QUARTERLY
...Belinda Bowater and her Year 10 Personal Development class, who
MAGAZINE
College Colours. • •
organised the recent Junior School collection of recycled clothing and sent a van full of donations to Good Samaritan Industries as a result (see photo behind this frame, which features Jill Angel - van-loader extraordinaire); ...Monique Badcock (Year 9), who was selected for the State U/16 Girls' Touch Team which travelled to New South Wales in September; ...Kristen Brown (Year 11), who was selected to join the U/18 Girls' Touch Team
The following students were awarded College Colours at the end of Term 3:
for the National titles; Jasmine Leong - Cultural (Jazz) James Holt - Cultural (Jazz) Peter Ward - Cultural (Cultural Activities) Sheryn Cheah - Cultural (Music) Oliver Kingsnorth - Cultural (Orchestra and Band) Emily Moore - Cultural (Drama) Emily Moore - House Karen Sheh - Academic Shannon Davies - General (All-round)
...Sian Smithson (Year 12), who was selected for the U/21 State Women's Hockey Team which played at the Nationals in Darwin in August; ...Scott Iriks (Year 11) and Talia Channer (Year 12), who have been invited to join Melville City Council's Youth Advisory Council; ...Kym Abbott (Year 12), who received a $5,000 scholarship from Murdoch University to study law/commerce; ...Karen Sheh (Year 11), who was selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum to be held in Canberra during January 2000. Karen also received a high distinction in the senior division of the Australian National Chemistry Quiz run by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute;
Student Count':-
...Year 7 teacher Mike Jenzen, wife Claire and new baby Dane Michael Alan
2000
Jenzen, who was born on 10 August (see photo behind this frame); ...members of the Interschool Debating Team who were Junior Division Winners in the WA Debating League competition; ...Jazz Saints, who received a group citation for outstanding musicianship from the WA Schools' Jazz Ensemble Festival 1999 and Candice Callaghan (Year 8),
The College Captain for 2000 is Max Jeganathan.
who received a special citation for outstanding musicianship (see report page 19);
Members of the 2000 Student Council Executive are:
...all students who received College Colours for Term 3 (see opposite); Vivienne Lister - Cowan House Captain Nicholas Fleming - Durack House Captain Michael Senini - Forrest House Captain Tegan Martyn - Murdoch House Captain Adam Worthington - O'Connor House Captain Kristen Brown - Stirling House Captain
...Kylie Liang, who has been awarded an AMusA - a rare achievement for a Year
10 student; ...photography teacher Stan Balding, who was selected for the Country State Hockey Team (over 55s) which played in the National Championships in
Anthea Smyth - Chairperson, Cultural Activities Subcommittee Tegan Johns - Chairperson, Entertainment Subcommittee Michael Bollig - Chairperson, Publications Subcommittee Cheryl Swanston - Chairperson, Social Concern Subcommittee Nicole Daniel - Chairperson, Student Activities Subcommittee Michael Patching - Secretary/Treasurer
Queensland at the beginning of Term 4; ..•the Year 8 and Year 9 rugby teams, who were grand finalists in their respective competitions;
Student Councillors will be elected at the beginning of next year (except for Year 8s, who are elected slightly later on to give them a chance to settle in).
...everyone else who has achieved something special this term!
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The requirements for secondary graduation in Western Australia relate to a student's achievements in both Year 11 and Year 12. Consequently, it is essential that all students choose their courses for those two years with great care. It is possible to change direction at the end of Year 11, but of course the best strategy - where it is practical is to devise a two-year course at the end of Year 10 and then adhere to that plan. At All Saints' College, planning for Year 11 course selection begins very early in Year 10. A block of lessons in the Personal Development course is devoted to investigation of possible career paths and tertiary education options. The College has site licences for several programs such as OZJAC, Jobguide and JIIG-CAL, which guide a person through the demands, characteristics and requirements of a multitude of vocations. 'Do you like working outdoors?', 'Do you like interacting with other people?': the answers to such questions can help direct an enquirer into previously unthought-of career possibilities, and the software can then provide an explanation of the qualifications needed, how and where to gain those qualifications, employment prospects and typical employment conditions.
When students have worked through these resources, they discuss their individual plans with their teachers and start to compare their goals with the sort of prerequisite and recommended subjects that are appropriate. Within this time they are also discussing their plans at home and participating in an organised work experience programme which enables them to experience a workplace associated with one of the careers they are considering. At around this time, students receive their Semester I reports, and on the basis of their results, teachers' comments, and all the previous research and discussion at home, each student selects a Year 11 programme of study. The programme is then submitted and, where appropriate, members of the College staff may add some further counselling. We then create a timetable into which as many as possible of these selections will fit. This is a time of significant decision-making for Year lOs, and this multifaceted process equips them to make well-informed choices. GeoffShaw Dean of Studies
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The old guard: some of the 1999 Student Council Executive with Dean of Students Gail Costello in the College boardroom.
