tRAnsIt oF venus - Presbyterian Ladies` College

Transcription

PLC Sydney Annual magazine issue 8: Summer 2012
TRANSIT OF VENUS
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
ON ROUTE TO BEIJING
IS THERE A MATHEMATICIAN IN THE HOUSE?
contents
2
From the Principal
18 60 seconds with Sister Natasha Yeend
3 Transit of Venus
19 Murder under the microscope
4 The MRC two years on
20 A bumper day in the Junior School
5 Transition Class gets social
21 A year in Hanoi
6 PLC Sydney hosts
18th Biennale of Sydney artist
23 Josie jumps for Australia
7
24 Belinda's success par for the course
Home away from home
23 Michele on track for success
9 In the footsteps of...
24 Elena makes a splash
10 Is there a mathematician in the house?
25 The ESU welcomes a new President
11 Open Day at The Croydon
26 ALUMNI
12 Boarders' Camp 26 Ex-Students: Where are they now? 13 Vietnam Service Learning:
New beginnings
30 Former Olympians
14 Young scientists of the
Junior School
33 The College reunites with our Alumni
15 On route to Beijing
17 60 seconds with Ms Jo Knight
32 PLC Sydney visits Young
34 Focus on Phillippa Carnemolla
Connect is printed on a
100% recycled paper stock
that is accredited to Forestry
Stewardship Commission standards which
means best practices have been employed
in the manufacturing. The paper stock is
manufactured with a net zero climate impact
and without harmful chlorine gases.
Cover Image: Students viewing the Transit
of Venus. Photo by Mrs Nadia Young.
Editor: Mrs Nicole Paull
PLC Sydney acknowledges the Wangal
people, of the Dharug dialect, on whose
land the College resides, and pays respect
to Elders both past and present.
FROM THE
PRINCIPAL
At Speech Day 2012, we celebrate the achievements and efforts of the students at PLC
Sydney. It is a chance to recognise students who have achieved at the highest level, to
support young women and girls who display tremendous espirit d’corps, and to gather
as a whole community to say thank you for the 2012 academic year.
Each family has received an invitation to the 125 Year
Anniversary of the College. I hope you are able to join us in 2013
at key events in the year as we celebrate this milestone.
At Speech Day we will hear from our musicians and I will address
the College succinctly on our future directions and Professor Lynn
Cohick will provide reflections on becoming a young woman in both
Ancient and contemporary societies.
I have had this magazine distributed on Speech Day because it
provides an understanding of the personal responses of a range
of the girls and young women to a PLC Sydney education, and
supplies stories about current students and programmes, staff and
ex-students. Real life is not a series of multi-media trends or sound
bites. Each person has a story to tell. Life is nuanced and narrative
is therefore an effective way to provide a better grasp of who we
are as a community. This magazine seeks to capture some of
these stories.
In this edition you will have an opportunity to find out more
about our Junior School Science programme, and what our
Mathematician-in-Residence has been doing. Our global links
are illustrated and the exceptional opportunities across a range
of subject areas have been highlighted.
We each experience an education through our children’s eyes.
This magazine seeks to develop an understanding of the bigger
picture of PLC Sydney College life. Perhaps it will assist some
families to encourage their daughter to try something new, to follow
a different pathway. It is our experience that the students who
are committed to a range of activities and who seek to develop
themselves as individuals, are more likely to both do their best with
their studies and to enjoy school. Such students develop friendships
with girls in other years and interact in a wide range of social
spheres. If something goes awry for a time with a friend, they
have a broader social network to rely upon.
PLC Sydney has many facets. We are involved in a Strategic
Alliance with PLC Armidale. Together our two Colleges strengthen
each other. We also have a Boarding School. Thus, this campus is a
home to many young women. In this edition we seek to highlight not
only the academic, cultural and musical achievements, but also who
we are as a community.
I commend it to you.
Dr Paul Burgis
Executive Principal
issue 8 | Summer 2012
2
transit
of venus
Wednesday 6 June was a cloudy and
overcast day at PLC Sydney yet there was
a feeling of excitement in the air. Year
7 had prepared posters that were hung
up around the school on the dangers of
viewing the sun with the naked eye and
through a telescope that did not have
solar filters on it. Year 10 had prepared
a Transit of Venus themed breakfast,
morning tea and lunch to raise money
for the East Timor project. Year 9A1
had presented at assembly the history
and significance of the Transit of Venus
to Australians as well as prepared a
I remember the
cool gothic movie like
effect of the sun through
a solar filter.
Theodora Lee, Year 11
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the Transit
of Venus! PLC Sydney students and staff
donned the special 'sci-fi' looking sunglasses
to take a look at this rare occurance.
song and dance to celebrate the transit
that would not be on view again until
2117. Year 9A1 had two lessons with
Mathematician-in-Residence, Dr Dawes
who explained how scientists after the
1769 expedition calculated the distance
from the Earth to the Sun from data that
had been collected from the transit of
Venus. All the TV screens in the Macindoe
Research Centre were showing the transit
live from around the world.
Students viewed the transit through
eclipse glasses and every group of girls
“...every time the Sun broached the clouds,
there was collective joy and amazement...
an air of excitement prevailed... the girls
looked the part with special glasses, just
like a 50's Sci-Fi movie as one observer
put it – it was a real buzz!”
Mr Broadhead,
Head Teacher Curriculum
“I remember waiting for the clouds to clear so I could see Venus using the eclipse glasses.
Even though it was only a tiny dot it was still exciting to see a planet like that with my own
eyes. I also remember watching the live stream of the transit and seeing Venus up close."
Martina Kempys, Year 11
3
PLC Sydney | Connect
squealed with delight as first they saw the
Sun and how small it was and then called
out that they could see Venus. Telescopes
that were on loan from the Betcher and
Cooper families, were used for projecting
the Sun onto a screen where the girls
could also see Sunspots. Mr Coorey
brought a telescope that had much
stronger magnification that enabled the
girls to see Venus closer and more clearly.
Mrs Fiona Hendriks
Science Teacher
“I learnt about the importance of the
Transit of Venus (ToV) to the Australians.
If it was not for ToV, then Australia
wouldn't be one of the colonies of Britain
and we might not be speaking English.
ToV changed the destiny of this land.
Besides the history part, I am really
amazed by how smart the scientists
were at that time. Without any modern
technology, they could already calculate
the distance from the Sun to Earth by
watching ToV. This has made me really
interested in the method they used and
to try it once in my lifetime.”
Yibing Chen, Year 11
(international student)
THE MRC
TWO YEARS ON
The Macindoe Research
Centre opened its doors to
much acclaim two years ago.
So how has it changed in
that time?
As the needs of the students and staff
evolve so too does the role of the Macindoe
Research Centre (MRC). When the school
year began in 2011, visitors to the building
were amazed by the wonderful new facility
and curious as to what it might offer.
Mrs Joanna Taylor, Director of Information
Services said “when the building first opened,
just about every student in the College
visited the new library – it was breathing
room only! The facility is now taken for
granted but is still very much appreciated
by the whole PLC Sydney community.”
With the café on the ground floor, the
MRC has become the hub of College life. It
is enjoyed not only by staff and students for
teaching, learning and research activities but
also by parents and other visitors who stop
by for a coffee or to catch up with others.
As with any new building, there was a
settling in period which allowed the College
to record the patterns of use throughout
the MRC and as such its use has evolved
over time. The Macindoe Seminar Room,
with its wonderful outlook over the city, has
become a well-used venue for staff meetings,
professional development, dinners, cocktail
parties and musical performances. This room
was also used for the viewing of the Transit
of Venus activities when all Senior School
students had the opportunity to look through
a telescope and special glasses as Venus
transited across the sun.
The MRC is a popular venue for afterhours activities ranging from book launches
to Debating and Public Speaking events.
The Centre has also become an extension
of the Boarding House with the girls using
Level 1 for prep in the evenings, whilst a
new Homework Club provides supervision
for students doing their homework after
school on five afternoons a fortnight.
One of the most exciting new
developments in the MRC is the introduction
of OverDrive. The OverDrive collection is an
extension of the physical library – only it’s
available online 24/7 – and allows staff and
students access to eBooks and audio books
via their laptops, home computers and mobile
devices. Mrs Taylor said “as all students in
Years 6 to 12 have laptops it makes sense
to provide eBooks and audio books. They are
a mobile generation and we need to tap into
their way of reading and listening – reading
and listening on the go – as well as quietly
reading a traditional book. This is about to
be complemented by the introduction of
Bolinda, another eBook and eAudio system.
Both Overdrive and Bolinda will be fully
integrated into the library catalogue. Reading
fiction at PLC is hugely popular!”
Of course, the MRC continues to offer
ongoing popular activities, such as Chess
Club, Movies at Macindoe and the Book
Vulture Club. The Centre has become such
a favourite with students that Library staff
often find them catnapping in the beanbags
at lunchtime. Mrs Taylor summed up the
positives for the students as “they love the
colours of the furnishings and the openness
of the building as well as the different zones
with differing noise levels. Many Senior
students like the Silent Study Room on
Level 2, whilst others enjoy the opportunity
for collaborative learning in the ‘Plato’ and
‘Socrates’ rooms. The MRC offers something
for everyone.”
4
TRANSITION
CLASS GETS
SOCIAL
Sharing good times, good
food, and making friends
along the way! This was the
theme on 23 August with
students and staff from PLC
Sydney Transition Class
sharing a very special social
with staff and students
from Saint Ignatius College,
Riverview and Danebank
Anglican School for Girls.
The day began with a friendly game of tenpin bowling, with mixed teams of course,
and some colourful disco lighting and funky
music to get everyone in the social mood.
Once scores had been tallied, everyone
travelled back to PLC where they were met
at the Transition House gate and given a
welcoming letter directing them to their table
for the first course. We had 68 people in
total, seated at 13 tables.
After drinks and entree had been served,
PLC girls did a great job asking lots of
questions to get everyone at their table
involved in conversation. The hosts then
cleared plates, and everyone moved tables
and chatted with a different group of guests
as they enjoyed main course, which consisted
of pasta bake, shepherds’ pie, lentil pie, salad
and scrumptious dressing.
The day turned very hot and windy, but this
did not stop those present from continuing
to have a wonderful time, as they moved
tables again and feasted on raspberry-spiked
brownies, sticky date pudding with caramel
sauce, fruit crumble, strawberries with
chocolate gelato and vanilla ice cream. Yum!
This was a great opportunity for our girls
to put into practice the social skills we have
been targeting in class. A great day was had
by all involved.
Mrs Cathee McAllum
Transition Programme Coordinator
“During the whole lunch, everyone talked
and talked and we had the best day ever.”
Kathy Tran
5
“I met Jesse from Riverview and he is the
same height as me, and he’s in Year 7 too.
Lucy took a photo of us together.”
Chloe Bridges-Webb
“I chatted to lots of people and found out
what they like to do. I loved the pasta bake.”
