Clonard Crosslinks 2010

Clonard Crosslinks
2010 - Our year in review.
225 Church St. Geelong West. 3218
Ph: 5278 2155 Fax: 5278 9909
[email protected]
www.clonard.catholic.edu.au
THE HISTORY OF CLONARD
Compiled after considerable research by
the Y.C.S. students: Christine Alford, Anne
Power and Mary Brady, and inserted in
the Y.C.S publication in 1960 which was
the centenary year of Clonard.
Its history can be traced back to 1847,
when it was merely a block of land. At this
time, the land was divided up and sold in
blocks of 25 acres. During 1847, lot 7 of
block xiii, in the parish of Moorpanyal,
was sold to James Patterson. Patterson
owned a store in Clarence Street, Kildare
(which today is known as Ashby) He was
a speculator in land, and only bought
this block, with the idea of selling it at a
profit.
In 1847 Geelong’s first doctor, Dr. Forster
Shaw arrived from Dublin, and settled in
Corio Terrace, next to Mack’s Hotel, which
was a Strachan & Co. wool warehouse.
He remained there till 1858. During this
period he did much good for the people
of Geelong. He was on a number of
committees, including Grammar school,
and was a very loyal citizen. In 1860 he built
a house on the property that belonged to
Patterson, which was then only 13 ½ acres.
He named the house “Clonard”, because
he was Irish and Clonard is an Irish name.
Although he built Clonard, he did not live
in it. He rented it to a man named Charles
Lambert Swanston. Shaw died in 1883.
“The house as well as 3 acres of land
is to be auctioned. It is perfect for a
gentlemen’s private residence, and has a
view of admired scenery all around about
Geelong.”
Swanston was the son of Captain Charles
Swanston of the Port Phillip Association.
His sister married Edward Willis, and for
a good many years after the beginning of
the white settlement the firm of Swanston
and Willis had extensive pastoral interests
around Geelong and in the Western
District. They lived at Clonard until their
partnership dissolved, before 1870. In the
year 1870 Clonard was sold.
The next stage in the story begins in 1907.
We are still searching for facts of the
years 1870-1907 (say the compilers of this
article).
In the edition of the Geelong Advertiser, 11th
March, 1870 there was as advertisement
for the Auction Sale of Clonard. It read
“John Davidson has been favoured with
instructions from C. L. Swanston, Esquire
(who is leaving the colony) to sell by
auction at his residence, “Clonard”,
Herne Hill, on Monday 14th March, at 12
o’clock...... The advertisement continued
to state that Clonard consisted of a
ground floor entrance hall, with sitting
room, study and anteroom. On the first
floor, lobby lofty well-finished bedrooms
and three dressing rooms.
FROM MR. HILL TO MR. MURPHY. Mr Hill
Owned Clonard for 7 years between 1907
and 1914. He was a commissioner at the
Geelong Harbour Trust of which he was
chairman for 7 years; he was a J.P. and sat
in the bench at the Geelong West Court
House which is now the Geelong West
Library. He has used a tug-boat named
after him which was in use at Geelong
Harbour Trust. He was British. He sold
Clonard to Mr Bechervaise in 1915. Mr
Bechervaise was an estate agent who,
it is believed used it for an old men’s
home. He sold Clonard to Mr. Murphy in
1935. Murphy completely renovated the
beautiful old home & the garden and
added a few rooms to the building. He
lived and worked it as a farm. Murphy
Street which years ago was used as an
entrance for the coaches was named after
him. He was a builder – he built E. Geelong
Water Tower, Nurses’ Home, Queen’s Park
Bridge and Transotway (Trans Otway).
Our school rooms were once stables, a
store room and coach houses. In later
years the assembly and science room
which were all one room then, was used
as a work room for his builders. The old
singing room was the laundry, and the
music room was the office.
In 1955 Mr Murphy sold Clonard to the
Brigidine Nuns. From then on it has been
our school and will be for many years
to come. The name has been kept the
same for 100 years. It was not changed
by the Nun’s because St. Brigid had close
association with St. Finian of Clonard.
The green watermark picture features the
first assembly hall and the coloured image
is of Clonard House as you find it today.
Principals
Report
During the course of 2010, I have
been often asked the question, “Are
you enjoying your time at Clonard?”
I respond to this question with
enthusiasm. There has not been a day
that has gone past this year where I
have not felt blessed and privileged to
be given the opportunity to contribute
to the leadership of Clonard. It is a
truly amazing school filled with truly
amazing students and staff. Someone
once described Clonard to me as the
“Hidden Jewel of Geelong.” The passion,
enthusiasm and commitment that all
within the Clonard community have for
their school engenders an exceptional
climate. I would like to think that we
are not so much “hidden” rather it is
well known in the wider community
the great College that exists behind the
fence on Church Street!
2010 saw the implementation of
the College Net book program for all
students in Yr 7 and Yr 10. Over the next
two years all students in the College
will have access to their own personal
computer. E-Learning continues to be
an important focus for the College. We
live in an age where information is easily
accessed via the World Wide Web,
yet it is important that we continue to
teach our students to be discerning in
how to effectively manage this access.
Information
and
Communication
Technologies will continue to change the
dynamics of the traditional classroom. It
is an exciting time to be a student!
In November of this year, the College
took part in a Curriculum and Religious
Education Review. Each year we review
a significant area of the College in
order to fulfil our School Improvement
Framework
requirements.
This
process allowed us to take stock of
the curriculum that we offer to our
students. It was affirming to be part
of this process. The hard work and
dedication of our Curriculum and
Religious Education Leaders continues
to ensure that our students are offered
a dynamic and well ordered range of
learning opportunities.
I would like to express my sincere
appreciation to the staff (both teaching
and ancillary) of the College who
have worked tirelessly to ensure
better outcomes for our students. It is
empowering to work alongside people
who are not only experts in their field
but also who generally care about our
students.
I thank the College Assistant Principal’s,
Mrs Michelle Brodrick, Mr Richard
Jones, Mrs Julie Whelan and Mr Dean
Williams for their constant and valued
support. I have been blessed to have
had support and commitment of these
leaders whose dedication to Clonard
College is remarkable. I believe that
we have truly exercised the concept of
shared leadership when confronted by
the many challenges and celebrations
that school life presents.
