Fideliter December 2017

December 2017

St Ma r y’ s Anglican Gi rls’ S ch ool

FIDELITER Creating curious minds)

through the arts and humanities

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Creating curious minds)

through the arts and humanities

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F R O M T H E P R I N C I PA L

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B OA R D O F G OV E R N O R S

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F R O M T H E F O U N D AT I O N

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FROM THE CHAPLAIN

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T E AC H I N G AC H I E V E M E N T S

10 F E AT U R E : C R E AT I N G C U R I O U S M I N D S THROUGH THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Curiosity: The Force Within a Hungry Mind Curiosity and Creativity in Junior School The Joy of Discovery Learning in Little Land Curiosity Motivates World-Changing Thoughts Curiously Expressing Ideas Food for Curious Minds Curiosity in Dance, Drama, the Arts and Media Teachers Foster Curiosity In HASS Curiosity in our Music Curiosity Shapes Language A Rewarding Experience for Students Searching for Meaning 20 SCHOOL NEWS Recognising the Achievements of our Students The Magic of Peter Pan comes to St Mary's Oliver! our Senior School Production American Dream Comes True Immersed in College Life Canberra and Sydney Tour Elevate Week a Triumph Insight Breakfasts STEM Career Speed Networking

28 OUT AND ABOUT Year 12 Father-Daughter Breakfast Year 12 Mother-Daughter High Tea Our Overseas Dinners 3 0 PA R E N T S ' S O C I E T Y 31 S T M A R Y ' S A U X I L I A R Y 3 2 O L D G I R L S ’ A S S O C I AT I O N PRESIDENT’S REPORT 33 OLD GIRLS’ NEWS AND EVENTS 35 NEWS FROM OLD GIRLS 3 6 C U R I O S I T Y L E A D S O L D G I R L S D O W N N E W PAT H S 4 2 A R C H I VA L A N E C D O T E S Draw the Sound of the Bells Donations 4 4 VA L E

FIDELITER Fideliter is a publication of St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School. please direct all correspondence to:

St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, PO Box 105, Karrinyup WA 6921 telephone: (08) 9341 9111 email: publicity@stmarys.wa.edu.au editors: Tamara Clark and Amanda Kemp editorial assistants: Tracey Lewis and Joan Karmelita design and production: Dessein cover image (l-r): Siena Hamilton and Darcy Horwood inside cover clockwise from top: Scarlett Jones and Grace McManis; Hayley Henheffer; Poppy Moran, Gargi Bora, Rebekah Ng and Isolde Hogden

Contents

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL) LEARNING IS ABOUT EXPLORING, DISCOVERING, FEELING THE AWE OF NEW UNDERSTANDINGS, REALLY ENJOYING THE PROCESS AND BEING PERSONALLY ENRICHED BY THE EXPERIENCE.

I love it when students are thinking deeply and have eyebrow-crunching experiences. Studying history is what has done this for me. When I am with my Year 9 History classes, often the highlight of the school day, I hope to pass on that love of learning and the realisation that to understand life, students require an historical and cultural context. I want them to think beyond the mediocrity of the meaningless and be truly thoughtful – to compare the impact of the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries with the Technological Revolution in which they live. I hope that they will delve into why things that were once acceptable in society no longer are today, and what will be the actions their generation will be applauded and criticised for when another Year 9 History teacher leads a class discussion in fifty years’ time. I hope that they avoid making ridiculous sweeping statements and consider the exceptions that make them unworkable; and that their curiosity will lead to insights that mean St Mary’s Old Girls will make amazing contributions to history, literature, the media and creative and performing arts.

In this Fideliter titled “Creating Curious Minds through the Arts and Humanities” there is a small taste of how that curiosity is developed during Junior and Senior School. It happens every day in different ways, all with the aim of girls thinking differently and being excited.

In recent months significant parts of our history have drawn to a close. First we learnt of the passing of Mr Peter Atkins, member of the Board of Governors

for twenty seven years and Chairman (1962-1971).

Mr Atkins’ leadership crossed over from West Perth to Karrinyup days, and he was crucial in planning those changes, a key fundraiser to finance the change and integral to attaining the land to establish St Mary’s at Karrinyup. And yes, he was a Haleian!

The much-loved Molly Walters (Riley 1937), former Head Girl and Dux of St Mary’s, and our founder, Bishop Riley’s daughter, passed away in August. A regular visitor to the School, often with her sister Joan, Molly was adored by our Year 4s when they learnt about St Mary’s history from two Old Girls who had lived through almost all of it. That sparkle in Molly’s eye that conveyed a sense of adventure and fun was invariably present. It was Molly who continued to attend Speech Night at Karrinyup, sitting in the front row through cold breezes and sometimes rain, always immensely proud of her school. We loved her so much.

At the end of this year, we will farewell four longserving staff members – Gael Wilson (Art from 1992), Elspeth Green (Science from 1995), Lynn Hiller (Junior and Senior School from 1998) and Pam Pillage (in diverse roles in Music since Mrs Symington’s time).

They all have wonderful tales to tell and memories to celebrate. I thank each of them for their genuine and dedicated contribution to our girls’ learning and lives.

Each in her own way has embraced and added to our school culture.

Christmas and the summer holidays are almost upon us. I wish you all happy times with your families and a joyous Christmas Day. Lynne Thomson Principal

RON FARRIS, THE INAUGURAL AND ONLY CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE ST MARY'S FOUNDATION WAS HONOURED WITH THE DEDICATION OF THE RON FARRIS MEDIA STUDIES CENTRE. L-R: Elizabeth Carr AM, The Right Reverend Kate Wilmot, Ron Farris, Year 12 Media Captain Emilie Lowe, Steve McLeod, The Reverend Canon Geraldine Nixon and Lynne Thomson

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From the Principal

BACK ROW (L-R): Ian Curlewis, Amy Dawson, Elizabeth Price and David Bean FRONT ROW (L-R): Liam Twigger, Michelle Houwen, Lynne Thomson, Elizabeth Carr, Jane Gillon and Roger Veary ABSENT: Amanda Williams, Desiree Silva and Ian Hardy

B OA R D O F G OV E R N O R S

CURIOSITY FUELS SEARCH AND DISCOVERY OF OUR NEW PRINCIPAL

“WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD, OPENING NEW DOORS, AND DOING NEW THINGS, BECAUSE WE ARE CURIOUS, AND CURIOSITY LEADS US DOWN NEW PATHS” WALT DISNEY.

With this thought of new paths and new adventures, the Board of Governors began the process of appointing St Mary’s 10th Principal. It is the first time the School has done this in over 20 years, so, we too, embraced this new open door with curiosity.

Earlier in the year, the Board and Executive met to ask the question: “What makes St Mary’s different from other schools in Perth?” Naturally, our spacious campus at Karrinyup and our Learning and Leadership Centre at Metricup come to mind – places where girls can be safe to explore new ideas. And there is our extensive exchange programme, and overseas tours, where curiosity for life beyond our shores becomes a part of who our girls are.

However, we kept circling back to our School motto: Fideliter – to be faithful to our past, to be faithful to who we are now, and as we open new doors, to be curious but faithful to our values – to be courageous, respectful, compassionate, aspirational and spirited.

As we met with potential candidates for the role of Principal of St Mary’s, we talked of our desire that they have a genuine long-term commitment to the School

community. And with that will come the guiding principle, that each and everyone of us are curious about our girls, that we are caring and know each girl individually. That there is a sense of belonging; a sense of family and that together we can achieve great things. That there is a passion for learning, across all levels of academic achievement. In light of this, it is with great pleasure that we welcome Mrs Judith Tudball as our 10th Principal. Mrs Tudball is currently Principal of St Michael's Collegiate School in Hobart, Tasmania, and will be taking over as Principal in January 2019.

On behalf of the Board of Governors, I thank the Executive and staff for their ongoing commitment – working above and beyond – for our girls, sowing the foundations of curiosity that will enable them to open doors with confidence.

We wish the entire school community a safe and joyous festive period and a relaxing summer break.

Elizabeth Carr AM Chair of the Board of Governors

Board of Governors

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F R O M T H E FOUNDATION 2017 MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ST MARY’S FOUNDATION AND IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FOUNDATION TO THANK AND RECOGNISE OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL.

To mark this special milestone, the Foundation has provided funding of $400,000 for the renovations of the canteens, and has also committed funding to the development of a nature-based play area in the Junior School and an outdoor exercise park in the Senior School.

We are also delighted to share that this year, gifts to Annual Giving have exceeded all previous totals. Over $132,000 has been raised so far and this is a powerful example of how many individual acts of giving, when combined, can make an enormous impact at St Mary’s.

Your gifts this year will ensure that we can provide new equipment and resources in our libraries, develop a sustainable garden as part of the Science Department, and provide more means-tested scholarships for girls who would flourish at St Mary’s.

Thank you for your generosity and making a difference to every St Mary’s girl.

Ron Farris Chairman of the St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Foundation

FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF G E N E RO S I T Y IT WAS AN EVENING OF CELEBRATION ON 24 OCTOBER WHEN THE ST MARY’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL FOUNDATION CELEBRATED ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY. WITH MANY OF THE DONORS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THE SCHOOL SO GENEROUSLY IN ATTENDANCE, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PRINCIPAL, LYNNE THOMSON, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FOUNDATION, RON FARRIS, TO PERSONALLY THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

After touring the school and visiting many of the areas of the campus which have been enhanced thanks to the generous support of donors, guests were treated to special performances by Year 11 and 12 students from this year’s production of Oliver! and Arianne Jacobs (’12), winner of the prestigious UWA VOSE Memorial Prize for Music in 2016.

L-R: Nigel and Heather Rogers with Joy and Ron Farris

The Foundation was established in 1987 to ensure the continuing excellence in education at St Mary’s. Since then the Foundation has provided funding of almost $4.15 million to the school for capital development and other projects: purchased and developed the rural property, St Mary’s at Metricup, to the tune of $7.6 million; and today, has assets of over $30 million.

L-R: Joyce Polson and Tim Riley, grandson of Bishop Riley, the founder of St Mary's

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From the Foundation

L-R: Lynette Taylor, Amelia Hurst, Mary Ellen MacDonald and Kim Harrison INSET: Kerensa Allason (’89)

PASSION FOR MUSIC

LIVES ON

A new award to recognise students’ commitment to music at St Mary’s has been established thanks to a bequest from Kerensa Allason (’89), who passed away in 2014. Kerensa joined St Mary’s in Year 11, inspired by the school’s music programme and keen to pursue TEE Music and her love of playing the oboe.

Kerensa’s bequest means that future generations of St Mary’s musicians will be inspired by and recognised for their exceptional contribution to the music programme through the Kerensa Allason All Round Contribution to Music Award.

The inaugural award was made by Kerensa’s mother, Mary Ellen MacDonald, to Year 12 student Amelia Hurst at the 2017 Music Dinner. Amelia has been involved in the music programme since she joined St Mary’s in Year 7 and contributes greatly to both St Mary’s Senior Strings and Hale St Mary’s Camerata.

BISHOP RILEY BEQUEST SOCIETY ARSHYA KULKARNI, YEAR 12, PROVIDED GUESTS WITH A WONDERFUL INSIGHT INTO THE BUSY LIFE OF A ST MARY’S GIRL AT THE 2017 BISHOP RILEY BEQUEST SOCIETY DINNER IN AUGUST. SHARING STORIES FROM HER ST MARY’S JOURNEY, ARSHYA DESCRIBED THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES SHE HAS ENJOYED AND THE WARMTH AND SUPPORT SHE HAS EXPERIENCED AS A MEMBER OF THE ST MARY’S COMMUNITY. GUESTS WERE ALSO TREATED TO A BEAUTIFUL PIANO PERFORMANCE BY TINA ALGERI, YEAR 7.

This year the Society is delighted to welcome Glenn and Lisa Barrett, Diana King (’63, Head Girl), Bill and Carol Temple and two other benefactors who wish to remain anonymous, as members of the Society.

The Bishop Riley Society honours and thanks those who have remembered St Mary’s in their will. Everyone who has included St Mary’s in their will is invited to join the Society and participate in its activities. If you would like to find out more about how to make a gift to the School in your will, please contact Linzey Allinson, Community Relations Manager on 08 9341 9120 or giving@stmarys.wa.edu.au

2017 ANNUAL GIVING: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF 2017 ANNUAL GIVING SO FAR THIS YEAR. YOUR GENEROSITY IS ALREADY MAKING A DIFFERENCE AROUND THE SCHOOL.

Over the last four years, almost $400,000 has been raised through Annual Giving to provide scholarships for girls who could not attend St Mary’s without financial support, a wealth of resources for our libraries, the development of our facilities and new learning experiences for the girls.

Gifts to 2017 Annual Giving will be used to provide means-tested scholarships, resources for our Library Fund, and creating a sustainable garden.

