10 LinkedIn - Lauriston Girls' School · engineers, and information and communications technology professionals. ... motivating them, the teacher is the most important. - Bill Gates

10LinkedIn Emily Atkins understands people

14HowquaA love affair with letters

18Kindergarten Merging technology and nature

30Brief – to build a fairy house Year 1 take on the challenge

EDITION 3 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Lauriston LifeThe magazine of Lauriston Girls’ School

Lauriston Girls’ School38 Huntingtower RoadArmadale VIC 3143 Australia

t: +61 3 9864 7555e: [email protected]

CRICOS number 00152FABN 15 004 264 402

1. Robyn Ambler 2. Sally de Guingand 3. Fiona Ireland4. Sarah Jessup 5. Susan Just (Principal) 6. Kate Nixon 7. Sam Ridley 8. Annette Rome 9. Kellie Ryan 10. Nick Thornton 11. Chris Toms12. Louise Torney 13. Katrina Walter 14. Cherie Worthington

ON THE COVER: Emily Atkins PHOTOGRAPHER: Kim MennanDESIGN: Actual Size PRINTING: New Artworx

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CONTRIBUTORS

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CONTENTS.

FEATURED STORIES

8 Media mavens Making content is fun

30 Fairy housesMaking bespoke houses for Lauriston’s fairies

20 Netting the bestOur favourite online tools

THIS ISSUE

4 From the PrincipalThe technological balance

26 Cultural exchangeNoonkanbah trip

16Junior School Girls who code

34 The annual appeal wrap-up The great support will make a significant impact

6 Lauriston high achieversFrom birdies on golf courses to great debates

Digital artwork: Charlotte Butler (Year 4)

10 The change agentEmily Atkins is adept at managing change

COVER STORY

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

New ways of thinking and working Last year a report found that almost half of current Australian jobs were at high risk as a result of computerisation and technology over the next 20 years. Jobs most likely to be impacted were those where computer learning systems or robotics can perform simple and routine tasks faster and more accurately than humans.

This report was the latest

in a long line indicating

that employment

requiring high levels

of social intelligence,

technical ability and

creative intelligence are

the most likely to endure.

We will continue to need

doctors, nurses, teachers,

engineers, and information

and communications

technology professionals.

As we embrace technology at Lauriston, then, we begin

from the notion that young people need a balanced

set of cognitive, social and emotional skills to adapt to

the economic, social and technological challenges of

the 21st century. Our young people must be equipped

to thrive in a competitive environment where there

is greater work mobility and higher expectations of

education.

Research indicates that 75% of the fastest growing

occupations will require STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics) skills and training. There

is a demand for STEM graduates yet Australia is behind

on a number of key indicators when compared with

other OECD countries.

We need to do more than offer a range of STEM

based subjects at primary and secondary level. In

this global employment market, our young women’s

character skills, such as perseverance, self-esteem and

interpersonal skills, will be just as necessary as their

cognitive skills and technical abilities.

I endorse the view expressed on the recent ABC Four

Corners program, Future Proof, that young people need

to develop a skill set which enables them to learn how

to build and design. Through challenge-based learning

our students are learning to work collaboratively and

can put both their academic learning and dispositions

of risk-taking, perseverance and resilience into practice.

Our digital fabrication laboratory, the enhancement of

computational thinking and the inquiry-based activities

we undertake with our students from Prep onwards

build the cognitive and social-emotional skills of our

students. We continue to enhance our curriculum to

enable our students to put their learning into practice

and to access more challenge-based activities.

Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.- Bill Gates

EDITION 03 | SEP 2016

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We must provide opportunities for our young women

to progressively build on their cognitive and social-

emotional skills if we aspire to provide them with an

education that will enable them to meet the demands

of the future workforce and life. It is important that we

understand and embrace all of these building blocks.

SUSAN JUST

Principal

Sources:

CSIRO and VicHealth, “Bright Futures 2016: Megatrends impacting the mental wellbeing of young Victorians over the coming 20 years”

Deloitte, “Deloitte Access Economics Report: Annual Skills Priority Report”, 2014

PwC, “A Smart Move: Future-proofing Australia’s workforce by growing skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)”, 2015

We are committed to giving attention to enterprise

skills. Young people in the future will need to be able

to make opportunities for themselves, whether this is

establishing their own business or working across a

number of businesses where their skills will be valued.

We have already seen the growth of start-up businesses

and entrepreneurs who are finding their market niche.

New business models that are digitally-enabled and

more agile will continue to develop and empower

entrepreneurs to create new businesses. The impact of

globalisation on the future of work is becoming more

evident. We may see portfolio workers in the future who

will travel the world, selling their skills and knowledge

to multiple employers.

The future of employment is changing and as a school

we must reconsider the purpose of education and

the skills and dispositions we believe are important.

Andreas Schleicher from the Directorate of Education

and Skills, OECD, said that we need to think about

the sort of people we want to create tomorrow’s

world and what the fundamental building blocks are

to shape it. When we do this we arrive at “ways of

thinking”, including creative and critical thinking and

problem solving and “ways of working” that include

collaboration, social-emotional skills, resilience,

leadership and empathy. Digital literacy lies within the

“tools for working” element of the skills that young

people need.

Lauriston staff Emma Steer, Tamara Lovett and Anne Seares with Susan at the Musical Celebration

Joanna Bunting (1999) tours the FabLab with Susan

Susan wih School Captains (Julia Benoit and Tara Dublijevic) and Annette Rome

Lauriston LifeEDITION 03 | SEP 2016

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Lauriston high achievers Chasing chess successThe Lauriston chess team has qualified for the

upcoming Victorian primary girls schools final after

placing fourth in the recent Chess Victoria zonal

tournament. Congratulations to all members of this

dedicated team: Valerie Chionh, Abigale Fu, Lara Elliot,

Holly Rice, Evelyn Song and Siobhan Hearst. Thank you

also to chess coach Mr Leonid Sandler for his ongoing

support and to Mrs Kate Collin, our chess coordinator,

for organising the tournament and supervising the girls.

Grace Mak, golf champGolf ace Grace Mak (Year 5) is making great strides

in the sporting world. Grace’s great results at the

recent Victorian primary schools 9 Hole divisional

event, including a birdie on a par 3, qualified her for

November’s regional final.

The coaching staff of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club

MyGolf Program has also identified Grace as showing

talent and enthusiasm to further her golf development,

inviting her to be involved in a hand-picked bridging

group. This exclusive program brings together juniors

with similar skills and golfing aptitude, assisting them

with scoring, improving their knowledge of basic rules

and introducing them to the high standards of etiquette

required for golf in the Royal Melbourne Junior Pathway.

One of our chess teams

Getting ready to tee-off (Photo credit: John Hearst)


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Mathematical Games DayThis term eight Year 4 students joined together to

compete at the state-wide Mathematical Games Day.

The day, held at Essendon’s Lowther Hall, saw the girls

working cooperatively to solve a wide range of maths

challenges, beginning with the morning’s session of

worded problems. The girls enjoyed the challenge,

working together to make the problems easier to solve

and sharing a variety of ideas and strategies.

The second session involved creating geoshapes and

competing in a mental maths quiz. The final session was

all about strategy, playing other children in games that

required tactical thinking. Congratulations to Agnes

Jennings, Eloise Sheridan, Zara Manzoori, Pia Bobeff,

Zoe Holmes, Alice Bradbury, Alison Phillips and Serene

Tan who placed second.

