THE MAGAZINE OF LAURISTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL // September 2012

Live it. Learn it. Love it.

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I recently attended a presentation by Professor Erica McWilliam entitled ‘Choosing Discomfort: Future Trajectories, Present Realities and the Lessons of History’. Professor McWilliam, a tertiary educator whose role involves guiding university students who will become teachers, offered wide-ranging observations on how we currently educate young people, focusing in particular on the education of young women.

A fascinating aspect of the presentation was Professor McWilliam’s discussion of the book The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt (1986), by Mary Russell, which tells the stories of women who travelled to remote and often dangerous foreign lands when they could have stayed within the familiar bounds of their homes and families.

Among the more than 120 women profiled by Russell are Ann Davison, who in 1953 became the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic, and the nineteenth-century traveller and writer Mary Kingsley, who was the first European to visit certain remote regions of West Africa.

Those who have read The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt will know that all of the women travellers whose achievements Mary Russell celebrates chose discomfort over comfort, in order to lead more fulfilling and adventurous lives. They wanted to experience independence and – using their talents, skills and good minds – to discover more about their world. These were women who rejected the restricted or confined lives that society had mapped out for them.

Professor McWilliam moved from tales of adventurous women to provocative questions about the education we are providing to our young people, particularly girls.

Learning from discomfortLauriston Life

The magazine of Lauriston Girls’ School

Lauriston Girls’ School

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PRINCIPAL

Susan Just

EDITOR

Marina Johnson

PRODUCTION

Katie Garrett

CONTRIBUTORS

Robyn Ambler

Jenny Bars

Ann Hooper

Fiona Ireland

Marina Johnson

Alicia McGain

Nene Macwhirter

Angela Mare

David Morrison

Emma Neal

Sam Ridley

Rachel Steele-MacInnis

Nick Thornton

DESIgN AND PRINTINg

Impress Print Management

COvERMountain bike riding at Howqua.

She spoke of the importance of ensuring that young women leave school as ‘agile alumni’, who, she said, should be:

• skilled in, and beyond, one discipline

• highly literate and numerate

• keen and sceptical learners

• risk-taking, welcoming error and complexity

• relentlessly curious

• productively nervous

• team-oriented and collaborative

• technologically savvy; able to apply tools to higher-order thinking

• self-starting, self-managing, self-critical and self-evaluating.

In Erica McWilliam’s view, educators have forgotten about the value of challenging students and allowing them to make mistakes. Professor McWilliam told us that our society is creating ‘lawnmower’ teachers, who smooth the way for their students, ensuring that they experience success, but diminishing the rigour and value of the curriculum in doing so. While a ‘lawnmower’ approach protects young people from negative experiences in the classroom, it also leads to low-challenge classrooms where there is indiscriminate promotion of student self-esteem.

It appears that ‘lawnmower teachers’ are working in concert with ‘helicopter parents’, who hover over their children and then ‘fly in’ to save them from having to deal with any difficulties that may arise at school, such as not achieving an A on a test, or not finding it easy to negotiate a friendship.

I would like to suggest that in order for girls to become risk-taking, relentlessly curious, and self-managing young women, who are more likely to find success in their careers and personal

lives, they require an education that enables them to develop critical evaluation skills, together with deep knowing and understanding, and gives them opportunities to develop their character. Importantly, it is in developing their character that our young women will develop their intellects, moral capacity and sense of civic responsibility.

A number of Lauriston staff members, as part of their professional learning, have been reading the recently published Visible Learning for Teachers, by John Hattie. Hattie, a leading educational researcher who is well known for his work on how to improve the quality of teaching and learning, argues that teachers must present challenges to students while also developing depth in their understanding. He identifies both strategies as crucial to learning and to excellence in student outcomes.

Teachers who have a high level of impact on student learning come into the classroom believing that every student can learn and improve – a belief that is reflected in the teachers’ attitudes towards and expectations of their students.

These teachers have a clear understanding of what to teach and at what level of difficulty. They have a deep engagement with the subjects they teach, and they have the ability to foster in their students appropriate levels of surface learning as well as the deeper understanding necessary for improved student outcomes. These teachers know their students, are keenly mindful of the progress that they are making, and provide them with feedback that will assist them to continue to progress. Such teachers are also able to evaluate the effects of their teaching on student learning.

The classrooms established by these teachers are an environment in which it is acceptable to make mistakes, because mistakes help individuals to learn. There is a climate of trust in the

classroom, and students accept that learning requires commitment and an investment of effort, as it will not always be smooth sailing.

Lauriston teaching staff have completed a professional learning program on John Hattie’s research on teaching practice as a key factor in improving student outcomes. We will continue to provide professional learning opportunities in this area and will also continue dialogue between teachers with regard to their practice.

In this context, it is valuable to consider the nature of learning at our Howqua campus, where both the classroom curriculum and the outdoor program offer our students learning experiences that stretch and challenge them.

At Howqua, our philosophy is very much about experiential learning, and there is no room for ‘lawnmower teachers’. Our Howqua teachers provide guidance to our Year 9 students and establish safe learning settings for them, but the focus is on learning through experiences – including mistakes. Howqua is also a most suitable environment for ongoing character building. The campus places a particular emphasis on civic responsibility, in that, during their Howqua year, students learn to live respectfully together in a community.

In educating our young women, we need, I believe, to build ‘discomfort’ into our curriculum and into the learning experiences we offer. The world is not always a comfortable place, and our students are future leaders. They will be responsible for resolving problems and designing new initiatives and breakthroughs in every field of endeavour. The capacity to thrive on discomfort will be an important quality to have, and the education that our young women receive should be preparing them both to meet future challenges and to benefit from future opportunities.

Susan Just Principal

From The PrinciPaL

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real world, real skills, real-life learning

Senior SchooL

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. — Confucius

Next year will see the launch of our new Year 10 Experiential Learning Project – an exciting innovation in student-directed learning. This new program gives students the opportunity to ask ‘big’ questions on topics in which they are personally interested, and then, in groups (each with a mentor teacher), to attempt to answer those questions through interactions with the wider world.

The following are examples of the big, cross-curricular questions that students are likely to tackle:

• Would vegetarianism be better for our planet? (Year 10 subjects concerned with issues raised by this question would include History, Science, Geography, Economics and Mathematics.)

• Do printed books have a future? (Relevant subjects would include English and History.)

• Why does women’s sport have a lower profile than men’s sport? (Relevant subjects would include Politics, Economics, Sport, Health, Ethics, Science and Mathematics.)

