Quarterly Capricornus
VOL 37. No.3. September 2021
ENTERTAINMENT
LITERACY
ENVIRONMENT
Discovering commitment and unearthing new talents Page 3
Finding new ways to engage and maximise student interests in literacy Page 10
Primary students investigate how RGS is helping the environment Page 14
The Rockhampton Grammar School Grow in Character and Scholarship
www.rgs.qld.edu.au
Around the Classrooms at RGS Highlights
See all events, full details and upto-date information at RGS Parent Lounge
PREP 100 Days
YEAR 3 Farm Visit
YEAR 7 Science
YEAR 9 YEAR 9 Slow Fashion Drag Races
Watching them grow
Punnet to Plate
Experimenting
This term the Prep students celebrated their first 100 days in school. The day was filled with lots of “100” activities including making some tasty treats and designing some colourful crowns to celebrate this milestone. Reflecting on the first day the Prep students walked into their classrooms, the teachers commented on how much more independent and resilient the children have become since the beginning of the year.
This term, the RGS Year 3 cohort investigated the concept of Punnet to Plate and exploring how food production works. When drawing connections to real life, the cohort visited the RGS Port Curtis Farm. During this visit, the students toured the farm investigating what products each industry produced (sheep provide meat and orchards provide fruit). Also, as farming technologies are continually changing, the students conducted a number of scientific challenges that utilised farm technology such as drones and creating their own incubators.
Science Week was celebrated in Term 3, but every week at RGS is Science Week! Year 7 students conducted an experimental design on cleaning water. The scenario was: the local town supply of water was unavailable due to cyclone damage at the water treatment plan resulting in debris collecting in a water supply. The students created an experiment on how make the water suitable to drink. As with all experiments, some designs worked better than others but each experiment still produced results on how to better improve water quality. Students wrote their own experiments and requested which equipment they required to carry out the task.
Fashion awareness
Ready, Set, Go
RGS Year 9 Home Economics students supported “Slow fashion” with the creation of dresses, tops, shorts and pants using their dyed linen fabrics. Slow Fashion clothing production takes into consideration all aspects of the supply chain, aiming to respect people, the environment, and animals. Year 9 student Macy Francis said the sewing textile unit was very enjoyable and was a great insight as to how much work is involved in producing a wearable garment. “I felt a great feeling of accomplishment to produce the outfit from design process to the final product,’’ Macy said.
The Year 9 CO2 Dragster project was design based with students studying racing car design, exploring in simple form the concept of aerodynamics and types of propulsion systems. Students received a balsa wood blank and worked through a design process for their car, having to be aware of the car specifications that stipulated the maximum weight, wheelbase length, width and height of the car. Once the car was designed the shaping, sanding, and painting of the car began. The cars were then checked against the specifications to ensure that they conformed and were then raced to find the fastest car. The 10 fastest cars will compete in the regional CO2 Dragster Race later in the year.
Thank you RGS sponsors for sharing with us our mission of developing whole people through a balance of academic, sporting, co-curricular and social activities. If you would like to become a sponsor of RGS Sports or any co-curricular activity please contact Todd Wells, Director of Co-Curriculum on 0488 778 300 or email twells@rgs.qld.edu.au
DR PHILLIP MOULDS HEADMASTER
Inside Take the opportunities on offer at RGS Growing in Character and Scholarship is a daily pursuit at RGS. These values and attitudes, that underpin the School’s motto, are deeply engrained in all that we do. The breadth of activities undertaken across this term give some insight into the extraordinary range of opportunities afforded to enable students to grow and challenge themselves. By choosing a set of shoes to step into for the Day of Notables, a Year 6 student can see the world through a different lens and be inspired to dream about what their future could hold. Entering a robotics competition gives a student the opportunity to see what is possible when science engineering and technology come together. As they put their robot to the challenges of playing soccer, dancing and undertaking a rescue mission – they are inspired to think what else may be possible?
SCHOLARSHIP
2 Science podium finish
at them reflects true Grammar character. Resilience, tenacity and gratefulness all shine through in their story (page 9) as they reflect on their time at RGS. RGS is more than a place of learning, and I am proud to see how these students have succeeded, surrounded by our supportive RGS community.
COMMUNITY
The culture that we strive to create for our students at Grammar is certainly worthwhile.
3 T hat’s entertainment
Dedication leads to opportunities
COMMUNITY
5 Helping others
The Rockhampton Grammar School Archer Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700, Australia www.rgs.qld.edu.au (+61) 07 4936 0600 ISSN 1839-4663 ©2021 The Rockhampton Grammar School
Enrolment enquiries The Registrar Mrs Marissa Holloway 1300 GRAMMAR or 07 4936 0700 Registrar@rgs.qld.edu.au
Students helping the community
PAST STUDENTS
Past students accolades
COMMUNITY
9 Worlds Apart
Student resilience tested
SCHOLARSHIP
10 Literacy at RGS
Reaching your potential
SPORTS
16 School Pride
RGS students on show
18 RGS photo gallery
THE FINAL WORD
25 years of Day of Notables
20 Notable Achievements
The Rockhampton Grammar School takes seriously the challenge of preparing students for today’s world. We treat each student as a whole person through a balance of academic, sporting, co-curricular and social activities. Our School motto is Macte Virtute et Litteris or Grow in Character and Scholarship. Dr Phillip Moulds, Headmaster 07 4936 0615 Headmaster@rgs.qld.edu.au
6 Alumni Awards
And sometimes growth comes in an unforeseeable way. Unable to return home or see their families for almost two years, the way that our Year 12 international students have risen to the myriad of challenges thrown
Capricornus Quarterly is published by:
Testing a global competition
Editorial & Advertising Ms Sue Moloney, Director Development and Communications 07 4936 0668 smoloney@rgs.qld.edu.au
On the cover: Hats off to literacy! The RGS Primary School celebrated Book Week in Term 3. Read more about the RGS literacy initiatives, Page 10.
