CQ June 2004 - Issue 52

ALL SAINTS' COLLEGE

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52 JUNE 2004

One of the major goals many of us have for All Saints' College is for students to be adventurous in the activities they select.

In years gone by, various courses and activities were considered more suitable for one gender than for the other.

There is frequently no logic to this situation: a particular course is traditionally taken more by boys or more by girls, although one struggles to understand why that should be so.

Having been a coeducational school throughout our history and in this we differ from nearly all the major non-government coeducational schools around Australia - we have always had a programme which includes diverse activities.

As a result, we have an advantage over many of the single-gender schools in that facilities for all courses are already provided here and we have a long tradition of nurturing students' learning in them.

This is a part of our academic landscape. We do not need to introduce such courses from a previous null presence.

It is, however, not always the case that all students take advantage of the range of activities available to them. And it is not always the case that outsiders see a coeducational campus as the obvious place for students to engage in studies at a high level in curriculum areas which are more conventionally viewed as the province of the other gender.

I believe that, at present, we are in a sound position from the point of view of students' selection of courses being based upon ability and need rather than upon stereotypes. But I hope this will improve further.

An example of where we are well placed is in Science, where many able students, both male and female, are enrolled in all of our physical and biological science courses. Furthermore, many of our former students have undertaken tertiary studies and moved into the professions in the sciences in a corresponding manner.

The article on Page 6 is an indication that the physical sciences can hold the interest of

any student, maleorfemale who is prepared to commit to t em.

Furthermore, any such st dent can do well in them withi our coeducational context, and can find fulfilling professional fu ures on that pathway.

All Saints' College will reaching its potential coeducational institution as well as providing a social environment reflects that of the outside it also has students cho sing courses and activities on the basis of interest, challenge and potential for the future. e at the College believe ferv ntly in the need for all studen s to have that open approac . 0 their course selection. hen students do choose their qo rse on that basis, we certainly ave the facilities, the quali of teaching and the study-su port structures to enable them to achieve at an outstanding level.

Or GA Shaw Principal

Manner

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Cleaning up the Creek...

Spraying Manager, Bill Ridley, and Jackie Stansfield, Melville's Environmental Officer to meet the students.

The Year 8 students who are currently participating in the programme have been busy germinating their first batch of seeds in the new shade house.

Soon the seedlings will be planted down at the Creek.

As well as growing plants, the students are focussing on weed control. There is an abundance of blackberries in the Creek area which, with the appropriate equipment, safeguarding and training, the students will spray.

Another guest speaker, Georgia Davies, will help the students learn about pest plant species.

We thank Bunnings Pty Ltd's O'Connor store for their willingness to assist with this project by funding our initial equipment list of gloves, gardening implements, spray packs and other items that will be a big help to us in achieving our long term goals.

In the not too distant future we will be calling on the College community as a whole to support our students in the rehabilitation of Bull Creek.

For further information about the project go to www.allsaints.wa.edu.au/senior/ bullcreek/opening page.htm.

Mr Kent Williams Head of Science

______ We are grateful for the support of:

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All Saints' College Parents & Friends' Society Inc. AngloGold Australia Channel 7 Commonwealth Bank Multi Direct Rotary Club of Melville Wooldridges A&M aiM Maintenance Ltd All Saints' College Former Students' Association Amici Flowers Avalanche Cocktails Carlisle Pharmacy City of Melville Fremantle Arts Centre Press Gemstar Marketing & Promotions

Harper Collins Publishers Australia Haymarket Print & Internet Services Lorraine's Party Ponies Lothian Books McDonald's Family Restaurant Willetton Mini Bus Hire Pan Macmillan Australia Parmelia Hilton Pedersen's Hire QANTAS Staging Connections Swan River Trust UWA Press

Each Friday fortnight, Mrs Jilt Angel, Head of service, and a group of dedicated and enthusiastic Years 11-13 students and tonner students lead Youth Group. The sporting, musical and creative activities lve students from Years 7 - 10 another opportunity to Interact In a fun, supportive and casual environment.

I have enjoyed youth group this tenn for several reasons. It's a place for my friends to meet, and a way to meet new people.

I also like the games and sports we play, like badminton, dodge and basketball.

I liked our outing that we had this term, when we went to Tropical Twist. It was great having the place all to ourselves.