The Experiential Learning Project will provide a structure that allows students to demonstrate mastery of a subject area by creating, and ultimately presenting, a research-based project that is driven by their own interest in a particular topic. In developing their projects, students will be encouraged to think deeply and analytically, and they will work within the same parameters as those that ‘real’ researchers work within.

In addition to fostering the development of analytical and critical thinking, the Experiential Learning Project will:

• give our students opportunities to capitalise on previous learning experiences, including the City Cite program (Year 8) and our Howqua program (Year 9); the girls will build on their prior learning in a number of key areas, including

• meeting challenges

• working collaboratively

• creative problem solving

• applying 21st century skills

• cross-curricular learning

• learning outside the classroom

• engaging with the wider world

• effective communications

• applying Lauriston and personal values to learning

• prepare the students for Senior College inquiry-based activities (e.g. the extended essay required of our International Baccalaureate (IB) students; Context writing (English); art journals; science experiments)

• promote social awareness and an understanding of social justice.

The Experiential Learning Project will take place in Term 3. To prepare, the students will spend several weeks learning a suite of research skills, which they can then use immediately in a meaningful context.

The project itself will involve five days of preparation and research, spaced out over five weeks. The composition of the groups in which the students will work will be determined on the basis of the girls’ areas of interest, and a mentor teacher, with relevant expertise, will be allocated to each group. The role of this teacher, not unlike that of a Master’s or PhD supervisor working with individual students, will be to guide and probe the thinking of the group.

Students will document their research and learning in an e-portfolio. Portfolios will contain materials such as data tables; observations and other notes; records of interviews; photographs; sketches; maps; lists of resources (including web-based resources); group progress reports; and so on …

The culmination of the Experiential Learning Project will be the students’ presentation of their findings to their teachers, parents and peers. In assessing the projects, we will look at their content, at the students’ knowledge and understanding of the concepts they have been exploring, and at the level of depth of their understanding.

We are very excited about the Year 10 Experiential Learning Project, and, while it will require students to think and work ‘outside the square’, it will also allow them to achieve much that will assist them in their future studies and careers.

nene macwhirter Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School

Pushing the boundaries

There are few places in the world of education that push the traditional boundaries more than Howqua does. Howqua is unique. To my knowledge, Lauriston is the only girls’ school in Australia (and possibly the world) to provide its students with a year-long experience that incorporates, in a boarding environment, the academic, co-curricular and outdoor programs offered at Howqua.

The philosophy underlying the Howqua program is that by challenging our Year 9 students academically, physically and socially, while at the same time meeting the girls’ pastoral care needs and providing constant support and encouragement, we are able to offer an invaluable learning experience.

Our outdoor program challenges the students in many different ways. Over the course of their Howqua year, the girls become proficient in hiking, navigation, camping, mountain biking, horseriding, cross-country and downhill skiing, rock climbing, abseiling and canoeing – and continually push their own boundaries as they build their skills and fitness levels. As they gain proficiency in hiking, for example, the students progress from day walks to a six-day hike that covers between 90 and 100 km.

The Howqua fitness program sees the girls begin the year with a 2.2 km run. They then gradually increase their distances, and by the end of the year are able to complete a run from Mount Stirling to Mount Buller – a distance of approximately 18 km.

Yes, physical challenges abound at Howqua, yet for most students the experience of living with nine or ten other girls their age, in a small house, pushes the boundaries in particularly challenging ways.

Many of the girls are used to a home environment where they have their own space, a fair amount of privacy, and few household responsibilities. Imagine, then, coming into a house where you are expected to share pretty much everything, and where you have a wealth of responsibilities. Each student has her own jobs to do every morning and evening, must keep the area around her bunk clean and tidy, must be on time to classes and meals, and is required to pack properly for all outdoor program activities.

The girls are also expected to make every effort to get along with one another, and to work together cooperatively to achieve goals. Throughout their time at Howqua, they are encouraged to recognise and

build on their personal strengths, and to draw upon these strengths in all areas of daily life. In a setting where they are not using social media and mobile phones, the students have the opportunity to focus on what is really important – to the Howqua community, their own house groups, and themselves.

At Howqua, the academic environment also pushes boundaries. The Howqua campus is a place where classroom learning and real-world learning experiences are closely integrated. In Environmental Science and in Humanities, for example, learning is more hands-on and ‘real’ than in a typical classroom: the students have the opportunity to learn in the natural environment, where they study living flora and fauna, as well as creeks and rivers, and land use. Outdoor Studies also combines the theoretical with the practical and the experiential. A regional tour provides the girls with experiences that encourage them to understand Art, Geography, History and Environmental Science in ‘real-life’ contexts.

The Howqua year pushes the boundaries for parents, too. We ask parents to place the care and wellbeing of their daughters in our hands. This cannot be easy, and yet allowing your daughter to experience Howqua means that she will have a truly unique opportunity for learning and personal growth – and memories for a lifetime.

Sam ridley Assistant Principal, Howqua

howqua

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redefining the early years of learning

The role of educating children in and for an ever-changing and complex world is frequently the subject of debate and commentary. We cannot accurately predict what the world will be like when the children who are currently at kindergarten or in the early primary years finally enter the workforce, and therefore we cannot accurately predict what they will need to know. What we can be sure of, however, is that our children’s kindergarten and primary school experiences will shape their views about learning, and their predispositions in respect of all future learning.

With this in mind, we can provide learning environments that support children in developing the capacity to make decisions, formulate their own ideas, explore and research in a variety of ways, persist when a task is not easy, and take well-considered risks. We can also support children

Junior SchooLhowqua

in acquiring fundamental skills and understandings that will allow them to access all future learning.

Recent research, such as that conducted by the US-based Time, Learning, and Afterschool Task Force, indicates that in order for children to learn, and for their learning to be sustained and transferred into the future, they need to have a number of dispositions.

Dispositions conducive to the development of a positive attitude to learning include intrinsic curiosity and motivation; a capacity for excitement about and engagement with learning; a positive and realistic sense of self-as-learner; a sense of empowerment and ownership with regard to learning; resilience and a willingness to take risks; and an ability to work independently and interdependently.

To foster the development of these and other key dispositions, we need to ensure that children learn how to learn; engage children by providing them with authentic tasks and encouraging skill acquisition through problem solving; create opportunities for students’ learning to be personalised, so that the strengths and interests of individual children are catered for, and their needs met; and develop opportunities for students to contribute to their own learning by formulating ideas and offering suggestions that are then legitimised as part of the teaching and learning process.

I completed my education in 2003, after nine years of being at Lauriston. I attended Howqua in 2000 and must say that Howqua was the highlight of my time at school. It tested my mental and physical capabilities through its incredibly diverse programs, such as skiing, rock climbing, abseiling, whitewater rafting, canoeing and hiking. While Howqua could be tough at times, it was the rewarding friendships that I developed that definitely got me through.