Ellen Brant
“When I first heard about the Social Lunch
and what was involved, I knew that it would
be a fun day for the girls, but I did not
anticipate how truly enriching and rewarding
the experience would be. The planning
that went into the big day was intense and
thorough, to say the least. I knew it was
going to be a special occasion when I
overheard one of the students announcing
to her friends on the morning of the lunch
that she had barely slept the night before,
due to her anticipation and excitement about
the day ahead. Watching the girls engage
with the St Ignatius and Danebank students
was absolutely wonderful. The work that
went into brainstorming and practicing
conversation starters, appropriate social
behaviour and perfect manners all paid off
just beautifully. I was absolutely amazed
at the way in which our girls ‘stepped up’
for the occasion. Their maturity, sense of
humour and determination to make the day
one to remember was truly inspiring. The
girls achieved a true sense of empowerment
and connectedness as a team, and I was so
grateful to be part of it.”
Anna O’Brien (new teacher to the
Transition class in 2012)
PLC SYDNEY HOSTS
18TH BIENNALE OF
SYDNEY ARTIST
In June this year, PLC Sydney
engaged its students in a
new and unique partnership
with the 18th Biennale of
Sydney. In association with
the international art event, the
College hosted New Zealand
artist Tiffany Singh for three
weeks through its artist-inresidence programme.
During this time students of Year 11 Visual Arts took a hands-on role collaborating
with the artist in the preparation of objects for, and the installation of, Ms Singh’s work Knock
on the Sky Listen to the Sound. The work was installed across three key Biennale of Sydney
sites including Pier 2/3 and Cockatoo Island, where students worked enthusiastically alongside
Ms Singh, gaining a variety of insights into contemporary conceptual art practice, a key focus
of study in the Year 11 Visual Arts course.
Tiffany Singh’s art practice explores aspects of contemporary and ancient Eastern and
Western spiritualities through installations that incorporate and celebrate objects of ceremony
and ritual from the ‘everyday’. Knock on the Sky Listen to the Sound incorporates hundreds
of wooden wind chimes frequently seen in places of religious significance such as temples
and shrines. A key element of the work is audience participation and visitors to Pier 2/3 were
invited to select a wind chime, take it home, embellish and decorate it, and reinstall it at the
Cockatoo Island site. “The process of moving the objects becomes a spiritual journey and
pilgrimage between the sites” Ms Singh said.
An essential aspect of Tiffany Singh’s practice is audience participation. Year 11 Visual Arts
students were given the task of ‘making their own’ a selection of wind chimes using paints and
objects during art making workshops held at The Croydon with Ms Singh, Mr Hetherington and
Ms Knight. These works marked the site at Cockatoo Island to which subsequent chimes taken
from Pier 2/3 eventually made their way.
Knock on the Sky Listen to the Sound was Tiffany Singh’s first involvement with the
Biennale of Sydney and she is currently undertaking a similar project in India. The students
greatly enjoyed their collaboration with Ms Singh and the experience of being involved firsthand with a large scale high profile art project.
Ms Jo Knight
Curator of Adelaide Perry Gallery & Visual Arts Teacher
Knock on the sky listen to the sound is a Buddhist proverb of spiritual
significance, first heard on a journey over the Himalayas in Ladakh, where
the sky was so close we felt like we could knock on it. It seems an appropriate
title, as the artwork transforms the space into an open-air musical instrument
that, on initial contact, sounds as though it is coming from the sky...
Visiting Cockatoo Island: Students Isabella Dabaja
(left) and Aniko Michaelis (right) with artist Tiffany
Singh at the installation of her work.
Tiffany Singh
“Tiffany Singh gave us all an incredible insight into the organisation and multiple stages
involved with producing an installation artwork. With direct background information from
Tiffany herself, including her art making practices and philosophies as well as influences and
spiritual beliefs, we were able to connect with her work and understand the concepts and
ideas driving the piece.
It was an amazing opportunity to work alongside Tiffany Singh, being involved in producing
and displaying the work. She acted as a great inspiration for all of us.”
Jordan Evans, Year 11
6
home
away
from
home
Life as a boarding student
can bring many positive
experiences as well as
numerous challenges
resulting from living away
from family and friends.
Three Boarders from
overseas families share
their experiences of life in
the Boarding House.
7
Stefanie Li
Year: 11
Nationality: Australian
From: Hong Kong
How is PLC Sydney different to your
school you attended at home?
My old school was co-ed so I found it a bit
weird at first, coming here to an all-girls
school. The campus here is also a lot bigger
and therefore requires more time to walk
to and from classes. On the other hand my
old school, instead of expanding sideways,
expanded upwards and therefore had a lot
of stairs. It took less time to walk up and
down, as the Secondary School was on
the upper levels.
Are there similarities between PLC Sydney
and the school you attended at home?
Yes, they both follow the HSC system and
they both have Primary and Secondary
Schools. They also have similar facilities
such as a swimming pool and a gym. My
old school is also English based and our
teachers were all Westerners. Our timetables
also have the same structure.
What do you like most about Australia?
I like the environment here in Australia. It’s
much less polluted here than Hong Kong
and less crowded as well. Things like school
work are less demanding here, whereas
in Hong Kong people get very stressed
because of its high demands.
What do you dislike about Australia?
I dislike the transport system the most.
The trains come every 20 minutes, whereas
in Hong Kong trains come every 5 minutes.
We also have an electronic card which
stores money and can be used as a form
of payment for bus, ferry and train tickets.
I guess I am used to the convenience of
having it, as I’m not too fond of the idea
of buying tickets every time I travel.
What is the best part of being a Boarder
at PLC Sydney?
The best part of being a Boarder at PLC
Sydney is the fact that you’re able to build
close relationships between different year
groups. Normally at school, year groups
would only bond within themselves but in the
Boarding House everyone just interacts with
all the year groups. Being in the Boarding
House also means you can ask someone
when you don’t know how to do your
homework. There are people in your grade
who can help you and those above who can
teach you.
What is the most challenging aspect
of being a Boarder?
Having to face people all of the time.
It can be quite tiring sometimes. Although
sometimes you maybe aren’t in the mood
to talk to people, you still have to put a smile
on your face and socialise with those around
you. It is also very difficult when there are
fights in the Boarding House because
tension builds and it can get very
stressful.
What are your plans for life after
school?
I plan to stay in Australia after school,
most likely in Sydney but perhaps
Melbourne or Brisbane as well. I plan
to study something related to design
at university.
The best part of
being a Boarder at
PLC Sydney is the fact that
you’re able to build close
relationships between
different year groups.
Pippa Lam
Year: 8
Nationality: Australian
From: New Jersey, USA
How is PLC Sydney different to your
school you attended at home?
PLC is a lot smaller than the school I
attended at home and there are a lot less
people. Also here there are more activities
to do and there is also less work compared
to my old school. In America the schools are
split up into Primary, Middle and High School
so there is less interaction between different
year groups.
Are there similarities between PLC Sydney
and the school you attended at home?
Both schools are very multicultural and have
great learning facilities.
What do you like most about Australia?
Everything is a lot more relaxed than the daily
routines in America.
What do you dislike about Australia?
Well I don’t particularly like living in cities.
Yibing Chen
Year: 11
Nationality: Chinese
From: Shanghai City, China
Why did your family choose PLC Sydney?
My mum had done a lot of research into
private schools in Sydney. PLC Sydney just
caught her eye because of its long history
and good academic results as well as good
manners and teaching.
What do you enjoy most about boarding
at PLC Sydney?
You meet a lot of people from different
places. You learn more than being a Day girl.
There is more relaxing and sleeping time on
school days.
What do you find the most challenging
aspect of boarding?
Coping with life here in the first place. It is a
challenge to fit in with a group of girls in the
Boarding House. As an only child I need to
learn to share with others.
How do you keep in contact with family
and friends from home?
Technology: Skype, phone, text and other
Chinese communication software and
websites.
Describe a typical school day…
I get up at 7.00 am unless there are other
activities or classes before school. Breakfast
is before 7.30 am then I tidy my room,
pack my bag and go to school at 8.23 am.
After two periods and pastoral care,
I have recess. There is a variety of foods
for morning tea.
Then I have two more periods and it is
lunch time. There is usually pasta, rice, rolls
or pizzas to choose from. I have a great
time with my Day friends before attending
classes again. There is also afternoon tea
after school and then usually I have a rest
before early prep or I do some light-weight
work. Then it is dinner time and prep,
which is study time. I go to bed at
10.30 pm.
Describe a typical weekend…
I sleep in on the weekends usually. I get
up before lunchtime and go downstairs
to eat. I usually enjoy myself for one or
two hours and then do my work.
Sometimes I go out with friends to
Burwood for shopping and having fun.
There is a movie on Saturday night.
Is there anything else you would like
to share?
Being a Boarder has lots of benefits.
There are students in higher years helping
you with both living and studying. Also it
is easier for us to get to school and attend
school events. I have heard of people
coming as temporary Boarders and ending
up loving it. It is a great choice.
An international perspective: Stefanie Li (left), Pippa Lam (centre), and Yibing Chen (right), share
their stories on life in the Boarding House.
What is the best part of being a Boarder
at PLC Sydney?
I like being in such a close knit community
– it helps to make really strong friendships.
It is really great to know you can rely on
close friends like your room mates and they
become just like your sisters.
What is the most challenging aspect
of being a Boarder?
Living with people that you don’t necessarily
get along with is difficult but in a way it is
good to learn to be tolerant of other people.
Have there been any funny
misunderstandings between Australian
and International Boarders?
Once Jane* was helping explain to Christine*
what the words in her book were. Jane tried
to explain the word ‘tempted’ but she used
the pictures of boys on her cupboard. So
now every time Christine uses the word
‘tempted’ she points to the pictures!
What are your plans for life after school?
Hopefully my family will move back to
Australia by the time I leave school and then
I will probably stay in Australia.
* Names have been changed to protect
student identities!
8
in the footsteps of...
In the most recent set of school holidays, avid readers and budding writers
from PLC Sydney headed off to the United Kingdom to indulge their love of
literature by walking in the footsteps of literary greats, with visits to author's
homes, museums and theatres.
They say that you can never know
the feel of wind in your face until you have...
well... actually felt the wind... in your face.
‘So it is to thee...’ in the words of
Shakespeare’s King Lear.
Thirty-two students and four teachers from
PLC Sydney felt the absolute delight
of wind in our faces on the moors of the
Bronte sisters and then the hills surrounding
‘the Lakes’ or Lake District of Wordsworth.
It was there that we understood what those
writers wrote about in the visceral sense.
We also had the opportunity to walk the
streets that haunted Dickens and to sit
outside on the benches of Shakespeare’s
Globe. We were glad that it was both a little
chilly and a little uncomfortable as we had
just arrived in London and needed to be
kept awake! The tour was a life changing
experience for us. It has rekindled love
of Austen and reinforced respect for the
timeless words of Shakespeare.
We also enjoyed getting to know students,
some we had met in class or tutor group,
and some we had only just met at the airport.
The young women were patient, as one
needs to be on long haul flights, enthusiastic
– and we are not just talking about
shopping – and attentive during the morning
lectures and workshops. Those students
have returned to English classes with a
knowledge and experience that will lift and
glide them across the waves of challenge
that are the senior English courses.
PLC Sydney can look forward to going back
with a new group of students in 2014.
UK Literary Tour Staff.
9
Day 3 Hampstead, London.
