2019 Conscientia

/ k o: n . s k i’e n .t i . a / n . 1 . k n o w l e dg e s h a r e d w it h o t h e r s

S t

C a t h e r i n e ’ s

S c h o o l

2 019

volume six

C O N SC I E N T I A

2

Mrs Michelle Carroll

Understanding the Needs of Tomorrow’s Schools and the Future Workforce

6

Mrs Ceri Lloyd

World Poetry Day

8

Georgina Cottrill

A Student’s Perspective: The Honourable Julie Bishop MP Visits St Catherine’s

10

Ms Karen McArdle

Helping Your Daughter Develop Independence

12

Ms Debbie Thompson

Cyber Safety: How Can I Keep My Daughter Safe Online?

16

Mr Paul Gilby

A Teacher’s Perspective: The Honourable Julie Bishop MP Visits St Catherine’s

18

Ms Sarah Bethune

Foundations of Learning and Development

20

Mrs Michelle Carroll

A Young Girl With a Dream

22

Ms Karen McArdle

Factors Contributing to Success at School

26

Ms Simone Schilte

A Sense of Community

30

Mrs Gina Peele

The Confidence of Young Women is a Key Area of Focus in the 21st Century

34

Miss Kristy Forrest

New Elective Program Promotes Engagement and Occupational Learning

38

Georgina Cottrill

Year 12 Co-Captain Final Assembly Speech 2019

41

Kavina Kalaichelvam

Year 12 Co-Captain Final Assembly Speech 2019

44

Ms Sandy Yao

Learn a Language Like a Musical Instrument

46

Ms Yu-Chun Wang

Teaching Students to Fail and Persevere

48

Mrs Elka Gaensler

The Twice Exceptional

52

Ms Lilly Dusting

Neuroarchitecture – A New Branch of Design

56

Mrs Helen Nicolaou

Building Resilience in Young Children

58

Arabella Llewelyn

The Time of Her Life in The Highlands

60

Olivia Nigido-Scott

Life in the Fijian Highlands

62

Mrs Gina Peele

What Skills Do Our Girls Need?

66

Ms Karen McArdle

Understanding the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards

70

Mrs Penny Campbell

Self-Regulation – A Preparation For Life

72

Mr Tom Crebbin

Learning How to Lose

3

Welcome

St Catherine’s School enhances student learning experiences through the employment of exceptional staff. The School is committed to ensuring effective recruitment and the development of dedicated and well-qualified educators who are passionate about the field of education, girls’ wellbeing and advances in technology and educational practice.

The significance of establishing a strong and dedicated community to support our students can never be underestimated.

This year, it has been a privilege to witness the growth and development of every St Catherine’s student, all of whom have experienced the opportunity to discover their individual passions, interests and talents in the classroom and co-curricular pursuits, due to the commitment, enthusiasm and skills of our teaching staff.

The articles published within this edition of Conscientia showcase the inspiring efforts of our teachers. Their wisdom, dedication and passion for education allows St Catherine’s to remain enduringly steady and strong to its mission of empowering and nurturing women of the future.

Please enjoy the 2019 edition of Conscientia.

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal

13

Name: Mrs Michelle Carroll Title: Principal Date: 18 March 2019

U N DER STA N DING T HE N EEDS OF TOMOR ROW’S SCHOOLS AND THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

As the Senior School transitioned towards the new academic model this year, I have frequently referenced the work of the Director for Education and Skills at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), Andreas Schleicher. St Catherine’s parents will be familiar with the term Schleicher used to critically reflect on the current Australian Curriculum, thus he described it as “a mile wide and an inch deep”. This view shaped much of our thinking in choosing to refine the offerings in Years 7 to 10 and to deepen the girls’ understanding through additional timetabled lessons across the four core subjects – Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities.

This year, Schleicher’s commentary focuses around what the Fourth Industrial Revolution could mean for education and jobs. He considers it much easier to educate students for our past than for their future and notes that parents can be uneasy when children learn things that bear no resemblance to the study that once was important. The dilemma for education is that the kinds of things that are easy to teach and test have also become easy to digitise, automate and outsource. School assessment increasingly demands students’ application of their deep learning and acquired knowledge to problem solve, critically evaluate and ultimately challenge assumptions, with the rote learning of content largely outdated and unnecessary.

Schleicher highlights in his recent work that there is much we know about the global megatrends that shape education, and much has been written about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, most notably the Future of Jobs Report 2018 produced by the World Economic Forum. A focus of the report is on arriving at a better understanding of the potential of new technologies, including automation and algorithms (currently St Catherine’s

offers Algorithms as a specialised Mathematics coding elective in Year 9).

At the same time, the wave of technological advancement is set to reduce the number of workers required for certain duties. New categories of jobs will emerge, partly or wholly displacing others. (See table titled ‘Examples of stable, new and redundant roles, all industries’ on next page.)

With the St Catherine’s Strategic Intent – Vision 2020 nearing its expiration date, the School Council, Senior Leadership Team and teachers will commence the necessary consultation, research and subsequent development of the framework for the next strategic plan, carrying us towards 2025 and beyond. Understanding the needs of tomorrow’s schools, and importantly the broader trends of education and the future workforce, will need to shape the thinking that underpins this strategy and framework.

Some of the key questions on the horizon for schools, as expressed by Schleicher, include: • How do we continue to build a strong foundation in early childhood education, achieving the right balance of cognitive, social and emotional competencies?

• How do we address the changing landscape of teaching and school leadership through effective recruitment, professional growth and development?

• How does education take advantage of the tools and strengths of new technologies while simultaneously addressing concerns around potential misuse such as cyberbullying, loss of privacy and illegal trade in goods and activity?

3

EXAMPLES OF STABLE, NEW AND REDUNDANT ROLES, ALL INDUSTRIES Stable Roles

New Roles

Redundant Roles

Managing Directors and Chief Executives

Data Analysts and Scientists*

General and Operations Managers*

AI and Machine Learning Specialists

Software and Applications Developers and Analysts*

General and Operations Managers*

Sales and Marketing Professionals*

Digital Transformation Specialists*

Data Entry Clerks Accounting, Bookkeeping and Payroll Clerks Administrative and Executive Secretaries Assembly and Factory Workers Client Information and Customer Service Workers* Business Services and Administration Managers Accountants and Auditors Material-Recording and Stock-Keeping Clerks General and Operations Managers* Postal Service Clerks Financial Analysts Cashiers and Ticket Clerks Mechanics and Machinery Repairers Telemarketers Electronics and Telecommunications Installers and Repairers Bank Tellers and Related Clerks Car, Van and Motorcycle Drivers Sales and Purchasing Agents and Brokers Door-To-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers Statistical, Finance and Insurance Clerks Lawyers

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Specific Products Human Resources Specialists Financial and Investment Advisers Database and Network Professionals Supply Chain and Logistics Specialists Risk Management Specialists Information Security Analysts* Management and Organization Analysts Electrotechnology Engineers Organizational Development Specialists Chemical Processing Plant Operators

Big Data Specialists Software and Applications Developers and Analysts* Information Technology Services Process Automation Specialists Innovation Professionals Information Security Analysts* Ecommerce and Social Media Specialists User Experience and HumanMachine Interaction Designers Training and Development Specialists Robotics Specialists and Engineers People and Culture Specialists

University and Higher Education Teachers

Client Information and Customer Service Workers*

Compliance Officers

Service and Solutions Designers

Energy and Petroleum Engineers

Digital Marketing and Strategy Specialists

Robotics Specialists and Engineers Petroleum and Natural Gas Refining Plant Operators

* T hese roles appear across multiple columns. This reflects the fact that they might be seeing stable or declining demand across one industry but be in demand in another.

Source: Future of Jobs Survey 2018, World Economic Forum

Asia has replaced Europe as the most popular region of destination, attracting approximately two million migrants each year. This migration brings more diversity to classrooms, and it raises important questions: • How can schools better serve students from various social and cultural backgrounds? And what does this mean for teaching citizenship and identity?

• What responsibility do schools have in teaching the values of society?

• How do we deal with ‘brain gain’ and ‘brain drain’?

Education has won the race with technology throughout history, but there is no guarantee it will do so in the future.

The future is about pairing the artificial intelligence of computers with the cognitive, social, and emotional skills and values of human beings. How will we ensure our imagination, our awareness and our sense of responsibility will harness digital innovation to shape the world for the better?

Schleicher comments: “Tomorrow’s schools will need to help students think for themselves and join others, with empathy, in work and citizenship. They will need to help students develop a strong sense of right and wrong, a sensitivity to the claims that others make, and a grasp of the limits on individual and collective action. At work, at home and in the community, people will need a deep understanding of how others live across different cultures and traditions, and how others think, whether as scientists or artists. Regardless of the tasks that machines take over from humans at work, the demands on our knowledge and skills to contribute meaningfully to social and civic life will keep rising.”

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal

5

Name: Mrs Ceri Lloyd Title: Head of English Date: 21 March 2019

WOR L D P OE T RY DAY

One of the reasons we teach poetry at St Catherine’s is to help students make sense of their place in the world. The study of poetry is one of the most challenging, but rewarding, in English and Literature studies. The ambiguity of many poems offers a wonderful opportunity for students to have freedom in their ideas and interpretations. Our Literature courses all contain a unit of study that focuses on poetry.

This year, in Year 11 Literature students are studying Sylvia Plath and in Year 12 Literature, the poet Robert Browning.

Studying poetry is not an easy task as some poems can offer mature views and values on life and one’s place in it.

However, this allows students to look within themselves and consider these complex issues of humanity and existence.

The poet Sylvia Plath has written many poems that have become quite infamous and she is often known for her darker poems such as Lady Lazarus and Daddy. One of my favourite poems written by Plath is less well known and studied. It is a poem titled You’re and it challenges students to really examine the powerful imagery and metaphor Plath employs and find their own interpretation of the poem. When students discover what the poem’s subject matter is, they are surprised and appreciative of Plath’s skill in creating such a clever and unique poem.

As it is World Poetry Day, I would love you all to read the poem below and see if you can find your own interpretation because there is a Literature student in every one of us.

Mrs Ceri Lloyd Head of English

You’re

By Sylvia Plath Clownlike, happiest on your hands, Feet to the stars, and moon-skulled, Gilled like a fish. A common-sense Thumbs-down on the dodo’s mode.

Wrapped up in yourself like a spool, Trawling your dark as owls do.

Mute as a turnip from the Fourth Of July to All Fools’ Day, O high-riser, my little loaf.

Vague as fog and looked for like mail.

Farther off than Australia.

Bent-backed Atlas, our travelled prawn.

Snug as a bud and at home Like a sprat in a pickle jug.

A creel of eels, all ripples.

Jumpy as a Mexican bean.

Right, like a well-done sum.

A clean slate, with your own face on.

7

Name: Georgina Cottrill Title: 2019 School Co-Captain Date: 22 March 2019

A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE: THE HONOURABLE J U LIE BISHOP M P V ISI TS ST C AT HER I N E’S

On Friday 22 February, St Catherine’s had the privilege of hosting The Honourable Julie Bishop MP for a series of events held across the morning. One of those events provided our VCE Global Politics and Legal Studies students with a remarkable opportunity to participate in a ‘boardroom style’ meeting with Ms Bishop. Year 12 student and 2019 School Co-Captain Georgina Cottrill prepared the following account of the meeting.

