Spectemur Issue 2 2021 by Camberwell Grammar School

SPECTEMUR Issue 2

2021

Contents S C H O OL

From the Headmaster’s Desk .................................................................................1 Service in the School..............................................................................................2 Student Service in the Community .........................................................................4 Green Pages ..........................................................................................................6 ANZAC Day Celebrations .......................................................................................8 From the Experts.................................................................................................. 11 Murdoch Centre for Educational Research and Innovation ................................... 12 News from Around the School ............................................................................. 14 Trips, Camps, Excursions and Incursions .............................................................19 Music Academy....................................................................................................24 Mid-Year Concert .................................................................................................26 The Great Gatsby .................................................................................................28 The Alchemist .....................................................................................................30 Sport ....................................................................................................................32

CO M M U N I T Y

Community Connections ......................................................................................34 Staff Profile ...........................................................................................................37 From the Archives ................................................................................................38 Events ..................................................................................................................39

OC G A

OCGA Events ......................................................................................................42 Alumni News ........................................................................................................44 Alumni Profile .......................................................................................................46 Obituaries.............................................................................................................47 Connect with us ...................................................................................................49

From the

Headmaster’s Desk

We lost a colleague and friend this term. Gordon Wilson joined the staff of Camberwell Grammar School in 1989, and one of his last conversations, before he died suddenly on 12 May this year, was with a colleague during which he described how pleased he was with the way his Chemistry students had handled a recent assessment task. He loved his School, loved teaching Science, and he loved his students. His passing came as a shock because it was so unexpected. It seems unfair because he was nearing retirement and had great plans for new adventures in the next stage of his life, most of them revolving around his family and his grandchildren. He had kept himself fit, had regular medical check-ups, and seemed to be in the best of health, but Death came like a thief in the night, and took him from us too soon. Life is not fair. It just happens, and plays no favourites. It is for living, rather than marking time, and Gordon was a wonderful example of someone who lived life to the full. To paraphrase Joan Baez, we cannot choose the manner or the time of our passing, but we can choose how we live. Gordon lived a full life: he was a devoted father and grandfather, he loved learning and he loved infecting his students with a love of learning, and particularly of science. He loved to know how things worked and he loved finding things out. He loved to travel, and he loved discovering new places. Although he had many plans for all that he still hoped to do, he filled his life with adventures and extraordinary experiences and his life was rich as a result. Gordon had run organised ZOOM sessions with his Chemistry class twice a week during the last school holidays. He did it to give his students the chance to consolidate their learning and

to get ahead. He gave up his holiday time to serve the needs of his students. He was a living example of the servant leader, a man who put his own interests behind those of his students, his family, his friends and his colleagues. He was the one who walked with the slowest walkers on long hikes, encouraging and supporting them; he was the one who offered help to colleagues who were trying to learn a new system and he was the one who sat quietly beside a friend who was having a tough day. He gave his all to others and he gave his all to living. As Gordon’s body was being taken away following his funeral in Warrandyte, two large Wedge Tail Eagles, manifestations of Bunjil, the creator spirit of the Wurundjeri people, circled above his hearse as he began his journey back to the land. It was a fitting send-off. Spectemur Agendo. Dr Paul Hicks Headmaster

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Service in the School Celebrating our Parent Volunteers This issue of Spectemur celebrates ‘Service’ in all its forms. At Camberwell Grammar School, we are fortunate to have a vibrant community that encourages parent involvement. And there are an extraordinary range of groups and activities for parents to join. Parents can join the Parents’ Association, choose from the wide range of ‘Friends Of’ groups or help out with once-off events, such as Open Day or Christmas pudding preparation. In celebration of National Volunteers Week (17-23 May), we asked some of our parent helpers about their experience of volunteering at the School.

Allison / Auxiliary Convenor I co-ordinate all the Auxiliary events that happen at Camberwell Grammar throughout the school year, including organising the CGS Puddings making and sales, The Open Day cake stall and the Grandparents Day memorabilia stand. Volunteering is a great way to meet parents and connect with the CGS community and I get to know a lot of people from different year levels. It is great speaking with other parents and learning tips and tricks of managing teenage boys, finding out about what is happening in the school, and seeing my own son ‘in the wild’.

the fabulous team in the Community and Development Office who are so supportive, and the wonderful team of parents working together. My son likes that I am familiar with what is happening at School, a connection that benefits us both. Hopefully, it encourages him to be involved where he can too. For other parents who want to get involved, you are always welcome to come to a meeting if you have any ideas you would like to contribute, we are always after new ideas!

Debbie / Friends of Norge Convenor

Being involved in the Auxiliary has been a wonderful learning experience. There are many talented and interesting people in our school community, and it is great to get a different perspective when challenges arise. Last year when faced with the possibility of not providing CGS puddings for the first time in 36 years due to Covid restrictions, the Auxiliary team was able to organise having the pudding making outsourced using the original CGS recipe. I think giving back to the School sets a good example to both my children and I hope they will do the same in the future. I believe you get more than you give when you volunteer. Volunteering for the CGS Auxiliary is fun and easy. You can be involved in as much or as little as you like. You could do a shift at the Cafeteria, help mix puddings or sell cakes or memorabilia at Open Day. We also welcome volunteers with great finance or organisational skills to help on the Auxiliary Committee. Whatever you can do, we look forward to welcoming you! Getting involved is a great way to feel part of the wonderful Camberwell Grammar School community.

Kelsey / Auxiliary Secretary and Parents Association Secretary One of the benefits of volunteering for the School is meeting other parents – it is not only a lot of fun but you learn so much, especially from parents of boys in older year levels. I have made some lovely friends through volunteering. Honestly, it has been challenge-free (apart from the obvious Covid interruption). This is 100% due to

Friends of Norge are the parent support group for Junior School. As coordinators, we organise Junior School functions such as the Mother’s Day Breakfast, Father’s Day Breakfast, Open Day, and other events for the boys like sausage sizzle on footy day, which is very popular with the boys. As Friends of Norge Convenor, I also chair the Friends of Norge meetings which are held twice a term where we meet with all Junior School class reps, the Head and Deputy Head of Junior School. One of the biggest joys I get out of volunteering at the School is getting to know more people. I get to meet many boys and parents from all different year levels, and I’ve made many wonderful friendships. It has also given me insight into the School, and it makes me appreciate all the work that goes behind providing quality education to our boys. In addition to this, my boys love to see me around the School and they often ask about what I’m doing. I hope it will provide good role modelling for them that they will pay it forward in the future.

and it’s also nice meeting other parents and getting to know the staff. We think that our sons appreciate our involvement, and it’s also good for them to see us giving our time voluntarily and contributing to the community. Sign up with a friend (in the Cafeteria) so that you can work together, even if you just commit to once a term. It all helps!

Teh-Lin /Camberwell Grammar Auxiliary, Memorabilia Convenor Dad helpers at the Mother’s Day Breakfast

There are many ways that parents can get involved in the School. In Junior School, parents can become a Class Rep for their year level or volunteer a couple of hours at Library Book Covering, Art Room working bee, Mother’s Day Breakfast, Father’s Day Breakfast and Open Day, among other events. Reach out to myself, debbie.cheong@gmail.com, or Karley Knight in the Community and Development Office if you’d like to get involved.

Lydia / Friends of Norge Treasurer Some of the benefits of volunteering at the School are that you will get to know the teachers, staff and other parents as we all work together in organising activities/events. Getting to know other parents and forming friendships within the school community has been rewarding. My son will hopefully see the importance of participating in a larger community. It’s also nice to see him smile whenever he sees me on the school grounds and to know that I am not there as a support base for the school community!

The most beneficial part of my role would be making friends with parents from all year levels. You get to hear stories from parents below and above your son’s year level which are eye-opening and educational as well. When I first joined the Auxiliary, I was tasked with coming up with a new CGS Photo Album. It was a steep learning curve finding suppliers, getting it shipped and launching it as a new product to the School community. I definitely learned a lot. Another challenge would be learning how to deal with different and diverse people and personalities who work towards the same goal. We have all learned to embrace everyone’s uniqueness to make the Auxiliary the success it is today.

Friends of Norge Library Volunteers

Corie and Kirsty / Cafeteria Volunteers

Friends of Norge Library Volunteers

Our Friends of Groups

We assist the staff with re-stocking various food and drink items. We also assist in preparing the hot and cold food items on offer in readiness for the onslaught at recess. During recess, we transfer the food from the kitchen to the bain-marie and re-stock as the hungry boys come through clearing it out. After recess, with a cuppa in hand, we wipe down the tables and benches, help prepare the lunch orders for the Junior School, and then assist in the preparation of lunch. Some of the benefits are you don’t often get to see your sons in their school environment so it’s great to see them having fun with their friends. I think they enjoy coming through to say hello

Cadets Auxiliary CGS Angels French Connection Friends of Norge MS/SS Reps Parents’ Association Friends of Basketball Friends of Cycling Friends of Tennis Friends of Football Friends of Snowsports

Cafeteria Volunteers CGS Auxiliary Friends of Library Friends of Performing Arts Pre-Loved Uniform Shop Friends of Aquatics Friends of Cricket Friends of Kayaking Friends of Baseball Friends of Hockey Friends of Soccer

Visit the below link to find out more about school parent groups and volunteering: https://deeds.cgs.vic.edu.au/homepage/117

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Student Service in the Community Three Year 11 students become mentors during the pandemic

‘Whenever I received feedback such as “I loved the lesson” or “I love 3H”, a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment filled my heart,’ says Jerry.

When lockdown took hold of Victoria last year, three CGS students, Jerry Lu, Jerry Ji and Je-Rard Cheong, joined a wonderful local initiative called the 3H Program as mentors and found a way to give back to the community whilst learning new skills themselves and fostering a love for sharing knowledge and education.

‘I continued participating and was given the chance to become a General Administrator, or Mentor Leader,’ adds Jerry. ‘Alongside the founder of the program, I was extensively involved in planning for future sessions of the program while creating the best environment for mentors to work together. We came up with the idea of a small project and group task for science, and the students had to form groups and create a mini presentation about an animal that would be suitable for a particular type of biome. While assisting the students in their team and with the detail of the project, I was fascinated by the creativity of the kids. It was a spark during the boring, long, tedious lockdown.’

