Inspired Magazine - St Andrew`s Cathedral School

Transcription

THE SACS MAGAZINE | 2014
the student
wellbeing
issue
heart
mind
life
the people behind the publication
The Magazine Team
Managing Editor
Alison Walburn
Editor
Melanie Collins
Production Coordinator
Kelsey Hake
Photography
Jack Toohey, OA 2010
Contributors
Laura Bannister
Sean Brady (Year 11)
Ross Cameron
Dr John Collier
Lucy Crook
Rev Craig Foster
Lizzie Garrett OA (2008)
Lyn Jarvis
Rosemary Miller
Melanie Pennington
Brad Swibel
Hamish Waddell (Year 11)
Special Thanks
Students
Max Barber-Cato OA (2012)
Gabe Bates (Year 9)
Angus Bray (Year 10)
Jake Cowie (Year 12)
Calum Edsor (Year 12)
Blair Ferguson (Year 10)
Ben Flannery (Year 11)
Nate Griffiths (Year 7)
Jessica Jenner (Year 8)
Persia Littlewood (Year 10)
Jessica Luff (Year 6)
Lauren Mathen (Year 12)
Noah Oshiro (Year 8)
Chelsea Paton (Year 8)
Nina Perry (Year 10)
Emily Savage (Year 12)
Kay Savage (Year 11)
Tcharne Sawyer (Year 11)
Cooper Sheppard (Year 9)
Ava Stael (Year 8)
Marcus Vrondas (Year 5)
Mrs Penny Barletta
(Rough Edges café)
Ms Roxanne Briggs
Ms Alison Courtney
Media Club Coordinator
Mrs Jess Chilton
Girls Coordinator
Mrs Emily Edwards
Junior School Pastoral
Care Coordinator
Mrs Tracey Ireland
Head of Westminster House
Mrs Judy Karikios
SACS Canteen Manager
Mr John Kennedy
Head of Science
Mrs Alice Peel
Gawura teacher
Ms Zoe Powell OA (2013)
Mr David Smith
Head of Middle School
Mrs Grace Stone
Head of Senior College
Mr Simon Tedeschi OA (1998)
Dr Jill Wheeler
School Council Member
Mr Ralph Wilcock
Head of Music
Cover photo of Keshia van Wachem (Year 5) and Max Cholakos
(Year 7) in Sydney Square. Photo by Jack Toohey.
To keep up to date with
all the latest news and
events, visit our website
www.sacs.nsw.edu.au
02
INSPIRED | THE COEDUCATION ISSUE
th
stud e
well ent
be
issu ing
e
contents
04St Andrew’s continues to build
on its culture of care
15Nurturing environment allows
students to thrive
Dr John Collier and Mr Brad Swibel
provide an overview of our school’s
approach to student wellbeing and
the new programmes introduced
across the school in 2014.
Gawura parent Roxanne Briggs shares her
thoughts on the benefits to her children of
an education at Gawura and St Andrew’s.
06 Old Andrean: Simon Tedeschi
The international concert pianist and
music educator speaks about his school
days spent mostly in the Fairfax Room
at St Andrew’s.
08Get to know your School Council:
Dr Jill Wheeler
Dr Wheeler is the mother of three
students who have attended St Andrew’s
and is a long-standing member
of our governing Council.
08Why I decided to get involved in
the P&F – a parent’s perspective
P&F Vice President Mr Ross Cameron
shares his motivation and the rewards
that come with volunteering at the school.
09 Have you had Breakfast at SACS?
16 Rules of Engagement
The new Middle School student wellbeing
programmes specifically address the often
turbulent adolescent years of schooling.
18 Stepping out
Head of Senior College, Mrs Grace Stone,
explains how Senior College students are
being equipped for life after school.
20 Music at the heart of school with heart
Music has always been an integral
element of life at St Andrew’s. We find out
how involvement in Music continues to
transform the lives of students today.
21 Hooked on music for life!
Former student Lizzie Garrett (OA 2008)
shares her memories of St Andrew’s
and the impact it has had on her
professional career.
SACS Foundation Executive Lyn Jarvis
tells us about a new initiative to build
up our school community – groups
of parents having breakfast together.
22 When buildings breathe
10 On the desk of …
School Chaplain Craig Foster explains
what programmes, camps and guidance
are offered to St Andrew’s students
seeking to learn from the Bible or
grow in their Christian faith.
We speak to the Head of Science,
Mr John Kennedy, about his passions
and how he uses his workspace.
12 Love in action in SACS Junior School
We explore the role of St Andrew’s
Cathedral in the life of our school.
23 When wellbeing extends to faith
A new student wellbeing programme
equips students with the words to
speak and actions to take in challenging
situations, with the aim to build
a loving culture at the school.
24 Smoothing out the Rough Edges
14Unleashing the power
of positive thinking
We speak with school Canteen Manager
Judy Karikios about how she decides
what food and drink to serve to students.
Gawura students are being taught
a number of new resilience strategies
to equip them to cope with new
or challenging situations.
We explore what it means to students
who volunteer to serve the homeless
at Rough Edges café in Darlinghurst.
26 Eat right, learn well
27Media Club captures school spirit
A new media club in the senior school
is capturing many of the school’s key
events on film. We present a selection
of their photographic efforts to date.
THE STUDENT WELLBEING ISSUE | INSPIRED
03
STUDENT WELLBEING AT ST ANDREW’S
St Andrew’s
continues to
build on its
culture of care
Student wellbeing has long been a feature of St Andrew’s
Cathedral School’s culture. In 2014, a new student
wellbeing programme, targeting the specific needs of
each year group, has been implemented across the school.
INTERVIEW WITH DR COLLIER, HEAD OF SCHOOL AND MR BRAD SWIBEL, DEPUTY HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dr Collier, Head of School with Mr Brad Swibel, Deputy
Head of School.
WORDS: ALISON WALBURN
PHOTOGRAPHY: JACK TOOHEY
C
that almost
half of the Australian population
will experience a mental health
disorder at some point in their lifetime
(The Mental Health of Australians 2).
urrent research indicates
Similarly, one in five children and
adolescents experience mental health
problems and disorders (Black Dog Institute).
Schools are increasingly assuming a greater
role in the health and wellbeing of students,
recognising their critical role in helping
students understand and overcome the
enormous number of issues that impact
children today.
At St Andrew’s, however, this is not
a new development. The school is
well known for its nurturing, caring
environment, where every student is
valued. Underpinned by its Christian
values and a belief that it is essential to
nurture the heart to educate the mind,
the school strives to promote a positive,
encouraging environment where each
student is heard, known and supported.
And these beliefs are supported by
our parent community who, in a survey
conducted in 2013, rated “focus on
student welfare, providing a safe and
caring environment” as their number
one reason for choosing a school.
Inspired met with Dr John Collier, Head
of School, and Mr Brad Swibel, Deputy
Head of School, to discuss wellbeing
and the next stage in the school’s
Student Wellbeing programme.
Much is often made of the school’s
approach to student wellbeing.
What makes SACS special?
John Collier: At St Andrew’s we are
04
INSPIRED | THE STUDENT WELLBEING ISSUE
committed to dealing with whole people,
so we don’t have the notion that we are
educating brains on sticks. We want to
integrate caring for our young people
with extending them academically. We
see them as two sides to the same coin,
and we believe that strong pastoral care
will help their holistic development as
people and help them achieve their
academic best.
Why is student wellbeing so
important in Christian schools?
John Collier: Our Christian ethos
determines an ethos of care. We want
to engage deeply with young people
and build into their lives that care means
compassion, care means involvement,
care means being there in times of need
or even crisis. The school is well known
for that and we regularly get feedback
from parents expressing gratitude for
the depth of pastoral care in the school.
So it is a primary calling of Christian
educators to nurture and support
students and parents in that way.
During 2013/14 the SACS programme
has been reviewed, what did you find?
John Collier: The pastoral needs of
students require a number of staff who
have a specific pastoral brief beyond the
general pastoral brief of all teaching staff,
and to have enough specific positions
that can deal with various levels and
layers of this. For example, in the Senior
College we have a Head of Senior College,
Deputy Head of Senior College and
Heads of House. In the Middle School
we have a Head of Middle School, a Girls’
Coordinator and Year Coordinators.
We also have Tutors in high school who
report variously to Year Coordinators
(in Middle School) and Heads of House
(in Senior College). Their role is to get
to know each student really well, to
meet with them regularly, to track them
socially and academically, and to organise
interventions when necessary, and be
points of reference for parents. Because
the Tutor groups are small, usually around
16, it’s a mechanism that prevents students
from slipping through the cracks in what
is otherwise a large school, so that every
student is known and cared for by at
least one adult on the teaching staff.
In Junior School, we have a Head of
Junior School, Pastoral Care Coordinator
and the classroom teacher.
We have always been very strong in
reactive strategies, so we have three
School Counsellors, who are clinical
psychologists, and they can work in a
whole host of areas, from the lower end of
the spectrum such as time management,
stress management and examination skills,
through to the more clinical end where
necessary. But we have felt the need to
increase the number and depth of the
more proactive structures and strategies,
in order to have our students foresee
issues and take control as they can.
Brad Swibel: In early 2013, myself and a
team of staff spent a long time discussing
the vision and mission of the school
and what makes St Andrew’s distinctive.
We then considered, in light of these
statements, what did the graduating
student of St Andrew’s look like? We kept
coming back to “Heart, Mind and Life” and
we became determined to explore these
features of the school more deeply. Out
of this exploration, the Graduate Attributes
were established, with consultation from
St Andrew’s Graduate Attributes
the wider staff body, the School Council,
parents and student leaders.
The Graduate Attributes are a set of student
traits that expand on what “Heart, Mind
and Life” means. Therefore, “In the light of
the Cross, we strive for all students to have
hearts that love, minds that grow and lives
that give.” And each attribute of Heart, Mind
and Life has three characteristics which
describe the St Andrew’s student.
How do Graduate Attributes link
to the Student Wellbeing programme
and impact students directly?
Brad Swibel: The establishment of the
Graduate Attributes clarified what we,
as a school, are aiming to produce through
the Student Wellbeing programme. From
here the existing Student Wellbeing
programmes were re-evaluated and
mapped to the Graduate Attributes,
with each year group being assigned a
number of key wellbeing programmes
targeted to their age-group.
Recognised programmes were drawn
in to further develop the Graduate
Attributes such as Bounceback (Safe
Schools Framework), Biteback (addressing
mental health issues through the Black
Dog Institute), You Can Do It! (positive
psychology programme), Resilience
Doughnut, Circle Leadership, and Personal
Bests (engagement and motivation from
University of Sydney) adding to our already
comprehensive suite of character-building
pastoral programmes. Guest speakers
have been brought in to cover needs
particular to girls and we plan to include
boys-only programmes too.
