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HEAD MASTER'S BULLETIN | FRIDAY 8 MAY 2020
NEWS & NOTIFICATIONS
From the Head MasterThe history of the School provides us with insights that continue to resound now, even in these unusual times.
Recently I recorded videos for the Middle and Senior School boys, reflecting on some of these insights, drawnfrom the early years of the School, when the community was wrestling with the Great War, the Spanish flupandemic, and the disruption caused by the relocation from Dulwich Hill to Summer Hill in the mid-1920s.
The parallels between the impact of the Spanish flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic jumped off the page.States closing their borders, pubs and churches shuttered, shopping done by post or phone, and the list goes on.Most schools simply closed; learning by correspondence was a very different prospect in the years before theinternet. The Head Master at the time relocated the boarders to Austinmer for six weeks, where they set up alittle colony of thirty students in two cottages and two tents. In many ways it was a pre-cursor to our FieldStudies Centre and Programme.
My reflection to the boys was that our most profound learning during experiences such as these tends not tocome from the things that we are formally taught. Rather, the experience itself is our ‘teacher’, and ourreflections on that experience constitute our learning. The key question is ‘How will this experience in theseformative years shape our boys for their future?’ Only time will tell.
The focus of my second topic of reflection was the ‘Great Removal’, whereby Trinity engaged in a landswap withthe Education Department and moved from our previous site, which is now Lewisham Public School, to its currentsite in Summer Hill, which had been occupied to that point by Hurlstone Agricultural College. The School did wellfrom that particular swap!
However, due to some unfortunate timing, the School was homeless for two years in 1924 and 1925, whilst itwaited for the Summer Hill site to become available. Lessons happened in an old church hall in Dulwich Hilldivided up by curtains. One student said that you could choose from a variety of lessons at any one time,because all the teachers’ voices could be heard simultaneously. The boarders lived in a big old house just on theother side of Victoria St. They could see the promised land – their future school, with all of its land and space andpossibility – just across the road, but it wasn’t theirs yet. By pretty much any standard, these weren’t good yearsfor the School. No grounds, sub-optimal learning conditions, tight finances, low enrolments, regular thrashings insport matches … It wasn’t good!
I left the boys with two thoughts from our brief visit to the history of the School:
First, challenges and frustrations and disappointments are not unusual. They are a normal part of life, inevery generation, every society, every context. It is normal to encounter tough circumstances. Second,the circumstances are only part of the story. The rest of the story – in fact, the best of the story – is howyou respond when the circumstances are tough.
We are looking forward to welcoming the boys back to School from the start of next week, although we won’thave everyone back at the same time. Some families have wondered why the School is engaging in a staggeredreturn to School, given the guidance from public health authorities which indicates that schools should be openand that students should return. The simple answer is that a staggered return allows us to test ourarrangements, familiarise students with new physical distancing and hygiene requirements, and make anynecessary adjustments. However, given the public health advice, and given our conviction that a return to schoolis in the interests of students, staff and families, we anticipate moving towards the goal of full attendance in thenext few weeks.
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Information about the staggered return to school can be found on the School’s webpage here. I encouragefamilies to take the time to read it, in order to understand both the School’s approach and precautions, and alsothe expectations of physical distancing and personal hygiene for the boys.
Detur Gloria Soli Deo.
Tim BowdenHead Master
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From the Deputy Head Master – Summer HillThe Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything … the peace of God whichtranscends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:6a,7b
I trust it has been another week of improving engagement and learning in remote mode for your sons. Myexperience was the more I did it, the more effective my learning was. I also trust that they are keen to begin toresume at least some semblance of normality as we move into the transition to face to face classes and agradual return to a full Trinity education experience.
You will have received some correspondence from me earlier in the week that outlines our plans for the nextfortnight. May I reiterate that they are just that; plans only. The situation remains fluid and we may need tocontinue to respond to changes in messaging and guidelines from the State and Federal agencies as and whenthey become available. Please be alert to communication from the School, as well as checking the regularlyupdated FAQs to keep abreast of any changes to our plans.