Mrs Rachael McDonald 07 4936 0776 rmcdonald@rgs.qld.edu.au Mrs Ashleigh Harvey 07 4936 0667 aharvey@rgs.qld.edu.au
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 1
SCHOLARSHIP
Students master experiment in international competition RGS Year 10 students claimed a podium finish in a global science competition in Term 3.
Students competed alongside 300 students from Australia, China, Finland, and France.
Sandee Weerasinghe Meegahawattage, Ella McCauley and Kaviya Vignarajah placed third in the Senior High School category of the second International Youth Microorganism Innovation Experiment Competition – GLC-Pasteur Cup.
“The competition involves students training with research scientists from China before selecting a topic around the life of the microorganism,’’ Dr Kelly said.
The global science competition is organised by the Education Bureau of Xuhui District, Shanghai, and the Pasteur Institute of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in conjunction with the GLC International Group. RGS Head of Science Dr Nikki Kelly said the competition looked at the scientific knowledge of microbiology and the impact on human life. It aims to improve young students’ cognition of the microbial world, cultivate the skills of scientific experiment and the spirit of scientific inquiry, and form the concept of active exploration.
“They must carry out a literature review, before designing an investigation, then experimenting and carrying out data analysis. The task must be wholly designed by the students, and reflect their ability to find, analyse and solve problems.”
Aust Schoolboys honour RGS Year 12 student Spencer Smallacombe was selected in the Australia A schoolboys rugby union merit team in September. The team was selected based on games played throughout the 2021 season. Read about more RGS sporting achievements on pages 16 and 17.
Sandee, Ella and Kaviya tested the response of different microbe species to a range of oil extracts from plants, including Australian natives such as eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon myrtle.
RUOK? RGS staff and students asked the question; Are they really OK? Ask them today. The School’s RUOK? Committee produced some tasty baked treats and also wanted to spread a little cheer to promote the impact that positive thoughts and random acts of kindness can have on the mental health of others, with students encouraged to write a kind note to another person in the school.
Hitting the stage That’s entertainment!
Photographs: Tony Kennedy
Stepping out on stage – singing, dancing and acting – students from the Secondary School Musical Singin’ in the Rain and the DMTA Showcase productions have conquered the challenges they faced to produce two amazing productions in Term 3. Performing in one production is a big enough task, let alone backing up two weeks later for another musical production.
will find that they can manage to succeed in all areas, co-curricular and academically and have a bit of fun on the way!’’ Mrs Kennedy said.
Talented RGS students were outstanding in the RGS Secondary School Musical, Singin’ in the Rain, on 20, 21, 22 August and were soon back on the Pilbeam Theatre stage on 4 September for the RGS Dance and Musical Theatre Academy’s (DMTA) Showcase production.
The final outcomes are worth the countless hours of commitment to these productions.
Head of DMTA Mr Michael Robertson said students involved in the RGS theatre productions whether they be primary, secondary or the DMTA, have enormous dedication to what we are trying to achieve as a creative team. “They commit to many months of rehearsals which not only involves rehearsing at School but they also put in amazing amounts of personal hours rehearsing their lines, songs and dance moves,’’ Mr Robertson said. “I also find our theatre students learn organisational skills as they need to juggle their academic studies, sporting commitments and personal/family life around these cultural pursuits. They are very well-rounded individuals.” RGS Secondary Musical Director Mrs Jan Kennedy said even though some students are not involved in every scene they are still required to rehearse the big dance numbers or work on their acting skills to help push the storyline along. “This can be difficult to manage when juggling assessment however if they task it out, they
Mr Robertson said he was immensely proud and humbled by what the students bring to the stage on the actual performance night. “You see such a change and development in each performer from their audition piece or initial rehearsals to when they take the stage for their performance,’’ Mr Robertson said. Mrs Kennedy said to see the final product, after months of preparation behind the scenes, is one of the scariest but rewarding moments of the musical journey. “To see how much the students evolve from shy and unsure young people to become confident and polished characters creating magic for an audience is amazing. The hardest part for me is to let go on opening night because it becomes their show, they own it! I sit in the audience and panic!’’ Mrs Kennedy said. It’s no easy task stepping onto a stage, but both Mr Robertson and Mrs Kennedy encourage others to give it a go. “The experience gained working in a large team, learning how to express oneself through the magic of theatre is a gift that keeps on giving,’’ Mrs Kennedy said.
“I hear so many students say, ‘I can’t sing, dance or act so I can’t do it’. I say, ‘ it doesn’t matter, you will by the time you leave’. Therefore they should join, to learn and experience the wonderful skills of the theatre and to make lifelong friendships. Musical Theatre is the greatest gift to audiences worldwide!”
“ To see how much the students evolve from shy and unsure young people to become confident and polished characters creating magic for an audience is amazing” Mrs Kennedy Mr Robertson echoed these thoughts . “Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. As our High School Musical Jr show was all about- don’t stick to the status quo,’’ Mr Robertson said. “You don’t just need to be involved on stage either. Be part of the musical orchestra/band, help out with backstage, followspotting or even assisting with bump in and bump out at the theatre. It is a true team effort involving every one at every level.”
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 3
NEWS Tresor (Year 1) Charlie – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Here is why some of our students love reading books:
“It’s my favourite movie and book because he likes chocolate. Charlie was all safe and sound from the other people.”
IN THE NEWS RGS students, staff and families celebrated a variety of events and competition success throughout Term 3. Here is just a snapshot of some activities.
Eleise (Year 2) Porcupine – I Need a Hug “It has a nice message in it. You should always be kind to everyone. I like books because they make me to read better. My costume is great. It’s tingly and makes noises.” Lavani (Year 6) Hermione Granger – Harry Potter “She’s really smart and likes reading. The books are cool to read because they are about fantasy magic.”
Quiz Masters
Celebration by the Sea
Book Week
The RGS Senior Rotary Quiz team (pictured above with Rockhampton Rotary Club members) of Declan Bird (captain), India Iwers and Ben Wright won their division in the final of the Rockhampton and District competition against St Brendan’s College. The RGS Junior team of Charlotte Offord, Mikaela Hilber and Kaviya Vignarajah missed out on competing in the final but did their best in the competition.