It feels like only yesterday that I was an excited Year 9 student, nervously waiting for the bus that was going to take us up to Howqua. Unsure of so many things, I was certain of one thing – that it was going to be a life-changing year filled with excitement and new possibilities. Looking back now, I see that the year at Howqua provided me with skills and inner confidence to carry into my life. I also realise, however, that Howqua fostered something even more special, and that was an array of beautiful friendships, which I treasure to this very day.

reflections on howqua

When I catch up with my old friends, we still talk about our Howqua days. We reminisce about the funny dress-up parties, the strenuous hike up Mount Buller, and the runs around the Ring Road. We talk about the times we spent camping in the snow, swimming in the Howqua River or doing our extremely challenging six-day hike. Looking back, we still can’t believe we did all those things. I feel extremely privileged that I was able to experience Howqua.

I now find myself a teacher at my old school. It is lovely to reflect upon my time at Lauriston and at Howqua – and feel so nostalgic. I particularly enjoyed returning to Howqua for a staff day at the beginning of the year. It brought back a flood of memories that I will never forget.

emma neal (2003) Kindergarten teacher

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kinderGarTenJunior SchooL

Promoting a seamless curriculum, and seamless approaches to learning, across kindergarten and the early years of school is also of major importance. Children do not suddenly, between the last day of kindergarten and the first day of Prep, become ready to sit at their own desks for long periods of time, completing work sheets while having minimal opportunities for rich interactions with others.

Current research around early learning emphasises that the first years of primary school are a unique stage of growth, and that it is vitally important for schools to provide their youngest students with a learning environment in which they can engage in meaningful, developmentally appropriate learning.

The pedagogical approaches that underpin the two phases of Lauriston’s Early Years program – namely, the Reggio Emilia philosophy, which influences our Kindergarten program, and the Australian Developmental Curriculum, which is central to learning at Blairholme – are based on sound research and proven practice, and both approaches respect and dignify early learning as a critical stage in a child’s development.

Both stages of our Early Years program reflect our belief in and commitment to learning that is child-focused, and our dedication to providing learning environments that are rich and stimulating, that bring learning to life, and that promote creativity, active investigation, and concrete experiences relevant to each child’s stage of maturation.

As leading early childhood expert Kathy Walker points out in Play Matters: Investigative Learning for Preschool to Grade 2 (ACER Press, 2011), it is in such environments that children develop the foundation skills essential for future learning, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, while also finding themselves, discovering their interests, and developing and embracing a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

ann hooper Deputy Principal / Head of Junior School

risk taking in early learningAt Lauriston’s Kindergartens, we the educators have an image of the child as capable, confident, creative and curious. It is this image that directs us as we form relationships with the children: it influences how we talk to the children, how we listen to the children and how we observe the children. The understandings we develop through these relationships then help us to shape the learning environment and the learning situations we offer.

That is why every year, and for every Kindergarten group, the learning environment will look different and will invite children to play in it in a different way. As we listen and respond to the children’s own ideas, we build an environment that is unique to the group that will inhabit it, and presents the kinds of challenges and poses the kinds of questions that will allow the children to learn from their current interests.

Within this environment, and always guided by our image of the child, we as educators need to be flexible. We need to respond to the children’s inquisitiveness with equal curiosity, and to explore, together with the children, the topics and questions raised in the group. Kindergarten can never be predictable, and we must be open and receptive to the possibility of plans changing as ideas grow.

An integral part of the early learning experience is play. Having opportunities for open-ended, child-directed play, in a rich learning environment, is vital to children’s development. Play quality is enhanced when children are challenged, within the supportive kindergarten setting, to take risks.

The concept of risk often carries negative connotations. However, while engaging in risk taking can lead to negative outcomes, risk taking can equally have very positive outcomes. Being prepared to take a risk is fundamental to learning. Risk taking promotes the acquisition of new skills and behaviours, and an awareness of new responsibilities. It also allows children to become aware of their capabilities, and their potential to learn new things and to absorb new ideas when they abandon the familiar in search of what they know less well.

At kindergarten, children are constantly trying new activities, and testing their personal limits, in their endeavours to become fully functioning, competent individuals. Taking a risk can involve something as simple as making a choice when the outcome of a task or activity is unknown; in this situation, children need to weigh up what their choice may mean and where it will lead them – in other words, what its outcome is likely to be.

In young children, the development of behaviours – including making choices and taking risks – occurs at a different rate for every child. Peer behaviour can play an important part in a child’s willingness to take risks, as children will often prefer to observe others before they try something new themselves. In an early learning setting, educators play a vital role in encouraging risk taking, by providing a supportive environment where children are able to learn about risk and to take risks safely, thus extending their capabilities.

Many of a child’s opportunities to take exciting risks occur in the playground, where children can seek out activities that allow them to explore the limits of their abilities and encourage them to assess and manage the risks involved.

We recently observed one of the children in our three-year-old Kindergarten as she developed the ability to jump from an elevated board to a mat on the ground. At first she watched other children jumping, laughing with each other (and sometimes pushing!). Then she climbed up onto the board and hovered there. When a staff member

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kinderGarTen

took both her hands, she was confident to jump. She jumped with the staff member’s help for a number of days; then the educator suggested, ‘Let’s try one hand’. The child felt confident to let go with one hand and jump. She was elated! The very next day, she decided that this was the day she was going to jump with no support. She hovered on the plank for a few minutes, and then – ‘Watch me,’ she said and she was flying through the air. What excitement, what an achievement! She was ecstatic at her triumph and we all celebrated. Now she jumps all the time.

Sitting alongside this strong image of the child, and the need for children to take risks, is the necessity of setting firm, clearly defined boundaries.

For children to achieve optimum development, they need boundaries. In fact, they beg for boundaries, although they do not know how to verbalise their need. If they do not have boundaries, they are filled with anxiety, insecurity and rebellion. When children step over the line, they want you to stop them and they expect you to stop them. They will often go as far as they can, all the while expecting a limit to be placed on them.

Boundaries give children freedom by giving them the confidence to explore their environment, to challenge themselves, and to take risks; in the absence of boundaries, and no longer experiencing the freedom that they bring, children become wanderers.

In order to establish boundaries for the children in our Kindergartens, we as educators must work in partnership with families. When there are consistent boundaries in place both in the home and at kindergarten, children learn to understand that, when it comes to these boundaries, adults will act with authority; gaining this understanding supports the child’s development of a sense of justice and fairness.