Students who nominate for College Captain face the daunting task of giving a speech at Assembly. This year the standard of the five presentations was very good, with speeches from the heart and entertaining paraphernalia! The Year 11 students and staff vote preferentially in the election, which is organised by Tim Brown, and the successful student is announced at Assembly the following week. Students who stand unsuccessfully for College Captain can nominate for House Captain. Others wishing to be considered are counselled by their Head of House, and if they nominate, they too have to give a speech - this time to the staff and students of their House. Voting occurs immediately after this. Year 11s in the House must vote and voting is optional for Year 10s and House Tutors. The shortlists for the remaining portfolios - Social Concern, Student Activities, Cultural Activities, Entertainment, Publications and Secretary/Treasurer - are selected by a panel consisting of the Dean of Students, the College Captain, the Staff Adviser for the portfolio and the current Student Executive Chairperson for the subcommittee. Students undergo a brief interview during which they outline the experience and personal qualities they will bring to the role. It is important that the panel is confident of the student's understanding of the role and their ability to fulfil it reliably. Future Student Executive members must also demonstrate their understanding of College guidelines for behaviour and appearance so that they will be excellent role models for younger students in the College. As part of this process, and to ensure that all criteria are met, the panel will consult with other members of staff before approving a final shortlist. Once the preselection has occurred, the Year 11 students vote for the various positions. This year there were 109 nominations for the thirteen positions. Two students from Year 12 are also elected to the Student Council, and others may choose to be involved in the various subcommittees. All Year 12s are entitled to wear a special badge in recognition of their leadership role within the College. We are blessed with a strong group to lead the student body in 2000. Gail Costello Dean of Students
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Something certainly was 'a-foot' on the night of 7 September. The Performing Arts Centre was transformed into a mystical forest filled with wonder and intrigue. Some 500 forest guests were greeted and shown to their places by fairies, then took their seats and prepared to witness the spectacle of the College Dance Concert. Based on the timeless A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, hosts Titania and Oberon led the audience through an exciting and entertaining display of movement and colour. Throughout the evening ninety dancers from Years 8 to 12 jigged, tapped, boogied and whirled on stage, whilst Adrian Bollig and Matthew Collings (1998 leavers) helped to create a mystical atmosphere with lighting and sound. The performers dazzled the audience with their energy, enjoyment and professionalism.
Meanwhile. behind the scenes . . .
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V Scene i
Costumes flying, dancers stretching, makeup smudging, cameras flashing, crew calling 'time' and last-minute adjustments. The atmosphere was electric! Dancers were helping each other apply makeup, warm up, fix hair and dress. Most difficulties had been ironed out the night before at the dress rehearsal; however there is always room for a few dilemmas - forgotten costumes, broken props and last minute stage-fright, to name just a few. All students, to their credit, appeared on stage on cue and performed with confidence and grace. The audience was none the wiser about any chaos backstage.
Many hours of work and preparation by a small but dedicated group of people culminated in a spectacular two-hour show. Brett Roberts and I have already acknowledged the students, staff, former students and parents who contributed their time, effort and expertise to help create a special evening showcasing the strength of dance at All Saints' College. Once again, on behalf of all of the dancers, thank you to everyone involved.
Sarah Richens Dance Coordinator
COLLEGE
QUARTERLY
MAGAZINE
Friday 3 September: the culmination of months of planning and practice. The glittering evening showcasing the talents of all students in the Junior School was a fitting climax to the hard work of the students, staff and many parents. The weeks preceding the concert are a time for everyone to work together in a true spirit of community. This sort of cooperative endeavour is a tremendously positive influence in the life of a school. The students are involved in the discipline of learning their lines, their movements and their songs, as well as experiencing the joy of creative expression. The staff see the concert preparation as a time for team-building and encouraging self-esteem in all the students. Each child is given the opportunity to shine, and some who are talented in the performing arts are able to lead their peers. Some students are able to experience the discipline and responsibility of stage management and the duties of a Master of Ceremonies. Many parents work for months preparing the beautiful costumes, masks, set and props. This year they were truly magnificent and added to the glamour and fantasy surrounding the performances. The final rehearsals stretched over two days and required discipline, commitment and patience in very cold and wet conditions. As always, everybody kept their cool. The night arrived, the audience filled the seats, the excited chatter ceased, the lights dimmed - the concert began. A wonderful night and a testament to the dedication of the whole Junior School community - a night not to be forgotten.
Jill Williams Head of Junior School
ALL
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As the school year draws to a close, most families are thinking about what they want to achieve in the next year. Please remember the work of the Parents & Friends' Society, Ladies' Forum, the Canteen, Friends of Music, the Uniform Store and Friends of the library and consider giving some of your time to the College
Members of the P&F Executive attend nine or ten Executive meetings over the course of a year. At these meetings the activities of all the affiliates of the P&F are discussed and directions, policies and activities are decided. Some Executive members take on special activity portfolios - like the Uniform Store or the Ladies' Forum - and the P&F also has representatives on several College committees including the Canteen Committee, the Uniform Committee, the Discipline Committee and the Staff Welfare Committee. The P&F nominates two members to the Board of Management of the College and acts as a conduit through which all parents can talk to the College - and vice versa - on matters of mutual interest, and sometimes concern. Other 'invisible' activities include all those exciting chores that are associated with a voluntary organisation - preparing minutes, book-keeping, disseminating information to parents, making phone calls, sending emails, etc! On the more 'visible' side are the P&F's major projects, such as the renovation of the undercover area outside the Canteen, funding the teachers' wish list (which enables teachers to purchase items that would usually be beyond their budgets), and a myriad of social and fundraising activities that are organised for the benefit of the College community throughout the year.
