News from Launceston Grammar Issue 63

news FROM LAUNCESTON GRAMMAR 2019 | Issue 63

COURAGEOUS

CURIOUS

CREATIVE

COMPASSIONATE

inspiring courageous curious creative compassionate

GLOBAL LEARNERS AND LEADERS Launceston Church Grammar School is an Anglican co-educational day and boarding community where global learners and leaders are nurtured, challenged and inspired to serve and shape our world with courage, curiosity, creativity and compassion.

We encourage our students to be courageous as they embrace challenges with integrity and justice; be curious in exploring and examining the world and all its attributes; be creative, discovering and designing solutions for today’s and future challenges; and to be compassionate, seeking and serving the needs of our world.

We are Australia’s oldest continuously operated independent school. Our alumni include 17 Rhodes Scholars, 5 Australian State Premiers and 3 Anglican Bishops. The School also ranks in the top 10 Australian schools for alumni receiving OAMs. Discover the courage, curiosity, creativity and compassion of our community throughout this edition of News from Launceston Grammar.

Contents Reports / 2

Courageous / 4 Curious / 12

Annual fund / 20 Creative / 24

Compassionate / 35 Leaders reflect / 44 Alumni news / 45

In Memoriam / 45

Front cover/ Grade 5 student Tabitha Bailey with bees from the Tole family, who provided honey to sell at the Grade 5 Makers' Market. Read more on page 41.

Magazine Managing Editor / Brigid Rawlings Editor / Tamara Clark Graphic Design / Rebecca Jee Publisher Launceston Church Grammar School 36 Button Street, Mowbray Heights TAS 7250 Phone +61 3 6336 6000 lcgs.tas.edu.au

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TRADITION

From Launceston Church Grammar School’s earliest days, we have endeavoured to not only challenge the mind but also nurture the hearts of students in the hope that they will graduate ready to serve and shape our world. This desire for our students was captured at the School’s Foundation Service in 1846.

For 173 years students from Launceston Grammar have been serving and shaping our world with their courage, curiosity, creativity and compassion. As a School we remain committed to nurturing, challenging and inspiring future generations of learners and leaders for our city and our world.

Over the last year I have been impressed by students’ courage as they have participated in our world-class Outdoor Education Programme, curiosity as they have embraced the opportunity to take part in our unique Aviation Programme, creativity as they expressed their ideas and exhibited work in our inspiring Poimena Art Centre and compassion as they served our local and global community.

The School’s commitment to ensuring students can understand, engage with and influence our world has been evident this year at the Junior Campus with the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

At the Senior Campus we have just started a co-working space from which entrepreneurs, creatives and small business owners are working and mentoring students on their passion projects.

In the second half of 2019, as the School prepares to embark on its next strategic plan, I am looking forward to sharing more with the community about the ways in which Launceston Grammar will continue to build on the School’s dynamic tradition.

Richard Ford, Headmaster

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excellence

It is an honour to be leading the Launceston Church Grammar School Board in what is an exciting new era for the School. Our timehonoured tradition of quality and excellence in educating young people ushers in a new chapter of the School’s proud history as we build on these values and inspire the next generation to become global learners and leaders.

In the same way that our students are learning to be leaders, Launceston Grammar would not be where it is today were it not for the leadership of the Board who volunteer their time to help govern the direction of the School. I would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of Mr Michael Bennett who dedicated a large amount of his

When you think back on your own education, who are the teachers that had the greatest influence on you?

I remember my Grade 1 teacher, Miss Strike, who was kind and caring; she also loved mathematics and would spend time showing us the amazing patterns to be discovered in counting. I also recall Miss Brock from Grade 4 who took us on a journey around the world through cooking, music and pre-internet virtual sightseeing. In high school there was Mr Lee, my Grade 11 and 12 English teacher, who introduced me to the delights of Auden, Donne, Conrad and Hawthorne.

time and energy in service as Board Chair over a period of seven years, retiring in December last year.

We are excited that the School is making steady progress in its goal of becoming a fully authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) World School with its offering of the Primary Years Programme (PYP). A key focus of the PYP is to encourage students to ‘take action’, be compassionate and continue in their journey of becoming informed, engaged and responsible citizens, far into the future.

As the Board works with the Headmaster, Mr Richard Ford, we will oversee the School’s strategic direction, delivered through the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. The

These amazing women and men ignited a passion for learning and a budding understanding of the breadth and depth of the world around me. They provided learning experiences that developed compassion, patience and wisdom while cultivating a sense of justice and humility. In truth, I was fortunate to have many great teachers, some of whom I try to emulate in my own classroom. What is it that makes a teacher great?

In my experience the common traits displayed by excellent educators are their obvious passion for their subject, their capacity to excite others to get hooked into lifelong

Grammar Identity Statement, which was developed by the Headmaster in consultation with parents, staff, students, alumni and the Board, will inform the actions of the Strategic Plan and provide a clear direction and distinct educational offering going forward.

On behalf of the Launceston Church Grammar School Board, I offer thanks to staff, parents and alumni who work together as a strong and united community to deliver excellence in education to our young people.

Nigel Bailey, Chair, Launceston Church Grammar School Board

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learning, and a respectful care of students.

Our focus is on developing learners and leaders in all areas of the Launceston Grammar Identity, and the language we have chosen to encapsulate our identity speaks volumes about what we value. We are developing global, courageous, curious, creative and compassionate leaders and learners. What a privilege it is to have this as our mandate.

Penni Maher, Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning)

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service

The year at Launceston Grammar has been both fruitful and busy. Our students have been most successful across a vast range of activities. The School has seen students represent the State in sailing, hockey, cricket, basketball, swimming, rowing, cross country and orienteering in just the first 6 months of the year. Our students have represented the School with distinction in inter-school sport with our First Eleven Cricketers winning the State Final against The Hutchins School earlier in Term 1. Our Rowing Club had another fruitful season with our senior boys rowing with distinction in the Nationals and achieving a place in the top ten in the nation.

In my role as Head of the Junior Campus I have the privilege of meeting with prospective parents as they work through the process of deciding which school their child will attend in the future. There is nothing more enjoyable than walking around our Campus, sharing our story.

The visits I find the most rewarding are those that include challenging questions about different aspects of education and in particular: ‘Why would we send our child to the Junior Campus?’ and ‘What do you offer at your school that is different?’

In responding to these questions, as a mother of two children, I often find it helpful to put on my own parent’s hat.

Our Arts Programme continues to shine with the incredible school production, The Addams Family (School Edition), showcasing the talents of our musicians and thespians.

Our dance, drama and music students also excelled at the Launceston Competitions where they received great accolades and successes for their polished performances.

Our students once again participated in a range of school exchanges and have spent time in England, Japan and the United States. Later in the year almost 50 students will depart for a month in Nepal as part of Antipodeans Abroad.

I would send my child to the Junior Campus because:

•• The Campus, through its work as

an International Baccalaureate World School, is genuinely and very effectively preparing children for life in the 21st century;

•• There is a very positive culture in which children flourish and have hope for the future;

•• There are internationally

recognised expectations in relation to teaching and learning practice;

•• The School has strongly embedded virtues;

As with all years, our students continue to serve others, and most notably raised $37 000 for cerebral palsy in their annual 80 km Walkathon. As I write this article over 55 students are being interviewed, hoping to be selected to help with the Sony Christmas Camp at the end of the year. With so many community service projects being supported by the students of the School it reminds me constantly of their willingness to help serve the world in which they live and to which they contribute.

Nick Foster, Deputy Head (Students)

community

•• The Campus has a very strong

and special sense of community; and

•• Each child is genuinely known, and their strengths and needs catered for.

As parents it is critical for us to know that our children are given the best possible start in life and at the Junior Campus we are proud of the way we partner with parents to make this a reality.

Jane King, Head of Junior Campus

Walkathon inspires our students to push their boundaries. This year $37 000 were raised to help St Giles purchase assistive communication technology for people living with cerebral palsy.

courage

OVERFLOWS EMOTIONAL | PHYSICAL | SPIRITUAL

Our Grade 12 students show immense courage each year

The challenge to walk 80 km in 24 hours in the annual Walkathon is an incredibly demanding experience for any human – even the fittest of them. It takes emotional and physical courage to complete the Walkathon and each year I witness our students displaying that courage. I am also witness to the incredible effort the student body, and in particular Grade 12, put into the entire Walkathon experience.

