Fideliter June 2013

June 2013 S t M a r y ’s A n g l i c a n G i r l s ’ S c h o o l P P N u m b e r 6 6 5 0 0 2 / 0 0 0 8 9

FIDELITER Making Connections Big Sister: Little Sister Programme

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3 P r i n c i pa l’ s R e p o r t 4 C h ap l a i n ’ s R e p o r t School News 5 Meet the Board of Governors From the Foundation Making Connections Joan Karmelita Deputy Principal / Dean of Students Congratulations Year 1s Visit the Library with Year 7 Friends

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Senior School News Destinations of the Class of 2012 WACE Results Meet our Head Girl, Lianne Leung Meet our exchange teacher, Kelly Winkelhake The Year 11 Project - Stirling Women’s Refuge Botswana Trip Cooking for India Relay for Life Music Under the Stars - Starry Starry Night Harmony Day

Anglicare Ambassadors Teleaha Bonney - Vice Chairman of Future Footprints Scott Neeson visits St Mary’s Year 7 Commissioning Lasting Friendships formed at the 2013 Big Sister: Little Sister activity afternoon

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JUNior School News Crazy Hair Day Parkerville Children’s Home Easter Egg Drive Year 4 Excursion of Discovery Pre-Primary’s Messy Mud Day Year 6 “Getting to Know You Week” Junior School gets Physical Year 6 Captains

3 1 Ou t an d A b o u t 34 A r c h i va l A n e c d o t e s 3 6 O l d G i r l s ’ A ss o c i at i o n 3 7 E v e n t s , R e un i o ns an d N e w s 38 News From Old Girls 4 3 Va l e

F i d e l i t e r i nf o r mat i o n 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 fascimile: (08) 9341 9222 email: stmarys@stmarys.wa.edu.au editors: Robyn Birkin and Hayley Macdonald design and production: Dessein

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P r i n c i pa l’ s R e p o r t St Mary’s has a strong culture of not only making, but maintaining, connections with people. There is a deep and genuine sense of belonging and giving associated with our community. For instance, the Board of Governors has, for the first time, recognised two outstanding members of our community – Les Hearn and Lady Treatt. They have been named Honorary Members for Life of St Mary’s in recognition of their outstanding role in supporting and developing the school over a long period of time. Their connection to St Mary’s has changed our school so much for the better.

A staff member who epitomises St Mary’s is Lynne Malone who has been a student (Eakins ’66, House Captain of Riley), parent and staff member (1987-2013) at St Mary’s. As a teacher at the school, Mrs Malone has been Head of Riley, Head of Year 9, and in 2011 she retired from the position of Editor of Almerta, having taken on that role for 21 years. Amazingly, Mrs Malone has attended more than 40 Speech Nights! At the end of Term 1, Mrs Malone retired from her position as the Head of Technology and Enterprise which she has held since Semester 2, 2001. While Mrs Malone is still doing some teaching, her role in the school has changed significantly. What has not changed, though, is her belief in St Mary’s and her love of Riley House!

One of the joys of my role is to reconnect with St Mary’s Old Girls. An occasion which was great fun recently was at Christmas time when a group of young Old Girls were holidaying in New York and we gathered for breakfast at the Harvard Club. Just hearing about what has happened since they left school, the courses they are studying, the jobs they are commencing and the highs and lows along the way, brings home that they are no longer teenagers, but outstanding young women. The stories of Old Girls in this issue of Fideliter - those of Jan Stewart, Jaya Vasandani, Anna Johnson, Brittany Moxham and Amy Stenning – also inspire us all to go out and connect to the wider world, take a risk and make a meaningful contribution.

development in their lives has been remarkable. There are many current students and Old Girls who come through her door to seek advice and to rekindle links with her – they know that she has played an integral role for them during their teenage years.

While Lianne Leung, our Head Girl for 2013, has promoted the colour orange in a big way this year, I was so proud of Craig House and the way in which purple reigned at school for Purple Bra Day. This is a wonderful example of how St Mary’s makes connections outside our school gates. Meredith Wright many years ago brought Purple Bra Day to St Mary’s. We have since become the school that is the biggest fundraiser for this event in WA and Craig House did us proud.

Over the years, our boarders have been great contributors to this event too, and when speaking of connections, there are probably none stronger than those made in the boarding house.

Just before sending this piece to print, I attended an evening chapel service at which some of our girls were baptised, admitted to communion or confirmed. In the group were also two Old Girls and a 90 year old parent and grandparent of St Mary’s – John Parker. The Bishop, Tom Wilmot was there to preside, along with Reverend Gerry and Reverend Joyce. Here was an occasion when members of our wider community turned to the school to affirm their Christian faith. It was an emotional evening.

The connections that we make locally and internationally help form who we are. They give us a context in which to live, develop us as people and enrich our lives. I am so pleased that St Mary’s plays an important part in this.

This issue of Fideliter features an article on Joan Karmelita in her role of Deputy Principal and Dean of Students. The connections that Ms Karmelita has made with girls in various stages of

Mrs Lynne Thomson Principal

Mr Les Hearn

Lady Treatt

Les Hearn, a past parent, served on the Board of Governors from 1975 until 2001, and for twelve of those years he served as Chairman, during which time St Mary’s underwent significant building developments. Mr Hearn was instrumental in the establishment of the Foundation and continues to be a committed supporter of its work, contributing to every school fundraising campaign over the last 25 years. The high esteem in which Mr Hearn is held is reflected in the naming of Hearn Hall in 2011.

Lady Treatt (Frankie Wilson ’32) has been an exceptional benefactor to St Mary’s since 2001. Her donations have helped to fund the Lady Treatt Centre for Music and Dance and her contribution to the development of St Mary’s at Metricup: The Lady Treatt Centre for Learning and Leadership is unparalleled. Lady Treatt has a deep and ongoing interest in the school, the students, and in particular, the continuing development of Metricup.

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p r i n c i pa l ' s r e p o r t

C h ap l a i n ’ s R e p o r t Ca r i ng f o r t h e F l o c k Pastoral Care is one of the core activities of a priest. The word “pastoral” is derived from the Latin “pastoralis” meaning shepherd, and the term Pastoral Care has its roots in the Jewish/Christian tradition, derived from the biblical image of God as a shepherd, caring for the flock In Christianity this is given a particular focus in Jesus who is portrayed as the Good Shepherd, the one who reached out to people from all walks of life in their deepest needs. This image of shepherd is picked up by those who minister in the Christian Church and the crosier (crook) that a Bishop carries is a symbol of Bishop Kay Goldsworthy the role a bishop has as shepherd to his or her flock. The crosier is pointed at the base to symbolise the responsibility of the bishop to prod the spiritually indolent and the crook at the top is a symbol of the role of the bishop to draw back those who stray from the faith, just as a shepherd draws back the sheep who wander too far from the fold. As well as being a rod to prod or punish the wayward, the crosier is also seen as a staff for leading the faithful.

A priest’s ministry is considered to be a part of the Bishop’s ministry, receiving a licence from the Bishop to minister in his or her diocese. However, we do not get a crosier which I must say, would come in very handy for a school chaplain, who has over a thousand students in her charge and encounters a few lost sheep as she goes about her daily work.

St Mary’s is an Anglican school and the model of Pastoral Care for our ministry is distinctively Anglican. The unifying link between the Churches of the Anglican Communion has been The Book of Common Prayer 1662. The Book of Common Prayer makes provision for the total life of a person with a cradle-tograve care of the person at all of the ‘wonder moments’ of life:

Chaplain's Report

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baptism at birth, catechesis for the young, confirmation for those who are ready to take adult responsibility, matrimony for those who want to form a family of their own, visitation for those who are sick, and burial for the dead. The contact with the church for these liturgies and participation in them is a vital part of Christian pastoral care but they also serve as a reminder that the church is there alongside a person at all stages of life’s journey (Sykes & Booty 1988).

Pastoral care for a priest, as well as leading the liturgy, involves a range of helping acts that include listening, supporting, comforting, friendship, nurturing, spiritual feeding, leading, and providing practical assistance; with the purpose of healing, sustaining and guiding people, and reconciling the troubled in the context of their spiritual wellbeing. It involves the spiritual, psychological and physical well-being of the community, as well as individuals. No mean task! However, the priest does not exercise pastoral ministry alone. The modern practice is to see it as a shared task amongst the members of the community; we all care for one another. In a Christian school, pastoral care should be a partnership between chaplain, staff, students, parents, church and the wider community, to nurture the holistic development of all members of the school community.

In recent times, pastoral care has been linked to secular methods of counselling and the behavioural sciences, often losing its Christian understanding. In the Christian community, pastoral care has the resources of theology, worship and prayer on which to draw. People cannot and do not live in a values vacuum and every expression of pastoral care emerges from a value stance and a particular philosophical position, so our challenge as an Anglican School is to remain faithful to the principles and beliefs on which St Mary’s is built.

The Reverend Geraldine Nixon School Chaplain

Meet the Board of Governors Mr Ian Curlewis - Chairman

Ian is a lawyer who has been practising in workplace relations for over thirty years. He particularly advises and represents schools, TAFEs and universities in all aspects of their operations including the development of policies, affirmative action issues and workplace safety.

Ian’s daughter, Sarah, is a member of the Class of 2007.

Mrs Jane Gillon - Vice Chairman

Jane Gillon (Fisher ’70) has had a career in marketing, and later lent her expertise to the industry as a lecturer, as well as teaching in senior schools for a number of years. Jane has served on the committees of the Parents’ Society and Ladies’ Auxiliary, and was awarded Honorary Life Member of the Parents’ Society in 1999. She has been a member of the OGA Committee since 1987, and was President between 1999-2007 and again from 2009-2010. She was made an Honorary Life Member of the OGA in 2006. Jane has also served on the St Mary’s Board of Management (Foundation).

Jane’s daughter, Ashleigh, is a member of the Class of 1998.

Mr Simon Green - Treasurer

Simon is a chartered accountant, and currently the General Manager, Finance, for Iluka Resources. Prior to this, he worked for 20 years for Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Birmingham (UK) and Perth. Simon has extensive experience working with boards and audit committees, and has been a parish councillor at St Nicholas Church Carine-Duncraig since 2001.

Mr Carmelo Arto - Parents’ Society Representative

Carmelo is the Parents’ Society representative on the Board. He was Vice President of the Meerilinga Young Children’s Foundation and past President of the University of Western Australia MBA Student and the Alumni Association. Carmelo holds a senior management position in the resource sector. Carmelo is currently President of the St Mary’s Parents’ Society.

He has two daughters in Junior School.

Mr Peter Browne

Peter Browne retired as Director General of Education in 2001. He was appointed Adjunct Professor at Curtin University in August of that year and continued in that role before moving to BHP Billiton Iron Ore as Education Consultant in 2005. Peter currently manages the BHPBIO Pilbara education partnerships in the Pilbara involving six schools in Port Hedland and three in Newman.

Ms Elizabeth Carr

Elizabeth is an Old Girl of the school (’81). Her skills incorporate both the private and public sectors having worked for IBM, Macquarie Group, and Department of State Development WA. She has undertaken a Masters degree at Harvard University, specialising in issues of governance, accountability and strategic policy. Elizabeth is the Chair of the Macular Degeneration Foundation and a non-Executive Board member for the Environmental Protection Authority (WA), The Safety, Return to Work and Support Board (NSW), Kambala School for Girls (NSW), the Kokoda Track Foundation and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mrs Jane Crisp - Old Girls’ Representative

Jane Crisp (Cyprian ’81) is the current President of the Old Girls’ Association. Jane is a qualified accountant and worked for a number of years at the Australian Taxation Office. She was a boarder at St Mary’s from 1978 - 1981. Jane’s elder daughter, Sarah, graduated with the Class of 2009, and Emma is in Year 10 at St Mary’s.

Professor Desiree Silva

Desiree is a paediatrician and has been appointed Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Western Australia and Joondalup Health Campus. She also works for the Rural Paediatric Service. Desiree is committed to research work in improving child mental health and aboriginal health. Her daughter, Danella, is a member of the Class of 2010.

Mr George Turnbull

George has been a practising lawyer since 1973 and is the current Director of Legal Aid for Western Australia. Before taking up this position, he was the Director of the Victorian Office of the Australian Government Solicitor, and was previously Director of the New South Wales and South Australian Offices. George’s eldest daughter, Lucy, was Head Girl of St Mary’s in 2008, and his youngest daughter, Ruby is currently in Year 12.

Mr Roger Veary

A retired senior executive, Roger brings extensive board and council membership experience to St Mary’s. Roger is a Fellow of the Society of Certified Practising Accountants, a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors and has years of high level business experience in both Australia and South Africa.

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School News

F r o m t h e F o un d at i o n The Bishop Riley Society – Remembering St Mary’s in your will This year the Foundation has established the Bishop Riley Society to honour those members of our community who have chosen to remember St Mary’s in their will.

The Society is named after St Mary’s founder, first Principal and first Chairman of the Board of Governors, Bishop CL (Tom) Riley CBE MA LLB DTh, in honour of his vision for and lifelong service to St Mary’s.

Marlene Carter (’63), a Trustee of the Foundation, is the inaugural Chair of the Bishop Riley Society. “Bequests are a particularly special kind of gift as they reflect a shared commitment to ensuring the school flourishes in the future,” says Marlene. “We believe it is important to recognise and thank those who have made a bequest during their lifetime.”