Most importantly, however, boundaries provide children with a safe and secure environment, thus promoting mental, intellectual and physical health and growth.

robyn ambler & Fiona ireland Directors of Kindergartens

reading, research and beyond

At the core of librarianship lies a passion for promoting reading, and the belief that knowledge transforms lives. These dual focuses are what drive and motivate the library staff at Lauriston and ensure that we are constantly looking for ways to encourage the girls to read and research effectively.

Many studies have confirmed that students who read for pleasure are more likely to succeed academically. More reading results in greater literacy, a wider vocabulary, and broader knowledge. So how do Lauriston’s libraries promote reading?

First and foremost, we make sure that our libraries are warm, welcoming places that invite students to read, to talk about books, and to explore new reading genres and push themselves beyond the books with which they are comfortable.

We also arrange for authors and illustrators to visit Lauriston. Early this year, Jane Godwin, the author of the novel Falling from Grace, came to the School and gave a talk to the Year 8s, who had been studying her book. Jane shared with the girls many

insights about the writing of Falling from Grace, and delighted and captivated her audience.

Each year, our junior students are introduced to the talents of many authors and illustrators during Book Week; the girls also produce their own picture books, and bring stories to life by dressing up as their favourite book characters. As part of the National Year of Reading, Media students were invited to redesign the covers of books that have waned in popularity or have less than interesting jackets – breathing new life into these volumes through the power of art.

Our senior students have a say in the acquisition of titles for the Senior Library: the girls are invited to suggest acquisitions, and to select books for the library when booksellers, laden with tubs of new books, visit the School. Peer recommendations are a powerful tool for fostering in students the desire to read, and the books that the girls themselves have introduced to the library sit side by side with those that library staff encourage students to explore. These books often deal with important concepts and issues in ways that lead students to think deeply,

challenge their own perceptions and responses, and push the boundaries of their imagination.

And our Senior Library does not wait for the students to come to the library – a pop-up library appears in the 7/8 Centre every Tuesday at lunchtime.

Sitting alongside the power of reading is the transformative power of knowledge. We know that students must be able to navigate and use information effectively if they are to meet the increasing demands of the knowledge society and to achieve success in their careers – some of them may even work in information-saturated careers that do not yet exist. But how do our students gain information literacy skills?

At Lauriston, library staff, working with teachers, prepare students for the critical thinking, and the resource evaluation and analysis, that will be required of them in tertiary studies and will also be a key element in lifelong learning. Students are expected and encouraged, however, to push the boundaries when it comes to research and not to expect that information will be handed to them on a platter.

This year, Lauriston students at all year levels are being introduced to research skills. The girls acquire these skills over a long period of time, learning to search smarter, not harder, as they gain competence in finding and managing information. They also learn to critically evaluate and ethically apply the information they find – whether it be used for a school assignment or for making a life decision – and they discover the meaning of perseverance, of pushing boundaries until the job is done. Finally, the development of information skills nourishes in the students the spirit of inquiry that informs all aspects of a Lauriston education.

angela mare Head of Library and Information Services

LauriSTon’S LibrarieS

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arTS aT LauriSTon

Festival of art 2012The week of 29 July to 4 August saw Lauriston ablaze with the visual arts. The School was transformed, and students’ lives enriched, by a range of creative activities.

Nothing on the scale of our Festival of Art happens overnight. The Friends of Lauriston Arts, the wider School community, our teaching staff, and of course the students, worked passionately to develop events and artworks for the Festival. The entrance to the School was ‘yarn bombed’, to the delight of all. As we were sewing the yarn installation together, one of our elderly supporters arrived with her last lot of knitting, wondering how she was going to fill in her television viewing time, now that this project had reached its conclusion.

Beyond the school gates, students participated in an array of art-related activities, under the expert guidance of professional artists. Indigenous artist Lee Darroch worked with Year 4, introducing the girls to traditional Indigenous crafts, while Years 5, 6 and 11 worked with Emma Sulzer, learning the timeless art of tapestry weaving. The Senior Art Room became

an Indigenous art workshop, as the Year 10 students, led by artist Stan Yarramunua, explored Indigenous painting techniques, both traditional and contemporary.

All of the students who took part in these activities were inspired both by the art making and by the stories that the artists shared with them.

During the Festival the Irving Hall foyer and the Mountain Room were home to some three hundred vibrantly coloured canvases, felt birds and possum-skin armbands. This body of

work was developed by students in all year levels from Kindergarten to Year 11, and many of the pieces featured Lauriston’s iconic Moreton Bay fig tree. It was incredibly uplifting to see how a single subject could be interpreted in so many different and wonderfully inventive ways.

The display also showed that art can truly be an individual or a collective undertaking, and can be made at any age. The girls are to be congratulated on their passion for art making, and their diligence in meeting a very tight deadline.

The wider Lauriston community demonstrated its commitment to the School’s arts program through its support of L’event, a major fundraising event held at the Melbourne gallery of the fine art auction house deutscher and hackett. This well-attended evening saw an extensive range of artworks, by leading Australian artists, presented for both private sale and auction, to benefit the Lauriston arts program. At L’event, current and past parents joined together to celebrate art and its value in their daughters’ education.

The School’s inaugural Poetry Slam concluded the Festival, showcasing the strength and depth of artistic talent within our student and staff body. Fluent, often humorous,

interpretations of published poetry, combined with the quirky and personal tales of contemporary life penned by the students, provided wonderful entertainment.

The week finished in grand style, with thirty students and four staff members flying to Hobart on the Saturday morning to visit the renowned Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). After a stroll through the Salamanca Market, we were bussed to MONA for what would prove to be the art experience of a lifetime. MONA’s collection has to be seen to be believed.

The diversity of the artworks, and their confronting and often bizarre content, together with the museum’s magnificent setting, made our time at MONA a truly memorable experience – and one that, fittingly, pushed our understanding of art well beyond its previous boundaries.

david morrison Head of Arts

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SPorT aT LauriSTon

The important role of coaches

The philosophy underlying Lauriston’s sports program is that participation in, and enjoyment of, physical activities are essential to personal wellbeing.

Instilling in our students a lifelong love of physical activity is a long-term project. Physical education lessons are part of the school curriculum for students in all year levels from Kindergarten to Year 10. From Prep onwards, the girls also have the opportunity, through Lauriston’s co-curricular program, to participate in a range of physical activities, including ballet, diving, gymnastics, hip-hop and tennis. Competitive sports in addition to tennis are introduced in Year 5, at which stage the girls are able to compete in twenty-four different sports, through Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).

Our Howqua program also plays a major role in encouraging our students to develop a love of physical activity. Over the course of their year

at Howqua, the Year 9 girls build their fitness as they undertake activities including abseiling, camping, canoeing, hiking, horseriding, mountain biking, running and skiing.

