19 minute read
Middle School
MIDDLE
school
In 2020 we welcomed a record number of students into the Middle School, and whilst they experienced a very different year, the life skills they have developed as a result should not be overlooked.
I had a lot of difficulty writing this report. It was a year that was so eventful; yet so many events were cancelled. It was a year that we would rather forget; yet we learnt so many valuable lessons. It is important to acknowledge that everyone will have their own story to tell and the challenges faced by some were far greater than others. For members of the Middle School, it was the challenge of starting at a new school, making friends and learning to independently juggle a new set of challenges. 2020 forced us all to do things differently, taking a far simpler approach in just about every way. Students had to give up the best parts of school, such as school sport, singing and classroom banter. Whilst finding substitutes for these favourite past times did not always offer a smooth transition, students were forced to develop their organisational skills and wrestle with responsibility, at a far greater intensity and with far less support than they would have otherwise. Faced with a crisis, our Middle School community searched for solutions and I am proud of the way we rallied around each other amidst such adversity. Reputations are built in tough times and we will never forget those who helped us, supported us and refused to give in.
Spending more time at home with our families helped us to understand each other, in ways most would not have thought possible. Parents gained an insight into their child’s learning habits, and children into their parents’ work routine; I am sure that neither would have been perfect, but I am certain both will have long term benefits on a number of levels. Having to live and work from home was one of our greatest challenges, but we learnt to find a balance. I have heard stories of baking, boredom and model building; tradie projects, loneliness and Zoom Trivia; sleep-ins, pyjama parties and WIFI battles; sibling counselling sessions, backyard campfires and bike ride discoveries. It is important to identify and address the metaphorical scars of COVID; however, it is critical that we look through the gloom for all of the positives that certainly would not have happened had we not faced such adversity.
Given the huge amount of disruption to our regular co-curricular program, we relied heavily on the generosity and creativity of
ROYSTEAD AWARDS
Back Row L-R: Tommy Auwardt, Jamison Smith, Michael Fang. Ioan Hillard, Edward Pill. 4th Row L-R: Edward Hare, Tobias Phillips, Hugh Fukumura, Nathan Bosmans, Ethan Mak, Ryder Cheeseman. 3rd Row L-R: Raphael Champion, Rico Towers, Justin Mellor, Ethan Huang, Jayden Yap, 2nd Row L-R: Hamish Westcott, Hugh Cran, Lucas Rodriguez, Henry Deayton, Ryan Humphries, Rohan Wickremasinghe, Adrian Chiu. Front Row L-R: Mr Troy Stanley, Max McKenzie, Joshua Day, Joey Govenlock, Jonty Neil, Joel Cheok, Matthew Lau, Dr Paul Hicks. Absent: Joel Burton, Nathan Chan, Declan Collett, Noah Shinnick.
our staff to ensure our students’ interests outside of the classroom were provided for, in some capacity. Despite managing to complete the Summer Sports season in Term 1, the majority of sports were cancelled. Mr Paul Sartori and his Strength and Conditioning coaches came to the rescue running up to six virtual fitness sessions a day. These were truly a saviour to many of our boys for whom sport plays such a significant role.
In a similar fashion, a number of virtual activities replaced those that traditionally run on Friday afternoons. 7G Form Teacher, Miss Sherin George who was new to the school this year, provided dessert baking master classes for over 50 budding chefs almost every Friday during lockdown. Needless to say, the skills that she imparted on her proteges were well received by all families at home. Other activities offered online are featured in this section of The Grammarian and I thank all of the staff and boys for their enthusiastic participation. The Middle School musicians also provided a great deal of entertainment throughout lockdown. Through their efforts, our community was treated to a wide variety of virtual concerts, showcasing the enormous talent at our school. When so much was lost by this powerful pillar of the school, they would have been forgiven for giving up. But through their tenacity, our musicians created a new way of harnessing and sharing their talents across a much wider platform than ever before.
The mental health of our community was certainly stretched this year and I praise and commend the efforts of Dr Francesca Thomson and Ms Elizabeth Grant for their combined efforts in caring for the boys and their families who faced additional challenges, on top of what is already a very interesting and challenging period of their lives.
While there have been many ups and downs, the greatest realisation from all of this is that we are more capable than we know and we simply cannot do it alone. It is expected that students rely on their teachers, yet this year we discovered that teachers equally rely on their students. The empathy our boys have shown each other, including their teachers, has been incredible, and, for many teachers, a highlight of our remote teaching experience this year. Similarly, parents and teachers have relied on our boys to get on with their learning far more independently than ever before. When students were asked in a survey what they had learnt most from the online learning experience, overwhelmingly, students reported independence and organisational skills.