Lauriston students speak upLauriston’s public speaking representatives have

achieved fantastic results across many competitions.

Jess Detering (Year 8) was selected to be part of the

Legacy Public Speaking competition’s semi-finals

in September after delivering her speech “It’s just a

phase”, an exploration of mental illness in youth. Jess

joins Olivia Longley, Lucy Green and Elyse Petrakis, all

in Year 8, as semi-finalists in the Rostrum Voice of Youth

competition after each of them presented fantastic

talks on a range of topics, including gender identity,

arranged marriage and body image.

At the Debaters Association of Victoria 2016 Junior

Public Speaking Competition, Year 7 student Estella

Ward progressed through a field of 30 to join the finals,

while Chloe Sennitt (Year 11) competed in the finals

of the Rotary Ainger Public Speaking Competition

with her speech on mental illness in youth. Finally,

congratulations to Chloe Gration, who competed at the

Plain English Speaking Awards this August. This event is

a highlight in the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment

Authority calendar and, with only six students in the

state making it to the finals, Chloe did exceptionally well.

Chloe Gration (Year 12) accepts her Plain English Speaking Award

Enjoying the Mathematical Games Day


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STUDENT CLUBS

Our media mavensTuesdays are fun at Lauriston because students take turns to curate the School’s Instagram account. Posts have included animations about reading in the

library, travelling to school on public transport and a

time-lapse video of the refectory at lunchtime. The

idea is to provide an insight into life at Lauriston as

experienced by the students as well as to practice

creating original content.

Takeover Tuesday, as it is called, is one of many

initiatives that have evolved from the media club, run by

Lauriston’s media and art teacher, Ms Jenna Grace.

The media club started this year and includes girls from

Years 10-12. They meet each fortnight to discuss digital

media and what content they can create for events and

various goings-on around the school.

‘The intentions for the club are to encourage students

to be active makers and creators not just consumers of

media. My aim is to value and promote student content

in the school as well as recognise the incredible talent

we have here,’ says Ms Grace.

The group dedicate their spare time to understanding

how the digital world is shaping their lives and how

they can use technology to extend and broaden their

interests.

They are drawn to technology for different reasons.

Victoria Nguyen (Year 12) says she is a visual person

and her curiosity came from watching a lot of movies

and reading analysis of various cinematic techniques.

She is doing the International Baccalaureate and wishes

this program had a media component.

Charlotte Menzies-King (Year 10) comes at technology

from a more psychological perspective. She is

interested in how advertising is constructed and how

social media has revolutionised the whole industry.

‘Look at Pokémon Go. It’s more about the innovative

campaigns to attract people’s attention than the game

sometimes. I see the benefit of the medium to spread

the buzz. I hope to make a trend long-lasting one day.’

Frederique Donnelly (Year 10) grew up in art galleries.

Her parents have always taken her with them to see

a range of art shows and it has stuck. ‘I loving going

to the NGV and discovering a new artist, I learn so

much from their work. I hope to translate some of this

inspiration into the content we make,’ says Frederique.

Trinity Ross (Year 11) comes from a creative family. ‘I

have always been surrounded by directors so no doubt

my interest has been influenced by them. I also had to

work at some of the online tools like Photoshop and

Illustrator. Everyone can figure them out if you give

yourself some time and play around with them.’


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Says Ms Grace: ‘The girls love the real world learning.

They are constantly getting feedback and face

challenges similar to those working in the media and

marketing industry. It is great experience for students to

rigorously consider creation and distribution strategies.

How do you successfully promote a competition

in the school? How do you make interesting,

engaging and appropriate social media?’

As well as Takeover Tuesday, the media club

has created the video montage that opened

the School musical, Bye Bye Birdie, and a range

of superb animations. They also developed an

animated logo for their club called ‘Studio LGS’

and the dynamic backdrops for the Middle School

play, Peter Pan.

Ms Grace says Wednesday lunchtimes are her

favourite. ‘As a teacher, it is great seeing students

self-motivated. If they have the vision for something

it is important that they take responsibility and steps

to make it happen.’

KATRINA WALTER

PR Manger

Follow us on Instagram @lauristongs

Ms Grace and a few members of the media club


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COVER STORY

Making your own opportunities Adaptable, problem solver, people person, tech savvy–these are all the attributes that have enabled Emily Atkins (Donaldson, 1991) to have a long-standing career in human resources.They are also the skills that Lauriston is working hard to

develop in its current students. Yet many people forget

they are representative of many in Generation X who

have changed careers, earned double degrees, worked

overseas and lived through turbulent economic times.

While Emily is far from typical, she has been adept

at managing change in her life. Emily completed an

undergraduate science degree after finishing her VCE

at Lauriston. With few jobs in science or research, she

decided to broaden her reach.

A psychology major helped lead her towards a

marketing research consultancy and it was here that

she discovered her love of working with people and the

real world experience of deadlines, satisfying clients

and coming up with solutions. Emily worked with some

big brands such as Ford and Compaq Computers who

she reflected aren’t so big any more due to market

pressures, innovation and new technology.

Emily then headed to London on the eve of the

millennium.

‘I hadn’t yet lived out of home or travelled

independently so I decided to do it all at once. Australia

was stuck in an economic downturn yet I’d heard

London was filled with optimism and plenty of work,’

remembers Emily.

It was 1999 and there were lots of start-ups emerging

worldwide like lastminute, eBay and Amazon. Emily

soon found a job at KPMG Consulting which was in

the midst of Year 2000 bug programs, preparing for

the Euro and starting to see exploratory projects with

clients involving e-commerce and digital TV in addition

to the ongoing business strategy work.

She worked alongside partners and directors to develop

visibility of their future business pipeline to help them

more effectively manage their business operations.

Increasingly, Emily could translate the people impact

of these activities. This was recognised and she was

encouraged to consider managing talent for KPMG

Consulting and join their recruiting team.

Initially she wasn’t confident. ‘I felt a bit like a fraud

because I hadn’t studied business or human resources’,

she says. But she loved working with candidates and

understood the HR cycle. She was also fortunate

to have a great mentor. She knew how to inject fun

into the workplace and taught Emily to think big and

reframe the way things were done.

She continued to hone her craft and then Enron

collapsed, rocking the consulting world and splitting

up KPMG. With a freeze on recruitment, Emily enrolled

at Kingston University to study a Masters in Human

Resource Management. She used Atos Consulting

(Atos Origin), the company who had bought out

KPMG Consulting UK as part of her dissertation. This

project helped secure her ongoing work at the new-

look consultancy and helped Emily make her mark in

recruitment.


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‘My time in London reinforced the importance of family.

It also made me conscious that we all have to make our

own opportunities; they don’t just come to you.’

People, technology and coping with change have

helped Emily chase down some of these opportunities.

As Emily is only mid-way into her career she is well

prepared for further transformation as we move into a

world with a growing contingent workforce, big data,

automation and changing demographics.

Emily expects risk, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit

will play a big part for herself and others surviving in an

increasingly competitive global economy.

KATRINA WALTER

PR Manager

After close to a decade in England, Emily and her

partner Sam decided to move back to Melbourne.

Emily swapped her Regent’s Park address for

Southbank and now works for one of the biggest online

social media companies in the world, LinkedIn. Nearly

every Australian professional is a member and uses the

LinkedIn platform to connect to others in their industry,

share ideas or find a new job.