I also wish to commend the work of a
dedicated group of College supporters,
in particular the Brigidine Stewardship
Council and Committees. The Council,
under the capable guidance of Chair, Ms
Marita Fitzpatrick have been a continual
source of support over the course of
2010. The Stewardship Council as well
as performing a guiding hand towards
the strategic direction of the College
also ensures that the good name and
good works of Clonard College are
spread amongst the local community.
In 2010, the Victorian public faced both
a Federal election in August and a State
election in November. As a Catholic
systemic school, we were ever mindful of
our need to petition our Governments for
a fair share of the education resources.
Although many inroads were achieved
with the Federal Government, our State
Government funding levels remained
a concern. In a major announcement
in November both major State parties
have committed to providing funding
to Catholic schools linked to 25% of
the cost of education in a state school.
This was a truly historic commitment to
sustainable state funding for Catholic
schools in Victoria. Only four years ago
state funding made up only 15% of the
income of Catholic schools. Never again
should state funding for Catholic schools
be a political issue in a state election.
I would like to wish our Graduating
Class of 2010 all the best for their
futures. Upon their departure in
November, I spoke to them about the
great opportunities that they have been
blessed with and about the importance
of making the most of opportunities in
life as they are presented. I spoke about
not being scared to confront challenges,
the need to pour vigour into their
resolution, and generally to ensure that
they as individuals have contributed
to making our world and our society a
better place.
Our College theme in 2010 was focused
on one of the five core Brigidine
Education values, “Be Faithful to our
Catholic Heritage”. A particular strength
of Clonard, has been the commitment
by students and staff to issues of justice.
In the Gospel of John 13(34-35), Jesus
stated, “A new command I give you: Love
one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if
you love one another.” In being faithful
to our Catholic heritage, all within our
community have been ever mindful of
acting in a Christ like manner in the way
that we treat others. The students have
worked with and petitioned for those
who have been marginalised within our
community. It is vital that as a Catholic
School we continue uphold these ideals
into the future.
I am filled with anticipation about
our future here at Clonard. We look
forward to a new era of physical growth
whilst at the same time, we commit to
providing each of our students with the
best possible learning opportunities in
a climate where people truly care for
each other.
Damian McKew - Principal
St Mary of the Cross
The Canonisation
of Mary MacKillop
Pilgrimage to Rome
2010
On Thursday 14th October, I along with
approximately 110 other students and
accompanying staff from a number
of Catholic secondary schools in
the Melbourne, Sandhurst and Sale
Archdiocese set off on our pilgrimage to
Rome for the Canonisation of Australia’s
first saint, Mary Mackillop. Everyone
met at the airport, emotional and with a
combination of nerves and excitement.
After saying goodbye to our families, we
set off on our long journey to Rome.
We arrived in Rome on Friday 15th and
after a quick stop at our hotel to drop
off our bags and a quick walk around the
streets near the hotel, my group were off
on our first big adventure of the trip. As a
member of the yellow group, the first tour
we were to take part in was the Vatican
and Rome Tour. The Vatican Museum
is home to some of the most beautiful
artwork by some of the most famous
artists in the world. Walking along the
corridors and looking at the collection of
paintings and sculptures and other pieces
that the Vatican Museum has was just
amazing. It was hard to know where to
look: the floors, walls and the ceilings were
all so highly decorated, and extremely
beautiful. Probably none more so than
the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted
by Michelangelo. It was incredible.
St Peter’s Square and Basilica were next on
the agenda. The size of St Peter’s Basilica
is hard to comprehend until you get the
chance to walk inside. Like many of the
other buildings in Rome, the Basilica is
beautifully decorated, and contains many
sculptures as well as tombs. The other
place visited this day included a tour of the
old Roman fortress; Castel Sant Angelo.
We had our tour of the squares and
churches on the Saturday. This included
walking around the busy streets of Rome
to the Piazzas (squares), churches and
tourist destinations such as the Trevi
Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Pantheon.
In the afternoon we attended a Gesu
Church for the unveiling ceremony of St
Ignatius, which occurs there at 5:30 every
afternoon, and involves a commentary
spoken in Italian followed by the unveiling
of a large golden statue of St Ignatius
from behind a painting. It was a really
fascinating experience.
The day of the Canonisation was full of
excitement. Everyone was up early, dressed
in our school uniforms and yellow scarves
that we were given for the pilgrimage. We
made our way to St Peter’s Square by bus
and on arrival joined the queue for entry
along with thousands of other excited
pilgrims. We were seated fairly close to
the whole ceremony, in one of the large
blocks of seats not far from the front. The
atmosphere there was great.
There were many people gathered in
one place from many different countries,
all there to witness the canonisation of
their own Saint. There were six people
canonized that day, including Australia’s
Mary Mackillop. The ceremony lasted
for approximately 2.5 - 3 hours, and was
spoken mostly in Latin, but each Saint’s
life was read out in their own language.
Following the conclusion of the ceremony
our group gathered together excitedly still
buzzing from what we had just witnessed,
and were met by Melbourne’s Archbishop
Hart, then Australia’s Foreign Minister
Kevin Rudd. The whole experience was
one that I will not forget, and is one for
which I am grateful.
The Monday following the Canonisation
we attended the Mass of Thanksgiving for
Mary MacKillop, which was held at the
Papal Basilica St Paul Outside the Walls.
This event was an all Australian Mass
celebrating the canonisation of our new
Saint. The Principal celebrant of the Mass
was Australia’s Cardinal Pell. Following
the Mass we had free time with our small
groups to wander around Rome.
Tuesday morning we left early, as it was a
long trip to our destination of Assisi. We
travelled by bus for approximately 2 hours
through the Italian countryside before
we reached Santa Maria degli Angeli just
outside the town of Assisi, where we
visited the Church and were met by one of
the Friars who told us about the life of St
Francis. We then continued on up to Assisi
which is a small ancient town situated on
the side of a mountain. There we were
met by guides who took us on a tour of
Assisi, including a visit to St Claire’s Basilica
and finally to the St Francis Basilica where
we visited his tomb. The experience there
was quite surreal.
