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LAURISTON LIFEEDITION 1 June 2018

Lauriston LifeThe magazine of Lauriston Girls’ School

Lauriston Girls’ School38 Huntingtower RoadArmadale VIC 3143 Australia

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

CRICOS number 00152FABN 15 004 264 402

ON THE COVER: Dr Collette Burke PHOTOGRAPHER: Ben Weinstein DESIGN: Actual Size PRINTING: New Artworx

LAURISTON LIFE EDITION 1 20182

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Seeing others’ points of view Teaching and learning empathy

Building the futureAlumna Dr Collette Burke, Victoria’s first Chief Engineer

Meet the CaptainsIntroducing Greta Kantor and Lucy Chen

Iconic gym repurposed Unveiling inspiration for the new 5/6 centre

The GrowRoomA new joint project between the Greenies and Makers

Teaching poetryWhy our teachers love poetry

The Sound of MusicIrving Hall was alive with music

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CONTENTS

LAURISTON LIFE EDITION 1 2018 3

PRINCIPAL INSIGHT

Educators and parents have the ability to develop empathy in children and young people, and positively impact on their health, happiness, resilience and satisfaction in life.

SUSAN JUST PRINCIPAL

Seeing others’ points of view

Susan at Chinese New Year


‘Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?’ Henry David ThoreauAdults can teach children and young people to develop and practice empathy by learning how to use habits like self-regulation, which is the ability to manage our strong emotions and reduce personal distress. We can also practice kindness, which encourages children and young people to show concern for the welfare and feelings of others. Through collaboration, we learn to work with others and achieve goals for the benefit of all.

While we acknowledge that empathy is a positive quality, which should be developed in our children and young people, aspects of today’s society place greater emphasis on self-promotion, personal branding and self-interest. Such a focus on self inhibits the human capacity to identify with the thoughts and feelings of others.

Our personal development programs at Lauriston give attention to emotional literacy and perspective-taking. We want our students to tune into their personal emotions and the emotions of others. We teach our students to care for each other and to step into the shoes of another peer in order to understand their perspectives and feelings. At our Howqua campus, it is imperative that our students notice the actions and feelings of their peers because they are living in a residential community where individuals must rely on each other for support.

It is interesting that as the pace of our daily lives increases, the fewer face-to-face communications we have. When we have a face-to-face communication with one or more individuals, we have to consider not only the words spoken but the feelings expressed through vocal tone, facial expression and body language. We must consider the impact of our responses on the individual we are communicating with. While our Howqua campus particularly encourages such face-to-face communications, at Armadale we strive to establish relationships within peer groups which prompt individuals to recognise and understand the views and feelings of others.

I contend that empathy and purpose go hand-in-hand when considering how we can help children and young people to flourish in their lives. Purpose enables us to set about accomplishing a task that is meaningful to ourselves and to the world beyond ourselves. Educators and parents can support children and young people in developing a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives, by helping children to identify short-term goals in the first instance, and then enabling our young women to establish more long-term goals.

At Lauriston, our Service and Action Plan seeks to raise student awareness of social concerns within our communities, encourage initiatives from individual students and year levels, and make connections with external individuals and organisations.

Our ability to adapt to change throughout our lives and respond to adversity will be enhanced through the practice of empathy, and an understanding that personal satisfaction comes from the positive impact we can have on others.

FAST FACTS

Dr Michele Borba, an educational psychologist from the USA, believes that the fundamentals of empathy are:

Emotional literacy: the ability to recognise and understand the feelings and needs of self and others

Moral identity: the ability to adopt caring values that guide integrity and activate empathy to help others

Perspective taking: the ability to step into others’ shoes in order to understand another person’s feelings

Moral imagination: the use of literature, films and emotionally-charged images as a source of inspiration

At a Principal’s Forum

Susan with Assoc. Professor Jane Freemantle


COMMUNITY

This is the reason why a couple of hours later I’m walking back to school from the Woolworths on High Street carrying a box of lettuces.

The lettuces are for the Chinese dragon dance later that afternoon, which from 5pm until 7pm fills the Irving Courtyard and Lilian Bayley Centre with the happy buzz of activity. Susan Just and Rick Ball hold the lettuces aloft for the dragon to consume as an offering of wealth and prosperity and there is dumpling making, games of ping pong and chopsticks, as well as Chinese opera face painting.

Participants also enjoyed Shen Yu Lin’s paper-cut art, the Australian Dunhuang Academy Band’s music, Lauriston Junior School students’ dancing and presentations by our dignitaries and guests. Adults and children alike devour the delicious dumplings, noodles and rice dishes on offer, and kids mob the ice-cream man.

Thank you to the New and International Parents Group for working so hard with our Events team to organise a successful and fun-filled night of new experiences.

Year of the Dog celebrations LIZ SANNEN DIRECTOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION

It’s the morning of our inaugural Chinese New Year Celebration and one of our parents, Marissa Crouch, is telling our Events team a very funny story about mixing up ‘lettuce’ and ‘letters’.

Students getting into the swing

Fabulous parent helpersThe Chinese dragon


It was Mr Shen’s first visit to Australia although he has participated in many art appreciation tours of America and Europe. He shared his ancient craft, which dates back to the sixth century, with the Lauriston community.

The students loved learning how to cut a range of animals such as frogs, birds and dogs during art classes.

Mr Shen is best known for his silhouettes of people which he also cuts from paper. A number of teachers and parents sat for him and the likenesses he created were incredible.

ANCIENT ART FORMS COMES TO LAURISTON

During Chinese New Year, Lauriston was fortunate to host an UNESCO recognised paper-cut artist, Shen Yu Lin from China.


STUDENT INSIGHT

Meet our student leaders

Leadership comes in many shapes and sizes.

Our School Captains are encouraged to convey

their own style accordingly to their personality.

Lucy Chen and Greta Kantor


This year two very different girls were voted in by their peers and the School Executive to lead the School. Here Greta Kantor and Lucy Chen provide some insight into their leadership roles in their final year of school.