In 2013, the Learning Model, addressing
the overall academic focus of the school,
Heart
Mind
Life
• A heart that is
compassionate
and forgiving
• A heart that is faithful
and respectful
• A heart enriched
by relationships
and service
• A mind that is
engaged and
persistent
• A mind that is
discerning and
reflective
• A mind that is
inquiring and creative
• A life filled
with courage
• A life that embraces
challenges and
change
• A life of hope
and purpose
was also established. It was developed
to support the Graduate Attributes,
incorporating the Student Wellbeing
programme.
A new discipline system was introduced in
August 2013 which redrafted the Student
Rights and Responsibilities to align with
the Graduate Attributes and also the
Melbourne Declaration on Educational
Goals for Young People (2008). From
this our Student Management Guidelines
changed to focus on restorative
practices, goal setting and reflection.
In doing so, importance was placed on
a communication loop between the
student, teachers and parents in this
process. Rather than a purely punitive
reaction to misbehaviour, the response
has been transparent, consistent
and predictable. Students have the
opportunity to receive feedback
on goals that they set and positive
behaviour is rewarded through feedback.
In 2014, the implementation of the
Graduate Attributes took a further
step forward in a review of the merit
system. The Junior School and Gawura
School replaced their merit system with
Heart, Mind and Life Awards and the
Secondary School followed suit with
Heart (Service and Character), Mind
(Academic) and Life (Cocurricular) merit
awards that lead to Bronze, Silver, Gold
and Platinum Excellence Awards. Instead
of the previous point system which
resulted in a transactional approach to
student behaviour that was digital and
not visible, the new system specifically
acknowledges student effort in
developing Graduate Attributes through
tangible merit cards and involves an
increasing degree of public recognition
of these attributes in subsequent awards.
What is the role of the greater
school community in student
wellbeing at St Andrew’s?
John Collier: Parents are obviously
the major influence in children’s lives
as they negotiate the challenges of
school life. We know we will get the
best outcome for students if parents
are well-informed and supportive of
our strategies and programmes – across
academic, cocurricular and student
wellbeing. A consistent, encouraging
message to students from parents and
the school will have the greatest impact
on student achievement. As such, we
seek to provide briefings and seminars
to parents who seek to be engaged
with their child’s learning and may need
parenting tips at different stages of
their child’s development. We include
pertinent information about our student
seminars and programmes in newsletters
and on our parent portal to enable
parents to engage with their children
on these issues. Our community
includes students, ex-students,
parents and staff – and all add
value and voice to our programmes.
05
OLD ANDREAN: SIMON TEDESCHI
Old Andrean:
Simon Tedeschi
WORDS: MELANIE PENNINGTON
Subject of an Archibald prize-winning portrait, news and
opinion blog editor, ABC’s Spicks and Specks regular guest,
music educator and most famously, international concert
pianist, Simon Tedeschi is a former graduate (1998) of
St Andrew’s Cathedral School and spoke to us about his
school days (spent mostly in the Fairfax Room).
Could you tell us a little bit about
your time at St Andrew’s, particularly
your musical education.
I started in Year 8 and graduated in 1998.
I left my previous school after not enjoying
it at all, so I was pretty anxious starting
at St Andrew’s in Year 8. On my first day
I met Alan Beavis and Micheal Deasey.
We became friends almost immediately –
as odd as that is for a teacher and student.
I came from a school where the facilities
were nothing like St Andrew’s. Travelling
up an office building in an elevator was so
flash compared to what I was used to.
I was so amazed by the facilities.
I came to St Andrew’s wanting a lot of
latitude to play the piano. It had a musical
tradition from the cathedral choristers,
but it wasn’t a jungle for classical
musicians. It was a good mix for me.
The first musical performance I did at SACS
was St Nicolas Mass by Benjamin Britten –
it had an overpowering effect on me.
I also worked a lot with the orchestra
and was involved musically on every
level – I was almost always practising.
06
We understand the SACS Head of
School discouraged you from taking
part in sports like cricket, for fear of
damaging your hands. Is this true?
That sounds about right. From the
very beginning, Phillip Heath was
very supportive of me as a musician.
He practically bent over backwards
to allow me to pursue music. As a
pianist, I was very structured, but that
had repercussions in other areas and I
misbehaved a lot. Phillip put up with a lot,
as well as Jim Boddy and Michael Deasey.
Are you still in contact with
anyone from school?
Yes, I regularly work with the former
Director of Music at St Andrew’s
Cathedral Michael Deasey and the
Bathurst Chamber Orchestra. He is
now the Precentor and Director of
Music at All Saint’s Bathurst Cathedral.
I am in touch with Alan Beavis – he
books me to play in Bowral almost every
year. I spoke at a music conference on
education and saw the former Heads
of Music Cathy Aggett and Bruce Rixon.
Can you reflect on your memories
while at St Andrew’s and its impact
on you as a person?
As a student, it had a really positive
impact on me. It would have been
impossible to produce music without
a good sense of wellbeing. And music
was integral to my wellbeing.
After coming from a school that made
being involved in music quite difficult, to St
Andrew’s, where I was begged to play music,
SACS was a ray of sunshine in my life. I spent
so many hours in the Fairfax room!
During my time there, I developed some
very long-term friendships and look back
on St Andrew’s as some of my best years –
but I mean I still hated the idea of school.
You performed Mozart in the Sydney
Opera House, aged just nine years
old, and in front of Nelson Mandela
and the Crown Prince and Princess
of Denmark. Do you have any preperformance rituals? Do you ever get
apprehensive before you play?
Oh I still get very nervous! At SACS,
Michael Deasey calmed me down more
than once before a performance. I made
OLD ANDREAN: SIMON TEDESCHI
Simon Tedeschi with the ABC Spicks and Specks team.
Simon Tedeschi
sure I went to the toilet fully. There used
to be toilets near the sports office back
in my time and I’d run back and forwards!
With regard to rituals, yes, I have the same
socks on!
With teaching, I never planned for
it to happen, it’s just something that
happened with maturity. It’s definitely
something I’m still learning how
to do – it’s a work in progress.
What are three composers that really
shaped the way you now approach
your music?
What’s the most incredible
venue you have performed in?
1. Benjamin Britten – right from
the beginning.
2. Mozart – he’s shaped me in
every way as a human, his music
is so redemptive.
3. Gershwin – is probably who
I identify with the most and
who I am most known for.
Masterclasses and workshops are an
important part of your work. What
first drew you to teaching and did you
ever think that being a pianist would
be so tightly connected with being
an educator?
I realised I wasn’t the young one anymore. I
love being able to communicate music with
love. One way to do that is to impart music
through teaching. Everyone has something
to give, even a concert performer.
Carnegie Hall in New York City –
mostly because of everyone else
who has performed there!
Who is one emerging performer
to watch?
I’m a patron of 102.5 Fine music FM and
was a judge for the Young Performer
Awards last year. And I honestly don’t
remember being so good! The standard
today is incredible.
The most incredible thing about being
a musician full-time is…
It’s never boring. I get to communicate
in a language that everyone, irrespective
of culture, can understand as a primal
language.
It’s probably second to David
Attenborough [laughs].
Currently known for
playing Mozart in the
seasonal Babies Proms
concerts at the Sydney
Opera House, Simon
regularly performs
with the Sydney Youth
Orchestra. “As a soloist
I have the opportunity
to work with musicians
at a vital stage of their
intellectual and human
development which is
a true gift,” Simon said.
What advice would you give to young
musicians looking to pursue music for
their tertiary education / embark on
a performance career?
It’s needed now more than ever …
Classical music has been relegated
to the edges of society. For the young
generation born now and those older,
it’s really important for them to realise
that they are at the coalface of culture.
Any closing comments?
Thank you SACS for playing such an
important role in my formative years.
Through your support of my music,
it’s become my career and life.
Simon Tedeschi’s new CD of Australian
Piano Music, Tender Earth, is out now
on ABC Classics.
07
GET TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL COUNCIL
Get to know your school council
Dr Jill Wheeler
Meet the doctor and mother of three
who is also a P & F volunteer and
member of our School Council.
Dr Jill Wheeler with daughter Mady at a St Andrew’s
soccer game.
WORDS: ALISON WALBURN
The SACS community is
made up of many working
parents, all balancing the
demands of their home and
professional life. I met with
Dr Jill Wheeler, a mother of
three, a doctor, P&F volunteer
and member of the School
Council to speak about why
she loves being part of the
SACS community.
What does an average week look like
for you?
I see my life a bit like a juggler – keeping
a number of balls in the air at once. I work
part-time as a doctor in General Practice
and on top of the usual family/home
responsibilities, I am involved in various
ministries at my local church, including
teaching scripture to primary school
students and leading a women’s Bible
Study Group.
liked what they were doing, and if others
thought I could play a role in helping the
school to do that even better, I was willing
to get involved.
I try to fit in a swim or gym session three
times per week. My passion for playing
team sports and jogging with my husband
(and our dog!) has unfortunately been
curtailed by persisting injuries – we have
to make do with walking!
Do you have any specific role on
Council?
Why did you decide to join Council?
I had previously been on a council of a
K-6 school, and after being a parent at
SACS for three years was asked if I would
consider joining the council. I am always
open to seeing where God might want
to use me in his service. Having been a
parent at SACS for those years I could
see the school was very much seeking to
follow its values of seeking to honour God
in how they educated students. I guess I
Ross Cameron is a Vice President of St Andrew’s P & F –
the volunteer group of parents and friends that helps
organise school community events and performs some
of the fundraising activities for the school. With a son in
Year 10 at St Andrew’s, Ross says his main reason for getting
involved was to build an extra bridge into his son’s life.
Why I decided to
get involved in the
P&F – a parent’s
perspective
WORDS: MR ROSS CAMERON
08
I think it is important to have parents on
council to bring the parent’s perspective –
presently there are three of us and an exparent as well. As part of this I try to be as
involved as I can be attending SACS events
and interacting with parents, hearing
their perspective on SACS and listening to
feedback. It all takes time but it is a real joy
spending time with other parents, many of
whom are also committed to serving the
school in various ways.
I am a keen supporter of Gawura,
having joined the council not long before
Gawura started at SACS and I have seen it
develop and grow. It is now an important
A
common comment from parents of high
school students is the sense of ‘losing
contact’ with their child’s life. You
move from the very immersive lower school
environment, which, with young children,
provides (and often demands) a significant
level of parent involvement in their daily
activities, into the more remote high school
environment. We also have a significant
change in communication style as your
child moves into adolescence, which in the
case of boys (to date, my only first-hand
experience) becomes the stereotypical
grunts, one-word arguments or extremely
funny responses to every enquiry (extremely
funny to a teenager – that is).