You can make a gift using the enclosed form or by visiting www.stmarys.wa.edu.au/online-giving LEFT: Skylar Chong

From the Foundation

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FROM THE CHAPLAIN MY FIRST CAREER WAS IN THEATRE AS A STAGE MANAGER, AND LATER AS A COSTUME DESIGNER. AFTER ORDINATION I TRAINED AS A TEACHER TO SUPPORT MY ROLE AS A SCHOOL CHAPLAIN AND MY TEACHING AREAS, NOT SURPRISINGLY, ARE DRAMA AND HISTORY.

Many people have commented on the change I made from theatre to the church, thinking them to be almost opposing forces! It seems odd, in this day and age, to consider the two to be at odds with one another, but it is a certain factor that at some points in history, the arts have been viewed as having a negative moral influence.

According to the Tudor Poor Law of 1572, itinerant actors could be classed as "rogues" or "vagabonds" for not having an occupation, and punishable by whipping or even death. Actors in Elizabethan England, who played both male and female roles, (it’s a while before we women get a look-in) could dodge this law by forming troupes under the patronage of a noble or royal. In Britain during the Commonwealth, theatres were closed by an Act of Parliament for being a bad influence on the moral character of the people, along with idolatrous art, dancing and even Christmas!

Thankfully, throughout most of Christian History, the arts, in all their forms, have been important to the Church and the way people collectively and individually express their faith. The arts and literature address the human need for beauty and hope as well as being a means to express despair and disappointment. In Christianity, the arts have helped the faithful to hear and see that divine good does prevail through the gifts that God gives to us, through the skills of visual artists, musicians, writers and actors.

I love to visit cathedrals and churches when I travel, and I am struck by the curiosity and interest other visitors take in the stained glass, architecture, memorial plaques and symbols that have drawn them into the sacred space, all of which have the power to teach something about Christianity, its history and the connection generations of believers have had with a particular place of worship.

Children have a natural curiosity and I see this when our students visit the Chapel of St Mary, not just for worship but at other times when they come as a class to look at the windows, to discuss the style of architecture, to look at the communion silver, the robes the clergy wear and the font to mention a few.

Perhaps the way in which their curiosity, or at least their awareness of the use of the arts in worship is best alerted, is through student-devised worship.

The Junior School, the Chapel Prefects, the Boarding House Wing Captains and the Year 12 Community Captains all have the opportunity to lead groups of students in developing services where they can consider music, drama, dance, the spoken word and visual pictures as components of an act of worship.

These acts of worship are both pleasantly surprising in their creativity, and uplifting in the sheer effort and consideration that have been put into these services.

For the last three years, the Junior School has celebrated Palm Sunday by a simple student-led service with a re-enactment that takes place in Chapel Valley, of Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem. This is followed by a drama in Chapel about the Last Supper where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. It is a real joy to watch the girls learning and growing through a simple drama enhanced by music and thoughtful prayer.

The Reverend Canon Geraldine Nixon School Chaplain

LEFT: The Junior School celebrating Palm Sunday

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From the Chaplain

TEACHING

ACHIEVEMENTS

Josie Detata at the Treasury Wines Estate, Melbourne

Tes Lynch with her Harvard study group

During the July school holidays, I undertook a twoweek externship at Avanade Australia. Avanade is a global technology company formed between Microsoft and Accenture in 2000. The externship is part of their corporate social responsibility programme, developed to encourage more women into university courses and ultimately into the technology industry.

In July, hundreds of educators from around the world gathered at Harvard University in Boston for the Project Zero Conference. We spent much of the week with 15 high school humanities teachers who proved to be an inspirational study group.

I spent time at three Australian Avanade offices including Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, attending corporate meetings, talking to Avanade employees about their roles, as well as speaking to the General Manager of the Treasury Wine Estates in Melbourne.

I learnt about many emerging technologies Avanade is developing, including the HoloLens and the driverless car, and the potential ethical impacts that these products may have. I observed discussions on the impact of automation on society and how many ‘non-thinking’ jobs will be able to be done by a click of a button. The big learnings from my time with Avanade were that students today will need to have a range of skills to be successful in the future, including problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking and adapting and being flexible around an industry that is constantly changing.

A big thank-you to Sandy Abrahams and her Australian team at Avanade for enabling me to undertake this externship with Avanade.

Josie Detata Technology and Enterprise Teacher

Project Zero was celebrating 50 years of educational research through Howard Gardner and his team. We were inspired by the “through-lines” of the conference: What is understanding and how does it develop? What are the roles of reflection and assessment? How can we nurture critical thinking and creativity?

The Building Learning Communities Conference connected us with more educators. Alan November and his team challenged our use of technology in the classroom and provided us with many new tools to develop our students as 21st century learners.

Prior to the conferences, New York City provided us with excellent professional development in the Humanities, with the highlights being New York’s urban morphology, 9/11 Museum, the social history of migrants and the Jewish community, and the United Nations exhibition on sustainability and human rights.

It has been exciting to return to school and begin sharing these ideas with students and colleagues.

Tes Lynch Assistant to Head of Humanities and Social Sciences Department Irene Cumming Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator, HASS Teacher

BRED FROM AN OLD WORLD TEA ROSE BY DI DURSTON (WALLACE ’67), A LIMITED NUMBER OF ST MARY’S GIRL ROSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THIS SUMMER. ‘St Mary’s Girl’ rose has a delightful pearly pink coloured loose bloom with a deeper reverse to the petal. The fragrance is typical of a Tea Rose with spicy and fruity under-notes.

45 $

Di Durston is a member of Heritage Roses in Australia, past Chair of the World Federation of Roses Heritage Roses Committee and has travelled internationally sharing her knowledge and expertise.

To order a rose, please phone (08) 9341 9120 or email oga@stmarys.wa.edu.au $10 from each sale will go to the St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Foundation’s Scholarship Fund which provides places for girls who could not attend St Mary’s without financial assistance.

Teaching Achievements

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FEATURE

CREATING CURIOUS MINDS)

L-R: Gabrielle Waller and Calista Goh

CURIOSITY :

THE FORCE WITHIN A HUNGRY MIND WHEN ORVILLE WRIGHT, OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FAME, WAS TOLD BY A FRIEND THAT HE AND HIS BROTHER WOULD ALWAYS BE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FAR SOMEONE CAN GO IN LIFE WITH NO SPECIAL ADVANTAGES, HE RESPONDED, “… TO SAY WE HAD NO SPECIAL ADVANTAGES … THE GREATEST THING IN OUR FAVOUR WAS GROWING UP IN A FAMILY WHERE THERE WAS ALWAYS MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT TO INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY.”

Marilynn Price-Mitchell, a developmental psychologist, writes: “What makes children want to learn? According to research, it’s the joy of exploration – a hidden force that drives learning, critical thinking, and reasoning. We call this ability curiosity, and we recognise it in children when we see them exploring their environment, devouring books and information, asking questions, investigating concepts, manipulating data, searching for meaning, connecting with people and nature, and seeking new learning experiences.”

In recent years, research suggests that having a “hungry mind” is a major determinant of academic achievement*.

Curiosity has also been connected to happiness, creativity, increased personal growth after challenging experiences, and increased meaning in life. Association with a wide range of adaptive behaviours, including being able to tolerate anxiety and uncertainty, positive emotions, humour, playfulness, lateral thinking and a non-critical attitude, suggests that curiosity is a factor related to resilience and what we are calling “grit”, leading to good social outcomes**.

So, curiosity may have killed the cat, but it is good for our students! It is a powerful motivator which helps direct students towards fulfilment and success in so many areas of life and is at the centre of a love of lifelong learning, which is one of St Mary’s ideals.

Teachers search for and are adept at creating opportunities that ignite curiosity in their students.

Good questions ask “why?”, “what if?” and “how?”

Shannon Gee modelling Hayley Marfleet's wearable art

and allow students to explore and tinker; to be sceptical and challenge the status quo. Whilst parents of young children might find it frustrating when their child continuously asks “why?”, we know that these questions help them make sense of the world around them that they are just beginning to learn about.

These “why?” questions also help spur and accelerate learning. This is a trait we hope they never grow out of. In our increasingly technological and global world, our children will be asked to solve problems that will require them to think for themselves and come up with their own answers.

We look forward to continuing to create opportunities for our students to interrogate and challenge, to grapple with uncertainty and to find joy in the exploration of new intellectual frontiers.

Our feature for this edition, “Creating Curious Minds” includes articles from across our Junior and Senior Schools. We’ve asked: “What are we capable of?”, “What is out there to be discovered?” and “How we can be further challenged?”. *http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2011/10/111027150211.htm **http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.doi/10.1111/j.14676494.2012.00796.x/abstract Cheryl Haak Deputy Principal

L-R: Poppy Moran, Gargi Bora, Rebekah Ng and Isolde Hogden

L-R: Chelsea Morphett and Aimee Ryan

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

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CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY)

IN JUNIOR SCHOOL IN A SOCIETY SO IMMERSED IN TECHNOLOGY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALLOW TIME FOR CREATIVITY AND ENCOURAGE NATURAL CURIOSITY IN EVERY LEARNING SITUATION. WITHIN THE ST MARY’S JUNIOR SCHOOL, WE TEACH OUR YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6 GIRLS IN A NOVEL AND CREATIVE WAY, PROMOTING STUDENT GROWTH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND ACTION.

Our Year 3 students have been actively using their creative thinking skills on their iPads to produce a short, animated comic strip to support their learning within the sustainability topic, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

The girls have used curriculum content together with their digital technology skills to produce individual stop motions to showcase their understanding.

So, what have our Year 5 students been up to, to develop their creative talents?

Cannes, Sundance, Tropfest, St Mary’s Year 5s – all have one thing in common – a sensational Short Film Festival!

During the last week in Term 3, our talented Year 5 students wrote and produced 12 fantastic five- to seven-minute long films. Every one of the girls was directly involved in every element – script writing, planning, costumes, acting, recording, editing and promoting their films. A major success of the project was the further development of the girls’ collaborative working skills.

The red-carpet experience was very exciting for the girls and their parents, with cameras flashing, cheering, and anticipation building. The night was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with films the girls should be very proud of.

Year 4 girls had the amazing opportunity to explore their creative skills, along with their mothers, at the Year 4 Mother-Daughter Metricup Camp. The girls were challenged to use artefacts from nature to create a representation of the Metricup property in a transitional art piece. Gum nuts, leaves, and bark, along with water colour paints, were used to depict the peaceful space. Along with the visual representation they were challenged to create a poem to reflect the experience.

The exploration and development of the girls’ creative skills are vital to the holistic development of the person. Promoting curiosity and wonderment is a critical element of the education of girls in the Junior School.

Helen Adams Head of Junior School

L-R: Ruby Bell with Les Chidgzey, Junior School Deputy Head (Pastoral Care)

THE JOY OF

DISCOVERY

Children are such curious creatures. They explore, question, and wonder, and by doing so, learn. When a child experiences the joy of discovery, they will want to repeat their explorations, which develops confidence.

Children can also re-introduce us to the world. When we truly allow a child to share their discoveries with us, we experience the joys of rediscovery, and in doing so, learn ourselves.

This year we have encouraged our Year 1 girls to be curious, to inquire and discover for themselves, in their learning. We have put the following questions to them.

Deborah Scanlon Year 1 Teacher 12

Poppy Moran

Q. What does it mean to be curious?

“If you see footprints follow them.” Alexis “When you really want to find out what it is.” Veeya “If you dig a hole and you come to something you would check it out.” Scarlett “Following a trail.” Ayeesha “If I don’t know what the robot can do I would press the button.” Elise

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

RIGHT: Alva Chong

LEARNING IN

LITTLE LAND

FROM THE MOMENT YOU ENTER OUR PETER ARNEY EARLY LEARNING CENTRE, YOU CAN SEE, HEAR AND FEEL A LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT AND JOY AS OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH EXPLORATION AND PLAY.

Curiosity is innate in our Kindergarten and Preprimary girls as they move from specially-designed provocations carefully planned and prepared by their teachers, through to playground scenarios and adventures in nature within the neighbouring Trigg Bushland Reserve during Bush School.

From an early age, children ‘wonder’ about everything that surrounds them. As educators, our main objective is to provide diverse learning opportunities through play for children to learn, as they discover, create, improvise and imagine. Play provides a supportive environment where children can ask questions, solve problems and engage in critical thinking. Through the Early Years Learning Framework, we believe that building upon children's experiences and prior knowledge provides the best foundation for learning in early childhood.

Q. What kinds of things are you curious about?

“What does God look like?” Alexis “The human body.” Veeya “How much fuel it takes a rocket to get to the moon and back?” Scarlett “Why the moon has less gravity and how God made the world and how God began?” Emily “How you put pictures in lockets and how secrets are made.” Elise

Fundamental to the framework is a view of children's lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming.

The students in our Kindergarten and Pre-primary are actively engaged in their learning, and this enables them to develop greater self-awareness and understanding of the world in which they live.