:
The Ladies' Forum is another dedicated group of people who continually support the College behind the scenes. When a new student comes to Orientation Day, it will be Ladies' Forum members who welcome the parents with a refreshing cuppa. The first social function of the year is the P&F Sundowner, which is catered for by the Ladies' Forum, and throughout the year support goes on, with catering for many and varied functions such as the Fun Run BBQ, suppers for the College Production, the Junior Concert and the Dance Concert as well as cocktail food for other events such as fundraising functions and the Art, Design Technology Exhibition opening night. The making of signature teddy bears for exchange students visiting the College is a Ladies' Forum tradition, along with creating craft items for a Christmas stall. Over the last week of the school year members work hard to organise the Year 11 and 12 Second hand Textbook Sale, which helps parents to save on the cost of new books. Meetings are advertised in parent newsletters and in their area of the web site (accessible through the P&F pages). They are a very open, friendly lot and have lots of fun while helping the College. Give it a try - you might like it! Behind the scenes in the Canteen are dedicated staff who arrive at 7.30am every day. Daily deliveries are received before 9am and the fridges and freezers are stocked. Morning recess cakes and buns are covered and
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placed ready for sale, and salad items - purchased fresh from a local market - are stored in the cool room. Rostered volunteers arrive any time from 8am, and after an early cuppa they proceed to prepare early morning orders. Hot food and morning recess are the first priorities, and by the time this is completed the Junior School lunch baskets have been dropped off, ready to be packed up and collected later. By now the Canteen is in full swing, and after all the orders are completed it's time for a quick bite to eat before the hungry faces start appearing at the window.
A helRing
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The dates of P&F meetings for 2000 will be published as usual in the College calendar and will also be posted in our special area of the web site. You need to let the P&F know of your intention to attend a meeting at least a week beforehand, so that the organisers can make sure the meeting room is big enough for everyone, but they welcome all input from the parent body and would love to see you. Simply email the P&F from its area of the web site or ring the President (9259 4868) or Secretary (9450 5826). As of next year, one meeting each term will be open to everyone in the College community. This is a new initiative which we believe will open up lines of communication and make for some lively debates.
E
At the moment there are forty-two female volunteers and one very welcome male. These people are essential to the successful operation of the Canteen, and we can only appeal for more helpers. Please, give them a call and come along to see for yourself. They need you, and would be extremely pleased to welcome you to their happy and productive team once a week, once a fortnight, or even once a term!
The College provides a number of different experiences for musically talented students, led by skilled musicians and educators. Sometimes things run more smoothly with additional help from parents. Friends of Music make sure that there is afternoon tea or supper available at concerts and that as many people as possible know about the concerts and attend. Several social events - including the annual TAFE dinner and the Family Bush Dance (which became a Family Bush Dinner and Dance this year) - help with fundraising, and as a result Friends of Music can provide some important musical 'extras' such as more violins for the Year 3 strings programme (see page 28) and a set of congo drums. Anyone is welcome to come along to meetings, which are held once a month for just an hour, and new members are always welcome. Quality control and stock management are essential to the smooth running of the Uniform Store, which is charged with maintaining the standard of dress of the students at the College. The staff try hard to make a visit to the Uniform Store as painless as possible for parents and students, and are very skilled at mediating between the students' expectations, their parents' wishes and the standards expected by the College. Volunteers work behind the scenes counting, barcoding and putting away stock and also serve at the counter. As part of the College community, these parents have first-hand knowledge of what is required and how many of each item students will require - and the tact and diplomacy needed to persuade a Year 10 boy away from a pair of shorts several sizes too large and into the correct size for his age. Parents of Year 10 boys will know what we mean! And finally, new kids on the block are the Friends of the Library, a newly-established group which aims to support Library staff in a myriad of different ways - from shelf-checking to book-covering and beyond. Jan Kaye, Head of the Senior Library, would love to hear from anyone who would like to join this friendly group. Jeremy AlIen (P&F), Janet Klyen (Ladies' Forum), Denise Baillie (Canteen), Rosemary Harrison (Friends of Music), Joanne Lockwood (Uniform Store) and Jan Kaye (Senior Library).
fwelale
COLLEGE
Indoor Soccer Competition The lunchtime Indoor Soccer Competition was run during Term 3 and once again proved to be a winner with players and spectators alike. Open to teams from Years 8 through 10, the event was coordinated by Warren Lynch (Year 101 with matches refereed by Kent Mincherton (Year 10) and myself. Eleven teams entered the competition, which kicked off in the second week of term. Sides were drawn into two groups with the top four in each group progressing to the finals. Most of the first-round results went as expected but the big surprise packet was Hell's Angels, who upset some of the more fancied sides by making it to the last six before going out on penalties.
, Veg VM?ek We all know the benefits our bodies gain from consuming delicious fruit and vegetables, but quite often we neglect to spoil our bodies with these great-tasting and convenient foods.
The final was a classic encounter which brought together the competition's two best sides - Butterballs and Wog Boys. On the last day of term, the skilful Butterballs took the first goal early in the opening half, only for Wog Boys to equalise shortly after the re-start. Both sides had their chances to seal victory but the goalkeepers were well up to the task and after half an hour the game went into golden-goal extra time. With all players pressing forward to score the goal that would decide who would be the champion team, we had to wait until the final minute before - in a goal mouth scramble Butterballs hit the back of the net and the title was theirs. Brett Klucznik Indoor Soccer Coordinator In true ASC style, a fearless staff team will now play not one but two games against student soccer supremos, meeting the winning team from the Indoor Soccer Competition and then a special 'all stars' team in the usual ferociously competitive manner The editors must (as usual] remain impartial in order to avoid denting students' confidence before the matches take place. Suffice it to say that the staff team is quietly confident. Eds.