‘In 2020 students were forced to stay at home and proceed with online learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic,’ says Jerry Lu. ‘There was this news story one day that caught my attention, it was something along the lines of a parent struggling to balance working from home, whilst looking after their kids with remote learning. I felt so sorry for children whose learning was taking a step back because of the pandemic, and I wanted to do something for the kids who were missing out on the opportunity to learn.’ ‘Through my parents, I was introduced to the 3H Program and was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the founders of the program.’ As Jerry explains, the 3H Program is a non-for-profit community organisation that aims to provide extra learning activities for students in Victoria in Years 3-6, supplementing what they are already doing at school with the standard Australian curriculum. The program offers a free experience for primary school students to engage in a series of classes from academic subjects, such as English, STEM and Humanities. Classes are taught by mentors from Years 7-11 who have been recruited through a rigorous selection process. The mentors are all very competent and talented, receiving many significant awards in ICAS, AMC etc., but most importantly, they are all volunteers and very eager to teach and mentor younger students. ‘Although I was nervous, I was accepted and was put into the role of Subject Administrator for Science (I was effectively the person in charge of science).’ The challenge then came for Jerry to actually begin teaching sessions with his new students and, although his experience with teaching primary school kids was limited, Jerry took on the role with passion and enthusiasm and gave it his all to make the online lessons fun and interesting.

‘In 2021, we agreed to start planning for face-to-face sessions with the students and it put even more pressure on the mentors to deliver the same quality lesson. For the STEM activity, where I was involved, we set up three different activities in the local library, including a team contest, code breaking and engineering. The kids absolutely loved it. The 3H Program is still growing, and the goals have not changed at all – to always provide kids with an amazing experience.’ Jerry Ji, who joined Jerry Lu as a mentor with 3H, said that ‘I always wanted to do some volunteer work, give back to the community in a way that mattered, but I could never find the right opportunity to do so. 3H helped me achieve this goal, allowing me to help others by doing something I enjoy: teaching. My time at 3H has been brief, but in this short amount of time I felt that I was part of something that really changed the world for the better, even if it was only by a tiny amount. The people here really believe in their cause, and I think that is very inspiring.’ Similarly, Je-Rard Cheong found himself looking for an opportunity to volunteer this year. ‘I had several ideas at the time: Salvation Army, food bank, maybe the RSPCA. Jerry Lu, learning about this, introduced me to 3H and the work they do. After being interviewed and accepted into the organisation, I was welcomed by a crowd of friendly, hard-working students eager to impart their knowledge,’ explains Je-Rard. ‘They showed such passion for the work they did, and I felt inspired to do the same. It was a pleasure to work with great people striving for a great purpose. I was given History and Geography to teach, areas I myself enjoy learning about. When preparing to deliver my first lesson, I was given support at every turn; materials, advice and encouragement flowed freely. Working with another mentor, we delivered our lesson. To see that our actions had such a positive impact, is something I will always cherish. I look forward to continuing my involvement with 3H into the future, with physical workshops and more lessons.’ Jerry, Je-Rard and Jerry encourage everyone to join a volunteer service and to use their skills and strengths to help improve the lives of others. ‘We would love to have more Camberwell boys join us in this meaningful opportunity.’

From Left to right:

Je-Rard Cheong, Jerry Lu, Jerry Ji

For more information go to https://threehteam.web.app/, reach out to Jerry Lu or email 3H directly at 3hprogram@gmail.com.

Nourishing the Community Connor Pereira (Year 6) and his family have a long history of service to their community, assisting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic International Organization, through their local church. Connor shares his story and why volunteering is important to him.

‘Whilst it’s hard work, and sometimes can be a chore... it’s heart-warming to know that we are helping those less fortunate than ourselves.’ ‘Every weekend, my family and I assist our local, Catholic Church, St. Peter and Pauls in East Doncaster, with helping the needy in our community. Through the organisation, we provide the community with Woolworths/Coles Vouchers and donations of food, clothes, toys and hampers at Christmas. This is achieved through the generous donations of local businesses and parishioners. My Aunt Loraine is an active Church member and has donated her time to this charity work. Over the years, my family started helping her by collecting food donations from local food outlets like Bakers Delight, fruit and vegetable stores and supermarkets, and distributing it to those less fortunate. These include people such as the ill, elderly citizens who are homebound, the homeless, unemployed, refugees, or simply those that have fallen on bad times and can’t support themselves – really, anyone in need. As my Aunt was getting older and less able to do the heavy lifting, Mum, Dad, my sister, Courtney, and I started to get more involved and now spend most of our Sundays committed to this charity work, particularly bread collection from our local Bakers Delight.

During holiday seasons, such as Easter and Christmas, we also ask local businesses to donate gifts that can be wrapped and delivered in hampers to families who would otherwise not have any food or gifts for their children during this season. This past year, however, Covid presented us with a challenge. After contacting numerous charities to identify if they would still accept the donations, we weren’t allowed to make home or Church deliveries for fear of potentially spreading the virus, particularly to the elderly or sick. Now, we still collect food donations but we deliver to those involved in essential services to the community, such as the police, mail centres and hospitals. Once Covid is over we can return to assisting those more in need. Whilst it’s hard work, and sometimes can be a chore, particularly on a wet and dreary winter’s day, it’s heart-warming to know that we are helping those less fortunate than ourselves. My family has a history of helping those in need and my grandparents and great grandparents contributed to and oversaw charities in India that helped to build hospitals, churches and feed the poor. So much so, that a town in Southern India celebrates a yearly public holiday named ‘Pereira’s Day’ in honour of their past contribution. In a very small way, I feel that by doing this charity work, I am honouring their legacy. We must all reflect on how fortunate we are to live a comfortable life and how we can show more compassion towards those who are struggling. It’s a great feeling to know, in some small way, you’re helping make the world a better place. I recommend you try it!’

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Green Pages Green Week In the last week of Term 1, the School celebrated Green Week for sustainability awareness. The week was packed with green activities such as bees-wax wrap making and beehive painting, a scavenger hunt, watching screenings of documentaries, and students were encouraged to ride or walk to school. The week culminated in a plainclothes day, BBQ and Concert, and students were asked to donate $5 to the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Technology Recycling The Towards2050 sustainability group has embarked on a new venture for technology recycling and, in the coming weeks, will launch a storefront on their DEEDS page which will sell old staff devices for $350.00. This will be a fantastic opportunity to pick up a 3-year-old device at an absolute bargain, whilst also saving the environment from e-waste. Keep an eye out for announcements on DEEDS for when the first round of devices will be on offer.

The new Kingussie Garden Students in our Towards2050 Sustainability Group have been hard at work planting a new vegetable garden near the Kingussie building, which is starting to flourish. A greenhouse and rainwater tank have already been installed and planned for the future are fruit trees.

Have you seen the Climate Clock on the DEEDS Sustainability page? It is currently counting down (in red) the time we have left to take decisive action to keep global warming under the 1.5°C threshold. The second number (in green) is tracking the growing % of the world’s energy currently supplied from renewable sources. This is our lifeline. Simply put, we need to get our lifeline to 100% before our deadline reaches 0. To view the clock and read about it, click through the Sustainability tile on the DEEDS home page.

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

ANZAC Day Celebrations Close to 400 people gathered in the Wheelton Amphitheater for the Dawn Service on ANZAC Day. The service was a moving tribute to our servicemen and women who had fought for Australia, and also a reflection on the price of war. Daniel Watson, Captain of Music, played the Last Post and Reveille beautifully and Mr Michael Koswig (wearing official Camberwell Grammar tartan) played the pipes as commemorative wreaths were placed before the names of the fallen. Past student, David Wegman (2003), who served as a Commando with The Australian Special Forces, spoke about his experiences in Afghanistan and afterwards, encouraging us all to find peace within ourselves. David had also addressed the Senior School during the ANZAC Day Assembly previously that week, speaking articulately and movingly about his experiences. David has kindly given us permission to share his words with the rest of the CGS community, and what follows below is the transcript from his speech at the Assembly. ‘Why am I here? Why should you listen to me? Well, I don’t entirely know, and judging by my looks, you probably shouldn’t. I’m about to share some deep, personal experiences and opinions. If anything I say resonates with you, I invite you to take it as a remembrance of your own truth that you knew all along and, if it doesn’t, to let it pass through. I promise I won’t take offence! I stand here nearly 20 years after leaving this very school; a CUO in the cadet unit, a prefect, a house co-captain (go Derham). My proudest achievement perhaps, a House Athletics record for discus which still stands. At this school I ran, threw, swam, paddled, played, sung, debated. I did it all, including plagiarism, sorry Dr K. On the whole I was a vibrant student, and I gave it a good go. However, most tragically, I also learned to fight. Not an outward battle, though sometimes there was the odd playground rough

and tumble, but an inner one – in my mind, a place separated from my heart. I chased success and involvement, praise and worthiness in the eyes of others. But inside, I struggled. As fathers tend to do, when my dad found out I was speaking today, he offered advice. He suggested I regale you with tales of my experience in Afghanistan: the mornings so cold my pants froze after wading through waist-deep irrigation canals before dawn, hunting down Taliban leaders who were, invariably, never there. Or the panic when the first burst of enemy machinegun fire lands upon you; the shock that in all the dust and noise that you weren’t hit, though it was close, real close. And contrary to your self-perception as a warrior, you, like your shoes, were frozen with fear. How about the thawing out of both boots and minds as our own gunfire was aimlessly directed into the desert, at an enemy that we were yet to see. These stories of war may give you a sense of the adventure that I was drawn to as an impressionable high school student, but they omit the scariest enemy that I have encountered thus far. This beast is the mind that was drawn to conflict in the first place. This foe is significantly more terrifying than the hardened insurgent, happy to blow himself up with you and a bunch of innocent civilians at the same time. Upon reflection, this other enemy was first encountered here, in this very school, in this very auditorium.

