St Paul’s Grammar School No. 54 SPRING 2013
All fired up!
St Paul’s RFS Cadets EVACUATION DAY Science Week has been a blast SERVING THE WORLD IN CAMBODIA
Contents ISSUE 54 SPRING 2013 St Paul’s Grammar School 52 Taylor Rd, Cranebrook NSW 2749 Locked Bag 8016, Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
Contact St Paul’s T: +61 2 4777 4888 F: +61 2 4777 4841 info@stpauls.nsw.edu.au www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
2014 Term Dates Term 1
Wednesday 29th January to Friday 11th April
Term 2
Wednesday 30th April to Friday 20th June
Term 3
Tuesday 15th July to Friday 19th September
Term 4
Wednesday 8th October to Thursday 5th December
Find St Paul’s online www.facebook.com/stpaulsgrammar www.twitter.com/spgs www.twitter.com/spgsprincipal www.vimeo.com/spgs www.flickr.com/spgs
Editor Ann Gribble
Design Boheem
Contributors Daniel Weatherhead, Paul Kidson, Ann Gribble, Patricia Humble, Linda Weeks, Rob Storrie
Do you have news for Futurum? Do you want to let us know what’s happening around St Paul’s? We would love your involvement. Please send us an email at: futurum@stpauls.nsw.edu.au
Changed your address or contact details? Please email us at: development@stpauls.nsw.edu.au CRICOS 02267A 041265B 041264C 041263D
From the Principal
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At A Glance
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Australian Fire Cadet Championships 2013
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The Mountains Burn
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the day the school was evacuated
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Trauma Teddy Knitters Extraordinaire
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ALUMNI: FIVE YEARS ON
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Science Week has been a blast!
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City of Sydney Dance Eisteddfod
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Our students serving the world in Cambodia
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Year 4 playing with light
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Our Junior students capture their world
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The beautiful game grows at St Paul’s
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STUDENT PROFILE: Olivia Kennedy
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ALUMNI: Catherine and Declan Price in Nepal
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Editor’s comment 2013 is drawing to a close. This edition of Futurum focuses on one particular event that will remain in our collective memory for many years to come. The recent bushfires were a major disaster for the Mountains and the Hawkesbury areas, with an enormous impact on the whole community. The recovery after such events is long and arduous. It is worth reflecting on how we as a School community should respond. One specific way is to continue to support and encourage our RFS Cadet Brigade, particularly as, over the years, students have gone on to volunteer with their local brigades. This is part of a broader scale, where there are many other ways to serve the world. The service trips to Cambodia, Tanzania and the Northern Territory have given students and teachers a greater understanding of how they can give to and receive from people in circumstances that are very different from our own. Each House has a specific charity that they support in an ongoing way during the year, and at Christmas we support Operation Christmas Child and Hawkesbury Care. We often hear from our past students how they are working for good in the world, not necessarily on a grand scale, but by volunteering, by supporting the bereft, the poor and marginalised, by having a strong sense of social justice, by gaining an understanding of our world and its diverse inhabitants. If we truly love each other and our world we will want to give positively to our community in some way. “God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that people would not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This Christmas may we remember and celebrate in the way that we give and serve.
From the Principal
Mr Kidson addresses Year 12 and their famlies at the 30th Anniversary Valedictory Dinner
Since 10th September, our wider community has been significantly impacted by bushfires. We had to evacuate the School once, close the School once, and support families and staff who have been adversely affected – those who lost property, those who fought to protect property, those whose HSC and IB examination preparations were compromised, to name but a few examples. Church and community groups have reached out to provide support, as have the students and families of St Paul’s. It is testimony to a generosity of spirit that emerges at such times of crisis. Arguably, such crises help to build resilience and fortitude. Angela Duckworth, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvannia, has focused on these traits in a research programme around the concept of “grit”. Her work has
explored the extent to which perseverance, commitment, self-control and resilience can help us not just to cope, but to flourish. Importantly, her work challenges the notion that we have fixed capabilities in these areas. She questions the myth that we are either resilient or we are not, that we’re just born that way. Her work shows that we can actively develop these abilities. This has incredible significance for success in both academic life and our wider social and emotional lives. Moments of crisis help build our resilience and determination, but Duckworth’s research also shows that experiences such as commitment to long term projects, punctuality and self-control can, and should, be developed within the daily life of schooling. As I reflected on this, I recalled the autobiography of Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York when the World Trade Centre towers collapsed. He was widely praised for his rapid response and effective leadership of that crisis. Yet Giuliani maintains he did not acquire or “find” those skills in the middle of the crisis – those skills were learnt and rigorously practised in the mayoral office as he daily tackled the problems of rubbish collection, parking fines, traffic infringements, neighbourhood crime and making the subways and parks
of New York safe. His fierce discipline in monitoring police call-out response rates and fire-brigade incidents was initially confronting for the public servants of New York. Giuliani’s “nowhere to hide, no excuses” approach was a challenge to a culture characterised by lethargy and political infighting. As Giuliani and his leadership team met on the day of the collapse, the discipline they had developed on a daily basis shone forth. The habits and dispositions forged in the repetition of daily life were the bedrock on which their crisis response was built. Grit and self-control are central to our life if we are to flourish. As families and communities rebuild after the recent fires, they will need to draw on such resources. It is why we actively seek to develop such skills at St Paul’s. Life is messy, challenging and, at times, tragically destructive; we continue to work with students and families to equip students to flourish in the midst of these challenges, not hope they can simply avoid them. Further information on Angela Duckworth and her research can be found at https://sites.sas.upenn.edu/duckworth
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SPRING 2013
at a glance...
The St Paul’S RFS Cadet Program
1240
Started 15 15th May 1998
263
students have completed the program
hours of RFS Training
WON
3
NSW state championships
Competed in
Competed in
Competed in
championships
championships
championships
9 NSW state
2
6 15
4 national
National championships WON Number of people in a championship team years OF operation
1 5 2
2 Victorian state
Number of car fires in the school carpark responded to by our fire truck Number of Fire Emergencies affecting the School in 15 years alumni currently working for RFS
Before and after On the 20th August 1989, St Paul’s held its first Debutante Ball at Windsor Community & Cultural Centre (left). It presented 28 students of the School, and was attended by over 100 of our community. On 1st June 2013, St Paul’s, celebrating its 30th Anniversary, held its 25th Annual Ball (right), with 72 students of the School presented to over 400 of our parents, friends and community.