Learning experiences focus on the development of literacy and numeracy skills with a strong emphasis on the girls’ gross and fine motor development.

Our dynamic learning programmes aim to create curious, confident, independent learners, who can also work well in a group. Our girls are encouraged to think independently, to embrace new challenges, to work collaboratively, to build new friendships and to celebrate their successes.

At the end of each year, the Early Learning Centre showcases the students’ art works with a family evening picnic and art show. This is a unique social event on the calendar as our young girls take their parents and extended family members on a guided tour of their many creative masterpieces.

Curiosity and creativity have also been ‘front and centre’ to learning during the myriad of bush adventures enjoyed during the cooler months in Trigg Reserve. Our girls have gained invaluable experiences as they discover and interact with plants, animals and terrain as part of their weekly programme during Bush School.

Geraldine Drabble Junior School Deputy Head (Curriculum)

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

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CURIOSITY) MOTIVATES WORLD-CHANGING THOUGHTS THIS YEAR, SEVERAL STUDENTS IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL COMPLETED AN ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME IN THE ACADEMIC CENTRE FOR ENRICHMENT, TITLED PASSION PROJECTS. THE FOCUS MOVED FROM GROUP AND PAIR WORK, TO INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES TO VARIOUS TOPICS. STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR LEARNING SURVEY TO FURTHER EXPLORE THEIR PREFERRED LEARNING STYLE, AS WELL AS CONSIDER THE DIFFERENT WAYS LEARNING CAN BE PRESENTED. L-R: Scarlett Jones and Grace McManis

After much discussion and exploration, the students learnt about the many concerns people have about our world. Some students had a particular interest in the past, and how the past has affected, and is still affecting, our world. These girls entered their projects into The National History Challenge for 2017, a research-based competition for students, giving them an opportunity to be historians where they could research world history, examine the past, investigate communities or even explore their own roots.

The theme for 2017 was Making a Better World? and responses to this question ranged from “The role of zoos” to “The Stolen Generation”, “Malala Yousafzai” and “Socrates”. The level of work was fantastic, and presentations ranged from i-movies and posters to essays and books.

Year 4 students, Grace McManis and Scarlett Jones, said they were inspired to create a book about Socrates because they had learnt so much about him in Philosophy and felt that he changed the world forever.

The girls thought a book would help them share what they’ve learnt with others. Please read and enjoy the blurb of their book.

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MAKING A BETTER WORLD? SOCRATES This book is about how Socrates changed the world forever, through the most extraordinary ways. He managed to inspire us to think about the world around us with no tools except his Socratic method and knowledge of wisdom. He is pure intelligence and that’s why we’re here to talk about him. Grace McManis and Scarlett Jones Hard work, passion and dedication paid off, and the girls have been awarded first place in the Year 1 to 4 category for Western Australia in The National History Challenge. This is a fantastic, well-deserved achievement. Congratulations, girls. It has been a wonderful journey, learning interesting facts and sharing fascinating tales to further explore our past.

Mrs Dencker Morrison Junior School Academic Centre for Enrichment Teacher

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

CURIOUSLY EXPRESSING IDEAS WHAT DOES A POEM LOOK LIKE? ACCORDING TO YEAR 10 ENGLISH STUDENTS THIS YEAR, IT LOOKS LIKE A STAIRWAY, A SONG, A HANGING MOBILE, A FILM, A PAINTING, A PAPIER-MACHE GLOBE OF THE WORLD, A BODY ARRANGED WITHIN A CHALK DRAWING OR A MODEL OF A THEATRE.

After several years of studying poetry, we know students are familiar with the techniques used by writers, so we asked them to use a different medium to express the ideas in one poem. What parts of the original work connected with them most strongly?

How might they express their own understandings of this topic? The answers were sometimes surprising and always delightful.

How do words resonate? Sometimes it is difficult for students to make connections between a text that is being studied and the world around them. An activity that can help build these connections is to “explode a quote”. The teacher selects specific quotes from the text and asks students to analyse the specific language used, down to the word choices. Then students are asked to illustrate the quote using symbolism rather than a literal reference.

Sometimes this encourages students to see the bigger picture and be open to the possibility that meaning traverses texts and subjects.

So, the line in the Year 12 English novel All The Light We Cannot See - “A real diamond

is never perfect” - which is literally about diamonds, can become an illustration about body image. Putting pen to paper, or in this case, getting out the textas and crayons, often sparks curiosity and connections.

Do the ideas in this novel still matter? Have you ever wondered whether texts produced in the past can still be relevant today? Literature students asked the same question and came up with the answer: yes, they are, in so many ways!

Linda Richards Head of English

Year 11 Literature students imagined the social conflicts represented in the classic novel Jane Eyre in a different social setting.

Cindy Liu

PHILOSOPHY: FOOD FOR CURIOUS MINDS

OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF CO-ORDINATING THE SCHOOL’S PHILOSOPHY CLUB.

My favourite aspect of the club is that it brings me into contact with students whose minds are already brimful of eagerness to understand more about our awesome (in every sense) universe. Philosophy Club is about giving that curiosity room to move.

In addition to the Philosophy Club, some Year 10 students have the good fortune to take Philosophy as an elective. These girls explore some of the key schools of thought that have informed modern ethics and understandings of reality. A mainstay of philosophy in the classroom is a discussion group called a Community of Inquiry. The name says it all, as the focus of the group is always on helping one another to think and understand. Something I cherish about these discussions is the dawning realisation that it is okay

to be unsure, to keep thinking, and to admit that your ideas are works in progress.

In the current social and political climate, opinions are often acquired uncritically, proclaimed loudly and defended poorly (especially in online forums).

But these young women think carefully about issues that affect us all, express their ideas and opinions assertively, and – perhaps most importantly – really listen to others’ perspectives.

Seeing students use these skills to improve their learning in various subjects or participate successfully in the annual Philosothon is the icing on the cake.

Lucy Ewing English Teacher

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

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JESSICA’S TWO LOVES CONVERGE YEAR 12 DANCE STUDENT, JESSICA GOLD, DESCRIBES THE PROCESS SHE UNDERTOOK TO CREATE HER MAJOR PRACTICAL WORK IN PREPARATION FOR THE WACE EXAMINATIONS. JESSICA’S CURIOSITY AROUND THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE BRAIN WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND HER COMPOSITION.

“I created my Original Solo Composition (OSC), which explores the structure and function of the brain. I chose this idea as it is a bridge between my love of Human Biology and my love of dance. I saw this as an opportunity to create a unique piece that incorporates a typically non-creative subject, but that is presented in a creative way,” says Jessica.

“To create my movement, I first had to research the functions of each lobe of the cerebrum as that was the main focus of my OSC. From there, I created movement tasks that were associated with the functions of each section. To create the overall piece I manipulated these tasks, and changed some movement to ensure that it did indeed portray my intent.

“Through creating my OSC, I believe I have gained a more complex understanding of the brain, which has not only assisted me in my Human Biology studies, but has also given me a deeper appreciation of the choreographic process.

“The creation of movement and the performance of steps, although deemed similar, have very different stages of manipulation to create something beautiful and entertaining.”

McKenzie Goldsmith Dance Teacher

Shannon Gee

FOSTERING EMPATHY “I'M CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE. THAT'S THE ESSENCE OF MY ACTING. I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE YOU.” MERYL STREEP

One of the benefits of Drama education, is the privilege of spending time in someone else’s shoes.

Students are given the opportunity to explore, appreciate and create work that reflects their understanding of local and global contexts.

The girls at St Mary’s are inherently curious about others; they love to ask questions, wonder, and create backstories for those around them. Whether taking on roles in the classroom, interhouse drama or the major productions, the girls build on their knowledge of others in order to convincingly bring characters to life.

Throughout the Year 7 to 12 Drama curriculum, students investigate characters from a variety of social, economic and historical backgrounds, with an emphasis on research as a starting point to ensure that other people’s stories are portrayed using insight, sensitivity and respect. It may be that this creative process fosters collaboration, investigative skills and confidence, but perhaps more important for our young people at this time, is an increased sense of empathy.

In 2017, Year 8 students have delved into the lives of refugees, Year 10s have examined the impact of relationships on social media, and the Year 12 girls have investigated Australia’s hidden past through study of their set text, Parramatta Girls. The students involved in Oliver! had several discussions around the capacity of children to rise above adversity and the girls found meaning through a new understanding of situations that they may not have otherwise explored.

It is this opportunity to see the world through the eyes of others that not only makes the learning experience real, but encourages compassion and connects our students to one another.

Kathryn Shaw Head of Drama and Dance

Jessica Gold

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Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

CURIOSITY IN THE ARTS In our classroom practice, we tinker and problem-solve our way through a variety of learner-centred projects in painting, printmaking, textiles, jewellery, modelmaking, ceramics and sculpture.

Art enrichment allows for flexible thinking and exposure to ambiguity by investigating works from different times and culture. The inaugural New York Art and Design tour in January was a fantastic opportunity to view works of art at the Met, MoMA, The Frick Collection, Guggenheim, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Art and Design. Girls encountered memorable works addressing universal human concerns and conditions.

Seven St Mary’s girls were state finalists in the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards, and Hayley Henheffer (featured) won the Wearable Art section, and competed in the national competition.

Locally, Year 11 Visual Arts and Media students attended aboriginal artist Tracey Moffatt’s exhibition, listened to a lecture by Australian film-maker, Gary Hillberg, and participated in a workshop with aboriginal film-maker, Curtis Taylor.

WEARABLE ART Each year, girls participating in the Wearable Art programme grow in self-esteem and individual selfexpression, realising that they can achieve beyond their expectations. Students in Years 9 to 12 collaborate in small vertical age groups in the workshops and performances, allowing them to develop friendships

CURIOSITY IN THE MEDIA IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN TEACH OUR CHILDREN THESE DAYS IS HOW TO ASK BETTER QUESTIONS. WHEN IT COMES TO MEDIA STUDIES, STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND LET THEIR CREATIVITY AND CURIOSITY GUIDE THE WAY.

outside of their peer group. Recently graduated students, now Old Girls, also mentor the younger students. Extensive research into their chosen theme ignites their curiosity and ideas, and this feeds an imaginative exploration of materials and processes.

Girls confidently visualise and problem-solve the construction of their truly extraordinary garments/ wearable sculptural forms, which are showcased at CAPAF and in the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards.

Keryn Cooper Head of Art

The knowledge and skills developed within the subject are applicable to many areas of students’ lives, whether it be learning to use and keep up to date with modern technology to studying the art of storytelling through film.

Throughout the course, students learn how media producers capture attention, deliver important messages and manipulate content to encourage particular responses from an audience.

They are encouraged to be critical of what they view and question how and why certain decisions are made.

The girls use their imagination, curiosity and creativity to come up with ideas and stories for their productions.

This seems to be the most popular part of Media Studies; they get to think outside the box and see their ideas and stories come to life. They also experience the satisfying and rewarding feeling of creating something that is their own; a reflection of their own ideas, hard work and learning journey as a media producer.

Megan Bilaloski Media Teacher

LEFT: Media Studies is a rapidly evolving area at St Mary’s.

Featured is Natalie Vogas

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

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TEACHERS FOSTER CURIOSITY IN HASS Students are naturally curious, but it is the role of the teacher to foster this curiosity and lead and motivate students towards deeper learning, inquiry and understanding.

In the Year 7 Geography topic of ‘Water’, students were given a cup of St Mary’s water from the school drinking fountains. Using the strategy of “See, Think, Wonder”, students were asked: where does this water come from? Rather than teaching a top down or teacher-directed lesson about the facts of Perth’s water supply, curiosity, deep learning and understanding can be fostered by what David Perkins from Project Zero 2017 called “Taming the Wild”.

CURIOSITY IN OUR MUSIC

This involved research into the sources, problems and challenges of Perth’s water supply.

The same cup of St Mary’s water was then labelled with the year 2037. Using the skills from the Future Problem-Solving programme, students were asked to identify challenges and make suggestions or predictions for the future. Students created a mindmap to organise their findings and this was added to as the class discussed and debated their findings and predictions.

Irene Cumming Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator, HASS Teacher

Music, in all its forms, finds its basis in curiosity and imagination. On hearing or learning a new piece of music, the listener may find themselves curious about many aspects of the composition. They may be curious about the tangible features of the music. Then there are also the less tangible attributes that may force the listener to dig a little deeper for the answers. They may wonder about the inspiration behind the music, the emotions it arouses, and the pictures it creates in the imagination.

In the classroom, they are exposed to music of many different eras and styles. Our students are guided and encouraged to investigate and interpret the artistic features of each piece. Outside of the classroom, in the many ensembles available to our students, there is valuable collaboration between instruments or voices to create music.

At St Mary’s, we give our students many opportunities to develop their curious minds in their study of music.

Lynette Taylor Head of Music Performance

Our music has curiosity at its heart. Curious minds look to the past for instruction, the present for inspiration, and the future for imagination.