Travelling to the "...floral and country green..." of Hampstead was where the old gigantic
houses stood tall and elegant. The birds chirping, trees swaying and the bright, warm sun
thawing out our bodies, created a morning that I will never forget. The clean cream coloured
houses lined up along the main road with multi-coloured flowers to 'o'erperch' up the brick
walls. We had the chance to explore the area of Hampstead, observing where the famous
writers found their inspiration. We wandered through the very house, the very room, where
Keats, a famous poet specialising in Romantic themes, finished writing the poem 'Ode to a
Nightingale'. When we walked back to the bus I felt a strong drive to write. Vinita Chumsri, Year 9
Day 5 Chawton, England
Today we went to visit Jane Austen’s house. We were able to go and see where she grew
up and spent her childhood years. It was fascinating. One amazing thing I could not get over
was how beautiful the house surroundings were. It was so green and filled with many types
of flora and fauna. After having wandered around the garden, we were brought inside where
we were given a presentation about her life and where she took inspirations for her writing.
We learnt so much about how her father set up a boarding school in their house. I never
knew Jane Austen was proposed to in her lifetime. After the presentation we were able
to see some specimens from Jane Austen’s lifetime. It was pretty cool being able to hold
these specimens like glover stretchers from 200 years ago. It was amazing to see all the
actual furniture, including her writing desk, and household items from her family. One thing
I thought was amazing was seeing an original work sewn by Jane Austen herself. After the
tour we were able to go crazy in the gift shop.
Claire Protas, Year 9
In 2012 Dr Burgis installed a mathematician-in-residence
in the Senior School to further develop the mathematical
understanding of the students. But what exactly does a
mathematician-in-residence do?
IS THERE A
MATHEMATICIAN
IN THE HOUSE?
Dr Lloyd Dawe joined PLC Sydney in
Term 1 this year to support the work of the
Mathematics staff and students in Years 7 to
12. During the year Dr Dawe has made many
valuable contributions to both the Faculty and
the learnings of the students.
In working with teaching staff, Dr Dawe has
been sharing his current mathematical readings
and investigations, particularly in the history of
mathematical ideas at Faculty meetings as well
as assisting with reviewing examination questions. He is a wonderful
source of advice and staff are appreciative of the opportunity to bounce
ideas off such an experienced educator and mathematician.
Dr Dawe has been visiting classes and working with Senior School
students of all levels and assisting with their mathematical problems.
A focus has been extending and preparing Extension 2 students for the
HSC in addition to teaching the Year 7X class each week during Terms
2 and 3. Students in Years 7 and 8 were fortunate to be supervised by
Dr Dawe as they worked through the Challenge and Enrichment Stage
of the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians.
About Dr Lloyd Dawe
After 30 years of service at the University of Sydney,
Dr Lloyd Dawe has returned to a favourite place – the
school classroom. Prior to joining PLC Sydney as
mathematician-in-residence in 2012 he held this position
at Queenwood School for Girls, Trinity Grammar School
and Inaburra School. During his career, Dr Dawe has
been a teacher of Mathematics, Head of a Mathematics
Department in a Secondary School and Head of
Mathematics at the former Sydney Teachers College.
At the University of Sydney, he was appointed Head of
the Department of Educational Psychology and Associate
Dean of the Faculty of Education. As an Associate
Professor of Mathematics Education, he has a long
term research interest in the learning and teaching of
Mathematics. Dr Dawe holds degrees from the University
of Sydney (BSc Dip Ed), the UNSW (MEd with Hons)
and a PhD in Mathematics Education from the University
of Cambridge.
Dr Dawe has also supported important links between Mathematics
and Science. In March, all Year 7 Mathematics students explored the
tracking of the sun across the sky at the equinox to estimate the latitude
of PLC. Despite the difficulty of getting accurate measurement with a
simple shadow stick, the results were excellent - close to 34°S. In June,
together with the Science staff, students were able to view the Transit
of Venus across the Sun. On that day Dr Dawe taught a Year 9 Science
class to discuss the measurement of our distance from the Sun, the
important mathematical goal of the observation. The students were also
able to explore the pattern of the observations from the first sightings
by humans in 1639 to the present. The mathematics is complex but
the students were curious and motivated.
Dr Dawe has a life long interest in Art and Music and their
connections to Mathematics. In October, Dr Dawe opened an Art
Exhibition at the Adelaide Perry Gallery showing the work of ex-student
Phillippa Carnemolla, now artist-in-residence at the Royal Botanic
Gardens, and Lisa Jones who have both been inspired by mathematical
ideas to create beautiful, thought-provoking work. These connections
have been developed into deeper abstract levels with the advent of
modern technology, in particular, computer graphics. PLC students have
had a further opportunity to enrich their education through this fabulous
exhibition. The Mathematics Department used the creation of art inspired
by mathematics as the theme for Maths Week in 2012.
So what has it meant having a Mathematician-in-Residence
at PLC Sydney? It has been a wonderful opportunity for the staff
and students at PLC Sydney to gain wisdom from an exceptionally
knowledgeable mentor.
Mrs Patricia Pollett
Head of Mathematics
10
Open Day at
The Croydon
Open Day is a fabulous occasion at The Croydon Centre
for Art, Design and Technology that enables the community
to see the facilities, highlighted by the student work in action
and genuine project development. The studios feature
a range of activities that allow visitors to gain a greater
understanding of technologies and processes that are
applied by our talented young artists and designers.
In the Technological and Applied
Studies (TAS) Faculty, the Senior students are
given the opportunity to work throughout the
day on their Major Design Projects. Year 12
Design and Technology student, Tamara Jones
was in the process of developing a cookbook
for a niche market. Her design brief was to
design and manufacture a stylish cookbook
campaign that embraces feminine style
and reliable recipes with compatibility to all
skill levels. The campaign aimed to feature a
cookbook enhanced by promotional materials
that appeal to the specific target market.
A test kitchen was staged in the Food
Technology studio with girls from different
year groups cooking, taste testing and
evaluating the food products and their ability
to follow the recipes. Mr Michael Carter,
commercial photographer, author and presenter
for Consumer Science RMIT University
in Melbourne, joined the test kitchen to
demonstrate and support the development of
professional food styling techniques.
Mr Carter then worked with Year 11 Food
Technology students throughout the week.
Visitors were treated to tasty delights such
as chocolate chip cookies, melting moments
and a spectacular range of cupcakes. Tamara
used the feedback from students, staff and
parents to further develop her recipes and the
cookbook design. Each recipe had to be tested,
developed and professionally photographed.
Tamara’s task is a wonderful example of a
design project that enabled a student to apply
a diverse range of skills and technologies that
are available in The Croydon, and produce
work of an industry standard. The final project
submission included a 140 page cookbook,
an apron, graphic work for an instore display
and a blog. Success for Tamara has come
from following a passion and creative interest
in fashion, food product development,
graphic design and marketing. Visit
www.bakingisagirlsbestfriend.wordpress.com
to access the blog.
The continuing goal for the TAS faculty is to
ensure that the application of problem solving,
resource management and collaborative
learning skills can be applied across the
curriculum and assist students throughout
their life and future careers.
Ms Jo Herrmann
Head of Technological and Applied Studies
11
BOARDERS’
CAMP
The blinds are pulled down,
the lights turned out and the
doors of the Boarding House
are locked as the Boarders
head off for a weekend of
adventure and fun at camp.
For the past several years the Boarders
and Boarding House staff pack up for a
weekend and go to a fun filled location of
adrenaline packed activities and personal
challenges. This is organised and run
primarily by our talented Year 12 Boarders
and Senior Boarding staff. This year our
destination was Toukley on the NSW
Central Coast.
The weekend is planned to provide each
Boarder with a change to routine, exposure
to new locations outside of Sydney or
Country NSW. They have experienced the
wonder of the Blue Mountain and spectacular
Central Coast over the few years we have
held Camp. The excitement is palpable
as the girls prepare each year with great
expectation regarding location and activities.
Each Boarder chooses one friend to
buddy up with and then they are placed into
larger teams with girls from each year group.
They learn to work cooperatively within
their team throughout the weekend. Why is
this important when these girls already live
together you might ask? A team teaches
reliance and trust as well as requiring
individuals to embrace personal strengths
and talents to best serve the team. Together
they learn to capitalise on these attributes
in a way that normal daily life does not
generally require. The offshoot being that
they learn more about the girls with whom
they will share life with for the coming
year and from time to time are surprised
by the talents that others may not have
had the opportunity to display.
Camp is nonstop activities from the minute
we arrive until we roll the girls back onto the
bus Sunday night. Over the weekend they
could do anything from beach games, great
Photo by Seraya Harding.
races, giant swings, quad bikes, rollerblading,
flying foxes and so much more. Every year we
have our Boarders’ Talent Night and over the
years we have been surprised by the amazing
talent our Boarders exhibit as they organise
items of music, dance and short plays as well
as having general fun activities. Students who
may in a normal day be very shy and quiet
can amaze everyone as they shine brightly up
on stage with talent that would otherwise
be unknown.
Camp is definitely a highlight in our year
and the Boarders love to relive the memories
and tell the stories each year in the lead up
to the next great surprise adventure.
Ms Pauline Turner
Director of Boarding
12
A YEAR IN HANOi
In December 2011, teachers Mr Len Elliott and Mrs Belinda
Elliott packed their bags and boarded a flight to Hanoi with
their daughter Nancy, where Mr Elliott took up the role of
Vice-Principal at the Vietnam-Australia school for one year.
Most travellers in Vietnam think
of their experience in terms of significant
moments. This is inevitable, since so much
seems so strange! Extraordinary events seem
to come thick and fast for the newcomer;
in our first month we were confronted with
traffic accidents, salmonella poisoning,
dengue fever, corruption...
It’s tempting to define the role of VicePrincipal at the Vietnam-Australia School
(VAS) Hanoi in the same terms: a series
of strange experiences. I received an email
one Wednesday, for example, telling me that
the People’s Committee had decided all
schools like ours would no longer operate
from 8.30 am to 4.00 pm. They would start
at 7.00 am and finish at 7.00 pm, to alleviate
traffic congestion. This would commence
the following day. The implications for
school buses, timetabling, staffing, families...
astonishing.
Then there was the email from the
Principal telling me that the school would be
inspected for registration the following day.
I needed to ensure programmes, scope and
sequence, student work samples, compliance
documentation, etc. were all ready for
presentation.
13
But there is more to this role, of course,
than dealing with crises. VAS is a relatively
new school, one that aims to develop an
Australian teaching and organisational model;
as such the role prompts a fresh assessment
of everything that makes up that model. It is
a complex and diverse role, requiring social
and cultural understanding, an awareness
of Vietnam’s colonial and martial history,
and consideration of the complexities of
a shrinking capitalist economy under a
communist government. All of these have
profound implications for relations between
students, their families and staff, and for
developing an ‘Australian’ school.
This culturally diverse context provides
lessons that are relevant to an Australian
context. Opposition to change, for example,
in part a consequence of Vietnam’s long
history of colonialism, requires a renewed
assessment of how change is proposed and
effected. Alternative methods must be sought
where orthodox ones fail. It is essential
to involve all the school’s ‘stakeholders’
in matters regarding the school’s future,
particularly students’ extended families.
(The family is still of fundamental importance
in Vietnamese society.) Questions regarding
the management of Australian schools
follow: how well do we recognise the school
as a community, and how inclusive are our
processes in leading it?