1989 2
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2013
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2014 School Year Begins Wednesday 29th January 2014
2014 Sunset Soiree P to 12 Parent Commencement Social Evening 5pm – Friday 31st January
P to 12 Easter Chapel 9am – Thursday 11th April 2014
2014 ANZAC Service Friday 25 April 2014
Celebrating our Dads & Daughters As reported in our last issue of Futurum, this year we launched the inaugural Dads’ and Daughters’ Breakfast, held in the Junior School Hall on Friday 14th June. Hosted by our Girl School Captains, Susannah Hoffman and Laura Smith, all Year 7 and 8 girls and their fathers were invited to join special guests for this community event. Foundation Principal, Mr Adrian Lamrock, spoke to students and parents reflecting on raising three daughters and the challenges for parents as girls mature. Current parent of the School, Mrs Melissa Livingstone OAM, then addressed students and fathers about her career working for the Royal Australian Air Force and Australian Aerospace. Finally, our Captains, Susannah and Laura, then recounted their own respective schooling journeys, reflecting on their time as leaders of St Paul’s as they set themselves to hand over to incoming prefects, and encouraging students to contribute positively to the St Paul’s community. Those attending were catered to by our Years 11 and 12 Hospitality students who prepared a wonderful spread of food for the breakfast. A special thanks to our middle and senior student leaders for hosting the event, and Mrs Michalski for all her hard work and for directing the catering of the breakfast.
HICES Music Camp The 2013 HICES Music Festival for Years 5-8 was held from Sunday 11th August to Wednesday 14th August. The Festival was held at Stanwell Tops Conference Centre.
not great quality
Amelia Wong (Year 6), Elan Gock (Year 6), David Keness (Year 7), Noah Godsell (Year 7), Matilda Seppelt (Year 8) and teacher, Mrs Cathy Jarman attended the camp. The students worked with conductors from HICES Schools at camp for three days in a variety of choirs and music ensembles. On Wednesday 14th August the students participated in an evening concert at The Sydney Town Hall. Over their time at the camp, students participated in rich learning experiences and enjoyed collaborating with other musicians from HICES Schools. Congratulations to these students for their selection to represent St Paul’s at the HICES Music Festival.
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SPRING 2013
at a glance...
Connecting our Year 5 families 15 Years of the Father & Son Camp On Friday, 23rd August 2013, the “lads and dads” of Year 5 participated in the annual Year 5 Father and Son Camp. This is the 15th year of the camp – it was first started in 1999 by Mr Nigel Kleinveldt and Mr Stephen Ongley. Fathers and sons enjoyed an afternoon of sporting activities which was organised by Mr Storrie, Mr Linton, Mr Atwood and Mr Walker. As dads arrived, a tent city emerged in the school playground. During the evening meal, School Chaplain Mr Grady came and shared a message about God being our perfect father. Mr Gribble and the St Paul’s Fire Cadets supervised a campfire that was hosted by the McNamara family and then led the lads and dads in a game of spotlight on the High School oval. Everyone enjoyed the challenge of reaching the fire truck without being seen by the spotlight. During supper many watched the movie on the big screen, while others watched the football in the staffroom. On Saturday morning, the aroma of bacon and eggs cooking on the BBQ caused many to rise and shine and enjoy a cooked breakfast. After this, it was time to pack up and head home. Thanks to the lads and dads who were able to attend and spend the time together. Thanks to Mr Ongley who still leads the camp and the great team of people that were able to help and organise the various activities on offer.
The Year 5 Mother & Daughter Evening On Friday 8th November, the annual Year 5 Mother and Daughter night was held, and it was once again a resounding success. The event began with a delicious afternoon tea and ended with a scrumptious dinner. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the mothers tried to guess how much they really knew about each other! We were fortunate again to be able to listen to psychologist Mrs Wendy McLean (an ex St Paul’s teacher) explore the importance of open communication and boundary setting. Wendy talked about communication, compensation and negotiation as being important aspects of the changing relationship between girls as they grow older. The girls and their mothers baked the most amazing ginger bread creations, with icing snowflakes and lolly trees before sharing a magnificent dinner together. The occasion also provided a wonderful opportunity for the mothers to share a social time together. Thanks to Mrs Thomas and Mrs Galbraith for organising this worthwhile event.
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Grandparents’ Day 10am to 2pm – 8th May 2014
2014 Annual Ball 31st May 2014
Year 7 & 8 Dads & Daughters Breakfast 12th June 2014
Ricochet – Dance Showcase 7.30pm – 13th June 2013
Showcasing a superb year of Sport at St Paul’s – The Duffy Medal Presentation Evening The Duffy Medal was a marvellous evening of celebration and recognition of student achievement in the 2013 sporting program. Held in the Junior School Hall on Thursday 12th September, our 2013 Sports Presentation Evening was attended by over 750 parents, students and members of the St Paul’s community.
Our special guest for the evening was 2010 St Paul’s Alumnus, Patrick Cummins, who made his test debut for the Australian Cricket Team in November 2011. Patrick talked about his experiences juggling both his sport and academic studies while in the Senior School, and reflected on his time competing in a variety of sports as a student. Patrick also made a very generous presentation of a signed ODI debut shirt donated to the School.
Students who represented St Paul’s both in School teams and individual competition across the Junior School and High School were recognised and awarded. Congratulations to Sarah Roberts (Year 12), the winner of the Pyne Medal for commitment and determination to promote sport at St Paul’s, and to James Newton of Year 11, the winner of the Duffy Medal for excellence, sportsmanship and fairness across multiple representative sports.
Engaging our community – Cinema Under the Stars with Friends On Friday 18th October, more than 700 students, staff, families and friends gathered on the lawn adjacent to the Junior School Hall for our first outdoor cinema event. Our community was entertained by a wide range of student performers from our middle and senior years. These included our Dramaniacs groups, and individual instrumental ensembles. Guests at the cinema enjoyed a gourmet BBQ feast prepared by our student leaders, parents and staff, then relaxed and watched Despicable Me on the big outdoor screen. This event was organised as a fundraiser by our Friends of St Paul’s parent community group. Thanks especially to Dianne Hamey and Monica Searle for their fantastic efforts in organising the evening. This was one of the largest parent community events in the School’s history, and we thank those who attended for taking the time to ensure such an enjoyable evening.
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All fired up!
St Paul’s RFS Cadets at the 2013 Australian Fire Cadet Championships St Pauls Fire Cadet Brigade sent a team of six to participate in this year’s 2013 Australian Fire Cadet Championships, which was held at the Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre Lake Macquarie.
