FEATURE: DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

DOING THINGS

As COVID-19 cases climbed in Western Australia throughout DIFFERENTLY Term 1, so too did the number of restrictions imposed on our school in a bid to keep students safe. Things may have looked and felt a little different on campus, but the essence of life at St Mary’s was far from lost, thanks to the ingenuity of our staff and student leaders. The following pages are dedicated to celebrating the ways in which they adapted, pivoted and reimagined ways of doing things during a period of great change.

CHAPEL

Chapel is such a significant aspect of life at St Mary’s, and thus, finding a way to maintain the School’s strong tradition of worship sat atop the priority list when increasing restrictions were introduced throughout Term 1. At first, Fr Richard Pengelley pre-recorded short messages for our students. However, when it became apparent that inperson gatherings would not be possible for some time, we quickly transitioned to live-streamed chapel services, with one class of students attending chapel, while others observed them virtually while social distancing in classrooms. In many ways, these online worship opportunities were the glue that held the school together throughout this trying period. They offered our staff and students opportunities to cast their thoughts beyond Western Australia’s pandemic dilemma and think of those enduring war in Ukraine or the devastating floods in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Our student leaders were extremely resourceful throughout this challenging phase. The prefects produced, filmed and edited videos for students to enjoy in lieu of whole-school assemblies and introduced a fun ‘Friday Music’ initiative, which had students dancing their way into the weekend. Head Girl, Menaaz Khan, also devised an ingenious way to connect with the students through ‘Menaaz’s Monday Message’, a weekly soundbite delivered to the girls via their notices. “’MMM’ has been one of the ways that I have been able to communicate with the girls. I tried to have a bit of fun with it, like running mini competitions, while also delivering an inspirational or uplifting message to get the week off to a good start,” Menaaz said.

CONNECTING WITH PARENTS

St Mary’s parents have always been a cornerstone of our community, so that is why the school did not feel whole during a period when parents were scarcely seen on campus. Fortunately, the school found alternative ways to maintain connections with our much-loved parents, including virtual Parents’ Society meetings, wellbeing webinars and online parent-teacher meetings, which allowed our boarding parents to participate at the same time as our day girl parents. We also ensured that they did not miss their daughters’ athletic feats by live-streaming our Senior School and Junior School Interhouse Swimming Carnivals, so that they could cheer on the girls from the comfort of their office or living rooms.

THE ARTS

Our Music Department was among the hardest hit following the introduction of restrictions that prevented the mixing of students from different year groups and prohibited choirs and orchestras from meeting in-person for rehearsals and performances. This, as you can imagine, threw a spanner in the works regarding many facets the department’s operations and put a line through all concerts planned for Term 1. Rather than lament their predicament, our staff and students chose to focus on the possibilities, not the constraints, and brainstormed innovative ways to work through the situation at hand. Under the guidance of the School’s new Director of Music, Jodie Upton, the students transitioned to smaller, year-based ensembles. While this threw up some challenges at first, the girls embraced opportunities to play different instruments or take a lead role when they would normally not. The department also leaned on our wonderful Performing Arts Centre staff to reimagine one of the School’s favourite concerts, our Year 11 and 12 Music Showcase. Instead of performing in front of a live audience, the students had their performances professionally filmed and recorded for viewing at a later date. This was also the case for Senior Interhouse Drama. Our Year 12 girls’ inspiring performances were recorded and sent to students via ClickView. Another silver lining to come out of the term was the creation of a temporary recording and mixing studio in one of the School’s music practice rooms, which was led by new St Mary’s staffer, Grant Windsor, a world-renowned pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. The temporary studio, which allows for the recording and composition of electronic music, has been a huge hit and the Music Department is now exploring the possibility of building a permanent studio next year.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

St Mary’s prides itself on broadening its students’ learning experiences by providing them with opportunities to venture beyond the classroom and participated in a range of outdoor education activities and camps. When the School learned that traditional camps were no longer possible in Term 1, it sought to deliver them differently. Instead of staying overnight at regional venues, our students participated in a series of day trips that incorporated all the activities that they would have otherwise enjoyed. Our Year 6 students journeyed to the Swan Valley Adventure Centre in February to test their skills at the facility’s adventure course, try their hand at a spot of canoeing and enjoy a variety of water activities, while our Year 9s visited a host of inspiring locations across the Perth Hills over a two-week period. They enjoyed canoeing on the Swan River, climbing and abseiling at Statham Quarry, hiking a section of the Bibbulmun Track, mountain biking through Jane Brook and much more.

SPORT

The pandemic threatened to rain on St Mary’s sporting parade, but our quick-thinking Physical Education staff found a way to run some of the School’s most popular interhouse events. Both our Senior and Junior School Interhouse Swimming Carnivals went ahead, albeit in modified formats. The Senior School event was held over two days, with Years 10 to 12 students competing on 11 February and Years 7 to 9 girls fighting it out to decide the title the following day. Similarly, our Junior School Interhouse Swimming Carnival was split in two, with our Years 4 to 6 girls battling it out for the shield in the morning before our younger students enjoyed a fun-filled event in the afternoon. Our Senior School Interhouse Cross Country also took on a new look, with girls setting off in year-group waves throughout the morning of 29 March.