This enemy lurks around the corner like a predatory cat, ready to strike when the prey’s attention is fixed elsewhere. This enemy is still here. This enemy is inside. This enemy is none other than the arrogance of my own mind, that it would have the audacity to place itself ahead of my Soul. You too may hear this enemy speak as the voice of doubt, the voice of distrust, the voice of fear itself. I had begun at an early age to believe that the thoughts that I had about myself were, in fact, ‘me’. The stress, the worry, the pain, the anxiety and depression, this is who I thought ‘I’ was. Welcome to the battleground of the mind. We are all soldiers and veterans in this war. You need not don the uniform to know the pain of a warrior, torn apart from the inside by the violence required of him, of the violence he levels at himself. Listen closely, and you too know this pain as yours. You need not join the army and fight your fellow man to know the injustice of having your power robbed from you and being coerced into killing your brother, manipulated by pride, status and cheap medals. Watch closely what you pursue, what motivates you, and you too can know this pain. Take me for an example. In Year 8 I became so paralysed in an English exam telling myself I did not know how to write or think, purely from the fear of judgement, the fear of asking a teacher for help. Instead of an essay, I offered my teacher a scribbled apology. Literally, instead of an essay, a sorry note. The enemy had won the battle and I had begun to hate myself. But luckily, thanks to the grace of my Soul, it had not won the war. Though it would take me decades to realise this. Since then, I have learned that all men and women are created equal in this capacity to be afraid, to be terrified of asking for help. The real work of my life only began when I left the army and broke down, a mess (inside and out), depressed, drinking, and out of control. I cried to a God I didn’t believe in. I wept for Help. My first prayer.

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

‘The magic of this universe is that when you are open to help, it shows up in all the places you can imagine; a loving partner, a compassionate stranger, chance encounters, pets, friends, teachers and parents. For me, it was a wise yogi with a simple message. Surrender.’ In this inner conflict between mind and heart; teacher, student and soldier are one. We cling to our minds like a shipwrecked sailor does to a buoyant piece of wood, afraid that the ocean will swallow him. My invitation to you today is to loosen the grip of the mind, even just for a moment. To surrender to the ocean, for it is your soul and you will swim. This is known as meditation. It is not tied to culture, race or religion, though it will take you closer to God if you believe. In this moment I invite you to close your eyes, bring your attention to the top of your head, and surrender to your soul. If you wish, you may affirm internally, three times to yourself, I am a holy soul, I am a pure soul. Feel what it is like, to be held by the ocean. By this space. Held by this school. By your peers. By your family that loves you. By me. Feel, what it is like to be held by your own being, by your own soul. Here, there is no war. There is no hate, no pain, no fear. There is only peace. What is it like for you to be held in a space of love, of compassion, of forgiveness, of grace? Where a complete stranger, who fought and killed for in the name of your nation, now tells you openly, that you are loved, no matter what? Is this a space that inspires competition or collaboration? Contest or co-operation? War or peace? As the acorn holds the entire oak tree, so too, each and every soul holds this great life, this great love, also known to some as God. Only a soul, can know this truth. If you wish to, slowly open your eyes. Who started this war in our minds is not important, for we can all finish it. Now. In this moment. By surrendering. That’s all. To my Dad, who is perhaps still a little impressed by the adventurous war stories, I say soldiers fight, not for civilian freedom or honour or mates, but so that we can all learn the

horror of the inner war, raging inside. Soldiers fight so that all may know the value of our own peace. My Mum’s advice in all of this, mostly pertaining to my dress sense, is even more astute. She said, “David, you do you.” I feel I’ve done that today. So I offer you the same, connect to the soul, and you do you. Though it is that by our deeds we are known, especially to others, I pray that by your own being, by your own soul, that you know yourself.’

From the Experts Strength-Based Parenting During a Parent Education Seminar in Term 1, Professor Lea Waters addressed parents on the science and value of taking a strength-based approach to parenting. Here, she shares a personal account of how she uses a strength-based approach when communicating with her son, Nick. My stomach knotted as I came into my son’s room expecting to see him doing homework, and instead I found him playing ‘Fortnite’. Again. Just yesterday, I’d spoken with him (read: snapped at him) about screen time. Today, an argument began. Again. He felt angry. I felt frustrated. We both felt misunderstood. Why do we focus on the things about our children that concern us more than the things that delight us? Why do we find it so hard to resist the urge to criticise, nag, and worry? Blame it on our brains. Our ‘negativity bias’, an ancient survival mechanism, hardwires us to spot problems in our environment more quickly than we spot the things that are going well. I call it the Dirty Window Syndrome: a clean window doesn’t attract your attention; you look straight through it. But a dirty window is something you notice. What’s more, your focus on one specific part of the window – the dirt – means you’ll often fail to see that the rest of the window is still clean and showing you a beautiful view. It’s the same with our kids. When things are going well, we take it for granted; but when things are going badly, that spot of dirt on the window snaps our attention into sharp focus. The dirt, in my case Nick’s gaming, grows from a small spot to a big stain. By learning how to shift your attention to your son’s strengths (the clean part of the window), you can override the negativity bias and prevent the problems from getting blown out of proportion – all while building up resilience and optimism in your sons. In my own research, children and teenagers who have parents who help them to see and use their strengths enjoy a raft of well-being benefits, including experiencing more positive emotions and flow, being more persistent, feeling more confident, and being more satisfied with their lives. Kids and teens with strengthbased parents are also less stressed, cope better with friendship issues, cope better at meeting homework deadlines, and get better grades. Parents benefit, too. In one of my studies, published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, parents were split into two groups. One group took a course teaching them how to identify and cultivate their children’s strengths, while the second group had no training and continued to parent as usual. The results showed that the parents who went through the course felt happier with their children and more confident about their own parenting skills after the course when compared with beforehand. Those who didn’t go through the course showed no shift in happiness and confidence.

Strength-based parenting isn’t about lavishing your kids with false and excessive praise. Nor does focusing on strengths mean we ignore problems. Being strength-based allows parents to approach weaknesses from a larger context – seeing the whole window, not just the dirt. In my case, I’m able to put Nick’s gaming into perspective by reminding myself, ‘He’s a good kid. He’s creative and funny. He’s social and loyal, and he likes to build good relationships (most of the time).’ In the grand scheme of things, he’s heading in the right direction. Despite my overactive worry button, he is actually doing OK. I can breathe a sigh of relief. When I use a strength-based approach, two important things occur. First, I am able to see that there are strengths involved in gaming that Nick can use for the rest of his life. The self-regulation and problem-solving Nick uses to choose his moves, and the grit he uses to continue even when his points are low, are the same strengths he can use to better monitor his screen time and balance this with his homework. When I comment on the humor and loyalty he uses to cheer up his friends when they die in the game, he sees how he can apply these to his relationships with his family. Second, because I am calmer and able to engage more with Nick about the benefits of the game, he is more receptive to our conversations about balancing screen time with his homework, sports, and family time. When he sees that I am not demonising technology and I am giving him a fair amount of time to play, he knows he also needs to be reasonable when we ask him to get off. As a result, the negotiations about screen time are far more fruitful and less combative. This doesn’t mean I have all the answers. The conversation about ‘Fortnite’ is an ongoing one, and most days Nick tries to sneak in extra time. But the days I am strength-based are the days when he shuts the game off more quickly and more happily. Our negativity bias helps us to survive, but our strengths help us to thrive. Showing our children how to harness their strengths is a key tool for their happiness and a recipe for effective and enjoyable parenting. It’s not a ‘cure-all’, but it is most definitely a win-win!

Professor Lea Waters AM, PhD, is the Founding Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne, where she has held an academic position for two and a half decades and has published 110+ scientific articles. Lea is on the Science Board of the Greater Good Science Center at The University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of The Strength Switch: How The New Science of Strength-Based Parenting Can Help Your Child and Your Teen to Flourish. For more information, visit Lea’s website at www.leawaters.com. Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Murdoch Centre

for Educational Research and Innovation

Service

‘No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.’ John Donne (1623), Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII Service implies a wider view of the world. A narrow view is one confined to our own circle, centred on ourselves; as we grow, we realise as John Donne did that nobody lives in a world of their own apart from the rest of society, but we are part of a living, changing whole. Donne used a geographic metaphor, but we might use a biological one; we are like the cells in a body; if a part of the body becomes sick, then we will all suffer. Service is our way of ensuring the health of the whole body.

In schools we see service in so many guises: teachers who are dedicated to their students and colleagues, who give up their own time to help others (nowhere better illustrated than in the lives of our dear friends Mark Williams and Gordon Wilson); students who readily give their time and effort in the service of their fellow students, for the community, as we can see in these pages. But we also see examples of self-centredness, where individuals often cannot see beyond themselves. Sometimes in the school service has to be mandated, as the parents of any teenager who has had to be dragged out of bed to help out in the school’s Red Shield Calling programme can attest. Why is this so? Why do some embrace service while others do not? For many years the failing was seen as largely a moral one: a person did not have the moral fibre to overcome their innate selfishness. However, as advances in science have allowed us greater insight into how the brain works, we have discovered that there is often a biological reason for some of these behaviours. The game-changer was the development of the fMRI. A MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) – that giant medical machine where a patient lies down while a scanner circles them – measures, among other things, blood flow. In the brain, increases in blood flow is a sign of greater activity in a particular part of the brain, so scientists can identify what parts of the brain are being used. With the fMRI, that ability is taken one step further: a person’s brain can be studied while they are doing an activity (that’s the f in fMRI: functional). This means that researchers can look inside a person’s brain while they are thinking through a particular problem or completing a certain task and see the changes, the ebbs and flows, as they perform a task or think through a type of problem. Now with much greater accuracy, we can identify the areas of the brain responsible for particular emotions, attitudes and developmental stages.

