Edition Eight 17 JUNE 2022
THE DRAGON
Know le d g
e Faith S e r v
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FORTNIGHTLY NEWS AND EVENTS FOR ST GEORGE’S PARENTS
From the Principal Tina Campbell
Education does not only happen in the confines of the classroom and much learning happens beyond the four walls at St George’s. We have seen real world learning experiences with our drama students performing on stage as part of the Short + Sweet Festival for Schools where students presented a selection of 10-minute plays providing a platform to connect with other creative students from across Perth. The dramatic sketches performed at the Subiaco Arts Centre saw our talented group of Year 10s take out many of the main prizes in almost all categories much to the excitement of so many parents and staff in the audience on a wet, wintry, and wild Sunday evening. We have seen the Battle of the Bands performances return after a two-year hiatus and we took over a wonderfully exciting new venue in the heart of the city which reminded us clearly why music remains such an integral and uplifting part of our lives here at St George’s and why as a School we love living our best lives through the performance spaces that the city is able to continually provide for us. A new House Band Competition saw Mandela House take out the points which will contribute to the hotly contested House Cup.
We have seen it in our State Orienteering participants where over 350 students from 15 different schools compete outside and St George’s even came home with a Gold Medal which was super exciting for Mrs Jackie Sullivan as well as for the students. 1
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And the Year 8s have lived ‘learning outside of the classroom’ this week in their residential camp experience held as part of Dare Camps in Dwellingup. With most morning temperatures being below 5 degrees, they have lived through some very cold out of the classroom experiences together as a year group. In COVID times these have been the things that we have missed as a school community. They are now the things that we are celebrating and that we smile the most about together. This holistic approach to education allows us to do more than just focus on the academic progress of students and supports us to ensure that our students consistently feel inspired, feel invigorated and feel valued. They provide a different spotlight for students to shine, and a chance for students to grow and explore their skills outside of the classroom. It is in moments like these that the school truly comes alive. And tonight, on Level 3, the Year 7 cohort, Ms Sephton and I will have our dancing shoes on at School after hours as we come together to the Year 7 Silent Disco. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Mrs Tina Campbell Principal
School Operations Susan Lazenby
Semester Two is drawing to a close, with our Year 10 students having written their first examinations. They are using the new location of the School, 441 Murray Street. This experience will introduce them to the layout and conditions of exams in preparation for you Year 11 and 12. The term ends with excursions, incursions, events and then the highlight: Lincoln House Charity Day on Friday 1 July. Three will be team games and inflatables at a reserve nearby. This is a compulsory event for all students which will end at 2:40 pm, the usual finishing time each Friday. All students are expected to be in attendance for the whole day.
Events coming up in the next fortnight: 21 June 23 June
Over the holidays, please take time to check winter uniforms for skirt and trouser hem lengths. Skirts must touch the knee. A reminder that blazers are part of the winter uniform which students must wear to and from School every day. Year 12 students must wear their blazers on Mondays to attend Chapel in the Cathedral. This is an expectation for all formal events, which means that on 29 July, the first Friday of Term 3, Year 12 students will wear their blazers to School for the Mid-Year Academic Awards Assembly in the Cathedral.
24 June 26 June 26 – 29 June 28 June 29 June 29 June
Another part of the School uniform is the School backpack, or the regulation drag bag. These are available from Tara Uniforms, who assure me that they have stocks of bags, blazers, socks – including the new length sport socks – and other uniform needs. There is also the more casual book bag, computer sleeve and drinks bottle that is available from main reception.
30 June
Uniforms can also be ordered online, appointments for fittings can be booked online, or you can call into their showroom at 1 Hasler Road, Osborne Park.
1 July
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International Music Day ASC Rock Concert Year 9 Orienteering, Kalamunda Year 9 Ten Pin Bowling Social Parents Coffee Morning Year 12 Ball Students return to School for Term 3 NAIDOC Week Year 12 ATAR Biology Excursion, Perth Zoo Mid-Year Academic Awards Assembly Year 10 Seek out Science Excursion, Murdoch University Year 10 OE Mountain Bike Excursion, Dwellingup Year 10 Subject Selection closes for Year 11 2023 Lincoln House Charity Day Final day of Term 2
Chaplain’s Corner The Colour of Pentecost The Colour of St George’s Last week we had yet another wonderful service turning St George’s Cathedral into a spectacular sight, as teachers and students raising their balloons in the air to demonstrate how beautiful we become when the Holy Spirit fills us. For me, it was a moment to talk about our prominent red school blazers. I want students to appreciate how beautiful they look in their red blazers, and to wear them with pride each and every day of school! I took time to teach about the symbolism of “red” as a colour—that it is the colour of the sunrise and sunset, the colour of power and passion, and certainly the colour of LOVE! But more so, red is the colour of ‘Pentecost Day’ when God poured the Holy Spirit on His people.
unattractive. We can stretch it and put it in our pocket at will. But once we fill it with our breath, it becomes beautiful. Its true colours come out; no wonder balloons are decorations at birthday parties, weddings and other happy occasions.