Ritamada turned on the most perfect weather to host Celebration by the Sea on 19 June. The event was a feature of the School’s 140 years of RGS and 50 years of Ritamada celebrations. Around 200 guests enjoyed the long lunch. RGS music students also entertained the guests. Thanks to City Printing Works, the RGS Past Students’ Association, hb&co, Treasury Wine Estates and PacPlus for their financial sponsorship. Thank you also to Lily and Lotus, Whisk Creative Cater and our MC, and past parent and Board member, Simon Irwin. Thanks also to all RGS staff involved in this event.
RGS Primary School students brought books to life in Term 3 when they celebrated Book Week. A highlight of the week was the Book Week Parade on the School’s Bottom Oval. Event coordinator Mrs Linda Irwin said reading should be fun, it should be colourful and noisy and exciting. “These kind of celebrations are rich experiences that the children will remember for the rest of their lives,’’ Mrs Irwin said.
ROCKHAMPTON GLADSTONE YEPPOON
4921 0399
www.luptonstewart.com.au
CREATING CONFIDENT SMILES
FOR PATIENTS OF ALL AGES
NEWS
“ I know I was incredibly inspired and uplifted by the whole process.” Breannah Mackenzie
Students inspired to help others
Year 12 student Hannah Boyce braves the hair cut to proudly raise money for the Cancer Council.
A hair cut, organising a high tea or feeding a line-up of hungry students at a sausage sizzle, all these events are inspiring RGS students to better understand the bigger community picture and the challenges many families face. The Ponytail Project, Shave for a Cure, a high tea, Relay for Life fundraising and sausage sizzles have all combined to raise valuable funds for the Cancer Council. The School’s First XIII rugby league team resumed their Shave for a Cure duties before the Confraternity Carnival while students, families and friends have all helped support many fundraising ventures including a High Tea and the Relay for Life. Most recently, RGS Year 12 girls chopped their hair all in the name of raising valuable funds for the Cancer Council’s Ponytail Project. The students raised over $11,000 after they donated “at least” 20cms of their hair to the Cancer Council’s Sustainable Salons which distributes the hair to charities and local wig-makers. The donated hair will be made into wigs for those suffering from medically-induced hairloss conditions such as alopecia and cancer. Cancer Committee chairs, Year 12 students Breannah Mackenzie and Anna Mactaggart were among the 13 students who donated at least 20cm of their hair to the cause.
You could not wipe the smile off Breannah Mackenzie’s face during the haircut. “The Ponytail Project is a truly incredible initiative, and I am honoured to have been a part of organising and participating in the event,’’ Breannah said. “The selflessness of the girls, to sacrifice their hair and disregard their self-image for such an amazing cause, was fantastic. I know that I was incredibly inspired and uplifted by the whole process.” Anna said it was a great feeling seeing so many people involved in the Ponytail Project and she hoped the funds will make a “huge difference” for those impacted by cancer. “I’ve always had long hair so it was a very different feeling getting 20cm taken off,’’ Anna said. “However, I’m happy that it will be donated to someone in need and knowing that I have contributed to such a worthy cause.’’ The girls are now adapting to their new look.
“ I’m happy that it will be donated to someone in need and knowing that I have contributed to such a worthy cause.’” Anna Mactaggart Breannah said she was loving her new haircut and she hoped this event will be adopted as a tradition within the RGS community. “The extraordinary, courageous, and brave people that have been affected by cancer, deserve an enormous amount of love, affection and support from all Australians,’’ Breannah said. “We hope, as the RGS senior girls, that we have made a move, big or small, to help those whose lives have been affected as well as created an awareness of cancer within the local community.” The School’s Cancer Committee also hosted a High Tea at the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens earlier this term which also raised over $2000 for the Cancer Council.
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 5
PAST STUDENTS
ALUMNI AWARDS RGS past students take many different paths in life after they leave the School. The annual RGS Distinguished Past Student Awards Dinner on 24 July recognised students and a past teacher who have gone above and beyond in their chosen careers.
DISTINGUISHED PAST STUDENT AWARD
DISTINGUISHED PAST STUDENT AWARD
DISTINGUISHED PAST STUDENT AWARD
ROD LAVER RGS 1947 – 1949
GARY LARSON RGS 1983 – 1984
RACHEL DOWNIE RGS 1985 – 1987
Rod Laver is widely considered one of Australia’s greatest ever tennis players. Rod was the first male tennis player to win two calendar year Grand Slams – with wins at Wimbledon, the Australian, French and US Opens in both 1962 and again in 1969. Rod was ranked number one in the world in nine different years and ended his career with 200 singles titles, including 11 Grand Slam titles. Rod also represented Australia in Davis Cup tennis, winning five titles. Rod was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981 and in 2000 was bestowed the honour of having centre court at Melbourne Park renamed Rod Laver Arena.
Gary played 24 consecutive games for Queensland in the 1990s and represented Australia in nine games. Reflecting on his Queensland duties Gary said, “My attitude in every game I played in that Origin arena was that I didn’t want to let anyone down.” Gary played 233 games for the North Sydney Bears and 17 games at Parramatta before retiring from professional rugby league. While at RGS, Gary was also selected in the Australian schoolboys rugby union team.
In 2020, Rachel was awarded the Queensland Australian of the Year for her work with education and helping young people to say something when they see or experience harm. Twenty-five years ago Rachel became an educator to help young people flourish. After losing a Year 9 student to suicide, Rachel decided she needed to find a way to support young people to seek help for themselves and their peers. This led Rachel to developing and self-funding Stymie – an old-fashioned word for stop – to allow students to anonymously report harm without fear.