We are also told by any number of media
experts and others that our child’s frame
of reference moves away from the parent
to their social groups, with their friends
now dictating normal and acceptable
behaviours. And finally (and particularly
in the case of SACS) we are often more
physically removed as they travel to school
GET TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL COUNCIL
part of our school community and
I have loved being involved in supporting
and advocating on behalf of Gawura
in whatever way I am able.
As a mother of three SACS
students – what are your
reflections of the school?
I have had three children spend all their
high school years at SACS – my youngest
is finishing Year 12, and as happens
in most families, they are three quite
different children. We have found SACS
to be a school where each one of them
fitted in and felt they belonged, despite all
being so different. It is one of the things
we appreciate about SACS – it is a school
that suits a wide range of students; there
is no one ‘type’ that defines it as a school.
We talk about SACS being a school
with heart and I think what that reflects
is the relational nature of the school.
Our children are valued as people who
are at SACS to learn and grow in many
different ways and our experience has
been that this is particularly reflected in
how the staff interact with our children
– be it the way they are disciplined, how
they are noticed and cared for if they are
distressed or the encouragement and
support they are given in their studies (all
of which have been personal experiences
of one or another of our children). Of
course in a large school this will never
be done perfectly by every member of
staff, but time and again this has been our
experience, and in it I see the Christian
message in action. It has certainly been
a great witness and model to our children
and has contributed to making SACS a
community our children have been happy
to be a part of.
and even further from home to be
with friends.
So I thought getting involved in the school
through the P&F or other school events
and activities was the most powerful way to
remain connected to the high school life of
my child — to be part of the environment
and community in which he exists.
For me, it provides a significant benefit on
a number of fronts, mostly (though not
always) also valued by your child. Your
child knows the value of your time and the
power of you committing that time to ‘their’
environment cannot be underestimated.
Shared experiences from the wider parent
group, particularly those with older children
who have ‘been through it’, can be hugely
reassuring and often more tangible than
‘formal’ communications, no matter how
well constructed.
You experience a strong personal sense
of contributing something as the effort
Have you
had Breakfast
at SACS?
WORDS: LYN JARVIS, SACS FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE
Early on a Wednesday
morning, you may see
a small group of parents
finding their way to the
Council Room on Level 6
for breakfast. This is a new
initiative at St Andrew’s to
increase our opportunities
to spend quality time with
our parents.
SACS is a very busy, and, at times,
chaotic place, with students, parents
and alumni having many opportunities
to attend concerts, assemblies,
information sessions, sporting games
and P&F initiatives. Big school events
allow us to spend time together, but
there are not many opportunities
to have deeper, more meaningful
conversations – to listen, be heard,
discuss, debate and understand.
Recognising this, we have initiated a
weekly breakfast programme, with small
groups of parents joining together
for a light meal and conversation.
Breakfast is relaxed, chatty and great
fun. Invited parents are mostly from
the same year group and their Head
of Division and Dr Collier also attend.
Many parents don’t know each other,
so it is a lovely opportunity for parents
to make new connections. There is a
great deal of laughter and a chance
to swap stories, give feedback or
raise any concerns.
Breakfasts are from 7.30–8.30am
so that very little of a parent’s
working day is affected. Younger
SACS students and siblings can be
looked after nearby by Senior students,
making it as convenient as possible
for parents to attend.
We are looking forward to breakfasting
with you soon.
The Breakfast Programme is run
by Mrs Lyn Jarvis, SACS Foundation
Executive. For more information,
please contact Lyn on 9009 5431
or email [email protected].
of volunteers is very openly and warmly
recognised by the school and across
the school community and is genuinely
heartening; an unsolicited “thanks” from
a teenager (even if not your own) can be
a surprisingly uplifting feeling.
Also, never forget a little information is
a powerful thing. The direct connection
with the school and the wider community
(mostly other parents) cuts through the
standard teenage “but no one else is doing
it” or similar excuse.
While you will inevitably lose some of that
original parent/child connection as they
grow, you can embrace the opportunity
to build the replacement relationship with
him/her as a developing adult. Ultimately
(as at any age) you as a role model will still
help define who they will become, so being
involved and taking some responsibility for
the community of which they are part will
become another positive behaviour they
see as right and normal.
P & F Vice President Ross Cameron with his son Andrew
and daughter Neve, 9.
09
ON THE DESK OF
ON THE
DESK OF …
06
We speak with the Head of Science
Mr John Kennedy about how he uses
his work space.
WORDS: MELANIE COLLINS
P
Kennedy is
extraordinarily busy as the
Head of Science and his desk
reflects his life. His computer has three
screens open, his coffee cup is rarely cold
and his PhD research is always present.
As a self-declared tinkerer and computer
nerd, the physicist has plenty of gadgets
on his desk, most of which are used
in teaching his Year 11 and 12 HSC
Physics and International Baccalaureate
Physics classes.
hysicist mr john
Mr Kennedy recently completed the
first section of his PhD on Science and
Maths education. Called the Continuing
Decline of Enrolments in Science and
Mathematics in Australian high schools,
it appears in the June 2014 edition of
Teaching Science. “The remaining parts
of the PhD address why there has been
a decline, where those students have
gone and what Australia should do to
address this, if anything,” he explains.
His research has attracted the attention
of Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor
Ian Chubb and his preliminary data was
referenced in the Labor Government’s
positional statement addressing the
state of Australian science in schools.
“Apparently no one else has the data
except me, and Professor Chubb was
keen to see the (updated) real data,
so he now has that, but I’m not sure
what it will be used for as yet.”
In his second year at St Andrew’s,
Mr Kennedy aims to make Science
fun for all students and is keen to ensure
they understand the applications
of Science outside the classroom.
10
01
What do you love most about
your job at SACS?
This place is an insane, crazy place but
the kids are actually fun and no two days
are the same. Teaching IB Physics and
HSC Physics and also being a learning
coach at the school means there is plenty
to do and there’s never a dull moment.
Being involved with the kids and seeing
them have the “A-ha!” moments is the
fun part. When they start to see the
applications for things that they thought
were boring and previously didn’t make
sense, it is really rewarding. It’s lovely
to see their eyes just light up.
What other interests do you
have outside work?
I’m doing a PhD in Science education
part-time over six years and I’m a
tinkerer and a computer nerd, so
I like to programme robots and to
create automated objects. Some of
the automated stuff has gone into
my modelling. I used to make model
aeroplanes and automated those to
an extent, which combines a bit of
aeronautical engineering, a bit of
electronics engineering, a bit of black
art, and trial and error! But it worked.
01
My “needs to be done” pile.
It includes student work and
lesson notes and on top is an
order for new Science equipment.
02
Describe your work desk in
three words.
Data-logger. We can now do
our Science using these handheld computers, which can
measure 18-20 different sensors.
This one is an ultrasonic motion
sensor, which measures distance,
velocity and acceleration using
ultrasound. There are eight full
class sets of data-loggers for the
Years 10-12 Science classes.
Chaotic, a refuge and stimulating (it’s
where my innovative ideas come from).
03
What three items are always
on your desk?
Coffee, my computer with three screens
(because I work on so many tasks
simultaneously), and my Tenor recorder,
which is one of my de-stressors (when I
get around to playing it).
Graphical calculator. It can
connect to the data-logger to
display its data and can be used
in experiments.
12
13
07
16
05
10
08
02
15
11
09
03
04
14
04
07
10
14
Part of my PhD. This paper
makes up ¼ of my PhD. It
investigates the ‘Continuing
Decline of Enrolments in Science
and Mathematics in Australian
high schools’ and was published
in the June edition of the
national education magazine
Teaching Science.
Popular Science book. How to
teach physics to your dog has
a great chapter I will share with
my students, which will broaden
their horizons.
Giant copper sulphate
crystal. It was an experiment
gone wrong and now it’s a
paperweight.
Power cable that
feeds a sub-station.
It carries enough power
to power 40,000 100watt
lightbulbs and is used in
IB and HSC Physics to
teach about electricity.
05
Tenor recorder. This is one of
my de-stressors. I taught myself
how to play three years ago as
I needed an outlet for stress. I
usually play it outside but the
Science staff occasionally are
blessed by my music!
06
My coffee supply. The picture
shows that I have plenty of decaf pods left but no caffeinated
pods, which tells you how much
I need my caffeine.
08
Hazcards.
These are used when you are
doing a chemical experiment.
The staff think my desk is a
hazard so they put this on
my desk.
09
Super-conductor. This is our
department’s new toy. When
we put liquid nitrogen on it,
the magnet that’s on top will
actually levitate or float in the
air! But you have to cool it down
to -197 degrees for it to work.
11
Remote control helicopter.
This is used in classes
occasionally and also for
getting revenge on other
staff members!
12
Electronic photo frame.
I have photos of my family
screening here, which is a
reminder of why I come
to work.
13
Humidity and climate
control sensor. This is
used in experiments.
15
Blue laser. We use it for
various experiments. It was
last used for a Year 11 Nerf gun
experiment to help aim the
Nerf gun to see how accurate
it is. So we used it to make data
analysis more interesting.
16
Educational DVDs. Stephen
Hawking’s Universe (used
in Years 10-12 classes) and
the Seven Wonders of the
Industrial World (used in
Years 7-12 classes).
11
Junior School Pastoral Care Coordinator Emily Edwards works on the school’s new student wellbeing programme.
Love in action in
the Junior School
While the care and wellbeing of students is a fundamental element of life in St Andrew’s
Junior School, it is the loving actions taken by students and staff that are really encouraged
and celebrated. But how does a school equip students to act in a loving, unselfish way?
We spoke to Junior School Pastoral Care Coordinator Emily Edwards about the school’s
new wellbeing programme.
A
and Art teaching
roles, Mrs Emily Edwards is tasked
with the implementation of a
new personal development programme
in the Junior School. She has worked
with Gawura’s Alice Peel to develop a
programme, based on current research,
which helps develop the three graduate
attributes in students – hearts that love,
minds that grow and lives that give.
longside her drama
This new programme, which was initially
implemented through Mrs Edwards’ Drama
and Art classes, began to be integrated
into the classroom curriculum in Terms 3
and 4 in 2014. There are two components
to the programme, one being core values
and the other being strategies to help
students negotiate friendships and better
understand themselves and their
own behaviour.