On the Wednesday morning we had an
audience with the Pope. The atmosphere
there was very similar to the day of the
Canonisation; there were many people
from all over the world, gathered together
in St Peter’s Square. The Pope spoke in
several languages, addressing those who
had gathered there. He read out the
names of several groups in attendance in
the language that they spoke. When our
name was called, our group stood up and
sang a few lines from a song we had learnt
about Mary Mackillop. The Pope gave us a
wave in acknowledgment. That afternoon
we attended the World Youth Day Centre,
where we were given a presentation about
World Youth Day, and what it means to
people. We then were able to go up and
touch the World Youth Day Cross where
we could then pray and reflect at its side.
The reflective mood of the afternoon gave
us the chance to think about our time in
Rome over the past week, and what we
had learnt and enjoyed while we were
there.
Thursday was our last official day in Rome
before we had to return to Melbourne.
This day was our Ancient Rome tour, which
included entry to the Colosseum, Roman
Forum, Holy Stairs, S. Maria Maggiore and
the Cosmedin with the Mouth of Truth,
among other things. This day was really
interesting, and we learnt a lot about the
history of Rome, and visited some of its
oldest surviving buildings and ruins.
Friday morning we travelled by bus to the
airport where we waited for our flight
home. We arrived home in Melbourne
one evening of the night on Saturday 23rd
October, where we were greeted by our
families.
This journey was amazing and I met so
many wonderful people, made some great
friends and learnt a lot about our Catholic
heritage as well as the Italian culture. This
was an historic occasion in Australian
history, and it was an honor to represent
Clonard College.
The life motto of St Mary of the Cross, I
learned was a motto I believe we should
all strive to achieve, “Never see a need
without doing something about it”.
Sinead Baverstock
Sustainability
What a busy and exciting time we have
had at Clonard this year in the area of
Sustainability!
Another major achievement was winning
the CEOM’s Multimedia section of
the Sustainable Students Awards. Our
students were presented with their
$1500 prize by leading environmentalist
and Australian of the Year Tim Flannery.
As part of the Resource Smart Schools
program, our staff and students have been
working toward attaining accreditation
for the Energy, Biodiversity and Water
Modules, having already completed both
the Core and Waste Modules. We have
been supported by Anthony Manglesdorf
from CERES Environmental Park in
Melbourne. Once these are complete,
Clonard College will be eligible to attain
its 5 star rating as an Aussi Vic Sustainable
School.
The Sustainability Group is made up of
students from year 7 – 12 and they choose
what projects they would like to be
involved in. As a result of the work being
done at the school students nominated
us to be represented at the Sustainability
Victoria Resource Smart Schools awards.
Over 130 schools entered the awards
and we were thrilled to be nominated as
finalists in three categories:
We took a group of 50 students to the
Awards Ceremony at Etihad stadium and
much to our surprise and delight we won
all three categories! This gives us the
auspicious title of both Water and Waste
Wise School of the Year and provided us
with a windfall of $4000 to put towards
sustainability projects within the school.
The Awards Ceremony was a wonderful
opportunity for a group of our students to
showcase their achievements to staff and
students from schools all over Victoria
and see what other students have been
doing in their schools.
We would also like to thank event
creator Arron Wood, who was Australian
Environmentalist of the Year, for his
efforts in creating a conference which
was packed with activities and learning
opportunities.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank Mrs Escourt and Ms Dreissen for
their valued assistance and support in
working with the girls and taking them
away to Caloundra.
The money awarded to the school was
used to purchase plants for a ‘Desert
Garden’ which was designed by our
Permaculture Design students. They
invited students from Holy Spirit Primary
School to work with them to plant the
garden, which is located outside the Year
10 building. They also used this as an
opportunity to develop lesson plans and
teach the visiting students about the sorts
of plant adaptations which enable plants
to survive in arid conditions. They also
felt that this would be a good resource for
the school to support existing curriculum
in the areas of Science and Humanities.
Our other major project for the year was
our involvement in the Kids Teaching
Kids Conference in Caloundra which is an
International Kids’ Environment Event.
Water Smart School of the Year, which
represents the work undertaken in the
Year 8 program.
Waste Wise School of the Year,
representing work carried out by the
Environmental Science classes of 2009
and 2010.
Rubbish Free Lunch Category, showcasing
the work of this year’s Environmental
class.
We would like to thank Veolia Transport
for their financial support in assisting our
students with travel costs.
Clonard College was one of more than
50 schools from across Australia lucky
enough to participate in this environment
and education event held on the Sunshine
Coast, Queensland in October.
Students presented to over 500 other
kids and teachers from every state and
territory and nine different countries
from Years 5-11 at the 2010 International
Kids Teaching Kids Coastal Conference.
The event aims to increase awareness and
knowledge about their unique coastal
and marine environments, resources and
indigenous culture – whilst linking young
people to their community and to local
experts in their region.
Ten students from the Clonard
Sustainability Group worked with Philip
Armato from the Queenscliff Marine
Discovery Centre and teachers to research
food webs in Swan Bay and the impact
of humans on this important registered
RAMSAR wetland.
I would also like to congratulate the girls
for their great work, motivation and drive
when identifying issues in which they are
interested and working towards finding a
sustainable solution.
Jenny Edwards
Sustainability Co-ordinator
Santa Teresa
It’s Our Home Santa Teresa
All of my life I’ve been living in Santa Teresa
Most of my life I will be here
There’s a cross on the hillside
You can see it far from the distance
It’s our home, it’s our home Santa Teresa
We will be there forever and ever in Santa
Teresa
Every year the place is changing
And so many things to see around here
There’s a spring with healing waters
It turned the people back to the Lord
It’s our home, it’s our home Santa Teresa
We will be there forever and ever in Santa
Teresa (Community Song)
For one week in May Santa Teresa was
‘home’ to eight year 9 students and
two teachers. It was my first time in the
Northern Territory and the time spent
in the indigenous community had a
profound impact on me and the students.