Communication assumes a special
importance here; it can be difficult in such
complex cultural circumstances, in such a
young and busy school. Sometimes a passing
student is useful as a translator when
talking with staff; it’s like altitude training
for educators. It soon becomes evident that
miscommunication and misunderstanding
are inevitable, despite the best intentions and
protocols. The best approach is to recognise
the inevitability of misunderstanding, and
(try to!) respond with humility, patience and
flexibility. There is much to learn from the
Vietnamese in this respect: they rarely take
offence, partly because they rarely take
an issue personally. Perhaps this comes
of sharing such a small country with 90
million others, and living in a society where
materialism has not yet recreated the
western focus on the self.
Vietnamese society is largely secular,
which carries implications for personal faith.
A Christian working in Vietnam realises
The best approach
is to recognise the inevitability
of misunderstanding, and
(try to!) respond with humility,
patience and flexibility.
new values in Christian belief, particularly
in becoming more aware of Christianity’s
role in the formation of western social
fabric; in its absence, Christianity’s influence
on western laws and social and political
structures becomes easier to see, and easier
to appreciate. Its absence in society reveals
its essentiality in human interaction. It is
appreciated more in friends, especially
in those whose faith seems stronger
in isolation.
The role of VAS Vice-Principal, as in
most schools, involves organising major
whole-school events, such as assemblies,
graduations and extraordinary events.
This aspect of the role presents exciting
opportunities in Vietnam, because many
of these events have never been held here
before. Grandparents’ Day, for example –
quite common in Australian schools – is
new here, and assumes special significance.
Vietnamese culture is firmly based on the
extended family; our inaugural Grandparents’
Day at VAS was the first in Hanoi, probably
the first in Vietnam. It was talked about
for several weeks, and reported across
the country.
After a few months as Hanoi residents, my
wife and I found that the traffic accidents and
corruption and salmonella poisoning blended
into the background. The newcomers were
incredulous, and we listened patiently, but
we found we had started to adapt, to work
around it all.
In some ways it reminds me of my
bushwalking trips when I lived in Tasmania...
the early days were always sensational, the
landscape astonishing, the mud horrible.
After a few days, however, I’d start to take it
all for granted – all the distance, aches and
isolation – and by the time I was approaching
the end, I’d feel one with it all. That’s when
I knew it was really doing me good.
Mr Leonard Elliott
Vice-Principal
Vietnam-Australia School
YOUNG
SCIENTISTS
OF THE JUNIOR
SCHOOL
Science in the Junior School is thriving. Girls from Evandale
and Hamilton enjoy hands-on activities with their classroom
teacher in partnership with Mrs Annie Martin – the Junior School
Science teacher appointed at the beginning of the year.
Whilst there are specified topics for each year group, Science is also
integrated across the curriculum. Mrs Martin shares some of the highlights that our
budding scientists have experienced this year.
Kindergarten students made
models of spiders and insects to help
understand the differences between
them. They also enjoyed pretending
they were worker bees, acting out
the waggle dance as they collected
pretend nectar and took it to the
queen bee - their teacher!
Year 1 students devised a fair test to
see if the story about The Three Little
Pigs was true. Each class built three
houses – one of straw, one of sticks
and one of bricks (Lego). The students
then acted out the story with puppets
and the Wolf attempted to blow the
houses down with a hair dryer!
Year 2 learnt about moving toys. Every
week in Term 2 they studied a ‘real toy’
and the science behind it. They then
made their own version of the toy and
investigated ways to modify it to make
it work better.
Year 5 studied invertebrates and to
aid their learning a Giant Burrowing
Cockroach was purchased as a class
pet. The students also made amazing
models of a chosen invertebrate, which
they presented to their classmates
(and some students even showed their
model to Senior School students),
describing how certain features
help with survival.
Year 6 focused on the Scientific
Method, in particular Scientific Reports,
earlier in the year. They undertook
several experiments, including cutting
a postcard to fit their body through and
they also made parachutes to find out
if the canopy size affected the time
they took to fall.
Mrs Annie Martin
Junior School Science Teacher
Year 3 students were exposed to real
pig body organs. The children touched
brains (with gloves) and realised how
soft they are and hence the importance
of skulls. They then related this to the
need for helmets in certain sports and
made mini helmets for model brains
(water balloons), which they then
dropped to test their effectiveness.
Year 4 girls learnt about different
forms of energy, in particular light. They
investigated light in action in many
ways, including it as a requirement for
plant growth in their own terrariums
and also by making kaleidoscopes.
14
ON ROUTE
TO BEIJING
From the Great Wall at Jiyong Pass and the Terracotta
Warriors in Xi'an, to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong's
Victoria Harbour, students and staff visited the land of
contradictions that is modern day China.
During the April school holidays 91
Music and Language students, 12 staff and a
shadow parent group from PLC Sydney, were
privileged to travel to China for a 12 day tour.
Flying out on two planes and touching down
in Beijing, the group was immediately greeted
by the fabulous culture, architecture, dance,
food, language, history and music of such an
ancient civilisation.
In Beijing our girls were able to visit and
perform at many iconic landmarks. The Summer
Palace, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen
Square, to name a few. The first musical
engagement for the group was for the first
Australian female Ambassador to China, Ms
Frances Adamson. The choirs sang for the
Ambassador and her staff, and she in turn
generously spoke to the girls about her
position in Beijing.
Moving to the next landmark, which was
one of the highlights of the trip, some of our
Pipe Band members, the Big Band and Wind
Ensemble all performed on the top of the Great
Wall at Jiyong Pass. Blessed with fantastic
weather the whole group enjoyed a wonderful
afternoon at this amazing fortress. Visiting the
Beijing Acrobatic Theatre in the evening and
the zoo one morning, the group also performed
at the Beijing Conservatory for the Chinese
National Youth Orchestra who in turn played for
us on traditional Chinese Musical instruments.
The next leg of the tour was spent visiting
the very ancient and beautiful city of Xi’an.
Viewing the ancient city wall and partaking in
an amazing 18 course dumpling feast, the city
is well known for being the birth place of the
Tang Dynasty. The highlight of this leg of the
journey was the amazing visit and performances
at the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors. Here
our choirs performed some unaccompanied
songs and then were free to visit the fabulous
warriors displays. That same afternoon we were
able to visit a local traditional Chinese martial
arts school where we were treated to amazing
martial arts performances by the boys. To
reciprocate our Big Band performed for them.
15
Gifts were exchanged and now PLC owns
an authentic Chinese martial arts sword!
Next we arrived in Shenzhen, in the south
of China, where we shopped, viewed cultural
displays and did a wonderful concert with the
students and staff of the Shenzhen Middle
School and the world renowned Lily Children’s
Choir. Singing songs with the students, and
being able to exchange gifts and get to know
the other students, musically this event was
one of the highlights of the tour.
Moving to the final destination and arriving
by bus into Hong Kong, the group was able to
spend two days being hosted by our partner
school, St Paul’s Educational College. Viewing
the sights of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak
(in the clouds), the Symphony of Lights on the
Harbour and being caught in a deluge whilst
shopping at Stanley Markets are memories the
group will not forget. Although physically tired at
the end of a busy 10 days the group was ready
to rehearse and perform with the students of St
Paul’s. A final combined rehearsal and concert
on the second last day, was perhaps the most
gruelling event of the tour as many members
were very fatigued. Nevertheless the concert
was a great success and it gave our girls a
chance to perform many of their performance
pieces and to combine in the choirs, strings and
bands. Being able to get to know the St Paul’s
students was also a wonderful opportunity.
The next day Ocean Park awaited us and we
had a wonderful time viewing the ocean life of
this area of the world as well as ‘wind down’
Music News
Congratulations to the Senior
Chamber Orchestra on winning
the Secondary Schools String
section of the Sydney Eisteddfod
for 2012. The girls secured
victory playing the difficult finale
from the 'Serenade for Strings'
by Tchaikovsky. Well done girls.
on several of the exhilarating rides at the park.
Boarding our flights that evening the group was
ready to travel home and reminisce about their
wonderful Chinese adventures.
Special thanks must go to all the staff who
accompanied the tour, to the Parents & Friends’
Association and PLC Sydney Foundation
for helping with financial assistance. To the
Music Support Group parents who helped
with fundraising and to all the girls who
were fabulous ambassadors for the College
and Australia. We all have many wonderful
memories of an exciting and interesting tour.
Ms Fiona Clouston
Head of Music
16
60 seconds with…
Curator of Adelaide Perry Gallery & Visual Arts Teacher
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
Going through the HSC every year... no really.
Being a fly on the wall while the girls grow
and develop over time to become confident
and independent young artists.
What is your greatest challenge in the
classroom?
Getting students to pack up. Once the
creative juices start flowing it’s hard to get
them to put away the paint!
What do you find most rewarding about
teaching?
Unable to choose between
Psychology and Visual Arts
when applying for university,
Ms Jo Knight decided
on the happy medium of
Art Education. She loves
connecting with young
people and believes teaching
Visual Arts is a great
opportunity to engage with
our inspiring youth through
their ideas, emotions and
imagination.
Learning is a two way street. I enjoy the
exchange of ideas and the sharing of all
things art, exhibition and culture. It is such an
enriching experience. When a student tells
me about an artist they have discovered or
an exhibition they have visited I know they
have got the ‘art bug’ and are hooked for life.
How do you motivate students who are
not particularly interested in Art?
The imagination needs to be sparked and
nurtured. There needs to be a personal
connection between the artist and their
work. This can happen through all kinds of
inspiration – an image, a story or even a joke
– as well as through the sheer pleasure of
getting your hands dirty (with clay, charcoal,
paint, etc.). Play and discovery is important.
Physical engagement with materials is just
the beginning for discovering your own voice
of visual representation.
Have you experienced any lessons that
haven’t quite gone to plan?
I call these happy accidents! At times when an
art lesson doesn’t go to plan an unexpected
creative outcome can result. A spill of ink, the
wrong click of the mouse or a clumsy moment
forces you to rethink a work and come up with
a solution which can improve a work overall
(well some of the time).
17
What is your most memorable
career point?
It sounds corny but landing myself at PLC
Sydney and working in the Adelaide Perry
Gallery has been a highlight for me. I love
arranging and presenting works, identifying
aesthetic and conceptual links between
works while still maintaining a connection
with youth and art education. What a
wonderful resource the gallery is for
PLC students to have on tap.
What are your interests/hobbies?
Travelling the world, experiencing other
cultures and viewing some of the finest and
most outrageous art first hand. I love to visit
galleries and be inspired by the exhibition
spaces themselves. Favourites include the
Musee d’Orsay, Museo del Prado, MOMA,
The Tate Modern and the chaos of the
Venice Biennale. Of course I also love to
drag my daughter Florence to exhibitions
in Sydney as well.
What is your motto in life?
I like to remember the words of Pablo
Picasso “Art washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday life.” Also to “Keep
your finger on the pulse” as the Visual Arts
world is ever changing so you need to keep
connected.
College Nurse
Nursing has led Sister Natasha Yeend on a
journey that has involved helping people from all
walks of life. Her work in accident and emergency,
palliative care, orthopadedics and trauma
(neurology and orthopaedics), travel medicine,
general practice and remote area nursing has
seen her witness the highs and lows of life.
What led you to nursing?
I was the kid at school making sure
everyone was okay. When I was growing
up my next door neighbour worked at
Westmead Hospital’s Accident & Emergency
and would tell me all the gory stories of
their latest shift. Also my mother gave me
a nurse’s uniform to dress up in when I
was five and I used to sit on my sister and
pretend I was ‘fixing her up’ (just for the
record, I don’t sit on patients anymore –
unless they are in Accident & Emergency
at St Vincent’s Hospital and are having a
psychosis and need to be sedated!).
