Verity - June 2012

Verit

y

Vol.19 June 2012

Loreto students selected for the VCAA Season of Excellence

They’re the top

• Walking for a cause• Fame - The Musical • Breakthrough on the water

Verity Vol. 19 June 2012 Pg 2

Trusting God,

You give us freedom within our hearts so that we

may grow in self-acceptance to serve others.

Through this liberty You allow us to embrace the

gift of life and see the good in all your creation,

and so we give thanks.

Grant us the strength to act out of love and not

fear. Instil in us the inner freedom to surpass our

own limitations, to see beyond the narrowness of

self-doubt and personal interest.

In times of hardship, guide us in our quest for

inner freedom and allow us to be who we truly

are. Give us the courage to admit our faults, to

learn from our mistakes and grow in Your

unwavering love.

Through this freedom, grant us the power to stand

up and speak out for the betterment of ourselves,

our school and the wider community. Enable us

to develop a sense of identity that is inwardly free

that fosters the values of Mary Ward in the true

Loreto Spirit.

Amen

Freedom prayer written by Loreto Year 12 Captains Australia 2012

2012 Year of Freedom

www.loreto.vic.edu.au

Principal’s Message 4

Double Life 5 After the school bell rings, these girls just fly away

They’re the top 6 These girls are honing their unique interests hands on and getting great recognition

College Council Report 10

Adventures of a College Captain (or two) 11 Molly & Taylah have been connecting with fellow Loreto girls from all around the country

Live forever: Fame the Musical 12

Mary’s Mount Centre 13

2011: A Year of Excellence 14

Recipe for success 16 Mornane succeeds at swimming while Ward breaks a long athletics drought

A new way to walk 19

Just Briefly: College News 20

Past Pupils 22

Celebrating women 26 Four women from the Loreto College community share their thoughts on what International Women’s Day means to them

Everything old is new again 30

And you are? 31

Term 1 through a Year 7’s eyes 32

Young scientist moving at the speed of light 34

Vale Sister Bernarda and Sister Eileen 35

A lot of work has gone into revamping this

magazine. Verity is now a publication that is chock

full of interesting Loreto College stories. Our aim is

to make this a magazine that you will gladly read

from start to finish and one that any of your family or

friends could pick up and enjoy too.

There are so many amazing things that Loreto girls,

past and present, are achieving and Verity is now the

place where we can explore these interesting stories.

We welcome your contributions, so have a read, and

if you think your story would fit in well, please let us

know about it!

Welcome to the new look Verity!

Editor’s note

Despite incredibly hard work, the rapid increase in rowing’s popularity at Loreto didn’t immediately translate to success on the water. Loreto College became known for incredible spirit but not necessarily the best results. The 2011-2012 season saw that change though, as the hard work, training and growth of our rowing program came through and delivered results that made everyone take notice.... more page 24

Contents 24

Cover Picture: Ruth Spencer’s (Yr 12) Top Design selected outfit. Picture by Gerard Vicars

Photography: Renee Fraser, Matt Hustwaite, Ian Stowe, Gerard Vicars, Ian Wilson

Design: Mud Group Pty Ltd

Contributions to Verity can be sent to Loreto College Development Office 1600 Sturt Street Ballarat VIC 3350 T 03 5329 6100 E [email protected]

Breakthrough on the water...


2012 is the Loreto Year of Freedom, a freedom

that encourages us to recognise and celebrate the

uniqueness of each member of our community.

For Loreto College to be a community where all are

free to act out of “love, not fear” we must recognize

our responsibility for ourself and our accountability

to our fellow community members. We must take

on the role of an encourager, one who gives

courage to others through our positive and active

support and guidance. A community which lives

out freedom as defined by Mary Ward is a

community in which the ‘amazingness’ of each

student and staff member can shine through.

Central within this freedom is an understanding

that mistakes guide learning and thus we should

not be daunted when all does not go according to

plan but, with a cheerful heart, reflect upon what

we can learn and how we will approach this task or

problem in the future. Parents and educators are

charged with the responsibility of supporting

daughters and students in developing strategies

that build their resilience. A productive response

from an adult when an obstacle arises for an

adolescent is a pastoral conversation which

focuses on what steps could be taken to achieve a

different outcome should this obstacle arise again.

Belief in self is critical. A false modesty not only

impedes an individual in being the best she can

be, but, simultaneously impedes a community

from being the best it can be.

Thus a spirit of freedom asks of each of us that we

step forward and actively engage in all aspects of

our community life and learning. We are also

asked to look beyond our own community and

discern where our involvement will make a

difference to the lives of others.

There is no end to what can be achieved with our

full community living a life imbued with the spirit

of Mary Ward’s Freedom!

Whatever the limitations of our circumstances and our humanity, we are called to grow in this freedom beyond the narrowness of self-interest and the crippling of self-doubt. In the process we will be able to respond more creatively to the needs of others and develop resourcefulness in the face of difficulty. In this spirit, Loreto education builds on Mary Ward’s desire to act out of “love not fear”(Loreto Schools of Australia Mission Statement)

Principal’s Message

Judith Potter


I love being up in the air by myself on a quiet and calm day, it is just an awesome feeling.

Double Life

Pilots....

Genevieve TolhurstI enjoy music. I play trumpet in Loreto’s bands

and in choirs, and I like listening to music. I also

love hanging out with my friends. I also love

school! I have friends in all my classes and have

heaps (probably too much) of fun learning. For a

few months I saw planes flying around Ballarat

Airport. I wondered what it would be like to learn

to fly a small aircraft. I started flying at the end of

2009 when I was fifteen. After six months of

lessons I flew solo for the first time and last year I

gained my Pilot Certificate and can manage the

whole flight without aid of an instructor. I guess it

was the unique challenge that interested me. I

had never done anything like it before and it gave

me the chance to try something that I knew

nothing about. It was that curiosity of the

unknown that was and still is exciting to me. One

of my favourite quotes is from Leonardo da Vinci.

“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the

earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there

you have been and there you will long to return.”

It’s so true!

Samara SmithI just thought how cool would it be if I could fly a

plane and just being able to see things from a

whole different view. My dad has been learning to

fly and has been a part of the Ballarat Aero Club

since 2005. I always went out to the club rooms

with him when I could and watched the planes. I

was eventually old enough to start flying in June

2011. I fly a small, two seated yellow aircraft

nicknamed Tweety. It’s owned by the club and is

officially known as a Skyfox CA25N Gazelle. I think

the biggest challenge is remembering where all

the other aircraft are up in the air and avoiding

them. I just love learning all the new skills and I

love being up in the air by myself on a quiet and

calm day, it is just an awesome feeling. My

friends think it is pretty cool, although I don’t

think they quite trust my skills because whenever I

tell them that I went flying on the weekend the

first thing they will ask is if I crashed.

Anna TuncksMy mother was a flying instructor when she was in

her early 20s. Dad works as a pilot, my grandma

and uncle got their licenses and my grandpa died

in an aeroplane crash when my mum was 12. It’s

kind of like a family business and I really wanted to

get involved. I had a Trial Introductory Flight and

after a couple of practical lessons took a Basic

Aeronautical Knowledge course. BAK went for

about 14 weeks and we did exams at the end. The

biggest challenge for me was passing the exams; I

was doing hours of revision and countless practice

exams. It took a lot of work but it felt so amazing

when I passed them. One time I was on a steep

approach and I spotted a sheep on the numbers at

the end of the runway. I had to perform a go-

around but by the time I did another circuit the

sheep was gone and it was safe to land. I don’t

know that being a pilot is going to be my career. I

like rowing, basketball and singing but I want a job

that involves me doing some flying.

What happens after the school bell rings?By Genevieve Tolhurst (Yr 12), Samara Smith (Yr 11) & Anna Tuncks (Yr 10)



They’re the top

April Foster, Jacquelyn Power and Ruth Spencer have all achieved state recognition for their artistic merits. As performer, composer and designer

respectively, they make an inspiring trio.