Andrianto Winata and James Henderson wonder where the ball went in the grand final.
James Peach scores despite Leigh Mitsopoulous' attempt to block.
Fruit 'n' Veg Week, held in late August/early September, set out to encourage and increase fruit and vegetable consumption in our diet. We prepared a library display and ran a 'guess the fruit and vegetable' competition for all students, and to prove what tastebud-tingling recipes can be created using fruit and vegetables, fellow teacher Ellen Beemster, Year 12 student David Ziatis and I dressed up in fruit and vegetable costumes and wandered around the school one lunchtime giving out taste-testers. Thank you to both David and Ellen for being brave and helping to make the day a little more exciting and humorous. Belinda Bowater Design Technology Teacher
Competition 'honourable mentions' go to: Matthew Willis (GK), Robert Wood, Brajak Sanin, Matthew Sweeney and Jarrad Sonnenberg (all Year 10) and Simon Barber and Angus Penno (Year 9).
COLLEGE
Health VYeek DrugAw
QUARTERLY
MAGAZI
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Right: Making mocktails - the healthy alternative. Behind: Getting the facts: hard information in a contemporary format.
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School drug education should aim to adopt a whole-school approach. By allowing parents, community groups, students and teachers to work together in drug education, everyone is better informed and able to cope in 'life situations'. This is the attitude we have adopted at All Saints'. With the kind assistance of the Parents and Friends' Society, All Saints' College coordinated Health Week in Term 3, aiming primarily at Year 9s and focusing on a drug awareness message. Parents were involved at various levels: a Drugs in Perspective course for Year 9 parents was well attended, and par nt-student homework on drug issues provided opportunities for discussion and open listening. Healthy alternatives to drug-taking were tried, with Ellen Beemster helping students to make 'mocktails' for themselves (a healthy alternative to alcohol). Guest speakers from the GURD unit (WA Police Force) and the Dockers were invited to talk to groups, and there were poster competitions and crosscurricular activities. Overall, this was a small but successful attempt to promote healthy living and drug prevention strategies to our students and we hope to continue the Health Week tradition next year. Melanie Bozich Health Coordinator
Finding more time was one of the hardest challenges facing the teams in this year's Tournament of Minds competition. The six weeks allocated for the long-term problem sped by until a somewhat hectic dash to complete the problem was undertaken by the busy but determined students. This competition draws enormous interest and involvement from primary and secondary schools all over Australia. Teams of seven students elect to solve a problem from three categories: Language/Literature, Social Science and Maths/Engineering. They have six weeks to present a creative solution to the chosen problem. On Tournament Day', they present their dramatised ten-minute solutions before judges who evaluate their teamwork, creativity, dramatic, musical or artistic talents and positive solutions to the long-term problem. On the day teams are also required to solve a short-term problem, which usually requires lateral thinking, teamwork and theatrical skills. The essential ingredients in any Tournament of Minds team are that members enjoy working together, that they are prepared to brainstorm and experiment with all ideas, and - most importantly - that they have fun doing so. This year, Elise August and Amy Dale (Year 8), Glenn Angel, Adam Brockman and Geoffrey Lee (Year 9) and Warren Lynch (Year 10) achieved all this and worked marvellously as a team. They can be very proud of their efforts. We look forward to more students involving themselves in this rewarding and entertaining competition next year. In costume on the day (at left): out of costume but in character sometime later (above)!
Toni Dale Tournament of Mind Coordinator
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Music Camp The 1999 Music Camp took place at Point Waiter in August. Talented members of the Orchestra, Band, All Saints' Singers and College Strings spent three days over a cold weekend rehearsing and practising in preparation for the 1999 College Concert, which was to follow in midSeptember. The camp is an important part of the year's music programme and brings together students from across the five year groups. This year's camp was an outstanding success, with all students enjoying the opportunity to make music and practise performance skills with their musical ceJlleagues. There is nothing better than giving musicians the chance to work together away from the confines of the College, uninterrupted by the normal demands of daily life.
W est ern A u s t r a I i a n S c h 0 0 I s Orchestra and Concert Band Festival I
A special exercise designed to improve musicians' ability to play wind instruments in venues with very low ceilings.
The Western Australian Schools' Orchestra and Concert Band Festival is a noncompetitive festival which gives orchestras, bands and string ensembles a chance to perform in an outstanding venue and to hear players from other schools
In September, College Strings went on to compete in the WA Music Teachers' Association Recital and Concerto Awards at UWA, where they were awarded first place. As a result, they performed in the Winners' Concert in the Perth Concert Hall, where they were presented with a certificate and the prize money of $250.
The Beat In Term 3 the enthusiasm of our music students resulted in the production of a new publication, The Beat, which was edited and designed by Jasmine Leong (Year 12). The magazine carried a variety of articles ranging from a well-argued and sound piece by Emily Cheetham (Year 12) defending music against charges that it prompts, promotes. or encourages violence, to CD reviews (including an excellent hatchet job on the 'Dawson's Creek' soundtrack by Year 12 self-professed cynic Ben Watson), reports, music jokes from Stacey Leong (Year 8) and Year 10 Brad Channer's great interview with John Beaverstock, Head of the Music Department. The first edition of The Beat augurs well for its long-term future and we look forward to reviewing future issues in these pages.