The championship is a four day competition with 26 teams from all over Australia coming together to compete in eight events which included Portable Pump Relay, Hose and Hydrant Drill, Station Response and Knapsack Drill, Two Tanker and Team Challenge. Tyler Ecob, team captain, recounts his experience: “We had an 11 week intensive training program which was held after school, on weekends and during the school holidays. We knew we would be up against some tough competitors. Our training included working on a range firefighting strategies and drills that we would be judged on. There were also a variety of team building and leadership activities. Points were awarded in these events which were used to determine overall first, second and third place in the championships. All the teamwork and extra training paid off with the team being placed second overall, the best New South Wales team, and the only school brigade team to compete. The aim of the championship is to provide a safe, enjoyable experience for cadet fire-fighters, focused on developing skills through a competitive
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and structured contest. The event also aims to increase the awareness of cadet fire-fighter programs in Australia. It was a tremendous experience for all of us who participated; I would like to thank my fellow team mates Alex Jagger, Adrian Colussi, Caleb West, Sam Keogh and Charlie Lawson for their great sportsmanship, teamwork and friendship. Thank you to all of our supporters, our parents, Mrs Gribble for the lunches and Mrs Keogh for giving up her holidays to manage us. And a huge thank you to Mr Gribble for giving up his time to coach and mentor the team.”
What is the St Paul’s Fire CADETS? Every Friday afternoon from 3:30pm to 5:30pm, the Fire Cadets meet over in the Shed. About thirty students participate from Years 7 to 11. In 1998, Mr Anthony Head began the pilot program here at St Paul’s to run Fire Cadets in schools. It took a lot of work to negotiate through the requirements of three government bodies (that is the NSW Rural Fire Service, Penrith Council and St Paul’s Grammar School) to get the program
(From left) Brent Webster (Yr 12 - 2000), Janelle Clark (Yr12 - 2002), Anthony Head (Yr 12 - 1988), Mark Anderson (Yr 12 2003), Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM. Brent was the first Cadet Captain of our brigade (1998). Both Janelle and Mark were Deputy Cadet Captains.
Farewell to Mr Anthony Head
RFS Commisioner Shane Fitzsimmons ASFM pays tribute to Mr Head.
up and running, but Mr Head persisted and the Cadet group has now been running for 15 years. One of the aims of the group has been to graduate students from the Cadets into their own local RFS Brigades to become active firefighters. This year we acknowledged three members who have now joined active brigades: Tyler Ecob, Alex Jagger and Adrian Colussi. In the past, some of our students have even gone on to careers in the RFS.
Tyler Ecob writes about his time in the Cadets: In cadets, we learn everything from different firefighting techniques to how to use pumps on tankers to practical experience in hose and hydrant drills, including fire hose handling, fire safety and teamwork. Participating in the Fire Cadets provides us with an opportunity for personal development and leadership. It also gives us a greater understanding of community service and responsibility. Cadets can
help you develop leadership, teamwork and initiative skills, also self-discipline and self-reliance. The Cadets allow you to meet other students from across all years and provide challenges, and friendships, discipline and commitment, and I would recommend it to anyone. I have been part of the St Pauls Fire Cadet Brigade since enrolling in year 7. I have achieved many personal goals and learned so much throughout my time with Mr Head and Mr Gribble as Cadet Leaders. 2013 is my last year of participation and it is also Mr Gribble and Mr Head’s time to farewell the Fire Cadets too. I want to say many, many thanks to both Mr Gribble and Mr. Head for their support, skills and dedication with the Cadets over the many years. On behalf of the School’s Fire Cadets Brigade we wish you all the best as you both begin new journeys. Tyler Ecob Captain St Pauls Fire Cadet Brigade 2013
RFS Cadets can help you develop leadership, teamwork, initiative skills, self-discipline and self-reliance.
On Thursday 6th November, the Fire Cadets, parents and friends gathered together to farewell Mr Head and thank him for his wonderful work in establishing the School RFS Program in NSW, and especially for his contributions to St Paul’s RFS Cadets. Special guest was Mr Shane Fitzsimmons ASFM, the NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner. Mr Fitzsimmons spoke of the marvellous opportunities for community awareness, action and leadership provided by the Cadets, but also the opportunities for students to excel. Mr Kidson reflected on the legacy of the contributions made by Mr Head. Mr Gribble suggested that working with the Cadets gave him hope for the future as he sees the commitment they show to making positive contributions to their community. Mr Head spoke about the ongoing service and commitment of so many Cadets to the RFS. Organised by Mr Gribble and Mrs Michalski, the evening was a great success and a celebration of Mr Head’s achievements with the Cadets, with wonderful food thanks to Year 11 VET Hospitality, Mrs Michalski, Mrs Moon, Mrs Moulds and Mrs Keogh.
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The Mountains Burn This year, the fire season began early for our families in the Bilpin, Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains regions. It was a time of tragedy as houses were destroyed, possessions consumed and memories lost. No-one who lives in the Mountains remained unaffected – although only a few of our wider community were directly touched by loss, all were impacted as people evacuated, prepared and protected their properties, fought alongside firefighters, comforted the victims or worked to support family, friends, neighbours and community. High temperatures, low humidity and three months without rain left the land vulnerable, and then the fires started. Wild winds whipped up the numerous fires that were burning. Mountainous clouds of smoke billowed across the sky, turning the sky a murky orange, obliterating the sun. Blackened or burning embers fell on house roofs, impelling homeowners or neighbours to act. Worse still, embers fell on properties where no-one was home, caught alight
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and burned. All of Australia watched, horrified as Mr Shane Fitzsimmons ASFM, the Rural Fire Service Commissioner, deliver the facts of the disaster each hour. One delivered sobering facts of our current students and two ex-students and their families lost everything. As a School community, we looked to support our friends through prayer and in small practical ways, such as the provision of a School uniform. Mr David Blanch and his family were evacuated from their home in Springwood. Mr and Mrs Blanch and their seven children spent the night with friends further down the mountains. When Mr Blanch came to school the next day he said, “I don’t know if I have a home to go back to tonight”. Fortunately, the family was able to return the next day. However, many houses in their street were lost. Erica Galbraith and her husband John have an orchard in Bilpin. As the fires burned towards the small township, Erica and John made the decision to stay and defend their property. It was the worst fire that they had ever seen. The Bells Line of Road was cut in both directions, the power went off (on a farm, no power means no water) and everyone waited, watched and prayed as the helicopters flew overhead. When everything had calmed down again, Mrs Galbraith posted on Facebook, “To my school, St Paul’s Grammar School, wow! Their support has been fantastic. Our community, Bilpin, well, what can
we say...we all rally together. The fire fighters are legends. Thanks to one and all. It will be a bit funny, going back to normality! We thank our Heavenly Father for looking after us all, and pray for the families who have lost everything.” Courtney Gracie of Springwood talked about how many of her friends lost their houses. She said “it was really hard knowing what to say to people who had lost everything. A friend went to school and when he came home, all he had left was his uniform and his phone.” Courtney herself had to go to hospital when she suffered a bad asthma attack because of the smoke.