Opera music is beginning to creep back into the mainstream pop culture

psyche, thanks to performers like Antoinette Halloran making appearances on

Spicks & Specks and contemporary pieces taking on subjects like Jerry Springer

and even Colonel Gaddafi! April Foster though prefers the classics. It is this

love and understanding that led April to being recoginsed as one of the top

Music Performance students of 2011 via an invitation to perform at Top Class.

While most girls their age are singing along to

Lady Gaga in the shower or flicking through the

pages of Cosmopolitan, April Foster, Jacquelyn

Power and Ruth Spencer are honing their unique

interests hands on. Such is their skill in their

chosen fields, all three have been selected for the

VCE Season of Excellence which celebrates the

creative high achievers of 2011.


I was shortlisted for Top Sounds, but my piece had Celtic drums and they couldn’t find a drummer!

“My favourite pieces are always the most difficult

ones – I love a challenge. “Poor Wand’ring One”

from The Pirates of Penzance is probably my

favourite, as it is extremely difficult. The song is like

gymnastics for your voice and the character is very

silly.” said April.

“Top Class is a series of concerts run by the Victorian

Curriculum and Assessment Authority and students

who achieve an A+ in their performance exam may

be invited to perform. Unlike dance and acting

students, music students are selected directly from

their performance in their examinations.”

April performed amongst other noted students at

the Melbourne Recital Centre at Southbank in a

gala concert held on Saturday 17th March and is

now studying classical singing at the University

of Melbourne.

Jacquelyn Power took a more unconventional route

to her success, studying Music Style and

Composition via correspondence through the

Distance Education Centre Victoria. An

exceptionally hard worker, Jacquelyn wanted to do

her correspondence subject but couldn’t decide

which other subject to drop. So instead, she took

on the extra load and took 6 subjects in Year 12.

“It was hard at times doing 6 subjects, finding time

to keep on top of everything. I did Maths Methods,

Chemistry, English, Music Performance for flute

and Psychology, along with Music Style and

Composition.” said Jacquelyn.

Like April, Jacquelyn was also shortlisted to have

her composition performed as part of the Season

of Excellence, but unique circumstances

unfortunately got in the way.

“I was shortlisted for Top Sounds, but my piece had

Celtic drums and they couldn’t find a drummer! It’s

a specialist instrument played with a stick and

flicked around quite quickly” said Jacquelyn.

“My piece was performed at the DECV Making

Waves concert though. Seeing it performed is hard


My favourite pieces are always the most difficult ones – I love a challenge.

to describe. Hearing my piece, “Celtic Rhythms”,

live was so much different to in my head or on a

computer. It was really cool!”

A current Year 12 student, Ruth Spencer undertook

Units 3 + 4 in Design & Technology as part of her

Year 11 studies. Her 1960’s inspired outfit wowed

audiences at Loreto’s Design & Technology

Fashion Parade and helped her achieve a perfect

study score for the subject. It was no surprise when

she was then invited to have her summer wedding

outfit modeled at Top Design.

“Top Design is an exhibition held at the Melbourne

Museum and is presented by the VCAA” said

Ms Spencer.

“I had to send in photocopies of pages from my

folio, photographs of the garment, my entire folio

and lastly, the completed product I had made.”

Inspired by the vintage pattern books from the 60’s,

Ruth identified the simple elegance of the era to

make a jacket, a dress, a self-covered belt, a hat

and a pair of gloves. Cleverly, the garment was made from second-hand

materials, including original 1960s silk, in an attempt to reduce the impact the

product had on the environment.

“I also gained inspiration from the television show, Madmen, which is set in the

early 1960s. I like to pursue design as an interest because I find it is an outlet

for my creativity. It’s so satisfying when your design becomes reality and you’ve

made a wearable product!”

While these are all fantastic achievements, the sentiments of the girls’ view of

their pursuits are summed up by April, saying “I love it, it makes me happy.”


Naomi Eddy

Trudi Kannourakis

Sr Denise Desmarchelier ibvm

Shane Dodd

On behalf of your College Council, it is with great

pleasure that I provide this report to the Loreto

College family. As we look forward to 2012 and

beyond, we see that many exciting projects and

undertakings are beginning to crystallise. With the

introduction of an additional stream of Year 7

students, the continual development of teaching

and education programs, and of course the major

building projects now starting to take shape, you

can see the ongoing development of the College.

For many years now Loreto has received more

enrolment applications for Year 7 places than we

have been able to accommodate. In an effort to

reduce the number of applicants the college had to

turn away, your Council and College Leadership

have implemented plans to increase our yearly

intake from 135 to 156 students. During the

Christmas break, alterations were made to the Mary

Ward Centre to convert two open areas into

classrooms for the additional class requirements.

These two classrooms will meet our needs for 2012

and 2013 with ongoing planning to refurbish other

areas to meet the additional streams in future

years. As the additional classes move through the

year levels, the number of students will increase

from our current capacity of 810 to 936 girls.

Many of you will be aware that some years ago

Loreto College conducted an extensive review in

which the development of a Performing Arts Centre

was identified as a key priority. Since that review,

Council has been planning for the funding and

construction of a facility which will meet the needs

of the College for many years to come. Council

recognises the need for the centre to be functional

and architecturally suitable to complement the

heritage of the surrounding buildings.

We believe the design

currently being

finalised meets these

objectives and are

pleased to advise the

Loreto Sisters have

approved the facility to

be named the “Mary’s

Mount Centre”. We

hope to commence

construction later this

year and complete the

project in early 2014.

Lastly, I would like to

thank my Council

colleagues and

sub-committee

members for their

generous efforts and

time given to the

governance of this

wonderful school. In

particular I would like

to pay tribute to the

input of Mr Neil

Eastwood for 8 years

dedicated service to the

College Council, the

last two years as Chair.

Neil has stepped aside

from his Loreto duties

and we wish him and

Monica well as they

undertake some

well-earned travel.

Shane Carey Geraldine Frantz Sr Yvonne Lamerand ibvm

Judith Potter

Maria Myers AO

Jeff Primmer

Chris Dunlop

College CouncilOur new College Council chair Shane Carey provides an update on a busy term.


Adventures of a

College Captain (or 2)

Over the past five months that we have been College Co-Captains we have had

the opportunity to meet many new people and go on some exciting

‘adventures’. The first of these was held right here in Ballarat and it was a great

pleasure that we were able to stay at the old Dawson Street campus, which has

recently been transformed into new apartments. It was truly amazing to think

that we were staying in a building that has educated so many Loreto women,

women who as Mary Ward once said “in time, would come to do much”

something Loreto students, past and present, continue to do.

The gathering of the Loreto school leaders is important for each of the girls

involved, and becomes a starting point to forming not only new friendships,

but for creating a tighter bond between all of the seven Loreto schools

Our 2012 College Co-Captains have been connecting with fellow Loreto girls from all around the country throughout the past five months, doing some adventure seeking along the way.

Australia wide. The

main aim of the

weekend was not only

to converse about new

ideas and share stories

of our beloved

schools, but also to

write the prayer for the

2012 value, Freedom.

The importance of this

prayer for every Loreto

school, brought for us

a great amount of

pressure, to create the

best prayer that we

could. However, as we

worked together each

girl was enabled to

contribute something

she thought described

and followed in the

many values of Mary

Ward, and for this year

most importantly,

Freedom.

The second adventure

that we were given the

chance to go on was in

Sydney during the

summer holidays, a

four day conference

organised by the

Australian School Girls

Alliance (ASGA) and

facilitated by Rising

Generations. This was

a truly unforgettable

experience with

student leaders from

over 90 all girls

schools around

Australian, New

Zealand and even

America!