A Grade 12 student this year coordinated an acoustic night fundraiser. She put an enormous amount of effort into planning and putting together the line-up and was

Opposite/ Grade 12 students organised an ice bucket challenge as part of this year's Walkathon fundraising.

one of the key performers. This took an enormous amount of courage to say, ‘Hey I’m going to organise this fundraising event and I’m going to put my neck on the line and perform at it and hope that people will turn up’. It was a huge success, raised a lot of money and engendered community spirit for this year's Walkathon early on in Term 1 – inspiring!

An area where I would like to see students show more courage is in speaking truth to power. As a society we have an ingrained set of challenges we need to collectively

solve: inequality, climate change, loss of biodiversity. These challenges will be the cornerstone problems for the next generation. For our students it is vital that they step up with courage to solve them by approaching people in positions of power who are not addressing them adequately and challenge them on it. This will take courage and I believe our students have that courage based on what I have seen of them this year.

John McLaine, Coordinator Grade 11 and 12 and Walkathon Coordinator

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LEGEND LEADS WITH Words Kim Nielsen-Creeley

Launceston Grammar alumnus (1978), David Boon MBE has sustained a life-long career in the world of international cricket. Debuting as a 17-year-old playing First Class Cricket for Tasmania in 1978/79 and rising to become Australia’s top batsman in the early 1990s, David made 21 Test centuries, was voted Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1993 and became an Australian Selector with Cricket Australia.

Among many career highlights was his role in four Ashes series wins; his unbeaten 184 in the Bicentenary Test of 1988; and his Man-of-the-Match winning effort in the 1987 World Cup final.

Primarily in the number 3 position, his resilience was an essential ingredient in Australia’s revival as a cricketing power in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating said of David’s retirement, ‘When the team was up against it, we came to count on you to fight with skill and courage. Cricket fans around the world will miss the great character and talent that you brought to the game’.

Since 1999, David has worked with Cricket Tasmania and from 2011, the international governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the Elite Panel of ICC Referees. David is an advocate against illegal gambling, through the ICC's involvement with the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit. He says, ‘It’s a battle at times, the way the game is viewed by the public, and people must be assured they are watching the real thing’.

He was known for his courage, both in facing the fastest bowlers when batting in the top order, and for his willingness to field in the most dangerous position in the game – short leg.

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Opposite/ David Boon catches Nasser Hussain.

Ashes series, Third Test at Trent Bridge, England v Australia. Photographer / Rui Vieira Page 7/ David Boon, Australia 20 May 1993.

Photographer / Allstar Picture Library

When his career began no one imagined how the game would evolve, but David experienced cherished mentorships and support from a young age. Throughout his early life and career, he acknowledges family first; his parents' involvement and example. ‘They had a desire to help you as a child, to do whatever you enjoy and try to achieve. My parents ran me around everywhere, and as a parent myself I understand how that works, even though my children are adults now’.

The Boons are a sporting family. David’s father Clarrie played football with North Launceston and East Launceston, was a Chairman of the National Football Association for two terms and initiated the still current Best Player award in the NTCA, the Clarrie Boon Medal. David’s mother Lesley was a national hockey player with the Australian team in the 1950s and coached in Tasmania for a long time.

David was a disciplined young man and a cricket star from an early age according to Launceston Grammar Headmaster Hutchings, who was always acknowledging his high cricket scores at assemblies. Mrs Mary Hutchings was concerned, and a mentor for David’s academic welfare, as even then he was away from home a lot. The Launcestonian may have reported ‘Boon back from Sri Lanka in the Australian youth side, 42 not out’, but Mrs Hutchings banished him to the Headmaster’s House three times a week for an hour of tuition, to catch up.

David says he was still a boy then, and thought that schoolwork was outside of sport, but ideally in hindsight, the disciplines should run in tandem.

Launceston Grammar cricket coach John Martin was, not so subtly, fielding local football clubs away, encouraging David’s decision to choose cricket. ‘I swam as a child and loved football, might have even preferred footy, although I’d never be tall or quick enough. I played with North Launceston for a couple of years until I was 21’.

David acknowledges support along the way from prestigious cricket players and administrators such as Jack Simmons MBE, Bob Simpson AO, Alan Border AO and Dennis Rogers AO. Jack Simmons, a Lancashire man, was invited to Tasmania to captain the Tasmanian side in 1972-3 and stayed for eight seasons, leading the team into the Sheffield Shield competition. David was just eight or nine years old when they met, and Jack became a father figure to him later when Clarrie Boon passed away. David’s son Jack is Jack Simmons’ godson. Bob Simpson was ‘the first formal coach of Australian cricket … when the team was rebuilding in the mid to late 1980s. He took us forward and had an enormous influence.

Alan Border as captain was another influential player, and personally we are great mates’.

Denis Rogers, now current Chairman of the Australian Cricket Board offered him a position in Hobart with the Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA). David said he would talk to his wife Pip about that, ‘but Denis had been working behind my back … if you make sure the family is happy, the man will follow’. He credits Denis as a major influence, with his knowledge of business and administration, and the opportunity for David to work with the state body in the areas of administration, marketing and media initially and then as General Manager of Cricket.

“To lead a life that I have, travelling the world with cricket, the support of family is paramount, and it continues with the ICC,” says David.

When asked about his school days, he says “Launceston Grammar gave me a very good understanding of reality, and I have fond memories from my school days.

“Young people with ambitions for a sports career need to be realistic and be aware that sport can be fickle. My advice is to strive for balance whilst remembering there is still a place to dream. Put your best foot forward, be courageous, and be the best you can be.”

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Lauren Holder is looking to continue her entrepreneurial journey which began in Grade 5, by studying accounting and marketing at university next year and creating her own service-based business helping others.

The Grade 12 student started her journey as a business owner by making handmade jewellery and through this gleaned where to source jewellery making supplies within Australia and overseas. She now runs a successful component supply business.

“I saw a gap in the market with only a small number of suppliers selling jewellery components at a reasonable price and so began my business, Jewellery Supplies Company,” says Lauren.

One of the keys to her success has been the courage to simply go for it, and when asked what advice she would give to someone considering starting their own business, she says to just ‘give it a shot’.

“You are never going to find out unless you take the first step,” says Lauren. “Being a young business owner hasn’t restricted me. I’ve come into this venture knowing nothing about the industry – except who my target market is and how to reach them.

One of the keys to her success has been the courage to simply go for it.

“I would recommend having a business plan – an idea of where you want to go, what you want to sell, who your target market is and how you are going to reach them – all key components of a successful business.”

For the Launceston Grammar student, reaching her current and new audiences is best achieved through a professional and creative presence.

“Online is how I reach my customers and Instagram is definitely the way to go for a business like mine.

“Instagram’s Stories feature and business tools, where you can keep track of analytics and how your posts are performing, are fantastic ways to understand where your customers come from.

“The hand-made community of makers on this social media platform is also really active and engaged. People spread the word about my business through it and I’ve gained hundreds of followers just from people sharing their orders they have placed with me on their own Stories.”

Despite her age, Lauren has many makers contacting her for advice on their own business situation and on how to go forward when challenges strike.

“A lot of the makers are stay-at-home mums and I’m often encouraging them to keep going and be courageous. Some of them can feel quite isolated working away in their homes and it is important for them to know that there are people out there they can communicate with if they have questions.

“The Instagram community is full of people who look to others for help – we are essentially one big community.”

Through research Lauren discovered that blogging is an excellent way for people to find out about other makers – especially the successful ones.

“That is why I started ‘Meet the Maker’, a blog which highlights creative businesses across the country and provides a snapshot into the business owner’s own journey, as well as advice they would give to start-ups.”

For some final advice, Lauren says it can be scary when you venture into something that is unfamiliar; however, you are not going to know unless you try.

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A SENSE OF

wonder EXPLORING | DISCOVERING | GROWING

To be curious is to be inquisitive and eager to learn. At three years of age our children begin their introduction to school life in Early Learning, with a wonderful sense of curiosity. They look with joy at their surrounding world; exploring, discovering and continuously asking questions.

It is our role as educators and parents to nurture and encourage this delightful sense of wonder and to ensure that our children retain this passion until Grade 12 and beyond.

As part of the new Launceston Grammar Identity, our enduring focus on nurturing curious learners and leaders has been affirmed.

At the Junior Campus we nurture curiosity by:

• Implementing an inquiry approach to teaching and learning;

• Embedding Visible Thinking Routines in our everyday classroom practice;

• Using interesting and fascinating scenarios to stimulate our students’ thinking;

• Embracing the expertise of members of our community through incursions and excursions;

• Developing our students’ ability to design and pose stimulating questions; and

• Explicitly teaching the language of learning.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) encourages us all to support and nurture children’s curiosity and critical thinking in a global context. One text that IB recommend as a must-have for anyone who is committed to raising curious children is Did You Ever Wonder? by John Barell.

