COMMUNITY

Grandmother and Grandson

A RUYTON FAMILY STORY

Doreen Dempster (McMillan, 1942) was ‘thrilled to bits’ to hear her grandson Rolly had accepted a teaching job at Ruyton. Having arrived at Selbourne Road as a boarder in 1938, Doreen has since seen her sister Jennifer Coller (McMillan,1952), daughter Amanda Hannemann (Dempster, 1975) and nieces (Edwina 1979, Sarah 1982 and Abigail Coller 1986, Jill 1967, Kate 1970 and Rebecca McMillan 1980) educated at the School.Rolly’s appointment in 2020 has carried the family connection to Ruyton into another generation of her family tree. Bringing his 96-year-old grandmother back to School for a visit in early February, grandmother and grandson walked arm in arm as Rolly guided Doreen through the buildings and grounds. With a soft voice and a sharp mind, Doreen directed parts of the tour through the familiar and unchanged, briefly commenting that some rooms in Henty House seemed smaller than her childhood memory had recorded them. Stopping under the dappled shade of the fig tree with the chatter and noise of recess around them, Doreen looked across the oval and then up at Rolly with a big smile. Doreen only remembers being ‘very, very happy’ at Ruyton. Her classmates were ‘a very fine bunch of girls’, many of whom she has kept in touch with through her adult life. Sleeping in ‘the nursery’ and at times on the balcony in white cast iron beds, her memories are of being cared for by the house matron Miss Barnes and teacher Miss Gregson (who would tap on the bedroom door at night when she heard the girls gossiping past lights out, ‘come on girls, it is time for sleep!’), academic classes and dancing lessons with the Trinity boys. Sundays were for church. Wearing tailored jackets, the boarders would walk in crocodile (pairs) to Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Kew, and then back to Ruyton for another week of learning. Playing basketball, baseball and a keen runner, Doreen was awarded colours on her blazer pocket for her contribution to Sport. She still holds that pocket in her possession today. Doreen has clear memory of her Principal Miss Daniell being a lovely lady, ‘incredibly kind and thoughtful… She was a really fine woman’. The students called her Dream behind her back, but never to her face. Doreen isn’t sure how this nickname came about – it just was. Miss Daniell had dinner with the boarders every night at 6pm in what is now the Reception Room. ‘We always had evening prayer and a student play on the piano. I was not a musician and used to choose “Peace, Perfect Peace” when my turn came as it was very slow and simple. I am still sure everybody cringed!’. Sitting at the head of the table, Miss Daniell would always carve the meat and pass each plate around to Miss Barnes to serve the vegetables, who would then pass each plate around the table until every girl was served. ‘I am sure our meal was cold by the time we ate, not that we minded at all… I thought the food was excellent’.

One of Doreen’s favourite memories of her time as a boarder is Miss Daniell’s annual ghost story evening. Bouncing down the stairs and into the Principal’s Study, the girls would be entertained with tales of the Henty brothers haunting the halls of Henty House after dark. After delighting the audience with her storytelling, Miss Daniell would toast crumpets over the fireplace for her guests. This intimate treat was a delight for the boarders, many living far from home, and provided them with a personal insight into Miss Daniell’s warmth and humour.

The adjustment to life at Ruyton after spending her childhood in the small country town of Mansfield was easy, ‘I was happy to come, I did as my parents told me’. Waiting until the height of the 1937 polio epidemic had passed, and city life was safer, Doreen travelled by a number of interchanging buses to arrive in Kew. Having been referred to Ruyton by the Adams family who had sent their daughter Beryl (Neely, 1937) now aged 100, to board at the School some years earlier, Doreen was warmly welcomed by her fellow students, Miss Daniell, Miss Gregson and Miss Barnes. ‘I just went along with it all. I got up in the morning, did what I was told and fell into the routine… I didn’t have any complaints about Ruyton at all’. Describing herself as a weak student, Doreen left Ruyton in 1940 to become a nurse. Raising three children with her husband, a dentist, Doreen later obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University. Now with grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren, Doreen’s time at Ruyton has been passed over with life experience and time. Her memories are fragmented, but strong feelings remain. Asked what made Ruyton special in 1938, Doreen paused. ‘I just always remember being happy here’. Rolly knew his family had a connection to Ruyton but wasn’t aware why it was so special. ‘From my first day I was supported and made to feel so welcome. What they say about community here is true. Dore’s experience 80 years ago is similar to mine – that part of Ruyton has stayed the same’. Brigid Steele Marketing and Publications Manager

Leontine Hass (1986)