College Strings at the Winners' Concert at Perth Concert Hall.
throughout WA. Our College Strings was awarded a Certificate of Merit for its performance this year, and a written report received by the College after the event commented: 'I was particularly impressed with the standard of rhythm and intonation as well as the very musical and energetic playing of the group. The group displayed an extremely high standard of professionalism, and this is reflected in the comments that we received from listeners afterwards, who were from many different schools.' Macho, muscled musicians plus camera: deadly.
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Music in performance, music in publications... and music in art. The photograph below shows a still-life arrangement organised by art teacher Sarah Chescoe and one of the paintings that resulted fram this 'crosscurricular'session appears behind the text.
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h Jazz Saints group, directed by Kevin Fenner, has always been a close-knit group, but in 1999 this has been highlighted by the 'family factor'. The three senior members of the group - Chris Ablett, Jasmine Leong and James Holt (all Year 12), each has a sibling in the band. Daniel Ablett, Stacey Leong and Jordan Halt (all Year 8) have been inspired to join the group - perhaps because they have attended so many of the band's performances over the years, but more likely because they could not help but notice how great it is to be part of this particular group. The other members are Year 8 students James Harrison, Katherine Shaw and Candice Callaghan, and together these students have performed at numerous events this year, receiving a citation at the Western Australian Schools' Jazz Ensemble Festival (at which Candice also received an individual citation). The group is unique in its encouragement of improvisation, even from its more junior members. It has always been an unconventional jazz band, welcoming anybody with an interest in jazz playing, regardless of their instrument. James Holt has been with the band since Year 6 and at various times has played alto saxophone, piano and now soprano saxophone. Chris Abiett joined the band in Year 8 and has contributed to the saxophone ranks on both alto and tenor sax, but more recently has mainly taken piano parts. Jasmine Leong began in Year 8 as a cellist and whilst she mainly plays the bass guitar now, she also provides vocals for the band on occasion. With the departure of the Year 12s, the band now has Daniel Ablett, who is a percussionist, James Harrison on trombone, Katherine Shaw on trumpet, Candice Callaghan on tenor sax, Jordan Holt on alto sax and Stacey Leong on viola. Jazz Saints wishes Chris, Jasmine and James all the best as they move on, and looks forward to more fun with music as the younger members develop their jazz talents. Maree Halt College parent
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The day before this year's Interhouse Athletics Carnival dawned wet and very wild. Staff debated long and hard whether to cancel the next day's events and reschedule...Head of Physical Education Neil Collins stood firm and - relief all round - the next day proved to be cool and damp but nowhere near as wild as had been feared. Stirling took the Axon Cup, a fine performance from a talented House. There were some outstanding performances from individual students, and in that we include both the students who won individual races or events and the students who participated with no thought of individual glory but to support their House and 'fly the flag'. Very special thanks, as always, go to our grounds staff, whose expertise ensures that the College grounds are always properly prepared and ready for whatever we - or the weather choose to fling at them. We are very lucky to have such professional and talented people working gEc]IlI)D
on our behalf.
[jH~ I:)C~N~S
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Individual champions and runners-up at the 1999 Interhouse Athletics Carnival were: Under 14 Champions Libby SeninijJulia Clayton and Hamish Burton
Under 16 Runners-up Suzannah Chisholm and Bradley Chann r
Under 14 Runners-up Taryn Preedy and Matthew AlexanderjChristopher Loveridge
Under 17 Champions Kristen Brown and Michael Senini
Under 15 Champions Aleisha Anderson and Nathan Dunlop
Under 17 Runners-up Brooke Smith and Jason Avery
Under 15 Runners-up Monique Badcock and John Blanckensee
Under 18 Champions Amy McQuade and Bradley Avery
Under 16 Champions Jenni Tibbits and Charles Norcross
Under 18 Runners-up Serena Blackney and Andrew Mills
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Training didn't stop after the Interhouse Carnival, although students found it difficult to balance the conflicting demands of an extensive extracurricular programme and attendances dipped significantly as a result. We were concerned that this might have an adverse effect on our performance at the ACC 'A' Division Athletics Carnival, but the students proved us wrong on the day, coming away with second place. We were delighted with this result, which consolidates last year's first place performance and confirms that the College's athletics programme is really reaping results. Special congratulations go to our 1,500m run ners, Aleisha Anderson (Year 9) who demolished another long-standing ACC record, Jenni Tibbits (Year 9), Brad Channer (Year 10) and Michael Senini (Year 11). These awesome athletes blitzed the field as All Saints' achieved first place in race after race. Gemma Peters (Year 9), Andrew Robertson (Year 12), Helen Taylor (Year 9), Charles Norcross (Year 10), Cameron Barkes (Year 9), Michael Fisher (Year 12), Zac Caudo (Year 8) and Monique Badcock (Year 9), all achieved outstanding individual performances. The relay teams in general and the Year 9 girls' team in particular were simply stunning - no doubt in response to the intense training sessions held during their lunchtimes in Term 3. Second place to Sacred Heart was a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to the entire team, who maintained focus and achieved some sensational results on the day, and special commendations to the senior boys (Years 10-12), who won their category. The whole day confirmed everyone's enthusiasm for athletics at our College. Thanks go to the Athletics Captains Serena Blackney and Andrew Robertson, assisted by Vicki Barnett, Amy McQuade, Andrew Mills and Alex Norcross, and to everyone who helped support our team throughout the 1999 athletics season.