There needs to be a caveat in fMRI studies: they are still reasonably new, often have small numbers of participants and can give divergent results – all a sign that much more of the brain remains unknown than known. However, they can give us some insight into what is going on in the brain, especially that most mysterious object: the teenage brain. In one set of experiments, subjects were told they were working with a partner. The partner was given an amount of money and could either share it equally or give all of it to the subject. If they shared it equally, that was the end of the game, but if they gave it all away, the amount would be increased, and the game would go on for another round. But in round 2, the subject could choose to share the money, or keep it all for themselves. Participants were told that the partner had decided to give them all the money in round 1. What would the subjects do – share with the partner or keep the pot for themselves? Scientists observed a fairly evenly split between those who behaved altruistically and those who acted selfishly. But when they sorted the participants by age, they found that the younger teenagers were significantly more selfish in their behaviour. The fMRI showed much activity in the medial frontal cortex of the brain, but the selfish areas were firing most strongly in the younger age group. What was going on? This indicates that there is a biological reason for the selfcentredness we often encounter in children and younger teenagers. The parts of their brain that are important for helping to shift attention from the self to others; the temporoparietal junction (the meeting place of the temporal lobe – just above your ear – and parietal lobe – toward the back of your head) is simply not well-developed in younger people. Perhaps the origins of this lie in our prehistoric ancestors, roaming the plains and avoiding predation, with the highest priority being selfsurvival; only later does the care for others become a priority. What should we make of all this? First, we should not be surprised that children and adolescents can often be self-centred: their brains are hard-wired that way, and the altruistic parts of their brains simply aren’t that well developed – yet. This doesn’t mean that they get a free pass and are allowed unbridled self-centredness, but that they need help, prompting, pushing and encouragement to help them develop those parts of their brains. Service might not come naturally, and as parents, a school and community we need to offer them chances to experience the benefits of service, and make this a part of their life. It also means that parents of grumpy, sullen teenagers shouldn’t despair. The teenager is a work in progress, who never cease to surprise us as they grow and develop into often very wonderful young men. Dr John Tuckfield Director of the Murdoch Centre for Educational Research and Innovation

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

News from Around the School Junior School Cross Country At the end of April, Junior School’s Year 3, 4 and 5 students competed in the House Cross Country event. All students participated with great enthusiasm and determination with Year 3 and 4 students running a distance of 2kms and Year 5 boys running 3kms. Congratulations especially to the students who achieved 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for each year level and to Derham House, which was the overall winner.

Junior School Artist in Residence Last term, the Junior School welcomed Artist in Residence Elizabeth Armstrong to work with the Junior School students. Each grade was guided through the fun process of wet felting. ‘Artist Elizabeth’ (as she’s referred to) will transform the boys felt into a whole school collaboration mural which, once complete, we will showcase in the next issue of Spectemur.

Cadets Congratulations to Camberwell Grammar School Cadets Finn Mahaffy (Year 11), Riley Woolfe (Year 11), and Jonathan Pettolino (Year 11), who completed the Adventure Training Award (ATA) camp in the April Holidays and received the ATA badge, the highest award a cadet can receive.

Middle and Senior School Multi-Sports Day In April, and held over two days, students across Years 9-12 took part in a multi-sports day, enjoying Basketball, Badminton, European Handball, Soccer, Table Tennis and Tennis.

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Camberwell Grammar Umpires Academy Twins Hugo and Conrad Thornton (Year 11) umpired the local Yarra Junior Football League on a Sunday in May at the Camberwell Sports Ground. This is part of the Camberwell Grammar Umpires Academy, which has a large number of Camberwell Grammar School Academy graduates umpiring in the YJFL and the Amateurs.

ANZAC Day William Lardner (Year 9) enjoyed this year’s ANZAC Day with his grandfather, Walter Lardner, a WW2 veteran who was initially in the Victoria Scottish Regiment where he trained as a Commando Paratrooper. Walter then transferred to the 2/5th Battalion. Towards the end of the war, he returned to Melbourne from wounds where he served in Military Intelligence. William played in the band for the dawn service before going on to play the ‘last post’ at three more ANZAC Day services throughout the day.

Michael Koswig (1986), a past student and past parent, wearing our official Camberwell Tartan at the CGS ANZAC Day service.

Year 1 Monster Trucks

Gladwyn Cup: Model United Nations Several of our students enthusiastically participated in the Gladwyn Cup last term. This is a simulation of the UN Security Council, one of the key components of the United Nations and the body with the maintenance of international peace and security. Participants were allocated a country to represent and could win by achieving their nation’s goals through diplomacy. The best-performed delegation wins the Gladwyn Cup for UN debating. After debating the merits of digital surveillance, the Rules of War and the plight of refugees around the world, Jack Hu (Faith and Social Justice Prefect) and Tom Sun (Captain of Steven), representing France, emerged winners in a very hotly contested and tight finish. 16

Year 1 students recently participated in a woodwork session where they built their own monster trucks. After building their trucks, they took great delight in painting and decorating them with an array of different materials. What a fantastic and engaging way to learn about various materials for their Science unit.

Study Hall for Senior School Similar to the Middle School’s Homework Club, Study Hall is a space where Senior School students can spend an hour after school with tutors from last year’s graduating class to receive assistance and guidance on their school work. Study Hall will be held each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in M34 from 3.30pm till 4.30pm. Two tutors will be in attendance to assist students each of these days.

BODi Day Last term, the Year 7 students participated in the annual Middle School BODi (By Our Deeds Inquiry) Day. Following the theme ‘Overall Health and Wellbeing’, the students spent the day attending a selection of workshops, which encouraged them to keep their mental and physical health at the forefront of their minds. Led by experts in their field, workshops offered included, Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, Bootcamp Training, Circuit Training, Sleep, and General Nutrition. We hope that the students enjoyed engaging in new activities and can implement the knowledge and insights gained into their daily lives. The students ended the day with a live performance by award-winning theatre company Brainstorm Productions whose show, The Flipside, addressed issues of (cyber) bullying, online safety, digital citizenship, bystander behaviour, and online ethics. The performance highlighted the importance of personal responsibility, empathy, respect, and values when online and in the real world. Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Developing a sense of belonging in Pre-Prep Our identity and sense of belonging is shaped by the relationships we build with people, places and things. Our families and communities provide context for such development. By actively involving our families in the Pre-prep program, through excursions and the sharing

of cultural festivals and celebrations, we strengthen our relationships and promote respect and inclusion. Ms Fiona Howie Pre-Prep teacher

Junior School AGSV Cross Country The Junior School Cross Country squad competed in the annual AGSV Cross Country event held at Chelsworth Park, Ivanhoe, in May. A team of 30 students competed in distances ranging from 2kms, for 10-year-old students, and 3kms, for 11 to 13-year-old students. Congratulations to Marcus Kilroy (Year 4) for finishing 6th in the 10 year age group, and Thomas Robertson-Brown (Year 5) for finishing 7th in the 11 year age group.

Year 8 STEM Project Showcasing innovative and creative thinking, Year 8 students engaged their understanding of energy transformation by designing, building, and testing a STEM vehicle that could safely transport an egg from point A to point B. The groups had to work within a budget and could recycle materials from their own homes and purchase items from the lab using ‘STEM dollars’. Miss Sherin George Maths and Science teacher 18

Trips, Camps, Excursions and Incursions Year 5s at Melbourne Zoo Year 5 students were fortunate enough to squeeze in their anticipated excursion to Melbourne Zoological Gardens before our fourth lockdown took effect. With directed activities related to the Term 2 topic of ‘Sharing the Planet’, the boys explored the idea that ‘the smallest changes have a big impact on a system’. A highlight of the day was an educational session where the boys learnt to examine the bones of different animals to determine the species of animal by looking at the teeth, the structure of bones, position of the eyes, and length of snout. Mr Mathew McRae Year 5 Teacher

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Year 8 Outdoor Activities During Term 2, Year 8 students threw themselves into Camberwell Grammar’s Outdoor Education Program. Activities last term included horse riding, white-water kayaking, rock climbing, sailing, rowing, off-road biking, and kayaking. They will then have the opportunity to select a different activity for Term 4. How lucky our students are to have access to such incredible initiatives which promote health and wellbeing outside of school. 20

‘Activities last term included horse riding, white-water kayaking, rock climbing, sailing, rowing, off-road biking, and kayaking.’

Year 7 Man Cave Last term, our Year 7 students took part in a series of Man Cave workshops, marking the end of the Transition Program. The transition into high school is one of the biggest steps students make in life, and the CGS Transition Program helps the boys navigate this exciting, and at times very overwhelming, stage in their schooling journey. The Man Cave is a preventative mental health and emotional intelligence charity that empowers boys to become great men, and throughout the day their facilitators helped students get to know each other better through establishing an environment of safety and trust. By exploring masculinity and gender

stereotypes and taking off their ‘masks’, the boys ended the day with a clear path forward on how they can support each other on their schooling journey, and into the years that follow, as a tight-knit band of friends. The Man Cave team are now working with our Years 6, 7 and 8 at tailored stages of the year to help our students navigate their way through the Middle Years. By reframing masculinity, the boys are encouraged to lean on the support around them, knowing that no problem is too great, as long as it is shared. Mr Troy Stanley Head of Middle School

Year 2 Living Eggs Incursion Year 2 students have investigated the ‘Good to Grow!’ unit this term. To illustrate this unit, ten chicken eggs and an incubator were delivered in May, and we didn’t have to wait long, as within two days, all ten chicks had successfully hatched and moved into a brooder box. It was amazing to see how quickly the little chicks developed. We made careful observations over the 10-day program and noticed many physical changes. The chicks started to lose their downy feathers from about day 4 and by the time they left us,

they had substantial feathers on their wings and were beginning to develop tail feathers. We also noticed that they were much more active when we were holding them. At first, they were happy to sit in our palms but soon they were flapping their wings and trying to fly off. Having the chicks also helped us to realise the importance of food and water for growth. We understood that we had a responsibility to keep the chicks safe and healthy, so it was important to keep fresh water available and feed them regularly. We loved having the chicks this term! Mrs Eunice Goessler Year 2 Teacher Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Year 6 Camp The boys arrived at Camp Manyung in high spirits, settling into their cabins and exploring their new surroundings. We were blessed with a clear day to begin our stay. A range of exciting adventures awaited. There was the Giant Swing that looked more like a catapult ready to launch boys into the bay. A series of treetop high rope courses. A flying fox through the shrub, mountain biking, camp cooking in the woodfired pizza oven, leadership challenges, archery and Science quiz nights. In their downtime, the Dolphins, Crabs, Penguins and Sharks enjoyed searching the campgrounds, playing Ga-Ga Ball, tennis, basketball and football. Throughout

the whole week the boys upheld the School’s values of Respect, Integrity, Courage, Optimism and Learning. They earned praise from all the camp staff as a friendly and kind group that supported each other in stepping out of their comfort zones while enjoying new experiences. We were well-fed and rested each day. Camp Manyung 2021 will be a trip to remember for many years to come. Well done boys, the staff of CGS are proud of you all. Mr Nathan Jones Year 6 Teacher

Pre-Prep Kew Traffic School Our littlest members enjoyed scooting and zooming around Kew Traffic School, putting into action concepts around transport and road safety which they have been learning about this term in Pre-Prep.