A LIFE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

Chatting over Zoom from her country house in the South Downs of England, conversation with Leontine Hass (1986) quickly turns to COVID. Leaving London to bunker down with her partner and a blended family of four adult children and a couple of their partners, Leontine’s experience of living through the pandemic is starkly different to what we have endured in Australia. She caught COVID last April, her daughters have both had it twice. When her daughter’s boyfriend fell ill a couple of weeks ago, Leontine worried she would fall ill again. The virus has devastated London and decimated the arts industry in which she works. Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia have both closed on the West End and many performing arts industry professionals are having to sell their houses to survive. Leontine knows ‘we will have a renaissance, but there will be people who cannot come back from this’. Leontine has endured challenging times before. Arriving in Australia from Germany in 1981, she was enrolled to start Year 7 at Ruyton without a word of English. The School had been recommended by her new stepfather’s mother Eileen Stewardson (Logan, 1927), whom Leontine remembers fondly as her ‘surrogate grandmother’ and ‘a beautiful woman’. Attending Ruyton from 1916–1927, Eileen was a member of Anderson House, a prefect, Editor of the Ruytonian and Dux of her graduating year. With a scholarship to the University of Melbourne, Eileen studied philosophy, obtaining an Honours degree and an MA. Attending the Australian Teachers’ Training Institute, before teaching at St Margaret’s School and PLC; Eileen finished work when she married Harold Stewardson in 1937. Taking a ‘very shy and very thin’ Leontine who was ‘dreadful at school’ under her wing, Eileen guided and supported the little girl’s transition to Ruyton and as an English speaker with trips to the Cotham Cake Shop after school to buy little sponge cakes with pink and white icing, an especially sweet memory. Attending Ruyton was a turning point in Leontine’s life. From a family of academics, doctors and lawyers, Leontine found her passion for the performing arts under the tutelage of Miles Maxwell, Vicky Watson and Tessa Leonard. Miles ‘definitely inspired me. He was a really important figure’ and Vicky was the most ‘wonderful vocal teacher’. ‘I played the harp. I sang. I got involved’. With memories of performing in the Royce Theatre in orchestras, the Madrigals and in a musical production of The Mikado, she also played hockey and ran cross country, ‘I had the best time’. After struggling at school in Germany, ‘I did really well at Ruyton. It was a complete turnaround. I just flourished there’. Voted Drama Captain in Year 12, Leontine speaks of her Senior School years with warmth and feeling. ‘At Ruyton I was nurtured, and I was noticed. I was treated as if I had a special talent and it completely turned my life around’. Moving to London at 21 for post-graduate study at The Royal Academy of Music, after completing an Arts Degree at Melbourne University and a further Music Degree at the Victorian College of the Arts, Leontine’s career took off after working as a waitress for Ruth (Ruthie) Rogers and Rose Grey at The River Café in Hammersmith. Singing everything from opera, musical theatre and jazz songs as she chopped vegetables and herbs with the other wait staff before service, Ruthie saw Leontine’s passion and her potential. She had Leontine perform at glitterati parties and introduced her to important people in the UK arts scene; Leontine was offered a role on Broadway by Harold Pinter during this time.

In turn, Ruthie and Rose inspired Leontine with their entrepreneurial spirit and ability to get things done. Juggling two small children and undiagnosed chronic asthma, Leontine was working one day when Ruthie grabbed her and slipped a piece of paper into her hand. It contained a cheque for £1,000 and a note saying, ‘this is for your singing lessons’. Ruthie also booked Leontine into her own personal doctor for an appointment to address the chronic asthma, which severely limited her vocally and required hospitalisation. Never finding a teacher able to factually help Leontine through her vocal issues, she moved ‘more and more towards teaching’ and established Associated Studios. Now a leading British Drama school with an Australian campus in Melbourne, Associated Studios offers rigorous training in singing, music, acting and dance for students seeking professional careers in musical theatre. Guests for masterclasses have included Jeremy Irons, Patrick Stewart and Hugh Grant; notable alumni have worked across the stage and screen. Leontine loves working with people and being able to provide the technical training she was never able to find for herself. ‘I teach my students not to need me. I teach them to be independent, to understand their instrument, their psychology, how to be their best. That is what I do’.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.leontinehass.com

www.associatedstudios.co.uk Despite the UK arts industry plunging into crisis, Leontine has continued to successfully manage Associated Studios throughout COVID. Recognising the importance of human connection, she has not put all her classes on Zoom. Consulting with her students, Leontine has minimised daily online contact hours, and semester dates have been extended to account for the extenuating circumstances around the pandemic. ‘It is not perfect, but at least we have done our best to give them the best possible experience at this difficult time’. Leontine’s students are part of her company. They have agency, are treated with respect and feel a sense of belonging as a result. ‘I’m really aware of how important it is to connect with students personally. Teachers can make such a difference to your life’. Nurturing, believing in and supporting her students, in the same way she herself was at school, ‘I point out to students that they have a talent, they have control over their talent and can do something with it. That is definitely something I learned from Ruyton’. Brigid Steele Marketing and Publications Manager

25 Years of Service

A reflection on 25 years of service to the Ruyton community by Tanya Cockwill, PE and Junior School teacher from 1996.