Mrs. Brodrick, as an ‘old hand’ was able
to inform and guide the novices as we
explored the culture and interacted with
the children at the school and the women
elders. The landscape is awesome and the
trip (in record time!) from Alice Springs
to the community kept us enthralled
for the 80 odd dirt track kilometres. We
arrived in the troopie with trailer loaded
up with supplies and luggage on Sunday
morning when most residents were
in Alice Springs following the football
match. After attending church we were
welcomed with morning tea in the home
shared by the Marist Brothers.
Later in the afternoon we climbed the
hill to the white cross which dominates
the skyline above the community. Mrs.
Brodrick took us on a tour of the town
and halfway to the school a car pulled
over and a group of children spilled out
waving and smiling, taking the hands of
our students. We made our way to the
oval and before long 20 to 30 children
were playing impromptu games. It was
a great icebreaker and dispelled any
anxious feelings the Clonard girls had
about being accepted. The recurrent
theme was of the generous and
welcoming nature of the children. There
were so many wonderful experiences;
obviously working with the children at
the school, a highlight was ‘going bush’
with the preps and 5/6 grade, where
the little ones were taught about bush
medicine by the women elders and the
older children taught our students. This
was a fantastic day out and the damper
cooked over the fire was delicious. The
‘smoking’ ceremony at the spirituality
centre provided insight into indigenous
culture. Each night the students spent
time at the club, a huge stadium where
the children gather to play and music
blares. The session where our students
taught the Santa Teresa girls the moves
to ‘Thriller’ caused great hilarity. We
decided to have a sleep out bush and
Kellie Mayne (past Clonard student)
Marcus Williams and his mother,
Annette, led us, in our troopie laden with
swags on top, to a place off the beaten
track. Here we set up camp, had dinner
and lit a huge fire. After our guides left
we settled down in our swags. The pitterpatter of rain early in the evening did not
put us off, nor did the thundering hooves
of wild horses in the distance but in the
wee small hours of the morning, when
it was still dark, the rain got heavier and
the call came from Kellie back at Santa
Teresa, that we had better get going
before the tracks got impassable. In the
dark, thoroughly drenched we packed up
our swags and headed home, only then
realising that the demister didn’t work,
the windscreen wipers were next to
useless and finding the tracks was a case
of peering up close through the dark. It
was a relief to see the twinkling lights of
Santa Teresa as we got closer.
The farewells at the end of our trip
were teary and drawn out, a credit to
the enormous effort and enthusiasm
put in by our intrepid year 9 students;
Cassidy Moore, Katherine Kvant, Katya
Mykytenko, Maeve O’Callaghan, Tess
Hewitt, Lucinda Beggs, Phoebe Cummings
and Karley Mulder. Mrs. Brodrick and
I could not have been prouder of the
girls and we know from their reflections
and presentations following our return,
that their time at Santa Teresa had had
a profound effect on them and provided
many memorable moments, which along
with the art work from the cultural centre
in the community and numerous photos
will remain for a long time to come.
Amanda Vines on behalf of Michelle
Brodrick, Lucinda Beggs, Phoebe
Cummings, Tess Hewat, Karley Mulder,
Cassidy Moore, Kathryn Kvant, Katya
Mykytenko and Maeve O’Calligan.
Daly River
It was with much anticipation and
excitement that we set off for Darwin
on Clonard’s second trip to the remote
Aboriginal Community of Naiyu on the
Daly River. We arrived in the community
on a tropical Saturday afternoon and
were soon invited to train with the Green
River Saints Softball Team.
These training sessions and consequent
games became an almost daily occurrence
in the late afternoon as the sun set
over the community. Kids, parents,
grandparents all came to the lush green
oval to watch or play football and softball
and generally socialise.
The oval is surrounded by coconut trees
and lies in the centre of the community
and is the hub of all activity. Although most
of the training was for the forthcoming
Merrepen Arts (and Sports) Festival it was
easy to imagine that this was the way the
people of Naiyu Community spend most
of their evenings in the dry season.
When a respected elder of Naiyu, MiriamRose Ungunmerr- Baumann shared one
of her many words of wisdom with us ,
she said, ‘your lounge-rooms might be
inside, but ours are outside…so go and
talk to the people; that is how you will
learn about us.’ We spent every evening
doing exactly this and through our
informal ‘plays and chats’ we learnt a lot
about the ‘river people’ we met.
Arriving at the school half way through
the term, we were able to assist in the
classroom acting as tutors and making
some useful learning resources. The art
activity that we introduced was quickly
picked up by the creative and talented
students. Naiyu is renowned worldwide
for their artwork and it was obvious
that there was an abundance of talent
in the school. Our students worked in a
professional manner beyond their years
and were able to quickly bond with the
students they were working with.
We were taken out bush by two of MiriamRose’s sisters, Bridgette and Kathleen and
their families. We learnt how to create
fibre from sand-palms and prepare it for
basket-weaving. We tasted bush fruits
from the land and billabongs and we sat
around a fire eating a local favourite fresh damper drowning in maple syrup.
We were taken down to ‘the crossing’
and were privileged to be ‘baptised’ with
water from the Daly River. It was later
explained to us that as the drops of water
fell from our body and were taken with
the current downstream, the ancestral
spirits of the river welcomed us to their
land. We were told to take this as an
invitation to return to Daly River in the
future. I am sure that all of us have the
intention of doing just that.
Megan Evans on behalf of Julie Whelan,
Stephanie Bruce, Amy Cotter, Amelia
Gallichan, Paige Keating, Beck Maher,
Madeleine Purcell ,Nina Sherry and April
Zahra.
French Trip
Eighteen students from Year 9 and 10
accompanied Mesdames Lindquist, Lyon
and Waller on a magical tour of Paris,
Brittany, Normandy and the Somme
battlefields of WW1. Our time in the
‘city of light’ could only be described
as a whirlwind of delights and special
experiences. The girls particularly
enjoyed the final evening outing where
the ever-famous Tour Eiffel showed off
its spectacular light show. Personally,
a magic moment was when we all
went out dining in St-Malo, wearing
our finery. We capped off a wonderful
evening with three impromptu karaoke
performances. Oh la la!