Balloons are the perfect language, metaphor, symbol, and illustration for the students. When a balloon has no air inside, it is passive and
The Cathedral looked spectacular when together we raised our inflated balloons in the air. This is how beautiful we become when the Holy Spirit fills us and when we walk together in our red blazers each Monday to and from the cathedral. When the Holy Spirit fills us we become loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled people. (Galatians 5.26) The Pentecost service was an occasion to remind our students that every time they wear their blazers, they must remember that red is the colour of the Holy Spirit. They must strive to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled people in all that they do and say. Father Gift
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Pastoral Focus Hilton Hardman
Tips to Managing Stress
well, so we can do our best whether that be at school, in the workplace or most importantly with our family.
During Week 6 we had Adam Przytula from ‘Armed for Life’ talk to our parents about managing stress. He had some valuable insights to share, and parents walked away feeling informed and reassured armed with the necessary tips provided to support their children.
There are two kinds of stress: Internal and External External stress is what we know stress to be – relationships, work, exams, friends, or family. These include everything OUTSIDE of our body and mostly outside of our control. Internal stress is what we feel inside our body and the good thing about that is that it is in our control. The issue with internal stress is that is releases the inflammatory hormone, cortisol. When internal stress is high then it is harder to manage the external stress, so we need to reduce inflammation inside our bodies as best we can.
Stress is something we all deal with at some point in our lives – maybe because it is a normal healthy response in the body to keep us alive and protect us – or maybe because that’s just the way life is. The issue with stress is that we are not meant to be feeling it all day every day. We are meant to feel it as a part of the fight or flight response and then it is meant to calm down. As a society we do not manage stress well – we have not been taught how to do it.
These ten tips listed below will help reduce internal stress and help us manage external stress.
This generation of adolescents is experiencing stress at a far younger age than ever before. Children as young as 7 or 8 are being recognised as struggling with this feeling and not knowing how to cope with it. More than ever, we need to learn to manage stress
I hope these points assist you manage the stresses that come to all of us within our lives.
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Curriculum Update Anthony Bochrinis Semester One Reports
Year 11 2023 Subject Selection Information Evening
Many of our students are working hard in the midst of final assessments being delivered in classes that will contribute towards their Semester One Reports.
Many thanks to our Year 10 families who attended last weeks Year 11 2023 Subject Selection Information Evening. It was great to hear so many questions from students as they edge towards the biggest decision they have ever made about their schooling (so far!). This process will culminate with prerequisite forms being sent to families in Week 10 of this term ahead of Subject Selection Interviews in Weeks 2 and 3 next term.
Semester One Reports will be made available after Friday 1 July during the Mid-Year Holidays via SEQTA. I would like to share an important note regarding Year 11 and 12 ATAR and APEx students: each student’s grades in their Semester One report is a progressional indicator of their achievement.
A link to view the video recording can be found here for families who were unable to attend in person.
A student’s grade in Semester Two overwrites the achievement earned in Semester One if a course has been studied for the entire year, please see the example below:
Parent Teacher Interviews Our next round of Parent Teacher Interviews will occur early in Term Three on the following dates: Monday 1 August 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Face to Face at School) Tuesday 9 August 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Face to Face at School) Wednesday 17 August 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Online) Further information regarding interview bookings will be made available in the next edition of The Dragon, published in Week 10 of this term. Please note that families have the option of both face to face and online parent teacher meetings to accommodate the needs of everyone within the St George’s Community.
In this example, a student achieved a C Grade in Semester One and a B Grade in Semester Two for a year-long Maths Applications course in Year 11. The final grade that is reported to SCSA ,and on a students’ final graduation certificate, will be a B Grade.
July Holiday Revision Program for Year 11-12 ATAR If students are interested in spending time revising or improving in the upcoming July School Holidays, we have had many students at St George’s access Mastermind Tutoring in the past and have heard excellent feedback!
Mid-Year Academic Awards Assembly On Friday 29 June we will be hosting our Mid-Year Academic Awards Assembly.