Core values
Mrs Edwards has selected a Dr Seuss
statement to accompany each year’s
programme (see breakout). Each reflects
the stage of development of those students.
For example, in Year 5, students are faced
with lots of choices and are on the brink
of being leaders in the school, so their Dr
Seuss line is: “You have brains in your head,
12
you have feet in your shoes, you can steer
yourself in any direction you choose”.
Along with addressing some of the issues
and responsibilities faced by students
in each year group, the core values and
skills from the Bounce Back Programme
(an established wellbeing and resilience
teacher resource), are taught. Values
include: being honest, fair, responsible,
kind, cooperative, friendly and respectful,
along with accepting differences in other
people and demonstrating self-respect.
Students are also taught how to cope and
bounce back from challenging situations.
“We have crafted a programme that draws
on the best elements from the most
reputable student welfare programmes,
incorporating components of Bounce
Back, GROWTH Coaching, Child
Protection, GRIP Student Leadership,
Rock and Water, Better Buddies and
Buzz-off Bullies, all aligned to the
curriculum outcomes and our SACS
graduate attributes, to make our wellbeing
programme both comprehensive and
unique,” Mrs Edwards explained.
“My goal is to ensure we’re doing the
absolute best for the students. I have the
pleasure of teaching all of the students
for Art and Drama, so I’ve been able to
use the creative avenue to launch the
programme. We work on collaborative
artworks, and in Drama we perform and
create skits that reinforce some of the
skills, strategies and positive behaviours
of critical and creative thinkers.“
Much of the programme will be
implemented through rich literary texts
used as provocations with a wide variety of
books, triggers and tools selected to match
different core values for each year group.
Skills and strategies to enhance
relationships and behaviour
“There are a number of skills and strategies
that we are teaching the students, with the
aim being to help them better understand
themselves, to make better choices and
take steps to build good relationships and
have respect for others in everything they
do,” Mrs Edwards explained. “Along with
the activities is the related language and
terms used to deal with different situations.
It is my aim that as a school we embed
this restorative, respectful, and, above all,
loving language, along with actions, so the
students can call on them when needed.”
Year statements from Dr Seuss:
Kindergarten: “A person’s a person, no matter how small …”
Year 1: “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no-one alive who is youer
than you!”
Some of the strategies include:
Stop, Think and Go – You Stop, you Think
about it – what options are there, and
what’s the best possible solution based on
the most loving response – and then you
Go with that.
Paddle-pop strategy – This is used
after an incident between two or more
people where blame is involved. The
students involved are asked how much
responsibility they will take for what
happened and how many paddle-pop
sticks out of 10 relate to that responsibility.
This helps them understand how their
actions can contribute to an outcome,
whether positively or negatively.
Seven-minute solutions – This gives
the students an opportunity to think
through a situation from beginning to end,
working through it verbally, unpacking it
and setting restorative goals .
Bin-It – The emotional action taken by
a student after they’ve thought through
an incident, taken on board any truths and
thrown away/ trashed what was irrelevant
or unfounded.
Scales – Used with students to describe
the effort they are making out of 10 and
to help them set realistic goals about how
they can improve in their work or attitude.
Disciplinary process
Poor behaviour by a student in the
Junior School can lead to “Reflection
and Restoration time” (or R & R), with the
intention of giving the student time to
examine their choices and come up with
solutions (with Mrs Edwards) that might
change their behaviour next time.
“We ask the student to talk through
everything that’s happened and apply the
different strategies to try and address some
of what’s been going on,” Mrs Edwards
explained. “It’s all designed to help them
reflect on what’s happened and modify
any maladaptive behaviour. We equip them
with those skills and strategies to better
understand themselves and their behaviour
so that they will learn to make better
choices in the future. Some students need
specific guidance in the best ways to deal
with the intricacies of social interaction.”
Year 2: “UNLESS someone who cares a whole awful lot, NOTHING is going to get
better. It’s NOT!”
Year 3: “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.”
Year 4: “If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, JUST GO RIGHT ALONG
and you’ll start happening too.”
Year 5: “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer
yourself in any direction you choose.”
Year 6: “You’re off to great places, today is your day, your mountain is waiting so get
on your way.”
Q&A with Marcus Vrondas (Year 5)
and Jessica Luff (Year 6)
Two of the lead characters
in the 2014 Junior School
musical Daniel – A Hard
Act to Swallow talk about
their experiences at SACS.
What music involvement
do you have at school?
Jessica Luff: I started last year (Year 5)
at SACS. I am in orchestra and choir
and I play percussion and piano.
Marcus Vrondas: I’ve been here for four
years and I learn acoustic guitar and have
private singing lessons at school and two
years ago, I was in the school musical.
Have you been involved in a school
musical before?
JL: We did a musical at our old school
but it wasn’t really professional, but this
is my first SACS one.
MV: Yes, two years ago. I really enjoyed
it and it made me want to do more.
What do you think of this musical
and your role?
JL: I really do like my role. I’m the
narrator, and with my friend Angie, we
narrate the whole play but it’s really fun
because it’s really goofy and silly and
it’s not like a normal play; it’s really fun.
MV: There’s singing, acting and a bit of
dancing. I am King Darius and he is the
King, and in the play, he is like Elvis –
he’s a bad boy but he’s really cool. I do
acting, singing and dancing in the role.
There’s one song I really like – it’s me
and Daniel (Luca Crothers in Year 5) –
and we sing it together. I really love the
role and the musical.
What are the things you most enjoy
about SACS?
JL: There’s a lot more musical
involvement here, you make more
friends, and there’s a lot more to do,
a lot more opportunities than at my old
school. I like doing lots of different things.
Music is up high on my list of things I love
to do here.
MV: Friends are very easy to make; in my
old school there was a lot of bullying and
there’s not much of that here. There’s a
lot more space here too. Music is much
bigger here. I really want to be an actor/
singer/dancer.
Every student from Kindergarten through
to Year 6 is involved in the Junior School
musical. This year’s performances take
place on 17-18 October.
13
GAWURA
UNLEASHING THE POWER
OF POSITIVE THINKING
WORDS: ROSEMARY MILLER
PHOTOS: JACK TOOHEY
Gawura teacher Alice Peel with some of the Gawura students.
A student’s behavioural attitude is established in their Junior School years. It is here that
they learn the difference between right and wrong and the skills of resilience and coping
strategies. Research has found that by the time a student leaves primary school they are
already an optimistic or pessimistic thinker. It requires considerable effort to challenge
and alter this line of thinking later in life.
I
n 2013, G awura implemented the
Dolphin Project to teach and promote
positive attitudes and behaviours in
students. In Term 2 this year, the school
also implemented the BOUNCE BACK
programme. Alice Peel, a much loved
Gawura teacher, explains what the
programmes are and how they have
been streamlined into the school.
What is the Dolphin Project
and BOUNCE BACK?
They are positive thinking and selfesteem programmes. We try to convey
to students that there are two ways to
look at the same event, task or problem;
like a Shark, negative and defeatist or like
a Dolphin, positive and optimistic. The
programme also focuses on separating
feelings from actions. We are now
complementing this project with the
BOUNCE BACK programme, a resilience
project that teaches students coping skills
to handle setbacks, bullying, loss, failure
and any other personal challenges. The
programmes aim to encourage students
to learn and grow from mishaps rather
than avoid them.
14
How has it been implemented?
Each letter of BOUNCE BACK stands for
a coping skill that students can gradually
learn to get them through a personal
hurdle they are facing. The programme
uses story books to cement messages
of different themes related to resilience.
During class students read books that
reinforce positive attitudes and give clear
illustrations of behavioural change. For
example, Years 3-6 read Oh the Places
You’ll Go to discuss the fact that everyone
has ups and downs. Years 1 and 2 read
Alexander and the Horrible, No Good,
Terrible Day to look at how they should
always blame fairly and try and take
some responsibility.
We also teach K-6 the Traffic Light
analogy, encouraging them to always
STOP (red) and THINK (orange) before
ACTING (green), knowing they are
making a good choice that will not harm
themselves or anyone else. We do this
to encourage greater impulse control
in students, which has also been shown
to influence wellbeing and academic
success later in life.
Is the Dolphin Project exclusive to
SACS and the Gawura programme?
Yes it is. It uses the PDHPE curriculum
combined with health promotion
programmes that have been used
with Indigenous youth in the Northern
Territory. BOUNCE BACK is the world’s
first positive education programme
and is implemented in primary schools
across Australia and internationally.
Could you give any examples
of how the programmes have
impacted or enhanced students’
wellbeing?
These programmes give us, as teachers,
wonderful opportunities to enhance
student wellbeing by using a common
language of resilience in both a
preventative and reactive way. It unifies
all of us, staff and students. We have
heard students encourage others to
“Think more like a Dolphin”. During
basketball recently, we heard one Year 2
student encourage a friend by referring
to the ‘N’ in BOUNCE: Nobody is
perfect, not you and not others. We also
witnessed a Year 5 student encouraging
GAWURA
Nurturing environment
allows students to thrive
WORDS: LUCY CROOK
Gawura parents Roxanne Briggs
and Stephen Green have two
children currently at Gawura (Leita
in Year 10 and Sadie in Year 5).
Gawura Fundraising Manager Lucy
Crook spoke with Roxanne about
Leita’s journey at Gawura and how
she has blossomed since arriving
at the school in Year 3 in 2007.
Leita and her family had just moved
from the country to Sydney when Leita
commenced at Gawura in Year 3. Since
then, Roxanne and her husband, Stephen,
say they couldn’t be happier about
the education and support Leita has
and still is receiving at school.
“St Andrew’s definitely ticks all the boxes
in terms of support – pretty much in all
areas,” Roxanne said when questioned
about the academic support and pastoral
care aspects of St Andrew’s. “I’m fairly
certain most kids at the school would
feel that way as SACS has a reputation
for looking after the kids. We certainly
couldn’t ask for more support than the
school is already giving Leita.”
friends who were in dispute in the
playground to “Act like a traffic light,
walk away from each other guys”. It
is early days with the programme and
BOUNCE BACK suggests it takes up to
three years to see a real shift, so watch
this space!
How do the students respond
to the programme?
The students seem to really enjoy it.
There are quite a few excitable “Yeses”
when it is time for discussion on the
project. I think they love the group work
component. There is an emphasis on
music in the project too and we have
already heard that Music teacher Ms Scarfo
has found some catchy BOUNCE
BACK tunes to share with everyone.
Do you have any general feedback
about the programme?
I want to add that Head of Gawura David
North has been such an inspiring and
supportive leader. He has complete faith
in the students’ abilities and in the staff’s
capacity to support their wellbeing,
which makes implementing new
programmes like this so much easier.