Melanie Bozich and Nick Dundas Athletics Coordinators
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Experience Melbourne - the real capital of Australia - was the host for this year's United Nations Youth Conference. Ten representatives, including myself, were lucky enough to spend eight days of our school holidays in the very middle of Melbourne participating in this annual conference held by the United Nations Youth Association (UNYA). A hundred and forty young people from all over Australia, New Zealand and Nepal met to discuss world issues, politics and youth affairs. We also worked on our public speaking skills, listened to many inspiring speakers and took part in numerous mock United Nations General Assemblies. Part of our role as national youth delegates was to represent the youth of Australia when meeting a number of politicians - including Alexander Downer, Natasha 5tott Despoja, Meg Lees and the Governor of Victoria. The theme of this year's conference was 'the United Nations and the Media', and meeting many of these people certainly opened our eyes about how some politicians manipulate the media for their own political gain l Another enlightening forum took place when the conference was addressed by three media moguls. It was interesting to observe how dismissive they became when the questions got too direct! The General Assemblies held in the Upper House at Parliament were an opportunity to utilise the extensive research we had all done on the country we represented. Each of us was the honourable member for a different member nation of the United Nations and we passed resolutions and amendments by debates, during which we had to truly represent the views of our country. The topics were very controversial and brought about many heated debates and discussions. They included child labour, female genital mutilation, child soldiers in conflict, contraception, economic exploitation, HIPC and debt sustainability...and pickles in McDonald's hamburgers. Whil much of the conference was quite serious, we also managed to fit in a bit of fun - football, shopping, sightseeing, shopping, a Puffing-Billy train ride, and ...shopping. One of the highlights for all of us was the ball where we all dressed in our finest (or in drag, as the WA boys seemed to prefer) and danced till dawn, literally. I met the most amazing and inspiring people on this conference and the friends I made are people I will remember forever. It was encouraging to see so many positive young people out there trying to make our world a better place. I left with many new friends, hundreds of photos, a huge number of New Zealander jokes, some inspirational and motivating experiences and a serious excess baggage problem! Vivienne Lister Year 11 Cowan House Captain 2000
Look out Jenny Kee, Liz Davenport and Trent Nathan! Watch out for future fashion designers Veronica Smith and Phoebe Taylor, two Year 10 students who recently entered their creative fashion garments in the 1999 Teenage Fashion Awards. Both Veronica and Phoebe modelled their collaged outfits in August. Although they did not reach the finals, both girls should be congratulated for their hard work, determination and confidence in modelling and designing their creations. Well done! Belinda Bowater Design Technology Teacher
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1999 saw the introduction of an exciting new music programme in the Junior School in which all our Year 3 students began learning the violin in Terms 2 and 3. The Music Department supplied each child with a correctly-sized violin and because lessons were part of the normal curriculum, they attracted no extra charges. The Year 1s and Year 5s enjoyed a lovely project during Term 3. The Year 5s began by creating feely/touchy books for their Year 1 buddies. The story had to contain an element of suspense or a problem that needed to be solved and the book had to be full of sensory experiences - at least five different media. Sandpaper, cotton wool, paint and shiny paper, to name but a few, found their way into these fantastic creations.
The programme aims to give all Year 3 children an opportunity to learn a musical instrument. In this way all children are able to experience the joy of being involved in one of the many enriching experiences that are part of the All Saints' College Music Programme.
First of all the Year 5s shared their books with their Year 1 buddies. They then shared them with the Year 5 parents at a special viewing come morning tea, and the Year 5s read the books to the Year 1 class. Not surprisingly, these innovative creations featured as part of National Literacy Week.
The Year 3 class was taught in groups of three or four, with the whole class performing in the end of Term 3 concert in the Lower Theatre. Everyone worked really hard to make excellent progress, and the professionalism of these small musicians was a pleasure to see.
Students' creativity is always astonishing and everyone who saw these books was totally bowled over by them. The photographs here really cannot do justice to the brilliance of the individual pages, but a full-page photograph of a page from Year 5 student Stephanie Miller's book appears on the back cover of this issue of We hope that there will be another chance for parents and students to see the books before they go home
Tanya Ramakrishnan Violin Tutor
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to be treasured parts of special family collections.