Why did you put yourself forward to become a leader at Lauriston?Greta: I think the main reason why I put myself forward to be School Captain was because I really wanted to make a positive impact on the School and activate change within the Lauriston community, which is something both Lucy and I have tried to focus on over the last few terms.

Lucy: Yes, and I think that we both really wanted to increase awareness at Lauriston, particularly focusing on cultural and environmental awareness, but also awareness of others and celebrating each other’s differences.

What aspects are rewarding? Greta: I think it’s really rewarding being able to be interact with so many different parts of Lauriston, whether it’s teachers, staff or students. But I think the most rewarding moments are the little things, like when a student will walk past and say hello to me. I really like that.

What do you enjoy most?Lucy: I really enjoy working with, and getting to know, a variety of people connected to the School. We meet new people all the time, whether it be past Lauristonians or staff from administration, and it is so nice to hear about what they do and their different experiences. I often find out so many new and interesting things about the School!

What’s it like working with Lucy?Greta: Lucy is my other half. I honestly feel so grateful every day that I get to share this role with her. She is always extremely organised and very tech savvy, which I am not! More importantly she is warm, enthusiastic and has an amazingly vivacious presence. I am very lucky to have her.

What’s it like working with Greta?Lucy: Greta genuinely inspires me every day with her words and ways. She is tremendously passionate about everything she does, and is always there supporting me if need be, making up for what I lack. I really value her energy and charisma, and find that we are both able to understand one another really well!

Is it harder than expected? Greta: I think the position has its ups and downs in terms of how challenging it is. It can be difficult to balance the demands of Year 12, but that is what makes having a co-captaincy so special—we can share the load.

What does leadership mean to you?Lucy: To me, leadership encompasses a variety of meanings: to empower and inspire others, to ensure that everyone feels valued and heard, as well as guiding others to explore and flourish in their passions. It is striving to achieve a shared vision.

What are your plans for after school? Greta: I plan to do a lot of baking as patisserie is one of my personal passions. And while my goodies are in the oven, I want to re-read the whole Harry Potter series and then get started on a long list of books I’ve always wanted to read!

Lucy: Binge-watching a bunch of TV shows. I’ve been too scared to start anything new as I easily become sucked in and can’t stop watching until I have finished. I’ve heard many great things about Game of Thrones—and since the final season is scheduled to premiere in 2019 I should be up-to-date for it!

What’s your advice to future leaders in the School?Lucy: Delegate.

Greta: Be organised, have a vision but, most importantly, have fun.


TEACHER INSIGHT

In January three of our senior English teachers, Elspeth Maddocks, Jo Piavanini and Victoria Snell, attended a workshop at an IB conference in Los Angeles called ‘Poetry for Assessment and Enjoyment’.

Ms Maddocks, our Head of English, recounts, ‘During the workshop it quickly became evident that the approach of teaching poetry at Lauriston was markedly different from the American teachers. Whereas we have always taken an analytical approach, our American colleagues focus on personal engagement with poetry.’

Ms Maddocks emphasised that while analysis is still the most important aspect for exam success, teachers also want students to leave their classrooms with a lifelong appreciation of the poetic form. ‘The workshop gave us many fun and practical strategies for teaching poetry at all levels. What we learned over the three-day workshop will be of great benefit to our students’.

At Lauriston, poetry is taught and explored from Junior School all the way to VCE and IB English.

‘We felt there was benefit in incorporating more poetry into the senior curriculum and whenever there was choice of genre we have opted for poetry especially in the IB course,’ explains Ms Maddocks.

This year one of the IB poetry texts is The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy, which takes some well-known characters and myths and presents them from the female perspective. The focus is shifted from the men to the women behind the men such as Penelope, Mrs Faust, and Anne Hathaway. Students will also study the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Seamus Heaney and Gwen Harwood during the course.

In VCE, the English course allows students to choose between Peter Skrzynecki’s anthology Old/New World and Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure for their end of year examination.

‘Before examinations the students choose between these two texts and, not surprisingly, many of the Lauriston students choose the poetry because they can demonstrate their skill with close analysis and display a keen appreciation for the language,’ says Ms Maddocks. In the Year 12 Literature course the students will study Sylvia Plath’s Ariel.

The focus on poetry at Lauriston should come as no surprise given that there are several poetry specialists in the English faculty. Robert Savage completed his PhD and published a critical study on the German poet Friedrich Hölderlin, Saradha Koirala has published two collections of poetry, Wit of the Staircase in 2009 and Tear Water Tea in 2013 and Elspeth Maddocks has been commissioned to write a chapter for a collection of essays to be published on the Australian poet, Peter Skrzynecki.

Jo Piavanini completed a PhD on Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, Seamus Heaney last year.

Speaking of her dissertation’s topic, she said: ‘I’m interested in how Heaney’s poems about everyday experience contribute to cultural memory. I am also interested in the ways that he plays with poetic form, and I encourage my students to be alert to generic conventions and to examine the effect of Heaney’s language choices.’

‘We feel these poets offer a range of perspectives to our students and present new ideas about multicultural Australia and the female experience. These are insights that will help the students form opinions about their own lives and understand the world around them,’ says Ms Maddocks.

Embracing the possibilities of poetryENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Many educators find teaching poetry challenging but the Lauriston English department embraces this form of expression.


‘A poem is like a wine glass in which you can hold up a little bit of reality and taste it.’ Gwen Harwood

‘MIGRANT HOSTEL’ by Peter SkrzyneckiParkes, 1949-51

No one kept count of all the comings and goings –

arrivals of newcomers in busloads from the station,

sudden departures from adjoining blocks that left us wondering

who would be coming next.

Nationalities sought each other out instinctively –

like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearings;

years and place-names recognised by accents, partitioned off at night

by memories of hunger and hate.

For over two years we lived like birds of passage –

always sensing a changein the weather:

unaware of the season whose track we would follow.