The School’s extensive sports program is delivered by a core team of physical educators, and a dedicated team of coaches who help students develop the skills they need in order to participate in their chosen sports. A number of Lauriston’s coaches are experts in their field, and have themselves achieved significant sporting success (four members of Australia’s current Olympic rowing team have coached Lauriston rowers!).

The School’s Director of Sport, Sharyn Baddeley, says of our sports coaches: ‘We have a diverse range of coaches, including specialist trainers, highly experienced generalists, and former students. Each coach brings something different to the sports program, and the girls gain enormous benefit from this’.

Dean Gasson, who coaches cross-country and middle distance athletics, has been at Lauriston for the past fourteen years. An avid cross-country and middle- and long-distance runner, Dean has chalked up many wins and top-ten finishes during his own running career. For Dean, the best part of his coaching role is ‘seeing the enjoyment the girls get from participating in sport, and seeing many of the girls participating in fun runs many years after graduating from school’.

Tim Strapp has been coaching at Lauriston for twelve months. A specialist in alleviating sports injuries, Tim has been working closely with the rowing team, as well as running personal training sessions. ‘My most important role is to make sure the girls’ functional development occurs in a systematic process,’ says Tim.

Like Tim, Abdelhadi Deroune has been coaching at Lauriston for only a short time. Yet Abdel has already exerted a major influence on the School’s soccer team. Abdel plays professional soccer, as a goalkeeper and midfielder; he played in the Premier League in his native Morocco, and currently plays with the South Melbourne Football Club, in the Victorian Premier League competition. He says it is rewarding to see the enjoyment that Lauriston students gain from sport and from developing their sporting skills.

Emma Smith (2009) started coaching at Lauriston three years ago, and is currently coaching volleyball and netball.

‘I think that the best thing about Lauriston’s sporting program is the sense of involvement,’ says Emma. ‘Anyone from any level is welcome and encouraged to participate. GSV is well organised and the girls are always competing against other girls at the same level.’

According to Sharyn Baddeley, coaches who attended Lauriston themselves have a deep understanding of – and in fact embody – the philosophy that underpins the School’s sports program. Sharyn says: ‘Not only do these young women have a lifelong love of physical activity, but they are also helping to instil this value in our current students’.

Lauren Wilson (2009) currently coaches Years 8 and 10 netball, volleyball, rowing and water polo. Lauren says that sport has always been a big part of her life.

‘I started at Lauriston in Year 4, and since then I have involved myself in almost all of the sports offered at the School – rowing, netball, swimming, volleyball, water polo, basketball, softball and snowsports. I also took part in sports outside of school and went skiing regularly with my family. I still play many of the same

sports, every week – some twice a week. I would definitely say that Lauriston sport gave me fantastic sporting opportunities, and skills that I have carried into my own sporting endeavours now.’

When asked for her thoughts about Lauriston’s sports program, Lauren says, echoing the sentiments expressed by Emma: ‘The best part of the program would have to be the

fact that everyone can be involved in the sport that they want to play. Team membership is not based simply on ability – commitment and a desire to be part of the team are of equal, if not greater, importance’.

marina Johnson Director of Marketing and Advancement

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conGraTuLaTionSPubLic SPeakinG aT LauriSTon

Speaking up

Coordinating Lauriston’s public speaking program has been immensely fulfilling. In my capacity as coordinator, I work alongside students from all year levels who have taken up the opportunity to represent the School in public speaking competitions.

In 2012, we have hosted training workshops run by Judith Field, of Direct Speech, and have organised peer coaching sessions, providing senior girls with the chance to mentor younger girls taking part in competitions they themselves had entered in previous years. It is always a joy to supervise these sessions and observe friendships developing between girls in various year levels.

Our Debating and Public Speaking Captain, Georgia Kay, has been instrumental in coaching the younger girls in preparation for their competitions.

‘Public speaking has been a highlight of my time at Lauriston and I’ve benefited from the coaching program just as much as the younger girls have. I know that the skills I’ve developed will be an asset in future years and I’m so glad I decided to become involved in Year 7,’ she commented when reflecting on her involvement in public speaking.

A member of the 2012 Victorian State Debating Team and twice a state finalist in the prestigious VCAA Plain English Speaking Award, Georgia is a passionate public speaker who has inspired younger students to embrace the opportunities available to them at Lauriston.

Participation in public speaking competitions requires students to identify an area of interest, define their focus, research thoroughly, craft carefully constructed arguments and exercise their oratory skills. Challenging and rewarding, involvement in Lauriston’s public speaking program is voluntary and girls who participate comment frequently on the many ways in which they have benefited as a result of their involvement.

This year girls have entered a range of competitions, placing first in regional finals and proceeding to represent the School at state level. These competitions have included the Rostrum Voice of Youth (Georgina Frazer); the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award (Chloe Gration); the Debaters Association of Victoria’s Junior Public Speaking Competition (Felicity Huang, Caitlin Louey and Chloe Sennitt); and the VCAA Plain English Speaking Award (Alessandra Chinsen and Georgia Kay).

Our public speaking program is dynamic and continues to flourish. Our public speakers are confident, articulate and committed and should be congratulated on their fine achievements.

rachel Steele-macinnis English teacher

acknowledging our students’ achievements

Lauriston Co-Captain Georgina Davie (Year 12) has received the City of Stonnington’s 2012 Young Citizen of the Year award.

Georgie was nominated for the award by Inclusion Melbourne, a nonprofit disability services provider. Inclusion Melbourne supports people with intellectual disabilities to create lifestyles based on their individual needs and interests. Georgie has been a regular volunteer at the organisation’s offices for the past eighteen months, working closely with Inclusion Melbourne client Cuong as he undertakes reception and office duties.

Daniel Leighton, CEO of Inclusion Melbourne, says of Georgie: ‘As a volunteer, Georgie definitely lives up to our ethos of inclusion and making people feel valued, and she is a wonderful role model for any volunteer. I know that Cuong, whom Georgina supports, and his family, really value the friendship they have formed’.

In accepting her award, Georgie said that she was both honoured and humbled. ‘I’m proud to be part of the Stonnington community and to be able to support Inclusion Melbourne, an organisation whose efforts make such a difference to the lives of those it touches,’ she said.

According to Lauriston’s Principal, Susan Just, Georgie is a shining example of a young woman committed to making a difference.

‘In addition to being a School Co-Captain, Georgie has been actively involved in the School’s music and sporting programs, and in House activities. She often speaks about the value of broad involvement both in the School and in the wider community, because she believes that this is a positive way of making a contribution,’ Susan says.