The Society will enable those who have made a bequest to become more closely involved with the life of the school, through school and private Society events. The first Society event will be held towards the end of this year.

Over the years the special commitment shown by people who have left a bequest, both large and small, has enabled St Mary’s to fund scholarships and support facilities and resources. St Mary’s received its first bequest from the Estate of Sir John Winthrop Hackett in the late 1920s. This bequest, provided annually over many years, ensured the school’s survival as it struggled to establish itself. More recently, St Mary’s was a beneficiary of the Estates of past parents, Sir Thomas and Lady Wardle, who helped to fund the Lady Wardle Performing Arts Centre. Two Old Girls who have established Scholarships through bequests are profiled below.

If you would like to find out more about how to make a bequest, please contact Linzey Allinson, Community Relations Manager, on (08) 9341 9120 or lallinson@stmary.wa.edu.au

INAUGuRAL DEBORAH COOK NURSING SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2013 ESMEE BYATT SCHOLAR

The inaugural Deborah Cook Scholarship for Nursing has been awarded to Tayla Carruthers (’11), who is in her second year of nursing at Notre Dame University.

“My time at university has been rewarding and challenging. I’ve worked at the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home, a general practitioners clinic and spent several weeks on the wards at Joondalup Hospital. It’s through these placements that I’ve learnt the impact and power nurses have to vastly improve another’s well-being.”

Tayla plans to use the Scholarship to help fund her travel costs to assist with aid work in either a developing country or remote Australia.

This Scholarship was made possible by a bequest from Deborah Cook (Parker ’29, Head Girl) and the St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Foundation.

Deborah was a committed supporter of St Mary’s, even travelling from Sydney to the Metricup Opening Concert in 2008, at the age of 97! After leaving St Mary’s Deborah trained as a nurse in Sydney. She saw active service during WWII and after the war she began dedicated work with a number of community organisations, focused on women and nursing.

School News

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Over the last eight years, Esmee Byatt’s (Templeton ’30) generous bequest to St Mary’s has supported 21 St Mary’s Old Girls studying 4th year Medicine at the University of Western Australia through the Esmee Byatt Scholarship for Medicine.

After leaving St Mary’s, Esmee took a degree at UWA and then began a Medical degree at the University of Melbourne, but for reasons we may never know she did not complete her studies. On news of Esmee’s bequest her friend, Deborah Cook (Parker ’29, Head Girl) wrote “I am sure it gave her great pleasure to give to the school she loved and to help girls from this school achieve as much as she was able to achieve.”

This year the Scholarship has been awarded to Danika Buurman (’07).

What does this scholarship mean to you?

“It is a true honour. Even though I have left school, this scholarship is proof that the support will always be there for St Mary’s Old Girls.”

How will you use the scholarship?

“Mrs Byatt’s bequest is something that will help me greatly. In 2014 we are required to undertake an elective. My dream is to go to England or USA to spend time in a large paediatric hospital. The scholarship will make that trip a real possibility.”

What are your plans for the future?

“It is hard to know what field I will end up in but paediatrics is an area I am very interested in. One of my favourite experiences has been taking part in the Teddy Bears Hospital programme in primary schools – the children easily put a smile on my face!”

Making Connections Joan Karmelita Deputy Principal / Dean of Students How long have you been at St Mary’s?

I started here in January 1998, so I’m in my 16th year.

What class do you teach?

I take a Year 8 English class every year, and I love it. I love being in the classroom, I love my subject and I love that there is a small group of girls who know that my brain can do more than think about unpolished shoes and rolled over skirts.

What is the most fulfilling part of being the Dean of Students?

It is really difficult to express this simply, but it is the interactions I have with the students. They make me frustrated and cross sometimes but more often they make me smile and laugh. Sometimes the problems that they are dealing with make me cry. And mostly the fulfilling part is knowing that in often very small ways, I can make a positive difference to a student’s bad days.

What delights you most about St Mary’s?

Coming in the gate every day. I am so privileged to have a job that I love. I delight in the place –the trees, the birds, the space, the bush – but the greatest delight is the people, students, staff, parents – the whole community.

I am sometimes asked what distinguishes St Mary’s from other similar schools, and for me the difference can be summed up in the name of our pastoral care groups – Link. A link is a means of connection, a thing or a person which unites and provides continuity. It seems to me that this school is all about forging links, making connections, so that all who have an association with the school, whether student or parent or teacher, Old Girl or administration or grounds staff, all feel a sense of belonging to the community that is St Mary’s.

Seventeenth century English poet and priest, John Donne, wrote that “No man is an island”. This could be said to sum up the philosophy underpinning pastoral care at St Mary’s. Certainly girls are valued and nurtured as individuals, but at the same time they are encouraged to see themselves as an important part of

the whole. That whole might be their Link group or their netball team or the Year 10 Social Committee, where working together is essential to achieve desired outcomes. Our talented musicians play their solos but the richest part of their musical experience is when they come together to create beautiful harmonies. The school uniform and our assemblies, Chapel services, the School Hymn and the School Prayer, regularly remind us that we are all part of a whole.

Celebrations are an important means of acknowledging the significance of connections and belonging and at St Mary’s, we celebrate often – spiritually, reflectively, joyously.

Speech Night at the end of each year is a whole-community celebration of the achievements of individuals; our School birthday is highlighted every five years through events like the school fair, which is only possible because of the work and skills of the army of volunteers who come together to create it, and there is always birthday cake for everyone; the annual Valedictory Service and Dinner celebrate our departing Year 12s; the annual whole school Eucharist on the campus and the Christmas Carol service at St Georges Cathedral celebrate the spiritual dimensions of the School and our belonging to the Anglican Church; we join together to recognise the importance of Easter, of ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, of Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week, and Harmony Week, with its theme of “Everyone belongs”.

Close-knit communities can become narrow, the centre of their own small universe, with little thought for the wider world beyond. At St Mary’s we work hard to keep the girls aware that we belong to that wider world and that we all have a part to play there. Community service is expected of all the students but many girls go above and beyond just what is expected, in their efforts to make the world a better place. Girls work through Vision Generation to support children in developing countries; there are many more applicants than we can take on service trips to India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Botswana; girls plant trees to help regenerate native vegetation; they knit squares for Anglicare; contribute to organisations like Youth Focus and the Stirling Women’s Refuge; think of mothers on Mothers’ Day in our rural areas, where poor rainfall over numbers of years has made life on the land a struggle. In these and many other ways we establish links with communities beyond this school, so that we are part of an interconnecting network of belonging and caring.

“Only connect” wrote E M Forster. At St Mary’s we aim to connect, basing our connections on mutual respect and kindness. The result is sparkling webs of harmonious relationships, linking us to one another and to the world beyond our gates.

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School News

Congratulations to the following girls Cassandra Lee (Year 11) BioGENEius Challenge International Finals. Cassandra was chosen as one of two West Australian finalists to take part in the BioGENEius Challenge International Finals in Chicago in April. The two competitors were flown to Chicago to compete against finalists from the United States of America and Canada, and also had the opportunity to attend the BIO Annual International Conference. The topic of Cassandra’s project was “Multi-species cultivation at wide salinity ranges”. The aim was to determine whether mixed cultures of microalgae can be grown, and be productive, through a wide range of salinities.

Alizanne Finnemore (Year 12)

Brian Bradley, Director General of the Department of Commerce, Cassandra Lee and Lyn Beazley, Chief Scientist of Western Australia

The Australian Geography Competition. In 2012, Alizanne entered the National Geography Competition, which takes the form of a series of Geography-related, multiple choice questions. Alizanne was the top ranked female competitor, and was chosen as one of two students to represent Western Australia at the “Geography Big Week Out” in Melbourne. From there, Alizanne was chosen as one of a team of four to represent Australia in the International Geography Olympiad which will take place in Kyoto, Japan, in August this year.

Laura Hamblin (Year 12) Western Australian Schools’ Constitutional Convention. Laura Hamblin was selected at the Western Australian Schools’ Constitutional Convention in 2012, to be one of fifteen representatives to travel to Canberra in March 2013, to represent Western Australia at the National Schools’ Constitutional Convention. While in Canberra, Laura participated, with another 122 students from across Australia, in a convention discussing the inclusion of a preamble, referring to Indigenous people, in the Australian Constitution. Laura also had the chance to have dinner with the Governor-General, as well as attend another formal function at the High Court, tour both the new and old parliament houses, and view the government at work.

Phoebe Jamieson, Megan Penny, Emma Crisp and Susannah Packer (Year 10) Tropfest Jr. Rubies Are Red, created by Phoebe Jamieson, Leing Reupana, Megan Penny, Emma Crisp and Susannah Packer, is a short film about a young girl who faces problems when searching for her identity. In Year 9 the girls made the film in Media Studies for the Tropfest Jr competition, and were selected as a finalist. Two of the girls were flown to Sydney in 2013, where the film was broadcast during the Tropfest Jr Film Festival. St Mary’s was the only school from Western Australia to be selected as a finalist.

Rachael Griffiths-Szeto, Hannah Mizzi, Marize Smith and Mary Burke (Year 9) OzClo (Australian Computational Linguistics Olympiad). In March this year, these four Year 9 students competed in the national round of the Australian Computational Linguistis Olympiad, after finishing third in the state. The girls became the top junior team, and beat several senior teams to be chosen to compete in the national round, which was held at the University of Western Australia. The winning team has the opportunity to represent Australia, and compete in the World Final, which will take place in Manchester in July this year.

School News

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Year 1s Visit the Library with Year 7 Friends On Thursday 28 April, Mrs Susan Martin brought her Year 1 class to the Senior School Library for a pre-Easter visit. The girls were able to use the library’s glasstopped tables to draw some Easter pictures, as well as the library’s collection of iPads to read interactive iBooks and play games.

The Junior School girls were assisted by Mr Reid’s Year 7.3 girls. The Year 7s helped the Year 1s to use the iPads to take photos of their faces and then use the picture for an interactive jigsaw puzzle. The iBooks were also very popular, as the girls used their developing reading skills to impress their Year 7 buddies.

The glass-topped tables proved a hit with the Year 1s, who were able to write - and rub off - their names. Once they had mastered the art of using whiteboard markers, the girls drew Easter images of crosses, eggs, rabbits and other furry creatures.

When it was time to leave, the girls waved goodbye to their Year 7 friends and were given a special Easter treat to take home.

Mr Ruari Reid Teacher of Year 7

Amy Whitfield and Khashia Khan

Charlotte Grose

Addison Kahane and Emma Luckley

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School News

C o n g r at ul at i o n s to the Class of 2012

EMMA TURNER - General Exhibition

Having come from the supportive environment of St Mary’s, I am sure that most of our recent graduates have noticed the difference between university life and school. The freedom and independence that come with university are liberating, yet, for some, the change from having been nurtured by teachers to finding themselves in an environment which is dependent upon taking responsibility for their own learning has certainly been difficult (especially in the initial obstacle of tackling UWA’s online timetabling system)! However, having made the transition into the Bachelor of Philosophy cohort, I have been able to find a new sense of community within UWA. Given that there are only forty-two students in each of the two year groups, I have made some lovely friends within the cohort. While we are all pursuing a diverse array of majors and each of the faculties UWA offers is represented, I have loved being able to meet so many gorgeous people through BPhil, as well as those I have met within the units I am taking. It seems that everyone is somehow interconnected and it is almost impossible to walk twenty metres on campus without seeing a familiar face.

Five General Exhibitions (top 40 students in Western Australia St Mary’s placed 10th, 12th, 21st, 27th and 29th)

Within the Bachelor of Philosophy, I am currently majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. However, the new degree structure at UWA has facilitated my maintenance of other interests. For instance, I am taking a broadening unit in Italian and there is also the option for me to study the subjects I adored at school, such as economics, which I may take up next semester. After my bachelor’s degree, I intend to study dentistry.

While the course I have selected is certainly demanding, both in terms of my contact hours and my external workload, I am managing to balance commitment to my studies with the many social opportunities university offers. UWA has a plethora of groups to cater for sporting, musical, social and other interests.

Furthermore, each faculty has an associated union that hosts regular events in an attempt to encourage involvement within the university and to meet new, like-minded people. Also, given that this is the ‘Year of the 18th’ for our year group, there are plenty of opportunities to keep in contact with school friends, as well as my university friends on the weekends.