day. “We spent our time doing property protection,” he said. “There was some backburning to do, although because the conditions weren’t quite as bad as first expected, the day was less stressful than I had been anticipating. We were certainly well-fed by all the volunteer organisations that were on hand!” While the crisis has passed, there is still a lot of grief and need that remains ongoing. Residents are rallying together
in groups to lobby local councils so that rebuilding can be expedited. Short term accommodation and other relief efforts are being coordinated. But overall, as so often happens in disaster situations such as this, communities demonstrate resilience and strength when people work together with courage and optimism.
On Wednesday October 23rd, the worst case scenario for the day was dire, and the Commissioner had advised Blue Mountains residents to evacuate. The decision to close St Paul’s was made so that School families could be together either defending their properties or evacuating. Because of the light rain the previous evening, higher humidity and lighter winds, the situation wasn’t as serious as previously thought, and while still on high alert, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Mr Clinton Gribble was deployed by the RFS as a Crew Leader and driver for the
Looking toward Winmalee and Yellowrock from Warrimoo Oval
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The day the School was evacuated Tuesday 10th September was hot and dry. Winds from the west blew strongly, and it was no surprise when the smell of smoke drifted past the School early in the morning – a bushfire had started the previous day, and we knew we had to watch and wait. As classes began, the smell first grew stronger, then smoke became visible as it blew across the playground, making breathing difficult outside. In the brief moments when the haze cleared, a huge plume was visible to the north-west. The School’s Critical Incident Management Team assembled. Mr Gribble got the fire truck out and listened in on the radio to get the most recent updates. The decision was made to evacuate when he heard that the fire was out of control. So at about 12:30pm, the bus companies were contacted and they mobilised to send us transport. At 12:45pm, all students were sent to the Centre to assemble and have rolls marked. Seniors who had cars at the School signed out with their siblings and any other passengers who had permission to drive with them. At the same time, the police entered the
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School and advised our evacuation (which of course was already under way), helping students to board the buses as they arrived. At the direction of the police, all students were evacuated to the White Water Rafting Centre. Back at the School, Mr Head, Mr Gribble and Mr Linfoot remained to put out the hoses and make sure that everything was in place to be able to best protect the school. Mr Kidson and Mr Weatherhead remained to keep the channels of communication open, website posts up-to-date and speak with the media. Meanwhile, down at the White Water Rafting Centre, staff and students, assisted by the police, were reuniting students with their parents. Because of road closures and distance, it took some parents a long while to get there. The Salvation Army arrived with food and water so that students could have something to eat and drink. Other people began to arrive as the road closures left families stranded. At last, at about 6:30pm, the last students were picked up. Access to the School was closed, so many staff were unable to get back to the School to pick up their cars, and had to arrange lifts home (and back again the next morning). The mood from the beginning was one of cheerful cooperation. The students were, as always, amazing, and the staff
all worked together to make sure that everything went smoothly. Parents were patient and helpful as they waited for us to mark their children off the rolls. Of course there are lessons to be learned from this experience, so that in the event of a recurrence, we can make the process even better. For this particular incident, the wind swung around to the west a bit more, the fire changed direction and burned past the school about a kilometre away. This has not always been our experience – we have had four other fire incidents since 2001 (all during holidays) and all of them have burned much closer to the school. The day was a lesson to us all. We knew we were well-prepared for this, but the reality always reveals more. We are so grateful for our community of students, staff and parents for the way they all calmly went about the evacuation, doing everything that was necessary, without panic, fear or fuss.
Trauma Teddy Knitters Extraordinaire For eleven years now, the St Paul’s community has been supporting the Australian Red Cross Trauma Teddy program. Over these years, many knitters and their support network (those who sew and fill) have together created over 2500 delightful teddies to be distributed to people in traumatic circumstances. There have been several notable contributors to this program, including two past and present School Board members. As Mrs Margaret Wright and Mrs Leonie Armour have travelled, they have knitted trauma teddies, sending parcels of teddy ‘skins’ to St Paul’s from many places around the world. Thus we have received teddies from locations such as Vanuatu, New Zealand and Norway as well as places in Australia. It would be impossible to tally exactly the number of Trauma Teddies these ladies have knitted – many of which have arrived with a cheerful note to let us know where they have been. No doubt there have been many conversations with other travellers interested in knowing the purpose of their knitting, so awareness of the Australian Red Cross Trauma Teddy program has spread worldwide. Their teddies have also provided something for inexperienced student knitters to sew together. Flat skins are easier to mail home to St Paul’s from travels afar, and their work has become a community effort. Another dedicated contributor has been Mrs Yvonne Fraser – grandmother of Madeleine and Alex Clark, who has been knitting beautiful teddies since 2004, when Alex was in Year 7. Her inspiration came about when one of her grandchildren was born prematurely and received his own Trauma Teddy in hospital. Since that time, her contributions and those of Mrs Wright and Mrs Armour have made a cheerful difference in the lives of many individuals at a time when they really needed a hug and a prayer.
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Years On
It’s always exciting to see our ex-students take on the world. A few years out of school have given them study, work and travel opportunities, and it is wonderful to see the variety of prospects opening up to brave young adults, willing to move out of their comfort zones and experience new and exciting things. Three members of the class of 2009 recently wrote to tell us how they have spent their time since finishing at St Paul’s.
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Annie Post “For the last three years I have been studying at James Cook University in Townsville, completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Marine Biology. It has been an incredible experience and I have loved every minute of it. In particular, one of the highlights of my degree has been the experience I had while overseas on exchange. As part of my degree, I was able to spend three months living in the Galapagos Islands. It is hard to describe exactly how blessed I feel to have had that opportunity, not to just visit, but to live there for a time. I was also able to visit the Amazon and see the incredible sights in a remote area of the jungle. I was privileged to understand some of the inner workings of the islands, to see some of the most amazing creatures and dive in some of the most exotic waters in the world! At one point during my dives, I was surrounded by 200 hammerhead sharks! It was marvellous and gave me a new appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation. It also gave me a new perspective in my studies in regards to the way humans interact within ecosystems and the challenges that are yet to be faced, particularly when it comes to the conservation of some of the most remarkable places in the world.”