A barrier at the main-gate sealed off the highway

from our doorstep - as it rose and fell like a finger

pointed in reprimand or shame; and daily we passed

underneath or alongside it – needing its sanction

to pass in and out of lives that had only begun

or were dying.

The senior English department

Ms Snell, Ms Maddocks and Ms Piavanini at the IB conference.


ALUMNAE UPDATE

‘It was clear what I needed to do,’ she remembers. ‘I love knowing how things work and fit together. I came to Lauriston so I could specifically study physics and get into engineering.’

Dr Burke is now Victoria’s first Chief Engineer and oversees 480 infrastructure projects (worth $80 billion) that have either started or are planned for the next ten years across Victoria.

Given the unprecedented investment in infrastructure in Victoria, Collette champions engineering and project delivery excellence in public transport, roads, schools and hospitals for the benefit of Victoria’s economy and general advancement.

Her mandate as the Chief Engineer is to raise the profile of the engineering profession in Victoria. She is also committed to ensuring creating additional value in projects and ensuring we are using sustainable materials and techniques in construction delivery.

At the recent Lauriston Signature program Dr Burke spoke to Year 10 students about her career. Her advice to the girls is to embrace all the unforeseeable twists and turns of their life journey.

Dr Burke’s career highlights include setting-up and running two companies, Exner Group in Australia and Karsta in the Middle East; working as a senior lecturer and course advisor at University of Melbourne and RMIT University; being a commercial and operations manager at a large construction company; and serving as a Board Director of VicTrack.

Dr Burke says that only 13% of engineers in Australia are women, and that she hopes more would think about it as a career path, due to the many fabulous opportunities in this sector.

‘Engineers are often the quiet achievers who sit back and don’t promote themselves, but they play such an integral role in infrastructure development. Engineers will be essential in leading and shaping our future smart cities,’ she says.

‘I have had the best fun and some great roles as an engineer. Many people don’t understand the vast options open to an engineer. People think bridges, roads and tunnels but many new roles are developing in digital engineering, virtual reality, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, sustainability and people development,’ she says.

She also attributes a great mentor as a key motivator for pushing herself that bit further. Dr Burke has always sought to reach her full potential, but over the years she has come to learn that a person’s capability is limitless and that you can take on any challenge and succeed.

Dr Burke encourages the girls to support one another and share everyone’s success.

‘Building networks start in school; remember to care about your friends. These women will be your best allies and support network as you enter the workforce and start building your own businesses and careers,’ she says.

Builder of the futureKATRINA WALTER PR MANAGER

Work experience on a construction site when she was 16-years-old reinforced to Collette Burke (1988) that she was destined for a career as an engineer.


‘Building networks start in school;

remember to care about your friends.

These women will be your best allies

and support network as you enter the

workforce and start building your own

businesses and careers.’Dr Burke at the Signature program


SCHOOL MUSICAL

The Sound of Music was an ambitious musical production choice, but the girls and teachers made it work brilliantly.

The overwhelming observation from audiences was ‘these girls can sing’ and they certainly hit the high notes especially Skye Dawson’s version (Mother Abbess) of ‘Climb Every Mountain’.

The idea to have eleven Von Trapp children instead of seven was inspired. The extra cast members allowed the younger girls playing Marta (Natalie Nguyen and Susannah Giddy), Brigitta (Sophia Hasker and Tegan Gheri) and Gretl (Brielle Cheong and Charlotte Ross) to be fresh for each of the five shows.

The orchestra was dazzling and while the audience could not see them playing in a separate room in the music department, their live music was patched into the Irving Hall for each performance. Everyone loved the human goats, which were another creative touch in the production but, most importantly, we all loved the story.

Congratulations to all the cast, orchestra and the incredible staff: Kellie Ryan, Bron Grieg, Lisa Khan and choreographer, Jannah Davies.

The hills are alive

Showing the captain their new clothes

KATRINA WALTER PR MANAGER


Learning to dance

How can love survive?

Sneaking in via Maria’s window

Sixteen going on seventeen

What are we going to do about Maria?


SCHOOL VISION

The School is very excited that the gym, which is a source of great memories for many students and parents, will be reimagined for the future.

The building, which was designed by Daryl Jackson and constructed around 1969, is a fine example of this era of architecture but is no longer adequate for the School’s sporting needs. The architects will, however, reuse and upgrade the building in Lauriston’s new master plan.

DesignInc architects, Richard Stafford and Caroline Cummins, who are leading the project’s design, explain their aim is to retain existing buildings wherever possible.

‘Buildings are expensive to construct and demolish and so if we can utilise a structure that is already on site it can be an economical way to produce a new space,’ says Richard.

The environmental benefits of retaining and reusing an existing building are also hugely important and include reducing waste, landfill disposal and transportation costs. Overall construction time can be reduced by using an existing structure, an important factor for a busy school like Lauriston where remaining fully-operational throughout the works is a key goal.

‘The existing gymnasium is a beautiful space and an iconic structure within the campus. We set about trying to establish a new function that the existing space could accommodate and the quantity and quality of the daylight led us to learning spaces. The location of the building, adjacent to the Junior School, made it suitable for the dedicated years 5/6 centre,’ says Richard.

‘The opportunity to create classrooms on both floors and have a generous learning commons that occupies some of the existing court space aligns closely with the contemporary learning pedagogy that Lauriston wishes to pursue,’ adds Caroline.

The abundance of light and the height of the space are key features the architects have used well. People catch glimpses of the Junior School via the high-level windows so the new plans enhance this connection to Montrose by creating an opening between the 5/6 centre and the new link building, which will house the Prep classes.

The older girls will be able to see their buddies and the whole of the School will be able to interact more freely and take part in cross-level learning activities.

Other features will include a lift for students and staff to access the first floor, new boxed window seating and low-level windows to be cut into the brickwork for views to the new landscape and play areas.