As well as Paris, we visited a number
of famous castles and icons: Versailles,
Mont St Michel, Monet’s garden and
the Australian War Memorial in VillersBretonneux. Prior to departure, the
girls researched the destinations and
they were able to make the most of
this knowledge when we were there.
A special task was completed by two
indigenous students, Kiarnee Couzens
and Ashlee Feeney who shared a
powerpoint presentation, based on
their heritage, to a group of Yr 10s, at
the local school where our homestay
was located. We thank them for this
preparation. As usual, the home stay
with French families, in the area of
Loches (castle territory) was a highlight.
We loved hearing the daily debriefing of
what went on in the families the night
before. The French families, in turn,
spoke of our group of girls as ‘adorables’.
What a compliment!
On a practical note, the group took
turns in preparing delicious, nutritious
and good-value lunches. Bon Appétit!
In between visits, coach travel allowed
for much needed down time, and a
chance for the girls to get to know one
another. It would also be true to say that
we were blessed with the most helpful
and obliging driver who managed to fit
it more than what was on our itinerary.
Merci beaucoup Luc!
The students’ outstanding co-operation,
fitness and sense of awe guaranteed
that we arrived on time, packed much
into every day and all enjoyed ourselves
enormously. Clearly, many of the
students benefited greatly from the
chance to put their French into action,
see part of the country they had heard
so much about and develop personally
from travelling in a foreign country.
It was an overwhelming success and
we were very proud of our Australian/
Clonard ambassadors.
BRAVO Mesdemoiselles!
Malaysian
Study Tour
This year 16 Indonesian students from
years 10 & 11 survived Malaysia for 2
weeks! From Year 11 - Shannen Brach,
Larnie Hewat, Milly Keys, Lauren Klinger,
Hayley Neville, Jacinta O’Mealley, and
Kayla Wilton-Kos. From Year 10 - Jess
East, Madi Fenton, Chelsea Green,
Abbey Jones, Kaytlin Lowrey, Ashlea
McMaster, Breanna Monahan, ElizaJane Rundle and Beth Sellars.
First stop was Borneo, to the Malaysian
state of Sarawak. A big highlight was a
hike through the Bako National Park,
learning about the diverse ecosystem
of plant and animal life, where some
of the world’s rarest flora and fauna
have survived. We saw the probiscus
monkey, silvered leaf monkeys, wild
boar and tree viper, just to name a few.
We walked out on to a bay surrounded
by rocky cliffs and had lunch overlooking
the South China Sea. The return hike
was via the mangroves that give Bako
it’s name and we learnt about how the
mangroves protect the coastline.
Another big highlight was the Semenggoh
Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where
we watched these amazing animals in
their jungle habitat and it was our lucky
day – the big male orangutan “Ritchie”
came out of the jungle to feed.
We spent a day at the Sarawak Cultural
Village, known as a “living museum”
because the six indigenous tribes of
Sarawak have built their traditional
houses not only for display – they live in
them, so that when you visit, the families
are cooking or making their traditional
crafts. The Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu
live in longhouses. The Malanau live in
a tall house. The Peran are nomadic and
use a blow pipe to get their food. We
learnt how to cook bamboo chicken, a
tradition of the Iban tribe, by stuffing
pieces of chicken into a hollow bamboo
tube, adding lemongrass and tapioca
leaves, and then cook it slowly over an
open fire. We also learnt the Bidayuh
bird dance and a Malay joget dance.
Back on the peninsula of Malaysia we
spent 6 nights in Kuala Lumpur where
the girls visited the temples of the 3
main cultural groups that make up
Malaysia – the Buddhist Chinese, Hindu
Indians and Muslim Malays. Out of KL,
we stayed in a village home stay for 2
nights and studied the agriculture that
sustains the village. We also stayed in
Malacca for 2 nights, a UNESCO heritage
city, learning about the Nyonya culture.
The girls were terrific ambassadors for
Clonard, especially at the Indonesian
Embassy school where they participated
in a role play with their students and
practiced their bahasa chatting about
family, friends and school. They now
understand the heat, the diversity of the
food, the richness of the culture. I thank
all of them for the spirit with which they
participated in a wonderful adventure.
Thanks also to Ibu Anthea Hinchey for
her participation and assistance and her
unending spirit of adventure.
Penny Dewar
The class of 1984
Maiden names used for all photos.
1. Group Shot
Back Row: Mandy Miller, Kathie
Denno, Sonya Colla, Gay Bourke,
Lisa Moody, Jodie Nicholson, Cathy
Harmon, Phillipa Stocks, Julia
Sokoloff, Michelle Rainbow, Tania
Obranovich, Frances McFarlane.
It was time to gather the flock
Teresa Ciuffetelli and Jackie Johnston the task between them they took
Middle Row: Regina Hoare, Michelle
Scheelings, Annette Cengija, Lisa
Boland, Katrina Morrisey, Therese
Reed, Donna Threfall, Teresa
Ciuffetelli.
JJ sent out emails, all but 1 bounced
Our data was old and trashy, but we would not renounce
Text messages soon followed
No answers- but we were not hollowed
‘Fortiter and Sauviter’ a daily part of one’s life
Saw us refocus and overcome this strife
Facebook, tadah, the current communication tool
Teresa searched and found, and added to the pool
Front Row: Karen Higginbotham,
Jackie Kol, Therese Cotter, Angela
Forbes, Stephanie Fantela, Caterina
Ianuzzi, Jackie Johnston, Bernadette
Wright.
The Peninsula Hotel in Newcomb was the site
I walked in and saw so many faces to my delight
79 were on the list
But with only 4 weeks organisation, 50 were sadly missed
We laughed and talked, and laughed even more
Some we hadn’t seen since Form 2 and Form 4
A night to remember as all previous ones were
Lifetime friendships made at Clonard, l’m sure you’d concur
Teresa we did it- yippee yahoo
Got the o’l gang together and had a real hubbubbaloo
2.
4.
5.
6.
7.
2. Julia Sokoloff, Janine Lawie The class list, it slowly grew
And together we just knew
It’d be fabulous, exciting, it’d be fun
Oh so much reminiscing to be done
1.
3. Mandy Miller, Cathy Harmon.
3.