Our VCE Global Politics and Legal Studies students participated in a boardroom style meeting with Ms Bishop in the Dining Room of Sherren House. The students utilised this extraordinary opportunity to strengthen their understanding of the VCE curriculum content with pre-prepared questions focused towards their learning from her extensive experiences, both in parliament and as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

During her time with the VCE classes, Ms Bishop shared her unrelenting focus as Minister for Foreign Affairs on empowering women and girls in our neighbouring countries. Her belief of ‘our region, our responsibility’ was the driving force behind the distribution of Australia’s financial aid. This reminded me of the value of our own Heyington to Highlands program which is underpinned by an education of the United Nations Sustainability Goals, most notably – empowering women and girls.

Ms Bishop left most of St Catherine’s School in awe; perhaps it was the incredible green gown she wore, or, more likely, it was her inimitable presence and unforgettable words, that of a powerful leader many of us have idealised.

I was lucky enough to be one of the girls who partook in the ‘boardroom style’ discussion with Ms Bishop, which was an incredible opportunity for the VCE Legal Studies and Global Politics students to ask the pressing questions which had arisen during our classes. It was not only her composure and intellect in answering our questions which impressed us, it was also her down-to-earth nature.

Despite the clear contrast between Ms Bishop’s unparalleled experiences in her careers, and our classroom-bound knowledge, she notably gave each and every one of us a handshake on first meeting and respect within the discussions. Not quite what you always expect after hearing stories of other politicians’ behaviour.

We definitely did not approach Ms Bishop lightly when it came to asking questions. There was a significant variation from the very political and tough questions – such as asking for her opinion on the significance of the recent medical bill for refugees in offshore processing – to more personal questions – such as whether she preferred her law or politics career more (a subtle battle between the Classes). No matter the topic, Ms Bishop astounded us with her poise and in-depth answers. Through her responses, she enlightened us to a new perspective, which is rarely highlighted in the media, on issues surrounding us locally, within Australia, and also globally. I think we all got particularly excited when this involved different world events which we had studied. These discussions have definitely equipped us with the knowledge we need to ace our Legal Studies and Global Politics exams!

After the meeting, Ms Bishop gave an address to the Senior School. She touched on the notion of aiming high and not letting others define you – mixed in with a few jokes about avoiding the media after her announcement of leaving politics – as well as some fascinating stories about her time as Foreign Minister and in parliament. I think my inner ‘fangirl’ came out when thanking her for her speech, although everyone seemed equally as impressed as I was when gathering around Ms Bishop after assembly. Overall, this experience was monumental and something that will stay with everyone at St Catherine’s School for years to come.

Georgina Cottrill 2019 School Co-Captain

9

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 29 March 2019

HELPING YOUR DAUGHTER DEVELOP INDEPENDENCE

It is the aim of every parent to grow and develop our children into well adjusted adults that are capable of looking after themselves. Being parents is the journey we start from the day they are born and, along the way, we celebrate wonderful milestones: the first time they walk, talk, are toilet trained and can get into and out of the car themselves, just to note a few.

The first years of this journey are about watching for these developmental milestones, watching for the things they can do and delighting in them trying over and over again to do them. They are born with a natural desire to do things for themselves. The terrible twos (those tantrum years) are all about children’s minds wanting to do things that often their fine or gross motor skills are unable to accommodate.

Our role as parents during this time is to make sure they are safe, clean, well fed and loved.

As they get older, our role changes. We still need to make sure they are safe, well fed, clean and loved, but we need to harness that natural desire and start teaching them how to do things for themselves.

According to Carrie Shrier, an academic from Michigan State University Extension, there are many things we can be doing to help our children develop independence.

Shrier says that we should be stepping back regularly to “assess what we are still doing for our children that they could be doing for themselves�.

One of the easiest things we can teach our children is to pack their own school bag. It takes a little bit of effort to begin with, but the benefits to both parents and children is great. To teach them, I would first advise developing a packing list. Sit with your child and work out what they need to take each day of the week using their class timetable. On a sheet of paper, beginning with Sunday, list the days of the week across the top of the page. The idea is to pack the bag the night before (all except lunch of course). Under each day, include the usual things like lunch, but then look at their timetable and start adding Physical Education clothing, violins etc. This can then be made into a poster on a wall for easy reference.

Once developed, pack the bag with them using the list each night, making sure they are the ones to gather everything on the list. The bag should then be left at the front door ready for lunch to be added before leaving. Like learning any skill, it will take time and you will have to do this with them many times. The benefits are that your child will have developed a skill, they know they have a well packed bag and they know what is in it and where in the bag it is. For parents, you will have less work in the long run and a child who is more independent. There will be fewer trips to school with forgotten sports gear and lunches!

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School Reference: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/developing_independence_in_children

11

Name: Ms Debbie Thompson Title: Head of Faculty – Health and Physical Education Date: 11 April 2019

C Y BE R S A F E T Y: HOW C A N I K E E P MY DAUGHTER SAFE ONLINE?

As parents, foremost in our lives is to provide an environment where our children can learn, be happy and be safe.

Seems simple in theory, however, in today’s world, with a generation of ‘tech savvy’, social media wise youth, many parents are not comfortable in dealing with the complexities of life online, and more importantly, trying to keep their children safe. In a world where there are new social media platforms springing up seemingly every day, staying up-to-date with social media trends can at times seem like a never ending, insurmountable wall. Inevitably, the vast majority of teenagers are using many of the different platforms, which all seem to have different nuances and idiosyncrasies that make it extremely challenging to navigate.

There are many websites that provide a wide range of resources that can advise parents and their children in maintaining safety online, including ReachOut Parents, who provide some excellent tips to stay informed about social media trends. Some practical advice from ReachOut Parents include the following:

It is important to understand that like most teenagers, your daughters will probably want to be ‘cool’ and popular, especially in social media where the number of ‘friends’ and ‘likes’ are ‘bankable’ amongst peers. This can sometimes motivate accepting contacts or ‘friends’ that they do not know, which can allow strangers to see your child’s personal information and images. While sometimes completely harmless, there is a risk of someone wanting to establish a relationship that could be detrimental to your child. Therefore, as parents we must work to empower our children with the knowledge and skills they require to remain safe. This can include helping them to use the tools in their accounts to block, delete or report anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable. Keeping the lines of communication open with your daughter is therefore crucial to enable them to feel confident that they can turn to you for advice or support, without fear they will be judged or criticised.

• Talk to your daughter and ask her which apps or programs she uses, and why.

Questions to ask could include:

• Overview: For an overview of all social platforms, check the eSafety Commissioner government website which lists what each platform does and how they are used.

• Google: Another source of information about the popular and new social platforms is simply to Google ‘popular social media platforms Australia’.

• Who uses the app? Who do you talk to on there?

• What kind of information or articles do they share?

• Ask them to be the ‘expert’ and show you how it is used.

• Ask if they are protecting their identity and being safe.

• Talk to your daughter’s Head of Year, members of the School ICT Faculty or your daughter’s Health and Personal Development teacher about what the students are using.

• Do not over-emphasise social media and the digital world as ‘bad’. You want to empower your daughter with the knowledge and skills to be responsible online and with social media. If you are too negative about social media, it might close down lines of communication with your daughter.

13

• Date of birth risks: Keep the day and date of your birthday on online profiles but avoid putting your full date of birth. Change something e.g. the year or the month.

Ensure that your daughter is aware of this safety measure.

• Passwords: You need to change your password every six to eight weeks to ensure safety online.

Your daughter must follow this procedure also.

• Protecting their identity and being safe • FACT: 21 per cent of 10-14 year-olds share personal information online (https://www.esafetygov.au/ education-resources). Parents need to educate their children by exploring how their personal information can be used now and in the future. Take the opportunity to review your own habits if you have social media accounts – do you post photos of your child that show details of their school, sporting club, friends?

Passwords Regularly updating passwords is essential to online safety for the entire family. According to ReachOut Parents, there are several dos and don’ts: Do: • Change your password every six to eight weeks.

• Include special characters (%@&*).

• Include numbers and upper case letters.

• To ensure your password has been updated, log out and then log back in to all of your accounts, on ALL devices.

Do not: • Use the same password for everything.

• Use pet names, family birthdays, children’s names as they are too easy to guess (especially if you have all these names listed on your profile).

• Use something that is so completely abstract that you will never remember it.

• Write your passwords down in the one secure place.

• Staying on top of Privacy Settings

• This is not an easy task, as with each new platform, there normally comes a new set of guidelines for you and your daughter to become familiar with.

• A great place to find user-friendly information on privacy settings is the eSafety Commissioner website, which regularly updates information on new platforms and their privacy settings.

• Talk regularly with your daughter about privacy settings on social media, focussing on keeping the lines of communication open with them in case problems arise.

• By updating your own privacy settings, you will understand more about the potential safety issues and you will also be a great example for your child.

Thankfully, the many relevant articles and excellent resources available on numerous websites can provide understandable, sensible guidance to help both your daughter, and you as parents, navigate your way to enabling safety for you and your family online.

Ms Debbie Thompson Head of Faculty – Health and Physical Education Helpful websites: https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/online-safety%0d https://kidshelpline.com.au/kids/issues/being-safe-internet} https://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/public-safety-and…/online-safety https://www.thinkuknow.org.au

15

Name: Mr Paul Gilby Title: VCE Global Politics Teacher Date: 11 April 2019

A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE: THE HONOURABLE J U LIE BISHOP M P V ISI TS ST C AT HER I N E’S

The VCE Global Politics and Legal Studies students responded to the announcement of a meeting with The Honourable Julie Bishop MP with great excitement and interest. In the weeks leading to the meeting, students brainstormed questions to ask Ms Bishop and carefully prepared for facilitating conversation with Australia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, including which questions to ask and how to develop and guide the discussion. The quality of the questions developed and the conversation with Ms Bishop that they elicited reflected the genuine interest in the subject matter and the value that students placed upon hearing Ms Bishop’s views in relation to the issues raised.

School Co-Captain, Georgina Cottrill (Year 12), was well prepared to act as the discussion guide, however, after initial introductions, it was obvious that Georgina would be able to ease into her role, due to the manner in which Ms Bishop engaged with the students. Upon her arrival, Ms Bishop immediately demonstrated her diplomatic skills in putting a room at ease. Making it a priority to individually greet and learn the names of each of the girls in the room, an atmosphere of warmth and mutual interest was quickly established and the conversation moved along effortlessly.

The opportunity to meet with Ms Bishop was timely for the Global Politics students, in particular, as they had only recently examined the power and role of the United Nations, but also the issues of state sovereignty surrounding contested borders. A flashpoint for the latter issue in recent years has been relations between Ukraine and Russia. The students were very interested to hear about Ms Bishop’s role as Minister for Foreign Affairs in general, but in particular her role as Chair of the United Nations Security Council

in 2014 when a Malaysian Airlines plane carrying many Australians, among hundreds of other passengers, was destroyed by a missile over Ukraine. Ms Bishop provided invaluable insights into the reality of global political conflicts in her elaboration on these matters.

Additionally, Ms Bishop responded with candour to a range of topics from relations with countries in our region and also issues which continue to attract controversy in Australia, including the rights of people in Australia’s offshore detention centres. She explained Australia’s national interests in a range of contexts, but also a willingness to give something of her own views (beyond the party-political policy statements), which further developed the students’ level of engagement in the discussions.