More quiet areas are located near the large classrooms, which are separated by sliding doors to allow interaction between them and for teachers to create different set-ups in the learning commons.

‘We love these new classrooms. The existing steel structure, brickwork and timber floor is visible. This will allow the spaces to retain the history of their former use and be ready for the excitement of modern learning,’ says Richard.

More information about the building project is available at lauriston.vic.edu.au. The new 5/6 centre is part of stage two of the Strategic Framework.

Gymnasium transformation

The existing gymnasium’s red bricks, yellow circular targets and netball lines will soon serve a different purpose.

Architects, Richard Stafford and Caroline Cummins



‘The existing gymnasium is a beautiful space

and an iconic structure within the campus.’

Artist impression: The exterior of the new 5/6 centre with Prep link building

Artist Impression: The learning commons of the 5/6 centre


SPORTS FEATURE

Sport for life

Sport is integral to the emotional and physical development of all students.

The new weekend netball club



Lauriston’s sports department follows the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model which means students move through stages of development across all sports. Progression is based on ability, not age, so that students master technique and can start a new sport at any time.

Rob Cooper, the Director of Sport, says this model is proven to help girls stick with sport throughout their lives and reduce the risk of injury.

‘The LTAD allows us to see the holistic development of students while producing better long-term results and happy girls,’ says Mr Cooper.

We are profiling three sports offered at Lauriston in this edition and encourage everyone—students and parents—to think about taking up a new sport in 2018.

The Lauriston Rowing Club

The challenging sequence of movements involved in rowing makes it a unique sport. We teach the girls to catch, drive, release then recover.

Currently, Lauriston rowers experience all boat classes from Year 8 onwards. The main race categories are the quad scull and sweep four and each boat includes a coxswain to steer, recall race plans, make technical calls, and keep the focus within the boat.

Rob Manning, Head of Rowing, reassures those considering this sport that there is no rowing in the mornings (except Year 8—one morning per week), and that rowing offers girls the chance to make lifelong friendships. The sport focuses on teamwork, he explains, and there is a wonderful group of experienced coaches to encourage students.

Lauriston Swimming and Diving

Students are encouraged to swim all year round, and there are regular sessions available for Junior and Senior School students. During summer, the volume is increased to prepare students for the carnival and then to compete in the Girls Sport Victoria (GSV) Swimming and Diving.

Lauriston’s teams are selected through times recorded at the House Swimming carnival, training sessions, personal best meets and club training, as well as attendance at training.

Everyone can swim better by improving their technique. To swim faster and more efficiently, our coaches recommend a horizontal body position with legs and hips up, using minimal body rotation and turning from the core axis.

Lauriston also has a learn-to-dive program and squad diving training in

terms 3 and 4.

The Lauriston Netball Club

A new weekend netball club was successfully launched this year. More than 120 girls are playing from Year 3 through to Year 8.

Much thought went into the club, which has strong governance, polices and an active committee of ten people.

The qualified coaches consist of alumnae as well as people the association has supplied. Currently three Lauriston students in Year 10 and one in Year 8 are being trained as assistant coaches. Lauriston mums and dads are the team managers.


SCHOOL CLUBS

FEEDING OUR PASSIONS

There is always something to do at Lauriston, no matter the interest of the student.

At lunchtime and after school, girls can attend a range of clubs. The clubs are run by students for students, but they also rely on the support and skills of our teachers.

An exciting project that is currently underway thanks to the Greenies (a club for those interested in the environment) and the Makers (a club for girls into digital fabrication and technology) is the GrowRoom. As the name implies it is an urban vegetable and herb garden farm inside a manufactured space.

It came together mostly as a result of the Greenies winning a Tomorrow’s Leaders for Sustainability project grant to work with the City of Stonnington.

The Greenies wanted to plant more indigenous and native plants around the School but, with the building works imminent, it was difficult to find a permanent spot. The Greenies started talking to the Makers and some great ideas emerged, including the GrowRoom.

Kristen Hebden, Lead Teacher – Digital Fabrication, was researching urban gardens and found a Danish architecture firm that had digitally fabricated a portable green room with room for growth and the ability for people to sit and enjoy the space.

‘The architects made their plans for the room open source so we were able to use them, making it doable in the time we have during term,’ explains Ms Hebden.

‘The pieces required are too large for the School’s laser cutter but the girls have made prototypes in the FabLearn Lab. We are taking the learnings from these to Swinburne’s Factory of the Future where we will program and cut the final product in plywood,’ says Ms Hebden.

The Greenies are in charge of the plants and recently had excursions to a local vertical garden centre and the Port Phillip EcoCentre with teacher and Head of Media, Jenna Grace.

‘The aim was to select plants appropriate for the structure as well taking into account the limited sunlight and the different types of systems used to water the plants. The girls want to make the garden as sustainable as possible so are looking at a drip system or storing rainwater,’ says Ms Grace.

The Greenies are currently looking after their native and edible plant selections at home and will bring them in pots for the portable GrowRoom, once it is completed.

Students and staff will be encouraged to use the herbs and edible plants for their lunch or take them home for their cooking.

Look out for the GrowRoom around the Armadale Campus next term.



A sustainability class at the EcoCentre

Nurturing the plants

The prototype Laser cutting at Swinburne


TEACHER INSIGHT

UNLOCKING THE CODE

CHRIS TOMS AND CAROLINE LONG VICE PRINCIPAL, HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL AND PREP TO 2 LEARNING MENTOR

Coding has become

a buzzword in

commentary about

education.

The term is used so frequently and freely in schools we thought it might be useful to explain why everyone is using it and describe Lauriston’s approach to coding.

Just as our girls need to be able to read and write, educators and employers believe students will benefit from being literate in coding. The new digital technology curriculum also embraces coding which is a shift away from the focus on instructing children how to use computer software, and towards teaching them about how computers are built and work.


Computers are useful but still require humans to give them instructions. Coding is the step-by-step directions that help computers do what we want them to do. Coders or programmers are people who write the instructions for everything behind what we see and do on a website, computer program and smartphone app. We teach coding because it’s ubiquitous in our daily lives.