Alexander Clark “After leaving SPGS in 2009, I went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Media at Macquarie University. My degree began to focus on screen-writing and film production which would really inform the rest of my education. Over my time at Macquarie I produced the documentary A Place Like This and then went on to write and direct my first short film, The Astronaut, which tied into my work in special needs education. Upon completing my third year, I travelled to Orlando Florida, where where I lived for six months participating in the Walt Disney World International College Program. Here students and recent graduates from across the world gather to work in the world famous Walt Disney World Resorts and theme parks. I was selected to become a character performer, which entailed me taking on the form of multiple Disney characters including Goofy, Sulley (from Monsters INC), Woody (from Toy Story) and the Beast (from Beauty and The Beast). My most regular guise was that of Wreck-It Ralph (from the movie with the same name) with whom I became somewhat synonymous. I returned from Disney in July of this year determined to find work in children’s media, having been so positively impacted and influenced by my time in Florida. Almost immediately, I began a dual internship at Nickelodeon Australia working in both their communications and marketing departments and have since been hired on contract there as a Marketing and Communications Assistant. I now hope to stay working in children’s media as it has become most apparent that this is an area about which I am both passionate and enthusiastic.”
Amelia Smith “After studying French in high school, but having a passion for the creative arts, I decided to join my two loves and study a combined degree of Fashion Design and International Studies at university. While the fashion perspective allows me a creative outlet, International Studies has given me the unique and amazing opportunity to live and study overseas. I’m currently living in Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, and have been here for the last 10 months. Whilst it has been a steep learning curve studying at university in a foreign language, the experience and language skills I’ve learnt have enabled me to see the world from a different perspective. I’ve been lucky enough to be accepted into the Visual Arts department at the university I’m attending, so I’m taking some Art History classes this semester. Its mind blowing to be able to sit in a lecture on the origins of Renaissance art one week, and the next week walk through an art gallery in Paris and see the real thing. One of the best things about living in Europe though is the relative closeness of everything. I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair amount of travelling whilst I’ve been here, including being at the Gallipoli Dawn Service on ANZAC Day, attending a Pyrenees stage of the Tour de France, and spending Easter in Switzerland. It has certainly enriched my world perspective!” There are many more of these stories to be told, stories of people who have followed and begun to realise their dreams. This brings to life the limitless ways there are to “explore our world”. ST PAUL’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL 13
Professor Bunsen entertains and educates students from Kindergarten to Year 10.
Science Week has been a blast! This year’s theme, “A Century of Australian Science”, inspiredthe Science Staff at St Paul’s to share with students their love of Science and the joy of discovery that comes with scientific inquiry. The week started on Monday, 19th August with the launch of our Year 9 Independent Research Task. This task allows students the opportunity to plan, conduct and report findings from their very own iinvestigations; essentially, our students become a scientist for a month. On Tuesday, Mr Blanch brought music to life with a demonstration of the Rubens’ Tube…using flames to display the waves formed by sound. Mr Peters had students fascinated (and sometimes grossed out) with his detailed dissection of a toad on Thursday…not for the fainthearted. At Friday’s cool chemistry lunch with Mrs Clapin, students 14 FUTURUM SPRING 2013
experienced a range of chemical reactions including a blue bottle clock’s reaction, making elephant’s toothpaste and the very energetic thermite reaction. Each day in the Student Notices and on posters displayed around the Science Laboratories, Mr Blanch, Mr Rajasekar and Ms Gardner informed students about some of Australia’s most regarded scientists. This knowledge was tested in Ms Newby’s Friday Trivia Quiz, with the Melville 6 Tutor Group winning first prize. Each activity throughout the week highlighted the wonder of science and sparked interest in many of our students. The much anticipated arrival of Professor Bunsen concluded our Science Week celebrations with a bang. All students from Kindergarten to Year 10 experienced his amazing show on Tuesday and Wednesday. Professor Bunsen (Carl Ahlers) shared his experience as a chemist working on explosives in South Africa by demonstrating the chemical energy
present in cotton and sugar. He wowed us all with his colour changing reactions and amazed with his demonstrations of the power of air. Do not be surprised if your children can tell you how to turn a baby nappy into snow or how to transmit music from their iPod through a torch! The excitement in each show was electric and Professor Bunsen managed to captivate the imagination of 5 year olds and 60 year olds alike! The week was a huge success and students of all ages were abuzz with the wonder of science (as was evident in the Junior School Book Parade). This week could not have happened without the efforts of many people, but most notably our Laboratory Manager, Mrs Glenis Shaddick and Laboratory Assistant, Mrs Kathleen Berger whose enthusiasm and service behind the scenes allowed all activities to happen. Mrs Patricia Humble Head of Science
Mr Blanch demonstrating the Rubens’ Tube Tube during Science Week.
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St Paul’s excels
at the City of Sydney Dance Eisteddfod The McDonald’s City of Sydney Eisteddfod was first held in 1933, originally to develop and encourage creativity in the community.
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Classical and contemporary events are held for all age groups. Each year it attracts over 30,000 entries across its diverse range of performance categories, including dance, music and drama. Sydney Eisteddfod’s mission is “to identify and encourage talent in every area of the performing arts by providing entrants with performance opportunities and constructive criticism from expert adjudicators.” On Sunday 21st July, the St Paul’s Dance Company competed in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. Out of 43 schools in the section St Paul’s was awarded Highly Commended (fourth place) with a mark of 89 out of 100. This is the first time we have competed as a group and this was an excellent result. The students who competed were: Tiarna Reid, Christie Wotherspoon, Claudia Day, Audrey Jagle, Yasmin Sayah, Maddison Brown, Arianna Levy, Victoria Andrews, Allison Bavor, Sally Armsworth, Olivia
Esveld, Christina Lamb, Emily McKinna, Jasmin Hetherington, Ella Beer and Justine Platovnjak. Miss Lauren Grizelj, St Paul’s Dance teacher, says “the Dance Company students were an absolute pleasure to work with. Their commitment and professionalism are a credit to themselves and to the School. I am so pround of their achievements, not just in this competition (although that was very exciting!), but throughout the whole year.”