Throughout her discussions, whether it was talking about her decisions to pursue a career in the law or politics, Ms Bishop was keen to emphasise her interest and role in encouraging women and girls to take a central role in political and economic decision making in all communities, whether in the developing world or in high-office in Australia and internationally. It was a fitting central message that clearly resonated with all the people present in the room.

I have no doubt that this unique experience will not only enhance the learning of those students who participated, but it will potentially be one of the highlights of their VCE year at St Catherine’s School.

Mr Paul Gilby VCE Global Politics Teacher

17

Name: Ms Sarah Bethune Title: Head of Early Learning Centre Date: 15 May 2019

FOU N DAT IONS OF L E A R N I NG AND DEVELOPMENT

It is a very exciting time of year as the children commence their educational journey in the Early Learning Centre.

The early years are one of the most important stages in life as this is the time when the foundations for learning, social behaviour and wellbeing are formed.

“We see how early childhood experiences are so important to lifelong outcomes, how the early environment literally becomes embedded in the brain and changes its architecture.”

– Andrew S. Garner, Primary Care Paediatrician at University Hospitals Cleveland.

Neurological research demonstrates that the early years are the most important time in a child’s life in terms of brain development. In the first five years of life, a child’s brain develops more rapidly than at any other time in their life.

Their early experiences, using all of their senses, stimulate the brain, creating millions of connections and thus causing the brain to ‘hard wire’. This is when the foundations are laid for lifelong learning, wellbeing and social behaviour.

It is imperative that young children are provided with rich, meaningful learning opportunities, and establish positive, caring relationships during their early years as these factors greatly influence how the brain develops. Our role as educators, in partnership with parents, is to provide a secure learning environment where children can develop a sense of identity and belonging; where children are actively involved in meaningful learning experiences; where children are given opportunities to build positive, caring relationships with other children and adults; and where the uniqueness of each child is respected and embraced.

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”

– O. Fred Donaldson, researcher of children’s play.

Young children need opportunities to be in the world doing things.

Albert Einstein describes a child’s play as “the highest form of research.” Children need to be actively involved in meaningful play experiences as learning happens best when it is in context. Young children especially need opportunities to engage in active, handson learning. They also need time – time to build relationships, time to have conversations, time to play and explore. We really want to build a lifelong love for learning right from an early age.

Our early learning programs at St Catherine’s are designed to optimise opportunities for the children to learn, develop and grow during these fundamental years. Our aim is for the children to reach their potential by providing them with an education and learning environment that is conducive to this. The learning environments are designed to provoke curiosity and wonder. The experiences offered to the children invite inquiry, thinking, questioning and research. There are opportunities for individual learning as well as for children to work collaboratively as a member of a community.

All of these learning opportunities work towards building a positive attitude towards learning and a desire to learn from a young age.

Relationships are integral to everything that we do.

Relationships between children, families and educators are nurtured and fostered. Children need to feel a sense of identity within, and belonging to, their learning community. They need to feel safe and secure within these relationships. Once this rapport is established, then the children’s learning will flow.

The early years are undoubtedly the key to lifelong learning.

Therefore, by optimising this stage of a young child’s life, this is the best investment you can make to ensure their future wellbeing and success.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

– John Dewey, Educational Theorist.

Ms Sarah Bethune Head of Early Learning Centre

19

Name: Mrs Michelle Carroll Title: Principal Date: 10 May 2019

A YOUNG GIRL WITH A DREAM

This year will be well remembered for the celebration of women who serve as the most outstanding role models for all young St Catherine’s girls today. As such, it was an honour to host Dr Jane Goodall in the School this morning.

During her time at St Catherine’s, Dr Goodall toured through the six newly refurbished Science Laboratories and in her address at our Senior School Assembly, she shared her remarkable story of research commencing over 60 years ago when she studied the behaviours of chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

Dr Goodall also enjoyed a happy occasion with our Early Learning Centre children and younger Prep to Year 3 girls.

Importantly, the Barbreck Environment Committee were able to proudly share their own conservation initiatives and participate in a ‘Question and Answer’ session with Dr Goodall. The Barbreck girls have worn a ‘touch of green’ or various animal headdress to school this week, in an effort to raise funds for the future care of the Orange Bellied Parrot.

This momentous occasion in Barbreck will be long remembered by the children and we thank Barbreck parents, Erica Gill and Dr Brendan O’Brien, who so generously gifted to the School a bench seat to view over the Village Green and a possum box placed high in the tree above. Dr Goodall has also shared her favourite childhood book, Doctor Dolittle, which will be framed and added to the art installation, Bookmark Her Future, located in the Wang Family Library in Barbreck.

In courageously entering the mysterious world of wild chimpanzees, Dr Goodall was equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, optimism and a desire to learn more about these incredible animals. Dr Goodall won the trust of the chimpanzees and through her research, she has illuminated the intelligence of these beautiful animals.

Dr Goodall has quite simply contributed to one of the greatest studies of primates the world has ever seen.

With the documented shifts in the global climate displacing chimpanzees and thousands of other species, Dr Goodall’s quest for animal welfare and conservation is at the forefront of her work today and that of her Roots and Shoots program, established in 1991.

Dr Goodall is now known around the world as a Dame, United Nations Messenger of Peace, conservationist, primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist and the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, but she remains at heart a ‘young girl with a dream’ – just like our St Catherine’s girls.

To quote Dr Goodall, humans have a responsibility to each other and the animals we share the world with. “We say we inherit the planet from our parents when in fact we borrow it from our children”.

Dr Goodall’s invitation to St Catherine’s has enabled her name to be forever etched on the plaque located in our Edna Holmes Centre for Science. This plaque will remain for years to come; it is quite simply a point in time for our School, an historical marker of this special occasion. I believe Dr Goodall’s name on this plaque will serve as a continual reminder for generations of St Catherine’s girls to come.

A call to action so to speak for the conservation of our environment, the awareness of animal welfare issues and forever in our minds, the impact of one woman’s research, the foremost expert on chimpanzees.

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal

21

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 21 May 2019

FAC T OR S C ON T R I BU T I NG TO SUCCESS AT SCHOOL As both a teacher and school leader, I am constantly questioning how to help students achieve greater success with their learning. While the question I pose is quite simple, the answer is both complicated and complex.

There are many factors that attribute to student learning success. John Hattie, Professor of Education and Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, has researched this question and found that there are a number of factors that cause variance in how students perform at school.

Students

50%

Teachers

30%

Factors Inf luencing Student Success Home 5-10% Peer 5-10% Schools 5-10% Principal 5-10%

Percentage of Achievement Variance: Professor John Hattie

Hattie’s graph above shows the biggest influence on success is the student themselves. This variance can be seen when we compare two students. Both are of similar ability, are in the same class, and have had the same teachers for the past five years. If all factors were the same, why would one student achieve greater success in the classroom than the other?

Hattie attributes the variance to what each student ‘brings to the table’. This includes the following: culture, prior achievement, pre-term birth weight, capacity to concentrate, motivation, self-concept, anxiety level, attitude towards Mathematics and Science, creativity, health, personality, gender and diet.

23

While schools have no influence over some of these, we, along with parents, do have some influence over mindset, which in turn, influences potential and success. Mindset can be described as how a learner perceives themselves and their ability, as well as their attitude to the learning and school work they do.

Carol Dweck, a world renowned Stanford University psychologist, discovered the notion of ‘mindset’ and its ability to make a positive difference in learning. Dweck believes there are two mindsets: fixed and growth. These are explained in the graph below.

Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset Fixed

Growth

Skills

• Something you are born with • Fixed

• Come from hard work • Can always improve

Challenges

• Something to avoid • Could reveal lack of skill • Tend to give up easily

• Should be embraced • An opportunity to grow • Individual is more persistent

Effort

• Is not seen as necessary • Something you do when you are not good enough

• Seen as essential • A path to mastery

Feedback

• Get defensive • Take it personally

• Useful • Something to learn from • Identify areas to improve

Setbacks

• Blame others • Get discouraged

• Use as a wake-up call to work harder next time

Summary of Carol Dweck’s Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset

As teachers and parents, we can help students to instill greater self-belief and a ‘growth mindset’ – one where they believe they can continually develop and grow their capacity to learn and succeed.

First, students need to believe that they can increase their ability through hard work, dedication and learning from initial errors. It is the correlation between hard work and achievement that is key. Many students sadly just give up or refuse to engage in the learning because they do not get it straight away. They do not attempt to try, even when prompted. They might also be the student who raises their hand to seek help without trying to work it out for themselves.

These students exhibit a fixed mindset. As teachers and parents, it is important to address these behaviours quickly, so they do not become ingrained as a ‘go to’ habit. Teachers will often not give help straight away, asking students to try and work it out or to a certain point before giving assistance or clues. This is a strategy designed to show students that if they work at it, they can often do it themselves.

With school work, we often observe a fixed mindset in children who say, “I cannot do this” or “I am not good at Maths”. We need to move their beliefs and thoughts to “I cannot do this yet” or “If I work hard at it I can improve”.

Students need to start with small, simple achievable goals. For example, it might be learning the two times table or, for older students, it might be setting up a revision program and making summaries of worksheets.

Success in the beginning is making a start, choosing to try, learning where they are making mistakes, or just increasing marks by a few points. The vital point is that they see the correlation between effort and success.

They learn that well directed effort produces results, and that greater effort in the right places and in the right way will continue to produce ever increasing results. This reinforces the growth mindset and leads to greater success.

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School

25

Name: Ms Simone Schilte Title: Year 4 Teacher Date: 11 June 2019

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

Understanding the importance of being good citizens of local and global communities is as vital today than it ever has been. We live in a world where our students regularly hear about global sustainability issues, ones which often feel to be on such a grand unsolvable scale, that they can be left feeling anxious about their future.

At St Catherine’s, we find ourselves feeling optimistic as we watch on and participate, with these negative viewpoints being countered by an ever-increasing understanding by the students, that their place, role and influence in different communities can play a small but crucial role in shaping the future in meaningful ways.

We see first-hand that when given the right educational tools and resources, school age children can become superb advocates for change in our community. As Sue Elliott, Senior Lecturer from the University of New England, describes “practising sustainability empowers children to construct knowledge, explore values and develop an appreciation of the environment and its relationship to their worlds, which, in turn, lays the foundations for an environmentally responsible adulthood.”

At St Catherine’s, one way in which students gain ‘the right educational tools’ is through the Barbreck Environment Committee. This committee is a high performing, engaged and passionate group of girls who promote sustainability practices to the betterment of Barbreck, St Catherine’s and the wider world. The students engage in many robust conversations and actively try to solve issues of concern, valuing the opportunity to deal with environmental issues within and beyond our School.

The Committee is a source of great excitement for our members from Years 4 to 6 and they complete many activities and projects throughout the year. These include promoting nude food lunches, eliminating waste and educating their peers during assemblies about sustainability. The activities are all student driven and foster collaboration, initiative, creativity and deep thinking.

An attitude that falls in line with Johann Goethe’s timeless maxim, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

In 2018, St Catherine’s submitted a grant application to The City of Stonnington and was very excited to be selected as one of five schools to participate in the Tomorrow’s Leaders for Sustainability program. This program was designed to help students understand the world around them, live more sustainably, build leadership skills and apply these to a meaningful sustainability project.