Recently, with the help of an external company CodingEdge, we have commenced a sequential coding program that teaches girls the language of computers. Just as we use phonics when teaching English, we have developed a way to familiarise girls with the language of computers that makes sense to them.

Recently Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 have participated in a sequence of successful coding classes that highlighted four underlying concepts common to a range of programming languages.

Each session starts with kinaesthetic activities where the girls participate in movement that reinforces the notion of directions such as ‘turn left or right’, ‘quarter turn’, ‘half turn’ and ‘looping’, which are basic coding concepts. These simple but easily recognisable tasks are known as ‘unplugged’ activities. The girls then apply their unplugged knowledge to a variety of robotic devices where they develop code to follow a pathway.

Some fun pathways were followed throughout the lessons and included writing code for:

– Picking fruit from a tree for Red Riding Hood’s basket (Prep)

– Helping the Very Hungry Caterpillar eat his food in the correct sequence (Year 1)

– Participating in a team challenge which involved writing the algorithm to get three bears from the forest to their house, and three other bears from the house to the forest using the same path but no bear ever sharing a stepping stone (Year 2)

Each session builds upon the previous one so that our girls have time to revise and develop their skills during class time with linked activities that also reinforce their maths and digital technology skills.

The Blairholme staff has been delighted with the way the girls have persevered when faced with challenges. There have been concepts through digital technologies that have continued during Investigations and part of everyday learning in classrooms.

Parents have also provided feedback about their families’ enthusiastic dinner conversations. Some girls have brought in algorithms that they have written at home. In addition to introducing the girls to basic programming skills we have also noticed girls further developing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

A recent Microsoft survey indicated that Australian schools provide students with the least opportunities to learn about coding from eight other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Our aim is that the Lauriston Junior School will be a leading school in this area.

By teaching coding at Lauriston from an early age, we believe that our girls will acquire the skills necessary to create, design and adapt technology. We aim to prepare children for the technology-focused world and job market they will inherit.

Unplugged exercises

Plugging in to make the device move


‘The views hiking up Mount Buller on the West Ridge and sunrises on Mount Stirling are something that you may never come across again, so appreciate them while you can.’ Charlotte Smith

‘In our free time we get the opportunity to write letters to our friends and family. This means so much to us as mail is such an important part of our Howqua life. The art of letter writing helps to strengthen our relationships and brings us closer to our family and friends.’ Olivia Bisko

‘The girls in your house become your support and who you lean on. It becomes less about who is in your house and more about getting to know who is there. It’s amazing to see how they become such an important aspect and one of the best parts of your Howqua experience.’ Bella Houghton-Allen

‘You don’t know how busy you are going to get at Howqua; it is full on! Sometimes you don’t even have time to write letters home to Dad and Mum and they weren’t happy when I got home on the holidays, whoops.’ Emily Fan

‘No matter if it’s a physical challenge hiking up Mount Buller or emotionally finding it hard being three hours away from home, Howqua teaches you to overcome challenges with courage and perseverance.’ Maxie Diamantopoulos

things we didn’t know about Howqua

HO

WQ

UA 11

5

3

4

21

After three months’ living in Howqua, we asked students to share something of interest about their experiences in the high country.


7

9

8

11

6

10

‘We wake up to kangaroos outside our windows in the morning and walk past them throughout the day. We even run past them on our runs and some look like body builders: they are the size of trucks!’ Jade Parker

‘Everything at Howqua is achievable. You just need the perseverance to keep pushing through the day, the hike or the run. It is always worth persevering through the struggle as the reward is always worth it, whether it is the amazing view in good weather, the encouragement or sense of achievement.’ Zara Blake

‘At Howqua I have learnt to be part of a team and a community, how I can help others and I am more aware of the importance of doing this. In campus responsibilities, we clean up our community and learn why it is important to do so. I have learnt that working together can bring people closer together and form skills for life, from Outdoor Program, running, working with others or working together as a house.’ Sophie Cameron

‘Make the most of every moment at Howqua, because you may never get another opportunity like it.’ Mardi Bruce

‘I never realised how exciting it was to get mail and how much it means to receive a letter.’ Jess Irons

‘You learn to embrace the hard, the cold, the uncomfortable and the unknown because it makes you strong and happier when you’re comfortable.’ Amelia Fox


KINDERGARTEN NEWS

FIONA IRELAND DIRECTOR OF KINDERGARTENGoing bush


The educators in the Kindergarten are also informed by consistent research that overwhelmingly supports the benefits of nature play for children. Nature play is not simply taking children outside to play; rather the program is underpinned by theories and pedagogy integral to its effectiveness. Furthermore, our principles are informed by the Victorian National Curriculum Frameworks for Early Years Education: ‘children must be allowed time to explore and experience the natural environment.’

The benefits are well-documented and nature is a perfectly-balanced play space. It is abundant in loose parts and allows children to gain a sense of purpose as they problem-solve and become independent, while enjoying uninterrupted periods to pursue games of imagination and creativity.

Children have real-life opportunities to take risks, and develop grit and courage. For example, while recently ‘ponding’ during nature play, one of our students, Victoria, took a tumble off a rock straight into the murky pond water. She looked up with a smile, unsure of my reaction but reassured, lifted herself up and took up her net and got on with the activity she was engaged in. (We did change her into dry clothes shortly after!)

Research is also showing us that children are not developing basic skills such as climbing, jumping, rock-scrambling, balancing or walking on uneven surfaces.

We know that throwing on a regular basis while your brain is still developing establishes strong neural pathways that persist into adulthood. Balancing on an unstable log gives children the opportunity to grip with their toes, to concentrate on the task as they navigate it safely and effectively.

Today’s children have decreased muscle strength because they are more sedentary. Nature play is ideal for developing strong core muscles and good posture, and helps with fine motor skills that lead to the development of effective hand-writing.

