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4 Christian Bennett (OM 1986
Grammar News Edition 134 December 2020
What you might have missed
The 133rd edition of Grammar News, published in September 2020, was only in digital format. To view this edition visit news.mgs.vic.edu.au HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: A reflection by the Headmaster, Mr Philip Grutzner
Introducing The Art Gallery
Our stories
Paul Schreier (OM 1986) discusses the key role he is playing in our response to COVID-19. Brand strategist, Lorenzo Bresciani (OM 1985), highlights the need to keep brands current, now and in the future. Daryl Evans’ (OM 1960) life in education showcases the value of every learning experience. Dan Church’s (OM 1990) connection to the School stretches back almost four decades.
Our history
The School’s early overseas trips included a nine-week journey to India in 1927.
Read about the 1960 Refuge Cove expedition - 17 days of discovery.
Learning during lockdown
Art classes have been transformed with the introduction of new online approaches.
Year 3 packed their bags and virtually ‘travelled’ to
New Zealand this year.
Do we have your email address?
The next edition of Grammar News, to be published at the end of Term I 2021, will be a digital only format. We need your email address to be able to send it to you.
To update your contact details Contact School Reception +61 3 9865 7555 mgs@mgs.vic.edu.au or visit mgs.vic.edu.au/update-details
Grammar News
On the cover
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted on all our lives this year. For Year 12 students, valedictory celebrations were necessarily different. However, they were still able to process through Melbourne Grammar’s traditional ‘Avenue of Honour’.
You can read more about changes to the valedictory festivities on page 26.
Erratum The June 2020 edition of Grammar News included the following inaccuracies:
Page 20 • The article titled ‘Class of 2019 update’ indicated that
Zacch Seah was in Year 12 in 2019. This is incorrect.
He was in Year 11. • The following person should have been included in the list of members of our community recognised through the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours: - The late Mr Ernest (Tony) Bilson OAM (OM 1961) For service to the restaurant and catering industry. Page 21 • The article titled ‘Connections across time through sporting prowess’ indicated that William Ronald (OM 1905) won the Champion Challenge Cup for the Best General Athlete of the Year twice, in 1903 and 1904. This is incorrect. He won it once, in 1904. (He won the Champion Athletic Cup in 1903.)
We apologise for any inconvenience these inaccuracies may have caused.
Grammar News aims to connect our School community with our initiatives and activities, present news about our Old Melburnians, and explore the ideas that are shaping our School and leading us towards new ways of thinking.
Free to School community members, Grammar News is published four times a year, at the end of each School Term – digital only at the end of Terms I and III, with print and digital editions at the end of Terms II and IV.
For further information and to provide feedback:
newsletter@mgs.vic.edu.au
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this magazine contains images and names of deceased persons.
Edition 134, December 2020
Contents
04 05 33 34 35 36
From the School Council From the Headmaster Friends of Grammar The Old Melburnians Obituaries Featured artwork
ARTICLES
24
26
26
28
32
COVID-19 timeline An overview of COVID-19 related events at the School during 2020 Tackling lockdown fatigue at Wadhurst A unique initiative engaged and motivated students during off-campus learning Same, same but different Valedictory was a little different this year A record of cricketing achievement The history of cricket at Melbourne Grammar School A quarter century of service Lloyd Thomas has given time, energy and guidance to the School for more than 25 years
ONLINE EXTRAS View more at the Grammar News digital site news.mgs.vic.edu.au • National History Challenge submissions • Year 5 original poems • Sir Kingsley Norris Orations • The life of Peter Kanoa – extended article • Obituaries (2010 – 2020)
FEATURES
06
Writing out loud Melbourne Grammar is a school that values ideas. Here we present stories about students vocalising their ideas to others. 06 Understanding the other: debating and public speaking 08 Historic debating wins in 2020 09 National History Challenge success 10 A new debating event at Wadhurst 10 Poetry in motion 12 Excellence in oration 13 auspicia in Latin reading competition
14
Fond memories and inspirational journeys Meet five Old Melburnians with diverse life stories 14 Christian Bennett (OM 1986) 16 David Morton (OM 2009) 18 Vivienne Crompton (OM 2005) 20 Edward Fanning (OM 1952) 22 Peter Kanoa (OM 1969)
Reflecting on a year of resilience
2020 has seen Melbourne Grammar achieve things we may have said were impossible a year ago, proving that we can do our best work in times of crisis. This year has reminded us that we are resilient — that we can continue to make progress in the face of difficulty. And it has shown how much we can achieve through our ability to operate as a community.
For the School Council, the many significant decisions made this year have been guided by the view that support for members of our School community is paramount. For example, it was our belief that no child should miss out on their education at Melbourne Grammar because of financial hardship experienced due to the unique circumstances of 2020.
Andrew Michelmore AO We were able to offer this support, as well as fee rebates to all students during 2020, as a result of the financial stability the School has built over many years of prudent governance and management.