The 2004 Student Executive's school year all started to come together early on a Thursday morning.

Mr Dundas, Mrs Cameron and Mr Brown greeted us to embark on a camp that we will never forget. We were all excited and ready to work as a team of leaders.

The Student Executive camp had many aims and objectives, including: •

weaknesses within ourselves.

The first activity we had to complete by working together for the first time as a team was finding and navigating our way to the campsite.

More tasks included the Mouse Trap where we learned that it was about completing not competing, the Spider's Web enhanced our trust in each another, and in Blindfolded Knots we learned to be more understanding and patient with each other.

to develop a sense of unity and camaraderie; to consider each student's portfolio; to develop the ability to work as a team; to develop trust and leadership skills; and to find hidden friendships, strengths and weaknesses.

After the completion of our strenuous hike Father Terry, who brought along his cooking expertise, greeted us.

Before we left for the camp we were told it was the five kilogram weight gaining camp, and we later found out this was true with delicious meals about seven times a day!

Throughout the camp we refined our skills by completing various activities to find strengths and

We learned from the camp about understanding the importance of communication,

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listening to others' opinions and being more patient with each other. Each activity linked really well with the Executive's position and ambitions for 2004 and it was good to see how we handled each situation together as a team. Our confidence grew, tolerance of others improved and we were able to make reliable decisions between us. The camp was a good experience for us to improve the qualities we already possess and we therefore became more positive with the different scenarios we had to face. If you have the opportunity to be part of the student executive don't hesitate because you are rewarded in many ways and this camp is just one of them.

Kirsty Norquay & Amanda Willis Durack House & Functions Captains

Ven The camps were conducted slightly differently this year. The Years 5,6 and 7 students went away in the weeks prior to Camp Week, and the Years 8 - 13 students went away at the traditional time - the last week of Term 1 .

Wendy Marshal! (1 987, Arthur) "I loved All Saints' when I was here and had decided, before I met Warren, or had children, that All Saints' was where I wanted my children to go to school.

"My parents were very proud to send me to All Saints'. They believed the care and attention and education I received would be an advantage for all of my life. I wanted to be able to give the same gift to my children", Wendy said.

On my first day we had assembly for the whole school (Years 8 - 10) in the Senior School Amphitheatre. There wasn't a PA Centre, or F Block and the bush court was there, but there were no paths through the middle."

Wendy and Warren's daughter, Elisabeth, was baptized at the College by Father Terry and is enrolled to commence at the College in 2008.

Fraser is in Kindergarten. He loves the sand pit and Japanese, which Wendy didn't get to study in Year 8 because they did extra English grammar classes instead, and in Term 1 he really loved learning about dinosaurs, particularly the tyrannosaurus rex. He hopes they will learn more about dinosaurs this term, but we think he'll enjoy learning no matter what subject Mrs Mano has chosen.

Simon Stone (1985) Simon and Jenny Stone had always planned on sending their children to All Saints', but their original plan was to do it when Jazmine and Mitchell reached Senior School. In 2002 that plan changed when they attended the inaugural Literature Festival and saw how the College had developed and were encouraged by the evident community spirit of the College.

Simon had been researching children's development and had discovered that a warm environment and support positively influenced their self-

esteem and helped them develop the attitude that 'learning is actually fun'. He felt that the learning environment at All Saints' supported and reflected these discoveries.

What has impressed Simon the most about All Saints' is the sense of family; he says the pastoral care that is afforded to each and every student and their family is something special.

In fact he thinks it's "second to none".

Michelle Kenworthy-Groen (1985, Kenworthy) Michelle and her son Dane (Year 8) represent the beginnings of All Saints' first dynasty; there have been only two years of the College's existence in which one of the clan, be it Michelle and her siblings or Dane and his cousins, has not been a student at the College.

Michelle said, "My father was Vice Patron of the College at its inception and was passionate about it. I was given a choice of which school attended and, because I was quite sporty, I chose All Saints'. The environment suited me.

I liked the fact that it was small enough to be like an extension of your family; everyone knew everyone."

Dane and Michelle agreed on a number of vital elements of All Saints'. It is important to them that the pastoral care system exists and ensures that students are comfortable in their

learning environments, and that the students' individuality is respected. They also greatly value the Transition Programme, which makes moving from the Junior School to the Senior School much less stressful as the students are already accustomed to moving between classrooms.