Study Pharmacy at JCU
5 STARS FOR: Social Equity Full-time Employment Skills Development Student Support Learner Engagement
jcu.edu.au
PAST STUDENTS
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD
HUGH GRANT RGS 1954 – 1957
ERROL PAYNE RGS 1958 – 1961
In 1964, Hugh was admitted as a solicitor in the State of Queensland, two years later joining the Grant & Simpson Lawyers partnership. Hugh was a Member of the Council of Queensland Law Society from 1983 – 1997, and Society President in 1996 and 1997. Hugh was also Chairman of the Iwasaki Foundation.
Emeritus Professor Errol Payne has made a substantial contribution to tertiary education in Central Queensland, helping develop other CQU campuses in Bundaberg, Gladstone and Mackay. Also a volunteer at the Rockhampton Heritage Village, Errol was named Rockhampton Regional Council Citizen of the Year in 2019.
Flynn rewarded for persistence FLYNN GEDDES (RGS 2019) In June this year Flynn Geddes proudly stood on the stage at Brisbane Town Hall and accepted a Duke of Edinburgh Gold International Award from the Governor of Queensland, His Excellency The Honourable Paul de Jersey AC (pictured above). It was in that moment that years of personal dedication came to fruition. Here is Flynn’s story: “The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award will forever hold a special place in my heart. A highly rewarding experience that focuses on the principals of community, service, and self-improvement.
RGS PAST STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OUTSTANDING ACHIEVER AWARD
RGS PAST STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP
JOHN PRICE RGS 1981 – 1985
PAM DRILLIS RGS 1983 – 2015
John worked for ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) for 20 years and was ASIC Commissioner in 2015, 2018 and 2020. Internationally, John represented Australia through IOSCO (International Organisation of Securities Commissions) and the Trans-Tasman Banking Council.
Pam Drillis was the former Head of Home Economics at RGS, working with students in the Secondary and Primary schools. Many students considered Pam the “mother” of RGS. Pam was one of just two female teaching staff when she started at RGS. Pam also enjoyed her role with the School’s Golf co-curricular programme.
Read more about our award winners in the RGS past students publication, The Grammarian – www.rgs. qld.edu.au/community/ publications
As part of the award programme I had to demonstrate a commitment to five key components for a few years. For my service component, I volunteered at 98.5FM 4YOU Radio learning how to host and produce my own segment every week; for my skill component, I developed skills in horsemanship; I committed myself to a physical routine at a local gym for my physical component and two adventurous journeys which were one of the highlights of my experiences. I hiked the mountains of the Gold Coast for 4 days and 3 nights on two occasions, carrying everything in and everything out and for the Gold residential project and I completed an acting course at Nida held in Brisbane over 5 days. During this programme, I not only learnt valuable skills in time management, commitment, and self-assessment but I also met incredible people from all walks of life. These people not only offered support and encouragement but demonstrated empathy and respect to all participants. I thank The Rockhampton Grammar School for allowing me to undertake this endeavour while I was still at school. Also, to mention my extraordinary mentors including Mr Boicos (RGS), for guiding me throughout my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award journey. This would not have been nearly as impactful without their support.”
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 7
WE SEE YOUR TALENT
WITH THE PRINCIPAL’S RECOMMENDATION SCHEME
Success at university takes motivation, passion, determination and talent, and we know this isn’t always captured in your school grades. If you’re in Year 12, the Principal’s Recommendation Scheme offers an alternate pathway for eligible courses+ so you can apply for a course and receive an unconditional* offer based on the recommendation of your school Principal. Then you can rest easy, knowing you’ve got a secure spot at CQUniversity.
Find out more www.cqu.edu.au/prs
CRICOS: 00219C | RTO: 40939
TAFE AND UNIVERSITY QUALIFICATIONS +Some courses are not available with this scheme. Please visit our website for details on excluded courses. *Some courses have additional requirements and where noted, conditional offers only will be made for these courses.
P_AD_210065_Term3_PRS
SCHOLARSHIP
“ To say that the boys have merely overcome some challenges is an understatement.”
Helping guide the boys through their final year of school is Mr Tim Bourne, Head of the Rockhampton English Language Academy. Mr Bourne said Jack and Will are certainly two young men who can teach us a thing or two about resilience, perseverance and optimism in the face of adversity. “To say that the boys have merely overcome some challenges is an understatement,’’ Mr Bourne said. “In spite of the persistently dashed hope of being able to visit home “soon”, the commitment Jack and Will have mustered for their studies in their second language has gone into hyperdrive as they focus on doing well on their upcoming external assessments.
Worlds apart: A long way from home Year 12 international students Jack Lu and Will Wang arrived at RGS wanting to improve their English skills. Little did they realise that years later they would both have to work on much broader skill-sets after COVID restrictions put their resilience to the test.
“With completing senior schooling in a foreign language effectively doubling their workload, the two both take advantage of the many supplementary tutorials that the dedicated staff at RGS run for all students after school and on weekends.” Jack arrived at RGS in May 2017 and Will in July 2018. They are both shocked that they will be leaving RGS at the end of their Year 12 studies. “It has been four years since I started here. I was 14-years-old,’’ said Jack, who was this term appointed a Boarder Senior. “This experience is very challenging for me. When I first came to RGS, I did not have good English skills, and my classmates and teachers took good care of me, which made my life in RGS very interesting and wonderful.
RGS students are rushing out the school gates at the end of term, ready for another school holiday break with family and friends. Watching on are two Year 12 international students from China, Jack Lu and Will Wang. Due to COVID restrictions, they have not been home since January 2020. Now just relying on technology to keep them connected. Jack and Will both admit they are envious of watching the other students seeing their families over the school holidays.
“At first everyone would ask me a question and I would answer “yes” or “no”. I was stressed. It was challenging learning another language and also talking to other international students, not just in my mother language.” Will said he has found the experience worthy. “I enjoy the freedom of this environment and the relatively relaxed study pressure,’’ Will said. Both students hope to pursue university studies next year.