This year’s Annual Giving campaign showed that others also share this desire to support members of our School community. Thank you to the parents, Old Melburnians and other donors who contributed so generously. Through the remarkable performance of this campaign, we were able to provide additional assistance to those facing immediate and severe financial impacts.
We were also able to continue with capital works already underway at the start of 2020, and I am pleased to report that the refurbished Myer Music School is on track to open in 2021.
We farewelled two valued Council members during 2020. Former Headmistress of Christchurch Grammar School, Beryl Gregory OAM, has shared her time, energy and intellect with us for almost 10 years. As a Council member and a member of the Admissions Committee, she offered invaluable expertise in educational matters and we are grateful for her sage and steady counsel. Beryl also played a key role in the Grimwade House 100th anniversary celebrations in 2018. We also farewelled Lloyd Thomas after 12 years on School Council, the past three as Deputy Chair. In addition to serving on Risk Management & Audit Committee, and Nominating Committee, Lloyd served 19 years on the Melbourne Grammar School Foundation Board, including 10 years as President. His contribution to our decision making has been tempered by balance, maturity and experience, and by a clear appreciation for Melbourne Grammar’s educational aspirations.
You can read more about Lloyd’s contribution to the School on page 32.
Thank you to Beryl and Lloyd for their outstanding support of the School over many years.
I am delighted to advise that Mary Clark has been elected Deputy Chair of the School Council. Mary is recognised for her professional expertise in strategic communications and issues management. She brings a deep understanding of contemporary social issues and how they intersect with the School. A past parent, Mary has been a dynamic member of Council since 2011. She has served as Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee for the past ten years, and been a member of the Nominating Committee since 2017. I look forward to working with Mary in this new capacity.
Andrew Michelmore AO Chair of Council
What have we learnt?
Philip Grutzner
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us all with challenges and caused us to think differently about our lives.
At Melbourne Grammar School, the most obvious impact has been on our educational program. All students experienced periods of off-campus learning during the year, with some in lower secondary remaining in this mode for more than 21 weeks. Classroom activities were modified with considerable success, but many co-curricular activities such as theatrical productions, sporting competitions and outdoor experiences were cancelled.
In true Melbourne Grammar style, our community collectively adapted and achieved great outcomes under difficult circumstances. Almost all students managed situations they might have previously thought not possible and, as a consequence, developed a stronger sense of independence, confidence and resilience. So what have we learnt from our COVID-19 off-campus experience? Some people now think that traditional schooling can be completely replaced by an online approach. I disagree. Yes, we have proved that off-campus learning can be done successfully in short bursts, but learning is a deeply social experience.
This year, we have appreciated that learning, whether at school or online, is where a journey of discovery is shared between the teacher and their students, with problem solving, group work, discussion and debate lying at the core of this paradigm. Clearly, this is better done on campus and in person.
A logical step from this is then to consider what is the purpose of homework? Should it shift from the current common practice of asking students to simply finishing classroom work to a different approach? Perhaps, instead, we should be asking them to undertake more straightforward knowledge acquisition tasks at home, such as watching a video or reading source material, in preparedness for a robust interpersonal learning experience in the classroom the next day. Or perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between.
On-campus social engagement has other benefits. For truly effective pastoral care to be in place, staff need to really know and understand their students. To achieve this, face to face social interaction is essential. Body language and other non-verbal cues offer teachers insights into students’ feelings and emotions. These don’t always translate well over an internet connection. Relationship building has been altered in other ways as well. Our global outreach activities have soared through Webex this year, with a clear indication from teachers and students that they would like to do more in the future. Student, parent and teacher interviews occurred with all three parties linking from different parts of Melbourne, Victoria or the globe, and we were able to hear from speakers and collaborate with peers located in countries far away. It seems likely our new approach to engagement has merit for our educational future.
Changes to the teaching and learning pedagogy at Melbourne Grammar School will not come about without consultation, research and our own professional debates and discussions. What is important is that we consciously set about recognising the best of the online and oncampus learning models and apply them in our school in age and stage appropriate ways.
This year may not have been what we have expected, but I am proud of the creativity, courage and kindness demonstrated by our students, teachers and parents every day. What’s more, our community has largely progressed through this difficult year with grace, dignity and care for each other. I look forward to what 2021 will bring.
Philip Grutzner Headmaster
We live in an age of increasingly simplistic perceptions of others. Now, more than ever before, we are connected to the world around us; however, our connections are increasingly shallow, bite-sized, and vapid. Sustained, meaningful interactions with another person have become increasingly replaced by short bursts of text messages, status updates, and shared memes.
We are given snapshots (or Snapchats, perhaps) of others, but not a full sense of who others really are. As a teacher, one of my greatest joys is helping students broaden their perspectives of the world. But it is more challenging than ever to look beyond one’s own reality, when outside of it, what one sees are merely shadows, and not truth.
This is why it is more vital than ever before that we encourage the exchange of ideas and perspectives in our classrooms and schools. This often, and necessarily, takes the form of respectful classroom discussion, or through simply being exposed to new concepts, perspectives and ways of thinking as part of the curriculum. Nevertheless, there is something also especially powerful about the form of communication and understanding wrought through the acts of public speaking and debating.