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Year 4 Champions Katrina Harris/Steven Harris Runners-up Stefani Bertoncini/Alistair Fyfe Year 5 Champions Sharon Wong/Reece Mouritz, Matthew Monaco, Sean Collings Runners-up Gemma Thackray, Jessica Laidman Year 6 Champions Esther Dawe/Callan Marks Runners-up Kaitlyn Preedy/William Moore Year 7 Champions Sarah Sweetingham/Wayde Devine, Shane Dumont, Brendan Manning, Craig Sephton Runners-up Sharna Avery/John Lennon, Sean Smith
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Bussell Riley Molloy Drummond
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Snippets Mark Dominy (19851 aver) has been with BHP Iron Ore for just over ten years, mainly in the supply area. He has recently moved to a new position created to look after the GST implementation. The role will span every part of the business, from accounting and control to operations, supply, sales and marketing and systems. On a lighter note, Mark is currently building a new house in Landsdale (the slab went down at the beginning of October)...and will be spending New Year's Eve on th beach at Coral Bay with a bottle of Moet. Barbara McDowell (nee Wood) (1985 leaver) has another little boy - Daniel, born on 22 January this year. Ben Clarke (1986 leaver) is currently practising exclusively in criminal law on the Gold Coast, and tutoring in criminal law at Bond University. Kerri-Lyn Hansen (nee Watson) (1986 leaver) now has three children: Stephen, born in 1994, Nicholas, born in 1996 and Anthony, born on 3 February this year. Angela Allan (nee Walmsley) (1987 leaver) went on a Rotary Exchange to Japan the year after she left ASC. She studied at UWA from 1989 to 1992, leaving with a BEe with a major in Japanese. From 1992 to 1993 she was Customer Liaison Manager for Westral and then moved to Mitsui Australia as Marketing Assistant. In 1994 she became Graduate Marketing Officer for BHP Iron Ore in Perth, and in 1996 was seconded to BHP's Strategic Planning Department in San Francisco, working for Jerry Ellis (now BHP Chairman). After four months she was transferred to the Melbourne headquarters and continued with strategic planning for a while before eventually moving back to a marketing role, in which she teamed with information technologists to develop inhouse computer programs to assist overseas marketing offices. Angela married Matthew Allan at St Thomas More Church in Nedlands in 1997. (The couple met on the last day of university in 1992!) Matthew is a doctor. 1997 to 1999 was spent in London, where Angela took on the Sales Manager's role for BHP Coal. Angela and Matthew returned to Australia and moved to Darwin, where Angela has been marketing manager for a telecommunications company. Angela and Matthew have now taken six months off and are travelling round Australia as they make their way back to Perth, where they hope to 'settl '! Wayne Blazejczyk (1987 leaver) runs Ballast Financial Services, which supplies general and life insurance and a
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full range of finance for residential and commercial lending needs. The company administers self-managed .superannuation funds on clients' behalf, does a full range of financial planning (including share and unit trust advice), advises on property constructions and developments for investment purposes, and provides tax planning advice to clients.
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before moving into outdoor education. Jane is currently a freelance outdoor education instructor working mainly with Merribrook Adventures in Margaret River, where she now lives.
Craig Palmer (1987 leaver) and wife Clare have a new baby - Nicholas, born on 1 September - a brother for Thomas and Imogen.
Myfanwy Hawley (1991 leaver) has been working in the computer industry since 1994. She is currently working for Woodside Energy Limited as a computer consultant in their head office in Perth. The highlight of the year for Myfanwy was the birth of her son, Kyle, on 4 June. Visit the former students' area of the All Saints' web site for a photo.
Kerri Weir (1987 leaver) is working in Sydney as a management consultant. Monique Robertson (a fellow 1987 leaver) lives down the road, so they meet regularly for a mid-week drink. Kerri comments: 'It's lovely to live in a city with old friends I'.
Meg (Margaret) Strickland (1991 leaver) has a BA in primary teaching from Murdoch and taught for four years at Burringurrah Remote Community School (near Mount Augustus, 1,200km from Perth). Meg is now teaching at Mount Magnet and plans to continue there in 2000.
Jo-Anne Fathers (1989 leaver) has returned from eight months nannying in Rhode Island and was last spotted working in a childcare centre in East Fremantle. She is renovating an art deco house in Palmyra with her boyfriend - but obviously still has itchy feet since buying a camper van and travelling round Australia on a working holiday for six to twelve months are also on the agenda.
Kristen Nowak (1992 leaver) has played a central role in the search to identify the genetic mutations that trigger two rare inherited muscular disorders. Kristen is working on her PhD at Murdoch University and is part of a research team headed by Associate Professor Nigel Laing.