School holidays for Jack is spent catching up with a local friend and playing tennis and badminton while Will is keeping busy trying to prepare for his external exams. THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 9
SCHOLARSHIP
Literacy at RGS Reaching your potential There is a growing concern at the declining literacy standards of Australian school students with falling NAPLAN results in the headlines. At The Rockhampton Grammar School, we are actively pursuing ways to maximise our students’ literacy capacity thereby allowing them to reach their full potential. The formation of the School Literacy Working Party continues the investigation and implementation of school-wide and targeted literacy plans. RGS teachers continue to value the importance of developing the literacy capacity of every student across the entire curriculum. The Literacy Working Party, composed of staff representing all facets of the School, have met regularly from mid-2020, with research occurring into the best practice for enhancing literacy for all students.
LITERACY IS MORE THAN READING AND WRITING Literacy encompasses a range of practices, which include: reading, writing, speaking, viewing, creating and listening, to support students in their endeavours to achieve their potential and prepare them to be successful communicators. Across the curriculum, literacy capabilities are developed in a progressive way in order for students to comprehend, create and purposely construct meaning that engages thinking skills and promotes further learning.
The Australian Curriculum forms the basis for all discussions and activities. Teaching staff, from Kindy through to Year 12, have engaged in professional development activities utilising resources to assist in determining student literacy levels, understanding how students comprehend amongst other activities and are now receiving weekly literacy building strategies. Book recommendations in the newsletter, written by students and teachers sharing books that they love, is one of the activities of the Literacy Working Party. In the Secondary School, there has been a focus on writing across the curriculum with all students from Years 7 – 10 engaged in a daily Writing Boost for several weeks each term. Along with other literacy activities, the junior
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boy boarders have been completing a Prep Booklet which includes a daily reflection and summary of learning. Mr Matt Oakes notes that there has been improved recall of subject knowledge and the building of reflective habits that will benefit students as they progress through the Secondary School. Primary students are regularly engaged in literacy within their classrooms. To help support students with reading, an intensive Before School Reading Program is offered in Term 2. With the help of volunteer teachers and Year 11 students, students read each morning. Using a benchmark reading assessment before and after the programme, we have noted the improvement in the reading confidence, fluency and comprehension of participants. Literacy is not just about studying English. We encourage you to speak to your child’s teacher to see how you can help them reach their literacy capacity.
SCHOLARSHIP
Handwriting does matter! Is handwriting an old-fashioned skill? Is there any value in teaching children to handwrite in the digital age? While we may no longer teach our children the finer points of penmanship, handwriting remains a vital part of the curriculum and with valid reasons. Handwriting has been shown to engage memory-forming processes more deeply than typing. Research by educational neuroscientists, James and Englehardt (2012) suggest the process of writing by hand engages the brain in more cognitive processes than typing on a laptop. Learning to handwrite can also help to hone a child’s attention and focusing skills, as the process involves the development of very fine motor skills. RGS Primary and Year 11 students work together to build on reading skills in Primary’s Before School Reading Programme.
In the early years of schooling, there is very strong evidence that learning to handwrite can improve letter recognition and decoding skills, thus improving comprehension levels. Similarly, writing by hand has been shown to improve spelling and written composition, more than typing can. Typing, of course, is a vital skill these days and learning to do it well is an important part of a modern education. Nevertheless, learning to write by hand provides children with benefits not matched by the keyboard.
GOOD HANDWRITING NEEDS PRACTICE It is still a skill required for life beyond school •S tudents up to Year 3 should be using QBeginners Font •S tudents above Year 3 will be learning QCursive The fonts are available to download at: https://bit.ly/3Ck1trl
8 steps to improve handwriting: 1. C hoose the correct pen, trial pens of different sizes. 2. Loosen your pencil grip. 3. E nsure you have good posture when writing. 4. Write on lined paper. 5. C hange the angle of your paper as you write to find the best angle. 6. S low down and take your time. You will get faster as you practice. 7. P ractice daily, take every opportunity to write. 8. Persevere.
riversidewaters.com.au Mark Shore 0418 799 222 David Bell 0409 285 062
SCHOLARSHIP
“ One strategy to improve reading capacity is to go beyond ‘just’ books.”
The importance of reading Right now, you are engaging in one of the greatest inventions and achievements of humanity: reading. The benefits of reading are many and varied. Almost always, children who read become better writers. Their vocabulary and memory improve, their use of punctuation improves, and their knowledge of sentence and grammatical structures also improves. Students who read fiction are exposed to settings, characters, and plot twists – their imagination is piqued.
• Analysing texts: appreciating that texts influence readers in different ways and are used for different purposes
If they read the myriad of non-fiction offerings, they are encouraged to see how the world works, thus broadening their horizons. As the British children’s author, Katherine Rundell eloquently proclaims, “books crowbar the world open for you – every book you read makes your imagination larger.” Therefore, unquestionably, reading, at any age, is to be encouraged.
These processes ensure that reading is a rich and advantageous experience for young people all through their schooling and beyond as they navigate the world around them, as well as a curriculum brim-filled with texts to be read.
Reading, however, is not just about decoding, it involves far more than that. In fact, as Luke and Freebody (1990) argue, reading involves a number of extraordinary processes: • Breaking the code of the text: the letter – sound relationships • Using texts: understanding the text, for example, novel, recipe or instructional manual
Whilst being a highly-skilled reader is acknowledged as vital to success in the modern world, that does not make the honing of reading capacity an easy task, particularly, as the competition for student’s attention is fierce from other pastimes and recreational activities. Reading needs to be meaningful to the reader. Reading needs to be valued. One strategy to improve reading capacity is to go beyond ‘just’ books. Young people who read a lot identify themselves as readers; however, often reading is only associated with books.