This conference gave

us the ability to learn

new ways to get

students involved and

taught us how to deal

with having to take on

extra tasks, as well as

teaching us smaller

skills, for example,

how to construct a

good speech. The

conference helped us

to learn about

ourselves and how we

work by completing

personality tests,

which we were then

able to test during the

Super Amazing Race

around Sydney, which

was an eye opening

way of getting to know

our strengths and

weaknesses- and may

we add Molly’s team

did come a very close

second.

Rising Generations

worked with us in

larger and smaller

groups, whilst also in

our smaller teams,

known as tribes. We

were given careers

advice and given the

chance to listen to

some amazing

speakers including

Robin Moore, the

voice of our childhood

friend Blinky Bill!

These amazing trips

have allowed us to

learn about ourselves,

make new friends and

share the unique sprit

that surrounds all

Loreto girls and makes

our school so

phenomenal. This first

term has seen this in

action with the

swimming sport and

athletics carnival, and

we know that for this

year and for many

years to come Loreto

girls will continue to

spread their joy and

optimism.


When asked to name a musical, Grease, Cats, Footloose and Hairpsray are ones

that will simply roll of the tongue of anyone, whether they are theatrically

inclined or not. Always listed alongside these icons is the ultimate 80’s icon

Fame. Commonly identified with Irene Cara’s top 40 hit of the same title, Fame

is about the hopes and dreams of students at New York City’s High School of

Performing Arts and is a fast paced show full of catchy music and action packed

choreography.

A combined production of Loreto College and St Patrick’s College, Fame will hit

the stage to “light up the sky like a flame” at the Wendouree Centre for

Performing Arts on July 27 and 28. Each year, the two colleges alternate the

coordination of the production and this year Loreto College is playing host.

Under the guidance of Ms. Stephanie Greet, Director of Co-Curricular

Performance, a team of Loreto College staff and students are already hard at

work to make sure audiences are impressed.

The premise is a sort of pre-Chorus Line set-up: a group of bright, hungry, driven

kids all want to achieve fame, some at any cost, and some of them think that

having successfully auditioned for New York’s High School of Performing Arts,

they’ve already made it. These students have to cope with difficult relationships,

tough teachers and most importantly, the discovery of identity. Through

superb dance numbers and eloquent songs, the message of “living forever” is

conveyed perfectly.

Fame is, almost uniquely, a classic of cinema, television and music theatre. The

movie, released in 1980, won an Academy Award and swept the world. The TV

show ran for six seasons, won numerous Emmy Awards and was broadcast in

over 70 countries. Fame ran for a decade on London’s West End and has been

seen by over 10 million people worldwide.

This production of Fame has a particularly talented cast of Loreto College and

St Patrick’s College students. We are fortunate to have a breath of young, yet

incredibly experienced talent across both schools with performers like Maggie

Muller (Carmen), Luke Wilson (Tyrone) and Sarah Wood (Mabel) having all

portrayed lead roles with BLOC Music Theatre in the past year. We also have

some exciting new talent steping up to lead roles. Look out for Sarah Parkin as

Serena, Laura McKenzie as Iris and Zachary Weightman as Schlomo amongst all

of the other talented students you will see onstage

Tickets for Fame are available from the Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts

on (03) 5338 0980 or alternatively from Student Reception at Loreto College.

Fame Cast List

Carmen: Maggie Muller

Serena: Sarah Parkin

Mabel: Sarah Wood

Iris: Laura McKenzie

Lambchops: Courtney Farrell

Miss Sherman: Molly Wheatland

Miss Bell: Esther Crowley

Nick: Noah DeLosa

Tyrone: Luke Wilson

Schlomo: Zachary Weightman

Joe: Marcel Schlooz

Goody: Linus Tolliday

Mr Sheinkopf: Angus McDonough

Ms Myers: Kate Brierley

Chorus

Miranda Roscoe, Bethany McKee, Monica Flynn,

Elise Karslake, Anna Perkins, Georgina Rampling,

Lucy Nolan, Jessica McKee, Anna Foo, Abbey

Perkins, Elizabeth Brown, Maggie Quinlan, Olivia

Flynn, Delaney Keating, Alia Ryan, Tessa

Donnithorne, Keely Keating, Julia Richards, Laura

Kors, Ashley Duffy, Brayden Ward, Daniel Sully,

Georgina Fuller, Katelin Anderson, Judith Sully ,

Rebecca O’Dowd, Charlotte Crowley, Clara Bettio-

Sandlant, Georgina Parkin, Lucy Wheatland,

Courtney Norton, Ceri Hocking, Laura Vincent, Alia

Ryan, Jess Cosgriff, Kirsten Slater, Paige Ryan, Clare

Keogh, Amy Harwood, Leteisha Rinaldi, Jessica

Hillman, Dylan McPherson, Dan Goetz, James Wait,

Bree Hearn, Tegan O’Dowd, Shelley Smith,

Mathilda Reinders, Kyara Strachan, Kate Flynn,

Stephanie Anderson, Brianna Poole, Zoe

Myrianthis, Ashleigh Norman, Melissa Hocking,

Teagan Rieniets, Wade Hear, Tom Thorpe, Anton

Sgaub, Jack Wakefield, Will Lovison, Josh Rose,

Oliver Iles, Jarrod Cosgriff, Ben Williams, Jordi Pring

Live ForeverIt’s time to bust out the bright leg warmers and fluro shirts, as Loreto College and St Patrick’s College are bringing 80’s icon Fame to life on the stage.


As the design process

draws closer to

completion, the

leadership team of the

Loreto Sisters in

Australia have

approved “The Mary’s

Mount Centre” as the

name for our new

Performance Centre.

This name will

honour and

acknowledge the

leadership and

service of the Loreto

Sisters alongside the

A nod to our pastNew Performance Centre to be named “The Mary’s Mount Centre”

We realised that our current living arrangements were no longer going to meet our needs as we moved into the future

Sketch of the new Province Archives Centre

“We realised that our current living arrangements

needed review. Webster Street provides us with

more suitable accommodation on a single floor,

and allows our College to take a pivotal step in its

continuing development to educate young

women.”

Also in development at the College is a new

Archives Centre, pictured above. To be situated in

the south-east corner of the campus, the centre

will incorporate the original St Anne’s Primary

School structure and as Business Manager Jeff

Primmer explained will “reveal the original

building more than the existing additions.” The

centre will house both the Province archives and

the Loreto College archives, along with facilities

for displays and meetings.

heritage gifted to the Loreto College

community by the Loreto Sisters since 1875.

For the benefit of our younger readers, the Sturt

Street campus of Loreto College was originally

known as Mary’s Mount, while Dawson Street was

Loreto Convent. When the two amalgamated in

1978, the name Loreto College was born.

Another chapter of our history will soon unfold

when the Sisters of the Mary’s Mount Community

when they relocate into their beautiful new

residence on Webster Street. In 2010 the Loreto

Sisters advised that they were reviewing their

living arrangements and according to Mary’s

Mount Community Leader Sr. Yvonne Lamerand

ivbm, the timing was perfect.

Beat the TeacherMr Kevin Robillard

Mathematics Teacher, Year 9 Co-ordinator and Head of Mulhall House

‘The rungs of the ladder on the side of the ship are 1 foot apart and 8 rungs are showing.

The tide raises the water level by 4 feet. How many rungs will be covered by the water ?

Answer on pg 34


2011A year of excellence29 outstanding students were acknowledged amongst the Class of 2011 during this year’s Academic Assembly.