An expert mentor from the Port Phillip EcoCentre joined our committee meetings each week during Terms 2 and 3 and guided our students to become sustainability leaders.

One result of this was the students becoming proficient energy auditors in the Junior School, looking at ways to reduce waste and energy usage in our new purposebuilt energy efficient Barbreck. These findings are now guiding our 2019 program where we are increasing our focus on reducing waste while also drawing on Dr Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program.

27

Another source of community pride for the girls is our new vegetable garden. The growing of herbs and vegetables cause great excitement and it is common for our younger students to gather around our garden watering, weeding and making keen observations while gaining a deeper understanding of the life cycles of plants and the interconnectedness of humans, animals and plants.

Though every generation has its own challenges, our most pressing one seems to be the need for a greater understanding of the crucial connection between nature and community, and the very real benefits that flow from empowering this understanding. It is wonderful to see our students working hard together to acquire the skills and

attitudes necessary to care and be actively concerned for the world around us. In the spirit of what is being learned daily, we encourage our students to share with their families the joys and benefits of this attitude, and of course, the delicious herbs and vegetables that come from the garden.

Ms Simone Schilte Year 4 Teacher References: Sue Elliott (2014, p. 52), Senior Lecturer, University of New England NSW World Health Organisation (WHO): Promoting Mental Health: Concepts, Emerging Evidence, Practice. 2015, World Health Organisation; Geneva https://wehearyou.acecqa.gov.au/2016/01/28/sustainability-in-childrens-education-and-care/

29

Name: Mrs Gina Peele Title: Director of Student Programs Date: 28 May 2019

THE CONFIDENCE OF YOUNG WOMEN IS A KEY AREA OF FOCUS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

“In December of 1920, Amelia Earhart paid to go on her first plane ride. The experience lasted only 10 minutes, but it changed the direction of her life: Amelia was determined to be a pilot. It did not matter to her that there were only a few women in the field of aviation. Through hard work and challenging conditions, she developed her skills.

While other female pilots feared the long journey across the Transatlantic, Amelia’s gutsy determination led her to be the first woman to fly it solo. The confidence she possessed was one of her greatest strengths and led her to set many records.” (The Confidence Gap In Men And Women: Why It Matters And How To Overcome It, 2019).

Amelia’s success in flying was not attributed to her skills alone, but her confidence and the belief that she could do what she set out to achieve. In the early 1900s, it is thought Amelia had to work hard to achieve these goals, given the expectations of women at this time.

It is well documented that the confidence of young girls and women is a key area of focus in the 21st century.

The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report was created following the survey of 10,500 women and girls aged between 10 and 60 from 13 countries around the world. “Women cited growing pressure from the media and other related sources as contributing to the problem, with 77 per cent of Australians blaming ‘unrealistic standards’ set by media and advertising as one of the biggest problems.”

– Brown (2016).

In many stories of successful women, we learn about their support network, supporters and family. The opportunities and encouragement provided to them by their parents, grandparents, teachers or family friends are significant. Dr Jane Goodall acknowledged in her

address at the opening of the refurbished Edna Holmes Centre for Science Laboratories, the significance of her mother in Jane following her dream and going against the advice and expectations of many by venturing into Gombe, Africa, to live with and study chimpanzees.

As a mother of two young girls, and with an awareness of the opportunities, challenges and the influence of social media, I took interest in a book that was recently given to my daughter, Strong is the New Pretty. A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves, by Kate Parker. This book was refreshing to read and provided many examples of girls who have found enjoyment and satisfaction in being authentic and fearless. These girls celebrated their challenges and achievements through going beyond their comfort zone.

Parker (2017), acknowledges, “And now a mother of two young daughters, I try to do the same for my girls. My husband and I encourage loudness, silliness, fearlessness, confidence, strength and individuality… my husband and I aim to celebrate who they are, just as they are.” This book is filled with wonderful quotes and images of girls in action. A few of these quotes are provided below: “When I first started to surf, I got made fun of all the time.

For years, I was the only girl. Every little thing I did differently, the boys would laugh. Pretty soon, though, I started to show them up, and after that, they never made fun of me again.

I plan to be a champion in two sports – surf and skate – that have always been predominantly ‘guys only’ worlds”.

– Jordyn, age 17.

“The best part of dance is the ability to show the emotion and strength through movement.”

– Caroline L, age 15.

31

“We are a band of sisters. Our strength comes through finding our own voices and being brave enough to use them.”

– Fiona, age 18.

“Being a girl does not change anything. It is just a different body. Strength measures how powerful you are even when others doubt you.”

– Oriana, age 12.

“I am small, but I have a big voice and I know how to use it.”

– Ivy, age 9.

“Strong is building people up, not tearing each other down.”

– Lauren J, age 10.

In looking further at books that are available for young women, The Confidence Code for Girls, by Kay, Shipman, Riley and Lawson, is a great book for teenagers in providing stories and anecdotes in being a confident young woman. This book takes the reader through examples of real world dilemmas and inspiring stories of girls who achieved great things beyond their comfort zone.

Our role as parents is to encourage our daughters to learn, investigate, challenge and fail. The involvement in a trip, exchange, school camp, sport or club, provides the opportunity for girls to develop the skills that will assist in navigating their way through life. The co-curricular opportunities offered at St Catherine’s are vast. These programs are designed to provide opportunities for our students to learn through experience in a different environment.

“We do not grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.”

– Anonymous.

Mrs Gina Peele Director of Student Programs References: Kay, K., Shipman, C., Riley, J., & Lawson, N. (2018). The Confidence Code For Girls. New York: Harper Children’s Books.

Parker, K. (2017). Strong is the New Pretty. New York: Workman Publishing.

The Confidence Gap In Men And Women: Why It Matters And How To Overcome It. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ jackzenger/2018/04/08/the-confidence-gap-in-men-and-womenwhy-it-matters-and-how-to-overcome-it/#7b781dc23bfa https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/beauty/face-body/womens-bodyconfidence-becomes-a-critical-issue-worldwide-dove-global-studyindicates/news-story/5bf063c6a19c838cee9464a248af6bff

33

Name: Miss Kristy Forrest Title: English Teacher and Pedagogy Coach Date: 23 July 2019

NEW ELECTIVE PROGRAM PROMOTES E NG AG E M E N T A N D O C C U PAT ION A L L E A R N I NG

The word ‘engagement’ is one of the most misunderstood terms in education. It is not, as many believe, simply the absence of boredom, where we are stimulated or entertained by interesting content. If this was the case, then a classroom where the teacher kept the students entertained or on task for a lesson through a variety of hooks and stimulation activities could be considered an engaging one.

While the holding of attention is vital, real student engagement occurs when students choose to invest, and then reinvest, in their own learning due to the personal meaning they are deriving from it. To do this, students need to see the value in the learning beyond superficial elements such as grades.

The learning needs to have intrinsic, rather than only extrinsic value to students. In other words, it needs to be authentic.

It is exactly the same problem that American philosopher John Dewey identified over a century ago when he argued that to offer a curriculum to students removed from their ‘present interests and concerns…was treacherous’.

To rectify this, in addition to the ‘knowing and doing’ (skills and knowledge) that underpin traditional curriculums, Dewey emphasised a third element, ‘being’, which is the occupational elements of a discipline. This is where students are provided with the conditions where they can invest in their subject occupationally. For example, they do not ‘study’ art and design rather, they are artists and designers. They do not ‘study’ a language, but rather are bilingual readers, writers and speakers.

The introduction of a new Year 9 elective program at St Catherine’s School this year has given teachers a

chance to create a range of subjects that encapsulates this idea of occupational learning and genuine engagement. It was my pleasure to sit down with my colleagues recently to discuss their thinking behind their curriculum design and how they selected their material for the specific needs of a Year 9 student. Below were the common threads that emerged.

Theoretical Extension and Building Writing Capacity All teachers in the Year 9 elective program have extensive VCE experience and are acutely aware of the need to upskill middle-years students in the conceptual and theoretical vocabulary of their subject in preparation for their senior years. The Language Arts subjects also see Year 9 as the year in which the foundations for strong senior writing are established through revising, drafting and increasing the complexity of written work. In the Literature elective, this means students are introduced to an analysis of text through an ideological and values-based lens, in addition to the traditional character and thematic study they are accustomed to from junior English. Similarly, in Year 9 French, students take a significant step up from Year 8 by consolidating their knowledge and making connections between grammatical concepts through extended writing pieces that will prepare them for the complexity of VCE Languages. In the Philosophy and Critical Thinking elective, students learned the basic elements of argument structure and participated in a Socratic Seminar before completing an inquiry project on a contemporary issue of their choice, learning how to synthesise research, cite correctly and write with the clarity and coherence required of senior students.

35

Occupational and Authentic Learning: Student Agency and Choice Each subject teacher spoke of their desire for the students to participate in activities that were occupational in the sense that they mirrored the way each discipline is practised outside of the classroom. Students are given a strong degree of autonomy and choice within assessments, which allowed for much greater personal investment along with reducing student reliance on teacher direction.

In the Drama elective, students wrote their own ensemble production based around the concept of ‘Get Real’ as a performance for the St Catherine’s School community.

They drew on elements from contemporary life such as fake news, Instagram and political promises to satirise the modern world as well as learn the practical elements of creating and organising a production. In the Digital Media elective, the students created a series of original portrait photographs in response to a specific purpose such as engagement, entertainment, or creation of a visual style. The level of quality in the work produced by students at Year 9 level in both subjects was excellent.

In the Sports Coaching elective, students first learned the fundamentals of coaching theory (such as direct instruction and game sense) before designing their own coaching sessions and implementing them with classes from the Junior School. In the ever popular Enterprise and Entrepreneurship course, students apply the key elements of business theory (such as structure, finance, marketing, manufacturing, sourcing, and selling) by creating their own business.

Contemporary Relevance Alongside the authenticity of its learning experiences and the focus on creating disciplinary competency, the real strength of our new elective program is in the relevance of the curriculum to contemporary life. In a world where ‘Gen Z’ is regularly maligned for lacking ‘life skills’, the Financial Literacy elective bridges the link between the study of finance and life application. Students begin the course by creating a CV to apply for a job, then complete a job application and mock interview. After this, they worked in teams on a ‘Spreading the Knowledge’ campaign, using digital technology to inform 15-25 year-olds about superannuation choices.

Following this, the large scale ‘Survival in the City’ project assigned students a job and a suburb to live. From this, students had to research a viable rental option, create online grocery shopping plans, seek a phone, source a health insurance plan, and finally use the personal loan calculator to consider the possibility of a car purchase.

Complementing this financial focus is the Economics and Politics elective where the teacher used the opportunity of a Budget and Election in early 2019 to teach students the foundations of economic theory (such as supply and demand). Using the Melbourne residential property market as their ‘textbook’, students mapped the characteristics of the stock and property market using real data and examples. In time for the election, students completed a ‘mock election’, including tallying voting slips modelled on the official version of our local electorate in order to increase their understanding of Australia’s preference system.

Learning What Matters Given the opportunities to design electives with only Year 9 students in mind for the first time, the teachers developed curriculum that emphasised disciplinary competency and encouraged independence, all without the pressures of high-stakes testing. The Year 9 elective program at St Catherine’s is an excellent example of the kind of occupational learning that leads to genuine student engagement and the development of the skills and knowledge our students need to negotiate the world around them. The fact that all subjects have moved beyond the abstraction of textbooks and worksheets makes the learning really matter, creating possibilities for student investment.