ABOVE L-R: Exhibition Winners Jessica Perring, Alexandra Newman, Emma Turner, Julia Liu and Louisa Lee

Senior School News

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Fourteen students achieved an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) of over 99.0 (top 1% of the state)

ALEXANDRA NEWMAN - General Exhibition

53.7% of students achieved an ATAR of above 90.0 (top 10% of the state) LOUISA LEE - General Exhibition

Looking back on school, I often wonder how I managed to “After WACE” was certainly a catch phrase my friends make the transition from such a structured routine, to a and I adopted throughout the busy life of Year 12. We had stage when I’m totally in charge of my own time. elaborate plans to watch all the movies we wish we’d Every morning at St Mary’s was a strict sequence seen, join the sports we wish we were skilled in of waking up, getting out of the house, and being (but were far from it), and take up an array of Two Course in Link in correct uniform by 9.00am sharp. hobbies, from cooking to music. Basically, we Exhibitions (top were more than ready to finally explore the Now, however, I have different hours at UWA every day, and some days where I don’t have new freedom that university life has to offer. student in the state to come in at all. I have to say, I’m tempted to Being an extremely indecisive person, I took a in a course), awarded spend these days lounging around the house, very long time to decide my units. In the end, for Italian and Visual or buying yet another ugly winter jumper in it came down to what I wanted to get out of Arts the city, but self-motivation is a must at uni. my degree. I remember being the only student You no longer have a teacher looking over your to raise her hand at orientation when asked if any shoulder to make sure you’re doing work, and it’s up medicine or dentistry students were undertaking a to you to make sure that your assignments are handed in Bachelor of Commerce, as everyone else was majoring in on time. I can tell you that this new-found freedom poses some the fields of science. To me, the four year dentistry course that challenges after being looked after so closely at St Mary’s, and awaited seemed like enough university life devoted to the it takes a little getting used to. sciences, so I decided to take advantage of the new structure But university isn’t all about study. Getting involved in clubs is a great way to meet new people and take part in university life, especially as many clubs have special “fresher rep” positions, and to occasionally get free food or a warm club room to stay in when it’s cold outside. I highly recommend going to O-day and joining all the clubs you can, although the fourteen club stickers on my student card may be a tad excessive. As I have an assured pathway to study Medicine, I’ve become involved with Dr YES, a group of medicine and assured pathway medicine students who educate high school students on issues such as mental health, drugs, and alcohol, and been on the WAMSS run Med Camp. Med Camp was so much fun, and to anyone even remotely interested in Medicine, I recommend going on this so much. As well as making new friends and learning about the course, we learnt how to sew stitches and had a go at taking blood (from actual people!).

The transition from school to university is a big one, but stay motivated and make the best of it and you’ll have a great time, make new friends, and maybe even get some work done.

Erin Johnston - Scholarship to Rio Tinto

Erin is currently studying Nutrition at Curtin University and is the recipient of the Rio Tinto Indigenous Scholarship. The scholarship provides funds each year for the duration of her studies, which Erin puts towards her university fees, books and other necessary items to help her through her course.

Rio Tinto have also offered Erin a paid work experience opportunity for the end of the year, where she will be able to work as a nutritionist. Erin will be offered full-time employment with Rio Tinto at the completion of her course.

of UWA’s courses and diversify. This led me to my decision to major in Finance instead, which will hopefully equip me with some skills I can use in post-university working life.

However, after hearing all the daunting stories about the stressful dentistry course and with all the other students majoring in science, I decided to give myself a small head start too, and undertake a second major in Human Biology and Anatomy.

After enjoying the longest holidays yet, it was time to transition into university life. The freedom aspect we’ve all heard so often is certainly true; no uniform, shorter hours and three day weekends (if you’re lucky!). However, one thing I’ve certainly learnt is that university workload is still significant.

Having been a St Mary’s graduate though, I know us maroon bearers will have nothing to worry about, as St Mary’s equips its students with lifelong skills that extend beyond high school life.

“What you put in is what you get out” definitely applies to university life. Join clubs that appeal to you, apply for committee positions and participate in the camps available.

I attended the Empower Leadership Camp and it was a great weekend spent forming friendships and learning new skills.

In the end, university is all about opportunity; to meet new people, take up new hobbies and to learn more about things that genuinely appeal to you. To the Year 12s preparing for WACE, I wish you all the best. As a St Mary’s graduate I can assure that you are in good hands, and I look forward to seeing you all on the other side.

187 graduating students (100%)

11

Senior School News

JESSICA PERRING - General Exhibition

I am eternally grateful for the time I had at St Mary’s and the fantastic support, great teachers and the amazing friends I had over the years. If I could impart one bit of wisdom to those of you in Year 12, it would be this: put in the amount of work that will give you a result you are happy with, and always remember to have fun. My last year was very busy and stressful at times, but I have wonderful memories from it, and my final result was extremely pleasing.

I cannot begin to tell you how much university life differs from school. There is no one to remind you every time an assignment is due, or tell you where to find this or how to do that. While I can’t say I am longing to be back at school, there are bits of it that I do miss: the fact that the people who teach you know your name, or having all your friends close by. But the freedom to do what you like at university is truly amazing.

I am currently studying in the Bachelor of Philosophy, which is a new research-intensive honours course that was introduced last year. My first major is Microbiology and Immunology with a second major in Economics. A rather strange mix, I know, but I really enjoy them both. I have an assured pathway into Medicine, which I can’t wait to get started on in four years time. My interest is in becoming an anaesthetist, but first I have to get through the four years of undergraduate and then four years of Medicine, and then decide if I really want to commit to a further six or so years of specialisation. It is a long road and I’m only just starting off.

As many of my friends well know, I love getting involved in as much as I can, so university has been just perfect for me. I am a part of about nine clubs. I play ultimate Frisbee once a week, am a mentoring officer for Teach Learn Grow Inc., the Secretary, Treasurer and general admin for Profectus. I tutor five people, am a part of the WA Youth Orchestra and run sessions with Dr YES. To say I wasn’t busy would be a huge under-exaggeration, but I am having a great time doing what I love.

L-R: Elaine Ho (’09) and Amy Steinepreis (’08)

Anna Hay was the recipient of the Curtin Humanities Excellence Scholarship from Curtin University

For all of this year’s Year 12s, I wish you all the best!

Live life to the full.

Jessica Perring and Chairman of the Board of Governors, Ian Curlewis

Senior School News

12

79.4% of students achieved University of Western Australia eligibility

JULIA LIU - General Exhibition

I’m now two months into my life on ‘the other side’ or uni as we call it, and I never would have imagined how much life could change in such a short amount of time. My time at St Mary’s seemed so long ago that I’m even starting to miss it.

Going to school with my friends in maroon every day now seems like the happy, carefree times, despite all the stress and complaints about Year 12.

Having been used to the comfortable lifestyle at St Mary’s for five years, I now find myself somewhere unfamiliar – not only a new city and new home, but also a completely different studying environment. I always took the close-knit community at St Mary’s for granted, so now being thrown into what seems like the unknown with thousands of other students is quite overwhelming. The two hundred people lectures, short contact hours and the many university clubs and societies are a few of the things you don’t have in high school. The transition hasn’t been easy, but I’ve found that living in Queen’s College, a residential college right next to campus, has helped quite a bit. Making friends and settling into a new environment has been made a lot easier – not to mention how much fun it is.

Cathy, Geoff and Wynita Franklin

Sixteen students received Certificates of Commendation (a minimum of twenty A grades in Year 11 and 12 units)

Eleven students received Certificates of Distinction (top 0.5%) in a course

Dempsey Campbell was the recipient of the Curtin Health Science Excellence Scholarship from Curtin University

I’m currently doing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Melbourne. I’m majoring in actuarial studies, but I’ve come to realise that first year subjects are quite broad and general, and that I can always change my mind, which I’ve been thinking about recently. Being a huge maths fanatic, I knew I had to do something to do with maths in university. However, after sitting through a few weeks of Accelerated Maths lectures, I’m not so sure anymore.

Throughout high school, I never really had a fixed idea as to what I hoped to do in the future, and even now I feel the same way. What’s changed, is that I’m not as worried as before, because I’ve learned that there are many more opportunities in university to find yourself and decide on what you want to do.

People say that your university years are supposed to be the best years of your life. So far, university has lived up to its expectations, but I have to say my time at St Mary’s could possibly rival it.

Amy Cheah, Shanti Srinivasan and Jane Gillon

Annika Powers - Heading to Merton college, Oxford

Annika has accepted a place at Oxford University, one of Britain’s oldest institutions, where she will study philosophy, politics and economics. Annika was attracted by Oxford’s rich tradition of scholarship and research.

Annika also received an ANU College of Business and Economics Undergraduate Merit Award.

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Senior School News

D e s t i nat i o ns o f t h e C l ass o f 2 0 1 2 University and Tafe Enrolments 2013 CURTIN UNIVERSITY

No. of students who enrolled in each course

Bachelor of Science

11

Bachelor of Arts

9

Bachelor of Psychology

6

Bachelor of Commerce

4

Bachelor of Education

2

• • • • • •

4 students are studying Speech Pathology 4 students are studying Fashion 4 students are studying Health Science 2 students are studying Primary Education 2 students are studying Physiotherapy Other specialities include (but are not limited to) Photography and Illustrative Design, Marketing, Film, Human Resource Management and Occupational Therapy

•

Specialities include Marketing, Nutrition, Primary Teaching, Health and Physical Education, Events, Sport and Recreational Management

•

Specialities include (but are not limited to) Intellectual Property (Copyright Law), Biomedical Science, Conservation and Wildlife Biology and International Aid Development

• •

2 students are studying Nursing Other specialities include Marketing and Public Relations, Journalism and Primary Education

1

Bachelor of Agribusiness

33

Edith Cowan UNIVERSITY

No. of students who enrolled in each course

Bachelor of Health Science

2

Bachelor of Education

2

Bachelor of Business

2

Bachelor of Technology Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Criminology and Justice

1 1 8

Murdoch UNIVERSITY

No. of students who enrolled in each course

Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Chiropractic Science Bachelor of Animal Science

2

Bachelor of Arts

1

Bachelor of Veterinary Science

1

Bachelor of Law

1

1 1

7

Notre Dame UNIVERSITY

No. of students who enrolled in each course

Bachelor of Nursing

2

Bachelor of Biomedical Science

1

Bachelor of Science

1

Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Arts

1

Bachelor of Commerce

1

Bachelor of Arts

1

Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Commerce

1

Bachelor of Education

1 9

Senior School News

14

No. of students who enrolled in each course

22

Bachelor of Commerce

15

Bachelor of Design

2

Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

2

Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Arts

2

Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Commerce

1

3%

Bachelor of Arts

Curtin University 18%

Ot Int her I ern nte ati rst on ate Oth al 4 / er W % A2 % TAFE 4%

ng

35

ki

Bachelor of Science

or W

University of Western Australia

No Response 5%

Gap Year 5%

n Cowa Edith y 4% it s r e Univ Murdoch University 4%

Univ e Notre rsity of Dam e 5% Un Me iver lbo sit urn y of e4 %

79

• • • • • • • • •

5 students have an Assured Pathway to Law 4 students have an Assured Pathway to Medicine 3 students have an Assured Pathway to Engineering 2 students have an Assured Pathway to Dentistry 13 students are studying Psychology 11 students are studying Communications and Media 5 students are studying Economics 3 students are studying Engineering Science Other specialities include (but are not limited to) Human Biology, Architecture, Marine Science, Physiology, Neuroscience and Biomedical Science

University of Melbourne

University of Western Australia 42%

No. of students who enrolled in each course

No. of students who enrolled in each course

TAFE

Bachelor of Arts

5

Diploma of Enrolled Nursing

2

Bachelor of Commerce

2

Certificate of Photography

1

Bachelor of Science

1

Children’s Services

1

8

Certificate in Events Management

1

Diploma of Graphic Design

1

Certificate III in Children’s Services

1

• • •

2 students are studying Actuarial Studies 2 students are studying Journalism Other specialities include Art History, Theatre and English

7

Other - Western Australian Institutions WA College of Performing Arts

2

WAAPA

1

West Australian Aviation College

1

Other - Interstate/International Schools Monash University

2

University of Sydney

2

Sydney Conservatorium of Music (University of Sydney)

1

Central Queensland University

1

University of St Andrews, Scotland

1

Oxford University, England

1

• •

University of Western Australia 42% Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts - Dance

Advanced Diploma of Live Production, Theatre and Events in Lighting

• •

Certificate IV in Classical Voice

• • • • • •

Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Business Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Commerce Bachelor of Arts

• •

Bachelor of Medicine

Certificate IV in Aviation

Bachelor of Music (Performance) Bachelor of Medical Sonography / Diploma of Medical Sonography Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy, Politics and Economics

15

Senior School News

WA CE R e su lt s Congratulations to the Class of 2012 for achieving first class results in the recent WACE (University Entrance) examinations. We are proud to welcome 41 new members to the 400 Club, and congratulate another two High Flyers.

H i g h F ly e r s High Flyers are students who have received an award from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

Megan Saggers

Alex Toohey

Westscheme Award for Top Vocational Student ECU Bachelor of Business (Events Sport and Recreational Management)

Certificate of Distinction: Visual Arts University of Sydney Bachelor of Arts

4 0 0 C l u b To become a member of the 400 club, students must have achieved a

four subject average of over 78.4%. This year we welcomed 41 students.