Through turmoil comes growth, and whilst I am certain there are more learnings ahead, we are better equipped to live more vibrant fulfilling lives based on the many lessons of 2020.
Milestones
2020 also marked a huge milestone for Mr Scott Wyatt who reached 25 years of loyal and dedicated service. Over that time he has enriched the lives of so many families through his desire to not only get to know his students, but their support networks as well. As an educator, he sparks curiosity and instils confidence in even the most reserved learner; a trait that he also imparts on fellow staff in his coaching role. Mr Wyatt reflects the very best of Camberwell Grammar School; and as the Deputy Head of Middle School, he has ensured that all students have a piece of that woven into their fabric as they embark on their journey through the School. Here’s to many more inspired adventures- Spectemur Agendo.
Year 7 and 8 Debating
The Year 8 Inter-Form Debating Season, although performed in challenging circumstances, proved to be a very successful, enjoyable and enriching experience for all involved and concluded with the Grand Final between 8R and 8J. They debated the motion that the United Nations has failed. All Year 8 students learnt debating skills in English lessons and engaged in an inter-form competition. Three Year 8 teams were also able to compete in the Debating Association of Victoria’s (DAV) Junior Secondary competition online and against other schools, which also proved to be a success.
The Year 7 Debating program was an Intra School competition involving four teams. Each team debated three different topics over three weeks and learnt the basics of debating in the Friday School Activities program. They also received valuable tuition from the visiting university student adjudicators from the DAV. Our students spent extra time preparing their debates, and I congratulate the boys who have gone above and beyond their normal busy routines.
Mr Peter Robinson
Friday Activities
COOKING CLASSES
Cooking proved to be a very popular Friday Activity in the Middle School. The range of recipes and the degree of culinary difficulty were worthy of MasterChef! We had puddings and pasta and pies, risotto and roasts, corn fritters, tea cakes, and brownies, guacamole and tacos; everything from arancini balls to zucchini fritters. The ingenuity and creativity the boys showed was truly remarkable. I hope that they and their families enjoyed some amazing feasts!
DELICIOUS DESSERTS
‘Delicious Desserts’ was one of the many Friday activities that were on offer during online learning. We began with a small group of 30 and grew very quickly. Each week a chosen recipe was sent to everyone and we gathered the ingredients. On Fridays, the boys rolled up their sleeves, put on their aprons and got baking. The students enthusiastically shared pictures of their marvellous bakes and took pride in their creations. It was so exciting to see what each person had baked and how they put their own spin on each recipe. The best part of this experience was seeing how supportive the Middle School boys were of each other, even when they didn’t know each other. The hardest part was seeing all the delicious desserts being prepared and not being able to taste them. We made everything from pavlovas to panna cottas. It is apparent that we have many talented dessert chefs amongst us. Congratulations to everyone who took part in this program. Keep up the amazing work!
CHESS
Throughout the period of online learning, Chess was one of a range of Friday activities offered to Middle School students via Zoom. Each session was structured with a review of tactical ploys, an overview of a classic game throughout history, such as the ‘Evergreen’ and ‘Immortal’, and an opportunity for match play.
Whilst experimenting with such tactics was encouraged, of greater importance was understanding respectful play and learning from one another about game techniques. Being able to shift attention from academic classes to focus on the next move was certainly an enjoyable and relaxing way to close out the school week. During online learning students have had to adapt to many changes in the way they engage and learn. Indeed, life, like Chess, is not so much about the final outcome, but more about learning and embracing those challenges that arise along the way. Lachlan Lee, a Year 6 student, aptly reflected:
“Chess over Zoom has allowed many of us to meet and play chess. Me, personally, I have learnt that chess is not about winning - it is about learning from your mistakes and being a good sport at the end of each game.”
Mr Stephen Smith
PAINTING AND DRAWING CLUB
Friday afternoon activities in the Middle School has been a great opportunity to sit back, relax and try something new, or maybe improve on a skill that you have enjoyed in the past. This year, over two terms, the painting and drawing club attracted over fifty participants, eager to make their mark on the world. Using Zoom classes on a Friday, we examined techniques on sketching still life objects and tried our hand at producing landscapes. Areas we covered were observational techniques, perspective and composition skills. We learnt about pencil drawing basics to create tonal images. Moreover, we used pencils to create shading, hatching, fine and curved lines, to create tone and contrast.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The Photography Course was great fun with a small group of 10-12 boys exploring the basics of photography, such as: light, composition, focus and purpose. Students presented their own work focussing on a particular topic each week. Here are some examples:
Eventually we moved to colour theory- investigating saturation, tints, secondary and tertiary colours. We learnt how to use complementary colours and colour temperature to create harmony, contrast, depth and mood.