There are several programs running in the July School Holidays to assist students to prepare for Term 3 and ultimately their final year exams.
This special event will acknowledge the achievements of our students in Semester One. Academic Awards and Colour will be awarded to students.
You can explore their revision programmes via this link. St George’s students are eligible for a 20% discount.
A summary of the types of awards for which our students may be eligible are outlined below:
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2008) found that realistic self-appraisal (self-assessment), coupled with long term goals and a strong support person (family and teachers, for example) are proven to be key factors in predicting academic success, but it’s not all about hitting the books! Adebayo (2008) also found a strong correlation between young people who participated in community service and demonstrated leadership through extra-curricular activities tended to achieve higher academic success. So, whether your child is aiming for a 99 ATAR or a vocational qualification in the future, take some time to reflect together on their performance and listen to the feedback. It is more valuable than a number.
Why feedback is important
Open Day Planner
Our Senior School students have just completed their first set of Semester examinations; teachers, such as me, want our students to reflect on their performance, while students want to focus on the percentage they received. Which is more valuable?
A list of every Higher Education and University Open Day offered in Australia for students commencing study in 2023.
Of course, it’s important to know if you have passed or failed an exam, but the deeper learning happens in reflection. Knowing what has gone well and how to improve so that you don’t make the same mistakes again leads to an increase in the quality of work produced.
Click here to access the Planner.
Feedback and reflection are fundamental to improving learning.
Mrs Sharan Tagore APEx and Careers Coordinator
A study published in the Journal of College Admission (Adebayo, B.,
students will find time to read. Books introduce young people to a world of the imagination, giving them access to a world beyond their own. Books help develop reading, writing, and speaking skills. They also boost our memory and intelligence, chances of success in the world beyond the classroom and, importantly, help us to develop empathy. There is a steady stream of new books coming into the library so I encourage your child to come and talk to us about books that they would like to see on our shelves.
The library is really humming along. It has become an integral part of the School, with diverse events now taking place here. From World of Work, Parent Guest Speaker Series, Parent Information events and now Scholarship examinations. It is wonderful that we can provide a flexible space for so many users, as well as our core business – together, let’s read!
I am currently reading “How to Repaint a Life” by Steven Herrick. A young adult novel, this one explores the life of a young man whose home is destroyed by domestic violence. Set in a small country town, the novel is a gentle story of young people finding their way through tough times, the importance of friendship and the value of simple acts of kindness. While these are common enough themes for the genre, I am enjoying this novel for its careful development of character. The author focuses our attention on the drama of growing up in a small town rather than violence. While this itself is not new, the characters are really engaging – and one of them is a budding artist. So, I am hooked! Keep an eye on this space. There are some exciting new projects and initiatives coming to the Lawrence Library.
We now have our Wider Reading Program classes running fortnightly. Students are realising the joys of borrowing and taking their books home to read. I am hoping that eventually all our
Dr Annette Pedersen Library Services Coordinator 6
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Around the School
Our students worked immensely hard leading up to the festival and worked harmoniously as two ensembles. The students represented the School with professionalism, sportsmanship, and excitement, and we are incredibly proud of their work.
Dance
St. George’s received the following accolades: Awards People’s Choice Award
Someone Told Me it’s all Happening at the Zoo
Best Student Director Award
Imogen Ogg Someone Told Me it’s all Happening at the Zoo
Honourable Mentions Best Student Director
Jessica Bakes, Playing the Fool
Best Scripted Performance Someone Told Me it’s all Happening at the Zoo Mrs Renee Miller and Mrs Courtney Crisp
Year 10 Dance students have been working on an ensemble piece in class, exploring the genre of Jazz. With top hats and canes, the routine has been challenging but a bundle of fun.
Drama Department
The Sports Report
Students have been introduced to new technique, choreographic devices and ways to manipulate the elements of dance in performance.
Thank you to all supervising staff and committed Year 7 – Year 10 NWAS competitors. It was great to get back into some Inter-School sport this term! Congratulations to our St George’s Netball teams, Soccer teams, Badminton and Touch Rugby teams. Your representation of the School was exemplary, and you are all outstanding ambassadors.
This semester, students have immersed themselves in both jazz and contemporary works to cover a lot of ground. To wrap up their semester course, we are heading to the State Theatre Centre of WA to see the West Australian Ballet Company’s performance of ‘STATE’, a fantastic opportunity to see a professional company encompass and execute everything we have been exploring and discussing in class. We are all very excited!