Nature Play Day occurs on a Friday at the Urban Forest Reserve which runs between Waverley Road and Dandenong Road in Malvern East. The children gather in a secluded grassed area and have learnt the pathed boundaries: they now know to stay within ‘cooee’ of an adult. By giving this small group of children a natural bush experience we hope to foster a new generation of stewards of the earth who have a deep connection with nature.

All the children attending the Kindergarten are given as much time as possible in the outdoor areas, whether it is in our playgrounds or in ‘the wild’ area bounded by the turning circle. Many learning opportunities are set up in the outdoors so that children benefit from the calmness and increased concentration that can be attributed to spending time in nature.

The new initiative of a Nature Play Day grew

out of strategic work we completed exploring

how to embed nature into the Lauriston

Kindergarten program.

VOICES OF THE CHILDREN

EXTRA READING MATERIAL

Our Kindergarten students reflect on what they have learnt through nature play.

‘So far, I’ve learnt that you can’t pull all the bark off the tree, all of it will go and you’ll have to chop it down and start again. It is its skin and trees also have blood.’ Lola

‘I climbed a tree. I had to hold on tight with my hands and feet. You get strong muscles and I had a view from the top.’ Sarah

‘I like to collect things which I give to Mummy, and you can make pictures.’ Victoria

‘I like the lake at bush kinder because I put my stick in and I got a tadpole in my bucket.’ Oscar

Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom (adult)

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv (adult)

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: My Adventure Field Guide by Hannah Pan and Susannah Chapman (to share with your child)

Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd (a picture story book)


ADVANCEMENT NEWS

What a busy yet exciting beginning to 2018 for the Advancement Office.We have been working closely with many of the Lauriston associations who are all important contributors to our community. Attending the Chinese New Year celebration was one memorable event, which allowed us to share and celebrate an important ancient culture. We look forward to celebrating other cultural traditions such as Diwali and Thanksgiving within our community in coming years.

We have continued to develop and build plans for the development of the Lauriston sport and wellbeing precinct, unified Junior School and new Early Learning Centre. We look forward to further announcements around this in coming months.

We have extended the reach of our bequest society, the Elizabeth Kirkhope Circle, and have been delighted to welcome new members. We have launched the 2018 Annual Appeal, ‘Shaping Her Future’, that continues to build upon the outstanding programs and facilities of our School.

I was delighted to kick-off this year’s Appeal with a very generous donation from some Senior School parents. This support will make a significant impact, helping us to develop our facilities, programs and the scholarships we can provide.

I felt our School Captains, Greta Kantor and Lucy Chen, eloquently summarised the impact and the influence the appeals have made to their day-to-day learnings:

‘On behalf of all Lauriston girls, we

would like to express our sincere

gratitude for your generosity in donating

to the Lauriston Foundation. These

donations have created numerous

innovative projects at our School,

enhancing our access to a wide range of

opportunities.

‘The development of the FabLab has

inspired many girls to consider a future

in engineering and the redesign of our

library has created a fantastic hub for

learning. Additionally, your support to

our scholarship program has enabled

many girls to follow their passions and

reach their full potential in academics,

sport and music. We really appreciate

your contribution to the Lauriston

community and look forward to seeing

its ongoing positive impacts around our

School.’

I urge you to read the 2017 Foundation Annual Report. This report celebrates the important contributions made by our community, and the extent and influence donations make to the education of all our students at all levels. Together we can ensure Lauriston remains a leading educator of girls in Melbourne.

Annual Appeal in full swing SALLY DE GUINGAND DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT


A letter from a scholarship recipient

The elation I felt at the time was mixed with a bit of trepidation, but I need not have been concerned as I have been welcomed to the School with open arms. Lauriston is an incredible school, but it is one that without this scholarship I never would have had the opportunity to attend.

This scholarship has opened so many doors for me and given me so many opportunities that previously were never available. The quality and expertise of all the teachers at Lauriston is something that I have never experienced before. As well as their commitment to the learning of their students, they also support you as a whole person.

The support I have felt for my swimming and triathlon endeavours has been amazing. This support has encouraged me to train even harder as I feel confident now that my academic goals and my swimming goals can be achieved side-by-side instead of having to forfeit one for the benefit of the other. This for me is a dream come true.

I have also never been so surrounded by other girls that are so dedicated to their learning, nor been to school in an environment that nurtures the learning of each girl to the extent that Lauriston does. In some ways all of these experiences have been a bit overwhelming (in a good way) as, until you actually get to live the experience, you never know how much going to a school like Lauriston can develop you as a person.

Although I liked my old school, I never realised the depth of knowledge and the level of commitment and opportunity available until I came to Lauriston. I feel like here I have the ability to thrive, to try things outside of my comfort zone, and I feel like I will graduate from this School as a young lady who is ready to take on any of the challenges that post school life may throw at me. I feel like now, with this opportunity, the sky is the limit.

I will always be eternally grateful to the Phillips family for this incredible opportunity, and will never be able to thank them enough. I only hope that, by giving my all at this School, I am able to make them proud.

The day I was awarded the Belinda Phillips Goldman Sachs Memorial Scholarship was a turning point in my life.

JAYDE COSFORD YEAR 10 STUDENT


Caroline CottonYears 5-12 (Class of 1991)

Biobrain is a VCE Biology revision app and students across Australia love it.

‘The idea for Biobrain came when observing how today’s students spend a high proportion of their time connected to mobile phones ... students are now able to learn and revise biology anytime, anywhere on their mobile devices.

‘Now, I am working on a similar app for chemistry. I hope that it will be a really useful tool for all the chemistry students out there.’

After leaving Lauriston, Caroline went on to study a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. She majored in genetics and biochemistry and completed her Honours at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre researching families that had early onset breast cancer BRAC2 gene.

When Caroline Cotton won the biology prize in her final year at

Lauriston, she knew that she would continue with her passion

for the sciences but she never dreamed about founding an app,

Biobrain, which she developed last year.