Clancy Bradshaw

Wynita Franklin

Genevieve Lamond

UWA Bachelor of Commerce (Assured Pathway to Law)

The John and Dorothy Vimpani Scholarship for Pianoforte The University of Sydney at Sydney Conservatorium of Music Bachelor of Music (Performance Pianoforte)

University of Sydney Bachelor of Arts / Commerce (History / Economics)

Sara Catto

Certificate of Distinction: English Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Anatomy and Human Biology with Assured Pathway to Medicine) Anastasia Comninos

UWA Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Physiology) Paula Connell

Certificate of Distinction: Geography Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing, Communication and Media Studies) Madeleine Durand

UWA Bachelor of Arts (German, Political Science and International Relations) (Assured Pathway to Law) Cassandra Ferrier

Certificate of Distinction: English UWA Bachelor of Science and Italian (Anatomy and Human Biology with Assured Pathway to Law) Emilie Fitzgerald

Stephanie Goh

University of St Andrews, Scotland Bachelor of Medicine Haylee Gooding

UWA Bachelor of Science (Genetics and Botany) Anna Hay

Curtin Humanities Excellence Scholarship Curtin University Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) Alice Ho

Certificate of Commendation Monash University, Melbourne Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Alana Hunt

University of Melbourne Bachelor of Arts (Political and International Studies, and Italian) Julia Jardine

UWA Bachelor of Science (Engineering Science and Master of Professional Engineering)

UWA Bachelor of Commerce (Economics with Assured Pathway to Law)

Senior School News

Louisa Lee

General Exhibition Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Commerce (Double major: Finance, and Human Biology and Anatomy with Assured Pathway to Dentistry) Georgia Lewis

Certificate of Distinction: English University of Melbourne (deferred) Bachelor of Arts (Art History) Julia Liu

General Exhibition Certificate of Distinction: Mathematics Certificate of Commendation University of Melbourne National Scholarship University of Melbourne Bachelor of Commerce (Actuarial Studies) Odette MacKenzie

University of Melbourne Bachelor of Arts (Theatre and English) Emily Mason

Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Arts (Double Major: Communication and Media Studies, and Psychology) Morgan Muller

University of Melbourne Bachelor of Arts (Journalism)

16

Our 400 Club and High Flyers of 2011

Alexandra Newman

Christie Savage

Emma Turner

General Exhibition Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Assured Pathway to Medicine)

Certificate of Distinction: Geography UWA Bachelor of Design (Architecture with Assured Pathway to Law)

Tara Oswald

Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Anatomy and Human Biology with a second major in Chemistry)

General Exhibition Course Exhibition: Italian Certificates of Distinction: Italian and Literature Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Philosophy Award UWA Excellence Award UWA Vice-Chancellor’s Award of Distinction UWA Bachelor of Philosophy (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Assured Pathway to Dentistry)

UWA Bachelor of Arts (History) Jessica Perring

General Exhibition Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Philosophy Award UWA Bachelor of Philosophy (Microbiology and Immunology with Assured Pathway to Medicine) Annika Powers

ANU (six months) and then Oxford University, ANU: Economics and Law, Oxford: Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Hannah Richardson

Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) Jacqueline Rushford

UWA Bachelor of Science (Neuroscience, Anatomy and Human Biology) Helen Salter

University of Melbourne Bachelor of Science (Engineering Science)

Michelle Sherwood

Shanti Srinivasan

Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Double major: Microbiology and Immunology, Economics with Assured Pathway to Medicine) Melody Taba

UWA Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Arts Pok I (Phoebe) Tai

University of Melbourne Bachelor of Commerce (Actuarial Studies)

Christina (Poppy) Walker

UWA Bachelor of Science Ming-En Wong

Certificate of Commendation Murdoch University Bachelor of Veterinary Science Emma Wu

Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Physiology and Human Biology) Jin Jia (Lucy) Wu

Lauren Taylor

Certificate of Commendation University of Melbourne Bachelor of Science Rikki Thorne

Certificate of Distinction: Literature Certificate of Commendation UWA Bachelor of Science (Neuroscience)

17

Certificate of Commendation UWA Diversity and Merit Award UWA Bachelor of Science (Engineering Science with Assured Pathway to Engineering) Rachael Vieraitis

Course Exhibition: Visual Arts Certificate of Distinction: Visual Arts University of Melbourne Bachelor of Arts (Journalism and learning Arabic)

Senior School News

L-R: Lianne Leung with Jessica Matthews

Meet our Head Girl L i ann e L e ung

A girl came up to me the other day and asked, “You know how you said to ‘be orange’ in your speech? Where did that come from?’” I laughed and said, “It came from me! I’m not kidding, I actually really do love orange.” Orange is my favourite colour, and my life could be summed up as the colours orange and maroon.

Sometimes, people ask me, “What’s it like, being Head Girl?”

It sounds like I’ve transformed into this whole other foreign entity but most of the time, I still feel like the same old me. My life philosophy is: ‘be orange, be yourself.’ In many ways, being Head Girl is not too different from the student life I have known in my eleven previous years. It’s busy, challenging, and hard work. Similarly, it’s rewarding, it’s fun, and I love it.

Senior School News

18

Sometimes, people ask me, “What do you do as Head Girl?”

As Head Girl, I’ve attended various leadership conferences, a highlight being the Student Leadership Conference in Sydney in January with Senior Day Girl, Keely Johnson and Senior Boarder, Lauren Masi. On the school grounds, I have been helping out behind the scenes in organising various events, working closely with Mrs Thomson, Mr Chidgey and our beautiful prefect team. I’m never alone in this role; every achievement has been a team effort.

L-R: Lianne Leung with Shilpa Rath

It’s busy, challenging, and hard work. . . it’s rewarding, it’s fun, and I love it. ‘be orange, be yourself.’

For this, I would like to thank the school community, especially the Class of 2013, for their unstinting support and encouragement. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such incredible girls and together, we’ve had such an orange start to the year. The rest of the year will by no means be easy, but I’m confident that if we all keep our heads down and go hard for the finish, we will achieve something really great. We will be truly orange!

19

Senior School News

M e e t o u r e x c h ang e t e a c h e r ,

K e l ly W i n k e l h a k e

Since July 2012, I have had the pleasure of joining the St Mary’s staff through a teacher exchange programme with my school, Laurel School, located in Cleveland, Ohio in the United States. I traded places with David Redding from the St Mary’s Mathematics department, and have been teaching his Year 8 - 11 Mathematics courses. David has taken my place at Laurel School.

One of my reasons for participating in this exchange was to establish a relationship between our two schools, with the hope of beginning a student exchange. When David and I were in the initial planning phases of our exchange, we realised our schools had so much in common. I am thrilled that the first two Laurel students will arrive at St Mary’s for the second half of Term 2, and two St Mary’s girls will head to Laurel in Term 4. I look forward to seeing many more St Mary’s girls - and perhaps even some more teachers - visit Laurel in the years to come.

My time in Australia is quickly coming to an end, and I want to thank the St Mary’s community for being so welcoming and helpful. This has been an amazing experience and I have a lot of new ideas to take back for implementation at Laurel. I feel honoured to have been part of such a fantastic school, and to have lived in such a breathtakingly beautiful country.

The Year 11 Project - Stirling Women’s Refuge Since 2005, Year 11 students at St Mary’s have chosen to support the Stirling Women’s Refuge.

Volunteers from Year 11 form a committee which then, with the support of all Year 11 students, works through the Link groups in the Senior School to collect a wide range of goods that can be used immediately by families on their arrival at the refuge. These goods range from basic toiletries to baby goods, books, toys, some clothing and items to support children and teens returning to school. The donations are usually handed over by Easter, and support the refuge through to the year end. The outstanding generosity of the school community never fails to come to the fore and once again, the 2013 effort has been unbelievable. A huge thank-you to all girls and their families for the ongoing support of this charity.

Each year, the girls are visited by a worker from the refuge who explains how it operates and details the support that is provided for the women and children who are in need. The statistics are alarming, and it is quite an eye-opener for many girls to realise that these issues are right here on their doorstep.

One only needs to be at the handover of the goods to see how much it means to the ladies who work there, knowing that they are going to be able to support their needy clients once again.

Mrs Wendy Chidgey Head of Year 11

Senior School News

20

L-R: Sophia Do, Alyce Gulvin and Amy Cooke

B o t s wana T r i p For 33 students and four staff, our World Challenge expedition to Botswana in December 2012 was a journey that we will never forget. The breathtaking images of nature and its wildlife have been deeply imprinted in our minds as the movie, The Lion King, came to life in all its natural beauty.

World Challenge trips include a physical trek component, a community service project and the opportunity to choose rest and relaxation activities to celebrate the end of the journey.

The beauty of these World Challenge trips is observing students become confident and competent with exchange rates as they convert Australian and American dollars into local pula currency. They also had to plan where and how to cook meals for large numbers of students and staff, enjoying the satisfaction of well-planned meals or the disappointment of too many peanut butter and biscuit lunches. To observe teenagers communicate with local transport providers and tour operators, so as to inform group members of departure and arrival times each day is also empowering, as they solved daily logistics.

Team one, led by Dave, Mr Divich, Ms Pilmer and Ms Botica, commenced their expedition with a four-day trek, sleeping in traditional huts, dining on sumptuous local cuisine prepared by host families, and playing with local children. Upon returning to the capital city of Gaborone, they commenced their community project at the Old Naledi Education Centre for five days. This involved sleeping on the floor of classrooms and preparing meals for themselves in a very basic kitchen while working hard each day to enhance the school grounds by painting a beautiful mural, and selecting educational gifts for the students for when they commenced their school year in 2013.

Team two, led by Baz, Ms Hazeldine, Ms Botica and Ms Pilmer, lived in Mma Chaba’s AIDS orphanage for seven days to commence their journey with their community project work. They made the wonderful contribution of building a vegetable patch and paying for running water, making it available for the first time in two years. These people had done without this basic resource and now our students and you, the staff and families from the St Mary’s community, have changed this by having supported our fundraising in 2012. Thank you!

Both teams travelled to the north of the country for their rest and relaxation activities. There was time floating in a mokoro through narrow Okavango Delta tributaries surrounded by bulrushes and floating lillies, observing hippos bathe in the cool reprieve of the water and also quietly trekking in single file through the Savannah, and cautiously approaching herds of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, a vast array of birdlife, the occasional elephant, and the unexpected surprise of a family of angry warthogs emerging from their holes that made a few students shriek and run.

Sandra Botica Teacher of Health and Physical Education

21

Senior School News

Manuel Martinez

Riki Kaspi

C o o k i ng f o r In d i a In December 2013, a small group of students from St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School and Scotch College will depart Australia to embark on a two-week pilgrimage throughout India. In the struggling areas of Chennai, Delhi and Jaipur, the students will volunteer in a range of institutions, including an orphanage, a centre for people with disabilities, a school in the slums and an animal welfare charity.

Preparations for the tour have already begun, which include organising a variety of activities to raise money to donate to each of the establishments to purchase better learning resources and improve living conditions. As part of our efforts, we’ve run a series of intimate cooking classes, entitled Cooking for India.

The first class in the Cooking for India series was a bush tucker class offered by Sophie Budd, owner and chef of Taste Budds Cooking Studio. Next, chef Manuel Martinez, founder and owner of Paella and Tapas, shared secrets from his native homeland, Spain. From Spanish cuisine, participants then

Sophie Budd

explored the flavours of Morocco in the third class run

by Riki Kaspi, chef at The Cooking Professor and creator of the Moroccan Journey products. Chef Iain Lawless, owner of Lawless Cooking School, Miss Kitty’s Saloon and Wee Bar entertained guests at the final class for Term 1 with his Asian Street Food class. Each evening has been fun and satisfying, with guests leaving full of food and ideas.

The talented chefs generously donated their time to present these engaging and informative classes. Their support made our Cooking for India classes a roaring success. Faith Nichols (Braybrooke ’69), owner and chef of Comestibles Catering, will be joining us in Term 2 to offer several cooking classes for guests to discover the many tastes of India. Check out the Cooking for India heading on our school’s website for more information.

Ms Beverley Brader India Tour Co-ordinator

Iain Lawless

Senior School News

22

R e l ay f o r L i f e Over a weekend in April, two teams of boarding students took part in the Cancer Council’s Relay For Life event. With the question posed, ‘who do you relay for?’ many of the boarders were inspired to take part in support of their family and friends who had been affected by cancer. The girls managed to raise an extraordinary $8000 for the Cancer Council in honour of their loved ones.

Armed with our team batons, we clocked up over 1500 laps (over 600km!) across the 24 hours, and needless to say, there were some very weary ‘relayers’ by the closing ceremony on Sunday. Both teams must be congratulated on their resolve, with some students staying awake over the entire 24 hours.

A huge thank-you to everyone who came along with the girls, as well as the extended boarding community including Fiona McGlinn and Tina Campbell, for their support of both teams.

Mrs Jessie Parker School Nurse

Ella Brockwell-Mole, Kiyomi Bailey, Isabella Patterson, Tara Kukanesan

M us i c U n d e r t h e S ta r s S ta r r y S ta r r y N i g h t Themed after Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, Starry Starry Night, Music Under the Stars was held on the St Mary’s grounds this year. Over 500 people from the St Mary’s and Hale communities attended the event, bringing along picnic rugs and food.

The evening was blessed with beautiful weather, while guests enjoyed a night of music from the concert band, choral, orchestral and jazz musicians of St Mary’s and Hale. Hosted by Music Prefect, Julia Nicholls, the evening was a great way to begin a year of musical performances.

Keely Johnson, Senior Day Girl and her family

23

Senior School News

Julia Nicholls

Teleaha Bonney with Roni Forrest, AISWA Future Footprints Co-ordinator

Ha r m o ny Day Harmony Day aims to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity with the message that “everyone belongs”.

This year, the International Student Committee and Vision Generation joined together to get the school involved.

Many Link groups participated by constructing kites, adding Harmony Day messages and flying them high in the sky over the school oval. It was great to hear the laughter, as some girls flew kites for the first time. We really painted a colourful rainbow above the school.

The next day, messages that we “all belong in one world” coloured the courtyard at lunchtime, when the girls drew meaningful pictures with chalk onto the pavement.

Students from all years got involved, with some Year 12s having taken part for five years.

Orange was the colour adopted for Harmony Day this year.

So spurred on by Head Girl Lianne’s love of orange, we donned orange nail polish and ribbons to finish a busy yet harmonious week.

T e l e a h a B o nn e y - V i c e C h a i r man o f F u t u r e Footprints In February Teleaha Bonney was voted in as Vice Chairman to the Future Footprints Student Council in Perth.