CURIOSITY

SHAPES LANGUAGE

IT IS A RARE STUDENT WHO IS NOT CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER CULTURES. EVEN THE SIMPLEST OF ANECDOTES OR SMALL CULTURAL SNIPPET WILL FIRE THEIR IMAGINATION. OUR GIRLS LOVE TO IMAGINE THEMSELVES LIVING IN JAPAN, FRANCE OR ITALY.

L-R: Gabrielle Waller, Calista Goh, Hannah Logan and Emily Letch-Avenell enjoying a Japanese class

At St Mary’s, overseas tours facilitate this desire. In 2017, the French and Japanese trips gave girls an overview of life in these countries as they stayed with host sisters. The historical visits and other activities, such as learning to cook or making perfume in French, enable them to understand language as a living, useful life skill with real application.

Within the classroom, opportunities have been provided for interaction with native speakers, whilst excursions to films and restaurants prove to students that languages and cultures exist well beyond the pages of the textbook.

We are blessed with students who generally are naturally curious; all that remains for us to do is to nurture this by providing stimulating, thought-provoking lessons involving a variety of approaches.

Lindsay MacRae Head of Languages 18

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

A REWARDING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS THIS YEAR, YEAR 10 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN TWO ABORIGINAL IMMERSION TRIPS WITH CHRIST CHURCH GRAMMAR SCHOOL. THE TRIPS RAN IN WEEK 9 OF TERM 2 TO LOOMA REMOTE COMMUNITY AND WEEK 9 OF TERM 3 TO MARBLE BAR. THE STUDENTS SPENT A WEEK WORKING IN THE LOCAL SCHOOL AND RUNNING ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL.

The impact of the service trips has been summed up beautifully by Year 10 student, Georgia McArthur.

L-R: Faerie Mackintosh and Sam Weight with local students in Marble Bar

“I’d like to tell you a little bit about a life-changing experience. I went on a school trip to a remote Indigenous community called Looma, which is about three hours east of Broome. The idea of the trip was to give each student a little insight into what life is like for the children living in the remote Kimberley regions.

Looma was very hot, it was very bare, and it was very small with a population of only around 400 people,” says Georgia.

“I was a bit nervous going into the community on this trip. There is a stigma attached to Indigenous communities in the Kimberley and, even though I know not to believe everything I hear and see, you can’t ignore everything around you. But after the trip, I can honestly say that what I experienced was the complete opposite. My views have completely changed because it's honestly nothing like I expected. Looma is seriously such an eye-opening and unique place.

“The students were so welcoming and friendly and really accepting of us. I strongly encourage any Year 9s thinking about doing this tour to apply. You will learn so much, enjoy every single minute of it and once you leave, you will just want to go back.”

Feedback after our visits was very positive, with each school reporting the amount and quality of learning increased during our time there and attendance was close to 100 percent.

A successful funding application assisted in creating situational and meaningful reading books to promote reading in both communities we visited. The books (pages featured above) were printed for each school, creating 80 fabulous books to be used as learning resources.

Jo Pengelley Head of Senior Library, Teacher Librarian

SEARCHING FOR MEANING

THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH TO REFLECT UPON IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES THIS YEAR. WE HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY MAKING LINKS WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TODAY.

In our Year 11 unit on Marriage and Family Life, we have critically evaluated issues around the gay marriage plebiscite, constantly offering opportunities for listening, discussing, building on and re-evaluating opinions. In Year 8, we have explored what it means to dress modestly in Islam and how Australia has been responding to the hijab, niqab and burqa debate.

The Anglicare Ambassadors NIB Stadium sleep-out and the internal Year 10 sleep-out, led by Head of Year 10, Ian Thompson, offered students the opportunity to learn through experience and develop their empathy skills and ability to be non-judgemental in

regard to those who do not have stable or safe living environments. With their care and generosity, the girls demonstrated their Christian commitment to think of others and work towards living in a fairer and more loving society.

The Religious Studies teachers often ask students what they know at the beginning of a unit and again at the end. It is rewarding to see the progress they make, the higher order questions they ask and that their search for meaning continues beyond the classroom.

Polly Durey Head of Religious Studies

Feature: Creating Curious Minds Through the Arts and Humanities

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RECOGNISING) THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS

TAYLA HANCOCK (YEAR 7), REBECCA GARAS (YEAR 7), CHLOE RIDSDILL-SMITH AND JAIME LEIVERS (YEAR 6) The originality and creativity of some young St Mary’s storytellers was rewarded in the Children’s Book Council 2017 Make Your Own Storybook Competition.

Tayla won the Year 7 to 8 Story Book category for her book, Tyrone’s Pacific Adventure; Rebecca placed second in the Year 7 to 8 Story Book category for her book, Good Friendships Are Precious; and Chloe and Jaime placed second for their collaboration, Shark Tooth.

CHLOE RYAN (Year 7) was an ICAS-Science Medal winner. Chloe’s skills were assessed in five key scientific areas including observing and measuring, interpreting data, applying data, investigating and higher-order skills.

ALEXANDRIA MONCRIEFF (Year 7) was awarded first place in the Year 7 to 9 category of the MLTAWA competition, Languages In Our Landscape.

TIFFANY TRAN (Year 8) was invited to participate in the 2017 Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO) after a very high achievement in the Australian Mathematics Challenge.

CHARLOTTE WAUGH (Year 8) was awarded a High Distinction Excellence in the 2017 Royal Australian Chemical Institute's ANCQ. St Mary’s was also awarded 14 High Distinctions and 22 Distinctions.

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ASHLIN EISZELE, AIMEE RYAN, OLIVIA NOLAN, AND CLAIRE CRAIG (Year 9) were the only WA team selected to compete in the National Finals of the Future ProblemSolving at Knox Grammar in Sydney.

OLIVIA NOLAN (Year 9) who won a national and two state awards in the National History Challenge. Olivia was named the National Young Historian winner for Using Archival Records and was also the state winner for that category as well as for the Year 9 category.

ISEULT DE MALLET BURGESS (Year 10) was placed second in the Senior Division of the 2017 Future Problem-Solving Australia for Scenario Writing. She has also been invited to attend the 2018 International Competition in Future Problem-Solving in the USA. Iseult’s entry was about Gene Technology.

FIONA NGUYEN (Year 10) competed in the Intermediate Division in the Australian Maths Competition and received a prize. This is generally awarded to no more than one in every 300 students (the top 0.3%) within their year group.

PHOEBE BLAXILL (Year 11) was first in Western Australia for Year 11 in the 2017 Australian Geography Competition.

St Mary’s also achieved first place in Western Australia and seventh in Australia for the 2017 Australian Geography Competition. Phoebe represented WA at the Geography Big Week Out. ELLIE FLINTOFF (Year 11) was commended for her poem, Four Ways to Heroise a Woman, in the 2017 Dorothy Mackellar Poetry Prize competition. This is a national competition and only 20 poems are selected for the Senior Secondary category. Ellie's poem will now feature in the anthology to be produced later this year.

IGSSA CHAMPIONS ST MARY’S HAS BEEN CROWNED THE CHAMPION INDEPENDENT GIRLS’ SCHOOLS’ SPORTS ASSOCIATION (IGSSA) SCHOOL FOR 2017, WINNING FIVE OF THE 11 SPORTS ON OFFER IN THE SENIOR SCHOOL (YEARS 7 TO 12) COMPETITION. WE RECLAIMED THE PRESTIGIOUS TROPHY, EDGING OUT A CLOSE-FINISHING PRESBYTERIAN LADIES’ COLLEGE, HAVING FINISHED RUNNERS-UP LAST YEAR AND NAMED INAUGURAL TROPHY WINNERS IN 2014.

Our girls showed grit and tenacity this year to claim first place in volleyball, cross country, netball, basketball and softball. We finished third in tennis, soccer and water polo, fourth in hockey and athletics and fifth in swimming.

The cross country squad had been training hard since Term 4 last year in preparation for the IGSSA competition and their hard work and determination paid off, winning the trophy by 39 points.

Our Year 8, 10 and 11/12 teams all placed first in their age groups.

BACK (L-R): FRONT (L-R):

In basketball, St Mary’s made it seven successive years of victory in the overall competition, while in softball the school jumped two places from 2016 to win the 2017 competition. On the tennis court, St Mary’s girls won the Junior B and C pennants, with four of our teams placing second. For hockey, our Senior B team won their pennant, while in athletics, we finished fourth overall, lead brilliantly by captains Michelle Seymour and Sophie Guinness, with special mention of Melany Smart (Year 11) who broke the Year 11/12 1500m record, and Leah Richards who broke the Year 10 hurdles record.

RECOGNISING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS MICHAELA SAVAGE (Year 12) was one of only 10 recipients of the prestigious UWA Fogarty Scholarship for 2018.

Established in 2004, the UWA Fogarty Scholarship Programme is a joint initiative of the Fogarty Foundation and The University of Western Australia.

KIRA MOLLOY (Year 12) has been awarded a UWA Winthrop Scholarship. It is awarded to eligible, high-achieving Year 12 students to encourage and assist them in undertaking undergraduate studies at The University of Western Australia.

TEALE LYON (Year 12) competed in the 2017 International Geography Olympiad in Serbia representing Australia.

WEARABLE ART YEAR 12

Hayley Marfleet (state finalist in the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards) Abbey Telfer (state finalist in the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards) Hayley Henheffer (state winner and national finalist in the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards) The following girls have represented St Mary’s in prestigious Perth exhibitions: Michaela Savage (winner in the two-dimensional section of the St George’s Art Exhibition) Danielle Strahan (winner of the textiles section of the St George’s Art Exhibition) Zoe Wells (second in the Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists; second in the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture) School News

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THE MAGIC OF PETER PAN

J.M. BARRIE TELLS US, “ALL CHILDREN, EXCEPT ONE, GROW UP,” IN THE FAMOUS FIRST SENTENCE OF HIS NOVEL PETER AND WENDY, PUBLISHED SEVEN YEARS AFTER PETER PAN’S THEATRICAL DEBUT IN LONDON. THAT ONE REBELLIOUS CHILD EXISTS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TODAY.

There is Walt Disney’s redheaded animated, Peter Pan, there are the many different women of Broadway – Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby – who have soared across the stage as Peter Pan, and there is the recent plethora of movies from Hook, to Pan, to Finding Neverland.

When I discovered my old, worn and very wellread Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906), with illustrations by the artist Arthur Rackham, it evoked the memory of discovering the Peter Pan statue in Queens Gardens in Perth, as a child. I knew immediately that this was a story I would like the Year 7, 8 and 9 students to discover and to bring to the stage.

From 2 to 4 November, the cast of 44 girls embraced and rejoiced in the physicality of the show, performed in The Lady Wardle Performing Arts Centre to a captive audience. Flying and fighting skills were rehearsed with relish. The joy the girls brought to the faces of young and old was a director’s dream come true.

J.M. BARRIE’S LEGACY Great Ormond Street was the first children’s hospital in Great Britain and was funded by charitable donations.

J.M. Barrie, amongst other luminary writers, donated very generously, and in 1929, Barrie stunned the hospital board – and the world- when he announced his plan to give the hospital the copyright to Peter Pan. In November 2016, when I first applied to perform Peter Pan, the rights holders advised me that Peter Pan was no longer in copyright in Australia, and therefore, if I wished to do the original version, or their own adaptation of it, I did not need a licence. They did suggest that we donate to our local children’s hospital in place of having to pay a royalty fee. Lynne Thomson, and Head of Year 11, Roger Blatchford, decided to donate some of the proceeds of our ticket sales to Ronald McDonald House, at the new Perth Children’s Hospital.

Supporting Ronald McDonald House has been a school initiative for community service, and I can think of no better way in which to keep J.M. Barrie’s legacy alive.

Caroline Brand Drama Teacher and Lower School Production Director

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OLIVER! OUR SENIOR SCHOOL PRODUCTION BASED ON CHARLES DICKENS’ OLIVER TWIST, THE MUSICAL VERSION OF OLIVER! BY LIONEL BART HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME SINCE OPENING ON LONDON’S WEST END IN 1960.

Dickens himself came from very humble beginnings and, much like our protagonist, Oliver, tried to rise above his circumstances. He had limited formal education, with his parents deciding that his sister would go to school rather than him. Money was a constant struggle for his family, so while his father was in jail serving time for unpaid debt, Charles Dickens spent time working in a factory polishing shoes! It was here that he met Bob Fagin, one of many colourful characters he brought to life in what has now become a timeless classic.

Led by a talented group of Year 12 students, the cast of 55 worked incredibly hard to engage with a context so far removed from their own. The decision to perform a musical with so few female characters in an all-girls school may have appeared a strange one, yet the students completely immersed themselves in the timeless themes, gritty characters and complex relationships during our three-month rehearsal period.

They made bold performance choices and injected their own insight and creative ideas into the show.