4. Kathie Denno, Gay Bourke, Teresa
Ciuffetelli, Jackie Johnston, Michelle
Rainbow, Angela Forbes
5. Jackie Kol, Mandy Miller.
6. Caterina Ianuzzi, Michelle
Scheelings, Stephanie Fantela, Teresa
Ciuffetelli, Jackie Johnston.
8.
7. Lisa Moody, Phillipa Stocks,
Therese Cotter.
Jackie Johnston
‘Clonard was, and still is a huge source of wonderful memoirs’
8. Angela Forbes, Lisa Boland.
.
9. Angela Forbes, Karen
Higginbotham, Gay Bourke, Regina
Hoare, Teresa Ciuffetelli, Jackie Kol.
Sonya Colla, Adrian Chapman,
(Sonya’s husband) , Jackie Johnston,
Michelle Rainbow, Frances
McFarlane.
10. Kathie Denno, Therese Reed,
Gay Bourke.
Watermark picture:
Caterina Ianuzzi, Jackie Johnston
9.
10.
1. Georgia Claridge married Jarrod Lundie
1a
21st November 2009 - The ceremony was held at her mother’s house in Newtown. The reception
was later held at Mercure Hotel. Georgia’s two bridesmaids were former Clonard students Amber Pisarskis (now Amber Mathieson) and Krystle Savron.
Amber is now married and has a 6 month old son, Max. Amber has been married for the past two
years. Krystle is my cousin by marriage. She is now 25, and was a year below me at school. She
has completed her certificate in Child Care and is now working in a goverment dept. She has also
recently travelled overseas to Europe and plans to go back again in the near future. She has her
sights set on buying her first property as soon as possible.
As for me, I’m now 26. Jarrod and I are planning on having kids in the coming year and we are
currently in the process of buying our first property together.
1b
2. Sarah Day married Shaun Hughes
My husbands name is Shaun and our son is Kye (picture 2b). We travel alot as my husband is in
the army as a medic in the Special Forces. I am a nurse having completed my graduate certificate
in Neuroscience a few years back. I have also taken the opportunity to undertake a Master Of
Nursing, with only 2 subjects left to complete. We presently live in West Nowra, NSW.
Sarah was a member of the Clonard College - ‘Class of 1998’.
3. Amanda Kolotelo married Anthony Hilton
Anthony and I were married on January 2nd 2010 after seven and a half years together. We’ve
travelled overseas and built a house together. I am currently in my fourth year of primary teaching
and remain based in Geelong.
My cousin Megan was my maid of honour (picture 3b). She is a midwife however she just got a
scholarship to study maternal and child health. Other close friends (picture 3c - former Clonard
girls) that were at the wedding include Hilary Holmes (2nd from left), Amanda Brown (3rd from
left), Fiona Castelow (at the back), Catherine Vaughan (2nd from right), and Ailie Malthouse (on
the right).
2b
2a
3b
3a
After studying at the University of Melbourne, Hilary Holmes is now living and working in London
as a budding makeup artist. Amanda Brown studied nursing and is currently a dental nurse. She
is planning to tie the knot in April. She has also explored America with her fiancé. Fiona Castelow
has studied Psychology and she is now in the police force – working and living in Melbourne.
Since finishing school, Catherine Vaughan has studied at the University of Ballarat and travelled.
She is planning to study to be a paramedic in the near future and currently volunteers for the
SES. Ailie Malthouse is a fashion designer. She designs children’s clothing for a local business and
she is also engaged.
3c
4. Kristy Higgins married Rob Posterino
My husband Rob and I got married on the 13th March, 2010 at Holy Spirit Church. The reception
was in Melbourne. The Bridal Party (refer to picture 4b) consited of Danielle Higgins, Natalie
Giuffre, Sarah Posterino (my sister in law, who went to Sacred Heart) and Larisa Maric. I am
currently working at Cotton On as a product developer in the ladieswear department.
Laura Bright (on left) – lives in Geelong with her boyfriend (just bought a house together) and is a
primary school teacher. Abbey Kinnane (2nd from left) – lives in Geelong and works in Melbourne
with an insurance company. Danielle Higgins (3rd from left) – at Deakin University in Geelong
studying Health Sciences. She has recently returned from a trip to India with Uni, visiting villages
and orphanages. Jannah Longo (back centre) – lives with Ashlee Giuffre and works as a dental
nurse. Emma Bright (front centre) – lives in Geelong and works at the Gordon Institute of Tafe.
Natalie Giuffre (back, 3rd from right) – has finished her teaching degree and has been travelling
the world on and off for the past 3 years. She is currently back home in Geelong. Kristabel King
(2nd from right) – lives in Melbourne with her boyfriend and works as a child care manager. She
is moving down to Torquay over the Summer. Ashlee Giuffre (on right) – lives with Jannah and
works in Melbourne with a Property Development Company. Larisa Maric – has just moved up to
Melbourne and works at a financial planning company.
4a
4b
4c
Oh, what a year for
Lucy Ellen Flanders!
By Kathy Flanders
Lucy Flanders headed off to Reading
University in London to study the 4th
year of her 6 year Architecture and
Construction Management course, in
July of 2009. Deakin University had
encouraged her and her fellow students
in the course to get this experience in
a European country, and had assisted
her to find a University and Residential
College which suited her subjects.
Lucy spent 6 weeks travelling with fellow
students from Deakin, throughout
Spain and Portugal. She then met up
with parents, Kevin (Clonard teacher)
and Kathy (Sacred Heart teacher), and
together they travelled for 2 weeks in
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Australian
battlefields of northern France. Along
with seeing the amazing and historic
architecture, she stood at her great,
great uncle Charlie Flanders’ grave (died
4 weeks before the end of WW1, aged 22
years) in Rouen in northern France, she
sat in Monet’s garden in Giverny (photo
included) and relaxed on the Champs
Elysees in Paris (photo included).