Brendan Easton (1989 leaver) completed his time at Curtin in theatre, film and N and is now based in London and working as a camera operator for a couple of production companies. He also works for a casting agency in London and does freelance lighting design work when film contracts slow down. Jason Wright (1989 leaver) is Executive Officer of Canoeing WA. Tracey Freestone (1990 leaver) completed a BA in Italian/history at UWA in 1993 and followed that with a DipEd in 1994. Since then she has been employed at various Perth primary and secondary schools - most recently Penrhos College. Todd Mairs (1990 leaver) is working for Credit Suisse First Boston as a contractor in a project role. That will take him through to the end of 1999, at which point he'll be coming back to Perth for Christmas before (probably) returning to London for a while. Jane Waddy (1990 leaver) has a BSc in sports science and worked in the recreation industry for a couple of years
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Stuart Strickland (1993 leaver) has a BSc in computer science and information technology from Murdoch. After graduating, Stuart worked for a year writing computer programs for the mining industry, then spent a year with Bank West as a project manager. He is currently working for the Financial Times in London and plans to continue travelling and working in 2000. Zoe Brand (1996Ieaver) has worked in both the hospitality and retail industries while studying theatre and creative writing. Her main goal since leaving school - and for the next three or so years - is to see and live in as many different/alternative cultures as possible. Greg McGuire (1995 leaver) was accepted into UWA to do a commerce degree majoring in management after leaving All Saints'. He confesses to a lack of enthusiasm for his studies, due largely to his involvement in archery. Greg was selected as Captain of the Australian Junior Archery Team when he left College and travelled to New Zealand to compete in the Trans Tasman Test. In 1997 he won the WA State Target Championships and as a result was invited to a talent identification camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. He was subsequently awarded an Associate Scholarship, which enables him to travel to Canberra regularly to train. As a result of all this extra training, Greg won the WA Archery Grand Prix Series and the overall State Championship in 1998, finishing the year ranked No 9 in the country. He finished sixth at this year's
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National Target Championship and qualified for the National Training Squad (from which Australian teams are chosen). He finished fifth at the Australian team shoot-off, one position off the team and leaving his national ranking at No 5. More recently, Greg qualified for the Olympic training squad and won an international indoor tournament and the State and National Indoor Championships. In addition to his own shooting, he has also managed the WA Junior Team for the past two years. Greg has now withdrawn from uni to spend more time training and is working part-time. Jane Porter (1996 leaver) is in her final year studying nutrition at Curtin University and recently came back to the College to talk to Year 9 Food and Nutrition students about fats. The talk was extremely interesting and informative... although judging by the boys' battle for the (cold!) Big Mac left over at the end of the session, we've still got a long way to gol David Whitmore (1996 leaver) has been accepted into the British Aerospace Flight Training Academy in Tamworth NSW, as an airline cadet. On completion of his studies and training in August 2000, David will hopefully occupy a front seat in a regional airline somewhere in Australia - most likely in Queensland or NSW. Maleny Street (1997 leaver) completed hospitality and tourism studies at college and will tour Queensland on a working holiday until April 2000. Charles Street (1998 leaver) is doing a BBus degree at Edith Cowan University and is hoping to major in sports management and electronic commerce. Earlier this year Charles was selected to play in the U/19 West Australian State Rugby Union Team and toured to Sydney for a week. Stuart Munro and Raymond Sheh (1998 leavers) were awarded the Australian Students' Prize for their academic achievements in 1998. Raymond is currently studying at Curtin University and working part-time in the College's IT Department - and enjoying being on the other side of the fence, at last! Alistair Burton (1998 leaver) captained a State Inline Hockey Team at the recent National Championships in Brisbane.
Adrienne Wright n 1986 leaver Right: Simone Wheeler, Adrienne Wright and Gaelle Rouzic, pictured in 7989 during Gaelle's year at ASC.
I started at All Saints' in Year 8 in 1982 and did a term each of French, Italian and Japanese. At the end of the year we were given the opportunity to continue on in one of these languages. I chose French, never knowing that this was the beginning of a passion for both the language and the country which would endure well past my school years. In 1984, Josephine Quealy and I joined a group of fifteen Year 10 students from our sister school, Bunbury Cathedral Grammar, on a four-week tour of France incorporating a ten-day stay with a host family in the sleepy little town of La Roche Sur Yon. The family visit was by far the highlight as it gave us a real taste of the culture and lifestyle of kids our own age on the other side of the world. Sophie (my host sister), Jacqueline and Roger Penisson (my host parents) and I began a friendship which has spanned more than fifteen years. I continued my French studies through to Year 12 in a tiny class of four and was determined to combine it with my other favourite subject, economics, in my university studies. In 1987, I began a Bachelor of Economics with a minor in French rather tha n accou nti ng! Simone with Franr;oise and Renr~ Rouzic, pictured in the College grounds during a recent visit.
At the end of the year I bumped into Simone Wheeler (1987 leaver) and asked her what her plans were on leaving All Saints'. To my surprise she was returning to La Roche Sur Yon to spend a year with the host family she had met on her Year 10 trip in 1985. It was no small coincidence that that was exactly my intention for the following year and that we ended up living five minutes away from each otherll
It was with sadness that we said farewell to our families and to France but we both knew that we would be back some day. Simone's host sister Gaelle was coming out to spend a year at All Saints' the following year anyway, so our days of speaking French were far from over. Back to university and our studies. I completed my Bachelor of Economics with Honours in 1991 and took a graduate position with the Australian Bureau of Statistics. After three years I landed a job as an economist/researcher with a political lobby group representing mining in Australia. In 1996, on a world tour with my husband Stephen, we spent four weeks in France and stopped off at my second home where he finally met the families I had spoken of so fondly. It was a great reunion, not only with the Penissons but also with Gaelle and her parents Fran~oise and Rene. In 1997, Stephen and I had a son, Cameron. He's a lively lad and keeps us busy and happy. I'm at home pretty much full time with him apart from one day a week working as an economic consultant. Simone and I are still great friends despite our lives taking different directions. I recently had lunch with her (while she was on a brief visit back to Perth between jobs in different countries) and the Rouzics, who were out here on their first visit to Australia. Although our French was not as good as it once had been, there was much laughter and reminiscing and it was like old times back in good old La Roche.
It was a truly exciting year full of adventures, mishaps, laughter and tears. We both missed home terribly at times but our friendship with each other and the support of our host families got us through to make it a year to remember. I got to know Simone's French family, the Rouzics, very well and we spent many an hour at her place playing their rickety piano and devouring as much Belgian chocolate as we could get our hands on.
Adrienne Wright October 7999
Our congratulations go to Adrienne, who was recently appointed to represent the Former Students' Association on the College's Board of Management.
Left: Stephen and Adrienne Wright pictured with Gaelle in France in 7996.
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