Whilst I don’t propose to repeat, chapter and verse, what I shared on Monday, as there have been no changes toour arrangements for Week 3, I would like to request your assistance in reinforcing to your sons some veryimportant messages. Firstly, may I ask that you encourage your sons to practice good hygiene. Handwashing,hand sanitising (there will be over 100 bottles of sanitiser available in classrooms, bathrooms and in commonareas from Monday), covering coughs and sneezes, using tissues and disposing of them immediately,encouraging your sons to maintain social distancing, including avoiding handshaking and the sharing of drinksand food, are all sensible and reasonable measures that we ought to practise as a matter of course, butparticularly during this time of heightened awareness.https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-print-ads-simple-steps-to-stop-the-spread-coronavirus-covid-19-print-ads-simple-steps-to-stop-the-spread.pdf
Secondly, if your son is showing any signs or symptoms of cold or influenza, including fever, a cough, sore throat,shortness of breath, fatigue, aches and pains, headaches, a runny or stuffy nose, or if he is sneezing, he muststay at home, visit your GP and ensure that he is not infectious.https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-identifying-the-symptoms.pdf
Thirdly, I must insist that if you are dropping your son to School by car, and collecting him in the afternoon, youdo not leave your vehicle. Only students will be permitted on campus without an appointment. If you need tovisit the campus, you must make an appointment. Like the recent Year 9 Parent/Teacher evening video calls, ourpreference is to speak face to face by videoconferencing rather than in person in the short to medium term.
We have had several pieces of feedback about what happens if your son has been unable to purchase his winteruniform. I hope that your experience of Trinity Grammar School is that we are fundamentally reasonable, so weunderstand that demand may have outstripped Midford’s ability to accommodate all of the requests for fittings,and that there have been some issues with online purchases. In the case of Year 10 students who may not havea blazer, Year 7 students or students new to the School in 2020 who may not have the winter uniform, the Schoolwill exercise some discretion, and your son will not be sanctioned for something out of his control. Nonetheless,whether your son needs to wear his khaki uniform with a pullover or his winter uniform without a blazer, he willbe expected to be well turned out and wearing his uniform properly and with pride. Please note, that the School’sposition on all students being clean shaven when on campus has not changed. I have seen several veryimpressive Year 12 beards during my videoconferencing and, of course, they will need to be attended to on theweekend. Likewise, students in Years 7-11 will need to be clean shaven when they attend their day on campusnext week. It would also be unsurprising if some of your sons had taken the opportunity to experiment with theirhair over the last two months, but the School’s expectations are clear in this regard as well. The guidelines canbe found on page 25 of the Record Book and may be summarised as having a haircut that is neat, not so hip asto invite comment, neither so long that it extends over the collar, nor shaved so close that the scalp is exposed,and your son’s hair must be its natural colour.
We are looking forward to next week. I hope you are are as well.
Bradley Barr | Deputy Head Master – Summer Hill
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Uniform Expectations From Week 3Midford, the company that manages our Uniform Shop, has implemented COVID-19 restrictions in order toservice to the School safely. The restrictions pertain to in-store numbers and operating hours. You can read therelevant details here.
We understand that some of you may have difficulties in accessing the winter uniform during this time. If this isthe case, your son can return to School in summer uniform in the interim. If he is unable to source a blazer orjumper, he should wear his PE jacket if required. Please write a note in his Record Book should he need to takethis latter option.
Under the current restrictions, Midford and the School are required to meet specific conditions in opening a retailspace. Uniform fittings will be by appointment-only, so as to maintain physical distancing between individuals(adults in particular) in the shop. Details as to how to make an appointment are available here.
In addition, the hours of operation of the Shop have been restricted, in order to allow for thorough cleaning.
For the week commencing Monday 11th May:
the uniform shop will be open Monday to Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm.appointments for uniform fittings the week of May 11th still availableopen for the pick up of phone or online orders, or over-the-counter purchases that do not require a fitting.
The School appreciates and thanks you for your patience with this process.
Craig Sandwell | Deputy Head Master - Policy and Strategy
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ACADEMIC
Academic Focus | Navigating the New WorldFor many years now in education we have been told that students must develop so-called twenty-first centuryskills, such as creativity, collaboration and critical thinking, along with the personal learning traits of resilienceand adaptability. This, so the theorists argued, is because the world into which our graduates will step is a VUCAworld – one characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – and they need to be able tonavigate this kind of world space. I have often wondered how the name twenty-first century skills came about,because I am sure that explorers and discoverers and innovators for many centuries past have had to thinkcreatively and critically with enormous quantities of resilience and agility … but I have no dispute with the factthat, whatever adjectives have characterised the world before now, 2020 is a VUCA year!