Emily is as passionate as ever about her career in

recruiting and feels incredibly fortunate to be hiring top

talent for LinkedIn and leveraging her own company’s

platform offering the most disruptive technologies in

the last decade. When asked whether people would be

interviewed for jobs in the future she said of course, big

data can determine candidate suitability for a job via

available information on the web and social platforms

such as LinkedIn. However it can’t yet dig deeper for a

more comprehensive understanding to best determine

the cultural fit for an organisation.

Emily Atkins at work


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SENIOR SCHOOL

Learning better, and better learningMany would be aware of the importance of educating our young people to be global citizens. Though globalisation may have multiple faces–one

economic, another values-driven–a common link

between them is the use of, development of, and

need for improved learning across geographical

space and time. An avenue to do this is through

digital applications, which may function anytime and

anywhere. This is both liberating and powerful for

teachers and learners.

At Lauriston, we have been incorporating the SAMR

(Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition)

model in the development of our courses. One way of

thinking about the redefinition of learning (the ‘R’ in

SAMR) is what learning takes place that could NOT have

happened without the technology. This to me is at the

heart of transformative digital and 21st century learning.

As an adult, this space is dominated by learning through

the online communities of which I am a part. Within

minutes, I will be made aware of a seminal report in an

area of interest for me–education, global citizenship

or disability advocacy, for example. The filtering and

assortment of the information is something that is

managed electronically, and this saves countless hours

and facilitates the production of joint, global and timely

thinking on an issue that is current.

For our students, I see the most incredible synthesis

and evaluation of material by multiple authors into

novel, interactive and rapidly shared constructs. The

Year 10 EnlighTEN work is one example. This, of course,

does not mean that schools and teachers are obsolete.

Conversely, they are more important than ever. I have

always thought that anyone could have gone to a library

in the past to get access to swathes of knowledge, but

the fact of the matter is very few have the self-discipline

to do this. Schools and teachers have the capacity to

motivate, shape and develop the passions and critical

literacy and other literacies needed by young people to

produce knowledge that is based on truth, values and

contributes to society.

One of my favourite books is Flaubert’s Parrot where,

reflecting on technological advancements, the author

Julian Barnes comments: ‘[Flaubert] didn’t just hate the

railway as such; he hated the way it flattered people

with the illusion of progress. What was the point of

scientific advance without moral advance? The railway

would merely permit more people to move about, meet

and be stupid together.’ It is how we mediate this ‘being

together’ that sits at the heart of good citizenship and

good learning. Every adult, especially those charged

with teaching the young, has a responsibility to

understand deeply the processes of human interaction

that may result in a young person being a better

person and better learner after the intervention we call

‘teaching’.

ANNETTE ROME

Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School


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Learning about digital citizenship with Ms Gilchrist

Researching in the library

Making paper circuits

Putting the pieces together

Tinkering Studio


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HOWQUA

The write stuffWhen I speak to parents about their daughters’ time at Howqua, they often bring up with some pride the collection of letters that they have received throughout the course of the year. These often illustrate the highs and lows, the challenges

and memories, and the highlights that make up the

Howqua experience. Often these are re-read many

times, analysed and then kept for re-visiting or sharing

with other family members. Such is the power of the

written word.

One of the many aspects of the Howqua program

that sets it apart from other educational facilities and

experiences is the use, and in some cases, the lack

of use, of technology. Yes, it’s true; the girls have no

access to mobile phones, social media or the internet–

shock, horror. When I first address prospective students

and parents alike, there is something akin to disbelief

that their daughter could be without their computer

or phone, Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook for the

entirety of their Howqua experience.

There is a very clear rationale behind this decision

though.

In our modern world, many of our communications are

now done from behind a computer with efficiency being

the name of the game. Relationships with one another

are often judged by how many likes or emoticons can

be collected. A quick click and we move on swiftly

to the next photo or experience, scrolling through to

ensure that we have not missed out on something that

someone else has posted.

At Howqua, one of the many life skills we work on

with the girls is communication in the more traditional

manner, particularly during our pastoral care

sessions. This includes talking and listening, taking

responsibility for one’s actions and working through the

consequences of these, be they positive or negative.

The girls are encouraged to have conversations with

one another; to resolve issues; to share experiences and

stories; to work with one another and learn the art of

compromise; to empathise with one another throughout

their time here; and to offer support to each other and

encouragement when times are hard. The relationships,

with staff and students alike, are built on solid

foundations and are developed in a positive manner in

ways that will endure.

Planting endangered trees

Sharing sustainable ideas


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During the girls’ afternoon time, there are many

activities and opportunities that are unique and that

they will only experience at Howqua. Some build

friendships, some build skills. At Howqua, the girls

are free to imagine and explore, to read, to write and

to experience, something that would be negated if

technology were more readily available.

SAM RIDLEY

Assistant Principal Howqua Campus

Many girls keep diaries and look back on these with

pride, reliving moments and experiences. The writing

and receiving of letters is of particular importance as

well. If you write to people, they will generally write

back, and this is another lesson learned, about putting

effort into something and not expecting an immediate

response, encouraging patience and thoughtfulness.

It gives the girls time to think about and process

the experience that they have had. Some parents do

receive confronting letters and the relationship between

parents and daughter is often strengthened, I believe,

by both parties supporting one another and providing

strategies to assist, sharing positive and entertaining

experiences, while still keeping situations in perspective.

View from the top

Having fun at the Howqua Olympics

Howqua Olympics

Smiles on the chairlift


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JUNIOR SCHOOL

Girls who codeToday’s generation live in a technology-saturated world and, while many know how to use the computers and devices they interact with every day, rarely do they understand the machinations that operate behind the scenes. With the recent unveiling of the Australian Digital

Technologies curriculum, we in the Junior School are

excited to continue to expand upon our sequential

coding initiative across all year levels. This program

is already alive and thriving in Montrose, with girls in

Years 3 to 6 learning the fundamentals of coding and

programming in the classroom.

Coding, in the simplest of terms, is telling a computer

what you want it to do by typing in step-by-step

commands for it to follow. Just like learning to read

and write, our students need to be literate in the

language of machines and be proactively prepared for

their digital future. With every computer program and

smartphone app relying on code to operate, coders

are quickly becoming the architects and builders of the

digital age.

During Term 2, our Years 3 and 4 students completed

a coding course, working with ‘Spheros’, small hand-

sized balls which you can program to change colours,

run a circuit, keep the beat with a song and many other

fun ideas. Later in the year, the girls will also have the

opportunity to develop their own educational computer

games. Year 4 student Eloise commented that ‘Coding

is interesting and very fun to learn.’ Her classmate Mia

reflected, ‘I am learning things that I never even knew

existed. I have enjoyed learning how to code and how

computers are programmed.’

Additionally, during the Term 2 holidays, Lauriston

hosted a Code Camp for students in Years 2–6. The girls

enjoyed learning how to code, and they used their logic,

problem-solving skills, and creativity to build their very

own computer game.

Our digital world is developing and changing rapidly

and, therefore, it is vital that we provide our girls with a

rich foundation in integral thinking and problem-solving

skills that now need to be mastered to achieve success

in our professional lives. A recent Microsoft survey

indicated that Australia provided its students with the

least opportunities to learn about coding out of eight

countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Our aim is that

the Lauriston Junior School will be a leading school in

this area. By teaching coding in schools from an early

age, our girls will acquire the skills necessary to create,

design and adapt technology. It is our aim to prepare

children properly for the technology-focused world and

job market they will inherit.