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Young people therefore should be encouraged to read from a variety of texts; graphic novels, websites, newspapers, even recipes and instruction manuals provide opportunities to read. Another method to improve reading capacity is to engage in sustained reading for an extended period. An easy way of achieving this is to set a timer for five or ten minutes. It is amazing how the time quickly passes and reading continues long after the timer has ended. Finally, modelled reading, simply reading aloud to someone, is a great way to engage with reading at home for all ages. As the US educationalist, Doug Lemov argues, “reading aloud breathes life into a text, and when a text comes to life it doesn’t just connect [all] to the act of reading, it connects them to one another. The words come alive; we share a story and the humour or tragedy of its narrative.” Modelled reading ensures that meaningful emphasis is placed on words, meaningful pauses are made by adhering to the punctuation cues and accurate decoding of difficult words is shown in an accessible fashion. Reading to students of any age can be time well spent. So, in the famous words of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, “I’m wondering what to read next.” And so should we all!
SCHOLARSHIP
Words tell a story in all shapes and forms From young Primary writers to students preparing to enter their Senior studies, RGS students are being encourage to express their thoughts in writing.
Sample Writing 1
Sample Writing 4
If I had a Fairy Godmother, I would wish for …
Hello
A monster truck that has 2 mufflers and a flatback and it has triple tyres that have lumps on them. I also want a house with my Mum’s and my Dad’s favourite things to do. Wyatt (Year 1)
Sample Writing 2 Every day they practiced a lot. On the night of the plan, they were ready. They tiptoed out of the cage, slowly moving towards the door. But then….KABOOM. Olive fell over the guard! He caught them. “Run” shouted Olive. They bolted. Luckily for them, they met a nice zoo keeper. “I’ll distract him while you run,” he said. So the zookeeper went up to the guard and said, “Come quickly, the food is overflowing.” The guard immediately followed him. Meanwhile, Olive and his friends bolted out of the huge metal door. Sasha (Year 4)
Sample Writing 3 Conclusion The hypothesis was correct as Viva soaked up the most water. The one that soaked up the least water was School paper towel, trial 1, with only 5mL. The one that soaked up the most amount of water was Viva, trial 3, with 20mL. This happened because each brand has a different thickness. The thicker ones soaked up more water than the thin ones. Lara (Year 6)
“ The stench of rotten leaves annihilated the sweet aroma of petrichor as I approached the mahogany door. I peered at the kaleidoscope of cobwebs, my hands itching to start the spring cleaning”
I am a particle of glitter, the big chunky kind which is much less annoying than you. I am insoluble and I, unfortunately, cannot dissolve in anything. I never found out how I came to be, but many moons ago I was mixed with water. This is a pretty useless thing to do as I would just sink to the bottom unless shaken up…. Anyway, this mixture just isn’t working. Water and I have decided to separate, just like you and that strange ex-wife of yours. We are going to a party first, which is being held over many small holes. This will cause water to fall through the holes keeping me in the same place separating us. Good riddance, my dearest nemesis. Rini (Year 7)
Sample Writing 5 The stench of rotten leaves annihilated the sweet aroma of petrichor as I approached the mahogany door. I peered at the kaleidoscope of cobwebs, my hands itching to start the spring cleaning. “Please don’t trouble yourself cleaning up the attic, sweetheart. You shouldn’t be doing housework in this condition,” my husband had pleaded, gently placing a kiss on my forehead. The baby was due in two months and the attic still needed to be dusted, decluttered, and decorated. Gloomy days like today were mostly spent cosying up in bed, hot cocoa in one hand, a cliché romance novel in the other. Today, however, I felt like a monarch butterfly that had just burst out of its chrysalis, healthy and in high spirits. Besides, it was far too much work for one man to be doing himself. And I would gladly build the nursery for our daughter. Jolts of euphoria crawled up my veins as I imagined my precious bundle of joy cooing to the jingling melody of twinkling stars. I pictured her first steps, the stumbling and teetering as sunlight illuminates through the vaulted ceiling, the beams meeting on golden arches on her skin. Mahjuba (Year 10)
HELPFUL WEBSITES Literacy literacyhub.edu.au/families/literacy-athome.html education.qld.gov.au/parents-and-carers/ community-engagement/parents www.aisnsw.edu.au/learning-from-home/ pedagogy/literacy
Reading newsela.com/signin www.ziptales.com/ (See your primary teacher for login details) www.sunshineonline.com.au/ (See your primary teacher for login details)
Writing www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl www.analyzemywriting.com/about_ us.html www.writeabout.com/ideas/ www.youtube.com/user/ SchoolhouseRockTV1
Mahjuba, Year 10 THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 13
COMMUNITY
Environmental Challenge Student investigation RGS Primary students have taken the lead on researching environmental challenges in a “Grow it, Taste it, Don’t Waste it!” competition. The State-wide competition allowed the students to gain a broader insight into a “real-world problem” and how RGS is playing its role in helping our environment. Delving into a “real-world problem” inspired RGS Primary students. In Term 3, students in 3/4W entered a Statewide science competition, conducted by the Hermitage Research Facility, titled ‘Grow it, Taste it, Don’t Waste it!’ as part of their unit on living and non-living things and the role they play in the environment. The class entry was not only awarded first place in the Year 3-6 division, they were also awarded the Crawford Fund International Agricultural Science Award trophy. The competition attracted 130 schools from across Queensland with over 3600 students engaged in the project. 3/4W teacher Mrs Sonya Whitehead said students were engaged in the task from the beginning.
“Not only because it was a competition, but it was about searching for information regarding a real-world problem,’’ Mrs Whitehead said. “Food shortage is and will remain a problem in the future as our population continues to grow around the world. “Students were amazed at some of the statistics they discovered; like the fact that one third of food produced world-wide gets wasted! The project showed that if we can, we should continually strive to help improve life globally.” RGS students shared the workload as they broke into four groups to address specific components: 1. Experimenting with hydroponics to answer the question – ‘Do plants grow better in soil or in water?’ The students planted six vegetables in soil and the same six vegetables in a hydroponic system they designed and built. They then
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SCHOLARSHIP
STUDENT INSIGHTS “ The project showed that if we can, we should continually strive to help improve life globally.”