The Lady Wardle Performing Arts Centre was at capacity on opening night, and audiences were engaged from the moment the workhouse boys descended the stairs and into Oliver’s world. Year 11 student, Anne Jovanoski, had the task of portraying our protagonist, and she did so with an enormous amount of passion, flair and dedication. Audiences sang along to the well-

known ‘Consider Yourself’, in response to the infectious enthusiasm in Madeleine Scanlon’s representation of Dodger. Year 12 students, Yarra Arnes and Lara Cicchini, in their roles of Nancy and Fagin, led the ensemble of talented actors as they facilitated Oliver’s journey to find his sense of belonging.

It was a pleasure to work with Chris Milbourne this year in his capacity as Musical Director. For many of the cast, this was their first experience on stage, let alone in a musical, and they truly thrived under Chris’s tutelage. A number of student musicians took up positions in the professional band which, this year, was fed through to the auditorium from a backstage studio. As part of the technical team, Scott Maney did a wonderful job in organising the logistics behind this complicated live feed. The design team of Tyler Hill, Lars Jensen and Nicola Gredziuk were superb in cleverly recreating Victorian London through their respective areas of set, lighting and costume.

I feel privileged to have witnessed the growth of our senior girls as we worked together on achieving our collective goal. The investment the students have in extracurricular drama activities is reflective of their intrinsic desire to create the best possible result for their audience.

Kathryn Shaw Head of Drama and Dance School News

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AMERICAN DREAM

COMES TRUE

GOING TO AN AMERICAN COLLEGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY GOALS AND I AM THRILLED TO HAVE BEEN GRANTED A FULL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP AT PROVIDENCE COLLEGE, RHODE ISLAND.

College starts in August 2018, and I will be running middle distance track and cross country for the Providence Friars.

I will balance my athletic ambitions with an academic programme of study in Commerce and Pre-Law. Providence College is a private Liberal Arts and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division 1 school, situated 45 minutes from Boston.

I am super excited to be on Team Friar under the coaching supervision of Irish native, Ray Tracey, one of the NCAA’s and USA Track and Field’s most decorated coaches, having coached 11 Olympians and numerous NCAA champions. I can’t wait to be running with the current number 1 NCAA cross country team. I look forward to running all over the US, competing in championship meets. And I dream of making an NCAA final!

Now that I have been given this amazing opportunity, it feels as if those 5am starts to study, and all my countless laps running around a grass track, have paid off. My time at St Mary’s has prepared me well and taught me to reach for the stars and to embrace the sweat and tears!

Abby D’Sylva, Year 12 LEFT: Abby D'Sylva

IMMERSED IN COLLEGE LIFE

On 20 June, we headed off to New York City to participate in Columbia University’s Summer Immersion Programme for high school students. The programme involved three weeks of campus life and daily classes in your chosen field of study. It was run by the Ivy League University and took place on their campus in Upper Manhattan over the United States' summer holidays and coincided with our Term 2 school holidays.

Over 60 courses in various subject areas were offered, and the programme was aimed at academic and selfmotivated upper school students. The course I (Helena) took was Explorations in Genetics and Molecular

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Biology, which was incredibly engaging and cemented my plans to study medicine in the future.

It was challenging to juggle the course work with all the amazing extracurricular activities offered; however, we both felt so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from Columbia professors who are so knowledgeable in their fields.

We emerged from the programme with a wider global view and feeling fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn and form friendships with such like-minded young people from all over the world.

Hannah Edwards-Smith and Helena Crabb Year 11

L-R: Bianca Re and Elise Williams INSET (L-R): Neve Baumgartner, Cate Hazelden, Nathalie Chan, Daisy Morse, Saskia Pope, Chloe Barugh, Imogen Studman, Jorja Schell, Julia Suffell, Lusia Martino, Grace Geha, Rebecca Garas, Lucy Cardaci, Liv Daddo

CANBERRA AND SYDNEY TOUR The first morning on tour started with an interesting walk down ANZAC parade and an introduction to the Australian War Memorial. We spent the afternoon playing European Handball and ultimate Frisbee at the Australian Institute of Sport, and that evening, we had a lot of fun watching The Emoji Movie.

The next day was one of my favourites. We went to Floriade and bought some amazing donuts and also treated ourselves to Ben & Jerry’s! We also went back to the Australian War Memorial, and drove to the top of Mt Ainslie to get some amazing photos and take in the beautiful views of the city. We learnt a lot at the War Memorial and had a great tour guide who showed us around the World War II gallery. The evening was filled with heaps of excitement and fear as we went down the big drop slide at Questacon.

Parliament House was another highlight of the trip. It was very grand and interesting. My favourite places, however, were Old Parliament House and Government House, as they were both so intriguing.

Sadly, our last day in Canberra came, but we spent it well, having a wonderful time at the Royal Australian Mint, National Gallery of Australia and National Museum. It was a very impressive day.

Sydney was a lot of fun for everyone as we went to Taronga Zoo and walked over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We had a fantastic tour of the Opera House and saw Sydney from above when we walked up the stairs to the top of the Pylon Lookout.

The performance of My Fair Lady at the Capitol Theatre was a calm, entertaining evening. The next day we enjoyed a cruise on the Sydney Harbour. The weather was just perfect.

Overall it was heaps of fun everywhere we went. We came home with smiles on our faces every day.

Rebecca Garas Year 7.2

School News

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L-R: Cassie Gibson, Mary Christie, Sophie Jamieson, Lauren Jessup and in the front, Georgia Menzel INSET: Danielle Gibson and Cassie Gibson undertaking barista training

ELEVATE WEEK A TRIUMPH

OUR NEWLY-INTRODUCED ELEVATE WEEK WAS WELL RECEIVED BY OUR YEAR 12 VOCATIONAL STUDENTS.

The programme’s aim is to continue adding value to the qualifications and workplace skills and experiences that our students have already developed in their Vocational programme over the past two years. The week included many exciting training and learning opportunities including:

Endeavour Award for Certificate III in Business - Mary Christie Mary has already been accepted into Curtin College for 2018 where she will be studying a Diploma of Interior Architecture. She has worked with an interior designer for her work placement this year.

yy How to buy a safe vehicle and general vehicle maintenance checklist yy Certificate III in Hospitality (units towards) - prepare and serve espresso coffee, serve food and beverage yy Financially Empowered workshop - financial literacy to assist with managing finances yy Tenancy agreements Armed with these skills, and more, our girls will be even more competitive when applying for employment and for their further training at TAFEs and universities.

Endeavour Award for Certificate III in Beauty - Tenique Bonney Tenique has developed an impressive photographic portfolio detailing her make-up artistry. Next year she intends to complete the Certificate IV and then Diploma of Beauty Therapy.

VET STUDENTS Our Vocational Education and Training (VET) students have completed a variety of different certificates this year, with lecturers in each of the certificate courses nominating a “Student of the Year” for the individual achieving the most outstanding results in that course and an “Endeavour Award” for the student who has shown the most significant improvement. We have three such students this year.

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School News

Student of the Year Award for Certificate III in Events Charli Oliver One of the great benefits of workplace learning is that often students are able to bring new skills that they have learnt to the workplace and train others. This is what often leads to students gaining employment with their workplace and this has been the case with Charli, who has been an employee with her workplace since she began her work experience with them in Year 11 as a WPL student. Charli was nominated for her outstanding achievement in VET with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

Pam Underwood Vocational Education and Training (VET) Co-ordinator

INSIGHT

BREAKFASTS

Year 11 and 12 students with Old Girls, Matilda Murley (’13) and Jessica Wilks (’03) at the Science Insight Breakfast

FOR JUST A MOMENT PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF A YEAR 12 STUDENT ... IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE THAT ‘ULTIMATE’ DECISION THAT WILL AFFECT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE …

WHAT DO I DO WHEN I LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL? TERTIARY STUDY, GAP YEAR OR SOMETHING ELSE? IF I DO CHOOSE TO STUDY - WHERE AND WHICH COURSE DO I CHOOSE? WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T LIKE IT? CAN I CHANGE MY MIND? ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS AND SO MANY MORE ARE ON THE MINDS OF OUR SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Over the past four years our Year 11 and 12 students have had the opportunity to meet with Old Girls to chat about life after St Mary’s at the Insight Breakfasts and obtain the answers to some of these questions.

These breakfast events offer an informal environment where Year 11 and 12 students can gain invaluable, real-world insight into tertiary study and work, from Old Girls in specific professions. Speaking to someone who has walked in those brown shoes, about the field they are working or studying in, can often make that decision-making process a little less daunting.

Throughout all of the breakfasts the Old Girls reminded the students to choose their own path and find what they are passionate about. When you combine passion and hard work then success will come.

The Old Girls also explained the differences between St Mary’s and tertiary study and encouraged the students to be proactive and seek out opportunities that would benefit their experiences.

Thank you to the Old Girls for willingly sharing their experiences and advice with our students.

STEM

CAREER SPEED NETWORKING

THIS YEAR, AS PART OF NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK, ELEVEN OLD GIRLS CAME BACK TO ST MARY’S TO SPEAK TO OUR YEAR 11 STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS) BASED CAREERS.

The girls were given an insight into a range of careers including botany, archaeology, meteorology, medicine, engineering, IT, forensics and conservation. Each small group of students had time with every Old Girl to ask questions about their career and study choice, as well as what it’s like day to day on the job. The room was full of chatter, laughter and in-depth conversation. Our sincerest thanks to the Old Girls who gave their afternoon to speed network with our students.

Old Girl, Siobhan Wilkins (’10), Career Speed Networking with students

School News

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(OUT AND ABOUT)

YEAR 12 FATHER-DAUGHTER BREAKFAST As part of their final year celebrations, the Year 12s and their fathers gathered for breakfast in The Polson Room over two mornings in June.

The annual event is a special time for the girls and their dads, where they enjoy an amazing breakfast spread and hear from guest speakers. This year the wonderful speakers were Julie O’Meara, a member of the Old Girls’ Association, and Lianne Leung (’13), an Old Girls’ Association Life Member.

L-R: Stephen and Emilie Lowe

L-R: Len and Hayley Henheffer with Abbey and Barry Telfer L-R: Lily and Shane Moore

L-R: Verne and Amy Jones

YEAR 12 MOTHER-DAUGHTER HIGH TEA The sophisticated Duxton Hotel was the venue for this year’s Year 12 Mother-Daughter High Tea. The gorgeous afternoon featured guest speakers, Senior Boarder, Louisa Stead, and Senior Day Girl, Ella Brockwell-Mole.

L-R: Courtney and Jodie Baxter

L-R: Donna and Sophie Jamieson

L-R: Lorna and Amelia Hurst L-R: Rachel and Danielle Gibson

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Out and About

L-R: Lisa and Maddy Barrett with Jessica and Mara Rudd

(OUT AND ABOUT)

VISITING OUR OVERSEAS FAMILIES International St Mary’s families past, present and future were invited to dinners hosted by Lynne Thomson and Tina Campbell in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta during the Term 3 mid-term break.

It is a great opportunity to meet up with families and Old Girls to find out more about their ventures following life at St Mary’s.

L-R: Lynne Thomson, Mrs Kwan Ho, Mr Cheh Fu, Grace Fu, Joyce Fu and Tina Campbell in Kuala Lumpur

L-R: Lynne Thomson, Patricia Wong, Tina Campbell, Valerie Wong (’96) and her husband, Joel Lee in Singapore

L-R: Susie and Marissa Chang (’13) in Singapore

L-R: Sandrina Branton (’83), Marissa Chang (’13), Valerie Wong (’96), Steph Seah (’04) and Jaslyn Lee (’10) in Singapore

Out and About

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PA R E N T S ’ SOCIETY FOR OUR GIRLS, 2017 HAS BEEN ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS. EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS ACHIEVED ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS AS THEY CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS THEIR INDIVIDUAL GOALS.

We are very thankful to Lynne Thomson and her amazing team, for their continued support and guidance.

The Parents’ Society organised the Careers’ Expo in Term 3. The event was a huge success and provided an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable career information.

In addition, we strive to represent the views of all parents in the School community in fund allocation and planning decisions. Allocations are planned to equally benefit all areas and departments of the School.

It was with great pleasure that Sandra McAlpine was awarded Life Membership of the Parents’ Society this year.

Sandra has been a valued member of the School community for many years, and is a staunch supporter of St Mary’s. Thank you, Sandra.

Congratulations to our winners of the Term 3 and 4 Lottery. We had four lucky families who each won $1250 towards their terms’ fees.

Now for some exciting news – we are running a Parents’ Society Full Fee Raffle!

One St Mary’s family has the chance to win the equivalent of a Year 12 Day girls annual tuition fee, regardless of which year the student is enrolled in. The raffle is open to any family with a St Mary’s student attending the school in 2018.

Raffle tickets are $100 each (maximum of 2) and can be purchased via Trybooking.