CHRIS TOMS

Head of Junior School


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Coding Spheros

Let the coding begin

At the Code Camp

Working together


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KINDERGARTEN

Nature and technology collideDigital technology is an ever-present feature in our lives. It changes rapidly and is an endless source of fascination for young children. Thanks to the dedicated fundraising of our parent body, we now have interactive whiteboards and an Apple TV in the classrooms.The big question for us as educators is how to plan and

implement educational programs involving technology

for young children that increase their ability to problem

solve, be creative, reflective and allow for opportunities

to research topics of interest. This thought guided us

in the creation of this year’s big idea, ‘Connections

with Nature in Combination with the Digital World’,

and is our guiding force when developing curriculum in

the Kindergarten. By integrating these two seemingly

opposed areas we hope to create opportunities

for young children to become environmentally and

technologically literate.

During the early years, as children are developing

a sense of initiative and creativity, they are curious

about the world around them. They are exploring their

ability to create and communicate using a variety of

media and through creative movement using their

bodies to represent ideas and experiences. Outdoor

spaces are ideal environments for young children to

play as they provide immersive experiences, engaging

and challenging the whole child physically, socially,

cognitively, and emotionally. Nature sparks curiosity

even as it provides an arena for free play.

Digital technologies provide one more outlet for

them to demonstrate their creativity and learning.

The experiences provided for young children should

be stimulating, open-ended, and with an element of

discovery where the process is valued. Technology,

where children are actively engaged, can be used to

motivate children and encourage independent thinking

as well as providing opportunities for cooperative

learning.

By combining the concepts of nature and technology,

our intention is that children begin to make links

between these experiences. Ideas formulated by

experiences in the outdoors can be transferred to the

screen for the whole group to enter into a discussion

on, and images can be manipulated to enhance the

creative opportunities. Nature can be brought inside

through technology.

One of the areas we have seen this combined learning

taking place is the exploration of trees. Some of the

children in Kindergarten have been investigating the

trees surrounding us, walking around the grounds and

comparing the different types, feeling various forms of

bark and discussing the topic of the ‘tree’s blood’. They

then return to the classroom and record their findings

using different mediums. While on a walk they collected

some acorns and were excited to plant them to see

if they would grow. Using the interactive screen, the

children watched a video of an acorn seed awakening

and beginning to shoot and put down roots. The use of

the technology was an important part of giving visibility

to the process.

Environmental education is more than just learning

about plants and animals: it is an invaluable tool for

teaching critical thinking skills and enhancing children’s

abilities to become part of ethical communities in the

future. The proper selection and use of technology can

enhance these skills and stimulates their interest and

engagement in the world around them.

ROBYN AMBLER AND FIONA IRELAND

Directors of Kindergarten


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Spider on the wall

Whiteboard magic

What does the bark tell us? Planting branches

What spider is that?Still life painting


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STAFF TIPS

Netting the best

What do people look at when they are forever on their phones? Are they reading the latest Jonathan Franzen

novel, playing scrabble or planning their days?

We asked staff at Lauriston to provide their tips for

good online content. Here they explain some of the

tools they use for e-learning and e-work and tell

us which apps, blogs and podcasts they think are

best.

Angela MareHead of Library and Information Services

Favourite app

Wheelers e-platform. On it you can find 2,500

e-books and novels. It is a service that Lauriston

subscribes to so all students can access it. The service

recommends books you may like and showcases

popular novels.

Recommendation for online learning tool

Bolinda books. It is an audio book service and great

for walks and long car or plane trips. Sit back and

listen to The Dressmaker read to you by actor Rachel

Griffiths or have Maurice Gleitzman share with you

his latest book. It is great for comprehension and

listening skills.

Favourite blog or newsfeed

The Guardian or The Conversation

Favourite e-work tool

EBSCO books is a great platform for students as there

are over 10,000 non-fiction references.

Meleah ZanosHead of Health and Physical Education

Favourite app

Swellnet (surf report and forecasts) and

Google Maps so I know where I’m going.


Secondary: Kahoot! Useful for quizzes, surveys

and discussions.

Favourite blog or newsfeed

Huffington Post. Lots of great content providing a

range of perspectives on the same issue.


Polar Team Heart Rate app and Coach’s Eye, which

lets me record students in motion and improve

their football drill, tennis serve or backstroke.

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EDITION 03 | SEP 2016Lauriston Life

Shannon HuangChinese Teacher, Junior School

Favourite appI really like the inbuilt stopwatch function on iPhones and iPads.

Recommendation for online learning toolIf you want to improve your Chinese here are some good online tools: 魚Pleco, Better Chinese; BBC real Chinese for both primary and secondary Chinese students; and Monki Chinese for primary.

Favourite blog or newsfeed BBC News has some great stories from excellent journalists.

Favourite e-work toolBetter Chinese, Explain Everything, Book Creator, Hanlexon Chinese and Key Note are a few of my favourites.

Andrea WalterPrep Teacher, Junior School

Favourite appI don’t like to be caught out by Melbourne’s weather so I find the Weather app very useful and I love to travel so Trip Advisor helps me dream and plan.

Recommendation for online learning toolYou can’t go past Mathletics in the early years. It’s a great way to consolidate learning and to practice especially with Naplan moving online. Oswego also has some fun and educational interactive maths games.

Favourite blog or newsfeed The Age because I enjoy knowing what’s happening in my town.

Favourite e-work tooliPads – Book Creator. This great app helps my class turn their creative writing into beautiful books.

Imogen WoodDirector of Marketing and Communications

Favourite app

Phone apps for LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

and Twitter allow the marketing team to manage

Lauriston’s online accounts 24/7 without having to

be tied to a computer.

Balancing work plus small kids at home means

I have to be super-organised. I love OneNote

because I can keep all my to do lists across my

home computer, work computer and phone in one

comprehensive, self-updating location.


My five-year-old is loving ABC Reading Eggs.

My three-year-old just likes looking at photos of

herself on my phone.

Favourite podcast, blog or newsfeed

I’m obsessed with podcasts because I can do

something with my brain while I’m busy driving

or doing household chores. One of my favourites

is Freakonomics. It regularly reminds me of the

importance of evidence and the power of data.


The marketing team work in an office but we use

some great tools that enhance what we do. Trello

is a collaborative project management tool that is

a bit like Pinterest meets OneNote.

21


LAURISTON LEARNING

Classroom in focusLife in a digital worldWhat does it mean to be a digital citizen? Students

in Years 6–8 explored the online world this term in a

special session with Robin Treyvaud, an educator who

has spent many years researching the effects of living a

digital life.

After analysing their own online consumption habits,

the girls compared their results with those gathered

from around the world. While Lauriston girls are not

spending nine hours a day using media like their

American counterparts, the online world is a dominant

part of their life.

One of the key lessons from the session is that we all–

teachers, parents and teenagers–must be aware that

the reshaping of our media technology landscape is

reshaping young people’s lives. Together we need to

embrace the online opportunities but also remember

there is a need for fresh air, sport, face-to-face

conversation and play in our daily routines.