Curiosity and passion are closely connected. By having the opportunity to explore and learn about the things we find interesting and intriguing, this often leads us to discover our passions. These are the areas in which we invest time and energy on a regular basis. Being curious and following our passions can add zest to our lives; it can enrich our whole sense of wellbeing and confidence.

Most importantly, as adults, we must live and breathe being curious, modelling this for our children. We need to make time to explore and discover new things and to follow our passions. By doing this we can help to create a culture of ongoing curiosity throughout our own life.

Jane King, Head of Junior Campus

The International Baccalaureate encourages us all to support and nurture children’s curiosity and critical thinking in a global context.

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Opposite/ Grades 1-2 excursion to Royal Flying Doctor Service.

THE POWER OF

golden moments

The Junior Campus has embarked on a journey to become a fully authorised International Baccalaureate World School. The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a trusted organisation which works with schools, governments and international organisations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

The IB Programme we are embedding into the School is called the Primary Years Programme (PYP) – a programme that was developed over 20 years ago with the goal to design a learning framework which would develop internationally-minded citizens. The PYP encourages students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners.

The PYP is an exemplary approach to education in the primary years.

The transformative nature of the PYP lies in its commitment to collaborative planning and transdisciplinary learning.

Transdisciplinary learning in the PYP refers to learning that is not confined within the boundaries of traditional subjects but is supported and enriched by them.

In our school we address the Australian Curriculum, but we also transcend it and help our students to achieve rich conceptual learning about issues that connect humanity across the world.

Excellence in Literacy and Numeracy is the responsibility of every staff member in every area of the school and together

we endeavour to weave opportunities to enhance skills in these key learning areas throughout the learning opportunities we offer.

Grade 6 teacher Timothy Brown has already seen the benefits of teaching conceptually.

“I’ve taught the topic of democracy to Grade 6 in different ways over the past eight years,” says Timothy. “Relating student learning to a broad conceptual understanding and a global context means that the learning of our students has gained significant depth and rigour.”

The delivery of the Primary Years Programme is continuously assessed by the IB, who provide support, feedback and professional learning opportunities to ensure we are always improving and delivering positive outcomes for each student.

Teachers in IB schools gain international teaching qualifications. This in itself ensures a consistency of language, understanding and practices. Being a teacher in an IB school requires an extraordinary level of collaboration. As a school we prioritise collaborative planning practices and, as a staff group, we are constantly drawing on our collective knowledge and strengths to ensure that each opportunity we afford our students is the best it can possibly be. Units of inquiry on our campus benefit from the careful innovative thinking of many professionals as opposed to only one or two.

We are part of a highly active global community of PYP schools and teachers.

At the click of a button we have the ability to connect with knowledgeable educators and eager PYP learners from over 150 countries around the world – we know what is happening in education outside of Tasmania and Australia and draw on the best of what we see.

Students are adapting positively to the influence of the PYP gradually permeating our campus. Grade 5 student Tom Cole offered his thoughts at the conclusion of a recent learning experience.

“I see the world so differently already. I can’t stop thinking about how everything works, how everything is connected and about politics,” says Tom. Connected and active engagement combined with enhanced real-world learning opportunities and a wider range of ways through which students can express their understandings are early observations about what PYP learning looks like at the Junior Campus.

For the teachers, golden teaching moments continue to arise across the school and subject areas seamlessly flow into and support one another. Recently a student from Grade 3 was completely engaged and asked, “What subject am I even learning?”

Claire Calvert, Primary Years Programme Coordinator

We are part of a highly active global community of PYP schools and teachers.

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INSPIRING

inquiry Our students sometimes have interests and passions which are not necessarily catered for with a ‘traditional’ subject or course. Student-Directed Inquiry (SDI) provides an alternative for students to engage in these interests whilst working towards their Tasmanian Certificate of Education.

Once they have formulated their inquiry questions and research design, students complete their SDI in much the same way they would another subject. At this point they are recognised as an independent learner with weekly meetings to discuss achievements, drafts of work, and to set short, medium and long-term targets.

At the start of each year, students enrolled in the course participate in a series of workshops related to research methods.

At this stage, most have a broad topic or interest in mind. This could be animal cruelty, mountain biking or music for example. The student is asked to turn this into an inquiry question that will sustain them over a year. Is animal testing prevalent in the global cosmetics industry?

What is the physical, social and economic impact of mountain bike tourism in Derby?

How can music affect our cognitive ability?

Unlike most subjects, there is no teacher who facilitates the delivery of knowledge and understanding. I am not (and do not pretend to be) an expert on gaming addiction, drone technology or anxiety in elite athletes, but I do have a good understanding of research methods and study design. I set up support structures the students need so they can respond to their own inquiry. This will often mean contacting subject experts or facilitating setting up connections with institutions such as the University of Tasmania.

Students then consider their research design to respond to their inquiry questions. Sometimes this involves surveys, interviews or observations and often they have to read a large body of existing (sometimes contradictory) research. The research methodology for each inquiry is unique, but the ability for students to think critically is essential.

Students present their work at the end of the year – often as a large body of written work not unlike a university Honours thesis.

They also sometimes choose to present their work as a ‘creation’, for example a piece of written music.

It is an exciting and dynamic course to be teaching, unlike any other subject I have taught at Launceston Grammar.

Simon Shaw, Coordinator Student-Directed Inquiry

What appealed to me most was the opportunity to take my passion for mountain bike riding to the next level and create a thesis for my SDI on the impacts of mountain bike tourism in Derby.

2018 alumni, Brady Hansson

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RO O M Founded by philosopher Nelson Goodman in 1967, Project Zero began with an emphasis on understanding learning in and through the arts. Today it focuses on creativity, intelligence, understanding, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural thinking, as well as ethics. Anchored in the arts and humanities, Project Zero researchers explore educational processes and systems that seek to prepare learners for the world in which they will live.

We spoke to Helen and Jess before they left for the United States. Grade 6 teacher Jess was excited to embrace the opportunity.

“We are looking forward to learning from world-leading educators in such a

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World-leading educators inspired Junior Campus teachers Helen Wilson and Jess Fawcett as they headed to the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the United States to attend the annual week-long programme, Project Zero Classroom.

prestigious setting and building on the learning we have already undertaken in this area,” said Jess.

learners and leaders, how we can nurture curiosity and critical thinking, and the importance of being creative,” said Helen.

“We look forward to sharing our learning with colleagues and to embedding it in our practice across the Junior Campus when we return.”

“The course overview will include discussions and learning around what it means for a student to understand a concept within a classroom setting and how understanding is developed over time, as well as how to meet the needs of different grade levels at the Junior Campus.

Helen and Jess are recipients of a Launceston Grammar staff scholarship – a new initiative introduced in 2019 by Headmaster, Richard Ford, which is aimed at developing the capacity of staff in areas which relate to the Launceston Grammar Identity or Strategic Plan.

Helen, a Grade 5 teacher, said they will be able to review their current teaching practices and develop new approaches to planning and instruction and be able to ask questions that are at the heart of teaching and learning at the School.

“These may include questions around best practice learning experiences which prepare students to be outstanding global

“We will be able to analyse our current teaching and assessment practices and develop new approaches to planning that respond to the diverse ways in which our students engage and learn.

“Jess and I are excited about the opportunity to continue our learning and discussions with other delegates following the Project Zero Classroom and presenting what we have learnt to staff at Launceston Grammar and to professional networks beyond the School.”

We are looking forward to learning from world-leading educators in such a prestigious setting.

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ENDLESS

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Q. What motivates you to provide a voice to the stories of those living in rural and remote Australia?

The reporting of rural issues in the mainstream media often focuses on the negatives like land degradation, overgrazing, overclearing, the impacts of drought, water wars and farmers down on their luck. They are significant and relevant issues and are worth covering but the top farm innovators, land carers, food producers, brand developers too often don’t get a voice. I want to highlight how clever and resilient farmers and people living in rural and remote Australia are.

Tasmanian-born journalist and television presenter, Pip Courtney is one of country Australia’s most recognised and popular figures. She has recently been inducted into the Rural Journalism Hall of Fame which celebrates the life, work and passion of Queensland-based rural journalists who have made a significant contribution to the profession over more than 20 years.