Just head to the St Mary’s website and you will find the link under the News and Events/Online Bookings tab. The raffle closes on Monday 5 February 2018, and will be drawn and announced at the Sundowner on Friday 9 February. The winner will also be announced in the first NewsLink following the draw. Please note that this is a completely voluntary raffle.

Just a reminder that everyone is welcome to attend committee meetings and become part of the team – just check the school calendar for dates.

Good luck and best wishes to all the Year 12s as they take that next step into a future filled with endless possibilities.

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to catching up at the Sundowner in 2018.

Eric Martino President

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Parents' Society

S T M A R Y ’ S AUXILIARY HERE WE ARE WRAPPING UP 2017! THIS YEAR DIDN’T DISAPPOINT. THE ST MARY’S AUXILIARY HAS HAD A FABULOUS YEAR.

New friendships were made and comfortably blended with familiar friends. New events were established to complement our traditional events, and further our community involvement. It is a huge team of parents that bring together all of our events. I can’t express my appreciation and thanks enough for the many parents who have supported me as the President, volunteered their time, baked goodies, attended our meetings or served coffee and tea with a smile.

We had some memorable events indeed. The Hot Cross Bun Drive, our relaxing and informative Biggest Morning Tea, Scitech evening, our Annual Lunch – which was a most glorious and fun day – and the Outdoor Movie Night were all very popular. Add to that the Junior School Sports Carnival cake stalls, pizza lunch, assembly morning teas, Grandparents Day and Orientation Day functions and we’ve been kept busy and involved with the School on many fronts. You’ll be pleased to know that all of those events will be returning in 2018.

Our amazing Class Reps have organised some outstanding functions for their year groups. It has been a tremendous effort by all. The Mother and Daughter High Teas were the most popular, and the Father and Daughter events were a lot of fun and included foot golf, bowling, adventure days and breakfast. Discos, coffee mornings and parent evening drinks were just a few of the other fun opportunities where families could catch up. Thank you to the Class Reps and all who supported and attended these occasions.

Congratulations to the girls who receive Auxiliary music bursaries and our two Speech Night awards.

I look forward to next year and what it might bring.

Come and join us in 2018.

Daina De Mattia President

LEFT AND ABOVE: Pre-primary Father-Daughter Kidz n Sport day

L-R: Jessica McKillop with her dad, James

L-R: Emmy Brennand with her dad, Richard L-R: Ella Porzig with her dad, David

L-R: Anastasia Sclanders with her dad, Basil

L-R: Isla Hearn and dad, Darren; Vanessa De Mattia and dad, Adrian

St Mary's Auxiliary

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O L D G I R L S ’ A S S O C I AT I O N PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2017 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CONSOLIDATION FOR THE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION AS WE PLAN TOWARDS OUR 95TH BIRTHDAY IN 2020.

On 18 October we welcomed our newest Old Girls, the Class of 2017, at the Valedictory Service and Dinner. This was an occasion which was full of hope and excitement, and a hint of nostalgia. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours and look forward to hearing of all their successes.

OGA MEETING DATES FOR 2018

With Christmas around the corner please keep in mind our memorabilia – a unique gift for a St Mary’s girl, staff or parent.

All Old Girls are welcome to attend our committee meetings which are held in the Seminar Room of the Senior School Administration building from 7.00pm on:

In closing, I would like to thank the Committee and all the staff who support the Association and I look forward to a productive and enjoyable 2018.

yy yy yy yy

Amy Dawson (Fraser ’94) President

6 February 13 March 15 May 5 June

yy 14 August yy 11 September yy 7 November

2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: THURSDAY 5 APRIL AT 7.00PM You are invited to join the OGA Committee for the 2018 Annual General Meeting. Please contact us at oga@stmarys.wa.edu.au if you would like to attend or join the OGA Committee.

OGA Committee Members whose terms expire and who will seek re-election in 2018 are: yy Shelley Civitico (Robson ’73) yy Julie Martin (Huxtable ’73)

yy Katy Keddie (Knowles ’94) yy Andrea Sassella (’98)

2018 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OLD GIRLS

UPCOMING EVENTS

ST MARY’S OFFERS A NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OLD GIRLS STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY ACROSS A RANGE OF DISCIPLINES.

OLD GIRLS’ DAY 2018 Save the date … Old Girls’ Day will be held on Sunday 8 April 2018. A special invitation is extended to our Old Girls from the Classes of 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988 and 1998 who are celebrating their significant anniversaries since leaving St Mary’s. If you would like to be the class rep for your year group please contact us.

yy Bonny Milne Scholarship in Medicine for students commencing their second year of an undergraduate medical degree or the first year of a postgraduate medical degree. yy Deborah Cook Scholarship for Nursing for students commencing their second year of a nursing or midwifery degree. yy Esmee Byatt Scholarship for Medicine for students commencing their second year of a postgraduate medical degree at The University of Western Australia. yy Fay Bailey Scholarships for Engineering, Science and Law for students commencing their third year of a science-related, engineering or law degree or the first year of a postgraduate law degree. yy Helen Judge Art Award for students commencing their second or third year of a fine art-related degree.

For further information about how to apply for these scholarships please email oga@stmarys.wa.edu.au Applications close on Friday 23 February 2018.

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Old Girls’ Association President’s Report

EAST COAST AND INTERNATIONAL REUNIONS Old Girls around Australia and the world are invited to join Mrs Thomson for one last hurrah before she leaves St Mary’s at the end of 2018. yy yy yy yy yy

New York Breakfast – Thursday 4 January 2018 Sydney Dinner - Thursday 1 March 2018 Canberra Lunch - Saturday 3 March 2018 London Breakfast - Friday 27 April 2018 Melbourne Dinner - Wednesday 16 May 2018

To register your interest for the above events or to update your details please contact us at oga@stmarys.wa.edu.au

Ethel Beaton Scholarship recipient, Ashleigh Roberts with her family

Marlene Carter Old Girls' Association Scholarship recipient, Tayla Hancock with her parents

OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION RECOGNISES STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS THE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NOT ONLY SUPPORTS ST MARY’S STUDENTS ONCE THEY HAVE LEFT SCHOOL BUT ALSO CURRENT STUDENTS.

One way in which they do this is through the Old Girls’ Scholarships offered to girls in Senior School. At a recent assembly, the recipients of the Ethel Beaton Old Girls’ Association Scholarship for Years 11 and 12, The Marlene Carter Old Girls’ Association Scholarship for Year 8 and The Jane Gillon Arts Award for Year 12 were presented their awards by President of the Old Girls’ Association, Amy Dawson (Fraser ’94).

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS: Ashleigh Roberts was awarded the Ethel Beaton Scholarship for Years 11 and 12 Tayla Hancock was awarded The Marlene Carter Old Girls’ Association Scholarship for Year 8

Jane Gillon Arts Award recipient, Emilie Lowe with her parents

Emilie Lowe was awarded The Jane Gillon Arts Award for Year 12

HEAD GIRL, SENIOR DAY GIRL AND SENIOR BOARDER BREAKFAST Mrs Thomson was delighted to invite all of the Head Girls, Senior Day Girls and Senior Boarders from her Principalship back to school for breakfast on Sunday 27 August in The Polson Room. Guests were treated to a special musical performance from Year 12 student, Grace Fu, and we also heard from two Old Girls, Marina Georgiou (’00) who spoke about her time at school and Mrs Thomson’s influence, and Kylie Giles (Wheeler ’97) toasted the School and Mrs Thomson’s commitment and leadership.

L-R: Nandika Manchanda (’07), Courtney Whitehall-Holla (’07) and Stephanie Potts (’07)

L-R: Lauren Masi (’13), Keely Johnson (’13) and Lianne Leung (’13)

L-R: Mia Vlahov (Arnott ’98) with daughter, Paige, and Nicky Sandover (’04) with son, Benji

Old Girls’ News and Events

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YEAR 13 REUNION BREAKFAST THE YEAR 13 REUNION IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR RECENT LEAVERS TO COME TOGETHER FOR A CATCH-UP AND ALSO, HEAR FROM FELLOW OLD GIRLS ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY SINCE LEAVING ST MARY’S.

Emily Raynor (’06) and Emily Law (’13), spoke to the Class of 2016 about their time away from St Mary’s, having the courage to change their paths and knowing when to back themselves when others didn’t. They also advised the girls that they should pursue things that make them happy and be true to themselves. Emily Law’s closing comments summed up the messages of the morning well: “You’re not locked into some contract once you leave school. You always have a choice about everything in your life. And there is no such thing as "too late" when it comes to your happiness. You need to stop waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel and go light it up yourself”.

L-R: Shamini Srinivasan, Zoë Charlish, Hannah Mizzi and Martha J McKinley

L-R: Georgia McAlpine, Eloise Orr, Tessa Wood, Abbie Macmillan, Sophie Tuckett, Hannah Coopes, Indiana Scanlon and Mary Burke

L-R: Emily Raynor (’06), Head of Year 12, Rebecca Watts, and Emily Law (’13)

REUNIONS – CLASS OF 1997

CIGS GOLF DAY

We had a wonderful evening with 50 ladies in attendance.

Jess Gethin (Walker ’97) was our MC, with speeches by Alison O’Connor (Fair ’97) on behalf of the day girls and Jacki-Lee Munkton (Gillett ’97) on behalf of the boarders. Kylie Giles (Wheeler ’97) proposed the toast. We watched our Leavers’ Day Assembly on video, which was very entertaining, and also reminisced over old photos from our days at St Mary’s. It was over all too quickly, and everyone was enthusiastic about attending our next reunion in five years time!

The 52nd annual Combined Independent Girls’ Schools Golf Day was hosted by Penrhos/ Kobeelya at Royal Perth Golf Club in October.

Thank you to everyone who assisted in the organisation of the reunion.

Sarah Moore (Davies ’97)

Along with stunning weather, the format of foursomes stableford with a shotgun start at 8.30am, was very successful and a lot of fun.

The event flowed really well and most of the 139 players finished within four hours.

The ball winners for the St Mary’s team were Ermie Robinson (Seabrook ’69) and Nola Wheatley (Grieve ’68) on 30 points and Marg Lutz (Prichard ’66) and Lynne Malone (Eakins ’66) on 34. Congratulations to Perth College on a fine win.

Next year’s Golf Day is tentatively booked for 8 October. Put it in your diary now!

Lynne Malone (Eakins ’66)

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Old Girls’ News and Events

NEWS F R O M O L D G I R L S We were delighted to welcome Edna Grime (Peggs ’38) back to St Mary's in October when she came to watch her great-granddaughter and Year 12 student, Antonia, at her final assembly.

Elizabeth Ford (Myles �51) and her husband, George, celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary earlier this year. Congratulations to you both!

Jean Shine (Campbell �63) took out first place in the Archipelago-themed class at the World Flower Show in Barbados in July. Her win was against a field of the best floral artists from 32 countries. What makes Jean’s win even more amazing is that things did not go to plan. Firstly, her luggage with her tools and materials did not arrive in Barbados and secondly, her flowers, which she had pre-ordered, were not as fresh as she had expected.

She managed to get her luggage back after convincing customs to let her into the baggage carousel. However, an hour into the five-hour competition she had to come up with Plan B when the not-so-fresh flowers started losing their petals. Jean is looking to repeat her success at the world competition in India in 2020. Congratulations, Jean!

Joy Hopwood (�86) has completed filming "The Casting Game", a feature film which she wrote, produced and has a supporting role in. It was screened at Hoyts Cinemas earlier this year. Joy was also elected as the New South Wales representative on the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance’s Diversity Committee in June.

Congratulations, Joy!

ABOVE: Elizabeth Carr AM (�81) with the Governor of Western Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Kerry Sanderson AC

It has been an exciting year for Elizabeth Carr AM (�81).

Not only was she elected as Chair of the Board of Governors, where she is the first Old Girl Chair of St Mary’s in its 96 year history, but she was also recognised in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Elizabeth was made a Member in the Order of Australia in recognition of her significant service to the community. As an active member of a number of boards including Department of Family and Community Services NSW, Disabilities NSW, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Environmental Protection Authority, Kokoda Track Foundation, and South Metropolitan TAFE, as well as our own School Board, Elizabeth has always been drawn to the educational sector so she could give back to it. In her comments to The West Australian she said, she volunteered in roles which “gave her goose-bumps” and usually said yes to everything. “I think it is just the way I’ve been brought up with a generosity of spirit and to be involved.” Congratulations on a wonderful achievement, Elizabeth!

Boey-Leng Dellac (Loy �98) married Stephane Dellac at Chateau de Lignan in the south of France in June last year.

RIGHT (L-R): Christina Hui (’98), Drue Babb (’98), Claire Harrison (’98), Boey-Leng Dellac (Loy ’98), Stephane Dellac, Kristin Reading (’98), Lisa De Laurentis (’98) and Peggy Cheung (’98)

News from Old Girls

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CURIOSITY)

LEADS OLD GIRLS D O W N N E W PAT H S

“CURIOSITY IS THE COMPASS THAT LEADS US TO OUR PASSIONS. FOLLOW IT AND YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE CURIOUS.” ANONYMOUS

The diverse paths our Old Girls follow once they leave St Mary’s are often fuelled by wonder and curiosity. Their ability to question, discover and explore the world has opened many doors and given our Old Girls the courage to tackle the unknown. Discover how curiosity played a part in Old Girls, Ashleigh, Megan and Eliza’s lives.