The art of HowquaThe Howqua art classroom is buzzing with excitement

as the girls prepare to create a hand-built ceramic

sculptural artwork. The ceramic designs will capture

the beauty of the natural environment by replicating

surface textures and shapes of natural forms found in

the outdoors. The challenge is to create an aesthetically

pleasing ceramic form which does not necessarily

serve a purpose or function, but merely beautifies the

organic forms around us. After creating these fantastic

sculptural artworks, the girls will have the chance to

experiment further using copper oxides and glazes on

their work to enhance the surface textures and overall

appearance of their ceramic form.

Ceramics at Howqua

What platform should I use?


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Lauriston Life

Life of the butterflyThis year the Prep students hosted some special

guests: five magnificent Monarch butterflies, who were

cared for from the egg to their first flight. As well as

being an unforgettable experience, the girls developed

a range of new skills as they observed, predicted,

discussed, described, learnt new vocabulary, explained,

photographed, researched, wrote and sketched

each stage in the metamorphosis of these beautiful

creatures.

Pushing artistic boundariesThe iPad art program has had its big debut in the

Junior School this term. The Year 4 girls have been

demonstrating their digital-native status with a steady

stream of loose, free and extremely expressive paintings

inspired by contemporary Indigenous artists Alma

Granites and Walala Tjapaltjarri.

The students have been producing some amazing

digital paintings. Their art teacher, Mr Terry Abraham,

remarks: ‘The beauty of working digitally is it allows

the girls to save multiple versions of their work. This

is especially valuable for those who, having reached a

certain stage of their work, shy away from pushing their

ideas further for fear of spoiling their work. Now, with

iPads in hand, even if it all goes pear-shaped, you can

just hit undo. Another great benefit is the ability for the

girls to give a copy of their artwork to someone and still

keep a copy for themselves.’

Celebrations around the worldAs part of their inquiry unit on celebrations, the Year 3

girls visited two local places of worship—Shul/Mikvah

and St George’s Anglican Church—to learn more about

how different cultures celebrate special occasions.

Their first stop was the synagogue where they met

Rabbi Ravi and learnt about Jewish celebrations. From

there, they headed off to meet with Vicar Colleen at the

church, who showed them around and talked to them

about the celebrations that take place in the Anglican

religion.

Meeting the local ministers at St George’s, Malvern

Look at our butterfly

Zara mixes metallics


23

MUSIC NEWS

Lauriston’s 2016 Musical CelebrationOur Musical Celebration was a fabulous night. The girls explored a wide array of repertoire, including Finnish and Australian folk music, contemporary rock and pop and musical theatre with a hip-hop twist.It is always wonderful when the Junior and Senior

Schools perform together. The younger girls have the

benefit of listening and learning from their older peers

and it’s a special experience to hear the Senior Chamber

Strings and Senior Orchestra perform. These aspirants

become excited by the senior girls’ talent and are able

to envisage where they will be in a few more years with

more rehearsal and practice.

Our choir numbers continue to grow and the music

department is thrilled that so many girls of all ages are

taking up the opportunity to sing with their friends on a

regular basis.

The Years 5-8 String Orchestra, our emerging group

played ‘Terra Nova’ and ‘Two Hornpipes’ beautifully

and the Senior Chamber Strings performed ‘Holberg

Suite, Op. 40’ (first movement) and ‘A Time for Us’ with

impressive skill.

The Senior Orchestra worked with a group of Year 11 and

12 piano students (all studying VCE/IB Music) to perform

‘The Carnival of the Animals’, which was a wonderful

opportunity for these solo instrumentalists to experience

what it means to rehearse and perform with an orchestra.

Our bands and percussion groups were entertaining as

always, with the Montrose Percussion Ensemble devising a

Djembe piece from ideas gained in our African Drumming

Workshop earlier in the year. The Senior Percussion

Ensemble gave a fabulous rendition of a mallet and drum

piece, and the Symphonic Band played film scores by John

Williams, as well as some pop and soul.

For the first time our vocal group Quintessential

Harmony comprised all Year 12 students. Their rendition

of ‘Let It Be’ was incredibly moving. Special thanks to

their accompanist Clara Chen for her wonderful work

over the years.

We have been very fortunate to have such inspired

leadership from all of our Year 12 musicians this year.

They have nurtured and supported the younger girls

and have fully engaged in the life of the music school.

Our music captain, Vanessa Chen, spoke at the

beginning of the concert and discussed her journey

from a wide-eyed Year 7 student to an IB music student

who leads the Senior Orchestra. Vanessa also discussed

the value of her Howqua year in enabling her to gain

more self-confidence in her playing, and how students

were able to listen to each other practise and develop a

true appreciation of each other’s musical talents.

Our captains: Zoe Cantwell (Choir), Isabella Harris

(Orchestra) and Anna Penington (Band) have been led

by Vanessa in an inclusive and caring way, and we are

very proud of them all. We hope that they leave us with

many happy memories of making music at Lauriston.

A final thanks to the music staff for their never-ending

commitment to the music school, and to the many

teachers, parents and friends who support the girls.

Performing to such an appreciative audience was a

wonderful way for the girls to truly be part of a musical

celebration.

KELLIE RYAN

Director of Music


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Lauriston Life

Mr Sharpin getting the best from his ensemble

Sarah Wong leads the ensemble

Kellie Ryan conducts the orchestra

Ms Anand leads the strings

Music Captain Vanessa Chen


25

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

Noonkanbah adventure During the winter break I accompanied five students from the Senior School—Tara Merigan, Maddie McIntosh, Skye Arnold, Caitlin Houlihan and Emily Furzer—on the Noonkanbah Cultural Exchange trip. The 10-day trip involved five days in Broome, in

northern Western Australia, with the rest spent with

the Noonkanbah community, four hours inland from

Broome.

In Noonkanbah we worked with the Kulkarriya

Community School, the heart of the community.

Through our close involvement with the school and its

people we were able to get insights into this special

place.

We started our days with a ride on the school bus as

it picked up the children. On board the bus we really

got a chance to talk to the kids, who soon warmed to

us and were really friendly and talkative. We joined

the fifth, sixth and seventh grade combined class. We

then helped out with a maths and a literacy class which

was amazing. These in-class experiences helped us

understand a typical day at Noonkanbah and all the

great work the school’s principal, Ted, and his wife and

school administrator, Joy, have done in improving the

facilities and the coursework.

Ted explained to us how many similar schools provided

only entertainment to the children, and how they

were trying to create a curriculum that supplied

their students’ needs and gave them a well-rounded

education. He also mentioned how they were trying to

work with the elders to involve the traditional culture

and languages in the school. It was such a rewarding

experience to see how dedicated Ted, Joy and all the

teachers were to the school, and how much of an impact

that made to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

After school many cheeky faces would follow us, asking

us to show them new games or talk about our lives in

Melbourne, which they found extremely fascinating. At

5pm daily there was a beautiful sunset that we would

watch from the football oval, where people from the

community were always found playing. The community

is very close-knit and family orientated, so for us to be

welcomed and looked after by everyone, including the

children, was truly special.

While we were in the community, we experienced Bush

Day, a day held every term where the whole school

goes to the river to play sport, make damper, do some

painting, and learn about bush medicine.

The children took us to the river and told us about

the rainbow serpent who lives in its waters. When a

person goes to the river and they are not Indigenous,

the rainbow serpent eats them. Even if they try to run

onto land, it will grow legs and come out to chase

them. To avoid this you can either go with some of the

locals to show you are welcome, or simply splash some

water under your armpits, over your face, and behind

your neck to warn the rainbow serpent that you will be

swimming.