Roxanne was very upbeat about the
friendship groups Leita has established at
St Andrew’s and Gawura. “Leita has a really
good group of friends who kick around
together all the time. She has friends from
Gawura and St Andrew’s but the friends she
hangs around with the most are the ones
she plays sport with. We are happy that
she spends most of her spare time playing
sport. It’s so healthy for many reasons –
it’s healthy for the mind and the body and
does good things for your confidence,”
she said. Leita has won best and fairest in
basketball for the last four years and her
soccer team won Girls Sporting Team of
the Year at St Andrew’s in 2012.
Confidence and self-esteem are elements,
which, in correct proportions can positively
impact wellbeing. Roxanne and Stephen
feel confident that Leita is in a good place
in terms of wellbeing. “When we first
enrolled Leit in Gawura, she was fairly
shy but since being at the school, making
friends, being voted Head Girl at Gawura
and winning lots of sporting awards, her
confidence and self-esteem have really
grown – we are really proud of her,”
Roxanne said. “This year she has a really
good routine at school – she is either at
Roxanne Briggs
Study Centre or sport every night of the
school week and doesn’t get home until
after 7pm – it’s the norm for her now.”
When quizzed on what opportunities are
offered to Leita at school and whether or
not she makes the most of them, Roxanne
mentioned that initially Leita was a little
reluctant to take up some opportunities but
these days she doesn’t say “no” to anything.
“She put her hand up to go on an outdoor
education excursion this year which had
her away from home for nine days. She
has never been away for more than two
nights before so we didn’t think she would
go – but we were wrong! We were really
chuffed with the feedback we got from
John in the Outdoor Ed department. He
told us that Leita was a pleasure to have
on the excursion – she never complained
and nothing was ever too much trouble for
her. To be honest, I think she would have
been in there helping run the excursion if
she had her way! We had the same positive
feedback from the Kirrikee excursion too.”
Roxanne lauded her daughter on her
perseverance and making the most of
school-life but also praised the school
for playing a big part in providing an
environment that allows students to
thrive and develop confidence.
“I really think it’s the atmosphere at
school, the comfortable atmosphere
that the school creates and the support
the teachers and staff give which instils
confidence in the kids,” Roxanne said.
“With opportunity comes confidence
and with confidence comes opportunity
– that’s what we’ve been witnessing with
Leita, particularly over the last few years.
We really couldn’t be happier with the
school and with how Leita is going.
“We can’t thank her sponsor enough for
this opportunity – there is really nothing
more anyone can do for us than educate
our children – we feel so lucky.”
15
Rules of
Engagement
Middle School programmes steer
students through turbulent waters
The middle years of school,
from Years 7 to 9, can often
be the most challenging
for boys and girls, with the
onset of puberty and the
establishment of long-term
friendships having a major
impact on every student.
It is also the time when key
traits such as self-discipline
and being organised –
which impact on academic
success – are established.
W
embrace
these areas of growth, some
don’t and disengagement
from school life is one of the major
risks during these years.
hile many students
St Andrew’s Cathedral School has recently
revamped its comprehensive student
wellbeing programme that aims to further
address many of the concerns and issues
faced by this age-group.
Head of Middle School, Mr David Smith,
said while most classroom situations in
Years 7 to 9 are now coeducational, the
school recognises the importance of
separating boys and girls for pastoral
care and wellbeing development.
“Our approach to pastoral education is
to have separate boys and girls groups
16
in the Middle School. We feel it’s really
important to support them in gender
groups and in developing friendships,”
said Mr Smith. “We recognise that boys
and girls face different issues, so we
target tutorials to the age and stage
of development of each gender in
year groups.
“We also recognise that at this age,
we need to provide boys and girls
pastoral support to help them to learn
together. As students progress through
the Middle School, we see less need to
have separate classes for boys and girls
as there is no conclusive evidence of
there being any academic benefits to
either gender in doing so. Our focus is
more about them starting to understand
one another and work together, in
preparation for the Senior years
and life beyond school.”
Mr Smith said one factor that is often
discussed with Middle School students
and their parents is the need for students
to meaningfully interact with the adults
in their lives.
“One of the anchors kids need to have
through these turbulent years is strong
relationships with adults, so I often stress
to parents how important it is to keep
talking to your kids during these teenage
years,” he said.
Girls Coordinator at the school
Mrs Jess Chilton has been at the
forefront of developing and implementing
a restructured student wellbeing
programme in Middle School, which
has been built around the SACS
graduate attributes.
“The programmes are designed to
address key issues relating to adolescent
development, such as getting along with
others, respect, self-control, resilience,
compassion and gratitude. We have also
developed a series of Digital Citizenship
tutorials that are designed to help students
develop skills for interacting with others
online,” Mrs Chilton explained.
“We want students to grow in their
understanding of themselves and how
to relate well with others and for them to
learn some key skills that will enable them
to cope with the physical and emotional
changes they are facing in adolescence.”
Mrs Chilton has also organised
targeted activities and programmes
specifically addressing issues pertinent
for teenage girls.
“Middle School girls need help navigating
issues such as friendship, body image
and self-worth,” she said. “We have found
that initiating girls-only activities, such as
a girls’ only recreation space and topical
seminars, have been enthusiastically
embraced by the Middle School girls
at SACS. One particular programme
run recently by Enlighten Education,
called the Butterfly Effect – an all-day
programme that addresses friendship,
body image, personal safety and girl
power – has received really positive
feedback from the girls.”
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
"One of the
anchors
kids need
through these
turbulent
years is
strong
relationships
with adults."
Girls Coordinator Mrs Jess Chilton, right, with external
consultant Dr Patricia Weerakoon, who recently
delivered a talk on sex and sexuality to Year 9 students.
Interview with
Middle School
student Ava Stael
on the Butterfly
Effect programme
Last year the Butterfly Effect
programme was just one lesson,
but this year, it was a day-long
series of talks. What issues
impacted you the most?
AS: She talked about personal
safety on public transport and
gave us some examples of what to
do. So now whenever I go out in
public, I’m aware of what’s going
on around me and I go into (what
she called) ‘Amazon’ mode, so that’s
helped me a lot. She also talked
about body image and showed us
some photos of models and how
a lot of photos aren’t real but have
been Photoshopped. They were the
two things that stood out for me.
Overall, what did you learn
about friendships from the
programme?
AS: It was great having a whole-day
programme as it made us all come
together as Middle School girls and
have some fun. I think it made us
realise that we should all be one
and should all be friends and not
talk about each other because this
is Middle School – it’s not going to
last forever so we should just make
the most of it – supporting and
caring for each other.
Learning through
experience
WORDS: STUDENTS HAMISH WADDELL AND SEAN BRADY (YEAR 11)
S
Andrew’s is passionate about
improving the mental wellbeing of
all of its pupils. The Middle School
has approached this in tutorial groups
with various teambuilding and certain
structured programmes to help students
grasp life to its fullest extent. Head of
Middle School Mr Smith recognises
the importance of student wellbeing,
stating, “[the] wellbeing of the mind links
very closely to academic success.”
t
One of the most successful programmes
in Middle School is ‘The Rite Journey’
programme. It aims to help Year 9 students
who are moving up into Senior School to
grow in maturity. We spoke to one of the
Year 9 tutors who ran this program, Mr
Hasler, and he seemed very confident that
he had seen great results in his tutor group:
“I think my tutor group is definitely ready
for the step up into Senior school, they’ve
really shown that they have the maturity
needed for Senior College life.”
We also interviewed a few students who
had taken part in the programme and
were eager to share their experience. Nina
Perry said that tutor groups were really just
a safe environment where she could open
up without fear of being judged.
Year 8 also has a structured programme
that addresses the attributes of respect,
self-control and leadership.
Year 7 students have a range of short
programmes implemented throughout
the year, ranging from engaging the
students in awareness activities to
teambuilding programmes and other
mental development talks. Jessica
Jenner said she loved tutor group
in Year 7 because it was a safe space
where everyone was supportive
and everyone could open up. Noah
Oshiro also said he and his peers have
definitely grown in maturity and have
learned how to use technology more
appropriately.
Though school may be hard, with the
help of your peers and tutors, who you
can look up to, it can make school a fun
and safe place to be. The Head of Middle
School, Mr Smith, said: “It’s fantastic to
see the students become independent
and to grow wings and learn to fly.”
It was truly inspiring to hear how the
students had taken advantage of the
programmes set out for them by the
school and put them to use in not only
the school environment but in their
day-to-day life as well.
NOTE: Hamish and Sean wrote this article
while doing work experience with the
SACS Marketing and Communications
team. Great job boys!
17
Stepping
out
How Senior College
students are equipped
for life after school
While many high schools offer some kind of wellbeing and resilience programme for
its students, none do it as comprehensively as St Andrew’s Cathedral School. We spoke
with the Head of Senior College Mrs Grace Stone about the reasons behind the variety
of personal development seminars delivered to students in Years 10-12.
S
t andrew’s has always had as its focus
the overall wellbeing of its students
– seeking to create an environment
that encourages and equips every single
student to find solutions to the issues and
challenges they face on a daily or weekly
basis. Mrs Stone said the current Senior
College programme has introduced some
unique initiatives that seek to address many
of the challenges faced by teenagers today.
led to some disengagement by students,”
Mrs Stone explained. “We really sought
to change this and so we developed
the SACS Year 10 signature experience
that says we really value Year 10 and
think it’s an important year academically
for personal growth and character
development. We have created engaging
programmes that will help them to think
about their future as emerging adults.
After a trial year of the Black Dog
programme in 2013, Mrs Stone said an
evaluation by students, parents and staff
found the eight-session programme
overwhelmingly positive, so the school
extended it to 10 sessions in 2014 and
added in follow-up tutorial sessions,
where the students can provide feedback
on the session and talk through some
of the issues with one another.
“These programmes are really interesting
and help the students discover themselves
and how they can best deal with a range
of issues, from relationships through to
study commitments and career choices,”
Mrs Stone said.
“We introduced the Big Day In and
the Big Day Out and included student
voice, choice and challenge into the
programmes offered.”
“I initially approached Black Dog about
implementing a programme at SACS
because I thought we needed to address
the unrealistic expectations often held
by teenagers that they should be happy
all the time,” Mrs Stone explained.
“The role of the Senior College is to prepare
every student for the next step in their
life. We want to ensure that we’re looking
holistically at a student’s life – so they can
understand themselves, how they work and
what tools they might need in the future.”