Young citizen committed to making a difference

Bridget was the joint winner of the annual student competition run by the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) School of Performing Arts’ Winter School, which invited students to write a brief piece titled ‘Why I Love Drama’. The VCA

was inundated with entries, from across Victoria, but Bridget’s entry was judged joint winner because it ‘reflected a strong slant on the world of acting’. Bridget was awarded the wonderful opportunity of completing a week-long intensive drama course at the VCA.

Deana travelled to South Korea in the July holidays, to train for and compete in the 6th World Taekwondo Culture Expo. Competitors from twenty-four countries attended the championships, and Deana placed third in her division, winning a bronze medal.

natalie kozlov (Year 11)

Julienne Soo (Year 10)

Natalie, a diver, recently returned from diving at the 3rd National Sports Academy Diving Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. Natalie won the gold medal in her 1 m event, and silver in her 3 m event.

Julienne, an avid golfer, won the San Diego Junior Masters Championship in the Girls 15–18 division.

Anna sailed in the 2012 World Laser Radial Youth Championship, held in Queensland. She achieved four top-five placings in the Girls Championship, to finish fifth overall, and was crowned U17 World Champion.

In early October, Clara will travel to Caloundra, Queensland, to represent Victoria at the 2012 Val Nesbitt U15, a national championship event hosted by the Queensland Badminton Association. Clara, who has competed in many badminton

tournaments and has won many trophies, is currently ranked as Australia’s top U15 badminton player.

bridget hyland (Year 12)

deana Gheri (Year 11)

anna Philip (Year 10) clara chen

(Year 8)

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STaFF ProFiLeSconGraTuLaTionS

donna Galloway

Shannon huang

megan started working at Lauriston, as a casual member of our outdoor program staff, in 2008. In her current role, as a full-time Outdoor Assistant, Megan works alongside the Director of Outdoor Programs, Stephen Dea. Together Megan and Stephen plan the outdoor program trips that take place every Tuesday and Wednesday. Megan’s role also includes preparing the equipment required for each trip, and undertaking reconnaissance so that information on trips can be kept up-to-date.

Megan is also one of the four fitness coordinators at Howqua, who plan and organise the Year 9 students’ progressive running program. Megan and her colleagues are now preparing the girls for their final challenge for the year – the 18 km ‘Stirling to Buller’ run, to be held in November.

Megan has a Certificate III in Fitness, and a Diploma of Outdoor Recreation and Business from Holmesglen. She is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Applied Science (Adventure Ecotourism) degree from Charles Sturt University. She has worked for outdoor education providers (including Bindaree Outdoors, Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, and Stirling Experience), as well as for schools.

The decision to pursue a career in outdoor education and recreation came easily to Megan, because she loves being active in the natural environment and she enjoys sharing her knowledge of the environment. At Howqua, she loves being able to assist the girls in developing their fitness and the various skills they need in order

megan butler

charlotte batten (Year 6)

Charlotte was the winner of her division (U12 Female) at the 2012 Buller Cup Snowboard. She also placed second in her division in the 1st 2XU Mini Grand Prix – Snowboard, and eighth in the 2nd 2XU Mini Grand Prix – Snowboard. kathryn Lawrence

(Year 6)

Kathryn was Best Speaker (Junior School) in Lauriston’s inaugural Poetry Slam, held during our recent Festival of Art.

chloe di Gemma (Year 5)

Chloe won silver medals in both Freeskate 2 (Technical) and Artistic (10 Years and Over) at the Dragon City Trophy & Sun Loong Artistic Challenge figure skating competition, held in Melbourne. As Lauriston Life goes to press, Chloe is representing Victoria at the National

Federation Challenge, in Canberra, and later this month she will compete at the Crystal Challenge, to be held at Melbourne’s Icehouse.

Lily Schwarz (Year 6)

Lily, a dedicated skier, gained second place at the Junior National Mogul Championships (Youth Women division).

Penelope Giddy (Year 4)

Penelope’s contribution to Lauriston’s inaugural Poetry Slam, held in August during our Festival of Art, was judged Best Original Poem.

Stephanie competed in Taekwondo Victoria’s Victorian Technical Championships, finishing third in her division. The competition was Individual Traditional Poomsae, Ages 8–10, Belt Level Red. Stephanie has now

qualified to represent Victoria in the Australian Taekwondo National Championships.

amalie newbound (Year 2)

Amalie achieved second place in the Best Speaker (Junior School) section at the School’s inaugural Poetry Slam.

Felicity huang, caitlin Louey and chloe Sennitt (Year 7)

Felicity, Caitlin and Chloe made it to the state finals of the Debaters Association of Victoria’s Junior Public Speaking Competition.

to participate in the Year 9 outdoor program. She feels proud of the students as they make progress, while thriving on their new experiences.

‘It’s extremely rewarding to challenge the girls and then see them come through, smiling, at the other end,’ Megan says.

In her personal time Megan enjoys being active and travelling to new places. During the July holidays, she and some friends rode their bikes around Sumatra, covering some 630 km. Megan also loves listening to music, reading, and catching up with friends.

donna joined Lauriston in June this year as our Registrar. As Registrar, Donna is responsible for all local and international enrolments and spends much of her time showcasing Lauriston to prospective students and their families. Donna joined Lauriston from Toorak College, Mount Eliza, where she had been managing enrolments since 2002.

Donna has extensive experience in education, having also worked at Ashridge Management College (Berkhamsted, UK), Monash Mt Eliza Business School, RMIT University, and CYW Consulting (Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou).

Donna is passionate about education in general and about her role at Lauriston, where she particularly enjoys establishing relationships with staff, students, and prospective students and their parents.

When asked about her special interests outside Lauriston, Donna mentions overseas travel (she recently returned from Peru), golf (she describes herself as ‘a happy hacker’ who can boast a hole in one), food and wine, friends and family.

Hailing from mainland China, Shannon completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Shanghai International Studies University, majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. She went on to teach Chinese to undergraduate students, in a college in Wuhan, for seven years. After immigrating to Australia, in 1999, Shannon obtained a Graduate Diploma in Education at Monash University.

Shannon joined Lauriston in 2009. In her first three years with us, she taught Chinese to students in Years 7, 8 and 10. Since the introduction of Chinese to the Junior School curriculum (in 2011), Shannon has been teaching Prep to Year 3, as well as Year 7.

Having been influenced by her parents, who are retired teachers, Shannon has a passion for education, and particularly for the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language. When her students achieve milestones in their Chinese, Shannon feels extremely gratified to have contributed to their success.

In her spare time, Shannon enjoys reading, cycling, sudoku, karaoke, and relaxing with her family and friends.

chloe Gration (Year 8)

Chloe successfully participated in the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award competition, making it to the state finals.