DUX Laura McDonough (ATAR 99.10)


2011 VET and VCE Awards

Jaclyn Carter VET Certificate 11 in Community Recreation (Fitness)

Georgina Edmondson VET Certificate 11 in Hairdressing

Chloe Gilbert VET Certificate 11 in Hospitality: Operations

Ashlee Wilkes VET: Certificate 111 in Beauty Services

The Arts

Madison Fitzpatrick Art

Mikaela Fuller Studio Art

Nicole Hall Studio Art

Sarah Oakley Theatre Studies

April Foster Music: Solo performance

English

Jassmine Frederick ESL (English as a Second Language)

Laura McDonough English

Maijahn Schlooz Literature

Humanities

Laura McDonough Business Management

Stephanie McIntrye Business Management

Rebekah Leviston History: Revolutions

Laura McDonough International Studies

Tessa French Legal Studies

Sarah Oakley Sociology

Health & Physical Education

Lauren Quanchi Health & Human Development

Eleanor Toohey Physical Education

LOTE

Dorothy Hall LOTE: Italian

Catherine McLean LOTE: French

Maijahn Schlooz LOTE: Japanese

Mathematics

Siobhan Heenan Mathematics: Further Mathematics

April Foster Mathematics: Specialist Maths

Mathematics: Mathematical Methods

Monet Van Gaans Mathematics: Specialist Maths

Mathematics: Mathematical Methods

Laura McDonough Mathematics: Specialist Maths

Religious Education

Anika Niehaus Religion and Society

Science

Emily Baxter Biology

Belinda Fraser Chemistry

Bronte Healy Chemistry

Maijahn Schlooz Chemistry

Sarah Oakley Psychology

April Foster Physics

Technology

Ruth Spencer, Design and Technology

Rosie Lewis Food and Technology

Frances Bailey IT Applications

Laura Kinnersley VET Certificate III Interactive Digital

Academic Honours - Siobhan Heenan, April Foster, Belinda Fraser,

Bronte Healey, Maijahn Schlooz, Sarah Oakley

A large crowd assembled in the Gonzaga Barry

Centre to celebrate the achievements of the Class

of 2011 and whilst every year is full of success, the

past year finished with a wide range of

accomplishments across many subjects.

In the presence of luminaries including the new

chair of College Council Shane Carey, the recently

appointed Director of Catholic Education for the

Ballarat Diocese Audrey Brown and Professor

Andrew Dean of the University of Notre Dame, 29

Loreto girls were acknowledged and received

an award.

Amongst those recognised was our 2011 Dux

Laura McDonough. Laura, also an award recipient

for English, Business Management, International

Studies and Specialist Maths, earned an ATAR

score of 99.10. As she addressed to the audience

her down to earth nature shone through and she

reminded us that like all girls, she can struggled

from study distractions. Her speech contained

much practical advice for all students,

encouraging them to set high expectations for

themselves. Laura’s work ethic is an example to

all and she is now applying herself to Arts / Law at

Monash University.

Six other students earned ATAR scores of 90 or

more. April Foster, Belinda Fraser, Bronte Healey,

Siobhan Heenan, Sarah Oakley and Maijahn

Schlooz all had an excellent academic year and

were presented with an Academic Honors Award

Certificate, a pen, plaque and $100 cash prize.

We are indeed fortunate that our students have

the support of the wider Ballarat community and

the College community.

We are grateful for the generous support of Bakers

Delight, Ballarat Books , Central Chiropractic,

Cosgriff & Associates, Darrians Hairdressing,

David Torrington Studios, Gray Puksand, John

Thomas Electrical, Lifestyle Travel, Loreto College

Past Pupils’ Association, Lou Lou’s Florist, Mrs

Maria Myers AO Class of 1964, Ms Jan Stephen

(Class of 1965), MSP School Photography,

Mudgroup Pty Ltd, Noone Schoolwear, Notre

Dame University – Sydney, Oscars Bar and Café,

Paul Turner Plumbing, Prowse Perrin and

Twomey, Radmac, Regent Cinemas, Southern

Cross Business Machines and Westlab Supplies.

Congratulations to all of our Class of 2011.


Mornane House had the recipe for success as their “Masterchefs” notched up a 202

point win in the Swimming Carnival. While they also took out each of the Junior,

Intermediate and Senior division titles as well, the highly coveted synchronised

swimming title went to Mulhall, as their military inspired routine stirred up much

house spirit.

Each race was hotly contested and the margins were narrow as our swimmers vied

for the title of Age Division Champion. The torpedo-like Tanika James held off the

strong Georgia Murphy to claim the Open Division, while the 13 years divison

proved to be exciting to watch as regular team mates Olivia Henderson and

Danielle Anstis battled it out in the pool. In a close tussle, Olivia narrowly edged

out Danielle to claim the title.

Sport

Recipe for success at Swimming Carnival

House Champion

Mornane: 1089

Ward: 887

Barry: 871

Mulhall: 790

Division Winners:

Junior: Mornane

Intermediate: Mornane

Senior: Mornane

Division Champions:

12 Years: Ella McCahon

Runner Up: Lucy Olver

13 Years: Olivia Henderson

Runner Up: Danielle Anstis

14 Years: Justine Baker

Runner Up: Chiara Dew

15 Years: Eboney Olver

Runner Up: Ashleigh Norman

OPEN: Tanika James

Runner Up: Georgia Murphy

Sports Briefs

100km club

The 100 km club has

been making strides

this year, with

students and staff

alike taking to Lake

Wendouree for a

weekly run. Organised

by P.E. teacher Mr

Shane Nankervis, the

Friday lunchtime runs

are being utilised as

part of broader

training programs, a

fun break from school

with friends and for

some a much needed

chance to get fit!

100km club is open to

anyone who wants to

join and the runners

take off at about 1pm

every Friday from the

GBC.

Mountain of Fun Run

After debuting with a

single team in 2011,

Loreto College shone

at Mt. Warrenheip with

four teams entering in

this year’s Mountain of

Fun Run. Consisting of

students from years 7

to 12, the Loreto

College teams all ran

competitive times.

Held to raise funds for

St Brendan’s Primary

School in Dunnstown,

teacher Ms. Kelli Baird

explained that The

Mountain of Fun Run

has extra meaning for

many of the Loreto

College students. “The

event is very well

supported by students

at the school as many

of them live within the

Dunnstown

community and are

keen to support St

Brendan’s Primary

School”.

Success in the Pool

While Australia has

been in the grips of

the Olympic swimming

trials, two Year 8

students have been

taking to the pool with

their own success.

Olivia Henderson and

Danielle Antis

represented Loreto

College at the

Midlands Amateur

Swimming Association

Inc.’s “Annual

Secondary Schools

Swimming Program”

on February 26. In the

female 15/under 100m

freestyle, the girls took

two of the podium

places with Olivia

placing second while

Danni placed 3rd.

Teaming together in

the 2 x 100m relay,

the girls placed 2nd.

The competition is

tough at this meet, the

girls gave a strong

showing and are only

getting better.


It was the end of a

decade long drought

for Ward House as

they broke through

with a 101 point

margin to claim the

House Trophy for

Athletics. An elated

Anna Kelly, Senior

Sports Captain for

Ward accepted the

trophy, cheered on by

a very vocal Ward

contingent at

Llanberris Reserve on

Thursday 22 March.

Ward managed to hold

off a very competitive

Barry who finished

with 1662 and the tight

tussle for position

continued between

Mulhall and Mornane,

with Mulhall’s 1266

points giving them 3rd

place, edging out

Mornane with 1200.

Performing strong

throughout the whole

day across multiple

events was Year 12

Champion Brianna

Elliott. Competing in

the hurdles and long

jump events, she

placed first in both on

her way to the title.

Across other year

levels, Elise Beynon

(Yr. 11), Maddi

Peterkin (Yr. 10), Emily

Brugman (Yr. 9), Jess

Grant (Yr. 8) and Indya

Hayes (Yr. 7) all

competed well and

took out their

respective year’s

championship title.

As always, a highlight

of the carnival was the

Ward wins!

novelty games, which

this year included the

new addition of

“Ladder Relay”. These

events took pride of

place in the middle of

the field with strong

support from the

spectators. Perhaps

more so than the

House Trophy, the

tug-of-war was hotly

contested between the

houses, with the

impressive “Mulhall

Military” taking down

the “Barry Braves” in

the senior contest.

The girls showed

fantastic house spirit

all day and while

competition was fierce,

it was impressive to

see the support shown

to every student from

all who watched and

cheered.