ASHLEIGH GILLON (’98) As a Sky News political reporter and anchor of ‘The Latest’, curiosity is one trait that Ashleigh Gillon (’98) has continued to nurture and exhibit. Since leaving St Mary’s and completing her tertiary studies in Western Australia and then in Boston, Massachusetts, her passion for politics and natural curiosity in each journalistic assignment have led her to report on some of Australia’s and the world’s most pivotal political campaigns and upheavals. Over Ashleigh’s successful career she has covered three federal elections, five federal budgets and elections in all states and territories.

How has curiosity helped you get you to where you are today? In 2007 I put my hand up to cover the federal election campaign which involved working around the clock for six weeks, following the every move of then Prime Minister, John Howard, and Kevin Rudd.

At that time, I was a general news reporter with very little political reporting experience, but I was genuinely curious about the machinations of the various parties, policies and personalities involved in politics. By the end of the campaign I had caught the politics bug well and truly and I moved to Canberra to join the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery, a move which set the rest of my career.

Curiosity is an essential trait for all journalists. Every day I get to indulge my curiosity by constantly researching and learning about new issues and interviewing interesting people from all walks of life. If I’m not genuinely curious about the story I’m covering or the person I’m interviewing, it’s very hard to convince the audience that they should be.

What do you see is the primary challenge for journalism?

The fragmenting of the media landscape offers both challenges and opportunities. One real concern is the major social networking sites distributing content without having to pay the journalists or news organisations that produced it. At the same time, these large internet companies are siphoning advertising revenue from media organisations that do actually pay journalists’ salaries. Media organisations around the world are frantically trying to play catch up by changing their business models, but in the meantime, 36

journalism jobs are being lost, which is a concern for our public discourse and democracy.

What is your fondest memory of your time at St Mary’s?

Sitting out on the grass outside the science department with a big circle of girlfriends every lunchtime. Some of those girls went on to be my bridesmaids and godmothers to my children; they are still among my closest friends.

Who has been your biggest influence? My mum and dad have believed in me and encouraged me every step of the way.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I was recognised as the most outstanding young journalist in the Canberra Press Gallery not long after I had begun political reporting and that gave me a huge confidence boost. Since then I feel very honoured that I have been given the chance to represent my news organisation overseas, covering stories like Donald Trump’s election win from Washington, and other major political stories. I’m also proud of implementing a gender target on the programmes I host to ensure that I have gender balance among the people I choose to interview.

Curiosity leads Old Girls down new paths

Three pieces of advice to current students at St Mary’s: 1. Pursue a job you think you will enjoy. There’s no point doing a course just because you have the marks, or just because your friends are doing it.

In 30 seconds …

2. Study overseas if you get the opportunity. It will open your eyes to the array of opportunities out there. You won’t regret it.

Tertiary education: Bachelor of Marketing and Media (Murdoch University/Boston College), Graduate Diploma in Journalism (Curtin University)

3. Travel extensively in your late teens/20s – careers and children make this far more difficult later on!

Class of: 1998

Current role: Sky News political reporter and anchor of "The Latest" Who would be your dream dinner guest? Hillary Clinton.

Music you are currently listening to?

The Wiggles.

Favourite subject at school? English Literature.

Sum up your experience at St Mary’s in 3 words: Happy. Nurturing.

Empowering.

...Every day I get to indulge my curiosity by constantly researching and learning...

Curiosity leads Old Girls down new paths

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MEGAN TEHNAS (’03) Megan’s curiosity about ancient history and her empathy for past societies was sparked by a trip to Italy when she was aged 11, which led her to an unusual career choice as an archaeologist. She is a heritage consultant in the field of cultural resource management and indigenous archaeology and works with indigenous communities to identify and document places of cultural significance. This information is typically commissioned by mining companies and other developers before they seek approval from the state government to use the land. It largely involves surveying areas to identify, record, and provide management recommendations for any Aboriginal or post-Colonial heritage sites that may exist there.

Megan is interested in approaching heritage with strong consideration for the shared influences of culture, biology and ecology.

How has curiosity helped you get you to where you are today? It has kept my mind open to new experiences and influences. This is pretty important when you’re trying to get into the heads of people who are no longer around and have only left behind a small number of stone tools, maybe a bit of animal bone, and a couple of grams of charcoal! Curiosity in my line of work drives you to understand what your evidence means. For example, what does this collection of artefacts tell me about the people who used this site? What activities were they undertaking, for what reason, and when? What does this suggest about who they were and how they felt about the space they were occupying? Though in Australia we’re working in timescales of up to 65,000 years ago, I find it immensely reassuring to recognise distinctly human actions (such as the milling of flour, or using pads of soft fibrous material to lie on) from pieces of evidence that might look otherwise unremarkable.

Unfortunately, because I really enjoy learning about past people and events, almost everything is interesting and I have to keep myself away from websites like Wikipedia (Wikipedia is not for legit research purposes, gals)!

Was there a defining moment when you decided that archaeology was the pathway you wanted your career to take? Yes and no. I think it was a snowballing series of events. I became interested in classical history as a very young child thanks to my dad and the nightly bedtime stories he read to me. (The “Cairo Jim” series

by Geoffrey McSkimming was a great favourite). When I was 11 my parents took me on a trip to Italy, and we visited Pompeii, an ancient Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash in A.D. 79. The ash layer preserved the city so well that as we walked through the excavated remains I found it remarkably easy to imagine myself living there almost 2,000 years

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earlier. It was a refreshingly vivid, real experience, very different from the glorified spectacle of the Colosseum which we had visited just days earlier.

Here, I could actually picture the people who lived and worked in Pompeii, and was able to deeply empathise with those who did not manage to escape Vesuvius’ eruption. It was there that I decided I was less interested in myths and legends, and far more interested in giving voice to the people whose voices weren’t loud enough, important enough, influential enough, or simply capable of being written down. I cultivated my interest in archaeology over the next few years, and finally did my Year 10 work experience placement at UWA’s Archaeology department. From that point on, I was determined to pursue a career in archaeology.

How do you think St Mary’s prepared you for life after school? I think the most important value I took with me from my time at St Mary’s was the confidence and grit to assert myself as a young female professional in an industry that still sees considerable sexism and racism. I left St Mary’s confident in my abilities and in my resilience.

As a related side note, the hilarious group of girls I was friends with at school are now phenomenal women who continue to inspire and support me, and I owe so much of the person I am today to their influence.

Who has been your biggest influence? My dad. His interest in classical history inspired my own love of learning about the past. We read a lot of books together about the ancient world when I was young, and he enjoyed taking me to visit archaeological sites on our travels overseas. He’s also been working in the WA mining and resources sector as a geologist for nearly 40 years now, and his experiences there helped to prepare me for a career as a CRM archaeologist

Curiosity leads Old Girls down new paths

...the most important value I took with me from my time at St Mary’s was the confidence and grit to assert myself as a young female professional... in the same sector. His thoughts and expertise are immeasurably valuable to me.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Finishing my Master’s degree whilst working full-time.

I undertook it via coursework so that I was able to study a range of subjects, and I took the opportunity to challenge myself in areas I was never academically strong in. (I thought I’d never use what I learned in Chemistry or Year 12 Maths again, but I was thankful that I did, and remembered enough of it, during my geomorphology class!)

Three pieces of advice to current students at St Mary’s: 1. Your Year 12 exams aren’t the end point of your education. They’re a gateway to further learning opportunities, from which there will be multiple paths to get you to where you want to be.

2. View every setback, disappointment and failure as a positive challenge to learn and grow. Just take some time to reflect on what you’ve already managed to achieve, and how you could approach your hill next time - or as we say in my workplace how can we do this more “betterer”?

3. Be kind to yourself. You’re a lot more awesome than you give yourself credit for!

In 30 seconds …

Class of: 2003 Tertiary education: Bachelor of Arts (UWA - 2006); Bachelor of Arts with Honours (University of New England - 2007); Master of Archaeological Science (The Australian National University – 2014) Current role: Compliance Manager at Terra Rosa Consulting (but I usually just tell people I’m an archaeologist).

Who would be your dream dinner guest? Mary Leakey, who was a palaeoanthropologist, who spent much of her career unearthing fossils and stone tools belonging to our early human ancestors.

Favourite subject at school? Art and History.

Curiosity leads Old Girls down new paths

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ELIZA STRIBLING (’12) Eliza is an artist, designer and creator. Since leaving St Mary’s she moved to Melbourne to study Communication Design, and is now a product designer at MYOB. In 2016 she was jointly awarded the Helen Judge Art Award, which may have come as a surprise to many of her former St Mary’s teachers as Eliza was not an art student at school. In her first year out of school she found herself in a course she didn’t love and so instead of studying, reading lecture notes or doing assignment research, she started to work on her art. It was around this time that Eliza came across a quote by artist and letterer, Jessica Hische, who said, “the work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life”.

That mindset opened her eyes and she realised she needed to follow her dream.

How has curiosity helped you get you to where you are today? Without curiosity and a willingness to explore, I would never have gotten to where I am today. I moved to Melbourne a year after finishing school to study design, which was a completely new experience for me. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to find or where I was going to end up, but that openness has allowed me to learn more and do more than I ever knew was out there.

How do you believe St Mary’s nurtured your curious mind? St Mary’s helped me to be curious simply because there was a huge amount of opportunity for exploration. I think the variety of classes that I took in my earlier years definitely nurtured my curiosity, as well as the great trips and different learning experiences that being at a school like St Mary’s allowed.

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How do you think St Mary’s prepared you for life after school? Coming from St Mary’s gave me a great base to be strong in my convictions. I left school unafraid of trying new things or things I might not be ‘supposed’ to do as a girl. Being around so many other women and being encouraged to be myself in that environment meant that now I am out in the ‘real world’, I am more determined and have belief in my own ideas.

I am now working in User Experience (UX) which involves researching what users want and need, and then designing products to make the tasks they have to do to achieve this as easy as possible. I have learnt a lot and already I’ve helped design a system that is being pushed into production.

Five years ago, when I was in Year 12, I never would have imagined that this is where I would be now. I didn’t study art or IT, but I still managed to get here by figuring out what I enjoyed and following that path as best I could.

I think it is important for all girls to continue to follow their passions and be determined in achieving their goals. There are very viable careers in the arts, and there are career options beyond what you may think of today.

What is your fondest memory of your time at St Mary’s?

My fondest memories of school all revolve around the friendships I made there. We had some incredible experiences together whilst at school, but the times I spent at lunchtime out on the oval or in the Year 12 courtyard are the ones I cherish the most.

Who has been your biggest influence? Obviously, my parents’ guidance has had a massive influence on me.

They have always encouraged hard work and doing my best, and having their support has allowed me to explore and try things without having to worry. I know I’m incredibly privileged in this position, and it’s something I’m very thankful for.

Curiosity leads Old Girls down new paths

St Mary’s helped me to be curious simply because there was a huge amount of opportunity for exploration.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of my acceptance into design school.

Art was not something I studied at St Mary’s and I was unsure at the time, but my portfolio and interview went well so I was able to study something that I’m incredibly passionate about. I’m very proud that I was able to achieve this, and to move to Melbourne to study by myself. It was all a great adventure, and one that I am also very lucky to have had the ability to experience.

Three pieces of advice to current students at St Mary’s: 1. Always be learning. It doesn’t have to be formal education, but trying to learn something new every day is the most important thing for keeping yourself happy and engaged.

2. You can always change your mind, and life is iterative. You have a lot of time ahead of you to try different things so just go ahead and do what feels right now. If it stops feeling right then try something else. The world is growing and changing so dramatically, you never know what’s going to be out there when you’re ready for it.

3. Believe in yourself. You have an incredible start in life already but working hard and backing your ideas are so important to getting wherever you want to go.

In 30 seconds …

Class of: 2012 Tertiary education: Bachelor of Communication Design (Monash University) Current role: Product Designer at MYOB Favourite subject at school? History Sum up your experience at St Mary’s in 3 words: Varied. Supportive. Friendship.

Curiosity leads Old Girls down new paths

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A R C H I VA L A N E C D O T E S

DRAW THE SOUND OF THE BELLS)

FAR LEFT: Year 5 at the Duyfken 1606 Replica at Elizabeth Quay LEFT (L-R): Zoe Baldwin and Grace Torre at St Mary's Church, West Perth

“BE CURIOUS ABOUT HISTORY … BE HISTORY DETECTIVES … LET’S WALKABOUT OUR HISTORY … OUT WITH THE SPY GLASS AND INTO THE PAST WE GO!” THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MANY CATCHPHRASES I USE TO ENGAGE THE YEAR 3S AS THEY COMMENCE THE ST MARY’S PAST AND PRESENT PROGRAMME.