Outdoor Education camps – which
allow far greater choice and challenge;
Year 10 seminars
Mrs Stone said the groundwork for
preparing students to become healthy,
productive adults begins in Year 10 at
Senior College, with the introduction of a
cross-section of programmes and seminars
aimed at helping students to engage with
the school, their peers and their school
work and to gain an understanding of
the adolescent mind and experience.
“With the demise of the School Certificate
in Year 10, there was a bit of a void, which
18
Those programmes include:
A careers testing and personality
profiling programme – that gives
students more information about
themselves and looks at where their
interests, strengths and gifts might lie;
A Back Off seminar – about protecting
yourself physically and socially;
A Sex Smart seminar – discussing
sexual activity in relationships;
The Resilience Donut programme –
to develop a language for discussing
resilience; and
The Black Dog programme – A unique
mental health seminar and tutorial
programme exclusively developed in
partnership with the Black Dog Institute.
INSPIRED | THE STUDENT WELLBEING EDITION
“We wanted to equip our students to
understand the nature of happiness and
to think realistically about their lives.
The premise is that potentially unhappy
events can happen to all of us but how
we position ourselves in relation to those
events is really important.
“While many schools are implementing
‘positive psychology’ programmes, the
programme developed in partnership
with the Black Dog Institute goes one step
further in acknowledging, understanding
and dealing with the huge range of
emotions and feelings we encounter.
The programme is based on the principles
of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,
as revealed in the book The Happiness
Trap, by Dr Russ Harris.
STEPPING OUT
One of the Year 10 seminars for girls.
Year 11-12
motivation and
engagement
workshops
Positive attributes studied (boosters):
self-belief, planning, persistence,
valuing school, learning focus, task
management
Negative attributes studied (mufflers
and guzzlers): fear of failure, low
control, anxiety, disengagement,
self-sabotage
Note: This programme is based on
Carol Dweck’s book Mindset
“The students learn that life is full of
troughs and rises, and sometimes it is
appropriate to feel sad and depressed,
to feel grief, shame or disappointment –
these are all emotions that we need
to own. But what’s important is knowing
how to ride those waves successfully
and understanding what tools can
help them on their journey.”
While the Black Dog programme is
currently being run for all Year 10 students,
Mrs Stone said they are looking at doing
some follow-up sessions in Years 11 and
12, as the Year 10 group moves through
Senior College.
Year 11 seminars
In Year 11, the student wellbeing
programme switches focus slightly, with
the students finding out more about
themselves as learners and what factors
affect their motivation and engagement
as students (and workers).
The school works with Dr Andrew Martin
from the University of Sydney, who is
an expert in this area. He has defined
11 factors that affect our motivation and
engagement – six positive attributes and
The 2015 Senior Leadership team.
five that he terms guzzlers or mufflers,
which muffle or pull us away from (guzzle)
our motivation and engagement.
After completing a detailed online
questionnaire assessment, Year 11
students have their results collated
and receive a report about their
strengths and weaknesses.
“In Year 11, the students look at their
motivation and what factors affect their
motivation and engagement,” Mrs Stone
explained. “We spend the first two terms
of Year 11 working through each of
those factors and looking at how we can
enhance the positive elements or boosters
and how we can identify any mufflers or
guzzlers, and how to minimise those.
“The students learn a lot about themselves
and what strategies they can use to
overcome weaknesses, so by the start of
Year 12, they know themselves well and
are really well positioned to know how to
deal with stressful situations and anxiety.”
Year 12 seminars
The school’s student wellbeing focus
in Year 12 includes the development
of effective study skills, leadership
in the school and careers seminars
to help students start thinking about
their life after school.
A programme on financial literacy
has been introduced this year, which
Mrs Stone said was motivated by
her experience.
“I introduced it because a young family
friend had a $12,000 credit card debt (plus
22 per cent interest) at 21 and it took her
three full years of working to pay it off.
I think it’s important that teenagers have
some basic understanding of the financial
world they are entering as adults and the
responsibilities they will have,” she said.
Of the five tutorials held weekly, two
have an academic focus, with study skills
tips provided and tutors available to help
students with their work.
“A lot of Year 12 is flexible in nature, with
plenty of time spent meeting with their
tutor and doing work, and some tutorial
time is allocated to careers, with guest
speakers coming in, and we also hold a
regular relaxation and mindfulness session
just for Year 12 students,” Mrs Stone said.
Overlaid on all of the programmes offered
in Senior College is the House system,
with the care for students initiated in the
eight Houses. All of the programmes are
run in the student’s House tutorial groups.
In terms two and three, each tutor group
meets with Dr Collier to discuss their
progress. Dr Collier monitors closely the
progression of each student in Year 12
and addresses the cohort regularly at
Year meetings.
A large part of the House system
is outwardly focused, with students
expected to participate in charity work,
not simply doing fundraising but also
being actively involved in service.
“We acknowledge that with privilege
comes responsibility to look after those
less fortunate,” Mrs Stone said. “We want
our students to be aware of the world in
which they live, to have grateful hearts
and to be looking up and out – which
helps to build a balanced attitude and
positive mental health.”
19
MUSIC AT THE HEART
The 2014 USA Music Tour Group before their departure
and (below) at one of their US performances.
2014 Showcase at Sydney Town Hall.
MUSIC AT THE HEART
OF SCHOOL WITH HEART
Music was the foundation upon which St Andrew’s was built, with education for
the Cathedral’s young choristers being the school’s initial focus in 1885. It has grown
and expanded in the past 129 years but is still a core activity in the school, with
more than 20 ensembles inviting participation from every student in the school.
M
foundation upon
which St Andrew’s was built, with
education for the Cathedral’s
young choristers being the school’s initial
focus in 1885. It has grown and expanded
in the past 129 years but is still a core
activity in the school, with more than
20 ensembles inviting participation
from every student in the school.
usic was the
While many schools have a music
department, few of those are driven
so strongly by the interests and talents
of the students, as is the case at
St Andrew’s Cathedral School.
Head of Music Mr Ralph Wilcock explains:
“The overall aim of the Music department
is to create an educational environment
in which musicians can thrive at all levels.
We ensure we provide something that will
challenge every student – and that it’s
something they’re going to love,” he said.
“My philosophy is, if you let music be
the focus, it’s inspirational. You just have
to pick the right music for the right kids
and then you can sit back and enjoy the
experience with them. I also want every
20
student in the school to have some
involvement in music before they leave.”
Besides Showcase, the two major music
events on the school calendar are
the whole of school musical and the
international Music tour, which take place
on alternate years. Both events require
12 months of planning, and the choice of
musical and the tour music arrangements
are selected based on the strengths of
the students involved. Mr Wilcock said the
recent Music tour to the USA was a classic
example of the music evolving to match
the skills and strengths of the students.
USA Music Tour
“Over the past few years, tours have been
an open invitation and once students
have confirmed their participation, we
can decide what music arrangements
need to be done, so it’s a very inclusive
way to run a tour group, but there’s
also a lot of work involved in getting
special music arrangements done,”
Mr Wilcock explained. “On this tour, we
had 35 students - with a reasonable string
balance, three saxophones, one trumpet,
one trombone, three flutes, no bass
instruments, and nine students who
didn’t play an instrument. Because we
didn’t have a huge orchestra or band,
they all had to sing.
“There were 21 pieces in the tour
repertoire and the students memorised
it all – the words, the music and their
own parts. There were 18 concerts
performed in 18 days across the US and
twice as many choral performances as
instrumental concerts, but it all worked
out and was very successful.
“The one piece we always started with
was I Am Australian. For this, I asked Harry
Hetherington-Welch and Lachlan Renwick
whether they’d be interested in learning
the didgeridoo and they happened to be
perfect for it and picked it up very quickly.
By the end, they were circular breathing,
doing animal sounds and everything, so
that was something special. In the piece,
we started with 30 seconds of piano and
didgeridoo, then brought in the flutes,
cello solo and other instruments and then
after two minutes, we had 10-year-old
chorister Joshua Prestwich sing ‘I came
from the Dreamtime … I am Australian’.
Then the drums started and the whole
choir joined in, so it was a spectacular
start to the concert and the audiences
were captivated.”
Academic results rising
The unique aspect of Music is that it
has two sides – one being academic
and the other being about performance
and composition opportunities. At
St Andrew’s, the academic results at HSC
and International Baccalaureate level have
improved dramatically in recent years.
This has been a direct result of the Music
department’s deliberate focus on teaching
musical skills and theory in rehearsals.
“We now try and view every rehearsal
as a teaching opportunity, so what they
learn in the classroom is reinforced in
rehearsals or sometimes, the other way
around,” Mr Wilcock explained.
“Our academic results have gone
through the roof, so we’re on the right
track with having a more academic
approach to rehearsals. Our Music 2 and
Music Extension results last year were the
best we’ve had at the school since 2006.”
Mr Wilcock firmly believes involvement
in Music at any level benefits students
enormously and can aid understanding
in other subjects.
“You only have to look at the honours
list of the school to see that many of
them are musicians, so while some
people think Music takes away from
a student’s academic focus, the reverse
is true. It actually promotes higher
organisational skills, better language
and social skills, improved mathematical
skills and socially, students of music
are less violent, more caring and
more sensitive,” he said.
Music is central
to my life at SACS
Q&A with Year 10 student Persia Littlewood
What music and other cocurricular
activities are you involved in
at SACS?
I am involved in six different ensembles
at school, playing trombone, singing and
even beat boxing sometimes. I generally
practise about five hours a week for my
main instrument, trombone. I also do
soccer as a sport.
What do you love about being
involved in music at SACS?
To be honest, I love everything about
being involved in music. All the music
teachers are wonderful people who are
encouraging and talented, and they have
taught me a lot. They are all friendly and
give lots of advice on how to improve.
It makes the music department a very
happy place. Practising is fun because
you have to push yourself to do your
best but the results you get from doing
this are worth it. I love performing and
just generally sharing music with people,
and it's what I hope to do in the future.
Overseas tours with music have been
the most amazing experiences for me
and helped me discover my passion for
music. Also, I have gained many good
friendships through music, across all
year groups and with people outside
of school.
You went on the recent music tour
to the US. Can you tell us what your
favourite memories are of the trip?
Music tours are such amazing
experiences that are really once in a
lifetime opportunities (or twice if you
are lucky like me). I enjoyed every
moment of the music tour to the US
but my favourite memory is when we
performed at the JFK memorial library
because it is the most amazing space
I have ever performed in and during
the performance I felt a strong
connection to all the people who
were there with me.
How do you manage to fit in
homework with all your music
commitments?