We spoke with the Launceston Grammar alumna (1982) about her biggest

Q. Curiosity has been described as the ‘engine of achievement’. As a reporter on ABC's Landline for the past 26 years and host since 2012, has curiosity played a role in your career?

Curious sums me up perfectly and drives me every day to find out why? Why do people do what they do? How do they do it? What do they do? I am endlessly curious. I want to know what makes people tick. They fascinate me, and especially those who are achievers, focused on excellence, who get knocked down and get back up. How is it that if you take two small towns the same size, one can

be thriving, and one be in decline? The answer? The people in that thriving town.

Q. Who has been your biggest influence?

I have had two; my father Michael Courtney was a brilliant journalist who taught me journalists must serve their communities by informing, entertaining and revealing; that there are stories everywhere and how powerful words are, and my late husband John Bean who I worked with a lot. A brilliant cameraman he taught me how to use pictures to tell stories. Dad was about words, John was about pictures.

Q. How would you encourage current students to be curious in their endeavours?

Some of the best farmers I have met have asked ‘why do we do things this way?'

When told ‘because that’s the way we’ve always done it’, they haven’t settled for that as a satisfactory answer, and their subsequent endeavours and inquiries have led to totally new systems and approaches and often more money.

Asking ‘why’ isn’t cheeky or rude – we asked it endlessly when we were little.

Don’t stop asking when you are older, it’s a good habit to have and it can take you to the most awesome places and introduce you to amazing people.

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influence, her advice to current students, and how curiosity has played a role in her career to date.

success & LONGEVITY Our rich history of inspiring global leaders and learners, coupled with the vital financial support over time to the School by the Launceston Grammar community, has guaranteed the School's success and longevity.

shape our future

I would like to make a gift of:

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Our learning hubs are places where physical and digital resources inspire our students to understand and engage with our world. With a gift to the Library Fund, you can help provide the books, digital resources, technology, furnishings and learning items which combine to make these areas of the School significant.

Giving a gift to the Scholarship Fund can ensure a quality education for a student not only next year, but well beyond.

In 2020 we are looking to provide even more opportunities for students through new scholarships focused on Science, Engineering and Maths, Entrepreneurship and a Bring Your Own Scholarship for students with unique gifts which fit outside the traditional scholarship offering. We invite you to be part of our future.

THE MAGIC OF MUSIC Grade 11 student George Voorham has been playing trumpet since Grade 3. He remembers attending Launceston Grammar’s music performances while his sisters were students, determined that he would one day play for the School at significant occasions and performances.

George, a recipient of a Launceston Grammar Performing Arts Music Scholarship says the Music Programme has allowed him to give back to the School.

“I love being a part of the music ensembles and being involved in assemblies and chapel services as well as the School’s musicals,” says George.

“A proud moment for me was playing the Last Post at Remembrance Day – playing in front of Old Launcestonians was pretty amazing. An opportunity like this has allowed me to gain confidence in myself and in my performing.”

Launceston Grammar has a reputation for providing a rich and varied Music Programme.

“For anyone who is considering applying for a music scholarship, I say go for it."

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Renewal and enhancement (Building Fund)

Giving to the School supports a wide range of projects, including the upkeep of our beautiful historic buildings, development of new buildings and facilities, and the provision of scholarships to ensure talented students from a range of backgrounds can fulfil their potential whilst at school and in their chosen career path.

The Annual Fund programme for 2019 includes the Building, Library and Scholarship Funds, and the Broadland House redevelopment.

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Library Fund Scholarships Broadland House redevelopment All gifts to these projects over $2 are tax deductible. For more information on these projects visit www.lcgs.tas.edu.au/support-us

YOUR DETAILS Mr / Mrs / Ms / Miss / Dr / _______ First name: ________________________________________________________________ Surname:

________________________________________________________________

Address:

________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________ Postcode: __________

Phone:

___________________________ Mobile: ____________________________

Email:

________________________________________________________________

In publications and donor honour rolls please list my/our name/s as: _______________________________________________________________________________

I would like my gift to remain anonymous

I would like to include Launceston Church Grammar School in my Will (please send me information about bequests)

HOW TO MAKE A GIFT

Please find enclosed my cheque or money order, made payable to Launceston Church Grammar School

Please charge my credit card

VISA

Mastercard

Card number ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Expiry date ___ ___ / ___ ___

Cardholder name ______________________________________________________

Signature ______________________________________________________________

Receipt in name of (if not above) _______________________________________

Please return in the enclosed reply paid envelope, or address to: Community Engagement Office, Launceston Church Grammar School, PO Box 136, Mowbray Heights, TAS 7248 For more information please call 03 6336 6000 or email Ben Clark at bclark@lcgs.tas.edu.au

Donate online at www.lcgs.tas.edu.au/support-us

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The Honour Roll recognises our donors who have partnered with us between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019.

Mr T E Dowling

Mr J S & Mrs J L Lamb

Mrs J Ertler

Dr J A McKenzie

Mr R Edginton

Mr B D Faulkner Mrs W Faulkner Mr D V Fisher

Mr R & Mrs J Ford The late Mr C M Archer MBE Mr R Abey

Mrs Y Adkins Mrs D Banks

Mr B & Mrs F Brown Mrs D Bradley Mr J L Brain Mr T Busby

Broadland House Old Girls' Association Hon Dr C Carr Dr E Cannon

Mr B & Mrs C Clark

Mr D & Mrs S Carswell

Mr G E Cawthorne MBE Mr W H Craig

Mrs A F Clarke Mrs F Cox

Mrs J A Coleman Mrs M Cornwell Mrs R B Childs

The Hon Dr C J Carr

The Hon E C & Mrs B Crawford Mr D & Mrs S Downie Mr G H K Denny

Mr J Dale & Family Mrs I Dowling

Mrs M Dowling

Mr R J Dowling

Mr T A Dowling

Mr H F Foster Mrs A Fysh

Mr B & Mrs J Fryett Miss J Gill

Mr A A W Grundy

Mr C P P Green OAM

Mr K R Gregg & Family Mr Nicholas Gee Mr R G Gardner Mr T N Gregg Mrs D Gray

Dr J Gilchrist

Mr G & Mrs S Gibson Mr G J Humphreys

Mr J & Mrs M Hosford

Mr M F & Mrs C Harris Mr R T Holyman

Mr V C Holyman Mrs R A Hirst

Rev H F Hadrill

Mr A & Mrs S Ivory Dr J H Jackson Mr M Jackson

Mrs D Jongbloed Ms E H Jackson

Mr A & Mrs P Kerrison Mrs J Kidd

Mr B L P Larter

Mr D P Lawrence Mr G R Loane

Mr M & Mrs S Lowe Mrs J Manger

Mowbray Capital Chemist Mrs P L Moore Rev B Mitchell

Mr B C Orchard Mr B D Orr

Dr S F & Mrs S L Pohan Mrs D Paech

Mrs L Perkins

Mrs M Penning

Ms P H Power AM

Mr M & Mrs P Quinn

Mr R & Mrs B Rawlings The late Mr D Ritchie Mrs E A Robins

The late Mrs P Roberts Redline Tasmania

Dr A & Mrs G Saha Mr D N Stewart Dr P Scott

Mr B R Smith

Mr J T & Mrs J Scott Mr R A Stark

Mr W B Spinks

Mrs E C Sadler Mrs R Stobart

Mr L G C Toyne Mrs L Wadley

Mrs E Williams Ms N Walkem

Mr S & Mrs F Woolcock Mr R C Youngman

Thank you also to our many anonymous donors.

annual fund

thank you.

CULTIVATING

creativity EXPLORE | EMBRACE | EXTEND

Launceston Grammar’s Visual Arts Programme facilitates outstanding opportunities for students to be introduced to a variety of experiences, media and ideas that allow them to grow and develop within their own art practice and creative journey.

Through the programme, students are provided with avenues to explore traditional and contemporary media as well as the opportunity to embrace a variety of digital platforms including the still and the moving image.

Grammar TV and annual photography competitions such as SNAP ensure students are nurtured through these programmes and activities.

Field trips to events including the Glover Art Prize, local exhibition openings at the University of Tasmania, and for TCE Grade 11 and 12 students, the annual Sydney Art Trip provide exceptional opportunities for students to extend their experience and knowledge beyond the boundaries of the Senior Campus. The Sydney

itinerary includes a visit to the NSW Art Gallery, Brett Whitely Studio, National Art School, White Rabbit Art Gallery, UNSW Art & Design and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Poimena Gallery, based at the Senior Campus, offers the perfect environment for creativity to mature in its many forms. It is a tremendous asset for students that allows for a considered interaction with art practitioners. Students can also appreciate how ideas become 2D or 3D in reality within a gallery space.