House Champion

Ward 1763

Barry 1662

Mulhall 1266

Mornane 1200

Division Winners:

Junior: Ward

Intermediate: Ward

Senior: Barry

Division Champions:

Year 12: Brianna Elliott

Runner up: Cassandra James

and Emma-Rose Murphy

Year 11: Elise Beynon

Runner up: Ella Pipkorn

Year 10: Maddi Peterkin

Runner up: Stephanie Mundy

and Millie Martin

Year 9: Emily Brugman

Runner up: Greta Stevens

Year 8: Jess Grant

Runner Up: Lucy Wheatland

Year 7: Indya Hayes

Runner Up: Megan Mullane


The theme “what I want to be when I grow up”

inspired hundreds of spectacular costumes at the

annual Loreto College walkathon.

From The Wiggles, to footballers, professors,

designers, pirates and even Disney princesses

complete with their own float, each of the 820

students participating in the event put their

individual creative spin on it.

A highlight of our college community calendar, it’s

one of those events that will be remembered long

after the students have left school.

“They were asked as much as possible to put the

costumes together from what they have at home. A

few are borrowed from the drama department as

well.” said Principal Judith Potter.

“I think they’re fantastic. There are so many that are

unexpected which is what makes it so much fun.”

Organised by our social justice group JPIC, this

year’s walkathon raised funds for St Vincent De

Paul, Uniting Care and missions in India, Africa

and Vietnam.

JPIC committee members picked the theme and

the charities. The 10km walk from Kirks Reservoir

back to school was followed by activities and a

fashion parade.

It is anticipated that a large amount of money was

raised, and we will update you on the total in the

next edition of Verity.

A new way to walkOur annual walkathon was another resounding success

They were asked as much as possible to put the costumes together from what they have at home.



Dr. Andrew Fuller presents to parentsBart Simpson, Mahatma Gandhi and smooth

negotiator types were just some of the “Tricky

Kids” discussed at the College on 28 February. A

crowd of 250 parents attended Dr Andrew Fuller’s

parent briefing ‘Helping Your Child Succeed at

School’ and in his amicable style, he presented

strategies on parenting the “click and go”

generation.

Dr. Fuller, who specialises in the wellbeing of

young people, says families that work well seem

to praise one another a lot - compliments are

made and positive efforts are commented on.

“Confident children with well-developed

organisational skills, resilience, independence

and social skills will thrive in the classroom.”

says Dr. Fuller.

International Women’s Day BreakfastA key date on the annual calendar,

Loreto College took time to celebrate

International Women’s Day on

Thursday 8 March. As part of the

celebrations the annual International

Women’s Day Breakfast was held at the

Mercure Convention Centre. A feature

of the morning was the presentation of

the Loreto Woman of the Day and the

Loreto Community Achiever awards.

Year 12 student Naomi Skinner won

the Loreto Woman of the Day and

fellow Year 12 student Brittany Rose

was named as the Loreto Community

Achiever. Both are ambassadors who

truly embody the spirit and values of

Loreto and have been involved in the

full life of the College throughout their

school years.

Other festivities at the International

Women’s Day Breakfast included an

inspirational speech from past pupil

Ms. Elizabeth Lacey. A member of the

class of 1993, Elizabeth has amassed a

wealth of experience in legal issues

surrounding indigenous Australians.

She captivated the audience with her

talk on what International Women’s

Day means to her and how those

sentiments relate to her work.

We would also like to acknowledge

our generous sponsors Regent

Cinemas and Fernwood Fitness for

their support of Loreto College and

our International Women’s Day

Breakfast.

30 years of serviceAs part of Catholic Education

Week, five Loreto College staff

were recognised for their

outstanding contribution to

Catholic education. Mrs Margaret

Adams, Mrs Tricia Cosgriff, Mr

Peter Foord, Mr Pat O’Shea and

Mr Graham Thurgood were all

given awards at a special dinner,

in honour of their 30 years of

service to Catholic education.

Thank you and congratulations to

all of the recipients!

Just BrieflyCatch up on snippets of news from around the College


Loreto College teacher writes new national LOTE text

In an achievement

testament to the

quality of our teaching

staff, Japanese teacher

Mrs Yoshie Burrows is

now the leading

author of the new

national LOTE text for

Japanese students.

Much care and time

was put into the

development of the

new text, which

encourages

multimedia

integration to assist

the learning of

Japanese. Students in

the classroom have

been responding well

to the new text and are

pleased to have the

ultimate expert to

question if they need

assistance with their

new textbook.

Alex Mathieson wins Lions Youth of the YearOne of Loreto College’s finest

public speakers; Alex Mathieson

of Year 12 won the Lions Club of

Ballarat District Final. This year’s

achievement marks back to back

successes for Alex, who won

both the Lions Club of

Wendouree and Lions Club of

Ballarat titles in 2011. On her

road to victory, Alex displayed

involvement in, and knowledge

of her community, together with

fine public speaking skills.

Japanese Exchange We were delighted to host 12 students from

Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen, Tokyo from March 7 to

19. Shibuya is one of the most densely populated

districts in Tokyo; the famous Shibuya Scramble

Crossing is often visited by tourists. This made it

quite a big change from Shibuya Crossing to our

Sturt Street crossing! All the students enjoyed the

homestay program here and immersed

themselves in the Australian way of life. The

Loreto College students also gained many

insights from hosting them and learnt a lot about

life in a big city such as Tokyo.

They impressed our students with their level of

competency in English, as group leader Momoko

gave an excellent, well received speech at a

College assembly. They continued impressing our

students with their presentations about their

school life, geography and science experiments.

This year was different to the usual exchange

programs because we ran collaborative projects

before their arrival. Mr Pat O’Shea and Miss

Kayoko Ikeda started to collaborate last year and

during this visit many activities were shared.

Ashleigh cuts out her rivalsYear 9 student

Ashleigh Meagher is

now a national

champion. Competing

in the niche sport of

“cutting” Ashleigh rode

her way to victory at

the National Cutting

Horse Association

championships held in

Tamworth. Cutting

requires a horse and

rider to isolate a single

cow away from a herd

and keep it separated

for a certain period of

time. Horseback skills

run in the family, with

Ashleigh’s father being

a competitor and

trainer. The next step

for Ashleigh is

competing in the

senior category, from

which competitors can

win a trip to the United

States of America.

Big role in the “big show with big hair”Year 11 student Ana

Todd will be seen in

Ballarat Lyric Theatre’s

production of

“Hairspray” in the

principal role of Lil

Inez. The musical

about racial

integration in 1960’s

America recently

played professionally

in Melbourne and

exploded on the big

screen with Zac Efron

and Amanda Bynes.

The Ballarat

production with Ana

will hit Her Majesty’s

Theatre in August. An

active performer, Ana

toured the United

States with Glee Club

Australia in 2011 along

with fellow student

Daniella Lombardi.


Many Loreto women

from the Eastern

states flew over to the

West for the 2012

Loreto Federation

conference in May

and it delivered a

happy social

weekend. At this

biennial meeting of

all Australian past

pupils’ associations

each association

presented a

resolution for

discussion and

implementation. This

year Ballarat

presented the

resolution - “That

past pupils be

encouraged to offer

their time and talents

to the current

students in a

mentoring role, at the

discretion of and

guidance from the

College Principal”.

This is in step with

the 2012 Federation

theme “Striding Out

in Freedom and Love”

and one of our main

objectives of

strengthening ties

between past pupils

and the current

Past PupilsFrom the Association President

Is it really 50 years

since we left the

school which was

known then as Mary’s

Mount?

This was followed by

the Past Pupils

Association Annual

Reunion and Annual

General Meeting.

Following prayer in

the Chapel (and the

singing of Queen of

Loreto and the

Holiday Hymn), we

asked members to

adopt the rewritten

Constitution of our

Association which

was presented to

members for their

comments at the

2011 A.G.M. If you

would like to receive

a copy please contact

the College.