Music is usually a pretty good way to get
me motivated to do my studies. If I have
band in the afternoon, I know that when
I get home I need to do my homework
pretty much straight away, otherwise
I will be tired and get lazy. Also, if I have
something that I want to achieve in
music, for example a new piece, I say
that I have to do my homework before
I can start this piece, which makes me
motivated to finish my homework.
Sometimes it's a bit distracting and I find
myself playing an instrument rather than
doing homework, but most of the time
it's for the better.
Do your academic teachers
support your music commitments
at school?
A lot of the teachers know about my
musical commitments and they are all
extremely supportive. As long as I catch
up on the work that I missed in the
lesson they are considerate.
Hooked on
music for life!
Former student
Lizzie Garrett
(2008 graduate)
shares her
experiences and
music involvement at SACS
and the impact it has had on
her professional performing
arts career.
The decision to move schools halfway
through my high school education was
heavily affected by the variety and wealth
of experiences offered by the Performing
Arts programmes at SACS.
From my first interactions at Summer
Music Camp, I was hooked! Preparing for
a European tour while in development
for the school production (The Pirates
of Penzance), I was afforded every
opportunity to immerse myself fully in
the culture, while working closely with
the Head of Music, the Head of Drama,
and even the Head of School. Holidays
spent touring the world with music,
weekends exploring characters for plays
and musicals, and a school schedule that
generally lasted from 7am-7pm, soon
became a way of life!
The friendships that I developed
throughout my time at SACS were heavily
influenced by my cocurricular participation
in Drama and Music.
Every moment of my time at St Andrew’s
was so wonderfully bolstered by my
participation in these programmes. It was
so easy to motivate myself through a day
of study knowing that I had a rehearsal to
look forward to at 3.30pm. Every subject
I undertook allowed me opportunities to
channel my love of the Arts, from English
essays to passionate public speaking, even
extending to my exploration of other cocurricular activities such as Mock Trial!
There are few words to describe
my gratitude to the performing arts
departments for their impact on my life
as it is now, and the lasting legacy of the
gifts I honed in my time at St Andrew’s
are a joy to share with others.
* While at St Andrew’s, Lizzie played
lead roles in Guys and Dolls, Les
Miserables and Pirates of Penzance. After
graduating, Lizzie gained an Arts degree
at the University of Sydney, Diplomas in
Musical Theatre from Brent Street Studios
in Sydney and Cap21 in New York and
has been awarded her AMusA (Classical
Voice) and a Certificate of Voice from the
AMEB. She has performed in many local
and international productions.
21
WHEN BUILDINGS BREATHE
When buildings
breathe
“I love that view
of the old and
new right beside
each other in the
middle of the city.”
WORDS: LAURA BANNISTER
It was celebrated architect Frank Gehry who articulated it
best: “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but
yearn for timelessness.” Buildings are not lifeless structures,
a fleeting means of shelter, but ever-changing, mouldable
spaces, ready to be adapted by those who move through
them. The most brilliant of them achieve a sense of duality,
uniting the spirit of the context in which they were built
with possibilities for the future.
S
t andrew’s cathedral
School is
inextricably connected to the
Cathedral itself. Whether members
of the school community profess a faith
or not, they will have had some experience
within it – a cocurricular performance,
a public speech or a weekly assembly.
There is a sense of grandeur about the
giant structure, replete with stained glass
windows – but also a certain accessibility.
As a public building, St Andrew’s Cathedral
is open to all, be it tourists armed with
maps, wandering through from Sydney
Square, filled with a million different
worldviews, or parishioners attending in
earnest each week who love their church
community and find it an essential ritual
to feed their soul.
St Andrew’s is Australia’s oldest Cathedral,
designed by Edmund Thomas Blacket,
the city’s first official colonial architect.
Consecrated in 1868, it retained much
of the character of the English expatriate
community it served, designed in a Gothic
Revival style that mimicked those back
home. As a tight-knit group of choristers
began to sing weekly at its services, there
grew a need to find a means of education
for them that would accommodate their
schedules. A choir school was born, taking
refuge in small schoolrooms around the
city. As Canon M.C. Newth commented
in Serving a Great Cause (a history of
the school), “no other activity in which
a boy regularly takes part requires such
concentration, attention to detail, and
above all, sense of awareness as the daily
performance of complex music.”
For the current school chaplain, Rev Craig
Foster, St Andrew’s Cathedral is a building
he never tires of. It’s a little less stiff than
in those early days – he’s brought his
pet bunny rabbit in to illustrate a story
told from the front and even organised
students to ride scooters through the
front doors for a Junior School service.
A Gawura student has rapped in there,
with the Junior School orchestra playing
behind. Staff have been farewelled. Year
12s graduate to a torrent of applause and
tears inside the building each year. It has
come to represent a place of inclusivity,
community, togetherness; a distinctive
identity for the school.
“One of my most memorable
impressions is walking up the steps
from Kent Street into Sydney Square,”
said Rev Foster. “You have the dramatic
image of the old sandstone Cathedral
with the glistening blue city skyscrapers
in the background. I love that view of
the old and new right beside each other
in the middle of the city.”
To Rev Foster, the Cathedral is a second
home, a place he spends six days in every
week. “I do love the place,” he said. “I have
met so many special people there, heard
so many great sermons from the Dean
and experienced so many joyous and also
sad times … I think it can feel very formal
compared to most churches, but they are
making the chairs more cozy and relaxed
all the time, which I find nice. I also love
having all the school kids in there, the
place comes alive and is a real buzz full of
energy. Empty Cathedrals don’t move me
that much, Cathedrals full of people do.”
School assembly in St Andrew’s Cathedral. Photo by Gabe Bates (Year 9).
WHEN WELLBEING
EXTENDS TO FAITH
WORDS: CHAPLAIN CRAIG FOSTER
Craig Foster
St Andrew’s students are encouraged to investigate the Christian faith and the relevance
of Jesus Christ in today’s world. The chaplaincy team provides programmes, camps and
guidance to support and encourage any students seeking to learn from the Bible and grow
in their Christian faith and spiritual wellbeing.
P
sychologists are increasingly
recognising the importance of
a person’s spiritual wellbeing.
Leading Australian psychologist Dr Michael
Carr-Gregg, when speaking at SACS on
building resilience, said that “kids with a
sense of connectedness that transcends
the material world, do better.” (2010)
At St Andrew’s we are obviously very
concerned about the health of the
whole person; our school’s core
values state: “we strive to grow whole
people (spiritually, physically, in creative
expression and in wisdom).”
Spiritual wellbeing is offered today in
many ways by our society. If we were to
go for a wander around the 200-plus
stalls at the Mind Body Spirit festival,
spiritual health is offered through
chanting, meditating, visualising, chakras,
clairvoyancy, charms, sacred music,
various incenses, spiritual dancing, ear
candling, iridology and even “Pure Magic”
water distillers and holistic dentistry.
When we turn to the Bible, it is not
surprising that it has a lot to say on the
topic of spiritual wellbeing. Its focus is
not so much on what we do but in who
we worship. Consider what King David
has to say about spiritual wellbeing:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He
leads me beside still waters. He restores my
soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1-3)
We notice in the Psalms that it is The Lord
who is the one who gives rest, who quietens
and restores the soul. It is not a rest that
is totally self-absorbed but one that leads
to a transformed life of righteous living. As
we study the Psalms of David in the Bible
we are given a glimpse into the inner soul
of an Israelite King who knew his God very
well and knew his own soul very well. His
meditation is filled with reflections upon the
greatness and glories of his God. It is a joyful
worship as he describes the Word of God as
being sweeter than honey to his soul.
As a Christian school we recognise the
importance of spiritual wellbeing and
want to give our students opportunities to
“delight in The Lord”. Opportunities to do
this at SACS range from the more formal
(chapels) to the less formal (voluntary
lunch-time Crusader groups and Christian
camps). Students would say that it is our
annual Blue Mountains’ Christian camps
where they best get to experience God,
away from the stresses of school life.
However, the more formal chapel services
also provide an important opportunity
for our students to be still, to sing, to pray
and deeply reflect upon God’s word.
Currently at St Andrew’s, we have 12
voluntary lunch-time Crusader groups
across Years 7-12 and two groups in the
Junior School and Gawura. These are run by
an amazing group of staff and student Cru
leaders. These groups revolve around four
key ingredients: food, fun, Bible and prayer.
It is a time where any student is welcome
and our hope is that all who attend will be
spiritually encouraged and refreshed in the
midst of a busy day at school.
In Psalm 23, King David spoke of the Good
Shepherd. Jesus is known as the Good
Shepherd – the spiritual guide who cares
for his sheep (his disciples or followers) and
even lays down his life for his sheep. I would
like to finish with some of the most amazing
promises of spiritual rest and peace in the
Bible. They come from Jesus and have often
been a great blessing to my soul and I pray
they may be to yours as well:
“Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Benefits of Cru meetings
Reflections on Edge camp at Winmalee
The CRU programme at St Andrew’s has
been really encouraging because it has given
me an opportunity to meet the Christians
in my year and have conversations about
big issues with them in a safe environment.
Cru also has great leaders and offers a more
mature Christian viewpoint. It provides a
different perspective on aspects of the Bible
which is really helpful. Having more mature
Christian students and teachers in the group
also allows me to get advice as I struggle
in my Christian life, as all Christians do.
The Cru programme has been a big help
in encouraging me through my faith.
Edge Camp 2014 was my first Edge (for
Years 10-12 students) after three years of
Ledge (Years 7 to 9 students) and I expected
the same things, just with older students.
What I got, however, was something much,
much better. We started on the Friday night
with a campfire and marshmallows, which
was when we met Simon Cowell (who was
the speaker for the weekend camp). After a
brief talk about Galatians, we had free time
to chill out, join in some singing, play soccer
or just keep eating marshmallows.
Calum (Year 12)
also opened my mind much more to how
little things impact others and how I can
help others. It was also lots of fun spending
time with mates and making new ones.
I cannot recommend it enough.
Blair (Year 10)
Overall, Edge Camp was amazing, with
really great Bible talks that deepened my
understanding of Galatians. The discussions
23
The annual Big City Bake-off House competition raises funds for Rough Edges cafe.
Emily Savage (Year 12) serves up a meal at Rough Edges cafe.
Smoothing out
the Rough Edges
Through fundraising and
volunteering in the Rough
Edges Café in Darlinghurst,
students of Westminster and
York Houses gain an up-close
experience of supporting
the most vulnerable people
in our local community.
We found out more about the
programme and spoke with
some current and former
students about how their
experiences serving the
homeless at Rough Edges
has impacted them.