Allison Bavor writes: “The City of Sydney Dance Eisteddfod was held at the University of New South Wales in the Science Theatre. After, long hard rehearsals in the morning and dramas of getting red lipstick on white costumes, we managed to get highly commended. Our dance was based around the theme of violins. Everybody was meant to be a violin and we had to strum our strings
throughout the dance. Miss Grizelj went to all the effort of making the strings from sturdy elastic. These were attached to our wrists and thighs and stretched as we moved. We were all excited by this idea and thought that this was a really effective prop which would enhance our dance. Our dedicated company worked very hard to bring this dance to performance standard. Every Tuesday morning for two terms, the whole company came to school at 7:30am, even through the bitterly cold winter mornings. Not only did we come to school early, we also gave up two days of our holidays for rehearsals. We thought that was commitment, but as the performance day drew nearer we began to worry that it wouldn’t be enough, and gave up even more time. Fitness and agility are vital for dancers, just as for athletes. As athletes maintain regular training, so we also had to train our bodies. Many days our muscles were aching from the constant strenuous effort, but we persevered to build up our stamina. Finally, the performance day arrived. We made our own way to the city and met together outside the venue. Entering the building nervously, we made eye contact with our competitors. Excitedly, we donned our costumes, put on our
stage makeup and did our hair, hoping fervently that we would remember our routine. Of course we did, and our nerves settled quickly as we began to dance. The audience cheered and clapped as we ran off stage awaiting our results. We all gathered in the audience as the judges took a very long time to decide who won. We waited anxiously, and then it was time. WE GOT HIGHLY COMMENDED! Considering this was our first performance as a company, we
were very proud of our efforts in such a large event. Well done Dance Company, St Paul’s and Miss Grizelj.” Two members of the Dance Company are leaving St Paul’s to enrol in full-time dance courses. Yasmin Sayer will be attending the Vocational Ballet College and Audrey Jagle is going to the Tania Pearson Classical Coaching Academy. Both girls will be studying to gain ballet qualifications with a view to careers as dancers. We wish the girls every success in following and achieving their dreams.
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Our students serving the world in Cambodia 15th September 2013 saw a group of 25 staff and students all meet excitedly at the airport, about to embark on this year’s service learning trip to Cambodia. After (in some cases) tearful farewells, the group boarded the plane for the twelve hour flight to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. As they arrived that evening, they were hit by a wall of humidity, and travelling straight to get a meal, students were fascinated by the chaos of the roads, where cars, trucks and loaded bicycles all happily wove in and around each other with no apparent rhyme or reason.
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The next day, the students were confronted with the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields. Breanne Walker said, “I found this very emotional because the history is so recent. It was almost clinically documented with photos and files of the millions of people who were killed and how that was done, so impersonal and insensitive. This makes it even more moving.” After a trip to the markets for lunch, the group boarded the bus to Kampong Cham, stopping at Spider Village on the way to check out the edible spiders. While the tarantulas are venomous, they cut the tips off the fangs first! “The little kids sensed our fear and would play jokes on us unwary tourists by secretly putting live spiders on us,” said Breanne. “I tasted
a leg, which was a bit like burnt bacon, but I couldn’t come at anything else.” At Kampong Chan the students stayed in the “base house”. “Upstairs we had sleeping mats and mosquito nets; there were bucket showers outside”, Breanne told us. “We would ride bicycles to the orphanage each morning and spend a few hours with the children,” Aaron Heffernan explained. “The orphans were so happy and cheerful, despite their situation. We had all brought different items, mostly craft or sport things, and each day we would take something that we could do or make with them, like a soccer ball or tennis balls. We’d play games with them.” “I brought scoobies (coloured plastic strands to make plaited jewelery),” said Breanne. “The children
were so creative with anything you gave them or that they found. One boy wove the most amazing daisy chain – it was so much more complex and beautiful than anything I’ve ever done.” “They taught us a game,” said Aaron. “It was kind of a cross between a game, music and dance. The students would rhythmically move and bang four sticks, and four people had to skip (although it was more like a dance) around them and avoid the sticks.” Breanne and Aaron agreed that it was incredible to watch. At midday they would cycle back to base house, and get on the bus (“The Pink Panther”) and go to a buffet lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. Here they had the opportunity to try local food (Breanne and Aaron recommended Lok Lak, which is stir fried beef with “amazing” sauce on a bed of lettuce. After lunch it was back to base house and another cycle ride to the Smile Village to do building work. Here students divided into two working parties. One group had to build and render walls for the perimeter of an educational complex. The other group made garden beds. The building is being constructed to teach children vocational skills such as weaving and computer
skills. It is a ten year project that has only been started recently. On some nights before dinner the group went to the local school to teach English for an hour. “It was the highest and lowest points of the trip!” said Breanna “We went in pairs to different classes across all ages from young children to adults. I was with a group of 10 to 15 year olds, all at different levels. The students were all incredibly eager to learn. We felt really inadequate.” The St Paul’s students started to work out strategies for teaching, for example ideas for simple conversations or different songs. “They picked up vocab, grammar and conversation really fast,” said Breanna. “There could be up to seventy students packed into a small classroom,” said Aaron, “some were sitting or standing on desks or on the floor. It was pretty daunting.” On the last two days the group spent time sightseeing in Siem Reap. Here they saw the temples at Angkor Wat and visited the floating villages. “We knew we were back with the tourists again,” said Breanne. “There were more hotels, places were buzzing with people,
and crazy traffic. But everyone was really calm, cheerful and happy. We saw the sunrise at Angkor Wat, other temples, and some people had elephant rides.” They also went to the night markets. “We were bartering with people over minimal prices, which seemed strange to us, but that’s the way they do things, and it was fun,” said Aaron. Aaron and Breanne agreed it was the experience of a lifetime. They remain astounded at how much people can do with so little, and by the joy that the orphans found in small things. “I am so much more appreciative of what I have,” said Breanna. Aaron felt humbled to be there. “I felt we didn’t do as much as we could have, we really needed to be there for longer. Our contribution was limited In the scheme of things.” Both students think that they will do something like this again. “I’d love to go back in a few years and see how the children that we met have grown,” said Aaron. “My brother was here two years ago, and I showed some of the students photographs that he took. ‘That’s me,’ they were able to say, and it was great to see how they’ve flourished.”