At Launceston Grammar we believe that authentic engagement and experience within the visual arts provide context and clarity for students to be creative and forward thinking. Our teachers themselves are imaginative, creative and passionate about the programmes they teach.

They have a genuine desire to encourage our students’ talents so their creativity shines brilliantly.

Paul Snell, Head of Visual Art

creative

three

25

creative

26

MONA magic Mona Foma headed north to Launceston in 2019. When describing the Launceston-based iteration, Violent Femmes bassist and Mona Foma festival curator, Brian Ritchie said it will be ‘fraught with a sense of adventure’.

The week-long cultural event saw attendees flock to the city for memorable experiences including Launceston Grammar’s Formal 2018 exhibition.

Grade 12 student Hazel Woodfield reports: Formal, curated by artist Paul Snell, featured at the Poimena Art Gallery and was part of the 2019 Mona Foma.

The exhibition was a window into the world of abstraction, held open by the expertise of artists such as Steven Carson, Paul Snell and David Marsden.

The artists skilfully utilised form in their pieces, as their works often interact with surrounding space. The artists employed different techniques and mediums to their works, resulting in a broad range of abstraction, from the emotional That Feeling by Steven Carson, the muted hums of Paul Snell’s Dissolve, to David Marsden’s blunt and captivating Tip Trip.

In curating the exhibition, Paul says that putting the show together gave him the opportunity to look at different ways people view abstraction in a contemporary sense.

“The exhibition was an exploration of abstract art and the ability by the artists to creatively push the genre,” says Paul.

“It was a great opportunity to showcase non-narrative based works, and a really broad range of ways in which artists can approach abstraction.

“I like works that don’t tell a story, works that are self-referential – they are what they are.”

The exhibition was officially opened

by Tasmanian artist Penny Mason and included the works of fourteen Australian artists from five states as well as one from Spain: Gaston Bertin, Louise Blyton, Steven Carson, Danica Chappell, Anton Hart, Brent Hallard, David Hawley, Emma Langridge, Susie Leahy Raleigh, David Marsden, Lisa Sharp, Paul Snell, Ryllton Viney, and Paul Zika.

Paul Snell’s Dissolve Quiet blues shift rhythmically in between vertical stripes that gather in the middle of the oval cut Plexiglas in thin light lines. Dissolve’s composition is mostly symmetrical, and the abstract piece is minimalist and non-representational. Despite the dazzling effect of the Plexiglas, overlapping colours and parallel lines, Dissolve fulfils an otherworldly stillness.

Hazel Woodfield, Grade 12

Below/ Paul Snell, Dissolve #201801, 2018, Chromogenic print face-mounted 4.5mm Plexiglas, 80 x 160 cm. Edition of 2/3

Creativity and entrepreneurship are key to this project.

CREATIVE enlightenment Tricia and Nikolas Cerjanec moved to Tasmania from Sydney with their three children in August 2017. Early in 2017, both had reached a moment of ‘enlightenment’ and a compulsion to simplify and slow down their lives so they could spend more time with their children. They both left intense corporate careers in legal and insurance banking. They wanted to get away from the 24/7 traffic congestion, pollution and crazy manic living to somewhere calmer, cleaner and greener. The family found it in Launceston.

A start-up eco-tourism project based out of George Town sees a new venture in their lives. News from Launceston Grammar caught up with them recently to talk about the project and their use of the new co-working space at the Senior Campus. A number of local businesses are also looking to use the space (to hold meetings), collaborate with like-minded businesses, and mentor students.

Q. Eco-tourism accommodation sounds like a wonderful and exciting venture. Please tell us about the project and what you are looking to achieve.

Tricia came up with the original idea while travelling to the US for business. The idea has evolved, and the current vision is to develop a mountain bike accommodation hub on Mount George, George Town, to leverage off the mountain bike trail project George Town Council is now developing following guaranteed funding from the Federal Government. The proposed build site has amazing panoramic views of Bass Strait, Tamar River and surrounding vistas. Stage 1 of our project will comprise fully fitted out recycled container accommodation, bike storage, laundry facilities, BBQ area and a kiosk. Depending on the success of Stage 1, we hope to expand the venture to offer different types of accommodation and experiences.

George Town Council has indicated they hope to commence works on the mountain bike trail project within 6 months and complete the project within 12 to 18 months thereafter.

Q. How will the co-working space assist you in your quest to set up the project?

We see great potential in the space and the benefits it can offer students. We hope to use the area as a proper office away from our home office to hold meetings with partners, suppliers and prospective employees. We also hope to benefit from sharing the space with other business users through discussion, brainstorming and collaboration.

Q. How has creativity played a part in the project?

Creativity and entrepreneurship are key to this project. The fleshing-out of our original vision has been due to our creative juices running wild as we educate ourselves and conduct research on everything required to progress our vision.

We have learnt how to start a new

business and familiarised ourselves with the Australian and Tasmanian tourism and hospitality industries. We are also researching the unique mountain bike tourism industry and what an eco-tourism philosophy looks like in reality. All things we had no direct prior knowledge of or experience in and definitely a far cry from our previous expertise. It has been these abilities to be creative and have autonomy plus the prospect of giving back to Tasmania that motivates us to pursue this exciting venture.

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creative

creative

JOURNEY

Grade 12 student and boarder, Anson Zheng has had a passion for art since he was in kindergarten in China.

“From those early years, art has become my hobby, mostly drawing cartoon images,” recalls Anson. “I have been fortunate to follow my passion for art to Launceston Grammar and study it as a subject, further enhancing my skills.”

Anson, who is planning on attending university next year to undertake an Architectural Design course, believes that the artistic skills he has learned and honed at school will hold him in good stead for future studies and will particularly assist him with the more creative ideas required to undertake and succeed in the course.

“There is nothing impossible when you look at things through the lens of creativity. There is always a solution, a way through,” says Anson. “The journey of creativity has just begun for me and will continue as I further my studies next year.

“But for now, I use different ideas and techniques to improve my art practice and love telling the stories that are behind my work.

“I like to do portraiture because of the various reactions on people’s faces in different situations. It is unique and I like to bring that feature of my work to show people’s roles and their characters.”

As a boarder, Anson says that the boarding house staff have always been very supportive of his passion for art making.

“They give me the trust to be confident in my life as well as in my art. This is the reason why I never stop being creative because there is always somebody to stand by you here at Launceston Grammar.”

show time

creative

Our Senior Campus drama production delighted audiences in May with The Addams Family (School Edition). Fortyfive students from Grades 10 to 12 and a student from Grade 8 featured in the cast as well as a large number of students performing in the orchestra and helping behind the scenes. News from Launceston Grammar caught up with the show’s Producer and Launceston Grammar English teacher, Marianna Hedges.

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an awesome effort CAST

45 students from Grades 10 to 12 and Billy King from Grade 8

ORCHESTRA

10 students from Grades 10 to 12 and Music staff

STAGE CREW

We had a strong group of actors this year who we knew would work well with this particular script. It is also a great, fun show for the students to work on and for the School community to enjoy.

4 students from Grades 9 to 11, stage managed by last year’s leavers Oscar O’Shea and Will Robertson

LIGHTING

3 students in Grade 11 working with GK Productions, including Will Mainwaring who volunteered to help out last minute

Q. What was the overall reaction to the show?

COSTUME

5 students from Grades 10 to 12 supported by Mrs Scott and Donelda Niles

MAKE-UP

6 students from Grades 8 to 11 supported by Karen Witt who created amazing make-up

WIGS

Sharon Parker was helped by ex-students Tarrant Edwards and Sophie Clark

TECHNOLOGY

Mr Hansson who created the spooky woodland

ART CAPTAINS

Who painted the spooky woodland

Q. Why did the School choose The Addams Family (School Edition)?

People were impressed with the production and congratulations have been flooding in. Audience members were captivated by Imogen Wall who had been keeping her singing voice under her hat until now. They were also very taken with the believability and look of Joe and Lily, Sophie’s transformation into Alice as well as the comic timing of Alex, Tom, Henry and Billy. We have been inundated with comments about the amazing make-up and costumes and the skill it took to create the look of the show.

Q. Tell us about some highlights.

The cast and crew have had a lot of fun putting on this production, even with all the hard work involved. The Thursday night performance had a large contingent of last year’s Grade 12s in the audience and this was a real boost for the cast as they enjoyed the show enormously. They were very vocal with their approval! The show really came together the weekend before the production when the cast finally performed with the whole outfit of lighting, make-up, costume, sound and orchestra. Having everything together really brought the show alive for them.