Miss Kristy Forrest English Teacher and Pedagogy Coach

37

Y E A R 12 CO - C A P TA IN F I N A L A S S E M B LY S P E E C H E S 2 0 1 9

our incredible teachers, and most importantly, appreciate those sitting next to us; the St Catherine’s community and friends that could never quite be manufactured elsewhere.

I suppose tonight feels particularly special as a Year 12 student, the last time we will all be together, sporting those classic and ever-referenced blue ribbons – that I am sure will not be appearing over summer. But I think there is something more than simply this notion of finality that is distinguished. With all authenticity, I believe it is because this is a celebration of what has been a monumental year for all of us – Year 7s to 12s, teachers to parents; even the heart of St Catherine’s, Sherren House, had a makeover.

Sherren House is in fact quite a good analogy for 2019, our fundamental structure and St Catherine’s values have not changed, but the determination, intellectual and physical vigour, and kindness feels unprecedented.

GEORGINA COTTRILL Good evening and welcome to Speech Night 2019. It is quite an honour to be able to speak to you all tonight; one of the first school events for some and one of hundreds for others.

Although, something about this evening feels special. One of those rare glimpses in time in which we can stop, sit still in this world characterised by perpetual movement, and appreciate this. Appreciate the education we have received, appreciate

As many of you know, I may have a minor celebrity crush on Julie Bishop. I know most people are not into politics, as my conversations on the topic were all too often silenced within the Common Room, although there is one very ‘un-political’ quote of hers that struck a chord – during my verging on ‘stalkerish’ internet searches. In fact, this is a quote from the ‘good old days’; a time in which the parents sitting in the audience did not have such a grand responsibility, i.e. us students. In 1998, Bishop said: “I have always had an intense conviction that individuals can make a difference to the life of their times.” I interpret this not so much in the sense that we must make grand gestures or change the entire world, but instead, to make a difference within our lives. Meaning, a difference to the life, people and environment that is constantly rotating around us. And this is something I believe every person here has done. From parents making incredible sacrifices to send us to this School, to teachers bringing in the

39

occasional edible treat to get us through the coming week, to us girls doing something as simple as giving a smile or ‘hello’.

As odd as this may sound, there is an aura of comfort at St Catherine’s. I was in the city celebrating the end of exams and received many faces displaying seriousness and almost contempt. It made me realise what I have taken for granted here. The warmth of smiles even from the teacher on duty telling you off for not wearing your blazer, or your friend who knows you certainly did not pass that Methods SAC, is in the strangest way, quite life-changing.

It is an unspoken safety net of support and security that our cohort will certainly miss when moving out into the deep dark abyss of the ‘real world’. However, every one of us will always take with us this ability to make the most simple and small actions benefit the life around us.

This sense of comfort can be encapsulated in a single word, ‘one’. A notion of united spirit and support for one another, as we have succeeded as individuals, but more importantly, made it through 2019 as one invincible body.

There is one quick story, out of many memorable moments, that I want to share this evening.

I will set the scene. Ballarat, Lake Wendouree. Sunny day, but quite a lot of wind. The ‘Gez’, a Senior Eight Rowing crew, gets on the water not knowing that they are about to embark on the most esteemed journey of their life.

The Gez is practising starts near the beginning of the course. Next, the unimaginable happens. Sitting at the catch, a wave comes, quite a big one too for a ‘lake’.

Two seconds later, we are in the water. Yes, what you

are thinking is correct, we managed to flip an eight which no one ever thought was possible. With a freshly replaced oar (after having snapped in half), a boat full of water, and a soaked team, we start the race.

And, ladies and gentlemen, the pinnacle of the magic, we won.

I am sharing this not to emphasise winning or ‘flex’, instead, this experience can be seen as a metaphor for life. Life can be cruel, it can throw hurdles at you (or in our case, waves) at every turn. But the most important part is to just give it a go – no matter the size of the barrier. I am not an inspirational speaker, nor have I climbed mountains or jumped off helicopters and have a newfound sense of spirituality, but this is a message I want to say because St Catherine’s is the best place to try new, scary and daunting activities. The sense of community and support, the smiles in the hallways, are in fact diluting the waves and hurdles, attempting to hold them back for you to grow. The triumph The Gez felt crossing the finish line was not about the success, but rather, it was that despite the feeling of impossibility that we all refused to vocalise, we made it to the end. And I know every girl here has that potential for triumph, it is just moving past the daunting first step and diving straight into your own Lake Wendouree.

This year has been so incredibly special, and the sense of togetherness unparalleled. And that is all thanks to you girls, for making those small yet impactful differences in the lives around you. So, thank you all for making our final year a slice of time which will forever hold meaning that is difficult to articulate.

But what people often overlook is our strength in grace.

The way we offer our water and food without being asked and throw out each other’s trash when we leave a table. We give one another hugs when we do not know what to say and sit with them until we do, always loving and giving more than we could ever receive.

As I address you all for what will be my final time, I cannot help but think that there is a bit of teen girl within all of us; parents, students and teachers alike: it is our inherent need to be heard, and a desire to be better every day. Perhaps, then, we ought to abandon the social shackles of what it means to be a teen girl and redefine it by what we know and experience it to be here at St Catherine’s: unapologetically loud and passionate, tenacious and vivacious, unable to be silenced, and always flaming with great possibility.

And tonight, this is more evident than ever. While we cheer on our friends as they grace this stage, we get to do so sitting next to some of the people who mean the most to us. Tonight is not just a celebration of a few, but of St Catherine’s in 2019, of a school that was not just a community, but a team that collectively collapsed expectations of what it meant to be a teenage girl.

K AV I N A K A L A IC H E LVA M Teenage girls are infamous for many things.

Pioneering the ‘selfie’. Quoting Ariana Grande. Being obnoxiously loud in public when there is more than one, and almost always verging on perfectionism.

Whether it was the modelling of pants, the cutting of hair, or trips far away from home, St Catherine’s girls have relentlessly shown what it means to be strong. Of what it means to not necessarily know your place in this world just yet but to make damn good efforts in pursuit. It is a continuous process of becoming, knowing, learning, laughing and loving, and that is something we can forever thank the teachers and leadership team for. Their commitment to building a school

41

that does not characterise education as linear, but embraces all its quirks and life-teaching moments. They introduce each girl to their own voices, give stage to all that we have to offer, let our stories and talents become the very ladders that help us reach the stars. We wholeheartedly thank you.

But just as our teachers start to remember our hockey or music or dance commitments, the bell rings and it is thank you, next. Whether it be a new dean, new classroom or a new place or state entirely, it seems that just as you get used to something, the world always wants it to change. A school is a continuous place of becoming, of building and rebuilding, and how could it not be? It welcomes as many students as it sees off, forever in motion as it attempts to brace each of us for the ‘unbraceable’ world ahead, facilitating our own continuous process of becoming. Becoming what, I am not sure, but how lucky we are to know that there is promise in such opportunity.

For that, we thank you, the parents. For seeing St Catherine’s and knowing how we would be looked after by the gold and blue. Thank you for waking up with us in those dark and cold early mornings when it was the last thing you wanted to do, for trying to drive us into school when it was raining so we would not get wet, and most of all, thank you for seeing what we could become and giving us the opportunity to pursue it. Your faith in our ability to perforate limitations of what is expected, we hope we have made you proud.

Certainly, I am. It is funny to think that only a year ago I was telling you of my love affair with Dory from Finding Nemo, but I am so proud of every single one of you for just ‘keeping on swimming’. Because indeed, how far we have swum.

And debated. And donated. And ran. And studied. And supported. And laughed – because that is what we are good at here. At St Catherine’s, we are more than just a bunch of teenage girls becoming women, we are a combination of tenacity and opinion all the while underscored by kindness and grace. We are more than just a pretty fountain and pretty faces, but empowered individuals with a sense of justice. In my case, this meant writing an email to Malvern Library demanding for a quiet space so I could concentrate on my all-important Year 8 Geography colouring project.

The awards tonight are only a testament of every crevice and corner St Catherine’s girls have touched, demonstrating that there are so many front lines to the same fight and we are the bearers of the flag.

St Catherine’s has raised you and me in a way we could never have expected. And this is where we supersede the average teenage girl. For we are not only strong as individuals, but strongest when we are together. We sit in this hall today, veins simultaneously pumping with generosity and revolution, ready to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable all at once. We are fiercely vulnerable and assuredly selfless and it is this ‘multifacetedness’ that is unparalleled.

Because we are not encumbered by what we are meant to be, but unbridled by what we want to be. And that is anything.

After years of puddle jumping, we the Year 12s now face the great big ocean that is life beyond 17 Heyington Place. But for now, we put the lids on the sacred highlighters that teenage girls have revered since the beginning of time, sing the Ode one last time, and hang up our grey dresses and blue ribbons.

How lucky I am to know you formidable individuals and how lucky was St Catherine’s to feel the force of this small yet mighty team of 2019. The world may think they know the power of teenage girls, but they do not know us.

43

Name: Ms Sandy Yao Title: Instrumental Music Tutor and Chinese Teacher Date: 8 August 2019

LEARN A LANGUAGE LIKE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

As a learner, I have had the experience of learning Chinese Mandarin as my first language, then learning English as my second. I later learnt French and Japanese as additional languages. I therefore have much experience in learning new languages in a foreign context. Music is another area that I have much experience in. I began learning music in kindergarten, and commenced learning the flute in school and continued into my university years. People have often praised my pronunciation of a language and attributed it to my ‘good ear’ as a musician; however, it was not until I became a teacher of both Music and Chinese that I realised the correlation between the two are much more than sensitivity to sound.

Both music and use of language have the same goal: to communicate and express their ideas to an audience in the most effective way. A composer expresses themselves in musical notes on a page while an author communicates through words. A performer needs to spend much time learning and decoding the notes to best interpret the composer’s ideas through music; while a speaker needs to work on expressing ideas using the best choice of vocabulary and speech patterns. Consequently, many of the processes for learning music and language are similar.

The process of learning to play a new passage of music by ear is very similar to learning to speak a new language.

One starts by listening to the target which may involve analysis of the passage, thinking about the structure and the way it is expressed. The next step is to imitate, which is heavily reliant on the ability to recall and reproduce.

Unfortunately, it is at this step that many learners cease the learning process. Their result may lead them to make one of the following assessments: ‘It is too hard; I cannot do it’, ‘It is easy; I can do it’ or ‘It is close enough’. However, a great learner of music or language would proceed to the next step which

is to diagnose their errors based on their imitation result. This step is crucial in becoming better than average in their craft. If one can identify their own mistakes, then they can advance to the next step of finding ways to rectify their errors. During this step, the teacher can provide more assistance if the learner is unable to find a solution. However, if a learner has advanced to this stage independently, success is almost guaranteed.

The final step is repetition. The learner undertakes this step until they have fully grasped the skill and is ready for the next challenge, at which point, the cycle starts again. In addition to a positive learning cycle, learners can boost their learning by increasing their exposure to the target language or music.