There were dozens of pictures that the students produced, that were posted online for judging. In addition, students received valuable feedback about their compositions and prizes were handed out when students returned to school.
Drawing and painting is a great way to disconnect, and it takes patience and a willingness to experiment to create thought provoking imagery. The results are something to be proud of, and I am sure many students will continue this passion. Maybe one day they will find their composition hanging in the David Williams Gallery.
Mr Shaun Burke
Luke Davidson Charlie Callaghan
Courage to Care Incursion
The Middle School were delighted to have Courage to Care return in Term 1. Reflecting on the Holocaust, the organisation looks at the lives of ‘ordinary people’ to explore issues of racism, prejudice, stereotyping, and bullying (including cyber bullying). There is a strong message for students to consider, about the consequences of bystander behaviour and how we should be empowered to be ‘upstanders’, in the face of injustice.
The event was held in the Camberwell Room, starting with a documentary, followed by a personal testimony from a Holocaust survivor. It was a moving and thought-provoking experience for the students, to hear personal accounts of the horror and difficulties faced by survivors. There was some relief, when survivors discussed moving to Australia and having the opportunity for a successful career, and all the joys they have experienced since. Then students were broken up in groups and examined interactive personal stories from World War Two and around the world. Afterwards, this facilitated small-group discussions.
After the event, students in Year 8 studied The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. The novel addressed the hardships that individuals faced due to discrimination and prejudice during World War Two. The background knowledge that students were educated about through the Courage to Care program helped them to further understand the major themes in the book and the overall purpose of the novel. Furthermore, the novel sends a clear message, that even today persecution is happening, and we need to understand this and collectively help, to make sure that justice prevails.
The Middle School students would like to thank all the volunteers involved in the Courage to Care program in Victoria for helping them to understand the roles of a victim, perpetrator and bystander.
Through the stories of the Holocaust survivors, students could see the undaunted courage made by the rescuers and the lives they ultimately saved.
Mr Shaun Burke
Student Fitness Sessions
Remote learning provided the Strength and Conditioning Department with a unique opportunity of establishing an online fitness program and services. Over this time coaches have led over 600 sessions for Year 6-12 students, 1st squads and Camberwell Grammar Aquatic swimmers. All students involved consistently participated with an exceptional work ethic, dedication and a fun-loving attitude. Not only were these sessions perfect for the development of student’s physical fitness but they were an opportunity for students to stay connected outside of their normal academic sessions and develop strong bonds with boys from other year levels.
Well done to all those involved!
Mr Paul Satori
YEAR 6J
Back Row L-R: Kaan Ong, Joshua Imsic, Toby Miller, Axel Peterson, Isaac Chen, Edward Liang, Maxwell Chao-Hong, Harrison Ross, Daniel Strong. 2nd Row L-R: Alexander Tahn, Toan Le, Ethan Wang, Ashton Semczyszyn, Cyrus Foroudi, Caleb Jack, Jerry Tang, Melvin Zhang, Mr Nathan Jones. Seated L-R: Christian Pham, Leo Qi, Tom Green, Joseph Ni, Lucas Gu, Lachlan Lee, Costas Zakkas, Jason Xu, Leonidas Tiras.
YEAR 6M
Back Row L-R: William Nethercote, William Kemp, Patrick Watson, Harish R-Roshan, Riley Austin, Louis Zhang, Maximilian Coia, Jeremy Wong. 2nd Row L-R: Max McCool, Sean Chang, Augustine Tan, Angus Egan, William Nguyen, Kathir Suresh, Samuel Li, Mr Troy Stanley. Seated L-R: Aaron Lau, Ari Hatzicostas, Aston Smith, Anson Wang, Alex Tong, Mark Wu, Evan Cooke, Liam Clarke. Absent: Josiah Reichmann, Hamish Mitchell.
YEAR 7A
Back Row L-R: Sam Grlj, Beckley Kleynhans, Alex Zhang, Cameron Holmes, Wilson Zhou, Samir Banerji, Fin Williams. 2nd Row L-R: James Gargano, Jonathan Chong, Caleb Chow, Daniel Lukins, Christopher Khong, Joshua S Ng, William Elliott, Kye Yoshimura, Ms Ciara Chaomhanach. Seated L-R: Daniel Teele, Reuben Opat, Oliver Devine, Kensei Soegijono, Lucas Yip, James Webb, Thomas Alfieri. Absent: Joshua McAllister, Edward Oliver.