We all know, of course, that participation in debating and public speaking offers students the opportunity to build confidence and to learn to communicate effectively. Both activities empower students to bring forth their inner perspectives to the world around them. They are also useful pedagogical tools, literally placing the student voice at the centre of the classroom.
But the value of public speaking and debating is also somewhat spiritual and transcendental. At their heart, both activities facilitate our most profound understanding of another human being. In essence, debating and public speaking are outlets for allowing perspectives (inner realities) to manifest sonorously into the world. A human perspective is not really something which can be passively consumed in 280 characters or 10 seconds of social media video content; it is something more raw, more personal, more multifaceted, complex, and full. And, in turn, a fully delivered speech is not a simple, digital moment to be consumed with mild curiosity; its sheer presence demands the audience’s full attention and awareness.
When we watch someone else deliver a full speech, whether it is in person or over the internet, we are made to appreciate the wholeness of a different worldview. The person delivering the speech is putting their voice, their body, and their presence on the line, in order to communicate to the audience a point of view that they believe is valuable and compelling. When someone is speaking to us, in public, something is at stake. That is why we are more inclined to listen purposefully and, in that moment, to truly yearn to know someone beyond ourselves.
Ultimately, debate and public speaking are about more than the communication of ideas. They enable us to sift beyond the superficial and lead us to appreciate fully the rich, enormous world contained within another human being.
Vincent Chiang
About Vincent Chiang
Vincent Chiang (OM 2010) commenced teaching English and Philosophy & Religious Studies in the Senior School in 2018. He was appointed the Teacher in Charge of Debating in 2020. As a student at Melbourne Grammar School, Vincent was Captain of Debating. He was the recipient of numerous academic awards, including a Premier’s VCE Award in 2009 for his outstanding result in Classical Societies and Cultures, and again in 2010 for Literature. Vincent was Vice-Captain of Rusden, Captain of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and acted in several School productions during his final year at the School.
At Melbourne Grammar we honour, challenge and build upon a history of ideas. In our newest addition to Grammar News, The Library, we showcase outstanding writing from across our School that continues this tradition of thoughtful investigation. Through poetry, essays, speeches and more, our writers explore ideas that are important to our students, staff, community and the wider world.
Historic debating wins in 2020
Melbourne Grammar School has won the A Grade (Year 12) level of the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) Schools Competition three years in a row. This is the first time a school has accomplished this feat in the 64-year history of the event.
By simultaneously winning the B Grade (Year 11) level this year, our School is also the first to record State championships across two levels in the same year three times, having also achieved this in 2016 and 2019.
2020’s victorious teams were:
• A Grade (Year 12): Henry Garnett,
Rowan Kilpatrick, Will Naughton • B Grade (Year 11): Kelvin Cao,
Angus Cha, Albert Du, Will Flintoft
Three students – 2020 Captain of Debating Luc Cazenave (Year 12), Felix Archibald (Year 11) and Felix de Silva Clamp (Year 10) – were each awarded ‘Swannies’ during the competition. This recognises the speaker in each region with the highest average speaker score across their year level. Adding to this list of achievements, Melbourne Grammar also won the 2020 DAV Senior British Parliamentary Debating Competition and the 2020 DAV Monash Asian Studies Debating Championships, at which Year 12 student Patrick Irwin was named Best Speaker.
Finally, Luc Cazenave was also chosen to be one of the four Victorian representative speakers in the Victorian State Debating Team for the second year in a row. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to, and success in, debating, Luc was awarded Melbourne Grammar School’s most prestigious student honour: a Sir Brian Hone Medal.
Reflecting on this year’s success, Teacher in Charge of Debating Mr Vincent Chiang says: “I’m extraordinarily proud of the entire 2020 School debating team. I’m impressed by their dedication, talent, and the extent to which they have risen above the challenges of this year. It is really a testament to their character, resilience and intellectual curiosity.” “Everything really came together this year,” says Luc. “The Year 12 group, in particular, has benefitted from the legacy of Mr Sam Greenland, former Teacher in Charge of Debating. We have also been inspired by recent students, Jack and Ben Solomon, both world class debaters. This year, Mr Chiang has done a really amazing job of helping us through in quite a difficult time.”
According to Mr Chiang, the strength and depth of the debating team can also be attributed to Melbourne Grammar’s educational pedagogy. “We are a school that emphasises knowledge, truth, understanding and critical thinking as vital to the educational experience,” he says. “We offer a range of intellectually focused disciplines and ask students to explore ideas in a variety of ways.”
Luc concurs, adding: “Other school teams seem to frequently offer predictable cases and present ideas they have thought about before, while our teams seem more able to think in new ways and successfully grapple with unfamiliar ideas.”
From left: Rear: Kelvin Cao, Albert Du, Will Flintoft, Henry Garnett, Rowan Kilpatrick, Will Naughton Front: Angus Cha, Mr Vincent Chiang, Luc Cazenave