Then came teaching in Ballarat and Melbourne at both Scotch and St Kevin’s. More study in leadership and management lead to Caroline establishing Cotton Educational Consulting which provides professional development for biology teachers and revision lectures to schools and students. A move to the corporate world came next but Caroline’s passion is still biology and teaching students, and as an Old Lauristonian, she is in demand as a biology tutor.

If there’s such a thing as a Lauriston pedigree then Caroline can sure claim that. Her mother Elizabeth (1961) is an ‘old girl’ as are her three aunts, Wendy Smibert (1963), Linden Smibert (1968) and Barb Hurley (1973). Her grandmother Esther Hay (1925) attended the School as did a myriad of cousins. Plus there are more on their way.

As if life wasn’t busy enough for Caroline, in 2016 she married Argentinean, Enrique Klix.

Caroline’s passions outside of work are sport (cycling, swimming, skiing, kayaking), travel and photography.

Find Biobrain on the App Store or Google Play.

A typical exercise in the app

‘The idea for Biobrain came when observing how today’s students spend a high proportion of their time connected to mobile phones’

ALUMNAE NEWS

What are they doing now?


Sarah Rejman (Wallis)Years 4-12 (Class of 1993)

Sarah Rejman finished school in 1993 and would have loved to attend her 25 Year Reunion this year, however Sarah now lives in Tanzania and sadly she wasn’t able to be here for this auspicious milestone.

After finishing school, Sarah went to New Zealand to study occupational therapy and then travelled to Tanzania to volunteer. This is where her life did a 360 degree turn.

She married a Polish man, Jecek Rejman (who is a small ambulance airplane pilot) and had three gorgeous girls, Kasia, Ella and Lulu. She founded an organisation called The Plaster House in Tanzania ten years ago that could be considered her fourth baby.

The Plaster House is a place where children from all over Tanzania come to recover after surgery, either corrective, orthopaedic, plastic or neurosurgery.

It started with nine broken beds and no running water in a rented guesthouse. Water was pumped or bucket-lifted from the tanks. Today the water flows from the taps, and there are 80 beds and 40 staff members. Most significantly, over 4000 children have experienced Sarah’s care and rehabilitation.

As Director of this organisation, Sarah is trying to spread the word about her Plaster House and is keen to speak to different organisations, schools and communities. She is scheduling speaking tours in Australia and the US. She will be in Australia from 17 July to 2 August this year should you want to get in touch with her. Sarah is also Chief Fundraiser and welcomes all financial support.

Sarah is the daughter of Old Lauristonian Sally Wallis (Mason, 1963), and the niece of Jennie Graham (Mason, 1962) and Jane Freemantle (Mason, 1966).

For more information visit www.theplasterhouse.org.

Sarah at The Plaster House

ALUMNAE NEWS


ALUMNAE NEWS

Charlotte Gibson is another Old Lauristonian who has moved overseas: her adopted home is New York.

After completing a Bachelor of Education, Charlotte was a much-loved teacher at Toorak Primary School where she took on the additional role of overseeing health and wellbeing. Charlotte was a primary teacher with a difference and could see the need for a greater focus on mindfulness in children from when she started her career teaching.

‘The children I taught were often my testers in a mindfulness program I have now created,’ says Charlotte.

The passion for mindfulness took over so she left teaching to set-up a new business, Mini Mindful Minds, which is now available for purchase through her website www.minimindfulminds.com.

‘I want to show others how to spread the life-changing effects of mindfulness to themselves and to their children,’ says Charlotte.

Charlotte is now a certified meditation teacher, a certified mindfulness coach, a certified family and kids yoga teacher, as well as being the founder of Mindfulness for Minis that specialises in mindfulness, meditation and yoga for children.

Charlotte moved to New York with her partner in early 2016 but before she left she had been developing and running mindfulness programs for two years, including a three-month program at the Royal Children’s Hospital. In New York, she manages a meditation studio and is running programs in schools, private homes and yoga studios.

Charlotte is the youngest of three Gibson sisters who attended Lauriston. Her sisters are Alex Cleary (Gibson, 2002) and Samantha Gibson (2003).

Charlotte Gibson Years 7-12 (Class of 2007)

FAST FACTS

Children who practice meditation experience:

– Increased attention at school and home

– A jump in attendance and grades

– A reprieve from outside trauma

– Self-awareness and self-regulation

– Social-emotional development

– Increased confidence, happiness and success in relationships

‘I want to show others how to spread the life-changing effects of mindfulness to themselves and to their children’


REUNIONS

Class of 1988, 30 Year Reunion

Annelies Turnbull (Berger), Bindy Dethridge (Moffat), Anna Sutherland (Nettlefold), Vanessa Cohen Fi Buxton (Williams), Tash Wilms, Kirk Hogan (McHarg)

Liz Buzzard, Triny Calder (Hood), Ruth Tideman, Virginia Porter Prep to Year 12 group


REUNIONS



Christina Cane, Vanessa Spina, Nicola TanAlyce Evans, Ashleigh Neilson,

Rose Lazarides, Eliza Kane, Mietta Lecky


REUNIONS



Katrina Bromell (Gunnersen), Virginia Porter

Diana Scambler, Susie Finlay, Suzanne Dudley

Edwina Graham, Julia Morely, Michelle Rayner

Jane Edmanson, Robyn Beard, Irene Young

Edwina Jack, Laura Missingham, Chris van Hooft, Georgie Gates

Lalita Fulford, Mary Stephen, Diana Scambler. Susan Reid, Jane Lober

Eleanor Sparks, Anna Lewin, Camilla Byrne


VALE

Rhonda Joy White (Holford, 1958)5.1.1941 – 2.11.2017Rhonda White died in November 2017 after a battle with cancer. The School conveys sincere condolences to Rhonda’s family and friends.