Any form of exposure, visual or audio, through books, films, TV, radio, concerts, conversations, podcasts and recordings, would have immense benefits to the learner. Extensive exposure would train the brain to be more accustomed to this new skill, whether it is music or language, and increase one’s sensitivity towards it. It would assist the learner in diagnosing their own errors for rectification. Correct repetition is also important, as ‘practice makes permanent’. Repetition of the correct material would be highly beneficial; however, repetition of the incorrect material would result in habitual errors. It is, therefore, important to ensure that the material is correct before repetition.

Learning music and language still have their own unique challenges that cannot be related to anything else. However, as a start, it may be less daunting for some to study a new instrument or a new language if you have already learnt one and are aware that the learning process can be translated into different contexts. For learners of both, it may be helpful to know that you are strengthening your skills through the same processes. For others, it is never too late to learn a new skill.

Ms Sandy Yao Instrumental Music Tutor and Chinese Teacher

45

Name: Ms Yu-Chun Wang Title: Year 6 Teacher Date: 20 August 2019

TEACHING STUDENTS T O FA I L A N D P E R S E V E R E

As an educator, I have noticed increasing occurrences of students asking for my help before they have taken the time to think things through or attempted to work out a solution themselves. This leads to the question of why students are seeking immediate answers rather than attempting to try first themselves. Several reasons could be at play, including an increasingly fast-paced society leading to impulsive natures and a habit of expecting things to happen quickly, with little effort. Another reason could be the lack of exposure to the possibility of failure, resulting in a fear of trying and getting things wrong.

that is so much more rewarding than receiving an immediate response to something that requires a few taps of their thumbs.

The world is filled with an overwhelming mass of visual stimuli, readily available at one’s fingertips. Posters, advertisements and videos, all colourfully displayed for maximum effect.

Research shows that screen time (defined by watching television, computers, phones or electronic devices) has significantly increased for all ages over the years. This constant visual stimuli fires neurons in the brain, resulting in poor attention in students, and with such easy access to visual stimuli, no minute needs to go wasted. Gone are the days of students spending time with their friends, socialising.

The impact of this can be seen in various aspects of their lives, including in the classroom. Tasks become ‘too difficult’ and students unmotivated, when in reality, they have looked at the task and decided that the effort required is too much. Where the saying ‘just give it a try’ used to suffice, students of today can become afraid to simply try because the fear of failure can be so great. Instead, it is easier to ask for the answers to be given. As educators, we want students to develop strategies to problem-solve, including asking for help – but there is a fine balance between asking for help and asking for answers without first attempting to solve the problem themselves. We want to encourage students to take risks, to try, all the while with someone supporting them towards independence.

Instead, they ‘instant message’ their friends – the notable word being ‘instant’ where replies are immediate; or they while away their free time playing mobile games where the rewards are instantaneous, easy. Gone are the opportunities to learn the virtue of patiently waiting for delayed gratification or the sense of triumph felt from achieving a long-term goal, one worked hard for.

With that comes many consequences. The concept of ‘waiting’ or ‘boredom’ has thus slowly become lost as children are constantly engaged and receiving immediate responses from their social media accounts and games. Not only does this prevent children from learning the skill of patiently waiting, but it also eliminates the opportunity for them to work hard towards something, to feel that resulting sense of achievement

With feedback and responses being received so quickly and easily, with minimal effort, in today’s society, children are seldom exposed to opportunities requiring the application of effort and time to receive the responses they want. This means less opportunities in applying effort for responses that may result in failure, less exposure to failure, leading to less motivation to step outside one’s comfort zone, take risks and try something new.

At the end of the day, all parents, caregivers and educators alike want children to succeed. However, the reality is, behind every success are stories of failure, and to persist through those failures requires effort, time and patience. To set children up for success, we need to provide a supportive environment that encourages children to take risks, teaches them how to work hard, to accept failure but also to stand up again and persist when things are difficult. After all, to fail in life is inevitable, for ‘FAIL’ stands for ‘First Attempt In Learning’ and as the saying goes, nothing good comes easy.

Ms Yu-Chun Wang Year 6 Teacher

47

Name: Mrs Elka Gaensler Title: Head of Learning Plus, Senior School Date: 3 September 2019

THE TWICE EXCEPTIONAL

The world is growing ever-more complex and changing at breakneck speed. Students will require skills that will equip them to make sense of how to adapt to change, learn strategies for how to best work cooperatively in teams, and manage ambiguity in a world filled with uncertainty.

The locus of discussion in Australia surrounding needsbased education focuses on students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs). It emanates from the concerns of educators that without intervention, SLD students will not receive the support required to fill the gaps in their learning.

Teachers have a multitude of responsibilities and one in particular resonates with me. It is the need to understand the learning needs of our students. Without this understanding, we cannot hope to prepare our students with the skills they need for life. In particular, the ‘Twice Exceptional’ students are by far the least understood.

Moreover, they maintain that SLD students will fail to reach their potential. This rhetoric generally fails to include discussion regarding a needs-based approach for Twice Exceptional students. This cohort has both SLDs and learning strengths, yet their SLD is the only learning need generally recognised for intervention by the untrained. This has led to underachievement, and more concerning, lost potential for Twice Exceptional students.

While teaching in New South Wales some years ago, I faced a dilemma. I arrived with what I believed was a strong pedagogical background; I was confident in my skill set as an educator. However, like all schools in NSW, my school at the time was mandated to provide a ‘Gifted Education’ program. The term ‘Gifted Education’ was an unfamiliar concept to me. I studied the research behind it and realised that Gifted Education was largely misunderstood in teacher pedagogy. This concerned me because the research indicated that without intervention, our brightest students may not reach their potential.

Even more concerning, I discovered in my most recent postgraduate studies that educators notably misunderstand the Twice Exceptional student. This lack of understanding has vital consequences for their learning potential.

Gifts and Talents Defined The Victorian Curriculum accepts the definition of giftedness and talent based on François Gagné’s revised Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2008) where ‘giftedness’ is understood as outstanding potential and ‘talent’ as outstanding performance. His model highlights the outstanding potential of gifted students across several domains; true intellectual, physical, creative or social abilities.

What is clear from his work is that not all gifted and talented students will realise their potential without intervention.

Furthermore, he points to the lamentable outcomes when their gifts and talents are not supported; namely; they can become disengaged and as a result, underachieve.

49

Twice Exceptional Students Twice Exceptional students are often defined as “the simultaneous possession of an area of giftedness and a disabling condition” (Foley Nicpon, Allmon, Sieck, & Stinson, 2010).

When considering the equity or inequity of meeting gifted and talented students’ learning needs, the case for Twice Exceptional students is concerning. The literature on the identification of these students suggests that many may go underrepresented or fail to reach their potential (Acar, Sen, & Cayirdag, 2016), (Cao, Jung, & Lee, 2017; Hayward, 2015).

Furthermore, it is argued that appropriate identification practices require an understanding of the varied intellectual abilities and learning profiles of Twice Exceptional students (Callahan & Hertberg-Davis, 2012), (Castejón, Gilar, Miñano, & González, 2016), (Coleman, 2003), (Hagen, 1980), (Lohman, 2012), (Pfeiffer, 2008). This may impede the identification of Twice Exceptional students into gifted programs thereby reducing the opportunity to intervene and address their learning strengths.

There is cause for concern given the prevalence of Twice Exceptional students (an estimated 300,000 in the US and 20,000 in Australia) (Jung & Worrell, 2017).

This cohort is often overlooked for their gifts as their disability is usually the focus for intervention (BarnardBrak, Johnsen, Pond Hannig, & Wei, 2015).

Understanding the learning needs of Twice Exceptional students is important if we are to ensure their strengths are extended and their disabilities are remediated.

Without this knowledge, we impede their development and diminish the opportunity for them to realise their potential. By shining the spotlight and raising awareness about the learning needs of Twice Exceptional students, St Catherine’s School has commenced the journey.

Mrs Elka Gaensler Head of Learning Plus, Senior School

51

Name: Ms Lilly Dusting Title: Head of Year 11 and Visual Communication & Design Teacher Date: 10 September 2019

NEUROARCHITECTURE – A NEW BRANCH OF DESIGN

“Architecture is the art and science of making sure our cities and buildings actually fit with the way we want to live our lives.”

– Bjarke Ingels, Danish Architect.

Architecture. Whether you notice it, appreciate it, love it or do not even really think about it, we can all agree that life would look very different without it. Architecture, the most public and therefore scrutinised of the Arts, is much more than a building.

It dictates human movement, requires an understanding of anthropology and reflects the social values of our communities. The primary focus of this industry has shifted from sustainable practice to creating bespoke spaces that are people-centred, which is very much driven by neuroscience.

Enter ‘Neuroarchitecture’ – a new branch of design that questions how environment affects cognition, assesses the plasticity of activity and strives to create multisensory space.

So, given that architects and neuroscientists are now talking, how can architecture as a field be taught in a classroom? Over the past 10 weeks, St Catherine’s Year 11 students have undertaken project-based learning to design a community centre – focussing first on the exterior and then considering the interior. One of the challenges of teaching a VCE study is tackling the immense amount of content and allowing adequate time for knowledge application. This project has permitted students to become far more invested in what they are designing, where skills have been intertwined into their project over time.

Students were presented with a brief to design a community centre. As a class, they began by brainstorming what they felt constituted a community space. From here, each student collected research through word associations – asking a range of people, ‘what is the first word you think of when I say home?’ These results were collated and analysed, which assisted in building a picture of target audience expectations. Visual imagery was added and physically connected to this research, which culminated in a class mood board. This foundation of investigatory work was consistently referred to throughout the project – encouraging ongoing conversation and reminding students to remain on track with their design choices.

Once the ground work had been completed, it was now time to independently design. When tasked with designing a building, it is difficult to know where to begin. As well as creating an interesting and dynamic form, students needed to consider spatial configuration, interior organisation and the way people will enter, move through and engage with the space. We began the design process by using creative thinking strategies – a step-by-step framework that guides thinking. Although formulaic, it encourages students’ independent thinking without relying too much on the advice of the teacher. The first task was ‘white cube’ where students drew a perspective cube and applied a seven-step creative thinking strategy. This took roughly 45 minutes and by the end, everyone had a building to start with.

53

Ongoing peer discussion and feedback directed the design process before students made final decisions about their work and polished presentations appropriate to the client.

What I observed throughout this project was that students had gained greater insight into and appreciation for architecture and interior design. Architecture influences the way we think, feel and live. Our designers of the future need to walk into the industry with the utmost respect for the impact architecture can have on communities and the people who live in them. This project started with a reading from Alain de Botton’s novel Architecture of Happiness and acts as a reminder of how buildings can incite powerful emotional responses:

After 10 minutes in the cathedral, a range of ideas that would have been inconceivable outside began to assume an air of reasonableness. Under the influence of the marble, the mosaics, the darkness and the incense, it seemed entirely probable that Jesus was the son of God… it was no longer surprising to think that an angel might at any moment choose to descend. Concepts that would have sounded demented 40 metres away in the company of vats of frying oil in the Westminster branch of McDonald’s, had succeeded – through a work of architecture.

Ms Lilly Dusting Head of Year 11 and Visual Communication & Design Teacher

55

Name: Mrs Helen Nicolaou Title: ELC Blue Gum Room Classroom Teacher Date: 20 September 2019

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Building resilience in young children is important as it helps to overcome obstacles and provides the ability to overcome challenges.