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Lauriston Life

The locals were all incredibly welcoming and by the end

we all felt at home. To the kids in Noonkanbah there

are ‘black fellas’ and ‘white fellas’, but that doesn’t

necessarily mean anything.

We all came away with goals that those kids have

already achieved and ideals they have that we wish

to hold in the future. It really is something that we

will remember forever and definitely recommend it to

anyone who has the opportunity to visit this fabulous

community.

CHERIE WORTHINGTON

Director of Outdoor Programs, Howqua

Enjoying a Cable Beach camel ride

At Noonkanbah

Getting to know the locals


27

TECHNOLOGY AT LAURISTON

Great teachers are the key

Technology in schools is a hot topic. Five years ago, schools had to prove to everyone they were using it. They had to record their every move and tell the world what they were doing.Teachers started to question the benefits of this

transition to online and the collective wisdom has

become, if the online platform or exercise is simply

a substitute for a traditional process, there is little

benefit to the student. The online tool becomes

irrelevant and the students are just engaged in

passive technology use.

Lauriston’s approach to technology has been to

embrace it but frame the school’s strategy around

‘What does good teaching look like?’

‘We ultimately encourage all students to progress

at a rate that works best for them so our priority

with technology is how we can use it to help with

this personalisation,’ says Tim Watson, the Senior

School Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy at

Lauriston.

‘We don’t want to just push students to do online

courses. We acknowledge the value of a teacher in

the process of learning. What Lauriston is currently

looking to develop for students is their own online

space where the teacher continues to guide them

through the curriculum,’ says Mr Watson.

‘It’s like going to a gallery and having a tour by

an expert—the gallery director (or teacher) is a

person of experience and understanding, who

knows the significance of the art, the artist. They

understand what the students should pay attention

to and ultimately guide them through. And most

importantly they make the experience really

enjoyable.

‘Personally, I think schools are always going to

need both strong teaching and technology to

bring about great learning.

‘There will always be a need for teachers who

can motivate, inspire, explain and challenge. The

teaching professionals complement their art

with technology. E-tools help students research

effectively, find new ways of doing things and

to collaborate with others all around the world,’

explains Mr Watson.

The School’s digital fabrication lab or FabLab has

helped Lauriston teachers to merge traditional

learning and technology.

‘Lauriston is reframing the social construct that

girls don’t love or understand technology. We are

empowering them to want to experiment with

technology. We are also constantly introducing

them to cool geeky female role models. Girls need

to understand that using technology is not unusual

or different.’

‘Ultimately technology is something that everyone

needs to master to prosper in the future.’ says Mr

Watson.

KATRINA WALTER

PR Manager

28


COMMUNITY SERVICE UPDATE

Girls sweat it out for Very Special Kids This August we hosted one of our biggest ever fundraising events, the Very Special Kids Treadmill Challenge.More than 150 students aged from 10 to 18 worked in

teams to run on a treadmill for six hours. This timeframe

was selected because it is the amount of time specialist

health care workers spend on their feet during a shift

caring for critically-ill children at the local hospice, Very

Special Kids.

Kellie O’Dwyer, the federal member for Higgins rang the

bell to start the challenge. Many parents, friends and

families came along to encourage their daughters.

Local businesses were generous with their support

which our community service co-ordinator, Sarah

Jessup turned into a fun raffle with multiple draws

throughout the day.

Girls used their initiative to raise funds and decided

to donate their birthday money, sell second hand

books, sell homemade cookies, make stalls in front of

their houses, perform puppet plays and email large

corporations asking them to match what they had

raised.

Well done to Mitchell House for instigating and

organising the challenge. The School has raised

over $50,000 for Very Special Kids, a not-for-profit

organisation which relies on donations to support its

incredible work.

29


FABLAB PROJECTS

Fairy houses in the Junior SchoolOver its long life Blairholme has been the much-loved centre of learning for students in Prep to Year 2. The grounds are filled with many delights, including a veggie patch, a grand established tree and, nestled in the garden, fairies.This term the fairies got in touch with the Year 1

students through teachers Ms Kylie Harris and

Ms Maria Galanis, setting their neighbours the task of

each designing and creating a house to perfectly suit

a fae. The girls eagerly accepted and soon took on the

role of architect for some tiny clients.

The first step in the research process saw the girls

corresponding with the fairies, asking them what their

criteria would be: what shape would you like, how many

doors and windows do you require and how many

fairies will live in each house. To their great delight, the

girls quickly received a response, detailing a creative

brief that students were able to adapt into their designs.

Next, the girls brainstormed ideas and sketched their

plans, including the 3D shapes that they would require

for the house and roof. There were many fabulous

discussions about faces, edges and corners when

completing these. They then refined these ideas using

the Art Set app on their iPads, practising this process to

ensure they achieved their best work.

Soon after they began constructing their prototypes,

Dr Michael Street, our FabLab Coordinator used the

FabLab’s laser to cut the girls’ designs onto cardboard

to see how they worked and if they fitted together

properly. With a physical copy in hand, the girls were

able to refine their designs easily and make any

necessary adjustments.

With their designs perfected, the time had arrived for

the girls to construct their final houses for their fairy

friends. Visiting the FabLab again, the girls’ excitement

grew as they patiently watched the laser cutter speed

by, slicing and dissecting the once-whole sheets of

wood into the bones of their houses. It was then time

for assembly and decoration, with each girl adding

her own flair and finishing touches to their house with

bright colours and fun patterns.

The houses are now hung around the gardens of

Blairholme, ready and waiting for any passing fairy. This

was a great project for the girls as they learnt more

about 3D shapes, narrative and letter writing, reading,

brainstorming, design, and construction.

LOUISE TORNEY

Communications Officer


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Lauriston Life

FROM THE LAURISTON INSTITUTE

UK learningRecently I had the opportunity to visit leading edge Essa Academy in Bolton, England and to spend some time at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) in London. In both instances the conversations confirmed for

me that Lauriston is on the right track in its quest

to embrace 21st century learning.

Essa Academy was created by combining two

local primary and secondary schools which were

struggling as separate entities. It would be fair

to say that the communities in which Essa is now

located were disenfranchised from their local

schools and the schools were unable to deliver the

desired educational outcomes.

The academy movement in the United Kingdom

(UK) is twenty years old and is very different to

the original model that envisaged every secondary

school delivering a specialist stream. Common

forms of specialist curriculum included sport,

technology, creative arts, maths and science. In

order to be an academy, a school needed to attract

a local partner who was obliged to contribute

£100,000 in sponsorship and share their business

expertise.

The Essa Academy (www.essaacademy.org) was

the last school to be established under this regime

in the UK and, with a very large government grant,

built a state-of-the-art learning facility which

revolutionised education in its community.

The key initiative implemented at Essa was the

introduction of iPads for every student and the

move to develop pedagogy around iPads as a

learning device. The iPads themselves are not the

central issue but it is their capacity to improve

communication between the school and its

community that has been a revolution.

In the latest development Abdul Chohan, Acting

Principal and Apple Distinguished Scholar, has

developed a series of curriculum apps using the

expertise of Essa teachers and educators from all

over the UK. Ultimately these apps will be shared

across the teaching profession so that a much

wider audience of students can benefit. We hope

that Abdul will be able to visit Lauriston when he

comes to speak at a major technology conference

in Australia next year.