Finally, we remember

Sister Bernarda

Stenson and Sister

Eileen Riley. May

their gentle,

hospitable spirits rest

in peace.

Meg Barry

President

school community.

As Loreto Ballarat

will host the next

Federation we will be

seeking the support

of our past pupils to

stage a truly Ballarat

gathering.

On the weekend of

26-27 May there was

a warm welcome to

the classes who were

celebrating their

school reunions. For

me, personally, it was

a nostalgic time to

greet the women of

the 1961-62 classes.

That past pupils be encouraged to offer their time and talents to the current students in a mentoring role, at the discretion of and guidance from the College Principal


Rae Howell: A Loreto virtuosoA class of 1996

graduate, Rae Howell

began her career

treading the boards to

play the grand piano

keys at the Royal

South Street

Eisteddfod. She is now

one of Australia’s most

accomplished female

composers and

multi-instrumentalists,

creating music that

sits broadly across

classical and jazz

genres. Whilst her

acclaimed chamber

ensemble Sunwrae

have performed

internationally and

she has found herself

based in London, Rae

had a personal career

highlight recently

when the Ballarat

Symphony Orchestra

debuted her piece

Tails of the Trebuchet

in March at the

Wendouree Centre for

Performing Arts.

ReunionsWe enjoyed welcoming back the classes of 1961 & 1962, 1972,, 1992 and 2002

On Saturday 26 May. We will have reports and photos from these reunions in

the August edition of Verity. The 30 year reunion will be held on Saturday 11

August. If you have any enquiries about this year’s reunions, please contact the

Development Office via email at [email protected] or go online

to http://alumni.loreto.vic.edu.au. We hope to see many of you this year!

Weddings and BirthsMichelle Clark (‘88)

married Michael

Heritage on

September 10th 2011

at St Francis Xavier

Church in Cairns. The

couple live in Tully,

QLD where Michelle is

the Officer in Charge

of the Tully Criminal

Investigation Branch.

Kara Clarke (Lyons,

’95) and Dave

welcomed their

daughter Zoe Grace on

15 October 2011. Zoe

is a little sister for the

equally beautiful

Eloise.

Luke and Judy Sacco

(Comelli, ‘05)

welcomed Liana

Melanie on 20

February. Liana

weighed in at 5lb 3oz.

Let’s hear it for the ladies who lunch!The Development Office received a fantastic letter recently from a group of

Past Pupils who meet up for lunch. This might sound pretty mundane, but

the incredible part is that these girls were boarders at Mary’s Mount in the

1930’s! Mary Allen, Jess King, Mary Fleming, Margaret Holmes, Kathleen

Lester and Ronna Faghi are pictured and Mrs. Fleming thinks that this is

rather a record considering Mary’s Mount was such a small school at the

time. The ladies believe that the oldest boarder still alive is Mary O’Brien

(nee Coghlan) who is currently residing in Berwick.


Breakthrough on the water

The 2011-2012 season became a breakthrough for Loreto College, as our rowing crews made their mark on the water.


Since the introduction of a formal rowing program

in the mid 2000’s, rowing has grown in popularity

amongst the students at Loreto College. The

intensity, team spirit and feverish energy of the

supporters resonates with the girls. It must be

admitted though, that despite incredibly hard work,

the rapid increase in popularity didn’t immediately

translate to success on the water. Loreto College

was becoming known for incredible spirit but not

necessarily the best results.

The 2011-2012 season saw that change though, as

the hard work, training and growth of our rowing

program came through and produced a season that

made everyone take notice.

Amid season full of notable events, including the

return of the Head of the Lake to Ballarat, Loreto

College had its own unique highlight - it was the

first full season where

we competed from our

own rowing shed. The

fruits of an incredible

amount of work from

the Rowing Support

Group, Loreto’s rowing

headquarters meant we

were able to leave the

shared space of the

Ballarat Rowing Club

and have prime

position on our

school-grounds across

the road from the lake.

After a huge amount of

media hype and

anticipation, Head of

the Lake finally arrived

after months of training

that started in Term 3

of 2011. It was the first

time since 2003 that

the event would be

held on Lake

Wendouree due to

drought and the first

time that many of the

girls had competed in

their home town.

Testament to the growth of our program, we

recorded our highest amount of crews ever entered

with 17 crews on the water. The day got off to a flyer,

with the Year 9 Divisions 4, 2 and 1, along with 10

Divisions 4 and 3 all securing victories. They were

followed by the Open Division 4 who also placed

first, and all of our other crews rowed competitive

races and lost only by narrow margins.

All of our crews were competitive and Loreto overall

came second in the premiership, narrowly missing

first by one point. This result is testament to how far

we have come in a short period of time and to the

hard working coaches and support group that make

it possible.

Following the excitement of Head of the Lake came

Head of Schoolgirls, the Southern Hemisphere’s

largest regatta held on the Barwon River in Geelong,

and the National Rowing Championships held in

Armadale, Western Australia. After some great

results against the Ballarat schools two weeks

earlier, everyone was keen to see how we would go

against Melbourne and Geelong schools.

Head of Schoolgirls was held over two days. All our

crews rowed very competitively and placed a lot

closer than previous years to some of the schools

that have dominated the sport in recent times.

Again a great example of how far we have come in a

short time.

In hot and dry Western Australian conditions, it was

great for the girls to see such a high level of

competition, as this was the last big regatta for

rowers competing for an Olympic spot for the

London games later this year. The girls were lucky

enough to meet national coaches and rowers such

as Anthony Edwards who has won many Olympic

medals and was recently named Rower of the Year.

The first heat on Friday was a good row with the

girls just missing out on going straight into the A

final by placing third 38 degree heat. The repechage

on the Saturday was again a good row however the

girls came up against some good crews and just

missed out on making it into the A final. The final

on Sunday was a tough row and was neck and neck

for the length of the race and placed second.

The girls represented Loreto College and the rowing

club with great pride at local, state and national

levels this season with top quality competition from

all across Australia. 2012-2013 is already being

talked about as the season to watch out for the

“Loreto Gold” girls.

The intensity, team spirit and feverish energy of the supporters resonates with the girls.

Celebrating WomenFour women from the Loreto College community share their thoughts on what International Women’s Day means to them.Celebrated around the world on Thursday March

8, International Women’s Day recognises the

economic, political and social achievements of

women worldwide. Celebrated at Loreto College

with our International Women’s Day Breakfast,

Loreto College celebrates its proud history of

educating women of influence, recognised for

their achievements. Verity Magazine spoke to four

women from our College community to find out

what this day means to them.




In my fourth year of Social Work at Melbourne

University, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture

by Betty Friedan, a feisty 80 year old who had been

a leader of the feminist movement in the USA.

The very fact that women have ‘real’ choices today is

attributable to Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer and

countless other women of their generation (our

parents and grandparents) who challenged current

thinking. But does this breadth of choice help or

hinder women today?

When my husband and I began talking about

having our first child, I found myself reflecting on

this. The feminist movement had secured

opportunities and choices for women of all ages.

But with this came a false sense of entitlement.

Could I really ‘have it all’?

Like many women my age, I established my career,

took maternity leave and returned to work part-

time. It may look like I’ve managed to ’have it all’,

International Women’s Day is not only a globally

recognised event, but a day of celebration about

all that is good at Loreto, about what past and

present students have achieved and what every

Loreto girl can achieve in the future. Our Loreto

education is something really special. We are

given so many opportunities, privileges and the

knowledge to make good choices in our lives.

As my last year at Loreto is quickly coming to a

close, I am slowly realising how lucky I am as a

young woman in the world. Throughout my

education I have valued the social justice aspect

of school which has not only enriched my life, but

helped the lives of others. At the International

Women’s Day Breakfast I was fortunate enough to

be awarded with the ‘Loreto Community Achiever’

award. It was very unexpected and I am extremely

grateful to be recognised for my community work.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day

is empowering women - end hunger and poverty.