Lucy then headed off to Reading in
London where she settled into Watach
Hall, a university residence. 6 weeks
later she flew to Rome and spent 4
days exploring the incredible sights
of Rome with her parents before they
flew back to Australia. Lucy added to
her thousands of photos of buildings
and scenes which will no doubt help
her as she continues her Architecture
studies back home. Lucy flew back to
London and resumed life as a university
student. But what a different life to
being a student in Australia! European
countries are so close to each other,
Lucy constantly flew to cities all over
Europe on weekends and holiday
times. Her fellow Deakin students were
scattered around Europe, and they had
times and places prearranged to meet
up. These included Berlin, Germany for
New Years Day and Dublin, Ireland for
St Patrick’s Day. She visited her Deakin
friends at Stockholm University in
Sweden, spent Christmas with the host
family of her cousin, Kate from Australia,
in Paris, spent a few days in Warsaw,
Poland with another cousin, Jonathon,
doing a Gap 6 months teaching English
at a school there, and she spent Easter
break in Wales with the family of a new
College friend. Freya.
Natasha Kapustic
- The Diva experience.
Former Art / Design student at Clonard,
Tash (Natasha) Kapustic recently entered
a nation-wide competition held by Diva
online. The competition was to design
a 3 piece range that could be sold in
stores Australia wide.
To enter she needed to create a mood
board (pictured), sketch 3 designs that
reflect the mood board and also provide
a detailed explanation behind her idea.
3 Finalist were chosen and their work
was then put on the Diva web site for
the consumer to vote which design they
liked thee best and in turn, wanted to
see in store.
After many weeks of waiting Tash was
announced the National Winner. The
winning design was then manufactured
and displayed in stores nation-wide
whilst Tash received $1000 cash and a
$1000 gift card to be used in any Diva
store. Her work was also featured in
Grazia magazine (pictured). Tash also
won a trip to Sydney to work on the
designs prior to them going into stores.
‘This was a fantastic experience and a
great opportunities to get a kick start in
the field of Fashion design’.
Tash recently finished her Advance
Diploma of Fashion Textiles and
Marketing at the Gordon TAFE.
As well as this, Lucy played host to her
younger brother Damian, who stayed
with her for 3 weeks in January and
they together saw the London sights,
visited Paris via the underground and
went on a highland tour in Scotland. We
are not too sure how Lucy managed to
fit in her lectures and assignments over
the 12 months but she recently finished
her last exam and promptly headed
to Santorini, a Greek island for a week
and also back to the south of Spain
for a week. She also had a stopover in
Thailand on her way back to Australia.
We are proud of Lucy and her success in
her studies and her adventurous spirit,
taking advantage of seeing as much of
Europe as she could while over there.
She visited an amazing 16 countries by
the time she returned in July 2010. Lucy
has been able to keep up with family
events, by constant text messages,
skype-ing and emails. Some of these
events include her sister Eleanor’s
engagement to Matt, her Grandma,
Kath Powell’s 95th birthday party, and
her own 22nd birthday.
Clockwise from top left:
1. Lucy in Monet’s garden at Giverny
2. Lucy relaxed on the Champs Elysees in Paris
3. Natasha receiving her award and exposure via Grazia magazine
4. Natasha’s mood board
5. The Actual single page spread from Grazia magazine
Past Pupils
Handing on the lamp of learning at
Clonard is something I aim to do more
often as the years continue to roll by.
So it is quite delightful to meet past
students who have now made their
careers in subject areas that I have
taught.
Earlier this year I was at my niece’s
first communion in Brunswick and met
past pupil Jane Hubbard(2000) after
mass, organising the breakfast in the
hall. She had done a great job with
Kate Child
The siren at the finish line sounded at
12-noon Sunday the 10th of October.
It had been silent for 24-hours since it
marked the start of the race. Nineteen
minutes and forty-seven seconds
later Kate Child crossed the line as the
‘Under 25 Women’s Solo 24-Hour World
Champion’.
The format behind 24-hour Mountain
Bike (MTB) racing is brutally simple. The
race starts at 12-noon on a particular day
and riders aim to complete as many laps
of a pre-determined course within the
intervening 24-hours. When it gets dark,
riders mount lights on their handlebars
and helmets and ride through the night.
Eating and drinking takes place almost
entirely on the bike. At the end of each
lap riders pass through a transition area
where their support crews await with
food that can be managed while riding
and changeover drink bottles. Sleep, is
for amateurs. Over the 24-hour period,
the most committed riders will spend
almost all of that time on the bike in
continuous and relentless motion.
Kate’s journey to become World
Champion is particularly interesting
from Clonard’s perspective, because
her development took place primarily
through opportunities offered at the
college. Kate initially discovered her
passion and ability for endurance
events through the middle-school
subject Fit4Action. Though many
students find the subject enriching and
challenging, most treat the The Ton
(a 100k mountain biking and running
challenge that completes the subject)
as an achievement to be admired on the
metaphorical mantle piece rather than
an impetus to continue. Kate completed
their sacramental preparation. Then in
Paris recently, with the Clonard French
trip (picture 1b), along with Madame
Lindquist and Lyons, I had coffee with
past pupil Tiffany Levic (finished at
Clonard in 2006) now teaching English
in that beautiful city. In my community
service visits, I have also met with Bridget
Watkins (2009), Emily McMurrich
(picture 1c) and Jade Loveday (2001
- picture 1c) all now employed in the
Aged Care sector.
Mrs. Jose Waller
A Clonard staff member since 1994
the subject Fit4Action and joined the
extra-curricular program Endurance
Racing (formerly known as Adventure
Racing) and in the following years
steadily tackled more and more difficult
events (see inset box for the highlights
Kate’s racing calendar from 2007 to
2010. Completing Year 12 in 2009 Kate
decided on taking a gap year in 2010.
This year, marked a year of significant
‘firsts’ for Kate.
Gap years can sometimes be tricky,
after twelve years of structure governed
by bells and timetables it is easy to
lose a year just deciding what to do.
Luckily, Kate’s year was nothing like
that. January saw some of the hottest
days in summer, the second weekend
of the year produced a pair of days over
forty degrees. This weekend hosted
Kate’s first event for the year. The race
to the half-way mark of the Bogong to
Hotham ultra-marathon was her first
attempt at racing over a half marathon
and the thirty-five kilometer trail run
contained two crushing hills. The first,
up the infamous ‘staircase’ to the
summit of Mt. Bogong, a six kilometer
hill with 1300m of climbing. The
second, after the descent to Big River
is only four kilometers long, but brings
you alongside Mt. Nelse and what it
lacks in length, makes up in steepness.