Indonesian Incursion Year 7 and 8 Indonesian students took part in a shadow puppet incursion and the story of Ramayana. Shadow puppets are an ancient Indonesian tradition, and in Bali, the Hindu religion is based on the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic that follows Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita.

‘Year 7 and 8 Indonesian students took part in a shadow puppet incursion and the story of Ramayana.’

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Music Academy The Music Academy enjoyed an engaging and diverse first semester with many of the activities addressing the harm created by a year of playing in isolation. 2020 affected the students’ ability to perform in front of a live audience and in ensembles, and it prohibited musicians from simultaneously listening to colleagues playing. As an Academy class, we investigated the importance of performance etiquette and why it is so important to appear confident and generous even when we feel paralysed with nerves. We examined deportment, the convincing bow, when to break the spell once the music has finished, and how to act when something in our playing disappoints.

‘In March, Academy students took part in the Ultimate Scale Competition. It was a joy to hold this competition live, as last year it was held in Lockdown.’

We also watched an informative and entertaining lecture by Molly Gebrian from the University of Arizona on neuroscience and practise. She gave valuable advice about myelinating pathways during practise so that good habits become entrenched. She was an excellent advocate for mindful and goal-focused practice.

The Ultimate Scale Competition In March, Academy students took part in the ‘Ultimate Scale Competition’. It was a joy to hold this competition live, as last year it was held in Lockdown. There were five divisions: Upper and Lower Strings, Piano, Woodwind and Brass. For the finals, the violinists and violists enjoyed a visit from much-loved AMEB examiner and teacher, George Vi, who gave encouragement and shared his wisdom about scale preparation. Congratulations to all the winners.

George Vi and Daniel Feng (Year 8)

The Winners of the 2021 Ultimate Scale Battle were: Upper Strings: Daniel Feng (Year 8) Lower Strings: Darby Lee (Year 11) Piano: Harry Chen (Year 8) Woodwind: Tiger Diao (Year 10) Brass: Nicholas Radelczyk (Year 7)

Lessons with external educators and musicians The Academy has enjoyed many visits from esteemed music educators and musicians this year. Richard Narroway, the recently appointed lecturer of cello at the University of Melbourne, worked with the Cello Class on how to approach the practise of scales. He offered a variety of approaches, using lesser-known fingering patterns, bowings and rhythms. He stressed the importance of doing a grounding ‘technique check’ during slow scale practice. This was valuable information for the busy Camberwell cellist.

Upper Strings winner Daniel Feng (Year 8) and Lower Strings winner Darby Lee (Year 11).

In the lead up to the May Concert, Baroque violinist and Artistic Director of the Classical and Romantic Orchestra, Rachael Beesley came and worked with Highton Strings. We studied the Overture to Handel’s Opera, Rinaldo. This was a thrilling series of classes. Ms Beesley invited the musicians to vocalise, sing, dance, march about and make gestures for their parts. She gave the ensemble a heightened awareness of Handel’s phrasing, dynamics, harmonic structure, tempo relations and historical context. It was fascinating to learn the meaning of down and up bow in the Baroque context (while appreciating our study of Latin). She empowered the string players to take complete artistic ownership of their conductor-less performance at the May Concert. Later in May, the Academy enjoyed a recital of lesser-known encores and concert miniatures by past parent and concert violinist, Isin Cakmakcioglu. He performed works by Alfred Hill, Bartok, Faure, Bazzini and Vladigerov. Much of the repertoire was unknown to students and yet many of these pieces make worthy additions to performance programs. Piano students observed the role of the sensitive accompanying pianist, Michael Loftus-Hills.

One of Australia’s greatest trumpeters, Jefferey Segal, visited the School in May. Mr Segal was Principal trumpeter of the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich and a major recording artist in the nineties and early 2000s. He worked with our committed trumpeters from Year 6 to 12, sharing his wisdom from his extraordinary career. During our time together at the Music Academy, we often strive towards the highest artistic endeavours and at other times, we reinforce the very fundament of our technique. We look forward to many more enriching and challenging projects this year.

Musica Viva’s National Strike-a-Chord Competition Congratulations to the Roystead Quartet and the Kingussie Quartet who competed in Musica Viva’s recent National Strike-a-Chord Competition. Both quartets were awarded Bronze Prizes. The Roystead Quartet with students Daniel Feng, Nathan Wang, Joshua Morgan and Derrick Kwoun performed the Mendelssohn Quartet No 2. The Kingussie Quartet with students Leo Qi, Lachlan Young, Isaac Field and Nicholas Branson performed the Borodin Quartet No 1. Many of these students are in Middle School and competed against much older groups in this daunting National Competition. Ms Rachel Atkinson Music School, Head of Academy

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Mid-Year Concert On May 20th, we witnessed an evening of performances that brought our school community together as one through the power of music. With the evening’s performances live-streamed over Zoom, the moment students and parents gathered in the foyer of the Performing Arts Centre, the 2021 Mid-Year Concert was already underway. The night opened with an exhilarating performance from the CGS Drumline, followed by a triumphant trumpet call from the Middle School Trumpet Ensemble. As the audience took their seats in the Auditorium, the Senior School Stage Band presented the world premiere of Insolamento by our very own Mr Johnston. Written as a reflection of the last year’s global shutdown, Insolamento is the Portuguese word for ‘isolation’, which has been carried across into the increasing instrumentation and Portuguese groove of the composition. Including performances by the Dorset String Orchestra, featuring the one and only Dr Hicks, and a debut display of talent by the brand-new Junior School Concert Band, led by Mr Day, the first half hit its climactic display of talent. Mathieu Ly’s skillful performance of V.

Monti’s Csárdás accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra demonstrated how the time and effort put into music allows students to present such detailed and refined performances for the broader school community. As the concert went on, a display of student-led items was put to the forefront with gap filler items providing an entertaining display of musical comedy and talent, from the electrifying Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, performed by William Lewis, Nicholas Sarlos-Welsh, Sam Parmenter, Darby Lee, and accompanied by the fantastic Mr Bayliss, all the way to George Trembath’s rendition of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. With the second half of the evening’s display of talent and musicianship, also came a display of deceit and surprise… the Senior School Orchestra played a Hollow Knight Medley, arranged and conducted by the one and only Aidan Harris himself, without his family’s knowledge of any of this, Aidan casually strolled onto the stage and conducted the megalithic arrangement and performance, whilst his trumpet arrangement gave the brass section the opportunity to power over the orchestra through the end of our metal tubes (trumpets). As the night came to an end, the School Choir, as usual, raised the roof with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah, and a heart-warming solo performance by William Lewis of You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught arranged by Mr Johnston. With lyrics that might come across a bit brazen, it is a song on how no one is born to be discriminatory, ‘you’ve got to be carefully taught’. The 2021 Mid-Year Concert was a performance by students, across the whole school, presenting the talent and musicianship accumulated over a year of lockdown, providing a display of excitement and a show of the undying beauty of music. Daniel Watson Captain of Music

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

The Great Gatsby Stalled by the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020, the Middle School’s production of the The Great Gatsby finally took to the stage at the end of Term 1. As soon as audience members stepped into the foyer of the PAC, they were immersed in the era of the 1920’s – an illegal Speakeasy made all the more authentic by the Bootlegging Beverages on offer! The Great Gatsby commenced in this setting of ill-repute, with audience members held at gun-point as they watched Gatsby’s ‘Goy-juss Goils’ burn up the carpet with a rousing rendition of Sweet Georgia Brown – it was all flappers, fishnets and feathers! Upon entering the theatre, hiding drinks from the patrolling Temperance Police, the audience was treated with a further big number to open the show, The Charleston, and the magical set design of Mark Wager which brought all of the famed settings of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s best-selling novel to life: Daisy’s dock with the blinking green light, the Valley of the Ashes and Dr Eckleburg’s glasses, Gatsby’s yellow car, the wall of shirts, and even Gatsby’s swimming pool where he meets his unfortunate end at the hands of a crazed George Wilson. Adding to the visual spectacular were the stunning costume designs of Jennifer Bennie which saw all of the girls in at least four different 1920’s gowns throughout the show (imagine the excitement!) and even recreating Gatsby’s infamous pink suit. Nathan Bosmans (Year 9) played the charismatic and mysterious Jay Gatsby with confidence and panache, bringing the romantic self-made millionaire who longs for the past to the stage with conviction and style. The all-important narrator of the piece, Nick Carraway, was assuredly brought to life by Raphael Champion (Year 9) who captured the innocent wonder and later disappointment of

the character superbly. Jonty Neil (Year 9) played very much against type in launching Tom Buchannan, the womanizing, hard-drinking bully into the glamorous Long Island setting with much authority and control. The female cast was beautifully led by the stunning Madeleine McGregor (Year 8) playing the gorgeous but careless Daisy Buchannan, Amelie Hubert (Year 9) who captured the cynicism and allure of Jordan Baker splendidly, Evangeline Vamvakaris (Year 8) vamping it up as Tom’s sultry mistress, Myrtle Wilson, and Emmanuelle D’Adamo (Year 9) who brought a kooky originality to the absurd neighbor Lucille McKee. The ensemble cast all worked together seamlessly to bring raucous scenes of gangsters, parties and general 1920’s debauchery to life.