“Having the strength and resilience to try again is an important skill we need to nurture in young children.”

– Jayneen Sanders, Author and Teacher Educators and families play an important role in building resilience in young children. Children are more likely to be resilient when there is positive support from the people around them.

As an early childhood educator, one of the key principles and strategies in building children’s resilience is establishing a positive, safe and supportive environment. Once the children feel safe and secure, they feel a greater sense of belonging and, in turn, feel confident to engage in and take on new challenges.

“A sense of connectedness or belonging to a school is a significant protective factor for young people and contributed to building their resilience.”

– Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

In the St Catherine’s Early Learning Centre, you will often find educators encouraging children to solve their own problems, modeling coping strategies, and encouraging children’s independence and autonomy to make meaningful decisions.

It is through play where young children take risks, learn to problem solve, make mistakes, face challenges and learn to share their thoughts and ideas. An important aspect in building children’s resilience is providing opportunities for children to take ‘healthy’ risks in their play. ‘Healthy’ risktaking is not only about children taking on physical challenges, but about the risk of making mistakes, and then being able to overcome the disappointment and move forward.

The Early Years Learning Framework stipulates that children need to ‘develop their emerging autonomy, interdependence, resilience and sense of agency’.

Educators also engage in dialogue with young children about what it means to be resilient, persistent and to persevere. We often ask children questions to build on this dialogue such as, ‘What is something brave you have done today? When do you feel proud of yourself?

If you cannot do something, what do you usually do?’

Promoting a positive, supportive and encouraging environment where young children feel comfortable to ask for help, take considered risks and are able to voice their ideas is imperative in working towards building young children’s resilience.

Mrs Helen Nicolaou ELC Blue Gum Room Classroom Teacher

57

Name: Arabella Llewelyn Title: Year 9 Student Date: 12 September 2019

THE TIME OF HER LIFE IN THE HIGHLANDS

On 22 July, the Year 9 cohort departed St Catherine’s at 8.15am on an experience nothing could prepare us for. Upon arrival in Fiji, we were all excited beyond words and could not comprehend that after one more night we would be fully immersed in a culture only a few of us had experienced before.

After our first night away from home, we split into our villages and we began our travels to the Highlands, stopping off at a fruit market to try some unique Fijian fruits and the famous pineapple we all fell in love with. Back into our four-wheel drives and we made our way up the steep and rocky mountains, stopping off at a breathtaking lookout to further prove to us that we were in the Highlands and that it was not a dream.

A couple of hours later, we arrived and were greeted by multiple kids hanging off our arms, with ‘bula’ being said left, right and centre and countless games of duck, duck, goose being played. We had arrived at our home for the next two weeks and we could not have been more happy with our new family and surroundings.

A weekday would consist of either being woken by the roosters or by Tom (our Destination Dreaming leader) with his extremely talented vocal chords. We would all wake up excited for what the day would hold and head next door to eat some breakfast which was always cooked to perfection by the Nei Neis (aunties) of the village. We would say “vinaka na karna” (thank you for the food) and we would be off to the school for the next couple of hours, helping in the classroom, making some new friends and of course, playing duck, duck, goose.

Back to the village after school to have an hour or two of downtime before the kids of the village arrived back from school. When the kids did eventually arrive home, we would be outside playing netball and learning hand claps. This was a contrast to what we might do when we get home from school in Melbourne. We come home and go on our

phones for a while and then commence the long process of homework. I think we all preferred the Fijian styled afternoon.

Depending on the weather, we would walk down to the river to have a swim or take part in a cultural experience like weaving banana leaves or sulu painting. Dinner was later in the evening and sometimes a couple of the St Catherine’s girls would help in the kitchen to assist in making dinner.

The meals were different to what we were used to but it was something we would all look forward to as the food was always delicious and to our surprise would sometimes consist of just cake, which none of us complained about.

On the weekends, it would be slightly different as we had activities and journeys planned for us like a waterfall visit with our Fijian family, Sunday church, playing with the kids, and of course, practice for the Village Games.

The Village Games was something we had all been looking forward to from the beginning but we had no idea it would turn out the way it did. We performed our village dance first which was followed by sports and song. We had such a fun day reuniting with the girls from the other villages and hearing about their experiences that were similar but so different to ours. At the end of the day, the results were announced and the Navaga Ninjas took out the win of Village Games 2019! The win topped off the day and we could not wait to return back to the village to celebrate.

It is safe to say that we all had the time of our lives and would do anything to go back to that special place we call our second home and fall back into the routine that was run off ‘Fiji time’.

Thank you to all the staff and people who were involved in creating this amazing journey for us all, we had the best time and cannot wait to eventually return to our second home.

Arabella Llewelyn Year 9 Student

59

Name: Olivia Nigido-Scott Title: Year 9 Student Date: 27 August 2019

LIFE IN THE FIJIAN HIGHLANDS

What would you say if your school asked you to take part in an 11-day adventure on a tropical island in the South Pacific Ocean? Well, I replied, “Goodbye Melbourne winter and ‘bula’ Fiji!”

From the moment that I stepped off the plane in Nadi, I could not wait to experience life in the Fijian Highlands.

And I was not alone – over 80 girls from St Catherine’s School (and our teachers) were on the same page.

After a quick introduction to the Nadi fruit and vegetable market, we divided into three teams. I headed off to Draiba, the most remote of the three locations.

I do not want to give away all of the surprises that we encountered but I do wish to give you some idea of what an amazing opportunity it was. It is not an exaggeration to say that there was something for everyone. If you love the outdoors, like me, there was hiking, swimming in the river as well as a raft building and racing competition.

There are no gyms because they are not necessary.

The villagers are fit from walking and are resourceful when it comes to building their strength. I found out just how strong they are when I participated in the annual inter-village games. My opponents threw five kilogram coconuts as if they were tennis balls.

And their sporting prowess continued in the netball.

Branded shoes with extra cushioning were no match against the Draiba girls who can play a tough game. They taught us a thing or two as they jumped (barefoot) into the air and passed with lightning efficiency on an untamed grass court.

For the talented artists among us, there was singing, dancing and tie dying shirts. My brightly coloured shirt is a treasured memento – a reminder of the laughter and surprise as each unique swirling pattern revealed itself to its creator.

There were so many special moments. I will never forget the time that I spent with the Year 2 Draiba Primary School students. I was supposed to be helping them with their English but I think they found it much more entertaining trying to teach me Fijian. I love the way that they used exaggerated facial expressions when they sounded out the words to me and laughed as I tried to wrap my head around this unfamiliar language. Their patience was boundless, as I spoke Fijian with an Australian accent!

When the time came, I was surprised at how bereft I felt to be leaving. With no watches or social media, it had been easy to lose ourselves on Fijian time. Really living in the moment.

I loved Fiji but none of my wonderful experiences would have been possible or as meaningful without our exceptional hosts. I would like to say ‘vinaka vaka levu’ (thank you very much) for the extraordinary hospitality extended to us by the Draiba villagers. It is testimony to their character and generosity of spirit that we felt connected so quickly. We were embraced in a cloak of human kindness particularly by the ‘nei neis’ (aunties) who treated us as if we were their own children. They made sure that we felt happy and safe.

Away from our own families, this meant the world to us.

Thank you also to St Catherine’s School, our teachers, group leaders and Destination Dreaming.

I hope that you take the opportunity to visit Fiji, and if you visit Draiba, please send them my love.

Olivia Nigido-Scott Year 9 Student

61

Name: Mrs Gina Peele Title: Director of Student Programs Date: 6 September 2019

W H AT SK IL LS DO OU R GIR LS N EED?

The co-curricular programs at St Catherine’s School provide opportunities and experiences to enhance the development of the whole student, complementing the skills learned in the classroom. Each program provides a different environment for our girls to thrive, by empowering and nurturing independent, globally responsive students who approach all endeavours with empathy, integrity, commitment and determination. In the digital age, the ease of accessing information at our fingertips has increased our ability to gain information, work more efficiently and effectively, and to do more in the time that we have in our day. Whilst this easy access to information is convenient, there is still the requirement for young people to gain skills and experiences beyond the classroom. Opportunities for our girls to develop resilience, empathy and curiosity by challenging themselves to step outside their comfort zone in a supportive and safe environment, opens the gateway to learn through goal setting, success and failure.

The variety of co-curricular choices at St Catherine’s provide avenues for our students to pursue their interests, talents and passions, whilst finding their place in our community. The journey through these programs provides students with the learning experience through persistence, practice and failure. Each program scaffolds the learning of each skill through three stages: • Engagement • Acquire • Excel Engagement provides the opportunity for our girls to sample different programs and opportunities, such as participating in the Years 7 and 8 Musical, Cinderella, where students are empowered to understand and respect their craft, collaborate in the creative process, problem solve, and find their voice and role within a team of students from across the School. Students will sample from a variety of sports on offer prior to specialising in a specific sport.

St Catherine’s girls are renowned for engaging and excelling in a variety of sporting areas, each sport complementing the requirements for the opportunities on offer for the next term. This is seen in our rowers, who participate in Running

Group, Cross Country, Athletics and Snowsports, which helps to prepare them for the next Rowing season.

Acquire provides the opportunity for students to have success in the journey by acquiring skills, working towards a goal and achieving at each stage of the journey. Music AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) examinations provide a great example of this, by students practising and accomplishing each stage of their journey through their chosen musical instrument. Our Debating teams work with their coaches and mentors in preparing their speeches for each debate, a skill that is acquired through their ongoing engagement and preparation after each debate, with feedback and feedforward, and the knowledge of how they have reached their next goal or debate.

As skills are developed and built over time in a certain activity, this provides the opportunity for girls to Excel.

We often find this occurs later in their Senior School life, as the stages of the skill are built upon, and there is further development in the next phase of skill building, allowing for further growth and exposure to more challenging situations.

Finding an activity where students are engaged and have had some level of success through accomplishment, often leads to students specialising in their chosen field.

63

At the age of nine, Year 10 St Catherine’s student, Mayuri Muralidharan, was given the opportunity to try something new. She was invited to participate in fencing. Having enjoyed the engagement activities in her younger years, including swimming, diving, ballet and Indian classical dance, she started fencing training, leading to competing in local competitions. Mayuri learned from a very early stage in her fencing endeavours that success does not come easily and requires hard work. In her first club and state competitions, she learned that success is not instant and comes with persistence, personal endeavour and aspiration. Learning a skill requires the continuous cycle of Learning, Feedback and Success, then repeating this cycle over and over again, to continue to improve to achieve a goal, requiring persistence.

With the assistance of Mayuri’s coach, she learned how to improve her technique in small sections, by training and then mastering each component of the skill. When one component was mastered, she moved onto the next stage, with the guidance from her coach. Mayuri learned that mastering each component could take anywhere from two to eight weeks and for the movement to become second nature. Mayuri’s training requires her to have technical training, strength and conditioning and mental conditioning, in readiness for each competition. Mayuri has seen that her progress in fencing has been a learning journey, with each skill, competition and element of her development leading onto the next stage allowing her to compete in different competitions, now competing in the Open World Championships.

With an aspiration to go to the Olympics, Mayuri continues to strive to balance her training, competition and school work.

Through the co-curricular opportunities at St Catherine’s School, from the Early Learning Centre to Year 12, as a School we have prioritised five areas learned through our programs: • Resilience and Persistence • Confidence and Responsibility • Critical Thinking and Cultural Learning • Teamwork and Collaboration • Personal Endeavour and Aspiration.