I have to admit that 25 years has snuck up on me, just a little! It is quite unimaginable to be accepting an award for 25 years of service. In no way does it feel like I have been teaching at Ruyton for 25 years. I think this is because I love what I do. It is as simple as that. I have been so very fortunate to have been mentored and inspired by the most talented, and very strong role models, during my time at Ruyton. I started at Ruyton as a PE teacher in just my second year of teaching. I still remember to this day, finding every opportunity I could, to watch Louisa Burbury teach her Junior School classes, whether they be on the oval or in the gym. I would watch her through the PE office glass windows, taking it all in. Lou has a presence, she has the biggest heart, and she earned my respect very quickly. She supported me, she encouraged me and she challenged me. She took me under her wing and played an instrumental role in shaping me as a teacher, in my early years at Ruyton. It was also during this time that Linda Douglas became a very important part of my learning journey and development as a teacher. Her passion for curriculum, for teaching and learning, and her leadership, inspired my interest and love, too, for seeking and documenting best practice. I, too, remember, representing the PE Department at many Junior School curriculum meetings and being in awe, as Linda led professional learning. It was Linda and Lou’s connection and interaction with the girls they taught, the fun they created, their expertise, their hard work, their passion and their love of teaching, that gave me such a special introduction to Ruyton. They showed me the standard, they modelled the Ruyton values. I learned and continue to learn, so much from them both. It was about six years later, that Lee Wills, the Head of the Junior School, at the time, asked me to consider taking on the role of a Year 6 classroom teacher.

This marked the beginning of a change in direction, and another very special connection. It was from this point, and to this day, that Lee’s support, wise counsel and care have played a pivotal role in my aspirations as a classroom teacher, in the various leadership roles I have occupied, and in life, in general. As soon as you appeared in the doorway of Lee’s office, she stopped what she was doing, no matter what, and welcomed you in. She listened. Moreover, she offered the best assortment of chocolates from the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet. Lee holds a special place in many of our hearts at Ruyton, still to this day. It is hard to capture in words, to describe the ‘special sense or feeling’ that is simply Ruyton. That has ensured my longevity. It is an energy. It is a smile. It is a warmth. It is pride. It is a hug. It is caring. It is belonging. It is safe. And as Linda reminded me just recently, it is family. It is the people who call Ruyton home that make it so special. It is all of you. My school day always begins with meeting Cameron somewhere along the path as I make my way up to the Junior School. ‘Good morning Tanya’ is his greeting. We share stories, catch up

on family happenings and always part ways with, have a great day! And there, too, is Danyang. We, more often than not, arrive at school at the same time. Always vibrant, Danyang’s warmth, care and energy, simply put a smile on my face. It is a wave from the other side of the oval from Ange Allen. It is Gary Mark, doing his morning walk around the Junior School learning studios, always stopping by to say good morning, and to check that we are okay. It is Elizabeth Blumbergs whose warmth you connect to with ease, when you visit the study. It is Jane Koenig whose smile and kindness is appreciated by us all in the Junior School. It is Fran Johnson and Sonja Horbelt, with whom I reminisce, whenever we cross paths. It is Liz Barry, who always asks ‘What can I do to help?’ What would we do without her? It is Cate Hallpike’s ability to tell a story, her passion for teaching and her care. And my school day ends with Ryan and Luke, who insist on walking me to my car after an evening of Parent Teacher Interviews or to carry my bag, laden with books. It is… Our most beautiful, most magnificent Moreton Bay Fig Tree. Her heavy and widereaching branches filled with the singing of magpies, that greets me every morning. She stands so tall and so proudly, watching over us all.

It is… The singing of the Irish Blessing that bids farewell to our Year 12 girls. It is such a sacred and precious tradition. As we stand as a School to sing it, there is not a year that goes by, that I don’t find myself shedding a tear. And this year was no exception. It is… The most incredibly hard-working, caring and talented leaders and teachers in the Junior School, with whom I have had, and continue to have, the privilege of working alongside. Their dedication and humility is inspiring. It is… The life-long friendships, the laughter, the tears, the fun and the trust. And finally, it is the girls that we are so very lucky to teach. Where to begin? It is… Those Year 12 girls. Thu Luu. Melanie Clarke. Lucinda Church. Isabelle Alexandrakis. Mia Carbone.

Just a selection of the Class of 2020 that I taught in Year 4. It is… Their energy. Their curiosity and wonder. Their enthusiasm. Their love of learning. Their ability to tell a story. Their sense of fun.

All of our girls are special and teaching them fills me with such joy. It is all of these things, and the many stories and memories, that have captured my heart and ensured my longevity. Yes, there have been challenges. It would be misleading to suggest otherwise. This year, we have shared our homes, we have shared our teaching practice in a way I liken to a fish bowl and we have shared Seesaw Sundays – Jo Milic! We have shared our strength, our vulnerability and our exhaustion. And never before, after the inconceivable year we all experienced in 2020, together – apart, have I felt such a sense of pride to be a part of the Ruyton community. Thank you. Tanya Cockwill Junior School Teacher