Like the famed ‘boats against the current’ the cast ‘beat on’, never losing hope in the face of 2020’s COVID restrictions, and were incredibly excited to finally bring The Great Gatsby to life in March of 2021. As Director, it is always so gratifying to see your dream of a year or so in the making finally come to fruition – The Great Gatsby has been one of my all-time favorite shows, and I loved every minute of its creation, from the Sunday dance rehearsals to the Zoom acting rehearsals, and the sourcing of the fabulous jazz music to help set the scene in the much-fun-to-decorate Speakeasy. ‘Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!’ Mrs Penelope Wood Director, English and Film Teacher

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

The Alchemist

In Term 2, the Senior School students delighted with a kaleidoscopic telling of The Alchemist by Elizabethan playwright Ben Jonson. After 35 rehearsals, over 200 hours of practice, thousands of lines learnt, blood, sweat and tears we had made it to opening night. The electricity down in the green room was palpable. A small, intimate cast of 28 Camberwell Boys and Canterbury Girls were excitedly getting costumes on, makeup done, drinking copious amounts of pineapple juice, and running back over those lines and scenes which still managed to trip them up. Quietly as I watched everyone take their spots whilst the pre-show announcement played, I reflected on what had been one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of my time at Camberwell Grammar. It’s funny how attached you get to a theatre production. It was only 7 months ago that The Alchemist was announced as our Senior School play; summarised by our ever-extravagant Head of Drama, Andrew Stocker, as a hilarious and satirical comedy; however, upon glancing over the dense Elizabethan script we weren’t so sure. But soon the stage was set, and over the coming three months of rehearsals the complex and often convoluted language became easier and easier to decipher and the cast quickly warmed to the clever language and often confusing comedic stylings of English playwright, Ben Jonson. Fundamentally a farce, The Alchemist is a comedy seeking to entertain its audience through highly absurd and exaggerated situations, sequences, and characters. Subsequently, the 30

production quickly became rooted in the cast. The ensemble is what kept the wheel turning and the audience engaged. From the impeccable comedic timings of Fletcher Von Arx (Year 11), as the boisterous Epicure Mammon, and Colin Jiang (Year 11), as the brash housekeeper Lovewitt, to the reactionary, nosy and snooping antics of the countless Neighbours and partygoers, an animated and spirited ensemble was created ready to tackle any insane ideas Mr Stocker had lurking up his sleeve. Although, if the ensemble was what kept the production going, we soon found out that the audience was what kept us alive. We quickly discovered that the crowd’s reaction each night fed into our performances increasing exponentially and culminating in an electric and thrilling closing night. The interplay and relationship between actor and audience became a defining feature of our production. The way in which Hayden Whiteford’s (Year 12) Subtle played out to the audience, breaking the fourth wall and bouncing off their energy, or Aidan Harris’ (Year 12) Pertinax Surly, regularly looked out to the audience in his iconic sardonic manner, developed tangible energy in the theatre. The audience became a part of the production, a character in themselves, with their laughter and reactions elevating each performance into a vibrant state. Simply put, as the audience had more fun with the show, so did we. Effectively, the simplest way one could sum up The Alchemist is fun. Ridiculous and bawdy fun. You could see it from the

audience, from the wings and the screens side stage. Every cast member exuded a sense of playfulness, testing the limits of their acting abilities every night. From explosions to fights and slamming back shots of apple juice, we were having a ball on stage and it showed. Naturally, praises must be extended toward the variety of duos that lent their hands and acting prowess to the production. Benjamin Wardlaw (Year 12) and Connor Inston’s (Year 10) bumbling double act, The Drugger Brothers, Sam Parmenter (Year 12) and Adele Kostopoulos’ brother and sister duet and William Lewis (Year 12) and William Allsop’s (Year 10) religious fanatics were audience favourites, existing in small dynamic doses scattered throughout the production and enriching each scene. I would also like to honour Cooper Carbone (Year 10) and his show-stopping performance as Dapper; for his energetic and bubbly stage presence and additionally for the fact that he was able to act for over an hour straight, blindfolded upstage on a toilet.

Ultimately, I am so glad that I was a part of this production and that I was able to perform alongside such a powerful, theatrical triumvirate (comprised of the insanely talented Jasmine Hosken and Hayden Whiteford) who kept me grounded and pushed me in my role as Face. People keep asking me how I feel now that it’s over, now that my time performing at Camberwell as a student has ended. I expected myself to feel sad and a sense of existential dread with no rehearsals to occupy my time each week but, after all the excitement, all the energy and the thrill dissipated, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of pride. Pride not only over the fact that we performed one of the most challenging works of Elizabethan fiction to perfection but the fact that I was able to work with such an amazing and inspiring cast, that we were able to see each other grow as actors and have a hell-of-a-lot of fun along the way. Nicholas Sarlos-Welsh Captain of Drama

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Sport After an extended Summer Season, training and preparations for the Winter Season commenced late in Term 1 and, for some First squads, continued throughout the Easter holidays. Students were abuzz with optimism, having missed out on their chosen Winter Sport last year, and were eager to take to the playing field once again. It was particularly pleasing to see all Year 7 and 8 students representing the School during the Winter Season for the first time. At the halfway point of the season, we have experienced mixed fortunes, both on and off the sporting field. Four rounds of the AGSV Season were played during the Term, culminating in some outstanding results throughout the Program. Firsts Badminton are clear leaders on top of their ladder, going through undefeated thus far, and look almost certain to win yet another Premiership for the School. Firsts Hockey have also started well and are yet to lose a match. They played out a hard-fought draw against Trinity in Round One and both teams appear destined to meet one another

in the grand final at the end of the season. Firsts Soccer hold a 2-2 record and currently sit fourth on the ladder with high hopes of making the finals at the season’s end. Firsts Football came agonisingly close to recording their first win of the season against second-placed Mentone, going down by three points in the dying minutes of the match. The Cross Country Squad have made a terrific start and are holding third place on the ladder – the highest we’ve been in some time. Although two rounds were lost due to lockdown, luckily, there are another three rounds of the season taking place in Term 3. Our partnership with North Balwyn Baseball Club continues to thrive, as our five Baseball teams across three age levels competed enthusiastically in the Melbourne Winter Baseball League. The Fencing Squad have enjoyed two events so far this season, both held at PEGS, while our Snowsport Squad continue preparations for the upcoming on-mountain activities and the Interschool Championships later in Term 3. Mr Lachlan Crawford Director of Sport

Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Community Connections

In this Community Connections, we acknowledge the students and groups going the extra mile for others in need, both in Australia and abroad.

Senior School Bake Sale Senior School students put on a delicious bake sale during Term 2, to raise funds in support of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT). The stall was very popular and raised funds in support of the Pride Foundation of Australia. Well done to all involved!

Victorian Flute Guild Fundraiser Concert

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea

Year 12 parents hosted a Biggest Morning Tea on Friday 7 May to raise essential funds for people impacted by cancer. It was so good they were able to come together, share a cuppa and raise funds for such a wonderful cause. 34

In Term 2, three CGS flautists performed at the Victorian Flute Guild’s Leslie Barklamb Scholarship Fundraiser Concert. This performance was in celebration of these young musicians’ stunning performances in their 2019 Competition. Freddy Branson (Year 11) performed works by Poulenc and Borne, Nicholas Teoh (Year 8) performed works by Norton and Godard, and Rhys Campbell (Class of 2020) performed works by Ian Clarke and Telemann. Rhys is now studying for his BMus at Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and is enjoying a rich musical life at Trinity College. All money raised goes to fund scholarship prizes.

The Student Leadership Executive 2021 Back row: Zakariya Huq, Harry Anderson, Charlie Rose, Takashi Canale, Isaac Khoo, Ethan Zhao. Front row: Charlie Malic, Maxwell Cai, Ned Bolch, Evan Lin, Alexander Zabojec, Toby Chan.

Student Leadership Executive and the Teddy Bear Picnic Congratulations to the Year 5 students who were selected for the Student Leadership Executive for 2021. This is an elected group of boys who will lead the Junior School in fundraising for community organisations and implement school-wide programs to promote the School’s values, friendships, house spirit, and sustainability. In Term 2, the Student Leadership team organised a Junior School Teddy Bear Picnic on 17 June to raise money for the local charity, 300 Blankets, which is dedicated to supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Victoria. Junior School boys brought their Teddy Bears or soft toys, blankets and their lunch, as well as a gold coin donation to go towards 300 Blankets. During our recent lockdown, two Student Leaders, Alex and Evan, interviewed Peter Royce, President of 300 Blankets. To watch the interview, look out for our digital issue of Spectemur. In Term 3, the Student Leadership team is also planning a ‘Blanket and Jumper’ Drive and a Pre-Loved Book Fair to support 300 Blankets.

Balwyn Rotary Club Public Speaking Competition Ravin Desai (Year 10) won the Balwyn Rotary Speech Contest with his speech about the perils of ‘unthinking’ online clicking and the potential consequences. Ravin won a $300 Dymocks book voucher and $3,000 donated towards the Camberwell Grammar School’s Rotary Interact Club to assist in the Club’s international and local charitable endeavours, such as ‘Operation Toilets’ which provides sanitary products and toilet blocks for girls in secondary schools in the rural areas of India to enable them to achieve a full secondary school education. In the closing of his speech, ‘A simple click is NEVER a simple click!’, Ravin says: ‘A simple click. The death of a driver. A simple click. Child labour being propagated. A simple click. The suicide of a child being bullied. In this ever-changing digital age a simple

click is never a simple click. As a society, we must educate both ourselves and our youth that click, swipe or tap may seem simple or look simple in principle but in reality, a simple click may be one too many. By failing to recognise the significance of our actions online, we can be exposed to untruthful content which can lead to us being misinformed, causing us to make further bad actions online without even knowing it. These actions which have unintended consequences are not only unfair to the victims of them but they are unfair to the people which carry them out without knowing so. However, by making sure to think through exactly the consequences of our actions online next time we click buy, send or go online, we will be able to build good will by doing the right thing, benefiting ourselves and those who may have been affected by our very actions. The test of fairness and what is right hinges on the few quick clicks which we make online. Be fair and build goodwill by thinking, not mindlessly clicking!’ To read the full speech, go to www.cgs.vic.edu.au/news/cgsyear-10-students-wins-the-balwyn-rotary-speech-contest Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

CGS Indigenous Round Jerseys We are proud to showcase Camberwell Grammar’s first Indigenous jersey to celebrate the AGSV’s Indigenous Round. Designed by Indigenous scholar Alexander Greenaway (Year 12), the jersey will be worn by First Football, Hockey and Soccer teams. Alexander has shared his reasoning and concept behind the jersey’s design: ‘The inaugural Indigenous Round jersey design draws upon local cultural elements to create a design that breaks the stereotypes of Aboriginal cultural expression while embodying the essence of local Koorie culture of the South East of Australia. Significantly, the design seeks to be unapologetically contemporary, evoking all that Camberwell Grammar represents while making a bold statement of reconciliation through a unique sports jersey design. The striking diamond shape reflects the symbolism of the ‘scar tree’. Scar trees are reflective of the Koorie cultural practices of conservation and sustainability. The bark of scar trees was often carved out in a diamond-like shape and used to make canoes, shields, shelters and other artefacts. This practice embodied the value of conservation in Indigenous practice by only using the bark needed, while not cutting down the tree, sustaining both the local tribes or Nations and the surrounding environment. Scar trees were abundant throughout Victoria and New South Wales, with one of the most iconic being the scar tree located near the MCG, reinforcing a strong and continuous connection to Wurundjeri Country. The scar tree, symbolically holds a local significance to Wurundjeri people, as an enduring living culture, connected to the land on which Camberwell Grammar School is located. The scar tree also holds both a personal connection as well as a link to the Koorie community of Melbourne. In the heart of the original Koorie Heritage Trust building lay a scar tree, as a signifier of community strength. My design was in part inspired by the carvings within scar trees (dendroglyphs), found in scar trees particularly evident on Kamilaroi Country, where my paternal heritage originates. The shield motif seen in dendroglyph patterns, that are expressed throughout the jersey, takes cultural and contemporary inspiration from the linear style of Victorian 36