The council comprises of two representatives from each of the independent schools who have indigenous students enrolled. The council meets each term to assist Roni Forrest ( AISWA) and the indigenous support staff to organise and assist in the running of events throughout the year. These events provide social get togethers, leadership training and cultural understanding classes for about 250 students. Teleaha will be also asked to attend AISWA events and represent the Future Footprints organisation and student body. She should be very proud of her achievements and the confidence her peers have placed in her in this role.

Mrs Jo Pengelley Indigenous Students Co-ordinator

Mrs Tes Lynch Society and Environment Teacher

A ng l i c a r e A m b assa d o r s The Anglicare Ambassadors programme is in its second year and aims to generate awareness and fundraising for Anglicare in Western Australia. Five Year 10 students Eve Cotton, Rachel Ettridge, Olivia Gulvin, Lauren McPhee and Serena Russell - were selected to represent St Mary’s, and will attend conferences throughout the year with representatives from other Anglican schools.

Anglicare WA provides relationships, housing, financial support, youth and community and training services. Last year it assisted 35,000 people in WA. Five Year 10 students attended an Ambassador evening at Wollaston Centre at the end of February to introduce them to the Anglicare team and outline the purpose of this programme. The students will coordinate fundraising events at St Mary’s to help support this very necessary and important organisation.

Mrs Polly Durey Head of Religious Studies

Senior School News

24

St Mary’s Anglicare Ambassadors with Ian Carter, CEO of Anglicare WA and The Reverend Peter Laurence

Scott Neeson visits St Mary’s In April this year, the school received a visit from Scott Neeson. Scott, an Australian, was the President of Fox Studios in Hollywood, but gave up everything he owned to set up schools on the rubbish dumps of Cambodia. Scott now runs five schools on the rubbish dumps, educates 1700 students and houses 700 orphans.

Jo Pengelley with Scott Neeson

SCOTT NEESON INSPIRES THE YEAR 7S Cambodia is not really a country I know much about. I never even knew about the poverty there until Scott Neeson spoke at our school. Here’s the story, their story, the story he told…

The sun rises on a new day, a new dawn. For us it rises over tidy streets and filters through our windows into our spacious bedrooms. We turn over in our beds and groan. Time to get up.

In Cambodia it’s a very different story for hundreds of kids.

The hot sun rises over piles of stinking garbage, falls on the sprawled out bodies of children lying asleep in the squalor, their ribs showing. They are near starving. They get up, frail bodies quivering, as they start work.

They scramble through the rubbish looking for plastic, something, anything to sell. The temperature easily reaches over 50 degrees Celsius, but they have no shoes or sunblock to protect them. The sun has become their enemy.

At the end of each day, for all their work they may only make about 50 cents. They spend it on food. Eat. Sleep. This is those children’s life, day after day after day.

Scott made me see all of this so clearly when he told of how he set up the Cambodian Children’s Fund. This fund helps these children change their lives and break the cycle of poverty.

All these children want is to study and have food, and all of the children who have finished Scott’s school have gone on to university. They will have a home, get a job, and break the cycle of poverty.

It disturbs me most of all that parents leave their children there at the rubbish dump, orphans make their way there and worst of all, the government doesn’t care. Scott is a hero, and I would like to be able to help his fund when I am old enough.

Scott Neeson has inspired me. I can’t believe that I used to groan in the mornings and look forward to the weekends.

Scott Neeson has showed me just how lucky I am.

Alice Walton Year 7 Student

25

Senior School News

Y e a r 7 C o mm i ss i o n i ng The Year 7 Commissioning was the night that the Year 7s were officially welcomed into the exciting world of the Senior School.

The night commenced with a chapel service where the girls were inducted into their houses and received house coloured candles to mark the occasion. After that, the girls made their way to Hearn Hall where they participated in numerous activities along with the Prefects and Captains. The activities revolved around sport, dance and drama and it was amazing to see all of the girls attempting the tasks presented with such enthusiasm and excitement. The dance activity involved the girls learning a dance routine, the drama activity consisted of improvisation games and the sport activity was a game of ‘end ball’ which developed a greater sense of house spirit and team work and became a competitive battle between the houses.

As a School Prefect, I was a part of the team that organised this fun-filled night and it definitely will be one to remember!

The encouragement and team spirit were great indicators of the enthusiasm the Year 7s will bring to the Senior School.

During the night I got the chance to talk to many of the girls and get to know them, especially those in my house, Wittenoom. Seeing their smiling faces and excitement to be a part of the Senior School made for a truly fantastic event that I will always happily look back on.

By Tiffany Terpu School Prefect

Las t i ng F r i e n d s h i ps f o r m e d at t h e 2013 B i g S i s t e r: L i t t l e S i s t e r a c t i v i t y af t e r n o o n The Big Sister: Little Sister programme has been a tried and tested programme at St Mary’s for a number of years, starting in 2006. This year, we had 33 Little Sisters and 31 Big Sisters in the programme, which began with an activity afternoon, held on the school grounds at the beginning of Term 1 on Friday 15 February.

Little Sister, Georgia Jewell with her Big Sister, Lucy Inman

The afternoon began with a treasure hunt, which proved to be a great bonding activity as the Big Sisters helped the Little Sisters. It was also a great way for the younger girls to familiarise themselves with the St Mary’s grounds. Throughout the afternoon, the girls also had the opportunity to eat lots of chocolate, decorate pots, and play games such as “Mix it up” and “Where are you, Mrs Campbell?”

The relaxation session before the girls enjoyed dinner together proved very popular, and the night ended with a craft session followed by a big hug between the “sisters”.

The Year 10 girls go through a selection process to become a Big Sister. Chosen girls then attend a training session to prepare them for the programme. They are encouraged to send their Little Sisters birthday cards, and are often seen popping into their Little Sisters’ rooms to say goodnight, or playing a board game with them on the weekend. The Big Sisters are there to help the Year 7/8 boarders make the transition from home life into boarding school.

The programme is one of the many important traditions of the boarding house, and creates cross-year friendships and a sense of belonging for our youngest boarders.

Big Sister, Isabella Masi with her Little Sister, Caitlyn Inkster

Senior School News

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C r a z y Ha i r Day Crazy Hair Day was held at the Junior School on Friday 15 March.

The girls came to school wearing their craziest hair styles to raise money for charity. This year, the event raised $674.20 for the Leukaemia Foundation.

L-R: Miah Gardner, Tasmin Bayley and Eliza Timmins

Pa r k e r v i l l e C h i l d r e n ’ s H o m e Eas t e r Egg D r i v e All the classes in the Junior School donated Easter Eggs again this year, and what an amazing response!

Mr Chidgzey could barely move in his office because of the large number of eggs donated.

When the driver from Parkerville Children’s Home arrived to collect the eggs the week before Easter, he had no idea how big the collection was. He filled his car on the Monday and had to come back on the Tuesday to collect the rest.

Destiny Lazaridis

They were so appreciative of such generous donations. The Junior School certainly brightened the day of children not so fortunate.

Year 4 Excursion of Discovery

above: Amélie Caporn below: Hannah Hopkins

The Year 4 classes in History have been learning about the lives of the early explorers and their accomplishments. To further explore this, they journeyed down to Fremantle and visited the West Australian Maritime Museum and the Shipwreck Galleries, where they could learn all about the explorers.

The girls had the opportunity to get up-close to the original shipwreck of the Batavia to gain a sense of what the ship looked like and the size of it. Learning all about what life was like on the ships in those days enabled the girls to get an understanding of how rewarding, but very dangerous the sailors’ lives were.

They also had the opportunity to experience what it was like to shop for spices, silks, jewels and food in an early bazaar. Displays showed the girls what the purpose of the expeditions was, where the ships sailed to and from, and gave them a small idea of the sights that the sailors may have seen in their travels.

Exploring ships and shipwrecks can be exhausting work, so fish and chips by the sea was the perfect way to end our journey of discovery.

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Junior School News

P r e - P r i ma r y ’ s M e ssy M u d Day In Term 1, the Pre-primary classes enjoyed a unique and exciting incursion called ‘Messy Mud Day’.

As we stepped back to listen to the animated conversations between the students, it was very evident that this connection with nature and the more unstructured, relaxed setting of this activity, was bringing about conversation that was rich in vocabulary and creativity. We set up a ‘Mud Bakery’ to extend the play and add an imaginative play aspect to the day. As some were blissfully happy to just sit in their own tubs of mud, others made their way to the bakery to either get busy making mud muffins, mud slices and mud brownies, or to sit in the bakery, have a chat and order one of these special treats at the customer tables. It was wonderful to observe the communication, co-operation, negotiation and sharing that were evident between all of the children wanting to play a part at the Mud Bakery.

L-R: Grace McManis and Sarah Comiskey

The students were very excited to prepare for the day. We decided what they should wear and what types of tools they might need. They were asked what the best way of cleaning themselves up after the mud would be and all agreed that a good hosing down would be not only the most effective, but definitely the most fun! Before the day arrived, we also had time to imagine how the mud might feel, and discuss any past fun ‘mud’ stories that they had had. We brainstormed sensory words that might relate to our upcoming mud experience, and came up with words such as squishy, soft, slimy, smelly and even lovely.

On Messy Mud Day, the children finally faced the prospect of coming in direct contact with mud, and the chance to get ‘dirty’ was a challenge for some. As we added more water to the silt and the mud gradually became more pliable, the children were filling up their own buckets and enjoying the new textural and sensory experience of sitting in the mud, shaping, moulding and, for the braver students, sliding in the mud with squeals and yelps of delight at the freedom and chance to step out of their comfort zone. The more timid students were encouraged to sit on the edge of a mud pool and just put in their feet or, at the very least, play in the mud with their hands. Over time and watching their friends - many who had no trepidation at all - they became braver, and were soon enjoying and exploring the mud along with everyone else.

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Messy Mud Day turned into days, as each day after the incursion the students devised new things to do in our new mud patch and initiate different ways of using the mud.

The smiles on the faces of the children in the mud, and the way their faces light up each time we talk about Messy Mud Day, leads me to believe that this fantastic and worthwhile experience is one that they will remember for a long time to come.

Vikki Kennedy Pre-Primary Teacher

Olivia Lingham

L-R: Chloe Green, Lauren Cunningham, Carly Ruggiero and Olivia Jackson

Y e a r 6 “ G e t t i ng t o Kn o w Y o u W e e k ” The Year 6 teachers and girls had a “Getting To Know You Week” at the start of Term 1.

It was a week of fun activities to help us get to know the 26 new girls in our year group.

We went to Clarko Reserve, had a day in the pool, had an Amazing Race around the school, and rode our bikes around the top oval.

We all walked from school to Clarko Reserve, where our first activity was Drip Drip Drop. I loved this game. It was just like Duck Duck Goose except when you went around saying drip, drip, you dropped water onto your group members’ heads. We also played other games like making sandcastles, a banana and icecream eating competition, and building the tallest towers out of newspaper.

The next day was a fun day in the pool. We were separated into big groups. My group went with Mr Chidgzey first on the diving boards. With Ms Cameron, we performed synchronised swimming, and we all loved the noodle races with Mrs Lamb and the crocodile game with Miss Mac.

The Amazing Race had us racing around the school trying to find various landmarks and interesting facts about St Mary’s.

Everybody looked exhausted at the end of the race, but we all had lots of fun.

Our last day in Getting To Know You Week was Bike Education Day. We rode around the tennis courts practising various cycling skills. We pushed ourselves, riding around the oval and then coming down the big grassy hill.

Our week was very exciting, and we certainly got to know the new girls. These days were the best, and I made lots of new friends.

Catherine Shepherd Year 6 student

J un i o r S c h o o l g e t s P h ys i c a l Over time, we have begun introducing more co-curricular activities for the Junior School girls, to expose them to a wider variety of activities, and to encourage them to be active. The benefits of participating in these activities with their friends are extended from the physical aspect to the social aspect of playing with their friends, and even making new friends. The aim of introducing these new activities is to get as many girls as we can to be physically active, as we know this also helps with their mental and emotional health.

In Term 1, the girls were given the opportunity to try cheerleading, an activity not for the faint hearted! There were lots of tumbling and human pyramids. Years 1 and 3 are being given the opportunity to try Yoga in Terms 2 and 3. This initiative from the Junior School has had a very enthusiastic response from the girls, and they appear to be thoroughly enjoying the new activities on offer to them.

Terms 2 and 3 for Years 1 to 4, and in Term 4, the girls can participate in diving, a popular activity in the Junior School.

Further activities such as cross-country, basketball, athletics, t-ball, and softball will also take place throughout the remainder of the year.

Mrs Helen Adams Ms Lynley Cameron Head of Junior School Physical Education and Sport Teacher

On top of this initiative, the Junior School still has a busy calendar year of physical education activities and events, beginning with swimming in a very hot Term 1, Dance in

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Junior School News

Y e a r 6 Cap ta i ns Our Year 6 Leaders assist with the fundraising efforts of the Junior School, as well as help with school events, discuss ideas and feedback from classmates, and read reports at assembly

Year 6 Class Captains

Isobel Jones Jessie Chappell Elyse Caminschi Chloe Anastas Tasmin Bayley Rebecca Simpkins Assembly/Media Captains

Courtney Hamilton Amy Roland Ella Chamberlain Kiara Jespersen Chapel Captains

Georgia White Ruby Pike Veronike Christodulou Library Captains

Zoe Griffiths Chilli Hattersley Eliza Timmins Music Captain

Emma Bond

House Captains

Craig Carly Ruggiero Catherine Shepherd

Riley Rebecca Ryall Claire Whitaker

Hackett Olivia Cole Alyssa May

Wardle Billie Daly Claire Giraudo

Lefroy Alexis Cutten Ruby Tomizzi

Wittenoom Rachel Major Laura Duke

Junior School News

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o u tand

about Ladies’ Auxiliary Great start to 2013

L-R: Elizabeth Price and Jackie O’Malley serving refreshments at Music Under the Stars

Once again the Ladies’ Auxiliary has been extremely lucky to have so many volunteers for positions as Class Representatives and on the Ladies’ Auxiliary Committee.