What is your greatest challenge as a
school nurse?
Not being able to be in two places at once.
What do you enjoy most about nursing?
Being able to think laterally and the day
being unpredictable. It sounds corny but
making a difference – it may be as simple
as helping someone in pain or lending an
ear to listen.
What do you find most rewarding
about nursing?
I love to hear people’s stories. I used to
think you had to be old to have a good life
story but the girls can pop out a good one
sometimes.
Have there been any funny moments?
I have developed a weird sense of humour in
order to deal with some awful things I have
witnessed, as a way of coping. So what I
think as funny other people would not.
When I had just started out nursing I was
working in a hospice. One of my patients
died and I needed to wash, dress and take
him down to the morgue. At a large hospital
there would be people to deal with the body
but at the small hospital we would deal with
it. The wardsman and I took the body down
to the morgue and he said to me when we
standing in front of the freezers “just wait
here I have forgotten something.” He left me
all by myself in the morgue (with 10 or so
bodies). I stood there frozen convinced
I could hear something!
Do you have a most memorable
career point?
Working on Lizard Island for a year. Because
it was remote the only other medical help
was a one hour flight away. I had support
from the Royal Flying Doctors. There were
many varied issues I had never dealt with
before – sting ray barbs, irukandji stings, fish
hooks through fingers and having to suture
wounds. Living on a tropical island was
amazing. The social side of things was pretty
good too.
Do you participate in any volunteer
nursing projects?
I have been over to Port Moresby in PNG
a few times with an organisation call
Operation Open Heart. Like the name of
the organisation suggests, Cardiac Doctors
perform open heart surgery on children that
would most likely die without the surgery.
Sometimes we get adults that somehow
have got to adulthood and survived.
The patients come from tiny remote villages
on the outer lying islands of PNG. It’s pretty
scary for the kids seeing a tall white woman
standing over them!
One question a father asked me once was
“can my son go hunting with me now”. It was
one little question that registered what we
were doing there. Little Benson was going
back to the village where he came from.
He no longer was going to be a burden but
a contributing member of the village. Before
the operation he couldn’t run as he was not
getting enough oxygen to his body. After
he recovered from the operation I think he
would have been faster than his dad. I did
get a little concerned that the population of
wild eatable animals would go down– with
a spear through their head!
What are your interests/hobbies?
I love to travel, seeing how other people
live (my favourite places have been India,
Morocco, Tibet and Cuba to name a few).
I also love cooking and photography. My
fiancé is getting me into the AFL, watching
the Swans. I have really enjoyed this year
(surprisingly!).
What is your motto in life?
I have two. Firstly “happiness is what you give
not what you get.” I have realised this while
travelling that people who have nothing are
some of the happiest people I have seen.
And secondly “life’s greatest memories will be
made up of once in a lifetime opportunities –
don’t hesitate when they arrive – just do it!”
18
MURDER UNDER
THE MICROSCOPE
Crime sites, villians and victims in Hamilton? For six weeks
Year 6 students became super sleuths to solve an
environmental murder mystery...
Murder Under the Microscope
(or MUM as it is affectionately known)
is an online game in which Eco Sleuths
all over Australia research and analyse
evidence to solve an environmental crime.
Run by the Department of Infrastructure,
Planning and Natural Resources, the game
involves students investigating potential
environmental ‘victims’, ‘villains’ and ‘crime
sites’ following clues provided via internet
broadcasts which the students viewed on
the interactive whiteboard (IWB).
Each week new clues were revealed by
the online characters and students analysed
the evidence and then worked toward solving
the crime by narrowing down their lists.
The students worked individually as well as
in pairs, groups and as a whole class to solve
the crime.
19
was fun when you had something you could
research, so if you had a clue I could see if
that related to my catchment or my victim
or my villain.”
PLC Sydney has been involved with MUM
for approximately 10 years and it is run as a
competition between the Year 6 classes.
As well as watching the broadcasts on the
IWB the girls used their laptops for research
both in allocated class time and at home.
For Jessica Nikolovski from 6G it has
been the highlight of her year. “I really
enjoyed having to investigate because I love
investigating and getting involved in things;
like issues that involve Australia. It’s sort of
like the kids way of learning about topics
and exploring and learning.”
Year 6 teacher Ms Suellen White said that
the benefits of participating in MUM were
numerous. “MUM provides an opportunity for
the students to work collaboratively as well
as develop their own independent research
skills. The game also provides links across
the curriculum from Science and English
to HSIE and Technology. MUM is exciting
for the girls and is a great team building
exercise.”
Sophie Palmer from 6W enjoyed the
whole class and independent work the best.
“I liked how we read through the messages
as a class and then went home and did our
own researching and then went back and
as a class had a big discussion about it. I
also liked writing information reports on the
victim, villain and crime site. It was fun and
interesting to hear what others had to say.”
When asked about MUM, Maeve
Kelaher from 6K said “I really enjoyed the
researching. I know it sounds weird, but it
And as for the winning class?
Congratulations to 6K for correctly
identifying the crime site, the villain
and the victim. Well done!
A BUMPER DAY IN
THE JUNIOR SCHOOL
Each year students in both the Junior and Senior Schools eagerly anticipate a highlight
on the service learning calendar – Red Cross Bumper Day.
Cupcakes, lollies, jewellery
and games characterise the fun of Red
Cross Bumper Day which is held as an
annual service learning event by Year 3 to 6
students. It is a fun day but the underlying
reason for the event has a serious side. The
funds raised are donated to the Red Cross
to support their efforts in providing various
community services, ranging from blood
supplies and disaster services to first aid
and refugee services.
Retired Junior School teacher, Mrs
Margery Foss, was the first coordinator of
the event when it started in 1987 and has
fond memories of the experience. Mrs Foss
recalled that “in the early days, it was only
for Junior School students. One year there
were more stalls than customers so it was
decided to invite the Senior School girls to
come along. The day became a highlight
for all students.”
The event was originally known as Red
Cross Pedlar Day and in the early 1990s
underwent a name change following a
remark from a student who exclaimed that
“it was a bumper day”. Henceforth it was
known as Red Cross Bumper Day. This year
Red Cross Bumper Day raised approximately
$6000 – a far cry from the $136.87 raised
in its first year.
In the early days, students had to be a
member of the Red Cross Youth in order to
participate. Jillian Riffel, President of the ‘Red
Cross Youth of PLC Primary’ in 1987, made
the following record in the Charity Book:
“Red Cross has a Pedlar Day on Friday
13th March. Almost every member of Red
Cross took part that day by bringing a tray
full of food to sell at recess. Most of the
food was very healthy and very delicious.
The money we raised went to help the
children at Glen Mervyn Red Cross Home.
Thank you to all members of Red Cross
who helped us raise the money for the
home. We raised $136.87.”
But the day is also about more than money.
Run by the Junior School Charity Captains,
the day is an opportunity for the students
to use their initiative and creativity to look
beyond their own circumstances. Junior
School teacher, Ms Lyn Oliver, said “the girls
have to work cooperatively within a group,
plan their stalls and are then responsible on
the day for setting up, selling their wares,
handling money and cleaning up. It is a great
learning experience.
20
Much work was done to improve the day to day lives of
the children through large scale renovations to the kitchens and
bathrooms in each of the houses at the orphanage. Each year a group
of Year 11 students would visit the orphanage and plan further ways
to spend the fundraising money.
VIETNAM
SERVICE
LEARNING:
NEW
BEGINNINGS
Over recent years the Year 11 students at
PLC Sydney have been raising money to
support Birla Children's Village, an orphanage
in Hanoi, Vietnam. Through the work of
Mr Bevan Marshall, Mrs Leonie Brewer and
Mrs Penelope Russell, thousands of dollars
were raised to aid this orphanage which
receives little government assistance.
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After having the wonderful opportunity to take over the position
of running the tour, I took a group of students to Birla in April
2011. The staff and students were very impressed with all of the
improvements PLC had been able to make at the orphanage and
the very good conditions the children and their house mothers were
now living in. We also came to realise that since PLC first started
working with Birla, they now receive a lot more sponsorship from other
agencies so a decision was made to move on and look to supporting
an orphanage that was in greater need of our assistance. Mr Diep the
director of Birla Children’s Village wrote to us with the following words
of thanks:
“We are so proud to have such good friends like you who care for
us and encourage us spiritually and financially. We are so thankful
for your kindness to come help us, regardless of the long distance
and your time, you always tried to help us in all the things you could,
so that the children can live in a better condition.”
Through the use of our contacts at the Vietnam-Australia School, we
decided to change the tour itinerary in 2012 and to visit an orphanage
for disabled children in a remote area known as Ba Vi located on
the outskirts of Hanoi. The aim of this tour was to assess the needs
of the Centre for the Old and Disabled and come up with a plan for
future work. The staff and I were especially concerned about how our
students would react to seeing so many children in the orphanage with
such severe disabilities so we spent much of our time in the lead up to
the trip running preparation sessions.
Overall I was incredibly impressed with the maturity of our students
in handling a very sad and difficult situation and the enthusiasm
they demonstrated towards planning future work at the orphanage.
I am very much looking forward to working with the Year 11 Vietnam
Committee and planning how to best use our fundraising money to
support the Centre for the Old and Disabled in Ba Vi.
I would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff that accompanied
me on the 2012 tour, Mrs Halkidis, Mrs Knapman and Mrs O’Brien.
I would also like to thank Dr Burgis, Mrs Brewer, the PLC Foundation
and the PLC community for their ongoing support.
Miss Thea McLean
Service Learning Coordinator Vietnam
“We first visited the Ba Vi Home for the
Old and Disabled which, whilst incredibly
confronting, most of us felt we had been
well prepared in the lead up to the trip.
At this orphanage we observed a severe
lack of sufficient resources and a lack of
trained staff. Most of the children suffered
from various disabilities.”
Jocelyn Dracakis, Year 11
“The Vietnam Tour was an incredible
experience that granted me a greater
appreciation of the things I too often take
for granted: my parents, home, ample food
and an education. Connecting with and
witnessing the joy and love expressed
by the children, which may have been in
the form of a big hug or as simple as the
reaching out of a hand or the turn of a
head was exceptionally moving.”
Caitlin Ford Year, 11
“On this visit we donated milk powder,
rice, nappies, toys and other resources.
Our funds will also go towards installing
bathrooms and ceiling fans in a new
building at the orphanage as well as looking
to purchase a washing machine in order to
assist the staff.”
Georgina Chard, Year 11
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JOSIE JUMPS
FOR AUSTRALIA
Blazing glory: At a special assembly earlier this year, Josie Nicol (left) and Michele Dawson
(right) were presented with the PLC Sydney Australian Blazer, in recognition of representing
Australia in their chosen sports at the highest international level for their age.
Starting out in Little Athletics at age
six, led Year 11 student Josie Nichol
on a path to the winners dias in her
chosen event of triple jump.
Joining Balmain Little Athletics when she
was around six years old because her parents wanted
her to participate in a sport and the club was nearby,
Josie spent her Saturday mornings running and jumping
for fun. A standout performer at PLC Sydney Junior
School Athletics carnivals since her inception in Year 3,
she started out her athletic career competing in events
such as the 100m Sprint, Long Jump and High Jump.