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Year 4 playing with light On Thursday 22nd August Year 4 students, along with their teachers, Mrs Bonazza and Mr Harnett, visited the Photography Room while Year 10 Photomedia had their double lesson. In two shifts, the Year 10 students with Miss Gray and Mr Paterson spent time with the Year 4 students teaching them about how pinhole cameras work and helping them to take photographs and develop them. The Year 4 students were able to use the pinhole cameras made earlier in the year by Year 9. The Year 10 students enjoyed being able to share their knowledge and expertise with the younger students. The experience reinforced the first unit of work that they did back in Year 9 – “Playing with Light”. Tayler Whan explains: “A group of year 4 children came up to work with my year 10 photography class to explore some different concepts of photography. One of the main types of photography we worked with was using pinhole cameras. The pinhole cameras are a cardboard box made into a camera with a hole the size of a pin through it; you then blutack photographic paper to the inside of the box. The students of Year 4 were so surprised to see the amazing results once we put the paper into the developer, stop bath and fixer (which develops the photos). I think it blew their minds that a box could take a photo with such limited home-made resources. I think it reminded us how interesting it really is. It was a very enjoyable experience; I enjoyed passing my knowledge onto younger people of the School. The behaviour and maturity of the Year 4 children made it a whole lot more fun for everyone and gave us more time to explore.” Rebecka Troy describes her experience: “The Year 10 Photomedia class were lucky enough to be a part of the Junior School’s Year 4 photography morning. Classes of students entered during the course of the morning wearing exciting costumes and all showed an interest in what we get up to during our Photomedia lessons. Throughout the morning we explained the process of using pinhole cameras, by exposing digital paper to light for a specific amount of time through a hole in the camera and developing images 20 FUTURUM SPRING 2013
using chemicals in the dark room. Taking notes, each group of Year 4 students showed great enthusiasm for the fact that you could take photos with nothing but a box and photo paper. Their overflow of ideas took us by surprise and they used outstanding teamwork to decide the best possible photo that each of them would like. To develop their photos, they took an exciting trip into the darkroom, where they could see their works come to life whilst developing in various chemical baths of developer, stop bath and fixer. The morning gave our class a great opportunity to relearn the process of using pinhole cameras, and enabled us to connect with the younger years of St Paul’s in a learning environment.” The Year 4 students were keen to reflect on the day. Ella thought that it was great fun developing the photograph by putting it in the chemicals. Her group took a photograph of a tree, but the Year 10 students said that it was a bit overexposed. Marvin and Troy said that it was a great experience, learning about how they took
photographs during the olden days. They had thought that the darkroom would be pitch black, and were interested when the red light was able to be used and wouldn’t spoil the photographs. Their group had taken a photo of some people and a tree, but the people were moving so it was blurry. Lauren Hogan learned that not all cameras have to be digital, and was amazed at how a pinhole camera worked. Mrs Bonazza comments: “It was a wonderful morning. The Year 10 students were courteous, kind, knowledgeable and patient. It was a great example of how we can utilise resources across the School. The Year 4 students were working from a unit of enquiry about self-expression and had been making movies and slide-shows. The activity was a part of the answer to the question ‘how do cameras take photos?’ I think that it made the Year 4 students look forward to High School and it made the Year 10 students remember what it was like to be 9 years old again.” Many of the students want to capitalise on their experiences and are keen to do more photography.
Our Junior students capture their world Earlier this year, Mr Rob Storrie ran a photography competition for Year 6. The response was so positive that that, by popular demand the competition is back again, this time for Years 2 to 6. Mr Storrie talks about his passion for photography and how the competition came about. “I love photography and it is such an easy thing to do. Cameras are everywhere from phones, iPads and iPods to the broad SLR range. One of the exciting things about photography is that it gets people interested and observant about things around them. I started the Junior School Photographic Competition this year over the Easter holidays. It was open to Year 6 students only, in an attempt to get the students looking at the beautiful world around them. The main caveat was that no people were in the photos. I was overwhelmed with the number of photos submitted and soon the Junior School
office area was given a fresh look with over fifty images on display. Visitors, parents, grandparents and staff were amazed at the quality of the photos and some even wanted to purchase them! Ebony Manyweathers won the competition with a stunning photo of a droplet of water on a leaf. The second competition was run during November, and this time, students from Year 2 through to Year 6 have entered photos. There were no criteria this time other than that the images were appropriate and taken by the student. It gathered so much interest that we had over fifty entries. The variety of
subject matter was remarkable, ranging from macro shots of sponges, broad landscapes and an array of flowers and animals. I have been very impressed with the high quality of the photos. Students, staff and visitors to the School were able to vote for their favourite work. The voting closed on Friday the 22nd of November, with the winner being Blair Tholen’s Morning Dew. I hope you had the privilege and opportunity to view the photos when they were on display. Congratulations to all the students who submitted an entry as all photos were of a high standard.”
Photo by Ebony Manyweather
Photo by Toby Thompson
Photo by Blair Tholen ST PAUL’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL 21
The beautiful game grows at St Paul’s In 2013 soccer has proved to be immensely popular across the school. Kara Cummins, our Captain of Sport, writes enthusiastically about how well all our teams have done this year. She highlights some spectacular successes, but more importantly, dwells on how much enjoyment, fun and learning has happened on the field. “2013 has certainly been the year soccer has thrived at St Paul’s. In season 2012, we had 17 players taking the field each Saturday, but this year we had over 153 athletes from Prep to Year 12 proudly wearing the blue and green each weekend – and what a spectacle it was! Every Saturday, our School playing fields were transformed into buzzing arenas of sportsmanship, fun and exercise, with over 1000 people regularly turning up throughout the day to play or cheer for their teams. St Paul’s teams played in both the Independent Sporting 22 FUTURUM SPRING 2013
Association (ISA) and the Nepean District Soccer Football Association competitions. We also fielded multiple teams which played in contests such as Futsal, CIS and the Bill Turner Cup, as well as individuals who tried out for representation at higher levels. Each week, over thirty boys and girls from Prep to Year 3 were sorted into groups of five or six and played in a round robin against a different team each week. For many, this was their first time in a team sport, and over the season they improved immensely. Our older Junior School teams participated in the Nepean District Football Association Winter Competition. They played consistently well throughout the entire season with some outstanding achievements. In the High School, we participated in the ISA competition up against some of the biggest schools in the state – but that didn’t faze anyone! What is better than three soccer teams making it through to the grand finals? Three soccer teams winning the grand-finals! Our Opens Girls team were undefeated the entire season, winning the grand final
3 – 0 against St Andrew’s Cathedral School. It was an amazing effort for a team which had the majority of its players from Year 8, rookies to the game, playing girls in Years 11 and 12. Mrs Patten coached the team to brilliance and the manager, Miss Paragalli, kept the girls enthused and organised all season. The Boys U12s team won their grand final 2 – 1. These boys played phenomenally the entire season and made their School proud each and every week. Their grand final showcased their indomitable attitude, as they made an exciting comeback in the second half to show the other team who were the real champions. The Boys U17s team won against Redfield in the grand final, also with a score of 2 – 1. This was another fast-paced game which displayed a textbook football performance from both sides, with St Paul’s kicking two outstanding goals to win the game. Not only did we have our Saturday teams perform excellently this year, but we also had many other teams compete successfully in Futsal and knock-out competitions.