M
ost schools across Australia are
involved in some kind of charitable
programme that aims to teach
students the value of thinking of those less
fortunate than themselves and helping
them out in some way.
programme by St John’s Anglican Church
in Darlinghurst, the aim of the café is to
“offer hospitality, assistance and education
in order to forge community so that the
marginalised people of Kings Cross can
be blessed and be a blessing to others.”
Some of the common phrases parents
may use to teach children this idea of acting
selflessly and being a good citizen have their
origins in the Bible, starting with “it is better
to give than to receive”. Others include “be
a Good Samaritan”, “love thy neighbour”,
“it is a labour of love”, “Blessed are the
peacemakers”, “Charity begins at home”
and perhaps the warning: “the love of
money is the root of all kinds of evil”.
To support Rough Edges, York and
Westminster hold their annual Big City
Bake-off cupcake competition in June as
their major fundraiser. They have also set
up links with Rough Edges to provide a
number of volunteers from Senior College
to staff the café one evening a week in
school terms.
Scientific research has actually shown that
it really is better to give than receive, mostly
because the giver usually experiences
joy and receives a boost to their positive
emotions and psychological wellbeing. This
is undeniably true for many of the students
involved in the York and Westminster House
charity, Rough Edges café, in King’s Cross.
The café is a safe haven for homeless
people, providing food, shelter and
recreation/social interaction for a few
hours every evening. Run as an outreach
24
To get involved, students undertake a
comprehensive training programme run
by Rough Edges staff that provides students
with a hands-on experience and explores
the social justice issues faced in the
Darlinghurst area.
Head of Westminster House Tracey Ireland
said the well-organised programme
exposes the students to people and
experiences that open their eyes to
a world they rarely see.
“Students are given plenty of support and
training before they start volunteering and
they hear the stories from the homeless
Jake Cowie (Year 12), Lauren Mathen (Year 12), Emily Savage (Year 12) and Kay Savage (Year 11) regularly serve at
Rough Edges cafe.
Rough Edges cafe in Darlinghurst.
people themselves right from the
beginning,” Mrs Ireland said. “Each year
we train a new group of students and they
are then able to volunteer in the cafe a
couple of nights a term, depending on
their other commitments.
“I feel like it would be more confronting
for some people and perhaps be too much
to handle, but once you have the skills
and experience behind you, it can be
really rewarding,” she said.
“We go to the café each time with between
four and six students and a staff member.
The students serve food from Oz Harvest to
the homeless patrons and the students are
also encouraged to chat to the patrons in
the two to three hours they are there.
“There are a lot of patrons who have mental
illness, some who are drug-affected and
agitated, so it can be quite confronting. But
it’s an incredible opportunity for the kids
to appreciate what they have in their own
lives and gain an insight into the lives of less
advantaged people.”
Four Senior College students – Jake Cowie
(Year 12), Lauren Mathen (Year 12), Emily
Savage (Year 12) and Kay Savage (Year
11) – who currently volunteer at Rough
Edges café, said the experience can be
intimidating, but also immensely rewarding.
“Volunteering was initially confronting,” says
Lauren. “The first couple of times we were
more comfortable just serving food. But
now, we go and talk to patrons and play the
odd game of Scrabble with them.
“It’s good to move out of your comfort
zone and do something different and
it’s definitely worthwhile. It’s made me
appreciate my family and little things like
going to school and being able to go home
every day. ”
Jake, who lives in Darlinghurst and
often sees the café’s patrons in his
neighbourhood, added: “We do have to be
careful with how we speak to them. You’re
not allowed to ask things like ‘where are you
from?’ or ‘do you live around here?’ because
some questions might be offensive
to them or upset them.
“I actually never serve food. I just walk
around, go downstairs and watch the
footy [on TV] with them, eat a meal with
them or play a game – I just get along
with people and it’s easy to get them
talking. You just sit there, get them a
coffee and listen to their stories.”
Kay said her experiences at the café
have given her the confidence to speak
with homeless people.
“I used to always feel awkward walking past
homeless people, but after Rough Edges,
I understand their situation better – that they
are just the same as me but homeless, so it’s
easier to interact with them now,” she said.
Emily said volunteering at Rough Edges
has been personally rewarding but is
perhaps not for everyone.
The Chair of St John’s Community Services,
Penny Barletta, said the student volunteers
are greatly valued by the Rough Edges staff
and patrons.
“There have been nights when having
the St Andrew’s students has made the
difference between us opening or closing
Rough Edges, and even when students are
mostly serving food and drinks, this allows
our other volunteers to talk to people and
help them with phone calls for emergency
accommodation or other services,” she said.
“Most of all, people in the Rough Edges
community love the opportunity to talk
with young people and share their wisdom
or just beat them at a game of Scrabble!”
Former SACS students Zoe Powell (2013) and Max Barber-Cato
(2012) reflect on their experiences volunteering at Rough Edges
while at school.
Zoe
“Being able to help out those in need is an unexplainable experience. Every time at Rough
Edges was different but always remained fun. It really did open up my way of thinking and
changed the way I looked at people who were less fortunate, enabling me to be more
sympathetic. It made me realise there is more to their stories than what we initially perceive.”
Max
“Rough Edges was a chance to make a difference in a small way to the lives of people who
had suffered so much. It affirmed my belief that you can never judge a person from the
outside. Patrons are often dismissed as unintelligent and lazy, having only themselves to
blame for their situation, when the opposite is usually true.”
“My experiences helped shape me as a person and inspired me to continue in my efforts
to serve the community and make a difference in the lives of as many disadvantaged
persons as possible.”
25
EAT RIGHT,
LEARN WELL
WORDS: LAURA BANNISTER
It’s the perennial question
for parents of school-aged
children: how can I ensure
my child eats well at school?
According to the Australian
Institute of Health and
Welfare paper ‘A Picture of
Australia’s Children, 2012’,
the early years of a child’s life
“provide the foundation for
future heath, development
and wellbeing”.
W
go through
periods of transitory or
long-term instability (both
emotionally and financially), schools
can function as a source of consistency,
particularly in terms of diet. From the
experience of Mrs Judy Karikios, the
manager of St Andrew’s school canteen,
up to 70 per cent of students get their
daily nutritional needs from their canteen.
hile families can
For over a decade, Mrs Karikios has been
serving healthy, balanced meals in the
canteens of independent schools – both
at St Andrew’s and International Grammar
School in Ultimo. The former café owner,
current caterer and soon-to-be holder
of a Diploma in Nutrition and Weight
Loss Consulting has forged a career that
What sells
at SACS?
We put Mrs Judy Karikios
to the test to find out what
the best sellers are in the
St Andrew’s canteen.
26
marries nutrition with accessibility. She’s
fine-tuned exactly what students need to
make sure they last through the school
day, optimising their minds for long
periods of learning. There are no sports
drinks (“sugar-laden pretend juice”) or
“flavoured water” in her store – instead
she features small bottles of flavoured
milks to minimise sugar hits, “real juice”
from Nudie and bottled water in two sizes.
“School canteens are changing with
society’s expectations, especially in the
private sector,” Jude says. “The key to
success in any food business is to keep
it simple, fresh and interesting. Kids have
remarkable tastes and although most
‘would die for a pie’ as one Junior
School student [told me], they are just
as happy with a chicken salad wrap.”
in the local city environment but just not
spend the money!” Counter credit accounts
and multiple canteen locations (in both
St Andrew’s House and the Bishop Barry
Centre) ensure geographic convenience,
while a restriction upon Junior students
– who must use the online system or
traditional lunch bag orders – lets parents
keep tabs on their child to guarantee they’re
making the right choice. Supporting that
is the recently introduced ‘Crunch and
Sip’ programme within the Junior School,
where students break at 10am for fresh
vegetables, fruit, small amounts of dried
fruit and plain water.
One prominent factor in ensuring
students eat well is tailoring canteen
services to their age – making the
experience of purchasing food as
convenient as possible. Available to
all students, the online system means
families can make orders from home
and skip the in-person queue.
In 2010, the NSW Schools Physical
Activity and Nutrition Survey conducted
research across a student sample of
8000, aged from Kindergarten to Year 12.
It found that nearly a quarter of students
involved were overweight or obese, while
many consumed ‘extra’ high-kilojoule
junk foods, which are low in nutritional
value. A sense of care and responsibility
is important in canteens, a genuine desire
to enhance students’ wellbeing. It’s an
approach that values the customer first
and puts the business second.
“The ‘save money and take it with you’
[concept] was set up for Senior College
students, who are allowed to use the city as
their lunch room,” Jude explains. “The city
can be very expensive, so we developed
a menu that is designed to pick up on your
way out the door. The students can still eat
“In my experience, the larger catering
companies have a formula in place that is
designed to concentrate on the bottom
line, rather than the food or service,”
explains the SACS canteen manager and
mother. “There is little scope to chase
current trends or seasonal produce.”
“Our best seller is the pasta bolognaise,”
Mrs Karikios explains, “closely followed
by the chicken teriyaki and rice bowl …
we change the salads depending
on seasonal produce and the toastie
can be complex, or as simple as ham
and cheese.”
celery, carrots and cucumber.
For the parent I go by the old adage:
“eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a
prince and dinner like a pauper. Finish
before 6.30pm.”
Tips for a balanced diet:
“We can cater for gluten free, salt free,
fat free, peanut/nut free and the like,”
says Jude. “We generally discuss dietary
requirements with the parent and work
from there.”
“Make sure you have plenty of protein
but don’t forget the carbs as they are
essential for energy. Food does not have
to be cooked to taste good – kids love
Does the SACS canteen cater
to specific diets?
MEDIA CLUB
CAPTURES
THE SPIRIT
OF THE
SCHOOL
Photo by Tcharne
Sawyer (Year 11)
This year, St Andrew’s has established
a Media Club as one of the cocurricular
activities offered to high school students.
Here are a selection of the photographs
taken by the Club.
Photo by Nate
Griffiths (Year 7)
Photo by Ben
Flannery (Year 11 )
Photo by Cooper
Sheppard (Year 9)
Photo by Chelsea
Paton (Year 9 )
Photo by Angus Bray (Year 10)
27
St Andrew’s:
St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a coeducational K-12
Anglican school, located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.
Get connected on our social media:
Like us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/StAndrewsCathedralSchool
Follow our Twitter
https://twitter.com/SACS_Official
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/StAndrewsOfficial
St Andrew’s Cathedral School
Sydney Square, Sydney NSW 2000
phone +61 2 9286 9500
fax +61 2 9286 9550
email [email protected]
ABN 34 429 367 893
CRICOS Registration: The Council of
St Andrew’s Cathedral School 02276M
www.sacs.nsw.edu.au

Inspired Magazine - St Andrew`s Cathedral School

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