It was not until around the age of 14 that Josie
started Triple Jumping, a move that led to her
representing her country at the World Junior Athletics
Championships in Barcelona, Spain in July this year.
Josie said that “representing Australia has by far been
my greatest sporting achievement. Also jumping 13.25m
and breaking the Australian under 18 triple jump record
was an amazing accomplishment as well.”
For most of Josie’s track and jumping sessions, she
trains at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre and
Trinity Grammar School for gym and pool sessions. She
is ranked 4th in Australian Open and 6th in International
Youth (under 18) and is in the NSWIS Emerging Talent
Programme, the Australian under 19 Squad and the
Australian Target Talent Programme.
It can be difficult for Josie to juggle school work
with competing and training. She said “getting all my
assignments done on time has been hard but I am
managing.” When not competing or doing school work,
Josie likes to hang out with her friends and loves to
cook but her main focus remains firmly on athletics.
MICHELE ON TRACK
FOR SUCCESS
Having started competing
in the sport of Orienteering
at age 10, Year 12 student
Michele Dawson has been
a stand out performer in
this challenging sport of
endurance and skill.
Michele began in Orienteering
through her dad’s involvement in 12 and
24 hour endurance events. After seeing an
advertisement for Orienteering at one of
these events, her dad thought it would be
a great sport for the whole family to try.
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Her journey in Orienteering led to Michele
being selected to represent Australia at the
Junior World Orienteering Championships in
Slovakia this year. Listing this as her biggest
sporting achievement so far, Michele said
“it was an amazing experience to have the
opportunity to train and compete alongside
the world’s best Orienteers. It has inspired
me to train harder and develop my skills
further to be able to perform better at
next year’s Championships. My best result
overseas was placing 77th in the Middle
Distance Qualification, narrowly missing the
‘A’ Final by three places.”
With Orienteering requiring a lot of travel
to extensive bushland for competitions on
weekends and school holidays, it has been
challenging for Michele to manage the
demands of competing and keep up with
school work, particularly in her HSC year.
“It is often difficult to set aside time to study
as I am either travelling, training or recovering
for the next day of competition.”
Michelle recently competed at the 2012
Australian Orienteering Championships
Carnival in Tasmania and her performance
has led to her being announced in the
Australian Schools Honour team. Michele
will now go on to represent Australia in the
upcoming Oceania Championships being
held in New Zealand in early January.
BELINDA’S
SUCCESS
PAR FOR THE
COURSE
Year 4 student Belinda Ji, started playing
golf at the tender age of seven. Her golfing
prowess on the course has started her
journey to achieve her goal – representing
Australia at the Olympic Games.
When asked about how she became involved in golf Belinda said “I tried a few golf lessons first
and I had a lot of fun. Now I really enjoy playing golf.” Belinda is currently a member at Concord Golf
Club, where she was granted the Scholarship of Junior Membership, and is the youngest member to
have received this honour.
It can be difficult for Belinda to juggle her school commitments with competing. “Sometimes I need to
compete in four day tournaments and I have to leave school for the whole week. During this period, I still
bring my school work with me, as I want to continue doing well at school.” When Belinda needs some
time out she likes to go shopping, listen to music and play on the computer.
Belinda’s success on the golf course has seen her selected for the state team and represent the
NSWPSSA at the Australian Primary Schools Golf Championship. She believes her biggest golfing
achievement so has been in the NSW Primary Schools Golf Championship event. “I came first in the
girls nett and second in the girls scratch. And I am the only Year 4 girl selected in the state team
– the other girls are all in Year 6.”
With golf returning to the summer Olympic Games in 2016 Belinda is on track to realise her dream.
ELENA MAKES A SPLASH
Multi-talented Year 5 student
Elena Ng is making a name
for herself in both diving and
gymnastics.
After starting gymnastics at
the age of three years old because “my
sister did gym and we went together,”
Elena has gone from strength to strength.
She now trains at PLC Sydney and is a
member of the Gymnastics NSW National
Development Program Squad (Level 4).
This year Elena placed in the top 10 at the
State Championships in gymnastics.
When Elena was eight years old she also
decided to give diving a try. “My friends told
me it was fun so I went along.” Training at
PLC Sydney for diving, just “going along”, has
led to amazing success for Elena.
She placed 5th in the School Sport Australia
Diving in 2012 and has been selected into
the Emerging Talent Squad with the NSW
Institute of Sport. Elena is the current PSSA
State Age Champion, a title she also held in
2010 and 2011.
As Elena progresses in gymnastics and
diving, training demands increase and it can
be difficult for her to manage the additional
school work as she gets older. Elena explains
that “I am also involved in music groups and
other co-curricular activities. Time is always
an issue but you learn to deal with it.”
When not training, competing or doing
school work, Elena likes to relax by reading,
playing computer games or watching
television. She also tries to fit in practicing
her musical instruments.
When asked about her sporting ambitions,
Elena replied “I would like to keep on
improving in both of my sports and perhaps
represent Australia one day.”
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ALUMNI
THE ESU
WELCOMES
A NEW
PRESIDENT
After three years as President, Mrs Robyn
McBride handed over the reigns of the
Ex-Students' Union to Sara Keli in 2012.
I am thrilled to be the President of the
PLC Sydney Ex-Students’ Union and to
continue to foster the relationship between
the ex-students and the College. I finished
at PLC eleven years ago in 2001. In some
ways my memories of running to Croydon
station to catch the train, lunchtimes spent
wandering the beautiful grounds and of
course hours spent in class preparing for the
HSC seem distant. Yet, when I walk through
the school gates I instantly feel like I am
welcomed back to the warmth and love that
is the PLC family.
After leaving PLC I studied a Bachelor of
Liberal Studies at Sydney University and fell
into an Honours year in Human Resources
Management. Since graduating in 2006 I
have worked in various Human Resources
roles in the Finance industry, travelled, taken
on the role of Editor of Kid Magazine, joined
the Board of Dress for Success Sydney
and married a wonderful man. Throughout
each of these elements of my life post
25
school, there has been a strong connection
to PLC that has helped me immeasurably.
Everywhere I turn there seem to be exstudents willing to help me in my journey and
likewise me in theirs. I have had mentors,
colleagues and friends from not just my year
at school but across the generations.
With the 125 year celebrations of PLC
Sydney in 2013, I am excited by the
opportunities we have to celebrate a
wonderful school that is so close to all of
our hearts. As an ex-student community
this is also our chance to say thank you to
our school for many years of education,
friendship and community. For many exstudents, the grounds of PLC look very
different to when they attended school but
one thing they will agree remains is the
school spirit and all that it entails.
In 2013, the Ex-Students’ Union will
be joining the events at PLC and also
celebrating with a special lunch on Jersey
Day, an annual event where all ex-students’
are welcomed back to the College. We
will continue our Card Day, Archibald ‘Art
Before Hours’ Tour, Networking Breakfast
and Mothers and Grandmothers Afternoon
Tea. We welcome everyone from the PLC
Community to our events so if you would
like more information please contact me on
[email protected]. If you are a member of
the Ex-students’ Union and would like to get
more involved in the committee or attending
events we would also love to hear from you!
Sara Keli (née Thorp)
To become a member of the
Ex-Students' Union, visit the
‘Our Community’ section on
the PLC Sydney website at
www.plc.nsw.edu.au.
ALUMNI
EX-STUDENTS
Josephine Williams
(neÉ Cripps)
Year of graduation: 1975
Since leaving school I have…
After finishing at PLC I completed a degree
in Pharmacy at the University of Sydney.
I worked for a few years in hospital
pharmacy and gradually became more
interested in public health, health education
and postgraduate study in education. This
lead to work at the NSW Health Department
where I worked for many years on a range of
pharmacy related projects and more recently
with non-government health organisations
on heath initiatives from quality use of
medicines to the retention of specialists
in rural communities.
Annabelle Williams
School achievements from Years
11 and 12:
Miss L. Thompson Prize for School ViceCaptain; PLC Academic Medallion for
tenth in year and Certificate for Academic
Achievement; Prize for first place in
Geography; Dr RV Rickard Memorial Prize for
Outstanding Performance; PLC Ex-Students’
Union Scholarship 2005 and 2006; AHIGS
Festival of Speech first place (Current Affairs
division); Chairperson of SRC; and PLC
Sydney Public Speaking Competition - Winner
Senior Section.
Since leaving school I have… Studied Law
and International Relations at Bond University.
During that time I completed two internships.
The first was in 2009 in Paris where I worked
for Austrade in the Australian Embassy and
the second was in Washington DC where I
worked for Perennial Sports and Entertainment
where I had exposure to a number of things
ranging from negotiating player contracts
for NFL players to working with Google
on community and Government relations.
Represented Australia at a number of events
as a member of the Australian Paralympic
Swimming Team including the 2012
Paralympic Games in London where I won a
gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay. Other
events include the 2010 Commonwealth
Games (silver medalist, 50m freestyle); 2010
World Championships; 2009 World Short
Course Swimming Championships (silver
medalist, 100m butterfly and bronze medalist,
50m freestyle); and the 2008 Paralympic
Games (bronze medalist, 100m butterfly).
Current occupation: Finishing my Law and
International Relations degree and then in
Feburary 2013 I will be starting work with
corporate law firm Allens Arthur Robinson
in Sydney.
Current city and country of residence:
Washington DC, USA… for three months…
then back to Sydney!
In the past few years I have worked with
my husband in his pharmacy management
consulting company. This has been an
exciting opportunity to help build a business
and to continue working in the pharmacy
profession. Working part-time has allowed
me to enjoy new study in the world of textiles
and upholstery. I also play tennis, read,
walk and head up to the Blue Mountains
to bushwalk whenever possible. And I
always love catching up with my old school
friends. A couple of years on the PLC ExStudents’ Union Committee provided a great
opportunity to reconnect with the school and
with other ex-students and to get to know
the great team on the Committee.
We have been very fortunate to have lived
overseas and travelled widely over the years;
many trips with the added excitement of
watching our daughter Annabelle represent
Australia in swimming, the highlights being
two Commonwealth Games and two
Paralympics. One of the most memorable
times was in 2006 when Annabelle
competed at the Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne during her Year 12 at PLC.
The thrill of seeing Annabelle swim in front
of a home crowd and then the overwhelming
support that she received from PLC was
unforgettable and was the inspiration for
Annabelle continuing with her swimming
at the elite level for another 6 years.
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ALUMNI
EX-STUDENTS
THE crichton FAMILY
Fiona Finlay (nEÉ Crichton)
Jane Crichton
Since leaving school I have… Believe
it or not, I have furthered my education,
completing a Diploma of Teaching, Post
Graduate Diploma of Social Science and
currently undertaking a Masters in Child
and Adolescent Welfare.
My working life has seen me working in a
variety of Children’s Services both in rural
isolated communities and in Sydney. This in
turn, has been shared with travel throughout
Australia and overseas. After spending two
years in the Kimberley I returned to make
my home in Wagga Wagga, where I have
worked with Family and Community Services
(formerly DoCS) for the past 10 years.
Although I am based in Wagga our region
covers 76% of the state, allowing me to
experience not only diversity with my core
job responsibilities but also in the
communities and cultures I work with.
Some of my favourite memories from
school are... The delicious cinnamon crepes
for breakfast and Sunday lunch. Treats from
Miss Keown.