We are enormously impressed and proud of the way our students are learning to navigate their new world ofremote learning. We are also profoundly grateful for the determined efforts of Trinity staff, both Teaching andSupport, to provide the rich, productive and safe landscape within which our boys can confront new challenges.
Week 2 has continued in a fully remote mode and we are delighted to see our teachers and students not onlyfinding the natural rhythms of learning that work in this context, but also experiment with new kinds ofresources, collaborations and digital tools to find the spark and variety that characterise great learningexperiences. We are also preparing for the return of students and designing now for a blended learningenvironment, where, for most students, remote sessions will sit beside face to face periods. We are designingcarefully to ensure we extract the absolute maximum value and joy in having the boys back on site for an actual,real lesson!
Other areas we are working to adapt include assessment, parent-teacher interviews and course informationevenings. We are thinking about the essential purposes of each of these areas in the current context anddesigning accordingly.
The purpose of assessment is to provide reliable evidence about what a student knows, understands and can do.Teachers will continue to collect this learning evidence in a variety of ways so they can provide clear feedbackand set out next steps. While Year 12 Assessment will largely proceed as scheduled, we will adapt assessmentprogrammes in Years 7 – 11 to suit the blended learning environment and ensure that when on site, students arenot merely sitting for in-class assessments! Parents can be confident that teachers are regularly assessingstudents and collecting the learning evidence to ensure individual growth and a reliable base for Semester 2Reporting.
Parent-Teacher Interviews were successfully held for Year 9 this week, in remote mode, connecting via students’MS Teams accounts. Feedback on this event has been extremely positive, both as a means of following up theSemester One Reports, and gaining a little insight into the way boys are interacting with their teachers throughvideoconferencing. Year 8 interviews will proceed next week. We are continuing to plan for the Year 7, 10 and 11events, which again will be held in a remote version, and will require purposeful planning now we are moving tothe scenario of face to face learning for some students on all days. Communication will be made to familiesabout the particular arrangements for each Year group during the week before the interviews are scheduled totake place.
Course Information Events for Year 11 2021 and Year 9 2021 will occur, again adapted for a remote experience.The purpose of these events is threefold: firstly, to mark a significant point in a student’s academic journey;secondly, to provide clear information so that he can make deliberate choices in shaping the next phase of hisacademic pathway; and thirdly, to ensure there is a forum for conversation and individual questions to furthersupport choices that lead to great outcomes. Parents will receive detailed information about how we will ensurethese purposes are fulfilled in the weeks leading up to the scheduled dates for the events. Next week, parents ofstudents in the current Year 10 cohort will receive access to an extensive resource of course information andadvice, in both print and pre-recorded video format, as well as an outline of the way in which we will manageopportunities for individual conversations with senior staff.
Navigating the new is always challenging, whether it be a new baby, a new home, a new job, a new project …but I trust your experience of navigating the new learning is also one of discovery and reward. As always, you arewarmly invited to contact the Curriculum Office via email ([email protected]) or phone(9581 – 6135) if you would like to speak with a senior member of the academic staff about any aspect of yourson’s current navigation!
Deborah Williams | Academic Dean
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News from the Arthur Holt LibraryThis week, The Arthur Holt Library is delighted to announce the arrival of our new Library Services Manager, MrsCourtney Nolan. She might be familiar to some of you from the TGS Preparatory School Library, where she hasworked for the past five years, but for those of you in need of an introduction, we thought we’d start by askingher a few quick-fire questions.
What led to you becoming a Library Services Manager?
I finished high school a tad younger than my peers, and found myself overwhelmed by the choices on offer, so Idefinitely dabbled when it came to University – Ancient History, Modern History, French, Biology, Teaching, evena couple of Psychology courses! I also happened to be working part-time as a barista at the Macquarie UniversityLibrary Café. This library housed the first “robotic” resource retrieval system in the country. It blew my mind torealise how much MORE libraries could be, so I made a swift pivot to Library Studies.
What are your three favourite books?