YEAR 7C
Back Row L-R: Alex Liang, Wonlee Kua, Louie Fei, Calvin Wang, Leo Li, Gilbert Zhang, Lachlan Crosgrove, Ashwin Lagana. 2nd Row L-R: Lucas van Koert, Daniel Feng, Patrick Hindhaugh, Ethan Chen, James Pawson, Jonathon Haig, Ray Zhan, Rick Liu, Mr Ian Cathcart. Seated L-R: Oliver Ta, Alan Zou, Sevin Saranasuriya, Alan Wang, Anson Lim, Jack Zhang, Jacob Lewis, Oliver Jewell. Absent: Ross Armstrong.
YEAR 7G
Back Row L-R: Elliot Walker, George Baker, Kensey Liang, Mitchell Graham, Lachlan Lam, Julian Griffiths, Luke Davidson, Hamish Stuart-Adams. 2nd Row L-R: Timothy Lee, Will Seeley, Nicholas Branson, Charlie Callaghan, Charlie Adams, Liam Dosser, Dylan Wong, Orville Wang, Miss Sherin George. Seated L-R: James Doyle, Ethan Yeung, Nicholas Teoh, Lachlan Charlesworth, Joshua Koppelman, Ben Ngo, Thomas Douglas, William Georges. Absent: Angus Rynne.
YEAR 7M
Back Row L-R: Dler Toghyani-Farshid, Spencer Drew, Ross Sykiotis, Silas Qian, Alex Gao, Stirling Martin, Benjamin Nash, Nate Seow. 2nd Row L-R: Joah Quach, Fraser Richardson, Jonah Guorgi, Dennis Shaliga, Andrew Wang, Owen Wu, Luke May, Ric Shen, Hamish Wishart, Ms Miranda McDonald. Seated L-R: Joshua Carlin, Aidan Fayle, Thomas Chen-Low, Christian Venter, Harry Chen, Rory Woods, Mitchell Hedley, Oliver Phillips.
YEAR 7R
Back Row L-R: Shilah Brown, Fraser Rowe, Thomas Nania, Austin Dai, Raymond Fei, Ari Canale, Jack Giang, Henry Yan. 2nd Row L-R: Mark Bishop, Sachin Kunendra, Payan Kolah, Eric Shen, Thomas Tonkin, Luke Tavenor, Kartikeya Kalva, Wilson Sha, Mrs Aneta Renieris. Seated L-R: Aidan Poon, Arian Asadpour, George Karametos, Lucas Saunders, Max Helmer, Harper Davidson, Joshua Taylor, Aidan Lau. Absent: Callum Ling. Back Row L-R: Saveen Seneviratne, Jack Marostica, Edward Wang, Max Pearce, Thomas Robinson, Leonard Lee, Rhys Bishop, Henry Segal. 2nd Row L-R: James Mills, Tomas O’Brien, Charles Taliadoros, Shaun Wang, Ronan Mahaffy, Toby Sharrock, Shaya Asadi, Mr Mark Mews. Seated L-R: Justin Kwan, Riley Scott, Bach Tran, James Gaudion, Ethan Tan, Matthew Shi, Lachlan Cross, Alexander Reale. Absent: Lucas Brown.
YEAR 7S
YEAR 7W
Back Row L-R: Lachlan Courmadias, Kurt Zvirbulis, James Wang, Sean Luo, William Watson, Goldman Xu, Marcus Lu, Ethan Wang. 2nd Row L-R: Thomas Nebbs, Gianni Cioffi, Arya Noor, Jonathan Cheung, Shen Rong, Daniel Renzi, Joshua H Ng, Hugo Thompson, Will Li, Mr Scott Wyatt. Seated L-R: Jayden Mai, Leon de Rooden, Kristofer Vos-Rutter, Tobias Smith, Ethan Lau, Luca Tassone, Derrick Kwon, Albert Su.
YEAR 7Z
Back Row L-R: Adam Li, Simon Gao, Oscar Stambanis, Matthew Allsop, Daniel Cohen, Nicholas Lysikatos, Ethan Tran, Karlan Ng. 2nd Row L-R: Tommy Ramsay, Alexander Papadopoulos, Matthew Barrett, Mattias Ho, Will Howard, Noah Conn, Joshua Lipenski, Charlie Weickhardt, Mr Peter Zagarn. Seated L-R: Lucas Ho, Darcy Merritt, Minh Tran, Nigel Khong, Henry Li, Ryan Chung, Jack Brant, Joshua Mazey.