As for me, Gomez’s line on seeing Wednesday’s yellow dress: 'Paloma you look like a crime scene!' got me every single time and I particularly enjoyed the look of shock on the audience’s faces when Lurch sang his solo at the end! I am so proud of the students who were involved, they all did an exceptional job.

SHOW WEEK Junior Campus Show Week will feature at the end of Term 3 with a production created by Grade 6 students based on significant events in Australian history. Lost in Time will have scenes from Federation, War and Democracy. The entire cohort of Grade 6 students are involved in the production – assisting with writing, music, acting, choreography, lighting, stage management and behind-the-scenes, prop-making, make-up and costume design.

Please look for updates on our social media.

Opposite/ Lily Faulkner as Morticia and Joseph Savva as Gomez.

DANCE CAPTAINS Who took on the role of choreography assistants working alongside the ensemble PREFECTS

Who ushered during performances

ANTIPODEANS

The students going on Antipodeans Abroad who sold snacks and drinks

EXTRA SUPPORT

The Maintenance, Reception and Community Engagement teams as well as Cherrie Parker for their assistance

creative

32 Opposite/ King’s College, Cambridge

THE CALL OF

Cambridge

Jan-Melissa Schramm (1984, née Turner) is from a Launceston Grammar family. Her father Mervyn boarded in the 1950s, and Jan came to the School in 1977 in the first cohort of girls admitted to the School when her mother Margaret took up a job teaching in the Log Cabin (the then Primary School). Her sister Susie (1987), her husband Chris (1986) and his sisters Leonie (1982) and Lil (1984) all attended Launceston Grammar.

Jan is now University Reader in Literature and Law at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Trinity Hall, and Deputy Director of CRASSH, the University’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities – one of the largest interdisciplinary research institutions in the world. Jan has published five books and many articles, all on the relationship between law and the humanities. News from Launceston Grammar spoke with Jan recently.

Q. Tell us about the journey which led you to the University of Cambridge.

I loved all my subjects at Launceston Grammar, especially English Literature.

My teachers, Fran Morris and Caroline Sangston, were inspirational and encouraged me to read above and beyond what was on the syllabus.

I worked hard and matriculated in 1984 as Dux of the School and winner of several state and national prizes, including a National Undergraduate Scholarship to study Arts/Law at the ANU in Canberra.

At ANU, I became particularly interested in the literature and culture of the nineteenth century, when the rise of science

challenged traditional thinking about theology and social organisation: writings by authors such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Alfred Tennyson and Robert Browning really captured the excitement of that moment in time.

I graduated from ANU with First-Class Honours and the University Medal in English, and although I then finished my law degree and practised in Hobart for a couple of years while my husband Chris finished medical school, I knew fairly early on that I wanted to do a PhD. In 1993 I was awarded a prestigious Cambridge Australia Scholarship to do doctoral research in Cambridge, and after that I held a Research Fellowship which enabled me to publish my first book. In 2000 I was offered a tenured lectureship and have now been in Cambridge for 25 years.

Q. Is there a need for creativity in your work at CRASSH, drawing together disciplinary perspectives within the University of Cambridge?

Yes, definitely. A combined degree like Arts/Law speaks to both the creative and the professional aspects of academic enquiry. In an Arts degree, you learn to value beauties of style and expression, and the importance of personal responses to works of literary, material or visual art.

The argument of writers in the nineteenth century like Dickens and Eliot was that if you read a high-quality novel, you will inevitably be moved to change places in your imagination with the characters, feeling for them on their own journeys, and thus extending your own capacity for compassion. In other words, readers should learn their ethical lessons in life from novels and poetry and plays – readerly sympathy

for human difference encourages kindness and tolerance, and the generation of emotion enables art to instruct people in ways that the law cannot. Inevitably this is rather idealistic, but the broader question with which Victorian authors were wrestling – how and what to teach in order to foster engaged citizenship in an age of increasing democratization – remains as important as ever.

Being Deputy Director of CRASSH involves trying to bring the different disciplines of the University into conversation with one another, recognising their similarities and their differences and enabling them to communicate in ways that all participants find fruitful and constructive. CRASSH runs around 300 events a year, aiming to bring university research in various fields into wider public life.

Q. Tell us about your field of expertise; the history of the English novel. Who is a stand-out writer for you and why?

In my work with undergraduates, I teach literature and history from about 1700 to the present day, but in my graduate teaching and in my research, my field of expertise is specifically the relationship between the law and the English novel.

My first book was on the history of the rules of evidence and the ways in which novelists like Henry Fielding (who was also a judge) contributed to their development.

My other books have looked at topics like the relationship between literary culture and philosophies of punishment, ideas of sacrifice in writing about war, and censorship and the extent to which legal regulation shapes literary texts for better and for worse. I’m most fascinated

A combined degree like Arts/ Law speaks to both the creative and the professional aspects of academic enquiry.

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34

Launceston Grammar alumna Jan-Melissa Schramm, at school and today.

by writers who can best interrogate what academics call epistemology – that is, how we know what we know.

The best novelist of the nineteenth century for me is George Eliot (the pseudonym of Marianne Evans) – she was a polymath who translated works of German philosophy into English, she read and respected both Darwin’s evolutionary thought and works of Christian theology, and she depicted strong heroines like Dorothea and Romola (from Middlemarch and Romola respectively) at a time when the social position of women was so constrained. Above all, she created moving and detailed portraits of how people's consciences work when they’re faced with complex questions with no easy answer.

There’s also a lot of fantastic writing coming out of Tasmania at the moment – I am a huge fan of Richard Flanagan’s writing (Wanting is a moving commentary on some of the many moral blindspots of Empire) and Launceston’s own Rohan Wilson has recently written a very powerful pair of novels on nineteenth century colonial atrocities, The Roving Party and To Name those Lost, both of which I heartily recommend if you want to get to grips with the Tasmanian past.

Q. How did your education at Launceston Grammar shape who you are today?

I value my time at Launceston Grammar enormously – we were well-taught, and there was an emphasis on all aspects of the educational experience. I particularly enjoyed the events which fostered collegiality – performing in the School orchestra and singing in the choir.

I also really appreciated the Outdoor Education Programme – bushwalking was a huge part of our lives growing up; Tasmania is such a special place and there are lessons that you can learn when you’re out in the wilderness that will stay with you forever. Tasmania’s big multi-day walks – the traverse of the Western Arthurs, the Overland Track – also serve as great metaphors for some of the harder tasks in life that involve delayed gratification and require enormous perseverance; slogging your way across the ‘sodden Loddens’ at the base of Frenchman’s Cap in the pouring rain is rather like the final stages of writing up your PhD! You have to just keep plodding on despite the misery of the moment, and then suddenly you’re on the summit basking in the sunshine.

There’s also a lot of fantastic writing coming out of Tasmania.

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35 compassionate

compassion

E N T E R P R I S I N G | L I F E - C H A N G I N G | PA S S I O N AT E

compassionate

36 Previous/ Sony Christmas Camp companions and alumni Will Robertson, Rhiannon Bone and Grade 12 student Sarah Hope help physiotherapist Jo from Cadorna House with a safe manual handling demonstration for delegates at the Sony Foundation Childrens Holiday Camp Conference.

As a school with a strong Christian heritage it is important to place compassion front and centre.

our compassionate heritage Launceston Grammar offers numerous opportunities for students to show compassion to those within the community. As a school with a strong Christian heritage it is important to place compassion front and centre.

Our Grade 11 students each week work with young people who are members of the New Horizons Club. Other students visit nursing homes to share the stories of the older generation and to listen to their journeys. Grade 11 and 12 students help provide breakfast for children at a local primary school. The student2student peer reading programme, run through The Smith Family, involves Senior Campus students who are buddied up with a primary school student to hear and support them twice a week over the phone while they read aloud. These examples illustrate compassion in action.

At the Junior Campus compassion is seen in small everyday gestures where students willingly help. The four favourite words ‘How can I help?’ are often heard.

Literacy Fund. We have now raised over $2000 for this organisation who purchase literacy resources for use in remote areas of Australia.

In Term 1, Prep Bassano was looking at a unit on family and housing. In discussion, students discovered the harsh reality of homelessness and wanted to straight away help find solutions. The class decided to sell their toys to raise money to purchase Easter eggs for Feed the Homeless. They raised just over $500.