The Athletics season is upon us, and students have been busy running, jumping, and throwing in their Physical Education lessons. We are very fortunate to use such an outstanding facility at UWA Sports Park, Floreat. It is the only cedar running track within the State and we are privileged to use it for our PE lessons and our Inter-House Athletics Carnival, which is taking place on Thursday, 4 August 2022. We also hire the High Jump equipment from UWA Athletics which enables our students to learn and experience High Jump.
Mrs Courtney Crisp Dance Teacher
Short + Sweet Festival
Over the years, St George’s has achieved great success in the Associated & Catholic Colleges of WA (ACC) Athletics Carnivals. As such, St George’s has moved way up from I-division to G-Division.
Last weekend, our Year 10 Drama students participated in the Short+Sweet for Schools Festival. This was an inaugural event held at the Subiaco Arts Centre. Students from twelve schools across Perth presented devised and scripted works for adjudication in four categories.
The ACC Athletics Carnival will take place on Monday, 5 September at the State Athletics Stadium, Floreat. Ms Jodie Scheele Head of HPE 7
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Battle of the Bands
Greta Bushell What is it to be a Hindu, you may ask? The eternal truth is Vedanta, a conclusion of all But how to become a knower is the task. The connections with deities, will help us recall. Shiva, a major Hindu deity. The destroyer, desolator of the world Only for the creation of, life and beauty. Creation and destruction together, whirled. With a blue neck from the poison held in his throat, The ashes of corpses covering his body And masculine, occasionally with a feminine note Is how the major deity, Shiva, is embodied. Shiva can be reached with The clearing of your mind, and acceptance. You may visit the Shiva temple and be with, Or fasting every Monday, for cleansing and reflectance.
Finally, our Battle of the Bands is back! Our Rock Bands and Musicians perform at Convenients Live Music Venue, Northbridge, on Thursday 9 June and the atmosphere was electrifying!
A Hindu’s relationship with Shiva will, Ensure a Hindu’s mind to be calm and have balance. Stop emotions from being ill, And keeps sorrows away with vallance.
This is the first Battle of the Bands to be held since 2019, two cancelled due to lockdowns. It is only recently that regulations have allowed singers to rehearse without masks, and wind players to rehearse at all, so it was fantastic to be able to get on stage and perform.
What is it to be a Hindu, you now know. The eternal truth is Vedanta, a conclusion to soothe. Shiva is both the destroyer and creator so, Connect with Shiva and be one with the eternal truth.
Our School Rock Bands and the student entries in the Battle of the Bands all put on excellent performances, with “No Klue” crowned the Battle of the Bands Champion. This year we also held the inaugural House Band Competition with Mandela winning by the slimmest of margins – there were only 3 ½ points between the Houses!
Gwen Tan Today, I will be at one with the eternal truth, I never understood the meaning in my youth. It’s the process of discovering who you really are, Time to unleash the truth from the jar.
Thank you to everyone involved in contributing to the event. Mr Michael Newton Head of Performing Arts
Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe. Without him life would be much worse. He has four arms and a blue skin, In each hand are objects that make me grin.
Religious Studies In Semester One, Year 11 students investigated the Hindu tradition, and the role Hindu Gods play in the life of a Hindu adherent’s experiencing ‘eternal truth’. The second half of this study was to compose a creative response to the following statement: “Today, I will be at one with the eternal truth.”
If the world is ever unbalanced, People will not be silenced. Vishnu will incarnate as an avatar And come down like a shooting star.
Following are some examples of clear and concise research coupled with thoughtful and respectful creativity.
I worship him every day at my shrine, Waiting and praying for a sign. One day my prayer will be heard. I hope it’s nothing too absurd.
Jordan LIttler
My piece, ‘Flow’, is specifically about the connection Hindus feel with the Goddess Saraswati whose power can be accessed through bodies of water.