Being so embarrassed on Speech Day, when
I received the Eunice Macindoe Prize for
Reliability (my friends and I use to think it
was only the nerds who were awarded
it, looking back I was probably the queen
of nerds!).
27
Setting the smoke detectors off in the Tower
while cooking toast, NOT SMOKING…
consequently the entire boarding school was
evacuated, the Fire Brigade arrived, to find a
charcoal piece of toast stuck in the toaster
whilst I was on the phone! This resulted in
me having to spend the whole of the next
school holidays in the shearing shed to
pay back the fine for the false alarm.
Miss Rennie dressing up every year
for the Borders vs Day girl relay.
And as for the rest, I am sorry, what
happened in the 80s at PLC stays in
the 80s!
What do you remember with fondness
when you look back at school with your
sisters? At the beginning of term, standing
on the front steps of the school in Year 12
crying whilst Fiona and Julia were smiling
and laughing saying goodbye to Mum
and Dad.
Pay back on muck-up night.
Witnessing one of my sisters (no names
mentioned) having to get out of bed in the
mornings without abusing anyone.
Current occupation: Community
Programs Officer.
Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Since leaving school I have… worked
in photography as a freelance and
wedding photographer. After 15 years
of photographing and digital took over, I hung my cameras up and became a
full-time mum (domestic goddess) to my
two children (Hugh 15 years and Holly
13 years). I am now working at Young
High School as a Student Learning
Support Officer.
school are... boarding life, giving Miss
Rennie grief and Sport. Melissa Cooke
and I always scaring each other around
the corridors and unfortunately one day I
scared Sister McInnes who was in charge
of boarding at the time... gated for the
weekend!
when you look back at school with
your sisters? Boarding life, Miss Rennie
(Home Ec.), and two dear friends who I
still stay in contact with, Melissa Cooke
(Riss) and Elizabeth Jackson (Libby).
I loved having my sisters, cousins,
neighbours from Young and many girls
from all over NSW all living under the
one roof!
Current occupation:
Student Learning Support Officer.
Current city and country of residence: Young, NSW.
ALUMNI
Julia Englert (neÉ Crichton)
Since leaving school I have… worked in Administration mainly
in the rural sector throughout NSW and one year on a working holiday
to England.
Some of my favourite memories from school are…friends; being
a Boarder; Miss Rennie’s laugh; being one of Miss Keown’s ‘helpers’;
forgetting a line when taking my oath as Ferguson House Captain,
something about ‘honouring the school’ – oops!; eating two trays of
cheesecake in one sitting! - I don’t eat cheesecake now… that one
I will never forget; and Boarders vs Day girls Athletics Relay.
What do you remember with fondness when you look back at
school with your sisters? It was great having sisters and cousins at
school. They were like security blankets - if you needed them, they were
always there!
I do remember when Jane was in Year 12 and I was in Year 9 she would
bribe me with jam on toast in bed at 6.15 am so I would get up and get
down to the running track for Boarders’ Relay Practice. I have never
been an early bird but food would always do the trick.
Current occupation: Quite apt for this article. I have been the School
Administration Secretary at St Columba’s, Yeoval NSW for the past
eight years and love working in a school. I also teach Business
Administration at TAFE. The best job of all is being a mother.
Current city and country of residence: Baldry, NSW (4 hours west
of Sydney near Orange).
jobs in Canberra, Young and Orange. I later
gained qualifications in Marketing and spent
many years as a Marketing and Careers
Coordinator in Health.
I have recently finished working for an
Indigenous Organisation as a Community
Development Officer working in the
Aboriginal Communities in Western NSW.
I worked closely with the youth and managed
programs to assist them with career
opportunities and pathways.
Prue Crichton
Year of graduation: 1990 (Boarders’
Vice-Captain)
Since leaving school I have… After
school I moved back home to Young and
completed a secretarial course through
TAFE and worked in various Vet Nursing
For the past 18 months I have slowly
been building up a photography business,
2CPhotography (www.2cphotography.com.
au), specialising in commercial and candid
equine photography. I spend most of my
weekends either photographing and or
competing on my horse. I have photographed
various horse events such as Dressage
Championships, State Breed Championships,
International Eventing Competitions and
numerous Campdraft, Team Penning and
Pony Club events. Next year I’d like to work
towards putting together a coffee table book
on all things horses.
I have lived in Dubbo for the past 14 years
and own a gorgeous little 3 bedroom house.
I live there with my family of two dogs and
a cat… I have not married (yet!) but am
waiting to get off that round-about to find my
prince charming who’s apparently just around
the corner!
school are...
The great friendships made whilst at school.
Saturday Sport (it meant I got to go out of
the school grounds for the morning!).
Having eating competitions at dinner - seeing
which table could eat the most rissoles and
sausages... It always ended badly with the
sisters holding us back after dinner and
having to either wash up for a week or be
gated for the following weekend!
Home Economics with Miss Rennie…
she always loved the boarders.
Year 11 Play with Miss Keown ‘Think of the
Magic.’ I can still remember my first line
“Ma where’s the chips!”
Looking after Miss Keown in Year 11 and
getting a Kit Kat from her glove box every
afternoon!
when you look back at school with your
sisters? Miss Keown and Miss Rennie.
Current occupation: I am working for
Western NSW Local Health District as the
Quality Manager for Mental Health Drug &
Alcohol.
Dubbo, NSW.
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ALUMNI
louise harris
School achievements from Years 11 and 12: School Captain
Since leaving school I have … travelled the world, joined the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, learned Japanese and
moved to Tokyo.
My favourite moment as a School Captain was… looking
forward to hearing about everyone’s adventures at our 10 year
reunion.
My advice to the Senior School students is… leap at every
opportunity that comes your way, ignore those who doubt you
and, above all, keep calm and study on!
Current occupation: Diplomat.
Current city and country of residence: Tokyo, Japan.
Jan van der Weide
(nÉe Wilton)
School achievements: Winner of the Tildesley Shield
Singles in 1972 and 1973.
Since leaving school I have… I left PLC Sydney in 1973 to
follow my dream of playing competitive tennis. This led me to
competing at Wimbledon in 1976 in the Ladies’ Doubles where
my partner and I made it through the qualifying games to the
first round of the Championship. In 1976 I also played in the
Australian Representative team (under 21 years) in the Annie
Soisbault Cup which was held in Poland.
During my competitive playing days I was ranked the No. 1
Junior (18 years and under) in Australia and throughout my
career I played against the likes of Evonne Goolagong-Cawley,
Martina Navratilova and Sue Barker. I reached No. 113 on the
world rankings.
I ran a tennis business for twenty years before joining PLC
Sydney in 1997 as Head Coach. I married and had two children,
divorced, married again and now also have a step-daughter and
step-son. We were like the Brady Bunch – he had the cat, I had
the dog and we both had two kids!
One of my funniest memories from school is... My sister,
Gai, would always rise when the alarm went off in the mornings,
unlike me. I depended on her to wake me up which she usually
did. There were however a couple of occasions where she
chose to teach me a lesson or two. She would wake me as she
was leaving to catch the bus. Naturally I would fly out of bed and
attempt to also catch the bus as in those days school students
were not allowed to catch the following two buses. The end
result of course was that I ended up walking to school from
Earlwood to Croydon usually carrying the heavy Globite school
case full of heavy text books, PE sports bag and my tennis
racquet. Did I learn from this? I'll say yes as having now been
working at PLC for the past 15 years I usually rise at 5:30 am!
Current occupation: Tennis Coordinator, PLC Sydney.
Current city and country of residence: Sydney, NSW.
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I left PLC Sydney in 1973 to follow my
dream of playing competitive tennis. This led
me to competing at Wimbledon in 1976...
ALUMNI
FORMER OLYMPIANS
Elizabeth Walker
(neé fraser)
for the record
Years at PLC Sydney: 1946 – 1957. Won
the Senior Championship at the All Schools
Swimming Sports in the record time of 30.4
seconds in 1957.
Sport: Swimming.
Competitions: Australian Junior
Championship 1955; 200m freestyle
Olympic Games, Melbourne, 1956.
In 1956 the Olympic Games were held in
Melbourne and fifteen year old PLC student
Elizabeth Fraser was a member of the
Australian Swimming Team. Elizabeth had
been a student here since 1946; indeed, she
was “the only one in Kindergarten who could
dive for pennies in the shallow end of the
school pool.”
“I can’t remember being taught how to
swim,” Elizabeth smiled, “I seem to have
always known how. My mother couldn’t
swim, so she didn’t teach me. I grew up
in Stanmore but we often visited relatives
in Dee Why and Collaroy on Sundays and
we always swam then. The sports teacher
told my parents that I would benefit from
swimming training, so when I was 12 my
parents arranged for me to start training
at the Enfield pool.”
”My father drove me every morning around
5.30 am and stayed at the pool while I had
training,” she continued.” He would have
a swim himself and then wait for me to
finish. He would drive me home for a quick
breakfast, and then I’d take the train to PLC.
My mother took me to training after school.”
Frank Guthrie was her coach. Guthrie
trained several Olympians, including Lorraine
Crapp. Elizabeth and Lorraine both joined the
Cabarita Swimming Club. The hard training
paid dividends: in 1955 Elizabeth won the
Australian Junior Championship in the 200m
freestyle event. In the lead-up to selection
for the 1956 Olympic team, she was invited
to train at the Tobruk pool in Townsville. At
that time there weren’t many indoor pools
and the training season for swimmers
was extended by travelling to the warmer
Queensland climate.
I can’t remember being taught how to swim...
I seem to have always known how.
The Olympic Games had not been held
in Australia before, so being part of the
Australian team in 1956 was especially
exciting. Elizabeth marched in the Opening
and Closing ceremonies. Female team
members received two skirts and two berets,
cream and grey, to wear with the green
blazer. Swimmers received two swimming
suits and two track suits, plus a supply of
Palmolive brand toiletries.
Elizabeth taught her two children to swim
and, more recently, her two grandchildren.
She joined a triathlon club in the 1980s and
ran triathlons and fun runs until she turned
65 years of age. Living near the beach in one
of Sydney’s southern suburbs, Elizabeth and
her husband swim a mile most mornings. “I
made a lot of friends at the Olympics. I think
the experience made me enjoy sports more,”
she asserts.
According to Elizabeth, “My best event
was the 200 m freestyle but this wasn’t one
of the events at the 1956 Olympics.” So she
became one of six chosen for the 4 x 100 m
freestyle relay team. In a cruel twist of fate
she just missed out in the final selection of
the four to swim the relay and so did not
swim. It was a bitter personal disappointment,
although the team, which included Dawn
Fraser and Lorraine Crapp, captured a gold
medal for the event.
Reflections and advice
Post 1956 Olympics
Her advice for any would-be Olympians
at her old school today can be summed up
in one word: enjoyment. “Just go for it,” she
advises, “but remember, you must enjoy it.
If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it.”
“After the Olympics I continued to train for
two years, but when I missed out in being
selected for the 1958 Empire Games I
stopped swimming,” Elizabeth relates. “It was
time to move on and do something else.”
She sat the Intermediate Certificate exams
at PLC – in Miss Macindoe’s office – before
she went to Townsville for training and then
went to business college. This training led to
work in a solicitor’s office.
Elizabeth Walker (née Fraser) was an
Olympian more than 50 years ago. Have
our attitudes toward sport, and the Olympics
in particular, changed? Elizabeth believes
they have. “I think swimming was more fun
then. There wasn’t so much pressure to get
a medal. Our parents paid for most of our
training and maybe we got a medal. Today it’s
a business now and money is an incentive.