We welcomed many new faces this year, and also welcomed back familiar friends. All the Class Representatives have been working very hard to organise a huge range of activities and events for their classes and year groups. I know that their efforts are very much appreciated by all the parents. We have also managed to discuss an incredible variety of topics at our meetings, and shared many opinions and much advice. Thank you to everyone for their fabulous contributions.

We have had our usual busy start to the year, providing refreshments at many events. There were swimming events for both the Junior and Senior Kindy Parents’ Function schools, and music events, including the amazing evening of Music Under the Stars.

The date for our annual lunch for 2013 is set, and plans are well underway to make sure the day is a great success. This is our major fundraising event for the year, so mark Friday 13 September in your diary, and look out for booking information. It is always a fun afternoon, and we would love to have your company.

Last year we were very lucky to be able to contribute funding towards the purchase of sporting equipment, audio equipment and new books for the Senior School library. It is incredibly satisfying to be able to contribute to the school in this way, and is all made possible through the accumulation of funds over many years by many volunteers.

I look forward to a busy and successful end to the year, and would like to say thank you for the continued efforts of our volunteers and the incredible support shown by parents to the Ladies’ Auxiliary.

Elizabeth Price President, Ladies’ Auxiliary

The Parents’ Society kicks off early in 2013 The Parents’ Society Sundowner was held on Friday 15 February in the Sir Thomas Wardle Swimming Pool Complex. The event was well attended, with approximately 850 guests.

L-R: Tim Kellener, Maryam Bader, Mario and Silvia Marra

Over the last year, the Parents’ Society has purchased many things for the school, including outdoor furniture, encyclopedias and novels for the boarding house, interactive whiteboards and data projectors for both the Junior and Senior Schools, a handycam for the Media Department, a rowing machine for the school gymnasium, a painting by local artist, Rebecca Cool, for the Junior School, a sewing machine for the Junior School art room, and a fountain for the Junior School.

The Parents’ Society has many plans for the year ahead. We plan to fund new Media Studies equipment, provide furniture upgrades for the Year 12 area and the boarding house, and fund a range of Junior School initiatives, including class-specific play equipment.

Carmelo Arto President, Parents’ Society L-R: Nicholle Waddingham and Nick and Jeanette Gee

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O u t a n d Ab o u t

o u tand

continued

Grandes Belles Breakfast On Saturday 23 March, Grandes Belles gathered at Matilda Bay Restaurant for breakfast.

about

Grandes Belles Breakfast next year will be held on Saturday 22 March 2014, on the St Mary’s school grounds.

The St Mary’s Old Girls’ Professional Networking Sundowner was kindly hosted by Anthea Guazzelli (Birkhead’91) at K&L Gates on 8 May. With sweeping views of the Swan River, Old Girls were inspired and motivated by Athanae Lucev (’01) to embrace and take control of our own personal branding. Athanae provided practical and sound advice on dress, styling down and the management of social media and online profiles. It was an excellent evening.

The Grande Belles Art Exhibition evening will be on Monday 9 September 2013.

Suzanne Kelly and Vida Kelly

L-R: A nthea Guazzelli (Birkhead ’91), Athanae Lucev (’01) and Jane Crisp (Cyprian ’81)

Kojonup Country Function Lynne Thomson and Tina Campbell caught up with many current families at the Kojonup Country Function in March this year.

The school regularly travels to rural areas to meet past, current, future, and prospective families, and this year will be visiting Kununurra, Karratha, Wongan Hills and Quairading.

Prefects and Captains Induction Parents and grandparents of the 2013 Prefects and Captains were invited to attend a morning tea, after the induction of their daughters as leaders of the school.

O u t a n d Ab o u t

L-R: Christine Addis, Raylee Harris and Anne-Marie Cook

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L-R: Rev Gerry Nixon, Jackie Bignell and June Hadland

Class of 2013 mothers

Zumba was on offer free for the girls in Term 1, and proved to be very popular, with a great turn-out each week.

Heather Williams, Julie Martin, Shelley Civitico, Myra Staffa, Margaret Jago, Michele McNeill, Jane Gillon, Jenny Carkeek and Deborah Henderson

Market Day Market Day was full of colour this year, as the many activities on offer at the school were on display for the girls to join. The Dance Club surprised us with a ‘Flash Mob’, while the Drama Club dressed up in their best costumes.

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O u t a n d Ab o u t

F r o m ‘ Fa i t h fu l n e ss ’ w e N e v e r E r r The way decisions were made when St Mary’s was established in 1921, would demonstrate the values and character it would become well known for. These values were upheld by the founder of the School, The Reverend Charles Lawrence Riley, the Board of Governors, the St Mary’s Church West Perth parish community, and the staff. Their ideas, developed and modernised, are summarised today in the ten core values of the School: • • • • • • • • • •

Care and Compassion Doing your Best Fairness and Justice Freedom Honesty and Truthfulness Integrity Environmental Stewardship Responsibility Understanding, Respect and Inclusion Women and Equal Opportunity

The symbols of the school that embody these values were not dictated by those in administration in 1921, but the decision making was left open to the girls of the two founding schools, Mrs Gouly’s Girls’ Grammar School and Miss Hilfirty’s Alexandra High School. A competition was created by the Board of Governors for the girls to design a school crest, choose the school colours and decide upon a school motto. It states in the Board of Governors Minutes, 28 November 1921: ‘Prize. The chairman formally reported that a cheque for £1 1 0 for the best badge, colours and motto had been handed to Isabel Greig

by Mr Lefroy at the school.’

Much to everyone’s surprise, a single ten year old girl won all three parts of the competition. Her name was Isabel Greig, and she would go on to become a Prefect and talented student. The school has remained faithful to Isabel’s ideas and they are unchanged to this day. As sketched by Esmee Byatt (Templeton ’30), the school crest was a gold shield with three white Fleur De Lis, a maroon and royal blue bar with the motto of Fideliter. The Fleur De Lis, a French word meaning flower of the lily, was an historical reference to a sign for Christianity, based in the medieval royal households of France and England.

A poem titled Our Motto, was written and published in the Almerta of 1926 by the student editorial committee. It genuinely expresses how the girls felt about their school and their motto, Fideliter, a Latin word meaning faithfully. Latin was a very familiar language to the girls in the 1920s, being a core subject.

A r c h i va l A n e c d ot e s

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Our motto is ‘Fideliter’, From ‘Faithfulness’ we never err; Faithful to lend a helping hand, And never sit while elders stand; Faithful to home, and school, and work, Faithful to serve, and not to shirk, Faithful just to ‘Play the Game’, And if we lose - smile all the same.

Other poems would be published in the Almerta, some with a rather Edwardian style, but all demonstrating the girls’ feeling of belonging and dedication to the school. This was an expression of the value the school placed in each girl, and their chosen path to ‘motherhood’ or ‘careers’ (it was very difficult to have both in the early part of the 20th century). Miss Dannatt (Headmistress 1923–1937), writes in the c1930s Information Leaflet about the school: ‘Character – The acquisition of knowledge and success in examinations is, however, not the only purpose of a good school.

More important is the building up of character on a religious foundation, providing the girls as far as is possible with a lasting asset for their future lives…Old Girls – The Old Girls of St Mary’s have shown by their active participation in public affairs that they have profited by the Headmistress’ aim to instil in the minds of all pupils that love of service which is so much needed in the present day’.

Miss Dannatt was an Oxford-educated and career-orientated woman. She had many ideas considered ‘modern’ for her time, including a deep concern for Aboriginal people. After retiring from St Mary’s, Miss Dannatt would live at Sister Kate’s Orphanage looking after Aboriginal children and would work voluntarily for the Department of Native Affairs. As Molly Walters (Riley ’37), daughter of the school’s founder, would say ‘I think she [Miss Dannatt] wanted us to perhaps have a suitable attitude towards Aboriginal people…To realise that they had been here when we came and that they needed some support.’

Another pioneering woman, the first woman to be elected into Parliament in Australia, Mrs Edith Cowan, was an active member of the founding Board of Governors of St Mary’s

from 1921 until her death in 1932. She was integral in the competition to choose the school’s symbols and had a stated public argument for the equal rights of women and girls to education and the law. Mrs Cowan was replaced on the Board of Governors by Miss Pauline Riley, sister to the founder of the school and another pioneering woman. These women alone, combined with the ideals and leadership of Reverend Charles Lawrence Riley, would see the school’s values upheld and acted upon on a daily basis. As Betty Nicholson (Davies ’27) writes in her poem, St Mary’s, from Almerta 1926: ‘And I shall know thy inspiration still, and thy great aim to fit thy children for the way of Life and thee, the school I love, with honour crown.’

From its very beginning, the girls of St Mary’s have been empowered with the care of themselves and others, the choice of ideas based on Christian foundation and a positive approach to life’s challenges. As Isabel Greig states in her piece, Day Dreams, in Almerta 1927 ‘…it is more uplifting to imagine oneself a ‘road mender’ than a ‘stone breaker’.’

Mrs Stephanie Neille Archivist

T h e g r e at p h o t o s o r t We need your help in the Archives with mountains of unidentified photos.

We would love to hear from small groups of Old Girls who would be willing to spend a morning or two helping us to sort and identify loose photos in the Archives. Why not get a group of your friends together? It will be a great chance to reminisce and view photos you may never have seen before. We have photos from all eras and would like to put names to faces, identify where and when the photos were taken and what the event was. If you can help, please contact the Archivist on 9341 9113.

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A r c h i va l A n e c d ot e s

Old Girls’ President’s Report One of the best things about the role of the President of the OGA is meeting the recipients of the various awards and scholarships the OGA presents.

The first half of the year has seen The Pleiades Tennis Tournament held at Reabold Tennis Club and a networking breakfast hosted by K&L Gates in the City with Athanae Lucev (’01) as speaker. Old Girls’ Day was held on Friday 12 April with over 100 former students attending.

I thank all Old Girls who took the time to reply to our survey on a possible name change for the St Mary’s Old Girls’ Association.

This process was started as a result of comments to the committee and on our Facebook page regarding the descriptor “Old Girls”.

Jane Crisp President of the OGA The recipient of the Jane Gillon Arts Award, Lily Toomey, Year 12 with Jane Crisp

In 2007, the OGA decided to broaden the focus of the scholarships we offer and introduce an award based on the Visual and Performing Arts. We saw this as enhancing the scope of awards we already present which are based on citizenship or academic performances. The Jane Gillon Arts Award is presented to a student who exhibits passion and talent in her chosen field, who will be continuing her arts studies in Year 12 and who hopes to incorporate her love of the arts in her future. The winner for 2013 is Lily Toomey, who is currently studying Visual Art. Other scholarships funded by the OGA announced this year include the Marlene Carter Scholarship which is given to a Year 7 student commencing Year 8 in 2014, and was awarded to Michaela Dowdell, and the Ethel Beaton Scholarship, which is given to a student commencing Year 11 in 2014, and was awarded to Jasmine Hancock.

The OGA Committee for 2013

Committee Members Jane Gillon (Fisher ’70), Hannah Jago (’07), Julie Martin (Huxtable ’73), Robin Moran (Cunningham ’68), Andrea Sassella (’98), Kelly Strahan (’96), Reverend Joyce Polson, Peta-Jane Hogg (’98), Julie O’Meara (Grose ’81)

President Jane Crisp (Cyprian ’81) Vice President and communications co-ordinator Amy Dawson (Fraser ’94) Immediate Past President and Networking Co-ordinator Bronwyn Barnes (Cooper’84) Treasurer and reunions co-ordinator Bree Buxton (’98) Secretary Necia Drazevic (Moffet ’87) Events Co-ordinator Katy Keddie (Knowles ’94) Chapel Liaison Margaret Jago (Parker ’72) Life Membership Liaison and Memorabilia Sales Shelley Civitico (Robson ’73) Ladies’ Auxiliary Rep Jane Crisp (Cyprian ’81) Parents’ Society Rep Necia Drazevic (Moffet ’87)

O l d G i r l s ' A s s o c i at i o n

From back l-r: Louise Richardson (Kelly ’85), Janine Sadler (Lewis ’70), Ingrid Tilley (Van Straalen ’70), Sue White (Hasleby ’70), Jane Crisp (Cyprian ’81), Roslyn Cull (Grant ’85), Helen Walker (Graham ’61), Andrea Graniett (Grace ’68), Penny Chellew (Devine ’70)

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“OLD GIRLS” HERE TO STAY After consultation with the membership base over the past eighteen months, the results of the name change survey are in.

The outcome - please do not change the name of the St Mary’s Old Girls’ Association Inc. Many respondents commented on the link with the past and tradition, and the sense of belonging that all members, whether 18 or 78, feel.

As previously communicated, this is therefore the end of the issue, and it will not be an agenda item at next year’s AGM.