Planting group “ Writing descriptions about how the plants were looking each week required us to be very detailed about each leaf and stem” – Evie “ We discovered that possums like tomato plants because they stole our hydroponic tomato plant midexperiment” – Ruchika Tasting group “ Experimenting with the taste buds on our tongue and the different areas that taste different flavours was really cool” – Johanna
Working together on a “real-world” problem to help protect our environment for future generations.
“ Coming up with the tasting test showed us how to conduct a blind test so the results were more accurate” – Joshua Spoiling group “ Watching the strawberries rot and grow mould on them was quite disgusting, especially the plate that was left in the sun. It was putrid!” – Grace
recorded their observations and the growth of the plants in a journal before presenting a scientific report which included research, analysis of the data and a discussion on how this knowledge could help food shortages in the world. 2. Food tasting experiment “disguising” tastes in jelly. Each member of the class had to rate each sample according to taste, texture, smell and looks. This blind tasting led them to research which areas of the tongue tastes certain flavours. Their results were then presented as a scientific poster. 3. Experiment on food spoilage Strawberries were selected as the food of choice and were placed on plates in a number of different areas, including the fridge, kitchen bench, outside in the sun and in the freezer, with observations recorded and presented on a scientific poster.
4. Developed a new idea or concept to help combat global food wastage – a News Bulletin. This group researched global food wastage – what it is, where in the production chain is the waste greatest and how can we reduce it. Students looked in their own back yard and interviewed the RGS Dining Room staff; the Primary Garden Club which runs a recycling programme; RGS Home Economics teacher Mrs Malone who runs the School’s cooking rooms; and Prep teachers, who the students thought would see a lot of waste. The final video, complete with newsreader, was an amazing achievement!
“ We discovered that strawberries last the longest in the freezer and can be eaten when defrosted” – Oliver News programme group “ Going to different areas of the school to interview people on live camera was a little nerve-racking but fun at the same time” – Kai “ Researching food wastage in the world really astonished us. The whole world needs to work together to help stop wasting food because there are so many starving people in the world and the population is continually growing” – Kiaan
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 15
CO-CURRICULAR
Swimming Ahead Taryn Roberts has had a breakthrough year – qualifying for a national open final and gaining selection in her first Australian swimming team.
Taryn Roberts, Year 10, had wrapped up her Australian Olympic Trials meet, with a highlight qualifying for the 1500m freestyle final, and was ecstatic about her selection in an Australian Youth team to train in Mackay and compete in Brisbane. COVID has placed those dreams on hold, but Taryn is not slowing down at Rocky City club training, still pushing ahead to pursue her swimming dreams. “I’m really sad about everything being cancelled but I have to keep remembering that this is a big picture at the end of the day,’’ Taryn said.
McKeon and Kaylee McKeown. At the nationals, Taryn swam her 800m against Ariana Titmus (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze at the Tokyo Olympics). Nerves played their role in Taryn’s swims at nationals, but it was an experience she will never forget. “I realised that one day I wanted to be like them and they inspire me to try and be better,’’ Taryn said. “I didn’t swim my best but I’ll take away what I did wrong and hopefully improve next year when it’s Commonwealth Games trials.
Taryn also continues to be inspired after watching Australia’s swimmers at the Olympics including Ariana Titmus, Emma
“ I realised that one day I wanted to be like them (Australia’s Olympic swimmers) and they inspire me to try and be better”
AROUND THE GROUNDS ATHLETICS
CRICKET
CRICKET
RGS won an 18th consecutive Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Athletics Championship title at North Rockhampton State High School in July. RGS had 69 students selected for the Rockhampton district team, but unfortunately the Capricornia trials for the State Titles were cancelled due to COVID restrictions in south-east Qld.
The RGS Year 7 – 9 cricket team qualified for the State Final of the Queensland Cricket Schools T20 competition. After winning the Rockhampton district round, RGS defeated Mackay’s Mercy College in Mackay before winning the North Queensland final against Malanada State High School in Home Hill.
Leading Qld cricket coaches Terry Oliver and Vic Williams visited RGS on 4 September to run a clinic for RGS cricketers. Students from Year 7 to 12 participated in the clinic held at RGS, for RGS students.
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CO-CURRICULAR
School Pride RGS sports teams have been proudly wearing the red and black across many sports throughout Term 3, being humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
NETBALL
RUGBY LEAGUE
PRIMARY FRIDAY SPORT
RGS netball teams wrapped up playing commitments for the 2021 season. The First VII, Magic, represented the School, and the Capricornia region, in the Vicki Wilson Cup State Finals in Brisbane – an event that was earlier postponed due to COVID restrictions. After facing some tough competition, and battling injuries, the team won two of their eight games. Earlier in the term, teams played in the Rockhampton Netball Association grand finals. Premiers – Magic (Senior A Reserve Div 1); Lakers (Senior C); Redskins (Junior D2) and Stars (Junior E1).
The RGS First XIII rugby league team played in both the Aaron Payne Cup and Rockhampton District Secondary Schoolboys Rugby League competitions during Term 3.
RGS Primary students were among the grand finalists in the Rockhampton District Friday Sport competitions for netball, rugby league and tennis. Students also participated in the non-competitive hockey fixtures during this Friday Sport block.
Runners-Up – Meteors (Senior A Reserve Div 2); Suns (Junior D1) and Heat (Junior F3).
In the Aaron Payne Cup, the team scored wins over Emmaus College (Rockhampton) and Shalom College (Bundaberg) but unfortunately missed the finals. The RGS Year 10 Cowboys Challenge team also missed this year’s finals. In the Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Rugby League grand finals the First XIII scored a thrilling 4 point win over St Brendan’s College in the grand final. Jaiden Green was player of the final. The 7As also celebrated a premiership, scoring a strong win against St Brendan’s College with Nick Crawford named RGS man of the match.
RGS Grand Final results: Netball – RGS had wins in the Jnr A and Jnr D grand finals against Frenchville and Ridgelands. Rugby League – The 6As had a 22-6 win over Frenchville while the 6C team suffered a narrow loss against Frenchville. Tennis – it was a clean sweep of premierships for RGS at Victoria Park with wins in A grade (RGS1 v RGS2), B grade (v Frenchville), C grade (v Berserker) and D grade (v St Paul’s).