YEAR 8B
Back Row L-R: Callum Yates, Raye Hsieh, Michael Chen, Josh Cooper, Mark Sonbol, Christopher Cohen, Timothy Yeow, Mr Shaun Burke. 2nd Row L-R: Nat Navaneetharaja, Callam McClure, Ethan Mak, Julian Lim, Joshua Morgan, Orlando Kuti, Hugh Cran, Zaid Imran. Seated L-R: Oliver Wu, Elias Zakkas, Matthew Tong, Jayden Yap, Rohan Wickremasinghe, Max Cornelius, Haydn Hammerton. Absent: Edward Hare, Harry Clarke, Ben Radelczyk.
YEAR 8C
Back Row L-R: Ryder Cheesman, Henry Deayton, Jamison Smith, Jackson Haintz, Ashton Nunn, Ioan Hillard, Adrian Chiu, Ryder Smith. 2nd Row L-R: Jonathan Vais, Charlie Williams, Ryan Gale, Lucas Chin, Matthew Lau, Theodore Lam, Minh Tran, Kadell Kuti, Aidan McGrath, Mr Craig Conlan. Seated L-R: Hugo Stevens, Brodie Pang, Kelvin Le, Jayden Ou-Young, William McPhee, Hector Wong, Harrison Car, Allan Wang.
YEAR 8J
Back Row L-R: Hugh Fukumura, Xander Lee, William Zhang, Sabir Singh, Nick Dillon, Chris Lu, Michael Huang, Andy Zhang. 2nd Row L-R: Joey Govenlock, Jason Li, James Tsang, Victor Shao, Luka Stojnic, Oliver Ford, Jonty Neil, Izaan Imran, Joshua Day, Mr Stephen Smith. Seated L-R: Sam Yang, Lachie Dunne, Ethan Ong, Rico Towers, Zac Matters, Jim Zhu, Declan Collett, Will Aldred.
YEAR 8K
Back Row L-R: Will Richardson, Lucas Hu, Ewan Lewis, Oliver Lowe, Ben Ford, Charlie King, Lachlan Wong, Nicholas Woosnam. 2nd Row L-R: Sebastian Kamleshwaran, Dylan Davies, Josh Tomlin, Christian Kinsella, Lachie McGowan, Leo Quan, Byron Zhang, Mr Andrew Kingham. Seated L-R: Nathan Chan, Lachlan Young, Noah Smith, Lucas Rodriguez, Lachlan Khuu, Mark Thiel, Jp Ma, Zifan Morris. Absent: Jacob Evans.
YEAR 8M
Back Row L-R: Max Pringle, Lachlan Lewis, Jaiden Lee, Allan Huang, Michael Fang, Tobias Phillips, Darren Li, Campbell Davidson. 2nd Row L-R: Mason O’Neil, Timothy Lu, Cameron Yeang, William Linehan, Aedan Mayne, Georgio Cioffi, Savith Jayasuriya, Will Joy, Ms Katrina Massey. Seated L-R: Kaiser Tan, Timothy Gunasegaram, Arthur Lau, Flynn Parker, William Jenkin, Ryan Humphries, Matthew Treagus, Matthew Lung. Absent: Christian Evans.
YEAR 8R
Back Row L-R: Tommy Auwardt, Justin Mellor, Jasper Lim, Edward Pill, Eamon Wan, Jason Liang, William Lardner, Nathan Bosmans. 2nd Row L-R: Rylan Tan, Max Alexander, Parker Rush, Daniel Chen, Matthew Hoyling, Declan McCabe, Domenic Bozzone, Hamish Westcott, Thomas Rinehart-Beer, Mr Peter Robinson. Seated L-R: James Chan, Luke Cariss-Brett, Raphael Champion, James Lau, Lachlan Kruse, Max McKenzie, Noah Shinnick, Brayden Chew.
YEAR 8S
Back Row L-R: George Trembath, Ethan Huang, Justin Liu, Daniel An, Tony Zhang, Joe Hu, Harrison Varsamidis, George Johnson, Michael Bao. 2nd Row L-R: Antonio Fu, Joshua Ng, Charles King, David Li, Ethan Loi, George Kitsoulis, Jack Shao, Justin Song, Ms Stephanie Bohni. Seated L-R: William Kopke, Joel Burton, Joel Cheok, Benjamin Pai, Nathan Wu, William Chin, Samuel Chan, Maxim Renieris, Lachlan Ramsay.