Stephanie Padgham (Year 4)

Stephanie krohn, helena Lansell and madison mursell (Year 4)

Congratulations to Stephanie, Helena and Madison, who placed third in the Division 5 Girls Tyrol Cross Country Classic (Teams) at the 2012 Victorian Interschools SnowSports Championships.

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LauriSTon inSTiTuTeSTaFF ProFiLeS

Technology in the classroomFor those of us who are old enough to remember manual typewriters, and computation machines based on the Hollerith punched-card system, today’s technology – in the form of laptops, iPads, netbooks and handheld devices – is simply mind-boggling. But, while it might faze adults, it does not faze our children in the slightest.

The key pedagogical question is, how much is too much? In a recent article in the Age (26 July 2012), the paper’s Technology Editor, Garry Barker, suggests that most if not all students are engaged by the new technologies and expect to be connected wherever they go. Barker quotes Gary Bass, a teacher at Macleod College and an Apple Distinguished Educator, as saying that the iPad is an almost essential tool in the classroom. Bass says that what can be achieved with a whiteboard can also be achieved using iPad technology, which, Barker points out, offers users some 220,000 apps.

If we look at the possible applications for the new technologies in an educational setting, we find that most of those I have referred to are capable of contributing meaningfully to learning. Laptops, tablet computers and handheld devices can enhance learning when used for purposes such as:

• accessing educational apps

• accessing educational content on the internet

• making videos, taking photos and making voice recordings, for use both in classroom learning and in assignments

• submitting work for assessment.

In many ways, the advent of the new devices has created opportunities for all children to use technology without adverse impact on the all-important classroom atmosphere. Nevertheless, at Lauriston we are very conscious that in using technology as a learning tool we must not allow our learning environments to be overwhelmed by it. We continue to trial the new devices, while constantly monitoring and evaluating their use. For our teachers, professional learning also plays a very important part in ensuring that they gain a deeper understanding of how to use technology appropriately – as adults, we need to ‘get up to speed’.

Alan November, a pioneer in the field of education technology, argues in a very cogent way for the use of technology in the classroom. November’s view is that wise schools and teachers will be able to embrace technology and use it to create extraordinary new

opportunities for learning. (Articles by Alan November can be accessed at: novemberlearning.com/resources/archive-of-articles.)

Importantly, wherever technology is utilised as a learning tool, a balance has to be struck so that its adoption is not at the expense of the social aspects of life. The learning conversation and exchanges of views are fundamental to learning and to the acquisition of social competency.

Lauriston’s Howqua program takes a unique approach to technology. While the students have access to technology in the classroom, social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) are not available and the girls communicate with their families in writing. Interestingly, the students don’t seem to pine all that much for the technology they don’t have. Anecdotal evidence suggests that for many of them Howqua offers a welcome break from the dominance of technology in their world.

Maybe, after all, there is still room for sometimes doing things the traditional way. It is all about balance.

nick Thornton Director, Lauriston Institute

alicia mcGain In her spare time, Lauriston’s School Nurse, Alicia McGain, works on a voluntary basis providing support to intellectually disabled athletes. In December this year she will be leading a delegation of athletes and supporters to the Special Olympics Junior National Games.

We asked Alicia to tell us a little bit about her experiences as a volunteer with Special Olympics.

Special Olympics is a worldwide movement that inspires people with an intellectual disability to reach their personal best through regular sport and competition.

It is not a single event and it is not just for the elite. Instead Special Olympics volunteers provide sports opportunities for all people with an intellectual disability regardless of their skills, and they do this every week in communities across Australia.

While some Special Olympics athletes strive to win medals, others enjoy the chance to get active, have fun, make friends and be part of a family. Whatever their motivation, we cater for them by providing meaningful sports programs delivered within a supportive environment where people with an intellectual disability are accepted and can feel proud.

I’ve been involved with Special Olympics for about ten years. Initially we started up an athletics program that involved fortnightly coaching in my local area with a group of about fifteen athletes with intellectual disabilities, ranging in age from 8 to more than 50 years old.

I’m an athletics coach, the State Athletics Coordinator for Special Olympics Victoria and the Chair of the Melbourne Inner East region. All of the roles are voluntary. I was fortunate to attend the Special Olympics National Games held in Adelaide in April 2010, and was also selected as the Athletics Assistant Coach for Team Australia in the 2011 World Games, held in Athens. The World Games are the equivalent of the Olympics for people with intellectual disabilities, and included 7500 athletes (including 131 from Australia), representing 175 countries. These trips were amazing experiences and witnessing Special Olympics athletes participate in such competitions is truly life-changing.

This year I have been selected as the Head of Delegation to lead Team Victoria to the Junior National Games. This event will involve approximately 300 athletes (including 19 from Victoria) with an intellectual disability, competing in two sports. The Victorian athletes will be accompanied by 11 officials comprising coaching, medical and team support staff.

This high ratio of volunteers to athletes enables many children, who would not otherwise get the opportunity to travel with a sports team, to have this amazing experience.

The Junior National Games will be held 6–10 December in Newcastle, NSW.

Personally, I’m really looking forward to heading to Newcastle and seeing the athletes participate in sporting events, but, also, enabling these children to represent their state in a sporting competition and establishing that team spirit will be fantastic.

I would like to acknowledge the support that Lauriston offers, as this enables me to volunteer my skills, and therefore provide the opportunities for the athletes involved.

For more information on the Special Olympics Junior National Games, visit specialolympics.com.au/juniorgames.

2012 Special Olympics Victoria Junior National Games State Team.

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LauriSTon FoundaTion

many ways to show your supportThe philanthropy of our School community plays a key role in helping us achieve our aspirations for girls’ education. In recent issues of Lauriston Life, we have focused on bequests and the Lauriston Foundation’s Annual Appeal as two important means by which members of our community can support the School. However, there are many other ways to help Lauriston continue to offer innovative academic and co-curricular programs that engage, inspire and instil a love of learning in our students.

Supporting our arts program is such a mechanism, and one that helps ensure that we are able to provide – both now and into the future – vibrant, dynamic and inspiring arts-focused activities for our students.

Our inaugural Festival of Art (see pages 12 & 13) was a wonderful celebration of art at Lauriston and brought together all of our students, from Kindergarten through to Year 12.

In the course of the Festival, Lauriston was yarn bombed, poetry slammed and painted, and our students were able to learn from professional artists and craftspeople as well as having the opportunity to work on collaborative artworks and to develop their own pieces.

The School received a marvellous donation during the Festival: the painting Party, 1988, by Old Lauristonian and well-known modernist artist Dorothy Braund (1943). Dorothy has exhibited widely and is represented in the collections of several major Australian art museums, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of South Australia.