Our Junior Campus Prefects are on a mission to support the sponsorship of two children in Ethiopia. Last year we raised $2000 for this project. The students have a goal of $3000 this year.

Grade 5 Wilson, in response to hearing from Lachie Moore from the Senior Campus about the impact of having cerebral palsy, decided to plan and host a Makers’ Market (see page 41 for details) to assist in the fundraising of the Grade 12 Walkathon.

Each year our library hosts a book sale with proceeds going to the Indigenous

Each Christmas we generously support the work of City Mission where our Christmas giving is either hamper items or small gifts for City Mission to distribute.

We believe that in showing compassion to others, we are in a small way demonstrating the love and compassion that Jesus Christ has for us.

Elizabeth Poland, Junior Campus Chaplain and Revd Paul Grayston, Senior Campus Chaplain

compassion IN ACTION Photograph Helen Wilson

Twenty years on from the first Sony Camp that led to the inception of Sony Foundation, the programme has grown to 28 camps across 50 Australian schools and universities.

Launceston Grammar is one such school and the only Tasmanian school to facilitate a holiday camp for children with special needs – something it has been undertaking for the past 14 years.

In December 2018, 19 children were welcomed to the Senior Campus for three days and nights. Grade 11 and 12 students took on the role of a primary carer and assisted with delivering the many exciting activities on offer, including a baby animal session, a visit from Gavin the fat cat,

indoor play craft centre and an area for bikes and golf buggies.

Over the 2019 July school holidays, Launceston Grammar also hosted a Sony Foundation Conference, which gave Camp coordinators and volunteers from around Australia and New Zealand an opportunity to network and learn from experts and one another.

Sony Camps Advisory Committee member, Camp Director and Launceston Grammar Chaplain, Elizabeth Poland says she has been to four of these conferences and each time has come away excited to be part of a nationwide movement of helping young people care for children with disabilities.

“To be involved in a Sony Foundation Camp is life-changing,” says Elizabeth.

“I am passionate about helping young people make a difference in the world and this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to extend compassion to others.

“The success of each camp is very much founded in the wonderful partnerships formed within the Launceston Grammar community, as well as the selflessness of our compassionate students.”

Over 55 Launceston Grammar students have already expressed an interest in assisting with this year's Tasmanian Sony Christmas Camp which will feature in early December at the School's Senior Campus.

39 compassionate

MAN WITH A

mission

Zambrero Tasmania Operations Manager and Launceston Grammar alumni (2001) Stuart Churton was drawn to the restaurant chain because of its humanitarian quest ‘Mexican with a mission’.

I did a lot of product sampling within the Mexican franchise offerings and decided on Zambrero based on the flavour of the food, the young and fresh vibe of the brand, and the plate4plate philosophy of trying to eradicate world hunger.

News from Launceston Grammar caught up with Stuart and asked him about Zambrero’s philosophy of giving back to those less fortunate.

Q. How have Tasmanians assisted with this philosophy of eradicating world hunger?

Q. Tell us about your journey since leaving school.

I moved from Launceston to Hobart to commence a Bachelor of Business majoring in Marketing and Management in 2002. On completion of my degree I went to work for Southern Cross Media as an account manager for two years. From there I decided to head to Canada for a ski season and then on to Mexico to go surfing for 12 months. During this trip I decided I wanted to open a Mexican restaurant.

After I returned from my travels I went to work in Western Australia as a dispatch operator in a gold mine and lived there for four and a half years. While in Kalgoorlie, I began my Mexican venture investigation and after three failed offers on sites to create my own version of a Mexican restaurant I started enquiring about franchises. Cue Zambrero and an agreement to open 10 Zambrero restaurants over seven years in Tasmania with two business partners. We are now halfway into the seven years and about to open the seventh restaurant with another planned before the end of the year.

Q. Why Zambrero?

I LOVE Mexican food. Ever since I was very young, I have loved tacos. I used to have eating competitions with my neighbour on who could eat the most tacos at dinner. My record was eight when I was about 10.

For every burrito and bowl we sell, a meal is donated to international hunger relief organisation, Rise Against Hunger and Foodbank Australia. For the past two years we have held a Tasmanian ‘meal packing day’ where on World Hunger Day we have partnered with Foodbank and the local community to get together for two hours, create a production line and pack protein-based meals that are then donated to Foodbank Tasmania for emergency hampers. In 2017 we packed 27,000 meals, in 2018 we packed 33,000 meals, and are aiming to pack 35,000 this year!

Q. What advice would you give to someone wishing to show compassion to others in their daily life?

We are lucky to live in Tasmania and to be given access to good education. It is easy to forget how fortunate we are. Adopting a philosophy of giving back to those less fortunate is a great way to express gratitude for all that we have. One way of putting this into practice is choosing to spend your money with organisations who also support that philosophy.

I was lucky enough to go on a ‘Vision Trip’ to Vietnam and unpack, load and transport the meals that Zambrero donates. To see the joy on the kids’ faces in orphanages just because they had something to eat was a sobering experience and made me realise that it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to make a difference in another person's life.

compassionate

40

es s n d in

core

N IO

C

PAS M O S

VIC E k

The virtues are wisdom, gentleness, love, compassion, kindness, service, joy, hope, thankfulness, humility, patience, perseverance, justice, forgiveness and sincerity.

The word virtue stems from the Latin word virtis. A virtue can be seen as a trait or quality that is good; a trait that leads to character; something that makes our community better.

As a team, the House Heads and Head of Grade 7 have chosen three core virtues from the 15 as a focus for common goals for all Houses in 2019. The three virtues are service, kindness and compassion.

ER

This year the Pastoral Team have aligned the Pastoral Programme around the Launceston Grammar virtues.

S

VIRTUES

Toward the end of Term 2 the House Heads and Head of Grade 7 presented a challenge to the School. Each tutor group was asked to find ways in which they can help others.

They were given a small sum of money and challenged to see what they could do with the funds. They were also asked how they could, as a collective, use their talents for others.

As Martin Luther King Jnr wrote: 'It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated.

We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly'.

This year, the team have instigated a Global Learners and Leaders series which sees 10 Launceston Grammar staff each deliver a presentation to the students. The talks

have been titled Grammar Talks, with topics reflecting the Launceston Grammar virtues as well as issues of concern raised by students through extensive survey feedback.

The team have also focused on increasing the exposure our students and parents have to a range of guest speakers.

The Parent Seminar series has seen presentations on the exploitation of young people, cyber safety, alcohol, drugs and young people and parenting in the twenty-first century.

Nick Foster Deputy Head (Students)

Our students have fully embraced the practical learning associated with running their first big event.

MAKING a difference Compassion was the driver for Grade 5 students who held a Makers’ Market at the Junior Campus earlier this year. Students dreamed up, planned, marketed and produced a community event under the guidance of teacher Helen Wilson. The market featured over 20 stalls selling products hand-made or grown from the students’ homes, gardens and farms.

Over $4500 was raised with all proceeds donated to research associated with cerebral palsy – the focus of this year’s Grade 12 Walkathon.

Helen says the students had shared stories about how many lemons, plums, apples, potatoes and other produce they had at home, which prompted the idea of a Makers’ Market.

“I have a fabulous group of enterprising students who wanted to take action to show compassion and help others,” says Helen.

“Our students have fully embraced the practical learning associated with running their first big event.

“We’ve had presentations on business planning, marketing, event management, communication, media, money handling, visual merchandising and much more, ensuring our children are equipped with the right skills to successfully organise and orchestrate a market.

“Alumna and parent, Sarah Hirst, worked closely with our students to create a promotional video and also ran a workshop on how to present at a media interview."

Students showcased specialty products they had made including: Dougal Bennett and his hand-crafted candle holders from silver birch tree branches from his family’s historic farm; Olivia Creese who invited the class to her farm to pull and bag potatoes to sell at the market; Lachie Hirst who hand-picked organic blackberries from his family’s vineyard to make blackberry smoothies; Gabrielle McDonald who created hand-crafted friendship bracelets in a wide-range of colours; Edward Robertson who made unique bike ramps out of wood; Stella Freeman and Otto Ford who baked speciality cupcakes; and Olivia Heazlewood who created home-made bath bombs. Many stalls completely sold out. Congratulations to everyone involved on a fantastic result!

42 Opposite/ The Hon. Warwick Smith AO LLB visited Launceston Grammar in 2018 to be presented with the Peter Sculthorpe Alumnus Award by Headmaster Richard Ford.