Immediately when I saw this theme I thought of

starving, homeless women in Africa. I then

realised that the theme applies right here in

Ballarat and that women are also helpless against

unfair pay rates. Women across the world earn on

average between 10 and 30 percent less than men.

Approximately there are 15,000 homeless

people in Ballarat with some of them being

women and children. To me, International

Women’s Day is women all over the world

recognising the struggle and supporting women

in their own community. It is also a chance to

see how far we’ve come from so many years

ago. Today we can become a CEO of a big

company or anything else we want. I am very

proud of who we are; women can do anything.

Kerry Foss Fundraising & Community Relations Manager

Brittany Rose Year 12 Student

Naomi Skinner Year 12 Student

and while in some ways I feel I have, it has not been

without sacrifice.

Being a mother is such an overwhelming experience

- more enjoyable, rewarding and exciting than I

could have anticipated. But it also pulls at my heart

strings, makes me question my decisions, instils a

(pre-programmed, I think) parental guilt…. and at

times, I feel I’m losing my sense of self.

Despite the constant challenges, I know I am a

better mother because of my work – the balance

this creates in my life. As women, we need to

support one another in the choices we make, which

will be different for each one of us.

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate

these choices, knowing that life is not black and

white. However, neither is it grey. It is filled with the

colors of the rainbow. And despite the realisation

that I couldn’t really ‘have it all’, I wouldn’t have my

life’s colors reflect in any other way.

International Women’s

Day inspires young

women to strive to

reach their full

potential. Hearing the

stories of past

students who have

fulfilled their dreams

is an encouraging step

towards making the

most of your time at

Loreto and becoming

driven to make the

most of the future.

The feminist movement had secured opportunities and choices for women of all ages. But with this came a false sense of entitlement. Could I really ‘have it all’?


The College has held four breakfasts in honour of

International Women’s Day and I have attended

them all. When I wake up early and prepare to

share part of the day with the young women of

Loreto College, I know it is special.

The girls arrive promptly and are usually

accompanied by their mum. They sit at tables

with teachers and friends. The mood is friendly;

polite but informal and again provides one of

those moments to meet the girls under different

circumstances and learn new things.

The speakers are always excellent; talented past

pupils who have made a real fist of their

education and branched out into careers in

journalism, law or medicine. With one voice they

talk about the strength of a girls education and

how it inspired them to make a difference.

Mandy Carroll Year 12 Coordinator

With one voice they talk about the strength of a girls education and how it inspired them to make a difference.

The joy of hearing who has been voted the Loreto

Woman of the Day is palpable; those gathered are

so proud of their friend and pleased to have had a

chance to have their say. Then we head to the bus

and commence another day at school, in a

beautiful setting, with facilities and opportunities

that literally take one’s breath away.

On this day especially, I am always reminded that

such privilege is not the case for so many women

around the world; that whilst I am fortunate, I

must never stop working to help my ‘sisters’

around the globe.

So I’ll be making sure I wake up early again for the

next International Women’s Day Breakfast. It’s a

great way to start the day.


The old adage ‘Everything old is new again’, still

stands up in many ways and the college archive is a

great place from which to observe this

phenomenon. This year saw the introduction of a

new uniform for Loreto Ballarat and a glance at the

uniforms across the years shows how some styles

do come around again and how past styles do

influence new ideas.

We have received many gifts to our archives

collection already this year with items including

vintage photo albums documenting boarding life

in the 1920’s, however a donation of note is a

beautiful watercolour portrait called “Study of the

Artist’s Daughter”.

Painted in 1980 by renowned artist Nornie Gude, it

depicts her daughter Anne Scott- Pendlebury, who

may be familiar to you as a star of stage and

screen. Upon its completion, Nornie marked the

piece as “not for sale” and it has remained in the

family since. Anne has generously gifted the

portrait to the College, knowing that it will be cared

Archives2012 is shaping up to be a prosperous year for our College Archives.

for and admired for years to come. “It is a piece that

has a lot of meaning to the family, and donating it

to Loreto College is like keeping it in the family”

said Anne. Our art faculty is very excited by the

acquisition and will hang the piece following a

formal unveiling in the coming weeks.

The family history behind the painting is one of

interest also. Eleanor “Nornie” Gude is a past pupil

of Mary’s Mount. At the age of 15 she was so

advanced in painting that she was accepted into

the Ballarat Technical Art School. In 1937 she won

its prestigious MacRobertson Scholarship in art,

valued at £100 per annum. By that time she had

progressed to the National Gallery of Victoria

School (NGV), Melbourne (1936-1939) where her

fellow students included Sidney Nolan, Charles

Bush and Laurence Pendlebury (the latter whom

she married).

Nornie’s father was also a well-known Ballarat

local. Walter Gude was a prominent musician and

along with being an influential figure at St. Patrick’s

College, he also taught music at Mary’s Mount.

This family have strong Ballarat and Loreto

connections and we are pleased to be entrusted

with a piece of this history.

In twelve years Loreto College Ballarat will

celebrate its 150th anniversary, the oldest Catholic

secondary college in this city and second oldest in

the Diocese of Ballarat after Emmanuel College

Warrnambool (founded as St Anne’s in 1872).

Honour boards, memorials, letters and

photographs convey impressions of the past that

help in our understanding of people, and events.

We welcome any additions to our collection, and

encourage you to contact us if you wish to gift an

item of interest to the College.

It is a piece that has alot of meaning to the family, and donating it to Loreto College is like keeping it in the family


Verity: So first things first, tell us who you are and

what you do.

Kerry Foss: I’m the Fundraising and Community

Relations Manager, and I oversee our entire

Development program.

Matt Hustwaite: And I’m the Fundraising and

Community Relations Officer. I work with Kerry in

the Development program and between us we are

across a lot of work.

V: What exactly goes on in your office?

MH: It’s a broad program, we handle the

fundraising and appeal processes along with

Marketing, PR and engaging with our Past Pupils.

KF: We’re a good team in that I have a strong

fundraising background and Matt has a strong

communications background, so between us we

can cover a lot of work and bring it together.

MH: We’re a dynamic duo!

V: Are there any key projects that you are working

on at the moment?

KF: I’m heavily involved in the planning process

for the Mary’s Mount Centre, to make sure we

raise the funds we need so that this great facility

And you are?Get to know members of the Loreto community that you may not be acquainted with yet. This edition, we meet Kerry Foss and Matt Hustwaite, who make up the Development Office at the College.

“Newspapers in Education” program which seeks

to engage primary students with the newspaper

for learning.

V: What do you enjoy about Loreto College?

MH: There is so much life in the College and there

is always something to discover. I think of my job

in Communications as a storyteller, and there are

so many fantastic stories here to tell.

KF: I love the mix of new and old – the

connections between yesterday, today and

tomorrow. I love that our shared history is

reflected today in the energy and enthusiasm of

the girls, and importantly in our vision for the

future.

V: Finally, what is one last thing you’d like to tell

the Verity readers?

MH: To get in touch with us and engage in our

Loreto community. And to log on and like our

Facebook page!

KF: As Matt said, we really want to connect with

the Loreto family. So please, get in touch and stay

in touch!

To contact the Development Office, email Matt

and Kerry at [email protected]

can be built. As part of

this process, we have

already engaged

members from right

across our community

who all share a

passion for Loreto

College and providing

opportunities for our

girls.

MH: While Kerry has

been leading that

project; I’ve been

revamping our

communications. The

main project so far has

been our new look

website, which will be

launched very soon, as

well as giving our

publications a

makeover. Behind all

the visuals though is a

lot of planning and

reviewing. I’m also

driving our partnership

with The Courier’s



Honestly, my first impressions weren’t too crash

hot. I remember driving past and thinking the tall

stony brick wall enclosed a gaol! Thinking back

now… come on Bianca! Come to your senses. But

that all changed when I was on my first tour of the

school and I took my first steps through the gates.