Six-and-a-half hours after the start,
Kate completed her first long event for
the year. In rapid-fire succession, the
second event of 2010 kicked-off with
Kate’s first attempt at a ‘mountain bike
marathon’, the 100km Otway Odyssey
from Apollo Bay to Forrest. Kate finished
the event strongly a little over ten hours
in the saddle. Over the autumn months
she knuckled down to some consistent
weeks of twenty-plus hours a week of
road and mountain bike riding. To race
in the World Championships, you first
1b
1a
have to qualify. Kate choose the Kona
‘Dirty Weekend’ in South Australia as
her qualifying event. It was also her
first 24-hour MTB event as a solo rider.
She qualified easily, finishing second!
Only two laps behind the winner and
four laps in front the third place getter.
During the winter months Kate again
settled to some solid months of training
again on the road and MTB.
Kate’s Milestones
The World Championships were held
for the first time in the Southern
Hemisphere this year and the event was
run in conjunction with the Scott-24
Hour at Mt. Stomlo in Canberra. Kate’s
race in the World Championships did
not go perhaps as smoothly as her first
race in South Australia. The course was
much less forgiving, requiring riders to
work their legs on the uphills and their
arms and their heads on the technical
downhills. The rocky nature of Mt.
Stromlo also prevented riders from
establishing a good rhythm an invaluable
element in endurance racing. Kate’s
mental toughness saw her through the
toughest periods and she persevered to
well deserved win!
2008
- The Gut Full MTB Marathon [Kate
competed in the shorter 33k race]
- Great Ocean Road Half Marathon
(Run)
Also critical to her success was the
support crew provided by her family.
As Kate has progressed through the
years she has had unwavering support
from her mum (Heather), dad (Geoff)
and sister (Laura). Geoff and Heather
have driven thousands of kilometers
to training sessions, races and had to
learn about the whole new world of
MTB Racing and Endurance Running.
Without doubt, they deserve a part of
Kate’s World Championship medal too!
Congratulations to Kate (and her support
crew) on her magnificent achievements
this year. The Clonard community will
certainly look forward to hearing of
your exploits in the years to come.
1c
2007
- Completed Fit4Action - Semester 1
- Surf Coast 6 Hour MTB
- First 10k race at the Melbourne
Marathon (Run)
- Kona 24-Hour MTB Race (in a 6
person team)
2009
- Otway Odyssey 50k MTB
- Great Ocean Road Half Marathon
2010
- Bogong to Hotham (35k Trail Run)
- Otway Odyssey 100k MTB Marathon
- Kona ‘Dirty Weekend’ 24-Hour MTB
Race
- 24-Hour Solo MTB World
Championships
Happily retired!
Pictured to the left is a group of
recently retired Clonard staff that
meet once a month for a meal
and a chat. The group that meets
features many other staff however on this occasion the following
staff were in attendance. From
left to right is Lee McGregor, Don
Lyne, Mark Herd, Helen Barber,
Sue Jennings, Marg Phelan and
Ros Barrow.
STOP THE PRESS.........................
The four newspaper articles featured
on this page include four of our former
Clonard students.
1. Chelsea Thomas
2. Nikhila Madabhushi
3. Amy Sanders
4. Annie-Rose Maloney
These articles were collected from our
local newspaper and highlight a diverse
selection of interests and career aspirations.
If you have done something newsworthy or you come across an article in a
magazine or newspaper featuring a former Clonard students, please send it
through the Clonard office. Alternatively
you may want to let us know what you
are doing with your life since departing
Clonard.
[email protected]
Crosslinks is your Old Collegians newsletter therefore we require your assistance to source and feature articles of
interest about you or your old school
mates.
We want you!
We are seeking the graduating classes of:
•1961 (1956 - 1961) - 50 years out
•1971 (1966 - 1971) - 40 years out
•1981 (1976 - 1981) - 30 years out
•1991 (1986 - 1991) - 20 years out
•2001 (1996 - 2001) - 10 years out
As you would be aware 2011 is the year when you graduating class will celebrate a significant anniversary away from
Clonard, therefore we would like to provide your graduating class with the opportunity to join us and the other milestone
graduating classes here at Clonard. We will make the Clonard Hall available for a catered afternoon of drinks (champagne,
wine, soft drink, tea and coffee) and nibbles on:
Saturday March 19, 2011 (the weekend after the Labour Day holiday), from 4pm till 7pm.
We understand the difficulties faced by you ladies with work, family, social, and sporting commitments therefore we
would like to offer you the opportunity to return to Clonard for a casual catch-up with other members of your year level,
within the confines of Clonard. You can choose to join us for the 3 hours or if you have the drive to hit the town you may
wish to organize an alternative venue for your year level to move to after the catch-up at Clonard.
If you have not been back to Clonard of late we have many new buildings, artworks and landscape works to observe along
with the old school buildings you hopefully look back upon fondly since you departure. We will provide senior leaders
to serve as guides if you wish, alternatively you may prefer to relax and converse with your old school friends within the
surrounds of the school hall.
Our new school Principal Damian McKew will briefly welcome you and we will endeavour to provide a slideshow of images,
stories and Clonard memorabilia from your year level, however this will only be possible with your support and the support
of your peers.
For further information please contact Dean Williams
Clonard College Assistant Principal – Community Relations
[email protected]
ph: 5278 2155 (school) m: 0419 548770
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
We would ask that each lady who chooses to attend pay only $10 to help cover the cost of the food and drinks.
Please detach this stub and return your payment to:
Clonard College. 225 Church St, Geelong West. 3218
NAME: __________________________________ Please Circle: CASH CHEQUE VISA MASTERCARD BANKCARD
ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________________
NUMBER OF TICKETS ORDERED @ $10 PER TICKET: _______________AMOUNT ENCLOSED: _______________
Card Number: _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
Expiry Date: _ _ / _ _
Card Holder’s Name: _____________________________ Signature: __________________________________
Please send us your email address so that this publication can be sent to you via email - [email protected]