The 8B team fell four points short in their 8C grand final against Mt Morgan State High School. Clay Rabbitts-Hick was RGS player of the final.
RUGBY UNION
AUSTRALIAN RULES
TAEKWON-DO
RGS returned to the Western Sevens in Emerald during July. The RGS 13 years girls and boys teams won their divisions. Dylan O’Donnell (Year 8) and Marnie Whitehead (Year 8) were respectively named their team’s players of the carnival. The RGS open boys and girls teams both placed 2nd. 15 girls were 3rd and 15 boys placed 4th.
The RGS Primary School AFL team competed at the NQ AFL Championships in wet conditions in Townsville. The team defeated Ryan Catholic College (Townsville) in their opening game before a close loss against Whitfield State School (Cairns) in the grand final.
RGS Taekwon-Do Club students participated in the United ITF CQ Championships in Duggan Hall. The Championships hosted four Rockhampton clubs and one from Sarina. RGS students won 34 medals. All the students worked hard in the lead up to the event and their sportsmanship and perseverance on the day made their Instructor Mr Kennedy very proud.
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 17
GALLERY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RGS Taekwon-Do’s young members prepare for training in Duggan Hall; Prep’s Annabelle Farmer creates her artwork; Year 11’s Mackenzie Deeley abseils down the Birkbeck Building during Outdoor Recreation adventures; Ben Wright (Year 11) was a star on stage in Singin’ in the Rain; Year 8’s Ava Roche gets creative in workshop studies; Prep staff joined the 100 days of Prep celebrations; Year 12 Music students Lily Morrison, Jeremy Lupton, Sally Adamski and Claire Moulds listen to the piano skills of Year 9 student Lachlan Wilson; Year 6 students celebrate the end of the Day of Notables festivities.
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GALLERY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Chloe Chua (Year 5) represents RGS at the CQ Regional Robotics competition; Year 7’s Hugh Lloyd masters the crate stack at his Ritamada Form Camp; Adelaide McArthur (Year 7) hits the nets with the RGS girls cricket team; Year 5 students Sienna Caton and Jordan Hodgetts hit Kalka Shades for the Friday Sport hockey competition; Primary students join the singing choir at the Primary Formal Assembly; Joe Jensen (Year 8) tests his skills at Photography Club; Year 1’s Elise Attokaran reads to her mum at the Year 1 book reading afternoon;
Nick Crawford (Year 7) makes a break in the inter-school rugby league competition at Rugby Park; Representing RGS at the inter-school athletics were Grace Francis (Year 6) and James Boicos (Year 9); RGS students know how to cook a great sausage sizzle in the Space Frame – Year 11 students were on cooking duties for this feast.
THE ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAPRICORNUS QUARTERLY / 19
Q&A
The final word For the past 25 years, RGS Year 6 students have been recreating notable characters in the School’s Day of Notables presentations. The Capricornus Quarterly caught up with this year’s public speaking winner, Jade Harmsworth, who told the story of Eva Perón, an Argentine actress, politician, activist and philanthropist who served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952
What goes through your mind when you start thinking about which notable character you would like to portray for Day of Notables?
EVA PERON
I needed to find someone notable and someone that’s famous for something great. I also needed to find a person I could easily portray. Eva Perón was just perfect
because she was an actress and I dream of becoming an actress when I’m older. She also fought for women’s suffrage, and I think that’s just incredible. Other people I had in mind were a gymnast and also Olivia Newton-John.
Jade Harmsworth (Eva Perón)
DAY OF NOTABLES 2021 WINNER
You originally selected Eva Perón because of your interest in acting, what other interesting information did you find out about her life while researching this notable person? After she died her body went on a global journey for 26 years. She also met her husband during an earthquake. I thought she was just mainly an actress, but I also found out she fought for women’s suffrage and fought for the lives of the poor. She has a lot of interesting facts about her.
This year was my time to shine and I did it against some tough competition. The final was amazing (with 10 students selected for the final) and everyone deserved to win. It was awesome seeing all the students in Year 6. They all looked incredible.
“ It’s (public speaking) is really fun when you get used to it.” Public speaking can be really enjoyable for many people but for many others it can be a very daunting experience. Day of Notables encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and practice their public speaking skills. Why do you enjoy public speaking and do you have any tips for others who might not be as confident? I guess, just don’t be afraid of public speaking. No one is going to judge you. It’s really fun when you get used to it. You just have to have a lot of enthusiasm and not be shy. When you do public speaking it’s 100% a sense of pride. It’s just a good feeling.
Why did you enjoy being involved with Day of Notables? Ever since 2018 when my sister (Katie Harmsworth, portraying Julie Andrews) won I’ve dreamed of winning Day of Notables.
Day of Notables 2021 finalists
Vidath Wedisinghe
Felicity Donovan
Kitty Flenady
Emma Hilber
Magnus Connell
Ruby Rowland
Riya Chakravarthy
Sanula Mudalige
Grace Francis
(Barack Obama)
(Emma Watson)
(Marie Curie)
(Princess Diana)
(Iqbal Masih)
(Mary Jackson)
(Malala Yousafzai)
(Nelson Mandela)
(Turia Pitt)
The 44th President of the USA from 2009 – 2017. The first AfricanAmerican US President.
An English actress who gained recognition for her roles in the Harry Potter movies.
Won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2011 for pioneer research on radioactivity.
A member of the British royal family, the first wife of Prince Charles and known for her extensive charity work.
A Pakistani Christian child labourer and activist who campaigned against abusive child labour in Pakistan.
An American mathematician and aerospace engineer at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
A Pakistani activist for female education and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
A South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, statesman and philanthropist. South African President (1994 – 1999).
A mining engineer and athlete who was caught in a grassfire during a 100km ultramarathon.
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Mark Shore 0418 799 222 David Bell 0409 285 062
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