CELEBRATING

a global leader The Hon. Warwick Smith AO LLB was the recipient of the 2018 Peter Sculthorpe Alumnus Award. Named after eminent Australian composer and Old Launcestonian Peter Sculthorpe, the award was created in 2015 to honour a member of our School community who has made a significant achievement within their field of endeavour. The award is also intended to inspire the next generation, providing opportunities for current students to meet, interact with and learn from the award recipient.

After leaving school Mr Smith studied law, political science and history at the Australian National University and also graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Tasmania. He entered federal politics in 1984 as the Member for Bass, going on to hold the portfolios of Local Government, Family Services, Sport and Territories during the years of the Howard government. He served as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Since leaving parliament he has occupied a variety of roles within the corporate sector.

Mr Smith (1972) is the fourth alumni to be honoured, joining former Australian diplomat Peter FitzGerald, leading scientist Professor Derek Denton and journalist Indira Naidoo.

In 2008, Mr Smith was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia, the telecommunications industry, the promotion of international trade and tourism, and philanthropy. This year he was awarded an AO for distinguished service to Australia-China business and financial relations, to education, and to the community. He was recently appointed as Chairman of the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations and Chairman of the China Leadership Group of the Business Council of Australia.

The former Member for Bass visited the School to be presented with the award, spending time meeting with Junior and Senior Campus students, prefects and staff. In an interview during his visit with The Examiner newspaper he said, ‘The values of equality, curiosity and community that the School promotes to its students have remained, despite the impact of technology and the internet’.

44

Leaders

REFLECT F A M I LY | T E A M | F R I E N D S

News from Launceston Grammar asked our Junior and Senior Campus House Leaders to reflect on Courage, Curiosity, Creativity and Compassion.

The best thing about Gillett House is the development of relationships between students of all ages. By participating in House activities, it creates a familylike environment where everyone feels comfortable and can go to anyone for advice.

Meg Leyden and Vincent Wolfhagen, Gillett House Fraser is a compassionate House in the Launceston Grammar community.

Currently as a House we are supporting the charity Just Like Jack. Through supporting Just like Jack, we have been helping raise awareness about living life with a disability.

As leaders, it is rewarding to see how our tight-knit Fraser community can come together to support a great cause.

Alistair Bourne and Tayla Down, Fraser House

The best thing about Hawkes House is the compassion everyone shows for each other and the genuine care that is always there. Our House is more than just a House, it is a home and a second family that we can always count on to have a laugh with and a shoulder to cry on. That is what makes the Hawkes House so special; the love, kindness, and lifelong friends and memories that we make together. As Hawkes’ Leaders we pride ourselves on the incredible level of compassion shown within the House.

Nikita Jamson and Harrison Lester, Hawkes House

Upcoming REUNIONS For further information about reunions, please email community@lcgs.tas.edu.au

The best thing about Roff House is the beautiful family atmosphere. Those in Roff House are always courageous in giving everything a go; creative and curious in and out of the classroom; and compassionate and kind to everyone they meet.

Yezera Brown and Tyson Wood, Roff House Savigny is a friendly House within the Launceston Grammar community, known for our charity efforts. We use non-profit lending platform Kiva to lend money to people in developing countries, helping alleviate poverty one person at a time.

As House Leaders, we are proud of the compassion we see in our House.

Samuel Dowling and Thomas Watson, Savigny House We are proud to call Wilkinson House family, and as a team we strive to connect and support the House. Wilkinson aims to encourage every student, across all grades, to participate and have a go.

Encouragement, courage, compassion and kindness are attributes that make Wilkinson an outstanding House.

In Buesnell-Rooney House we like to show compassion to everyone. For example, at this year's cross-country carnival, when everyone ran past, we cheered each other on. At the spelling bee we had a few people from our team who did not want to go on stage and perform in front of Grades 3 to 6, however we had some great teachers and students who were compassionate to the students who did not want to go up and encouraged them to go, which they did.

Our House is also themed around bravery and courage.

Adelle Adams, Buesnell-Rooney House Courage is demonstrated by every member of our House in our sportsmanship, spirit and ‘never give up’ attitude. My House demonstrates bravery and courage at every opportunity; on the sporting field, in the playground or when we are learning.

We try everything, we do not give up and always strive to do our absolute best. We are courageous, we are brave, and we rise to every challenge.

Harriet Humphreys, Lyttleton-Hewton House

Anjali Reeves and Fergus Eastaugh, Wilkinson House In Maxey-Middleton House we are creative with our House boards. We design the board, which is a display board for each House which includes the House name, House colours and anything else you would like to add including events, and photographs. There’s also glitter – everything is better with glitter.

Morgan Dolle, Maxey-Middleton House

30 Year Reunion, Class of 1989 / Friday 25 October, Launceston Grammar Senior Campus Melbourne Reunion Luncheon / Friday 15 November, Kelvin Club BHOGA Melbourne Luncheon / Saturday 23 November, location TBA BHOGA Communion Reunion / Thursday 5 December, Launceston Grammar Senior Campus 5 and 10 Year Reunion, Class of 2009 and 2014 / Friday 13 December, Poimena Gallery

Alumni

NEWS

OLA CONTRIBUTIONS Revamping the Junior Campus Lecture Theatre to a multipurpose learning space: $15 000 New Senior Campus chairs and desks: $20 000 New AstroTurf in 2019 at the Junior Campus: $10 000 OLA Football Club Contribution: $800 Junior Campus outdoor furniture: $1500

Old Launcestonians and the OLA Committee have lots to be proud of.

Over the last four to five years we have been in the fortunate position to fully fund or make significant financial contributions to the many initiatives a school like ours seeks to deliver.

The Fun and Food Festival in Term 1 is just one of the successful initiatives on our fundraising calendar. Whilst the primary purpose of the festival is to provide an opportunity for families new and old to reconnect, it is also wonderful, through the generous donations of time, produce and support, that the OLA can raise money.

The support and patronage from the broader School community for this event is amazing.

I again take this opportunity to thank the members of the OLA Committee and the School community for your ongoing participation and support of the OLA.

Simon Wood, OLA President

The School has changed dramatically from when I attended Broadland House during the 1950s and 60s.

The opportunity and encouragement students now have to chase and build their dreams and indulge in their passions with enthusiasm is enormous. I invite our current students to have the courage, imagination and sense of adventure to open doors and look beyond so that you can further your knowledge, as well as participate and excel in your chosen field.

Be passionately curious and do not be afraid to look behind the doors to find the amazing opportunities that can be found. Never give up no matter how many obstacles you meet on your way; be inspired to keep following your dreams.

Failure is not final; it is the courage to continue that counts. Daunting though it may be, courageously facing the unknown can lead to greater personal development and satisfaction.

Rosemary Stobart, BHOGA President

Mrs Margery H Sheldrick

1935

Mrs Pauline E L Morrison

1946

Mrs Ann Terry

Professor Ronald Gates Mrs Lesley P Cox

Mr Henry C Haines

Mrs Angela Kalnoky Mrs M C Chandler Mrs P M Lindsay Mrs M J Mcleod

Major James H Welch

Mr Andrew A Morrison

1949 1940 1939

1940 1945 1942 1942 1942

1944 1943

Mr Ian A Carrington-Jones 1946 Mr Clive N O Hill Mrs M A Trethewie

1946 1947

In Memoriam Mr Stewart C Ferguson

1948

Mr Douglas B Brownrigg

1964

Mr Peter D Clements

1951

Mr Geoffrey C Clark

1969

Mr Ronald B Gibson

Mr Leicester B Walker Mr Neville F Hyland

Mr Robert S Davidson Mr Ian L Millen

1949 1950 1952

1955 1955

Mr Norman B Andrews OAM 1959 Mr Richard B Gilchrist

1961

Mrs Julie H Malley

1959

Mr John H Sale

Mr Robert A Armstrong Mr David B Jones

Mrs P Watson Mr Kelvin D Cooper

1957

1960 1959 1959 1961

Mr Garry A Thorp Mrs June Parsons

Mr D'Arcy C T Cummins

Mr Michael M Shepherd Mr Angus W Cameron Mrs Janette R Pugh

Mr Graeme L Nelson

Mrs Robin Grace West Mr Rodney D Morice Mrs Robin Lumley Mrs Diana J Griffin

Mrs Althea (Thea) Arthur

Mr Ramsay A Palfreyman

1964 1969 1971

1978

1995

1965

1949 1969 1956

1959

1969 1957

1950

Year listed refers to alumni year

Tasmania, Australia lcgs.tas.edu.au CRICOS 00650K