Futsal Futsal is a 5-on-5 version of soccer played indoors on a much smaller pitch, and it can be much faster and more skilful than the outdoor football. This year we had girls and boys teams in all age brackets competing in early May at the Windsor Regional Futsal Competition. We had two teams – the U14s boys and the U16s girls – make the top two at this event, progressing through to the State competition. Many of the other teams also performed commendably.
Bill Turner Cup & CIS Earlier this year, players were selected to play in a knock-out competition against schools from around the state, in a battle of the fittest. Players under 16 years of age took part in the Bill Turner Cup competition, and for the older students, there was an opens team which played in the Combined Independent Schools’ (CIS) competition. The girls CIS team faced Penrith Anglican College in the first round and unfortunately lost by, well, more than a few goals. The girls’ Bill Turner Cup team however made it through to the third round to unfortunately be defeated by some very strong competition. The boys teams didn’t make it past the first round but the quality of competition and sportsmanship should be noted.
Individual Stand outs This year we had a few soccer players selected to try out for further representative teams through the school. James Newton was one of these players and was fortunate enough to be chosen for the ISA team, which is an exceptional achievement. James, a member of the 1st XI Team, was, also named the football player of the year and was the recipient of the 2013 Duffy Medal Award. Congratulations James! Overall, St Paul’s had an exceptional football season. You only needed to be at the School on any given Saturday to experience the incredible atmosphere which was evident to all. This year wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the organisers in the Office of Student and Family Services, Mr Newton and Miss Scerri, all of our coaches, managers, helpers, supporters, parents and of course, players. Our coaches were superb at enthusing and passing on their skills and experience to the players. A special thankyou goes to the ex-students who returned this year to coach the teams, their work was greatly appreciated. And to the parents, from the early morning starts to the pom-poms on the sidelines to the washing of smelly clothes, thank you. It took a huge effort for St Paul’s to have the amazing season it did. We look forward to an even better and exciting year of soccer in 2014. The FIFA World Cup has nothing on the skills, sportsmanship and commitment of our St Paul’s footballing heroes!”
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Student Profile
Olivia Kennedy Olivia Kennedy is a champion Irish Dancer. “My parents are Irish and my sister and I both started when we were little. I love competing and the way the teachers choreograph different steps for you so you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing,” she explains.
thrilled to win the 9 years’ section of this contest – for the second time! “I felt really good after I had danced, but I didn’t expect to win. I was standing on the stage with my friend, we were the only two left, and when our names were announced it was very exciting.” This meant that she went on to dance in the Australian National Championships held in Perth over the first week in October. The competitions all follow the same format and Olivia again performed with flair and success to gain 3rd place.
Earlier in the year, on the weekend of the 16th and 17th August, Olivia competed in the State Irish Dancing Championships held in Sydney at Hurstville. All of her classmates at the Halloran School of Dance were entered in the competition and each student dances a Hornpipe and a Reel in groups of three. Each student then does an individual dance, choreographed by their teacher especially for each dancer. Olivia was
“This means I’ll be dancing at the World Championships in April,” said Olivia. “The whole family is travelling to London!” Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, states, “To all Irish dancers and your families from around the world, we look forward to welcoming you to London to experience not only the privilege and honour that is associated with representing your region at the World Irish Dance Championships but
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also to enjoy our wonderful city and all it has to offer. We hope you will all join us in London to celebrate a spectacular feast of the best that Irish dancing has to offer, along with a visit to one of the most amazing, diverse and historically-rich capital cities of the World.” ( http://london-2014.com/) Olivia is obviously excited about this opportunity. “I really love dancing,” she said, “and I’m so happy about going to London. I love everything that goes with it, especially all the costumes and bling you get to wear! I want to dance forever!”
Class of 2005 Catherine and Declan Price in Nepal Since leaving St Paul’s in 2005, Catherine Taylor and Declan Price have accomplished much. Catherine has studied Psychology and Education at the University of Sydney and qualified as a Primary teacher. She has a passion for developing quality programs that provide learning opportunities for all students. She has been building her professional skills over the last three years teaching at a local primary school. Declan completed a degree in Physiotherapy and has been working at In2Motion, a Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology centre in Richmond. Catherine and Declan were married in 2010. Over the last three years, Catherine and Declan have been prayerfully considering how they can use their skills and knowledge to help others. As committed Christians, they were keen to serve overseas and so they applied to International Nepal Fellowship (INF) and were accepted to work in Nepal for the next two and a half years. Nepal has some of the worst poverty indicators in the world: 50% of Nepali children under the age of 5 are malnourished, with the mortality rate for this age group being as high as one in eight in some of the more remote areas of the country. Only 48% of women over the age of 15 can read and write. Catherine and Declan are keen to work for education and health in the community.
Catherine and Declan will be living and working in Pokhara, about 200km west of Kathmandu. Pokhara is situated at the foot of the Annapurna Ranges and so has some spectacular mountain scenery on its doorstep; they are both keen to do some trekking when they have free time. Catherine will be employed at the Primary Study Centre, teaching mainly the children of expatriates and missionaries. As a health worker, Declan is exploring opportunities to use his skills in INF’s rehabilitation programs, working specifically with leprosy patients and children recovering from spinal and other injuries. At the end of September, Catherine and Declan travelled to Nepal for a 10 day “holiday” where they met the people they will be working with and tried to get a feel for life in Pokhara. They returned energised and invigorated, inspired by the people they met and the possibilities that are opening up for them. Reflecting on their whirlwind visit Declan said, “The first night we were there, we so tired and homesick, we would have turned around and gone home. But everyone was so welcoming, friendly and hospitable that by the end of the trip we didn’t want to come back.”
Declan came and spoke to St Paul’s staff about his plans. “For the last three years we’ve been thinking and praying about this. Our time at St Paul’s was an important part of the journey that has brought us to this point.” They need to raise their own support base, and are currently trying to develop ongoing prayer and financial backing for their endeavours before they leave in January. If you are interested in keeping up with their story, you can follow them on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/LifeinNepalwithC atherineandDeclan?directed_target_ id=0
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SPRING 2013
On Thursday 12th September, our community celebrated the sporting achievements of our students at ‘The Duffy Medal’, our 2013 Sport Presentation Evening. We were honoured to have former student Patrick Cummins (Class of 2010 and Australian cricketer) as our special guest for for the evening.