Part of the programme includes learning about the history of the Chapel of St Mary and the Chapel Gardens. Obscured from view in the bell tower of the gardens is our Chapel bell, named Annie. Originally cast in 1891 in Croydon England, it was donated by the York Bellringers Society in memorial to Old Girl, Dana Weeks (’91). Producing a high, sweet tone, Annie is rung to notify of and call to Chapel services. Other bells that date from before the 14th century in St Martin-in-the-Fields and rang out with the departure of Captain James Cook from England, created a joyous and reflective moment for the Year 5s on their Heritage excursion to Perth city.

“Draw how the sound of the bells makes you feel … draw the sound of the bells.” These were the words of Marie McNeil, Junior School Art Specialist, when the Year 5s were listening to the Swan Bells ring out over Elizabeth Quay. After asking a very helpful construction worker to down his drilling tools so the girls could hear the bells clearly, I was astounded how the city air, normally jammed with traffic noise and the buzz of a busy metropolis, became still and filled with the ringing of the bells and the echoing response of the surrounding birds.

The girls drew their reaction to the sound of the bells and went on to play with the chain of Love Locks on the bridges across the water to the Swan Bell Tower. Lead by Richard Offen and Joy Lefroy from Heritage Perth, the girls also sketched the Duyfken 1606 Replica docked at Elizabeth Quay and conducted interpretive visits to the Supreme Court, Cathedral Square and the surrounding gardens and heritage buildings. With memorable storytelling, the intergration of art, music, biology, geography and history, what could have been a very traditional excursion became an exciting journey through the very early settlement of the Colony in Western Australia.

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Archival Anecdotes

The core of this excursion derived from a professional development weekend in March of this year, when a range of teachers, historians and art specialists came together for the Draw On Our Heritage course.

Organised by Heritage Perth, Marie McNeil and I presented the many Junior School interpretive HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences), and art programmes conducted at St Mary’s. Highlighting the Rose Window Project, heritage dolls, rose tea cups, foldout heritage story books, visits to St Mary’s West Perth and heritage trails, the school’s programmes were of great interest to the group.

One of the key areas of focus for the group was how to make history come alive, which is always a challenge in an educational setting. Surrounded by stories and objects from the past, a past that is often filled with the worst of human behaviour and natural disasters, it is up to educators to intertwine the wonderful stories of adventure and ideas leading to discovery, amongst the truth of events and concepts.

Learning from the past is essential to our future, as Robert Penn Warren, the American poet and novelist wrote: “History cannot give us a programme for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”

The School is looking forward to celebrating its Centenary Birthday in 2021, reflecting on its history and achievements, but also projecting its traditions and ideas into the future. The Marlene Carter Heritage Centre will be central to these celebrations, but its primary role will not just be as a store for the Archives collection and school records, but also as a base on which to ground the sense of place and belonging in the School, and to help shape its path for the future.

Stephanie Neille Archivist

ABOVE: Margaret Draper with Ping the Pekinese in a St Mary's hat c1960s, from Simon Draper

ABOVE: St Mary's Church West Perth left, from Mary Callaghan (Fitzgerald ’67)

DONATIONS THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE FROM THE ST MARY’S COMMUNITY WHO HAVE DONATED TO THE ARCHIVES, VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND KNOWLEDGE TO THE PROCESSING OF NEWS-CLIPPINGS AND PHOTOS, ASSISTED RONDA BECK WITH THE ORAL HISTORY PROGRAMME AND THE CENTENARY LIST OF STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND LOANED THEIR PRECIOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR THE ‘MUSIC AT ST MARY’S’ DISPLAY.

yy Robin Newman for Joan Taylor (Newbery ’30, Head Girl) yy Ruth Phelps (Rowell ’62) for Ruth Rowell (Robinson ’32) yy Elaine Hardie (Davis ’33) yy Lorrie Maley (Rowledge ’33) yy Robin Creyke and Michael Walters for Molly Walters (Riley ’37, Head Girl) yy Betty Marmion (Ramm ’47) yy Ray Hyslop for Helen Hyslop (Judge ’50, Head Girl) yy Ann Harper (’57) yy Jennifer Pohl (Kirby ’61) yy Dianne Marshall (Hooper ’62) yy Marlene Carter (’63) yy Diana King (’63, Head Girl), and for Julie King (’71) yy Jan Ring (Hatfield ’64) yy Margaret Lutz (Prichard ’66) yy Lynne Malone (Eakins ’66) yy Margaret Tasker (Spark ’66) yy Margaret Bell (Mooney ’67) yy Mary Callaghan (Fitzgerald ’67) yy Class of 1967 yy Pam Mann (Beard ’67) yy Barbara Kerr (’69) yy Yvonne Dean (McCumiskey ’71) yy Jaye Modra (Penny ’71) yy Judy Wilson (’72)

yy Janet Lankester (’76), and for Carolynne Ogden (Lankester ’72) yy Diana (Di) Jackson (Haddon ’80) yy Jane Crisp (Cyprian ’81) yy Louise Richardson (Kelly ’85) yy Class of 1986 yy Nicolle Parker (Edmunds ’88), and for Georgie Parker (’16) yy Daina De Mattia (Gale ’90) yy Claire Humphrey (Strickland ’98), and for Lila Strickland (Patton ’68) yy Ashley Arbuckle, current student yy Eric Barlette, current staff and parent yy Ann Boyer, former staff yy Di Casserly, current staff yy Dave Darby, current staff yy Angela Deeks, former staff yy Simon Draper for Margaret Rose Draper, former boarding house staff yy Vicki Hearne, former staff and parent yy Kerryn and Peter Mead, former staff and parents yy Clinton Palmer, current staff and parent yy Rev Joyce Polson, current Chaplain Emeritus yy Saskia Pope, current student yy Middy Redenbach, wife of Campbell E. Redenbach, former member of the Board of Governors yy Lorraine Ree, current staff and parent

Archival Anecdotes

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VALE

IT IS WITH SADNESS THAT WE RECORD THE DEATHS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE ST MARY’S COMMUNITY.

MOLLY WALTERS (RILEY ’37, HEAD GIRL AND DUX) 16 JULY 1920 – 14 AUGUST 2017

Molly was the elder daughter of Bishop Riley, the founder of our School. Living in the rectory at West Perth, her early life was centred around the Parish Church and the School.

Molly began at the School in 1926 – and obviously enjoyed her student days. Her school days would have been very full – she was involved in drama, loved drawing (received a distinction in her Leaving exam).

She played hockey and tennis – she was still playing tennis when she was 70 years of age! Her last year at school saw her become Head Girl in 1937.

Her loyalty to the School was shown by her joining the Old Girls’ Association in 1938; becoming a donor when the School began to move out to Karrinyup; supporting the establishment of the Dannatt Bursary; and donating various documents to the Archives Centre.

Molly attended the many events at the School – always keen to hear and see how the students were getting on, and enjoying time spent with the Year 4s telling them about her school days.

Not many know that when she was nearly 70 Molly decided to go to university – she wanted to do anthropology. For many years Molly and her husband Mick, had lived in Africa and she felt she had a good understanding of the people, so that would stand her in good stead. However, when interviewed, her professor pointed her towards doing psychology, which to the delight of family and friends saw her obtaining her degree a few years later.

My friendship with Molly began with a meeting with her in the Rectory at Applecross in 1957. On leave from Africa she stayed with her brother, Bill. I was working in the parish as a Deaconess. When she and Bill finally returned from Africa they lived in the cottage at Watermans Bay, which had been built many years before by Bishop Riley as a holiday home.

L-R: Molly with her sister, Joan (Riley ’42), brother Charles and mother, Lucille

It was there that I renewed my friendship, having breakfast with her on a Sunday morning; dropping in to tell her news of the School and enjoying her company.

Molly was one of those amazing people who always had a smile and a hug for those who visited her. In all the years I never heard her speak a bad word about anyone.

Molly’s life was not an easy one. In her childhood during the Depression, as with many church families at the time, they struggled to make ends meet.

During the war, her fiancé was sent overseas, and her father was also at Tobruk as an army chaplain; and communication was difficult.

Molly and Mick had two children, Robin and Michael.

Because of the unrest in Kenya, they felt it would be better for Robin to come back to Australia. The only School with boarding facilities for a 6-year-old was Perth College, which became Robin’s home. It was very hard, as Molly commented – the only contact could be by mail, and that was not always possible, so meetings were only possible when she and Mick had leave.

Molly had asked that we sing the School hymn at her funeral. And I can think of no words that could sum up her life better than ‘Life’s work more nobly wrought, life’s race more bravely run, life’s daily conflict faced and fought, life’s duty done’.

Reverend Joyce Polson

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Vale

JOAN WINTER (LAWLEY-SMITH ‘40)

PETER MOUNTFORD

6 MAY 1923 – 10 APRIL 2017

7 JULY 1953 – 3 OCTOBER 2017

Joan grew up in Claremont and attended St Mary’s in West Perth between 1936 and 1939.

She married Olympic High Jump champion, Peter Winter, in 1949.

Peter was something of a trailblazer at St Mary’s — one of the first, if not THE first, male teacher. I was Head of the Science Department at the time when Peter came in as a science teacher, in particular, a physics and chemistry teacher. He therefore arrived in 1983 as something of a curiosity, and no one was sure what passed as appropriate dress for a male teacher.

Peter set the standard – rain, hail or shine, he wore shorts, collared shirt and, if he had to, a tie. This was how he felt most comfortable.

Joan was a regular attendee at Old Girls’ events and especially enjoyed the reunions at West Perth. She was a wonderful supporter of the School over many years, supporting fundraising campaigns and contributing school memorabilia to the Archives.

Our sincere condolences to Joan’s family including her granddaughter, Kate Winter (’97).

PETER ATKINS 13 SEPTEMBER 1927 – 31 JULY 2017

Mr Atkins was a member of the Board of Governors between 1955 and 1982. During that time, he served as Vice Chairman for sixteen years (1957-1962 and 1971-1982) and Chairman between 1962 and 1971. As Chairman, Mr Atkins played an integral role in acquiring the land for and developing St Mary’s at Karrinyup.

Mr Atkins established the St Mary’s Foundation in the early 1980s, a forerunner to the St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Foundation, with the sole aim of supporting students whose families encountered financial difficulties.

I don’t think I have worked with a more dedicated teacher. Teaching was Peter’s life, and his students meant everything to him. He was stern, he was uncompromising, but the learning of his students was what he cared most about. He did not believe that his students could not succeed. Every girl could succeed in chemistry or physics given a willingness to do the work he asked of them.

I know several teachers who taught with Peter at Mercedes, where he was Head of Science from 1999.

They spoke similarly about his dedication to the school and his students, trying to keep going when his health was clearly failing. His contribution to the science education of students in this state spanned four decades, and future students will be poorer for his loss.

Shelley Yeo

He retained a great interest in the School in later life, regularly attending the High Flyers and 400 Club assemblies at the beginning of each year.

Mr Atkins has been an important part of St Mary’s history. We are pleased that his family’s ties continue, with his two granddaughters attending our school.

Our heartfelt condolences to Elizabeth and family.

Lynne Thomson

Vale

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ALSO AVAILABLE St Mary's Memories book $25 Stemmed wine glasses (pair) ROYAL DOULTON SIGNATURE PLATINUM TEA CUP, SAUCER AND PLATE GIFT SET We are pleased to offer Old Girls the opportunity to purchase their own little piece of OGA history with the OGA’s 90th Anniversary Royal Doulton fine china Signature Platinum teasets. Each set includes a tea cup, saucer and side plate presented in a lovely gift box. $48 each

Enjoy

Silver Fleur de lis charm Silver Fleur de lis charm with chain Gold Fleur de lis charm St Mary’s Fleur de lis key ring To purchase any of the OGA Memorabilia please contact us: oga@stmarys.wa.edu.au or via phone: (08) 9341 9132 or www.trybooking.com/GZDA

this Christmas

What better way to celebrate than with a glass of St Mary’s Frankie’s Folly Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon?

The wines are made from grapes grown at the St Mary’s at Metricup vineyard in the heart of the Margaret River wine region and are produced by award-winning winery, Redgate Wines.

2016 Chardonnay

$10 per bottle ($120 per carton)

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon $12 per bottle ($144 per carton)

To place your order, please visit www.frankiesfolly.com.au or telephone (08) 9341 9105.

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$30 $25 $35 $175 $10

CELEBRATING 2 01 7 M O M E N T S

ST MARY’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL INCORPORATED 75 Elliott Road Karrinyup Western Australia PO Box 105 Karrinyup WA 6921 TELEPHONE: (08) 9341 9111 FACSIMILE: (08) 9341 9222 WEBSITE: www.stmarys.wa.edu.au CRICOS Number 00454C

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