The Committee always welcomes feedback and comments on the activities and initiatives of the Old Girls’ Association. We thank those who brought this issue to the attention of the committee and membership and, especially, thank all who took the time to complete the survey or who commented via Facebook or email.

O l d G i r l s ’ Day 2 0 1 3 Over 100 Old Girls visited the school on Friday 12 April for Old Girls’ Day. It was a fantastic turnout with Old Girls from the 1930s through to the 2000s.

Guests enjoyed a morning tea before setting off on a tour of the school, visiting the recently opened Elizabeth Myles Library, the Ron Farris Media Studies Centre, Dance Studio, Art Department and a Maths and IT class.

The rain did nothing to dampen spirits and lively chatter and laughter. Lunch was held in the boarding house, where guests enjoyed the chance to taste the Metricup wine, Frankie’s Folly.

The Class of 1963 used this event to celebrate 50 years since leaving school.

Mrs Lee White’s Year 4 class interviewed Old Girls after lunch to find out what school was like in the ‘olden days’.

These Year 4 girls are known as the Centenary Girls as they will be in Year 12 when the school turns 100 in 2021.

Celebrating 80 years since leaving school We were delighted to be joined for lunch by one of our oldest Old Girls. Lorrie Maley (Rowledge ’33), pictured in green with her sister June Green (Rowledge ’41), was presented with a St Mary’s blanket by Principal, Mrs Thomson, to recognise a remarkable 80 years since leaving school!

C l ass o f 1963 R e un i o n The Class of 1963 came together to celebrate their 50th anniversary since leaving school at this year’s Old Girls’ Day. Sincere thanks to Marlene Carter who spent time tracking down long lost Old Girls and encouraging such great attendance.

We look forward to seeing you for the 60th in 2023!

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Events, Reunions and News

News From Old Girls

Meet our Old Girls J AYA VA S A N D A N I ( ’ 9 6 ) After graduating from St Mary’s in 1996, I left my beloved Australia to attend Georgetown University in Washington, DC. After briefly considering a major in Philosophy, I settled with a focus on “Culture and Politics” at the University’s Foreign Service Department. I was fortunate enough to receive a great liberal arts education, build friendships with fellow students from around the US and the world, and have access to numerous internship opportunities that ranged from a corporate law firm to an LGBTQ media advocacy organisation. By the time I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in 2001, I knew that I wanted to work in the field of women’s rights advocacy. I spent the next few years working at the National Organisation for Women (NOW) Legal Defence and Education Fund and then at the Centre for Women Policy Studies. At these two organisations, I had my first real exposure to public policy advocacy and the inner workings of state and federal government. Most importantly, I learned a lot about the various barriers to women’s full and equal participation in society, including access to full reproductive rights, high rates of domestic violence, and economic and racial injustice. One day in early 2004, I was working on an evaluation of a life skills programme in a women’s jail in Memphis. This experience changed my life forever. After speaking with woman after woman, and hearing about the events in their lives that led them to jail, I realised that everything that is unjust about our society - racism, classism, sexism, homophobia - comes together to funnel people into the criminal justice system. The US incarcerates more people than any other country in the world (currently around 2.5 million), and the vast majority of those incarcerated are from

low-income communities of colour, whose pathways into the criminal justice system are largely driven by draconian laws, unjust policing practices and society’s failure to provide opportunities for people to succeed. The US women’s prison population has similarly exploded over the past 30 years, and the majority of incarcerated women are survivors of physical and sexual violence. I knew then that I wanted to focus my career working with other advocates to reform criminal justice policies that fuel the prison population. I moved to New York City in mid-2004 to work at the Correctional Association of New York where I still work today. I started off as a Project Associate for the Women in Prison Project and after obtaining my law degree in 2010, was promoted to Associate Director.

In that capacity, I work with colleagues to monitor conditions in New York’s women’s prisons and expose abusive practices, draft and advocate for progressive legislation, organise and coordinate a grass-roots coalition, and educate the press, the public and policy-makers on criminal justice issues. I would love to hear from current or former students and faculty. So much of who I am today is because of the experiences I had over those five years at St Mary’s, and I am forever grateful to my friends and teachers who have left a lasting impact on my life.

A N N A J OH N S O N ( ’ 0 2 ) After graduating from St Mary’s in 2002, I studied Law and Arts (English and Political Science) at the University of Western Australia. I loved my time at university, and became very involved with social justice initiatives such as the campus Amnesty International group. In 2009 I got a job at the State Solicitor’s Office, and I was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in early 2010. I work mostly in criminal and civil litigation and regularly appear in the Supreme, District and Magistrates Courts.

In my spare time, I sit on the board of a not-for-profit organisation in Rockingham, the South Coastal Women’s Health Services, which provides a range of health services to women in the area. I am also the current Chair of the Young UN Women Australia Perth Chapter. We are a diverse group of volunteers under 35, who are passionate about engaging other young people in gender and development issues, and fundraising for UN Women projects in developing countries.

Our chapter regularly organises events, such as panel discussions and high teas, which not only fundraise, but aim to shift cultural attitudes about gender.

News from Old Girls

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My particular interest is ending violence against women. I believe that women cannot be empowered economically, politically, or socially, until their lives are free from violence.

Currently, even in Australia, one in three women experience gender-based violence. In March this year I travelled to New York to attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women as UN Women Australia’s 2013 Youth Delegate. There were over 6,000 non-government organisation delegates there, and it was an amazing opportunity to meet and learn from other women and men in the field. This experience has only strengthened my belief in the importance of ending violence against women in all its forms, one of the most pervasive, and yet invisible, human rights violations in the world.

J A N S TEWA RT ( E l l i o t ’ 6 5 ) One of the luckiest things which has happened in my life when I look back, is my mother seeing an advertisement in the paper for scholarships to St Mary’s Church of England Girls’ School when I was only nine years old. My mother had long held a dream that my younger sister and brother and I would go to ‘college,’ but with my father a tradesman working for wages, she knew they could never afford it.

My mum took me to sit the exam, and I was very surprised when she told me I had won the two year scholarship and would be starting at St Mary’s the following year. At the end of the two years of my scholarship, my family were still in no position to pay the fees, so Mum approached the bursar to tell her that she would have to take me out of the school. To her surprise and to my gratitude as I reflect on what that meant for my educational opportunities, the school offered to extend my scholarship to the completion of my ‘leaving certificate’.

These were the final few years in West Perth where I spent the last two years at the magnificent Craigmore, a beautiful stately home complete with stables.

We were privileged to have the most inspirational teachers who had been recruited by the Principal, Mrs Macdonald, who had a vision to build the school to be the exemplary kind of girls school it is today – although I doubt that even she could have foreseen all that has been achieved, and the contribution so many of the St Mary’s Old Girls have made in so many ways to our community over the years.

As a result of their guidance, I managed to get good results in my leaving exam and enrolled at the University of Western Australia in an arts degree. I soon realised that my real interest lay in social work. When I completed my degree with a double major in history and psychology, I enrolled in a Masters Degree in Social Work.

My first job was at Graylands Psychiatric Hospital, where I worked for two years. For a 23 year old who had had a relatively sheltered and privileged life, it is an understatement to say this was eye opening. That time taught me so much about people, about mental illness, about the impact of poverty and loneliness and loss. I learned lessons there which have shaped my approach to life ever since.

My second job was at Princess Margaret Hospital where I worked for ten years, becoming the head of the Social Work Department, when I was still relatively young for a role like that. I found that job more rewarding than I could ever describe. I worked in virtually every section of the hospital, from the intensive care unit, the burns unit, the child psychiatry department and many others. I was involved in the management of child abuse, and was closely involved in the establishment of the first specialist child sexual abuse unit at the hospital. Much of my clinical work was very confronting and emotionally demanding, although it also had many rewards at times, when I felt I was making a difference to some of my clients and could help during a very difficult time of their lives.

In 1985 my first son was born. I decided that it was not possible for me to be the kind of mother I wanted to be to him, as well as doing the work I had done for the past ten years – certainly not the way I had done it as I was on call many days and evenings.

Not knowing what the future would hold I resigned from the job.

For the next five years, which included the birth of our second son in 1988, I did part time ‘odd jobs’ on short term contracts while I raised my little boys with the help of my parents.

These days, I would probably call myself a ‘consultant’, but it was not the way I thought about my work at the time. I did some policy work for the then Department of Community Services, I sat on the Social Services Appeals Tribunal, and a couple of other boards, and I did some voluntary work in the community.

It was during those years that I was approached to do some part time casual work assessing grant applications for Lotterywest. That work gradually expanded, and I was encouraged by the CEO at the time to apply for the newly created position of Director Grants at Lotterywest. That was a fantastic opportunity to use all the experience I had gained in my previous social work roles both in understanding the community sector, and also in using the management experience I had acquired. Then an opportunity of which I would never have dreamed, arose. The CEO role became vacant in 1992, and the Board encouraged me to apply for the job for which I was successful, and I have held the role ever since.

Being the CEO of Lotterywest over the past 21 years has been the most amazing experience. Not only have I learned how to run a business which this year will turnover more than $800 million, but I have also learned so much about the lottery industry internationally, and acquired professional contacts and built personal friendships around the world. In 1995 we hosted an international lottery conference in Perth, which led to my becoming involved in the executive committee the World Lottery Association. I became the inaugural President of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association, and later, the Senior Vice President of the World Lottery Association. But the main aspect of my work which inspires me every day, is the unique role which Lotterywest has in Western Australia of not only running the state lottery, but also of distributing the proceeds directly to the community. Over what has now been 25 years at Lotterywest, I have been part of many changes in the way we have worked with the community. We have set ourselves a goal of being leaders in building a better Western Australia, and have worked with many inspirational leaders in the diverse areas of the charitable and community sector, to support them in finding innovative approaches to address the many challenges which the modern world faces.

My job, and all its elements at Lotterywest, has been more than I could ever have dreamed that my future would hold when I completed my education at St Mary’s. I remain forever grateful to my mother for starting the chain of events which gave me that chance, and to the school and my teachers for giving me the foundation which has given me the basis for the work I do today.

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BRITTA N Y M OXH A M ( ’ 0 5 ) Living and working in rural WA isn’t the easiest place to run and direct a youth theatre organisation, not to mention a youth space. Having worked all around the world in all different capacities, rural WA is by far the most interesting.

Having performed all over the country as a young dancer/ performer, my heart lies in the theatre.

After being named the Vocational Australian Student of the year in 2005, I travelled to the United States to undertake the role of a performing arts director at a disabilities organisation. After two years, I came home to work with the Divisional Head Quarters of the Salvation Army, implementing positive programmes for troubled young people.

Love landed me back in Karratha, Western Australia, where I has been working for the local council in a community development capacity, and more recently, managing a Youth and Families Centre. I am the Chairperson for the Karratha Youth Theatre, Chairperson of LINK and a committee member of the Friends of the Theatre. In 2012, I was coopted to the board of directors for Country Arts WA and most recently, have been ministerially approved to sit on the

Regional Arts Fund Assessment Panel through the Office for the Arts.

I was a finalist in the WA Youth Awards Create!

Category, and took out the 2011 Youth Burswood Scholarship. 2012 brought further success, winning the Educate! Category at the WA Youth Awards, and then I went on to be named the 2012 WA Young Person of the Year. I also recently won the Educate! Edith Cowan University Award, for my work in ensuring that young people in regional communities are receiving the same opportunities as those in metropolitan areas.

I was a boarder at St Mary’s and graduated with the Class of 2005.

And so the story continues...

A M Y S TE N N I N G ( ’ 0 7 ) When I graduated from St Mary’s in 2007, I had no idea that nursing would be the career path that I would end up taking; in fact I’d never even considered it. I took some time off and went travelling, returned to Perth and made the decision to give it a try. It’s been a great decision and has taken me to many places that I never expected.

In the short time that I’ve been nursing, I’ve experienced some fantastic things that have further cemented my confidence that nursing is the right path for me.

In November 2011, I headed over to Kenya to work in a community health clinic for three months. I worked alongside Kenyan doctors and nurses to deliver quality healthcare to people who could not otherwise access it. The differences were almost unexplainable. An integral part of Western medicine is the importance of hand washing and it was truly shocking to work in a place that didn’t even have sinks! I have been fortunate in that my time in Kenya has given me a lot of direction about the path that I wish to take in my career.

Nursing has also taken me to remote Western Australia, where I spent some time working within an Indigenous community and gained a lot of experience about the healthcare challenges that we face within our own state.

Another great aspect of nursing is that the options for work are so varied. Currently, I’m working with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, which is incredibly rewarding.

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I also work with people with spinal injuries, which – whilst difficult at times – is so interesting and has had the added bonus of taking me around Australia with the inspirational people that I am lucky to be able to work with.

My favourite thing about nursing and my motivation to keep it going is definitely the feeling you get from knowing that you really did help someone – no matter how small the action was. Even just helping someone to get out of bed or walk down the corridor when, without that assistance, it wouldn’t have been possible. That feeling makes every tough day completely worth it. It’s definitely not easy and the challenges that nurses face daily are numerous, but I couldn’t picture myself doing anything different and I absolutely love it.

These profiles are of great value to the school, and not only make for interesting reading, but are also helpful to our current students. Make sure we have details of your profession on file by updating your details on our website.