This is almost the worst question you could ask a reader. It makes my brain hurt… ‘Harry Potter’ catapulted meinto loving books in Year Three, and I haven’t looked back! Anything by Jane Austen, I read all of her books at 14and I generally re-read at least one a year. And ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, because it was truly The Book ThatChanged My Life.
If you weren’t a librarian, what would you be?
I’d probably get into some sort of creative field, or tech of some kind. I love learning new things, and I lovecreating. Graphic design is a personal hobby, and I love web design.
I’m sure you’ll all join us in extending Mrs Nolan the warmest of welcomes.Copyright Trinity Grammar School 2020. All Rights Reserved. \[page\] of \[toPage\]
While we’re busy showcasing the talents of our Library Staff, we’d also like to share a series of playlists createdby our Library Services Specialist Ms Kasey Drayton. After all there are soundtracks for movies, so why notplaylists for books? Here are the links to some of our favourites: Trent Dalton’s ‘Boy SwallowsUniverse’ https://tinyurl.com/y8vy8q3j; Markus Zusak’s ‘Bridge of Clay’ https://tinyurl.com/y9jg97y3; MichelleObama’s ‘Becoming’ https://tinyurl.com/yaxevybt; and Leigh Sales’ ‘Any Ordinary Day’https://tinyurl.com/yaxevybt.
“A book is a dream that you hold in your hands” – Neil Gaiman
Stefanie Gaspari | Director of Library Services
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CAREERS @ TRINITYDuring the past few weeks our physical teaching and learning environment has changed. Throughout thisperiod, students have continued to learn and connect with each other and their teachers, albeit in differentways.
Recently, I read an article about the challenge of making plans in a rapidly changing business landscape (not aCOVID inspired article), and could see clear parallels with career planning advice in our School context.
Despite the changes that we are managing from week to week, our senior students will still need to make plansfor their futures. They will still need to research course options, prepare applications, attend interviews andmake decisions. The planning process for these activities has not changed.
Careers Planning – Accountability, Action and Alignment
Planning is important because it makes you accountable. Communicating a plan and seeking input then refinesideas and allows for a series of actions to be followed. Checking in with the stakeholders in this plan ensuresalignment with goals and aspirations. Video conferencing has allowed students to continue careersconversations with me, to help them develop their plans for study and work beyond school. Circumstancesaround the ‘plan’ have changed, but the relevance and value of the plan has not.
During the coming weeks, I will continue to make careers conversations appointments with Year 12 students. Updates to information on application processes to post-school study are included each day on the CanvasCareers page.
Courses and Contacts
Please refer to Courses and Contacts for details of courses and contacts that may be of interest to you andyour sons.
Sue Draysey | Careers and Student Pathways Advisor
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SPORT
From the Director of Sport and Co-CurricularSport And Co-Curricular At Trinity In Term 2
Whilst restrictions have eliminated sporting activities on site for the time being, we have successfully leveragedthe capabilities of the online student platform to ensure our boys can still get their sporting fix. Coaches havebeen working harder than ever to ensure that we continue to engage students in sport, particularly as they learnat home - the strong correlation between physical exertion and improved academic performance becomes evenmore critical.
A dedicated page has been set up on Canvas: ‘Trinity Grammar School Online Sport’, where students areassigned sports classes to complete on a weekly basis. These include a mix of strength, conditioning and skill-based exercises as well as interactive weekly challenges. To simplify the user experience, the page has beenbroken into Year groups and their chosen sports, ranging from rugby and tennis through to football and cross-country, amongst others.
Our coaches have designed all of the programs so boys can continue to achieve weekly strength andconditioning and skill improvement goals. Our coaches will continue to monitor progress, so the boys aresupported in achieving their sporting goals. Students are provided with a variety of instructions, such as videos,demonstrating each exercise, outlining the correct techniques to follow.
In addition to staying physically active for the obvious general health benefits, our aim is to ensure students havemaintained their conditioning for when the time comes to get back into competitive sport on site.
Co-Curricular activities have also transitioned online, with Cadets, Chess, Movie Club, DEAS and Debating allavailable via Canvas. We hope the boys will enjoy and maintain their sporting and co-curricular commitments viathese innovative online platforms. My thanks to all the Sport and Co-Curricular staff who have worked so hard indeveloping online teaching materials.
Lachlan White | Director of Sport and Co-Curricular
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