"The family tradition of attending All Saints' is something I can't explain, but it's something that I hope will continue", Michelle said. With Theodore enrolled and Jizelle and Lyndon likely to follow suit, the College is a place where we're sure all the family will feel at home.

ChrissyGamble(1990, Laycock) Coeducation, coupled with the care and support she knew Daniel would get at the College, was enough to help Chrissy Gamble decide on All Saints' .

The coeducational environment was perhaps even more important to Chrissy and her husband, Ross, as Daniel is their only child.

They wanted Daniel to have friendships, irrespective of gender and felt that this aim was achieved in a coed school and, having chosen coeducation, they set about finding the best coed school possible.

"There isn't another coed school that matches All Saints'," Chrissy said. "There are many good schools in the area but none equal All Saints' in the pastoral care sphere, while also meeting that all important life skill of communicating with and relating to the opposite sex.

"After all, life is coed".

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Five Year 10 students went question for question in the semi-finals of It's Academic, a television general knowledge quiz for secondary school students.

Ms Bozich's Year 12 Outdoor Education class was hanging out in the amphitheatre, practising their abseiling for the excursion in which they taught their parents to abseil.

The Year 3 and 4 students have been doing some work with their dads at the weekly Electronics Club. Each father and son team (occasionally mums replace busy dads) is making a remote controlled 'Super Hornet' car.

At what will be the first of several Early Childhood Chapel Services for the year, Father Terry read the students a story that talked about acceptance, loving each other and forgiveness; Mr Gumpy's Outing.

We congratulate Christopher Harrison (College Captain 2003), who was one of six 2003 Caltex/ The Australian Best All Rounders.

To achieve this recognition, Christopher wrote an essay to answer the topic of 'Free Speech: A Right and a Responsibility'.

or is ultimately wrong. One of the first steps of a totalitarian regime is to remove the right to have an opposing point of view. There is a need to protect the right that all individuals can be heard regardless of their viewpoint.

Democracy depends upon this.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Voltaire

In the past century, the words of Martin Luther King Jr. provided an inspiring example of the use of free speech. It was the right to say what was unpopular in mainstream America, which helped King defeat racial segregation and ignite the civil rights movement. At the same time freedom of speech allowed the segregationists the right to defend what many might say is an indefensible viewpoint of white supremacy.lnAustralia, freedom of speech gave the environmentalists the power to inform the public, who then influenced the Federal Government to save the Franklin

These famous words have long been the defence against detractors of free speech, but the reality is that some Australians may question the worth of protecting the right to say the wrong or unpopular thing especially if it goes against current accepted opinion. While free speech may be regarded as a universal right, it is only effective if used responsibly.

of free speech to push their own agenda based on irrational or unreasonable prejudices.

Individuals must use free speech responsibly.

Regulated free speech is responsible free speech, with the key being that regulation protects innocent citizens from harm that would be caused by untrue or malicious statements.

If society regulates free speech, then society must also monitor the fine line between what is deemed as an acceptable or offensive use of free speech. Here lies the dilemma. A balance must be found where the right of free speech is unable to be violated whilst at the same time providing the means to protect the individual. The use of free speech, which implies the right to say what may be wrong or against popular opinion, is a paramount principle in democracy. The words of Voltaire

I have just finished an Electronic and Communications Engineering and Computer Science double degree from Curt\n Un\\1ers\ty. At the beg\nn\ng ot 2003, I was given the opportunity to be part of rUNSWift, the University of New South Wales RoboCup team which competes in a soccer competition called the Sony Four-Legged League of the International RoboCup Competition. The competitors in the League are teams of four Sony Aibo robots which play against each other.

Over several months, the team developed and refined the systems on the robot, at one point putting in 15 hour days for two months solid ... it's true what they say about geeks and sleep! The competition has strict rules; the robots' hardware cannot be modified, so success relies on the teams' abilities to put together the best combination of algorithms, strategies, movements and behaviours in the software to run the robot.

Once we put the robots on the field and start them, they're on their own and must look, think and act all by themselves. My research contribution involved part of the vision subsystem that allows the robot to 'see' lines and patterns, such as the lines on the field, and make useful decisions based on them.