F o r t h c o m i ng E v e n t s Golf Day, July 2013 Old Girls who are interested in playing in the St Mary’s team at the annual CIGS are invited to contact Helen Walker (Graham ’61) at d.hwalker@westnet.com.au.

St Mary’s is hosting this event in 2013 so we hope there will be lots of interest and players.

REUNION FOR THE CLASS OF 1970 ‘Sixty and Sensational’ dinner You’re invited to a ‘Sixty and Sensational’ dinner to celebrate the 60th birthdays of the Class of 1970. The evening will be held at Noelene Dermody’s (Ball) home in Karrinyup on Saturday 9 November 2013.

St George’s Cathedral Candlelight Service with Carols, Sunday 18 August 2013

We hope you can join us to share some memories and photographs from school days and the years beyond.

The OGA and St George’s Cathedral invite Old Girls and their families to a service to celebrate the Festival Day of St Mary.

The St Mary’s Chorale will be the choir for this service.

Time: commencing at 6.00pm with pre-dinner drinks and starters, followed by dinner

Class of 1993 Reunion Saturday 12 October Join Facebook group SMAGS 1993 Leavers Please contact Janelle Haines (McBain) E: j.haines@zoho.com

Where: 131 Miles Street, Karrinyup

Please BYO drinks and a ‘plate’ to share.

RSVP: by Monday 25 October to Helen Moorhead hmoorhead1@gmail.com or Noelene Dermody noelene. dermody@gmail.com When you RSVP, it would be great if you could let us know which course you would like to bring along, ie starters, main course or dessert.

Class of 2003 Reunion

It would be wonderful to see you!

7pm - midnight, 9 November 2013 Pure Bar, 331 Hay Street, Subiaco $53 approx Please contact Skye Mercer E: Skye.Mercer@education.wa.edu.au

Helen and Noelene

Please also send photos of our time at school to this email address and make sure the school has the correct mailing address for you.

SAVE THE DATE OGA Future Mothers Morning Tea Thursday 19 September 2013

Robin Alexander and her daughter, Naomi, in Cairo, Egypt

News from old Girls ROBIN ALEXANDER (’57) has recently travelled to Egypt, Jordan and Israel with her daughter Naomi, where they spent Easter in Jerusalem. She has also just returned from a holiday to Cairns with another daughter, Kim. JODIE COOPER (Beaton ’69) is married with four children and six grandchildren, and lives on a farm 40km south of Tamworth. She currently works at high schools in Tamworth, doing casual school administration.

BEV MOXHAM (Brown ’69) and her husband, Paul, have recently sold Moxham Motors in the Pilbara, after a 35 year relationship with the motor industry. They now have a 160 acre hobby farm in Walkaway, 40km from Geraldton, and have four chickens and eight sheep.

GLORIA BURNETT (Pethick ’69) has become an active member of the local Lions Club, since losing her beloved husband, Barry, to cancer in 2011. She has also recently travelled to Canada and Alaska, which she found a wonderful experience.

TEINA PETERS (Waldeck ’70) will be travelling to London in June, for her annual visit to see her daughter, Sarah and her family. This visit will be very special as they will also be attending the christening of Sarah’s third child, John Charles.

KAREN WINNETT (’79) has an art studio, which she never opens, and some walnut trees in an orchard, that still won’t take a graft. Her youngest daughter who is now 20, is attending university part time, despite being very ill when she was a young child.

VIKKI HODGE (Dyson ’81) taught at primary school level for ten years, and is now studying for a Diploma in Remedial Massage. She has three children - Alexandra who is in Year 11 at St Mary’s and Sam, 18, and Ben, 12, who have attended or are attending Hale. She lived in Malaysia and the Phillipines for nine years, but is now living in Trigg. Vikki is still in close contact with her St Mary’s friends, Jennie King, Sue Turner, Tracey Langridge and Liz Viner.

TINA GIBSON-BROWN (Gibson ’82) married Steven Brown in October 2012. She is stepmother to Alex, Connor and Louis, the dog.

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News from Old Girls

Briony Thornton with her husband and bridesmaids

MARGRET CONLEY (Bolten ’88) currently lives in Kununurra and has been married to Lance for nineteen years. They have six children ranging from two to seventeen years. They have chosen to homeschool their children, which they have found very interesting. Their two oldest girls, who are fourteen and seventeen, have competed nationally in equestrian events, and are now training a young mare. Margret and her husband enjoy teaching their children, although their lives are very busy as they also run a large helicopter charter business.

AINSLIE MITCHELL (’90) and her partner, Damian, welcomed their twins, Ruby and Felix, to the world on 31 December 2011. Ainslie is a Clinical Nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital and works in cardiothoracic surgery at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco.

NARELLE SIM (Norrish ’92) married Matt Simm on 5 May 2012. They have a baby girl, Sophie, born in June 2011.

SHANNON MEYERKORT (Rowe ’94) has returned to her true love in writing, after spending almost a decade working in health research in Sydney. With three daughters under six, she tends only to work at night. Shannon has published in two national magazines, has a popular blog, Relentless, is a senior writer at Weekend Notes, and is currently being thwarted by her first novel.

KAREN HASELDINE (Panarese ’96) and her husband, Brad, recently welcomed their first child, Chase Edward, into the world in February 2012. Karen returned to the workforce from maternity leave in January 2013 to work in community development consulting.

SARAH GODKIN (Chong ’96) currently lives in Perth with her husband, Paul, and daughters, Chloe and Alice. Both girls are enrolled to attend St Mary’s. Sarah works as a corporate tax advisor for ATCO Australia, a Canadian structures and logistics company.

KYM MCDONALD (Denison ’97) was married in 2012 and honeymooned in the UK and Greece. Kym had a baby girl in February 2013, and is currently working as a primary school teacher at Rosalie Primary School in Shenton Park.

JESS GETHIN (Walker ’97), had her second baby in January 2013. Baby girl, Olivia, joins older brother, Finn.

JULIA CARATTI (’00) married Brad Durack in the grounds of her childhood home on the banks of the Ord River in Kununurra in July 2012. Julia’s mother, Judy Hughes, who is a Marriage Celebrant, officiated at the ceremony. Julia’s attendants included former St Mary’s students Kelly Cripps (Fewster, ’00), Maria Bolten-Magnay (Bolten, ’00) and Sarah Gould (’00). Other former St Mary’s girls who attended the wedding included Jodie Becker (’00), Jane Rose (Fisher, ’00), Emily Haley (Gould, ’02), Bonnie Cole (’00), Kate Scanlon (’02), Katrina Boshammer (’07), Tobi Farquhar (’06), and Margaret Conley (Bolten ’88). Julia and Brad now live in Broome.

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SARAH MOORE (Davies ’00) is currently living in Dunsborough with her husband, Brad, and daughter, Alice.

They had their second child in May 2013. Sarah is currently working as a GP obstetrician in Busselton, as well as a medical coordinator for the Rural Clinical School of WA, and as Director of the Postgraduate Medical Education Unit for WA Country Health Services.

KATE WELLINGTON (’00) finished third in her class at the Law School at UWA. She then went on to complete her Masters in Law at Oxford University, and has since been working at Linklaters in London. Kate has just accepted a position at Which?, where she will work in consumer advocacy with their in-house legal team.

AMY LITTLE (Twining ’02) and her husband, Mike, are expecting their first child (a girl) in September this year. Amy is currently the Performing Arts Coordinator and Secondary Music and Drama Specialist at Georgiana Molloy Anglican School (GMAS) in Busselton. She has been at GMAS for four years and is enjoying living in the country and has recently built a house in the region. Amy is looking forward to the new adventures that motherhood will present this year.

ANNA JOHNSON (’02) was selected as the UN Women Australia Youth Delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women for 2013. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global policy making body, dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women.

Anna is the first West Australian to have been awarded the role, and travelled to New York in March 2013 with the official Australian delegation to participate in international negotiations in relation to gender inequality.

BHAVANI KANNAN (Parameswaran ’03) married Rajaraman Kannan in Singapore in August 2011. They have just had a daughter, Manasa Kannan.

TALITHA SANTINI (’03) completed her PhD in Soils Science at UWA in 2012, then moved to Canada to continue her research at McMaster University as a Postdoctoral Fellow.

She recently received an Endeavour Research Fellowship from the Australian Government to support this research. At the end of 2013, Talitha will be moving to Brisbane to commence a position as Lecturer in Environmental Management in Mining at the University of Queensland.

BRIONY THORNTON (Hookey ’04) married Scott Thornton on 4 November 2012. Bridesmaids included Erin Hookey (’02), Sophia Breytenbach (’04), Ashleigh Harrold (’04) and Fiona Stretch (’04).

Caroline Andretich (far left) with her team and their lecturer at the Vienna University Law faculty

MICHELLE JENKINS (’05) lives in Melbourne, and has recently been appointed the National Account Manager of PZ Cussons Beauty, where she manages brands such as St Tropez, Fudge and Sanctuary Spa. LAUREN SMITH (’06) graduated from UWA at the end of 2012 with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education. She is currently working full time at Shenton College, teaching Maths to deaf students and Science.

KATE VAUGHAN (’06) travelled to Sydney in March to compete in the Grand National Championships and the Australian Arabian Championships. The competitions were held over five days each, and hosted some of Australia’s best horses and riders. Kate, on her horse, Pembrooke Park Princeton, took out the Australian Championship title and was then placed in the top 10 the following week. Kate is currently working as an environment graduate with Rio Tinto.

NINA ASKEW (’07) completed her K-7 Education Degree at Edith Cowan University in 2011, and spent 2012 as a Year 1 teacher at Beeliar Primary School. She has recently been given permanancy at Aubin Grove Primary School, where she will be teaching Year 1 in 2013. After getting engaged in 2011, she and her fiancé Paul have set their wedding date for 20 September 2014.

CLAIRE WARD (’07) has recently launched her own dietetic consultancy business, Allied Nutrition. Claire lives in Port Kennedy with her partner and their puppy, Lucy.

CAROLINE ANDRETICH (’09) studied Law with PreMedicine at Notre Dame University and was recently approached to assist the Notre Dame Mooting Team at the Australian Law Students Association Mooting Competition in Melbourne, as a research assistant. Caroline was also asked to represent Notre Dame at the Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot which took place in Vienna, Austria, in April 2013. She was offered a paid summer clerkship with a commercial law firm in Perth for two weeks in January 2013, and has applied for an exchange to Lyon in France in the second half of 2013 to study international law.

WAN YI SWEETING (’10) was awarded the 2012 Dux Award at Schools of Isolated and Distance Education and is heading to the prestigious Boston College in the US on a scholarship.

There, she will continue to seek excellence in her academic and tennis careers.

Va l e Our sincere sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the following Old Girls who have passed away.

Rhiannon Price (’12) We would like to give thanks for the beautiful life of Rhiannon Price. Never could the Class of 2012 imagine losing such a unique classmate so soon after our graduation last year. Rhiannon became a St Mary’s girl in Year 7 and completed her WACE as a Year 12 student.

She had begun studying Marketing and Public Relations at Notre Dame University. Rhiannon was an outgoing, enthusiastic, loving and caring friend and member of St Mary’s. Although cut short by a sudden illness, she lived her life to the fullest. She will be forever loved and greatly missed by all who had the privilege to know her. Rest in eternal peace, Rhiannon; you will never be forgotten.

Kirrily Anderson (Pearce ’87) Kirrily passed away on 11 December 2012. After leaving St Mary’s, Kirrily became a physiotherapist. She married Bob and had three children - Chloe, Josh and Charlotte. Our condolences to her family.

Katie Adamek (’12) and Bridget Lewis (’12)

Danielle Brooks (Burgess ’84)

Leanne Reynolds (Burgess ’81) died peacefully on 13th January 2013 at the age of 48, with family around her in Hollywood Hospital, after a two year battle with cancer. She leaves her husband, Tim and two sons, Christopher and Andrew. Leanne was courageous, strong, brave and always smiled throughout her battle.

She touched so many lives with her warm, loving personality and beautiful friendship. Leanne is missed terribly but still loved by so many.

Elizabeth (Libby) Seppelt (Johnson ’43) Libby died on 17 April 2013 in Adelaide where she had lived for many years.

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2 0 1 3 E v e n t s Ca l e n d a r 25-27 July

29 July 28 July

3-4 August 4 August

8-10 August

17 August 18 August 16 August

28-29 August 4 September

Royal Darwin Show Kununurra Country Function Hale St Mary’s Careers Expo Karratha Field Day (FeNaClng) Karratha Country Function Senior School Production “High School Musical” Hale Governors Concert Wongan Hills Country Function Old Girls’ Candlelight Service with Carols, St George’s Cathedral Dowerin Field Days Music Concert

Newdegate Field Day 7 September Quairading Country Function 8-10 September Senior School Art Exhibition 19 September OGA Future Mothers Morning Tea 19 & 20 September Mingenew Field Day 1 November Scholars Concert 8-9 November Lower School Production “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” 9 November Old Girls’ Class of 1970 Reunion 9 November Old Girls’ Class of 2003 Reunion 4 December Carols by Candlelight, St George’s Cathedral 6 December Speech Night 4 & 5 September

Tickets for performanc es are available on the St Mary’s website

St Mary’s Anglican GIrls’ School Incorporated Elliott Road Karrinyup Western Australia PO Box 105 Karrinyup WA 6921 telephone: (08) 9341 9111 facsimile: (08) 9341 9222 email: stmarys@stmarys.wa.edu.au website: www.stmarys.wa.edu.au CRICOS Number 00454C