The SSAT, which funded Essa and similar schools

in the UK, has had its funding model changed.

Previously relying on government finances,

the Trust must generate its own revenue from

the provision of a comprehensive program of

professional development activities and school

support services.

It is now called the SSAT. Alongside the National

College for School Leadership the SSAT provides

leadership training for existing and aspiring school

leaders and works with the British Council to

organise educational leadership tours. Melbourne

is often a popular destination on the itinerary and

next time they visit, they will also be invited to

Lauriston.

NICK THORNTON

Director, Lauriston Institute


31

Literary Arts Breakfast The Literary Arts Breakfast was hosted by the Lauriston

Arts’ Association (LAA) to celebrate the written word.

In a discussion facilitated by educational consultant

and Stella Prize in schools coordinator Bec Kavanagh,

award-winning author Fiona Wood spoke to the

assembled students and parents on a number of topics,

including the importance of feminism, and the role that

identity plays in literature and life.

Fiona’s books are written for the young adult market

and particularly resonate with Lauriston students,

especially those who have completed the Howqua

program or participate in the Friday Night School. A few

students even brought their favourite of Fiona’s books

for her to sign. They were also given the opportunity to

ask her their burning questions and gained an insight

into the writing process.

Well done to the LAA and Angela Mare, Head of Library

and Information Services, on delivering a fantastic

event.

100 Days of PrepThe Preps celebrated their 100th day of school this term,

marking the achievement with a day filled with activities

and festivities. These activities included having the Prep

parents visit the FabLab, completing jigsaw puzzles

together, cutting of the 100 days celebration cake and

watching a movie in the lecture theatre. Each student

also received a special medal to commemorate the day.

Huntingtower LunchThis year’s event was a great success, with nearly 300

guests in attendance.

Old Lauristonian and rock legend Deborah Conway

(1977) was the special guest on the day, performing

crowd favourite ‘It’s Only The Beginning’ and songs

from the new album Everybody’s Begging. In a

discussion with former journalist and Lauriston parent

Tracey Curro, Deborah talked about talent versus

beauty, the benefits of being a self-managed artist and

her love of performing.

Well done to the LPA’s Huntingtower Lunch committee

for creating a stellar event and for raising over $25,000

for the School from the raffle, silent auction and ticket

sales.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Lauriston events Counting 100 things to

mark the special day

Deborah Conway and Tracey Curro

Fiona Wood responds to a question about her book

32


Year 12 FormalThis July the class of 2016 traded in their blazers

and ties for gowns and heels as they gathered

together to celebrate the Year 12 Formal.

‘It was a night where we were brought together

greater than ever before, where both students and

teachers forgot about the deadlines and instead

enjoyed each other’s company at the candlelit

Leonda by the Yarra,’ remarks Year 12 student

Victoria Nguyen, a member of the all-student team

that organised this fantastic event.

‘The girls, arriving with their dates in both flair

and anticipation, greeted Ms Just and Ms Rome at

the door before walking into the ballroom to take

photos against the exquisite flower wall or to make

silly faces in the photo booth.

‘Indeed, it was much more of a catch-up than

anything else, where the girls were able to

converse with the teachers that they have built and

developed relationships with, either since Year 7 or

just recently, as we entered the realm of finishing

things up in this chapter of our lives,’ says Victoria.

‘The Year 12 formal was not only a night to dance

and eat and laugh, but it was also a celebration

of how far we have come and the people around

us, truly making it a night to remember. The

relationships and memories we have made over

our school life will remain with us, for a very, very

long time.’

Thank you to Victoria, Sophie Laurie and Zoe

Zervides, whose hard work succeeded in creating a

magical evening.

33


FOUNDATION NEWS

Our giving appealAt Lauriston we recognise and promote the attributes

a girl needs to flourish in life. One of these key

attributes is generosity. Girls, families, staff and the

broader community all help to support others, whether

through donating to the annual giving appeal, tutoring

disadvantaged children or raising money for local and

overseas causes. Giving back is a part of our school spirit.

The annual giving appeal is an important component of

the Foundation’s work to ensure Lauriston continues to be

a leader in the field of girls’ education. It is an opportunity

for everyone in our community to give gifts of any size.

This year’s appeal, ‘The Gift of Education’ highlighted what

giving means at Lauriston and its significant impact on the

opportunities provided to our girls.

I would like to acknowledge in this issue the generosity

of our community and their interest in our School.

Lauriston could not deliver many of our innovative

programs without philanthropic investment. Current

families, past families, old girls and staff all work

together to ensure Lauriston remains a global

educational leader. It is a partnership.

I am delighted to announce that this year’s annual

giving appeal was an enormous success and raised over

$100,000, an increase of nearly 250% from 2015. The

Foundation will use the money raised for vital projects

and scholarships such as:

– Purchasing new digital resources and reading

materials in the library

– Extending our existing scholarship program for more

girls to have the opportunity of an education at

Lauriston

– Developing new educational facilities

What a wonderful prospect to be able to prepare and

plan for the future of the education of our girls. Thank

you to so many of you for helping to enable this to

happen. I look forward to sharing these plans with

you in the coming months and years as we continue

to work in partnership with you to ensure our girls

really do have the best educational environment and

opportunities.

Your donations really do have a significant impact.

SALLY DE GUINGAND

Director of Advancement

Scholarship

Building

Library

TOTAL DONATIONS 2016 DONATIONS

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$48,798

$34,900

$25,015

Scholarship

Building

Library

TOTAL DONATIONS 2016 DONATIONS

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$48,798

$34,900

$25,015


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Lauriston Life

LAURISTON UMBRELLAS

SALEWERE $65NOW $45

Don’t get caught in the rain without a Lauriston umbrella, available in four colours and emblazoned with the iconic Moreton Bay Fig.

These BluntTM umbrellas, designed so that they won’t pop inside out, are available to purchase from the Old Lauristonians’ Association.

Buy online flexischools.com.au

Old Lauristonians’ Association38 Huntingtower Road Armadale VIC 3143

t: 9864 5571e: [email protected]

ola.org.au

Kirkhope Red Andrews Blue

Irving Yellow Mitchell White/Grey

ALUMNAE NEWS

Order of Australia recipientPatricia Ritter OAM (Sandral, 1950)Old Lauristonian and former staff member Patricia

Ritter was recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday

Honours. The award, an Order of Australia Medal (OAM),

was given in the General Division to acknowledge

Patricia’s ‘services to German language education’.

Patricia completed her education with Lauriston in 1950,

then returned as a teacher in 1955. In the past she has

filled in as a casual relief teacher when needed and, in

the 1980s, took a group of Lauriston girls on exchange

to Germany.

Patricia counts many Lauriston alumnae as her friends

and continues to sing in a local choir with some of her

school peers.

MEDAL (OAM) OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

IN THE GENERAL DIVISION

–––––

Mrs Patricia June RITTER

Achievements

German Language Teacher, 40 years.

Life Membership, Association of German Teachers of Victoria, 1993 and Secretary from

1982 to 1986 and Honorary Treasurer from 1978 to 1980 and Sub-Committee, 1978.

German Language Teacher: Presbyterian Ladies College, 1973-1993.

Camberwell Girls Grammar School, 2002–2014, 1996–2000. German Teacher, Holiday

programs, since 1996.