These essential skills are so valuable in the journey our girls take as they learn through each stage of their schooling, university studies and careers.

Preparing St Catherine’s girls for a future that allows for the instantaneous gaining of knowledge through the digital age comes with a complementary set of skills, where our girls understand how to gain mastery and achievement through hard work and deliberate practice.

In each of their goals, gaining feedback and knowledge from their teachers, coaches and respected others in preparation for their final goal, is a vital skill in life.

Our co-curricular programs expose students to a range of experiences to develop their personal and social capabilities.

Mrs Gina Peele Director of Student Programs

65

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 16 August 2019

U N DER STA N DING T HE AUST R A LI A N CU R R ICU LU M ACHIE V EM EN T STA N DA R DS

In designing the Australian Curriculum, the writers for each curriculum/subject area included: a year level description, outlining the key standards within each subject area; the content to be taught at each year level; and the standard to which most students across Australia in the year level should achieve. These standards are the ‘Achievement Standards’.

Below is the ACARA (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority) Achievement Standard for Year 4 Mathematics.

Understanding By the end of Year 4, students choose appropriate strategies for calculations involving multiplication and division. They recognise common equivalent fractions in familiar contexts and make connections between fraction and decimal notations up to two decimal places. Students solve simple purchasing problems. They identify and explain strategies for finding unknown quantities in number sentences. They describe number patterns resulting from multiplication.

Students compare areas of regular and irregular shapes using informal units. They solve problems involving time duration. They interpret information contained in maps. Students identify dependent and independent events. They describe different methods for data collection and representation, and evaluate their effectiveness.

Skills Students use the properties of odd and even numbers.

They recall multiplication facts to 10 x 10 and related division facts. Students locate familiar fractions on a number line.

They continue number sequences involving multiples of single digit numbers. Students use scaled instruments to measure temperatures, lengths, shapes and objects. They convert between units of time. Students create symmetrical shapes and patterns. They classify angles in relation to a right angle. Students list the probabilities of everyday events.

They construct data displays from given or collected data.

“The achievement standards for each learning area are organised as Understanding and Skills and describe a broad sequence of expected learning across Prep to Year 10.

They emphasise the depth of conceptual understanding, the sophistication of skills and the ability to apply essential knowledge.”

– (ACARA 2018).

The Achievement Standards set the standard for reporting for all students in a year level across Australia, ensuring a ‘Demonstrating’ for Year 4 in Melbourne is the same standard as Year 4 anywhere else in Australia.

As you can see from the statements within the Achievement Standards above, there is a shift away from recall of information to students being able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills against this standard. The verbs highlighted in the Achievement Standard describe the standard of ‘Understanding’ and ‘Skills’ for Year 4 students by the end of the year, and are more cognitively sophisticated than in previous curriculums, as evidenced by verbs such as: explain, describe, compare, locate, classify, measure, interpret and solve.

67

This year, the Junior School reports for Barbreck girls showed a five point scale: Emerging, Developing, Demonstrating, Advancing and Extending. The ‘Demonstrating’ level aligns to the Achievement Standard. The renaming of the reporting scale is now more reflective of the learning journey undertaken by the girls as they progress in their learning throughout the year against the scale.

Extending

Beyond the Standard

Working with depth beyond the Achievement Standard

Advancing

Beyond the Standard

Working beyond the Achievement Standard

Demonstrating Expected level of achievement for Year 4 by the end of the year

Demonstrating the Achievement Standard

Developing

Developing towards the Achievement Standard

Emerging

Emerging into the Achievement Standard

When looking at your daughter’s report, the expected standard for most students in her year level in Australia is a ‘Demonstrating’.

To achieve higher, a student must show they are working outside of and above the standard. They would be showing independent choice of skill and be able to apply in new or unfamiliar contexts and to greater depth, often outside the teaching context.

For example: Extending

Identify and describe techniques for generating other equivalent fractions (e.g. say that the numerator and denominator of any fraction can be multiplied (or divided) by the same number to create equivalent fractions).

Advancing

Explain why fractions with different denominators can be termed as equivalent (e.g. use a number line to demonstrate that fractions such as 6/8 and 3/4 occur as the same point on the line and therefore have the same value).

Demonstrating

They recognise common equivalent fractions in familiar contexts and make connections between fraction and decimal notations up to two decimal places.

(Australian Independent Schools Queensland Progression Points, 2015)

As you can see from the example above, the standards of Advancing and Extending are beyond and outside of the ‘Demonstrating’ standard.

The Semester 1 report indicates the level at which a student is performing against mid-year indicators for being ‘on track’ towards ‘Demonstrating’ by the end of the year.

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School

69

Name: Mrs Penny Campbell Title: Early Learning Teacher Date: 15 October 2019

SE L F-R E G U L AT ION – A PR E PA R AT ION FOR L I F E

The ever-increasing pace of daily life alongside the often invasive impact of social media heightens the importance of developing self-regulation and emotional resilience from an early age. Self-regulation encompasses the ability to understand and manage your own feelings and behaviour in reaction to your surroundings.

Educators actively role model and support emotional regulation and positive interactions to develop the children’s awareness of appropriate behaviours and responses. Social interactions are encouraged through formal and informal opportunities, and friendships strengthen as the children develop the ability to take turns and share equipment.

Shonkoff and Phillips (2000) described self-regulation in children as “developing the capacity to manage powerful emotions constructively and keep one’s attention focused”. Whilst self-regulation continues developing into adulthood, development in the first five years of life can greatly affect a child’s future wellbeing, and is particularly important in transitioning to school.

Increasingly complex puzzles, construction equipment and mathematical and concentration games assist the children to develop their thinking and problem solving skills, concentration and persistence in the event of distractions.

“There is now significant evidence that effective self-regulation in the early years provides a foundation for children to develop and grow in a way that develops positive dispositions and skills for learning. It is recognised as a key indicator of better health and education, significantly decreasing the possibility of both developmental and learning difficulties in the future.”

– Casenhiser, D., Shanker, S.; Stieben, J. (2012).

Therefore, a fundamental aim in the Early Learning Centre is to support our children’s wellbeing and emotional resilience, and developing children’s self-regulation skills helps children to cope with stress, and participate in activities and social interactions. The classroom learning environments are designed carefully to offer opportunities for interactive and quiet, solitary play. Children respond to a range of sensory experiences but also, at times, benefit from an absence of too much stimuli, such as noise and light, to manage stress and calm themselves down. Music and movement activities also encourage children in this way.

Daily group meetings provide children with opportunities to learn to self-regulate and sit and listen as they share ideas and discuss matters together. They are encouraged to resolve group behavioural and social issues, and assume responsibility for their actions and learning environment.

Whilst most children are able to verbalise their understanding of positive behaviours and interactions, they often require support to identify positive means for recognising, respecting and expressing emotions. A range of relevant picture books, visual materials, puppetry and dramatic role-play assist the children to expand their use of language and awareness as they explore emotions and behavioural consequences. In this way, they are encouraged to recognise the importance of understanding emotions, enabling them to recognise their own and others’ feelings and emotions, which in turn fosters empathy.

Mrs Penny Campbell Early Learning Teacher References: Casenhiser, D., Shanker, S. & Stieben, J. (2012) Understanding the Nature of Self-Regulation, Milton & Ethel Harris Research Initiative, York University, Canada.

Shonkoff, J. & Phillips, D. (2000) From Neurons to neighbourhoods: The science of early childhood development, Washington DC, National Academy Press.

71

Name: Mr Tom Crebbin Title: Junior School Head of Physical Education Date: 26 November 2019

LEARNING HOW TO LOSE

Can you remember how you felt when you won your first real trophy or medallion? Chances are it was when you were quite young, and you were excited. Was it for swimming, netball or football? Did it inspire you to train harder or continue in the sport? It may well have been a presentation night for a club and possibly only a select number were lucky enough to receive a trophy reward.

As we grow older, the reward of a trophy or medallion seems to hold less value, and it seems you get one just for entering a competition, with many ending up in the bottom of a drawer. This leads me to ask the question, are we rewarding our children with ribbons, medallions and trophies to a point where they are driven only by the reward at the end?

For young children, a reward is important but I question whether we are rewarding simple achievements and setting our children up for disappointment in the future. If you have never experienced losing a race or competition and have always been rewarded along the way, it can be quite upsetting when you are not selected for the netball or soccer team, or later in life when you are not chosen for that dream job.

Recently, I completed a survey asking whether I valued a trophy or medallion for completing a triathlon or multisport race. I was a little surprised by the result of 51 per cent in favour of and 49 per cent against trophies and medallions.

However, it did make me realise that the value of a reward depends on the journey you have taken in order to achieve the medal. For example, a 50-year-old decides they are going to run a marathon for the very first time and, after months of training, achieves their goal. The medallion for that person will probably hold enormous value to them. If it was your

twelfth marathon and you did not run the time you were hoping for, then the medal may end up in the sock drawer.

I can recall an under 14s football coach once saying, “If something comes to you easily in sport, then it probably is not worth having!” One of the great things I value as an educator is when students are rewarded for their persistence, when a personal best is achieved or progress in a team has occurred. Even better is when a student ‘connects the dots’ and realises that their training in the pool or on the track over a period has brought about that success. That is the real win!

“If you want the fruit you must shake the tree.”

– Unknown.

Having strategies to deal with not winning is important, and as much as we tell our children to keep trying and train hard, there are times when they will just not win or make the team.

For a 10-year-old, that can be devastating news, but it is important that he or she realises that they have not failed.

Lenow (2016) in his article ‘Letting Kids Learn the Lessons of Losing’ points out that from losing, we learn a new perspective on humility, perseverance, learning from your mistakes and that success requires hard work. He also points out that “As parents, many of us are probably guilty of not ever wanting our children to fail. And all of the best players learned how to lose at some point in their careers.”

If you do not win or make the team, then it is acceptable to feel angry or disappointed. It is from this feeling of disappointment that perseverance and determination can be built if focused in a positive way.

73

Kevin Day’s article on sportsdadhub.com details ‘The Fine Line Between Wanting to Win and Accepting Defeat’.

In his article, he recounts his journey with his own son and a neighbourhood game called ‘Hotbox’.

The rules of the game are not important but the lessons from losing are what he highlights: • How to move on after a loss.

• Understand the importance of persistence and resiliency.

• The desire to get better.

We all want our children to be involved in sport for the fantastic life lessons it teaches and the fun and camaraderie that it brings, but as teachers and parents, we need to be there to support our young athletes as they experience a loss or failure and provide encouragement to help them have another go. Years after the event, sometimes that third place ribbon in the E-Division Sprint race may not seem that important.

Mr Tom Crebbin Junior School Head of Physical Education References: Lenow, E 2016, Letting Kids Learn the Lessons of Losing, https://evanlenow. com/2016/03/10/theological-matters-letting-kids-learn-the-lessons-of-losing/ Day, K , The Fine Line Between Wanting To Win And Accepting Defeat, https://www.sportsdadhub.com/

75

St Catherine’s School 17 Heyington Place Toorak VIC 3142 Telephone +61 3 9822 1285 Email info@stcatherines.net.au www.stcatherines.net.au CRICOS 00574F ABN 90 004 251 816