Winning is too important now.”
Sources: Interview with Elizabeth Walker, July 2012,
Aurora Australis, Wikipedia.
30
Learning to fence
ALUMNI
After finishing her Leaving Certificate
in 1938 Catherine didn’t want to go to
university. “I’d had enough of school but the
choices for women then weren’t as great as
today. You could be a teacher, a nurse or get
a clerical job such as working in a bank.”
Catherine went to the Swords Club, then
in Rushcutters Bay, which was founded by
Frank Stewart in 1913. She completed a
two-year diploma program that qualified
her to be a “Games Mistress” so that she
could teach sports in schools. It was at the
Swords Club that she learned to fence.
“Frank Stewart was the one who really
taught me how to fence” she said. “I’d always
been interested in fencing and liked reading
about it in historical novels like the Three
Musketeers.”
Fencing captivated Catherine. Thanks to
financial support from her family she lived
in Paris for two years and in 1948 attained
the Maître d’Armes, the highest qualification
a fencer can achieve, from the Academie
d’Armes.
The Olympic experience
Catherine Onslow
(neé Pym)
for the record
Years at PLC Sydney: 1927 – 1938.
Captain Kinross House.
Sport: Fencing, Women’s Foil, Individual.
Competitions: British Empire Games,
Auckland, 1950 (Bronze medallion);
Olympic Games, Helsinki, 1952.
Catherine Pym was one of the six members
of the Australian fencing team for the 1952
Olympic Games in Helsinki. She had been a
student at PLC from 1927 to 1938 and was
Captain of Kinross House in 1938. Catherine
competed in the British Empire Games in
Auckland in 1950, where she earned a
bronze medallion in the Women’s Individual
Foil event.
“Sport in those days was for fun,” Catherine
reflected at a recent interview, “You never
thought of earning money from it. In 1952,
the government paid my airfare not from
Sydney to Helsinki, but only from Paris to
Helsinki. I got the uniform to wear at the
opening and closing ceremonies and a track
suit, but that was it. We paid for our own
fencing uniforms and our own equipment.”
31
Before the Olympics in Helsinki in 1952,
Catherine undertook further training in Paris.
She stayed in the Family Hotel, which was
owned by the wife of the fencing master,
Maître Battesti, and was just opposite the
Ritz although not nearly as elegant. “It was
very moderately priced and I moved in there.
I got a simple meal every night – normally a
bowl of soup. Prices were very high in Paris
after the war and many things were in short
supply. I remember often having a hard boiled
egg and a small glass of beer for breakfast
because they were available and the beer
was cheaper than coffee!”
In Helsinki, women of all nationalities lived
separately from the men and the fencing
events were held at a separate venue.
According to Catherine, “the opening
ceremony was quite simple compared
to the big performances of today. All the
teams marched into the field, there were
some speeches, the Olympic Flame was lit,
the Games were declared open and then
hundreds of pigeons were released into
the air.”
“Sport then was a pleasure,” Catherine
believes. “We didn’t have the pressure of
‘you’re here, you must get a medal’. I did my
best, but I didn’t do it for the glory”. Indeed,
of the 4925 athletes who competed at the
Helsinki Games only 268 were fencers and
of them only 37 were women. Catherine
explained that “historically the Europeans
ALUMNI
were the high achievers in fencing.
There were regular competitions in
Europe whereas here there weren’t
competitions. So in comparison, we were
an inexperienced team.” Sadly, the team
brought home no medals.
Years at PLC 1927-1938
Catherine grew up during the Depression
and believes she and her sister Hillary
were lucky to be able to go to PLC
Sydney. “I was always very happy at PLC,”
she remembers. Miss Froggatt was her
Kindergarten teacher and the classroom
was upstairs in Shubra Hall in what is
now the Principal’s Office.
During her time at PLC Catherine
served as Captain or Vice-Captain of
the Rounders, Netball and Swimming
committees, and was a member of the
Student Christian Movement Committee.
In her final year she was a Prefect and
Captain of Kinross House. Looking back,
she feels her most interesting teacher
was Miss Wills, the History teacher. “She
was a good teacher and also looked a bit
like Wallis Simpson, who of course was in
the news in the mid-late 1930s because
of her link with King Edward VIII.”
The College marked its 50th anniversary
in 1938, Catherine’s last year. She
remembers the Under This Gum Tree
pageant put on to mark the event. She
believes she was in the speaking chorus
and remembers wearing a white Grecian
style costume. “I think my younger sister
Hillary was a koala.”
Advice to potential Olympians
Catherine’s advice to those who harbour
a dream to be an Olympian is simple.
“Get the support of your family. My father
supported me in what I wanted to do.
He was born in New Zealand of English
parents. He went to Melbourne as a boy
and went to Geelong Grammar School.
He was in World War I and met my mother
while in the UK. They married and came
to Australia after World War I. They were
in the Quarantine Station at North Head.
What an introduction to Australia for my
mother!”
Sources: Interview with Catherine Onslow, June
2012, Aurora Australis, The Swords Club, SR/
Olympic Sports, Wikipedia.
PLC SYDNEY
VISITS YOUNG
On Sunday 17 June the College held a Luncheon with
the Principal at The Country Club in Young. The Principal,
Dr Paul Burgis and his wife Susan, Director of Boarding,
Ms Pauline Turner, Registrar, Mrs Catherine Marvell (neé
Davidson) and Edwina Hobson (a current Year 9 boarder
from Young) represented the College on the day.
It was a wonderful opportunity for past, current and future families
to gather together and hear from Dr Burgis about how PLC is going and where it is
heading. The past Boarders especially enjoyed listening to Edwina talk about life in the
Boarding House today, assisted by Ms Turner. They were amazed to hear that the food
was great and that the tower was now an office.
The venue arranged by Mrs Janine Hobson (Edwina’s mother) was conducive
to relaxed conversations, reminiscing and much laughter. Ms Rosalind Rennie (past
teacher) also drove up from Sydney for the day much to the delight of those ex-students
present. Family names of some who attended were Bassingthwaighte, Bull, Carter,
Crichton, Maxwell, Robinson and Shannon.
The College will be looking into repeating these events in other areas of country
NSW in the future. If you are interested is assisting, please email Mrs Catherine Marvell
via [email protected].
Ms Debby Cramer
Archivist
32
ALUMNI
THE COLLEGE REUNITES
WITH OUR ALUMNI
This year the College welcomed back the 2002, 1992, 1982 and 1972 Alumni.
Each afternoon was a huge success with the women most impressed with the new
additions to the College as well as reminiscing about those surroundings that were so
familiar to them and the incidents they brought to mind. Each afternoon involved a tour
of the College, a presentation of photos from their era as well as time to chat and catch
up with friends.
These events are an opportunity to catch up with colleagues at the 'scene of the crime', and for the College to find out about
'our girls' beyond the green gates.
Future Alumni events can be found on our website www.plc.nsw.edu.au/page/events.
Mrs Catherine Marvell
Registrar
Some comments heard at these
events were:
“Wow! The pool. Bit different to the old one with
the dressing shed.”
“I thought I had forgotten so many things
from my school days but they have just come
flooding back. What fun we had.”
“I don’t know what it is exactly but even though
there have been some major physical changes it
still feels the same.” “Thanks for our very personalised tour and
reunion. I can't believe how much I enjoyed seeing
everyone again and wandering around PLC.”
“Thank you for inviting us back. It has been
fabulous.”
“Did you know that the Art teacher from 1972,
Mrs Susan Williams went on to marry Crown
prince Leka of Albania and became known as
Queen Susan of the Albanians”.
33
focus on
PhillipPa
Carnemolla
Workshop in progress: Phillippa Carnemolla working with Lucy from the
Eastern Respite and Recreation Centre on the leaves of the ‘Breathing
Conifer’ sculpture. Photo by Fiona Morris.
Since walking through the gates as a student for the final time in 1990, ex-student
Phillippa Carnemolla has gone on to build a successful career as a designer – with
two distinct pathways.
After graduating from PLC Sydney, Phillippa completed a
degree in Industrial Design at UTS and worked in consultancies
before embarking on a Masters in Design (by research). The topic
of her research – investigating how Mass Customisation and new
production technologies could change the face of manufacture and
mass production of products – led to former Principal, Dr McKeith,
asking Phillippa in 2000 to speak to students at PLC Sydney about
her research and why she found it so fascinating.
Phillippa has developed two sides to her practice as a designer.
Firstly, as a researcher and academic in the Enabling Built
Environments Program at the University of New South Wales, and
secondly as an artist and jeweller. Her work as an academic has
led Phillippa to a field of research she is very passionate about
– investigating the ways accessible environments can eliminate
disability. Phillippa said “our environment, including the buildings
we live and work in and the public space we move through, has the
ability to disable or enable each of us as individuals with our individual
health and mobility profiles.” As part of her current PhD studies she
is undertaking, Phillippa is researching how home modifications can
help people stay at home longer as they age and health may begin to
decline. She believes “home modifications can prevent or offset the
need to enter residential care, improve safety in the home and reduce
the risk of falls.”
Phillippa’s other love is her role as a practicing artist, jeweller and
designer. It is this role that has seen Phillippa reconnect with PLC
Sydney this year. In October she exhibited her recent works in the
Adelaide Perry Gallery together with artist Lisa Jones. Phillippa said
“my creative works are inspired and driven by the geometry of nature;
I create sculpture and jewellery that pay homage to the mathematical
codes of the universe. In my recent creations I have been inspired by
the geometry of flora and fauna.”
Initially Phillippa began exhibiting her works in 2009 and was
thrilled to be selected as the artist-in-residence this year for the Royal
Botanic Gardens in Sydney. This role has led to a project involving a
team of young people from the Come In Youth Centre and Eastern
Recreation and Respite Centre. The project is a large public sculpture
- the “Breathing Conifer” (a hanging copper seed pod made from over
150 copper leaves) – with the leaves being coloured by the young
participants.
Phillippa has expanded on the participatory aspect of her residency
through engaging our PLC Sydney Transition students. The students
contributed to the production of the sculpture by colouring individual
copper leaves each of which will be incorporated into the final work
to be installed in the Fernery at the Royal Botanical Gardens in
March 2013.
Phillippa said of her residency “from the start I felt strongly that
I wanted to share this wonderful experience and opportunity at the
Botanic Gardens with a group of people for whom a high-profile,
artistic experience would not typically be available. This project
addresses the problem of isolation and exclusion felt by young
people who are living with a disability or in a situation of disadvantage.
This is addressed through the creative arts in an accessible and
inclusive setting.”
This year Phillippa’s felt artwork The Reunion Angel was the
winning entry in the Women on Boards Art Prize. Reunion Angel
(Fushia) was commissioned by the Macindoe Research Centre and
is a part of the the PLC Sydney Collection. Visit www.phillippa.com.au
to view a gallery of her work.
34
Phone (+612) 9704 5666
Fax (+612) 9744 0519
Email [email protected]
www.plc.nsw.edu.au
All material appearing in Connect is copyright.
Reproduction is not permitted unless otherwise authorised.
MP;PR3231;-2012-12
Boundary Street Croydon NSW 2132

tRAnsIt oF venus - Presbyterian Ladies` College

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