German Language Teacher, After School and Evening Programs, Scotch College

Language and Culture Centre, 1996–2000.

State Reviewer, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2000 - 2013.

Examiner in German (Victoria), Higher School Certificate and Victorian Certificate of

Education, since 1988.

Chief Assessor, German Written Examination 1996–2003 and Assistant Chief Assessor,

2004–2007

Chief Assessor, German Oral Examination, 1996–2009 and Assistant Chief Assessor,

2010–2014.

Prepared sections of the Australian Language Certificate for Intermediate and Beginners

German, Australian Council for Educational Research, since 1995.

Author, German textbooks and resource materials for secondary school students since

1992 including:


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Lauriston Life

WeddingVows at Mount SturgeonOn 16 April Georgina Stobart (2004) married

Nicholas Burchell at the Mount Sturgeon

Homestead near the town of Dunkeld in

country Victoria. Georgina was Kirkhope House

Captain in 2004 and is a third generation

Lauristonian, after her mother Juliet Stobart

(Gray, 1975) and her great-grandmother Helen

Outhwaite who was School Captain of the

classes of 1917 and 1918. Three of Georgina’s

bridesmaids were also past students: Bianca

Wachtel and Alexandra Winter were also from

the class of 2004 and her sister Sarah Stobart

from 2005.

BirthsOlivia Alma CumminsSophie (Richards, 2003) and Michael Cummins

welcomed the arrival of their daughter Olivia to their

family on 16 March. Sophie is currently on maternity

leave from her role as an audiologist at the Royal

Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

Catch upPat Dowell (Wesley, 1939) and Barbara Buck (Barker, 1940)It’s always wonderful to see our Senior Old Girls catching

up. Recently Barbara Buck (Barker, 1940) drove 100kms

from Lockhart to Albury to meet with dear friend, Pat

Dowell (Wesley, 1939).They reminisced about the good old

Lauriston days as boarders together.

Barbara Buck is a niece of the Irving sisters, who were the

founders of the School. These women went to Lauriston

when Miss Kirkhope was the Principal but the Irvings were

frequent visitors, popping in to see all the teachers and

students. Barbara and Pat also talked about the Moreton

Bay Fig, which even in those days they were forbidden

to climb and their enormous pride in attending such ‘a

wonderful school.’

Pat (left) and Barbara (right)


37

COMMUNITY NEWS

Reunions and events

Class of 1986 ReunionOn Friday 3 June the Class of 1986 30 Year

Reunion was held at Lauriston with 43 guests

attending. These girls reminisced into the wee

hours at the after party which was hosted at

Fiona Pettigrew’s home.

Class of 1986—the entire group Class of 1986—up close and personal

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.

New events for the OLATo provide more choice and to discuss some topical

issues in the community and at Lauriston, the OLA

office is trialling some new events. The first was a

breakfast in Malvern called Making Mindfulness Work.

The event was a great success with over 50 members

of the OLA and Lauriston community gathering

together to learn more about paying full attention to

thoughts and actions.

The next event will be one of a series to profile

alumnae called Lauriston Life Breakfasts. Our guest

speaker on Thursday 27 October is Suzie Cameron

(Weiss, 1984) who will speak about her life as a

magistrate.


38

Lauriston Life

Wednesday 5 OctoberSenior Old Girls’ Music Lunch

Sunday 16 OctoberClass of 2009 10 Year Howqua Reunion

Thursday 27 OctoberLauriston Life Series Breakfast, Lauriston to the Bench,

Suzie Cameron (Weiss, 1984) Magistrate

Friday 18 NovemberClass of 1966 50 Year Reunion

Friday 25 NovemberClass of 2015 1 Year Reunion

OLA key dates

ValeRurer Beddie (Speyer, 1945)02.12.1927–29.06.2016, aged 88

Rue Beddie (Speyer) was a student at Lauriston from

1943 until 1945. Upon leaving school she returned

to England and while studying met Brian Beddie, an

Australian also at Oxford. They married and returned

to Canberra in 1953. Her husband was a Professor of

Political Economy at the Australian National University

who became advisor to both Gough Whitlam and

Malcolm Fraser during the 1975 crisis. She had two

daughters, Francesca and Melanie.

Her mentor for many years was her music teacher, Mary

Halliday. Their close friendship lasted until Mary’s death

in 1993. Rue’s connection with the School lives on as she

is fondly remembered by Mary’s son, current Lauriston

grandparent Richard Halliday.

Helen Margaret Steele (Vroland, 1944-55)01.08.1938–15.06.2016, aged 77

The OLA sends our deepest condolences to the family

of Helen Steele. Helen was heavily involved in School

activities while at Lauriston and was Prefect in 1955;

Vice-Captain of Mitchell House in 1955; a recipient

of the Junior Angus Mitchell Prize; and member of

the Senior, Small and Madrigal choirs. After leaving

Lauriston, Helen attended the University of Melbourne

where she studied Arts and met her husband-to-be,

Selby Steele. Helen and Selby enjoyed 55 years of

marriage and had three sons and six grandchildren. For

the last twenty years they have both been members of

the Melbourne University & Alumni Bush Walking Group.


39

Term 4 2016 Events

Lauriston Life is digitalLauriston Life is distributed to more than 5000 families, both in Australia and overseas. In order to reduce our environmental footprint, we are now offering the Lauriston community the option of receiving this magazine via email.

If you would like to receive future issues of Lauriston Life electronically, please email our Communications Officer at [email protected].

Advertising in Lauriston LifeIf you have a business or service that you would like to promote, consider placing an advertisement in Lauriston Life, which goes out to more than 5000 readers – alumnae, Lauriston parents, current and past staff, and all of our donors – and can also be viewed online. Our advertising rates are: full page $800, half page $500, quarter page $350.

For further information, please contact our Communications Officer at [email protected].

38 Huntingtower RoadArmadale VIC 3143 AustraliaCRICOS number 00152F ABN 15 004 264 402

t: +61 3 9864 7555e: [email protected]

facebook.com/LauristonArmadaletwitter.com/LauristonGirlswww.lauriston.vic.edu.au

Lauriston Girls’ School

Homes for international students wantedDo you have a spare room? Want to host an international student from mainland China? You could be the perfect fit for Lauriston’s home stay program. Contact the admissions office on (03) 9864 7555.

Sunday 9 October SnowSports End-of-Season Dinner

Saturday 15 October Art for Charity Exhibition

Sunday 16 October Experience Howqua

Wednesday 19 – Saturday 22 October VCE/IB Art Exhibition

Tuesday 25 October LPA Golf Day

Thursday 27 October Fathers of Lauriston Term 4 Social Drinks

Friday 4 November Parent Forum Evening with John Hendry

Thursday 17 November Experience Lauriston: Twilight Tour

Monday 21 November Principal’s Forum #4

Thursday 24 November Niall House Christmas Concert

Friday 25 November Prep-Year 2 Market Day

Monday 28 November Michael House Christmas Concert

Tuesday 29 November Montrose Presentation Evening

Sunday 4 December Howqua End-of-year Party

Tuesday 6 December Valedictory

Wednesday 7 December Year 6 Graduation Dinner

We’re on Social Mediawww.facebook.com/LauristonArmadale www.twitter.com/LauristonGirls

Instagram: @lauristongs

Documents

10 LinkedIn - Lauriston Girls' School · engineers, and information and communications technology professionals. ... motivating them, the teacher is the most important. - Bill Gates