Luscious green grass and garden beds of flowers

bursting with colour. So inside practically blew my

socks off! We were greeted by Ms. Potter and a

group of student. Before I knew it my parents and

I were whisked off by two students for our tour.

Two of the main things that intrigued me were the

historic buildings and the library view… I had

never seen anything so… so… words can’t

describe it! From these moments onwards, I knew

that I wanted to be a Loreto student in 2012.

My first day…… where do I start? To tell you the

truth I was scared out of my wits! As I was walking

down the long drive in my new uniform I was

trembling all over, which isn’t my usual self. But

that didn’t last very long. I felt welcomed and in

place instantly, from the moment I walked in the

door. The teachers were so kind and friendly (well

they still are!). But stressing was the last thing on

my mind.

I came to Loreto knowing six other girls

comfortably well, only one from my school. But in

the first couple days I actually realised that I

recognised people that I’d seen before also. And if

you are the only one from your school coming to

Loreto, don’t fret! We had a class dinner where

you bring your parents, some of your teachers are

Term One through my eyes!Bianca Laidlaw, Year 7

there, and everyone

has a BRILLIANT

night out.

At Loreto College

there is no getting

bored… well there just

isn’t time! Some of the

things we have done in

term one include;

Swimming Sports,

Athletics Day, Be

Brave and Shave,

Year 7 Camp… the list

goes on.

What has been hardest

for me..? Hmmmm. I

know it sounds silly

but undoing my lock!

Some days I stand at

my locker for 5 – 10

minutes before it

unlocks. But I’m told it

gets easier as time

goes by. Something

else I struggle with is

being organised.

Keeping your locker

clean, staying up to

date with homework

was all a very big

shock to me. But with

some extra folders and

diary tricks I got things

organised in no time!

One thing that really

unsettled me was

going from a big fish

in a little pond to a

little fish in a big

pond. In other words,

so many people.

Coming from a school

of 180 students, and

150 girls starting at

Loreto…. It REALLY

freaked me out.”

I was surprised when I

realised that I’d only

been at Loreto for one

term. I couldn’t believe

how smooth and easy

it had been to transfer

from primary school to

high school. But it

wouldn’t have been

possible without the

help of all the students

and staff. I’ve had so

much fun in Term 1

and I can’t wait for

Term 2!

My first day…… where do I start? To tell you the truth I was scared out of my wits! As I was walking down the long drive in my new uniform I was trembling all over...


A career in applied physics may not be in

everyone’s future but for Hilary Wilson it is where

she clearly sees her life heading.

The year 12 student spent two weeks during her

summer holidays at the National Youth Science

Forum (NYSF) at the University of Western

Australia in Perth.

Hilary joined 144 other budding scientists from

around Australia in discussions, forums and

experiments. While it was a fantastic opportunity

to share career dreams there was also the plain old

fun of blowing things up and having fun with lasers.

Encouraged to apply by her science teacher

Ms. Natalie Howard, Hilary survived a rigorous

selection procedure which included public

speaking, impromptu debates and a panel

interview. She was thrilled to be selected but the

issue of finding the funds was another challenge.

The generosity of a local Rotary Club is much

appreciated by Hilary.

Young scientist Moving at the speed of light

Year 12 student Hilary Wilson tells Verity about her cross-country trip for the National Youth Science Forum in Perth this past January.

“The Rotary Club of

Wendouree were really

supportive. Even if they

weren’t involved in

science they were really

interested.” she says.

Hilary’s NYSF

experience was full of

exciting activities, both

science and social. A

highlight for Hilary was

the opportunity to

utilise the university

lab facilities.

“Using the UWA

physics department

meant that we could

conduct experiments

that we would be

unable to do

otherwise” said Hilary.

“We recreated the top 6

experiments from the

past 200 years like

speed of light and

gravitational constant.

You don’t really think

about the values

behind them, you just

use them, so it was

cool to recreate these

experiments.”

Another highlight was

the “Science Disco”

where the attendees

dressed up to a science

theme. Costumes

ranged from mad

scientists to multi-

person protein chains!

Next for Hilary is the

application process for

the International Youth

Science Forum.

Students who have

been involved in the

Australian program are

eligible to join budding

scientists from across

the world in locations

such as Dublin, South

Africa and the U.S.A.

In the short term

though she has VCE

assessments, debating,

tennis and umpiring

school volleyball to

keep her occupied.

Answer from pg 13 - None, as the ship, together with the ladder, rises with the tide.


Sister Bernarda Stenson ibvm was born in Dublin

Ireland in 1923. Some twenty years later Sr.

Bernarda began her Religious Life at Rathfarnham,

Dublin. About three years after Profession she

courageously offered to come to Australia as a

missionary; she joined the number of truly

wonderful Irish Sisters who gave their all here in

Australia. Fortunately as time passed Sr. Bernarda

was able to make ‘home’ visits to Ireland. Her niece

Bella and Jimmy and family provided her with a

home here in Australia too and it was good they

were with her when she died.

Sister Bernarda lived Mary Ward’s value of

Freedom in its truest sense “Serve God with great

love and liberty of mind.” Sr. Bernarda was very

definite, spoke for the voiceless, expressed her

views carefully and clearly , broadened our minds

and did all she could to ensure we had nourishing

and delicious food. She was an exceptional cook, a

tireless worker with superb managerial skills.

In the gospel reading for her Requiem (chosen by

Sr. Bernarda for her Golden Jubilee Mass) we hear

Jesus say ‘you are the salt of the earth’. We speak of

someone as the ‘salt of the earth’, Sr. Bernarda was

the ‘salt’ in our community, salt gives substance

and flavour, Sr. Bernarda gave substance and

flavour to our life in community.

On 19 January this year after a short illness, Sr.

Bernarda responded again to God welcoming her

‘home’. May she rest in peace.

Margaret Sculley ibvm.

In April 2012, the Loreto family lost a beloved and

creative member in Sister Eileen Riley ivbm.

Born in Sydney on the 1st of December 1928, Eileen

Margaret Riley was one of four children. She began

her life as an IBVM at the age of 19 in Ballarat. As

Sister Dorothea, she chose as her motto “Gloria

Patri et Fillo et Spiritui Sacto”, which translates to

“Glory be to Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.

Following her profession in 1949, her ministry took

her around the country to Melbourne, Sydney

(Loretos’ Normanhurst and Kirribilli), Portland,

Brisbane (Loreto Cooparoo) and eventually back to

Ballarat in 2002.

Sister Eileen’s creative talents were many and

generously shared. She encouraged talents in

embroidery and painting in her school students, as

well as within adult groups. At an Institute

Assembly, Sister Eileen incorporated the gathering

theme in table mats she prepared for the whole

Province. Her paintings and embroidery grace many

homes and cherished pieces take pride of place on

many walls in the Mary’s Mount Convent.

Sister Eileen loved flowers and enjoyed arranging

them. She rejoiced in the Australian bush and its

natural beauty and nurtured environmental

awareness in all. She stirred in her students,

through her creative and artistic soul, a love of

beauty and creative expression through literature

and poetry.

Having gave much love and creative spirit to the

Loreto family, we now trust that Sister Eileen

rejoices in the presence of the creator of all beauty

and life.

Vale Sister Eileen.

ValeSister Eileen Riley ibvm Sister Bernarda Stenson ibvm

Serve God with great love and liberty of mind.

next edition

1600 Sturt Street Ballarat Victoria Australia 3350

T 03 5329 6100

F 03 5329 6111

E [email protected]


ABN 60 934 887 077

Loreto College Ballarat Association Inc. No. A0034457V trading as Loreto College Ballarat

In the August edition of Verity...

• The Mary’s Mount Centre

• Double Life - Start your engines!

• A Dad’s eye view

• Gonzaga Barry

... and much more !

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Verity - June 2012