Aboriginal art and practice. Indigenous art is often portrayed and stereotyped as only expressed through dot paintings, a beautiful style of art with origins in Central desert Country, within Northern Territory and Western Australia. However, the style of Indigenous art in Victoria often takes a linear form, seen through carved shields, paintings and the modern works by Koorie artists and designers such as Reko Rennie, Brook Andrew and Marcus Lee. The use of local Indigenous design embedded throughout the jersey promotes and celebrates the diversity of Indigenous cultures across Australia and provides a contemporary flavour to the design approach, while subtly paying homage to ‘op art’ creating movement and dynamism as a sportsperson is in motion. The design takes the blues of the school colours to create a strong and striking motif, that moves towards the viewer. The bold blues in the centre reflect the patterns of cultural and contemporary Indigenous art and stitches together the elements of local Indigenous culture with the branding of Camberwell Grammar to create a progressive and authentic design that embraces the spirit of reconciliation and promotes the diversity of culture within our wider community.’

In the lead up to the Indigenous Round, CGS Senior Footballers were lucky to hear from significant members of the Indigenous AFL community. Here is Indigenous CGS student Garnet Brennan and North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas with the North Melbourne 2021 Indigenous jumper which the team wore in Rd 11 clash against St Kilda.

Staff Profile Melanie Mandusic

South African-born Physics and Mathematics teacher and Summons tutor, Melanie Mandusic, shares her journey into teaching and settling in Melbourne. This is my third year at CGS, assuming we’re including the disaster that was last year. I did not always want to be a teacher; in fact, it was never on my list of potential careers. I have always loved Science and Mathematics and knew I wanted to work in a field where I could apply those disciplines, so I looked to study Engineering initially but decided on a pure Science route majoring in Physics and Mathematics. I continued with a Master’s in Physics, mainly due to my indecision to choose a career path, and then after 2 years teaching English as a second language in Bangkok, I returned to South Africa to do my PhD in Quantum Entanglement. I should have realised my passion for teaching after Bangkok, but clearly, I am a slow learner. After working as a post-Doctoral researcher at a University, I found I was enjoying lecturing more than the research and finally made the decision to become a teacher. Another avenue that probably encouraged my move into teaching, was travelling around South Africa to various schools and education exhibitions to showcase the importance of science. We would pack a van with liquid nitrogen, laser pointers, a Van de Graaf generator and power packs, and visit disadvantaged schools that often did not even have electricity. Some of the most trivial experiments, such as bending laser light through glass, were received with such awe and excitement that you could not help but stay longer and try to teach those students everything you knew. The School is wonderfully supportive. Within both the Maths and Science Departments, everyone is willing to give up their spare time to help each other, particularly with the numerous Science practicals. I truly experienced the School’s support when I first started, or should I say, not started in 2019.

My Victorian Institute of Teaching application was not approved in time for the start of Term 1, but CGS kept me calm, ensured I still had a job and assisted in fast-tracking my application, for which I am still extremely grateful. Moreover, the students were so forgiving of the situation when I finally did begin teaching and my Tutor Group helped me find classrooms, figure out the busy School schedule and ultimately made me feel at home. Once my husband and I decided to move to Australia, we began the long visa process. One and a half years later, we were given permanent residency and we’re now looking to buy and permanently settle in our new home. Melbourne offers access to so many different events! It is really incredible to be able to attend the Australian Open, Formula 1 Grand Prix and the multitude of musical acts that frequent this city. We definitely spent most of our salary on gigs in the first year – one of the best was Greta Van Fleet at the Forum. I have always loved to exercise, but during lockdown, I began to enjoy running longer distances with my husband and the dog. I like hiking, scuba diving, and travelling too. I also love to do Yoga when I can, as it forces me to slow down and focus on more controlled movements, I highly recommend it! My love of Yoga probably comes from the nine years of gymnastics that consumed my childhood. I spent over 40 hours a week training and eventually got my South African colours when I was 16. It taught me a lot about discipline, time management and the importance of setting goals. Of course, it also taught me how to do the splits, handstands and somersaults, all of which I can proudly do today.

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From the

Archives May 2021

‘Over the last year the computer has been used ceaselessly – to the satisfaction of those responsible for its operation and the reward of those who have learnt the programme.’ Grammarian, 1977 One of the major lessons learned by the Camberwell Grammar community during the 2020 pandemic-caused interruptions to our educational program was the irreplaceable value of technology. The practice of ‘home schooling’ would have been considerably onerous without our access to computers and technological methods such as Zoom, allowing our students to maintain contact with their teachers and peers. None of this could have been imagined over four decades ago when the introduction of computers to the School was first considered by the governing Council. ‘Computer Studies’ had been introduced to the School in 1976, but only as an ‘Activity’ sponsored by a Computer Society, with work centring on the production of rather primitive programming cards given the admission that ‘computers cannot think’. These cards were then taken to Monash University, where they were put through one of the few university computers ‘about the size of a washing machine’. Soon, it was time to consider the acquisition and usage of a computer on the Mont Albert Road campus itself, so in April 1977 Headmaster Dyer reported to the School Council that after a two-week trial, computer systems were now being successfully employed ‘for educational purposes as well as for the school accounting program’. The nascent computer staff needed immediately to remind boys of the capabilities and restrictions of these new devices. These were listed as both the creation and eradication of certain employment opportunities; the 100% necessity of providing computers with accurate instructions and data; the need for frequent and regular checking of information and, finally, strict attention to detail: ‘A missing full-stop, comma, spelling mistake or line too short, too long or not vertical will produce errors’. In addition, the Headmaster informed the Council that computers could be used for ‘rapid and accurate marking’, for the production of ‘different but equivalent tests for each member of a year or class’ with special potential, so he thought, for students in HSC Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Maths. Anticipating some concern from an inevitably economically cautious Council about the cost of introducing these devices to the School, there was an assurance that computers may ‘simulate experiments which are too difficult, dangerous or expensive to carry out such as radioactive decay of uranium particles and the relation between the amount 38

In the beginning…

Soon, the laptop was king.

and volume of a gas at constant temperature and pressure – two matters dealt with in Year 11 Chemistry’. The Council was conscious that there were obvious problems about radioactivity and gas leakage were such experiments to be held in the absence of these promising devices. There was no suggestion in 1977 of the usage of these devices in the Humanities, despite the Headmaster’s conviction that ‘computer programming teaches and encourages logical thinking – mathematical skill is not required for this’. However, those involved with Computer Studies were soon convinced that were there was no alternative to the introduction of computers into all aspects of school life, arguing in the 1977 Grammarian that: ‘Woe betide the person who doesn’t have at least a working knowledge of computers and their operation in the society that today’s students will face’. Accordingly, in May 1977 the School had installed a PDP/11.05 computer – soon known as ‘the computer’ – with line printer, card reader and two disk drives (for information storage). Although some of the teachers were said to be intimidated by this new machine, the Computer Room was beset daily by enthusiastic students from 7.15am onwards up to 5.30pm creating what some saw as ‘semichaos’ and ‘bedlam’. Perhaps the boys were inspired by what they had seen in the 1968 cult movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the onboard computer HAL-9000 had attempted to control his astronautical masters; perhaps those reluctant teachers were consolingly mindful that HAL’s malefaction had eventually been terminated by a human hand. Soon the Camberwell computer programs began to be utilised in the classroom itself for Year 10 Advanced Maths and eventually for Accounting and Business Studies. Over the following decades, the devices became common amongst all members of the school community at both an institutional level and through the use of personal devices such as the ubiquitous laptop of our own time. Unlike the scientificallyoriented visions of the 1970s, computer usage was soon found amongst all subjects that the School offered. Whatever the ills of the 2020 pandemic, that year did demonstrate that the 1977 student ‘wave of interest’ noted by the Grammarian has become a tsunami, and a generally welcome one. Neither the Council, the Headmaster, the computer staff, nor even the fictional HAL, in that recent past could have imagined our utter reliance on these devices in the 2020s. Dr David Bird Archivist and School Historian

Events Friends of Hockey Season Launch

Beef Night

WEDNESDAY 24 MARCH 2021

TUESDAY 30 MARCH 2021

An old-fashioned Beef Night was held at School in memory of past staff members, and to farewell Andrew Beale and Rhonda Nicholson.

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Friends of Soccer Season Launch

Mothers’ and Sons’ Breakfast

THURSDAY 29 APRIL 2021

THURSDAY 6 MAY 2021

Year 7 mums enjoyed a morning treat and some quality time with their sons at our annual Mothers’ and Sons’ Breakfast. This popular event is an opportunity for new families to the School to meet one another and spend time together with the students in a relaxed setting.

Junior School mums and their sons had a fabulous time at the Mother’s Day Breakfast. Perfect sunny conditions greeted the guests who enjoyed some delicious food served by our wonderful School Dad helpers with music provided by the talented Middle School Stage Band.

Junior School Mother’s Day

William Angliss Dinner

FRIDAY 7 MAY 2021

THURSDAY 13 MAY 2021

The eleventh annual William Angliss Dinner for Middle School Parents was addressed by Mr Tony Wilson (1990). An author of more than 20 books, a broadcaster (ABC, Triple R) and a public speaker, his address touched on imagination, kids, self-starting, surprises and the life lessons he did and didn’t learn at school.