The relationship between God is user friendly. Of course, I think of him highly. It is a divine and eternal relation, That should be taught every generation. When I pray to God, I am always truthful And because of that I am hopeful This isn’t too out of the blue, But will you join and worship him too? 8
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Winter Warmers Wednesday
information session focused on students feeling comfortable going to the library in the future, how to effectively use the library, and how to find primary and secondary sources. The students were able to source valuable examples they could use in their research task. A highlight of the trip for Miss Wilkinson was overhearing comments about organising trips to go back to the library to continue their search for sources and work together in the spaces. This is absolutely to be encouraged. We would like to thank UWA and Lavinia O’Belhans for her time and expertise helping our students. Miss Katie Wilkinson Humanities Teacher
State Orienteering Competition The buzz of Winter Warmers Wednesday started as soon as the School doors opened. The 2022 Anglicare Ambassadors, donning a variety of beanies and crazy socks, received bags of donations as students and staff arrived at School. Every time a donation was given, the Ambassadors cheered with thanks. Not only was there a clear sense of generosity on behalf of the students, but there was an overabundance of School spirit on display, eagerly led by the 2022 Anglicare Ambassadors. This winter, those experiencing homelessness will be one step closer to a warmer night’s sleep thanks to the open heartedness of St George’s students and staff and their respective families. If you see a 2022 Anglicare Ambassador about the School, please say thank you. Mr Ryan McBride
One of the joys of teaching Outdoor Education is the chance to see how students test out the skills they have learnt. This was true on Wednesday 15 June, when a group of Year 9 Outdoor Education students competed in the State Orienteering competition at Whiteman Park. There were over 15 schools at the event, with over 350 students in attendance.
Service Learning Coordinator
Historical Inquiry at Reid Library
Throughout Term 2, students have been doing Orienteering at Elizabeth Quay, learning all the skills required for this event: map reading, using a compass, taking a bearing from a map and using it to find controls, all the fundamentals required for a competition Orienteering race. Our group did very well, and all students achieved great results in their category. A special mention goes to Ben Humphreys & Hamish Maude who received a first place medal for the 15 Years Pairs category. Other students who attended the event were Zuri Hawkins, Lara Jones, Charlotte Bense, Aelwen Johnson and Chelsy Mison. A big thank you to Mr Gharsallah for supporting us at this event. The Year 11 Modern History ATAR group had a great experience going to the UWA Reid Library. This trip organised by Miss Wilkinson aimed to support their Historical Inquiry research task.
This group will next go on an excursion to Jorgensen Park, Kalamunda on Thursday, 23 June, to experience another bush setting and further develop their orienteering skills.
Students were privileged to have a personal tour and information session given by one of the knowledgeable librarians. This tour and
Jackie Sullivan Outdoor Education Teacher 9
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Year 8 Camp Our Year 8s enjoyed their Camp this week at Dare Adventures Camp, Dwellingup. The focus of the Camp was ‘building resilience’. The students stepped out of their comfort zones and faced all activities and challenges with lots of energy, confidence and excitement. It was wonderful to see students supporting each other throughout the three days, taking responsibility for their actions, looking after their belongings, and stepping up as leaders within their groups. Thank you to our Heads of House for organising a fun, challenging and memorable Camp, and to all the staff that helped out.
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Experiencing the Art Gallery of WA
ST GEORGE’S
Lia Watters Week 7 was a busy time in the Creative Arts with Visual Art students from Year 10, 11 and 12 visiting the Art Gallery of WA to view several exhibitions of work. The major exhibit viewed was the inspiring Year 12 PULSE 2021 Exhibition. This show displays over 50 works in a broad range of media selected from Year 12 school submissions from the graduating class of 2021, incorporating artwork from both ATAR and General students from around the state of Western Australia.
Year 7 Lia continues to amaze us with her achievements. Lia has been selected for the ACC Cross Country All Stars Team 2022. The Cross Country All Stars Team is an “All ACC” honorary team consisting of the top 5 place getters in each of the age/gender events from the Cross Country Carnival. A fantastic achievement Lia! We are all very proud of you here at St George’s.
Ben Humphreys and Hamish Maude Year 9 Congratulations to Ben and Hamish who came first in the 15 Years (Pairs) Category at the recent WA State Orienteering Championships, held in Whiteman Park The experience provided an insight into the selection criteria applied by the judges, as well as giving students a range of diverse artworks to enjoy and learn from. Many works were highly symbolic and thought provoking pieces created by young artists who responded to the themes set for the year. During the excursion students also viewed the prestigious Tom Malone Prize. This is a specialist glass display that is a highlight on the Art Gallery’s annual calendar. Students left with some targeted learning that has already informed their own arts practice, in addition to providing a rich and authentic learning experience for all involved. Carol Wohlnick Head of Creative Arts
ST GEORGE’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL A school of the Anglican Schools Commission Inc. KW noiswd cee lo ed mgeGFraaitche SSeerrvviic
Imogen Ogg Year 10 Imogen received the Best Student Director Award for Someone Told Me it’s all Happening at the Zoo, performed at the recent Short+Sweet for Schools Festival held at the Subiaco Arts Centre.