Rhonda attended Lauriston from 1952 to 1958 and she really loved her time at the School. She made many life-long friends from her school days. In her leaving year she was a probationer and the captain of the baseball team. In her final year, 1958, Rhonda was a prefect and the captain of the baseball team for a second time.

She was also a member of the sports committee in both 1957 and 1958. This committee was established in 1957 with the primary purpose of drawing up regulations, and to make awards of stripes and pockets. She was co-treasurer of the Cot Fund (akin to today’s Community Service), a member of the Diamond Throwing Team, a passionate Andrews House supporter and obtained four leaving subjects. She studied nursing and had a long career in medicine.

Rhonda married Peter and had two children, Ben and Georgina (‘Georgie’, 1991) who is also an Old Lauristonian and lives in northern NSW. Georgie has two children, works as a florist and is passionate about saving the environment. Rhonda was also very close to her cousin, Sue Robinson (Love, 1967).

Rhonda will be greatly missed. She often attended School events, reunions and music lunches and her last Lauriston event was the Senior Old Girls’ Music Lunch in 2016.

Suzanne Moir (1976)28.8.1959–8.11.2017Suzanne (Suzy) Moir died in November 2017, and condolences are conveyed to Suzy’s mother Lorraine, her siblings Jacqui, Carolyn and John and her three children, Matthew, Camille and William.

Her funeral was held at the Toorak Uniting Church and in the enormous crowd were many of her friends from Lauriston, going all the way back to her early days.

Suzy attended Lauriston for her entire schooling, starting school in Prep in 1964 and completing her schooling in Year 12 in 1976. Her two sisters, Jacqui Moir (1983) and Carolyn Cameron (1978), also attended Lauriston, as did her daughter Camille Davis (2006) and her niece Alison Cameron (2012).

In her final school year, Suzy had a part in the ‘cultural achievement of the year’: the school play. After school, Suzy went on to have a very successful modelling career.

It was wonderful to see Suzy at her 40 Year Reunion in 2016.

Rhonda (left) with Suzie Brown at SOGs lunch

Rhonda, centre of front row. Baseball team 1958


Sarah Rockefeller (2009)On a very warm St. Patricks Day this year, Sarah ‘Rocky’ Rockefeller married the love of her life, Henry Travers. The wedding took place at St John’s Anglican Church in Malvern East followed by a beautiful reception at home. Fellow Old Lauristonians, Laura Blair-West and Annabelle Russell, were two of Sarah’s bridesmaids.

WEDDINGS AND BIRTHS

Lucy Loft (Johnson, 2007)On 18 November 2017, Lucy married Matthew Loft at Coombe, the Melba Estate, in the Yarra Valley. Lucy and Matthew met at university while studying medicine. They are both practicing doctors.

Rebecca Cloke (Panozza, 2005)Rebecca (Beccy) has had a very big couple of years. First she married her partner Travis on 31 December 2016 at Coombe, the Melba Estate, in the Yarra Valley and then to top it all off, Scarlett Jane Cloke was born on 3 November 2017. Beccy’s other passions are her horses, animal welfare and the environment.

Julia Reymond (2005)Julia and her husband Eddy are thrilled to welcome their daughter, Claudia Juliette Reymond, into their lives. Claudia was born on 25 January 2018. Julia, who is the talented Marketing and Content Manager at webjet.com.au, is on maternity leave.


ALUMNAE EVENTS

Founders’ Day AssemblyStudents past and present joined together to celebrate Founders’ Day at a special assembly. After an exploration of the School’s history by our Captains, Helen Whiteside (Class of 1966), spoke about the importance of ‘joining in’ and forming meaningful relationships.

Helen Whiteside addressing the assembly

Violin performanceAlumnae guests


Philanthropy in the Community Breakfast Our special guest for the Philanthropy in the Community Breakfast was alumna, Vivienne Harkness (Mayer, 1957).

At 78, she is unstoppable and an inspiration to us all. Vivienne was the driving force behind the first SIDS Red Nose Day in Victoria in 1987, which raised $10 million and reduced the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by 85% during the three years of her directorship.

Since then she has worked with Breastscreen Victoria after her diagnosis with breast cancer, and Booroondara Stroke Support Group after her husband, Peter, had a stroke in 2011. She is now working on a new campaign, Strike Out Stroke, which works with different sporting bodies to train participants to know the signs of stroke and what to do.

Signature programAssociate Professor Jane Freemantle gave a stirring presentation about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders during the Signature program to Year 10.

She explored the concept of what it means to be Indigenous - who is recognised or classified and who is not. The Australian Law Reform Commission counts 64 separate definitions of Aboriginal and she referred to Indigenous (Yiman and Bidjara) academic Professor Marcia Langton’s description, ‘For Aboriginal people, resolving who is Aboriginal and who is not is an uneasy issue, located somewhere between the individual and the state’.

Jane’s epidemiological work has focused on tracking the health of Indigenous Australians. She argues that unless we have complete and accurate data describing Indigenous populations, we will be unable to identify whether we have successfully ‘closed the gap’ on Indigenous disadvantage.

Breakfast attendees

Vivienne in the middle

Jane and the girls


Semester 2, 2018 Events July18 Learn something new about Prep–Year 2: Problem-Solving

25 Class of 1963, 55 Year Reunion

Parent eSafety Information Session

26 Experience Lauriston

August1 OLA Lauriston Life Series Breakfast

3-10 LAA Vibrant Arts Festival


Learn something new about Prep–Year 2: Literacy & Numeracy


20 Principal’s Forum: Why and What We Assess (English)


30-31 Middle School Play

September3 Principal’s Forum: Why and What We Assess (Chinese)

4 Years 4-6 Family Maths Evening


7 LAA Chamber Music Lunch

October 10 Senior Old Girls’ Music Lunch


Year 12 Valedictory evening

19 Huntingtower Lunch

21 Class of 2011, 10 Year Howqua Reunion

24 VCE/IB Art exhibition opening

November8 Principal’s Forum: Empathy (Chinese)

12 Principal’s Forum: Empathy (English)



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