The International RoboCup Competition was held Padova, west of Venice, Italy, over a week at the beginning of July. In our league, we met 23 teams from around the world, including the University of Texas at Austin, Carnegie-Mellon University and the Humboldt University of Berlin. We worked our way up the ladder and came up against the Upennalizers from the University of Pennsylvania in the finals. In a very exciting game, we came out overall winners with a final score of 4 - 3! All that hard work finally paid offwhen, as the current rUNSWift team, we regained our world title after CMPack beat us in 2002 in a penalty shootout.

After the competition, we went on a welldeserved holiday around Europe (although we weren't allowed to take the robots sightseeing with us!) before returning to Sydney. I'm currently in Perth, working as a part-time researcher at Curtin University whilst taking a break from full-time study. I hope to start a PhD in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence either at UNSW or at one of the universities in the United States in the second half of this year. Who knows, maybe that intelligent housecleaning robot might be closer to reality than you expect!

Raymond Sheh (1 998)

§ii1ESmiiil: ••• - (1995) had a busy 2003. He spent the year as a member of the All Saints' Physical Education Department staff, and he and partner Josle welcomed their dau h r Mla. hawn and Josie were married on 17 January, at Redgate Beach, Margaret River, and have moved to Camavon, where Shawn Is the Head of Physical duca on..... e only PE teacherl

After playing aro nd with a number of different carea ran ng from the m IItary to drug and alcohol cou 11 n, 0 project manager at Edlth Cowan Unlve ty, (Loneragan, 1988) Is relaxing doing a couple of casual jobs In Mandurah where hand h r husband Mark (Senior Surveyor An logold Australia) built their family home. In their p re tlm yare ettlng up a business consultancy, named Inn yst Con ultancy, which Is slowly getting off th round with a w clients already on their books.

Dlsappo n ed she couldn't make her 15 Year Reunion due 0 wedding preparation commitments, Marguerite Is happy 0 have any 1987/88 leavers contac her via e w bsl e and ca ch up.

After leaving All Saints', (1993) stud re Idential drafting at Leedervllle TAFE and comm nced work with the J-Corp group In 1998. In 2001 S ev n spen six months working In Steamboat, Colorado, before retumlng to work with Impressions Homes (a dMslon of J-Corp) In 2002. Since then, he has bought a house with now fiancee, Usa. They plan to marry In 2004.

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Always afraid of not being busy, •A. - (1999) has been a ending the University of WA, studying a Bachelor of Arts In I allan and French, helping out on the All alnts' Years 8 and camps, lecturing at TAFE and representing the State In rugby union. Recently, Klmberly was honoured as the first female recipient of UW/J{s Full Blue Award for rugby. The Award Is the highest sporting recognition award at the University and Is recognized by Oxford, among other English universities. Upon the completion of her degree this semes er she hopes to take a six month break from lecturing to travel, before commencing post graduate studies in Law in 2005.

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ratua ons of sx nails n WA Youth Awards.

From lan Andrews (1999) Since April 2002 I have been employed by the Australian Protective Service and last year I spent four months in the Solomon Islands as a member of the regional assistance mission, Helpem Fren. To say it was an interesting time would be an understatement. It was at times hard work in tough conditions, but ultimately it was very rewarding. The tasks I performed while over there varied from static guarding duties of the Prime Minister's residence and offices, to vehicle patrols of Honiara, providing an armed presence at the local prison and guarding remanded prisoners such as warlord Harold Keke.

One of the mission's main goals was to train locals in proper community policing, security and guarding techniques for official establishments and buildings so that in years to come locals can assume the roles we performed and keep the country on a steady course once all the warlords, corrupt police and politicians and illegal firearms had been dealt with. For a third world country you've got to hand it to them they have their own brewery and make a nice drop called Sol brew, it is possible to get good food at some of the restaurants in town, just don't drink the complimentary water!

They also have a night life as long as you don't mind karaoke and you can handle the local music scene. If you should find yourself travelling through this part of the world I highly recommend packing a good pair of hiking boots as there are some excellent inland tracks to the most extraordinary waterfalls, and it is a must that you get your scuba ticket because the best wreck dives in the world can be found here due to the battle for Guadalcanal in World War 2.

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