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OCGA Events OCGA v Bellarinas Cricket Match at Suma Park

The CGS Alumni team were dominant the whole match. They batted first and Dave Harry (2003), Rohan Pike (1982), Richard Jones (1983), and Dean Alex (1987) all batted beautifully and at the completion of their innings the side had amassed 194 off their 36 overs. The Bellarine boys could not get going and only Peter Gell (1979) and Rich Macafee made contributions, and the side were out for less than a hundred. Dean Alex and Bill Mallinson (1988) both took two wickets.

Generations Breakfast

SUNDAY 21 MARCH 2021

The lunch (and wines) between innings was enjoyed by all. David Provan (1988) and Ryan (Matt) Whitehead (1994) both addressed the gathering and in particular thanked the Suma Park catering staff for their efforts. Many thanks to Ryan, Director of Community and Development at CGS not just for making the effort to come down but to don the whites and finish on 2 no. It is pleasing to report this year’s game was our 25th. in succession. The nucleus of the OCGA team has remained in all that time. May it continue!

WEDNESDAY 31 MARCH 2021

At this event we celebrated the many families who have entrusted Camberwell Grammar School with their education over multiple generations. Attendees ranged from the class of 1959 to a current Prep student. Currently the class of 1988 has the most Alumni who are fathers at the school, followed by 1985 and 1989.

50 Year Luncheon

SUNDAY 2 MAY 2021

Alumni that left the School in 1971 or prior (including six that left in the 1940s) gathered to catch up with classmates and share stories of their school days. 112 Alumni and 67 Guests attended. Dr Paul Hicks welcomed the attendees and Grace was said by

10/11 Year Reunion

Rev Stewart Taplin (1965). Past Director of Music Trevor Henley (1969) led the singing of the school song. The toast to the school was given by Michael Urwin (1971 and past staff) and new members of the 50 Year Chapter were presented with their 50 Year Badges by Nick Schildberger (1997) President, OCGA Committee. 46 Alumni received their 50 Year Badges and the classes of 1970 and 1971 were welcomed to the 50 Year Chapter.

FRIDAY 7 MAY 2021

The 10/11 Year Reunion (Class of 2010 & 2011) was held in The Camberwell Room of the Sports Centre. This was the first of this year’s double up reunions. 56 Alumni and nine past and current staff attended.

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Alumni News

Congratulations to Blake Collyer (2014) who finished 4th in the New Zealand PGA Tournament in April, shooting 66, 70, 68, 68 for a 16 under total.

Congratulations to Matthew Power (2020) who was selected by Basketball Victoria for the 2021 Victoria Under-20 Navy Blue Men’s team. Congratulations to Jonathan Henshaw (2013), Digital Director at Ryvalmedia, who is one of the winners in B&T’s 30 Under 30 for 2021 in the ‘Entrepreneur’ category.

William Westerman (2005), who works as a historian at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, has written an account of the AFL’s 1996 merger between the Fitzroy Lions and the Brisbane Bears. Merger: The Fitzroy Lions and the Tragedy of 1996 provides a comprehensive account of Fitzroy’s 1996 season and the drama, intrigue, and tragedy surrounding the AFL’s first, and thus far only, merger. Published by Melbourne Books, Merger was released in June 2021.

Benjamin Sutu (2009) performed with The Royal Melbourne Scrub Choir, a choir of front-line medical workers, and Ben Lee at the close of ‘Music From the Home Front’ at the Sidney Myer Bowl in April. 44

Andrew Chesterman (1986) and Tim Keeffe (1995) recently connected during work together in Brisbane. Andrew is currently the CEO of the Redland City Council and Tim is the Director of Client Solutions for Actrua, a consultancy engaged to help the council focus on leadership development.

Cameron Turner (2006) and wife Louise welcomed Ella Mackenzie on 27 October 2020. Granddaughter to Andre Turner (1971) and Lynn Turner (past Development Office staff).

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Alumni Profile Nick Schildberger (1997) School Captain in 1997, Nick is the current President of the Old Camberwell Grammarians Association (OCGA) Committee and Managing Director of his family’s company, SoundCartel. After graduating in 1997, I completed a Bachelor of Commerce at The University of Melbourne and have spent the majority of the last 20 years working in audio production. I had a fiveyear foray into the fitness industry, starting Your Gym in Surrey Hills. I now run my own audio agency called SoundCartel which produces podcasts for brands. My passion for creating engaging audio grew as I worked alongside my father, Michael, the founder of the business. My wife Stacey and I have two kids Hugo, aged 7, and Matilda, aged 5, so there’s never a dull moment! While at CGS, I tried to make the most of every opportunity – and I enjoyed it all. High on my list of fond memories are playing in the amazing orchestra, singing in the choir, and the kayaking trips to the Murray Marathon. Debating, drama, sport, and competitive house activities also kept me busy and fulfilled. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life when I left school, so the best advice I can give to those in Year 12 about to embark on their futures, is that you don’t need to know it all right now. Follow your interests and what you enjoy doing, and, if you’re like me, passions for life beyond school will develop over time. You’ll forever be part of the CGS Alumni, so don’t hesitate to call on the resources and connections through the CGS network.

Being President of the OCGA Committee is a small way for me to give back to the school that gave me so much, and I’m excited to take on the position of President this year. The Community and Development Office never ceases to amaze me with the growing number of activities and events they run every year.

‘My aim is to support all the enthusiasm the Headmaster and Alumni team have for the School and its leavers so that the entire school community continues to flourish.’ The OCGA has a clear mission to foster communication between alumni and the School through the sponsorship and organisation of social, sporting, and cultural activities. The OCGA currently has a strong slate of sporting teams, a theatre company and a full calendar of social events. In recent years, the OCGA has launched a mentoring program to assist leavers on their career journeys. We’ll continue to seek new ways to support our Alumni in the best ways possible – and we are always open to suggestions and input from our community.

Obituaries Douglas John Howard (1961) 7 September 1943 – 15 May 2021 Father to James (1987) and grandfather to Carson (2020) and Tim (Year 10).

Past Staff We were saddened to learn of the passing of Maureen McDermott on March 21 2021, an Art/Craft teacher in the Junior School during the late 70s and early 80s, and Virginia Weekes, a visiting Music teacher.

Gordon Wilson 11 March 1956 – 12 May 2021 Recently, the Camberwell Grammar community received the sad and unexpected news that our Head of Science, Gordon Wilson had suddenly passed away with a suspected heart attack. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with Gordon for 17 of his 32 years at Camberwell Grammar. Throughout this time, it quickly became evident that he had the experience and knowledge of an established teacher combined with the energy, passion and enthusiasm of a new first-year-out teacher. It is these very qualities that have enabled Camberwell Grammar to not only increase participation in VCE Science subjects, often in contrast to a state-wide decrease, but also ensured students consistently achieved high VCE scores in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Gordon’s ability to use visual elements to promote an interest in science will remain evident in the Department for many years to come. The design and layout of the science labs, complete with colourful posters, and the countless unit booklets and PowerPoints he created all bear the hallmarks of his passion and provide a rich legacy of resources, which Gordon was always proud to share with his colleagues. Even people outside the Department were invited to marvel in the wonders of science, with Gordon’s ambitious project of creating a high-quality scientific display cabinet to provide a visual interface between the corridor and the teaching labs. No stone was left unturned in the pursuit of creating the best possible displays and professional advice was sought from several experts to produce a final product which became a highlight of School tours for many prospective students and their families. Gordon further developed his command and knowledge of Chemistry as a co-author of the popular Heinemann VCE textbook and a regular marker of VCE examination papers. However, his passion for chemistry was on display for all when he combined theatre with experiments. Music, lights and often unpredictable experiments were all cleverly choreographed together with the magic ingredient of student involvement to create a unique spectacular performance. These were often performed at Open Days or Chemistry Conferences and the focus was always on maximising student participation.

Gordon was an avid hiker and a keen explorer and, in more recent times, was instrumental in establishing two exciting overseas excursions to further push the boundaries of student engagement with science. Students who were lucky enough to attend Space Camp in the USA participated in an intensive and immersive educational experience combining real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. However, Gordon’s energy and enthusiasm also saw him pioneer a more ambitious journey for students to explore the many species on the Galápagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre made famous by Charles Darwin and pivotal in developing the current theory of evolution. Regardless of the type or nature of these school excursions, students were never passengers, as they were required to engage and fully immerse themselves in the experience.

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As a father of five children, Gordon was more than adept at forming strong relationships with his tutees in his Bridgeland House tutor group. He took the time to engage each tutee and he knew them well. He was interested in their extra-curricular interests and, given his own broad interest range and curiosity, it was never difficult to find mutual connections. Gordon always looked for opportunities to provide praise and he encouraged their growth and development through their senior years at school. He fostered a strong sense of belonging within his Tutor Group. Gordon also knew the fine line between when to be direct with students or even parents, but equally, would also not hesitate to advocate on behalf of his tutees should the need arise. Gordon’s love of learning was not just contained to the classroom. He enthusiastically embraced learning languages, was interested in graphic design and photography and was always eager to learn new skills. He aimed high and sought advice to improve his outcomes and regularly reflected on how his learning was progressing. His natural curiosity and desire to expand his knowledge and horizons was particularly on display during his ‘mature-age gap year’ when, accompanied by his wife and their youngest daughter, he lived and worked in the UK. During this time, Gordon planned action-packed weekends and holidays full of visits to historical places, national parks, museums, galleries and famous European cities. During these visits, he was always on the lookout for resources he could bring back to CGS.

As a further reminder and also evidence that science is everpresent, later in the afternoon at Camberwell Grammar after Gordon’s funeral, a vivid rainbow illuminated the horizon, only to be outdone the next day with the rare astronomical event of the blood moon visible to all across the Melbourne night sky. Perhaps this was one of the many opportunities for all of us to value the natural world and marvel in the wonders of science. I know that Gordon would have. Mr Jack Smith Chemistry and Science Teacher

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Spectemur | Issue 2 - 2021

Spectemur Issue 2 2021

Articles inside

Obituaries

From the Archives

Events

OCGA Events

Alumni News

Alumni Profile

Staff Profile

Sport

Community Connections

The Great Gatsby

Mid-Year Concert

The Alchemist

Trips, Camps, Excursions and Incursions

News from Around the School

Murdoch Centre for Educational Research and Innovation

ANZAC Day Celebrations

Green Pages

Student Service in the Community

From the Headmaster’s Desk

Service in the School

From the Experts