The donation of Dorothy’s painting was facilitated by Lauriston parent Peter Strover and Rod Eastgate, a director of Eastgate & Holst Dealers in Fine Art.

Another way to show your support for Lauriston is to help fund important research that will enable us to ensure that we continue to offer our students innovative and effective academic and co-curricular programs.

We have recently begun conversations with two universities about research projects in two key areas: gender, leadership and secondary education; and the tangible benefits of Lauriston’s Year 9 program.

The findings from formal research in these areas will allow us to better understand the value of the learning programs we currently offer our students, and also to identify further opportunities for enhancing and developing our programs in line with the evolving needs of 21st century learners.

Part of the funding needed in order that the research can proceed has been secured, thanks to support from the School community; however, further financial support is still required.

marina Johnson Director of Marketing and Advancement

For further information on the various ways in which you can support Lauriston, please contact the Director of Marketing and Advancement, Marina Johnson, on (03) 9864 7525 or email johnsonma@lauriston.vic.edu.au.

Lauriston olympiansIn recent weeks, Australians have enjoyed watching the spectacle of the London Olympics. While the achievements of Australia’s Olympic athletes are fresh in our minds, we would like to update the information we currently have on Lauriston’s Olympians and Commonwealth Games athletes, who are listed below.

margot evans (1958)Was a member of the Victorian women’s hurdling team at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, held in Perth.

Sally bachman (rodd, 1973)Represented Australia in alpine skiing at the Innsbruck Winter Olympics in 1976.

ondine mcGlashan (1979) Represented Australia in alpine skiing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984.

Sue chapman-Popa (1980)Won a bronze medal in rowing at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

Jenny danks (Lidgett, 1982)Competed in 470 class sailing at the Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) Olympics.

Stephanie moorhouse (2005)Won a gold medal in artistic gymnastics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, held in Manchester. Competed in artistic gymnastics at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Victoria brown (2003)Won a bronze medal for water polo at the 2012 Olympic Games, held in London.

If you have further names to add to this list, or further information on any of the athletes listed, please contact Lauriston’s Archivist, Jenny Bars, at barsje@lauriston.vic.edu.au.

From The archiVeS

recent donationThe Archives recently received a small autograph book containing wonderful sketches and watercolours produced by Lauriston students in the early 1940s. Some of the girls’ imagery, which is marvellously evocative of the period, is reproduced here. The School would like to thank Mr Joe Clough, who found the book in a box of garden tools and delivered it in person to the Archives.

Jenny bars Archivist

Cherry Kaye

Nannette Johnson

Peggy Roark

Joan Duncan

June Morton

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communiTY newScommuniTY newS

oLa prepares to celebrate centenary alumni profiles

Sarah martin (meldrum, 1965)Sarah always wanted to write, and is delighted that her book Davis McCaughey: A Life will be in bookshops in October. Published by UNSW Press, it is the first biography of McCaughey, an influential theologian who arrived in Australia from Britain in 1953. McCaughey went on to become the Master of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne and to play a leading role in the establishment of the Uniting Church in Australia. The culmination of his illustrious career was his appointment as Governor of Victoria in 1986. Sarah’s biography explores the many facets of

McCaughey’s remarkable life, from his Belfast childhood through to his death in 2005.

Sarah has had a long involvement with Lauriston. A student at the School from Kindergarten to Year 12, she subsequently graduated with a BA, BEd from the University of Melbourne. She then spent a year and a half travelling overseas. When she returned to Melbourne, she took up a teaching position at Lauriston and, with time off for babies and a three-year stint in Canberra, taught French, English and History at the School for twenty years.

In 1991, while still teaching, Sarah began working part-time in Lauriston’s Development Office. Two years later her role with the Development Office became a full-time job, when she took over the writing and editing of Lauriston’s newsletter and the publishing of materials relating to the School’s educational initiatives, including the newly developed Howqua program.

Sarah’s experience in development work opened the way to her appointment as Development Manager at Ormond College. It was here that she met Davis McCaughey, who had been Master at the College from 1959 to 1979. Sarah says of Davis McCaughey: ‘I became aware of the enormous influence he had had on generations of students, and the significant role he had played in modernising several institutions

in Melbourne. He was a charming man who brought out the best in everyone he met and he was held in high esteem and affection by almost everyone who knew him. His story was so interesting that after his death I felt compelled to write it’.

Sarah’s decision to write McCaughey’s biography saw her return to university. ‘[The project] took me back to uni as a student, and I completed a Master’s degree and a PhD researching his life. The tricky bit then was to combine the two theses into a readable book for the general public. The whole thing has been an enormously satisfying project, in the course of which I discovered a complex and interesting man. I hope that will resonate with readers,’ Sarah says.

Davis McCaughey: A Life is Sarah’s first book, but it has whetted her enthusiasm for writing, and at the age of sixty-three she has just begun her third career – as an author.

Join Sarah at the Wheeler Centre on 26 November, at 6.15 pm, as she reads from her new book and answers audience questions. The event is presented as part of the Wheeler Centre’s Debut Mondays program. For more information, visit wheelercentre.com.

we’re on FacebookYou can now keep in touch with Lauriston, and with the OLA, via Facebook. Next time you visit Facebook, why not visit the School’s page, at www.facebook.com/LauristonArmadale. Then just search on Old Lauristonians to access the OLA’s page. ‘Like’ our pages to ensure that you receive all our latest news.

The Old Lauristonians’ Association reaches an important milestone in 2013 – our 100th anniversary. Over the past one hundred years, the OLA has welcomed more than eight thousand members, has worked hard to create a connected alumni community, has supported Lauriston students by awarding bursaries and scholarships, and has provided significant funding for major projects at the School; in addition, a member of the OLA Committee sits on the Lauriston Foundation and the School Council. We look forward to providing continued support to alumni, and to the School, into the future.

We will be launching our centenary celebrations with a luncheon on Saturday 23 March 2013. This event is open to all Old Lauristonians and will encompass a number of next year’s major class reunions (20th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th and 50th), with each reunion group having its own dedicated meeting area. Please keep Saturday 23 March 2013 free on your calendar for what will be a fabulous celebration at the School. Further information will be included in the December issue of Lauriston Life.

This year the OLA has extended its bursary and scholarship program through the introduction of a new grant – the Howqua Bursary. This $5000 bursary will be awarded each year to a Year 8 girl who demonstrates a

Lauriston Life to go digital in 2012

Lauriston Life is distributed to more than 6000 families, both locally and internationally. In order to reduce our environmental footprint, we are now offering the Lauriston community the opportunity to receive this magazine via email.

If you would like to receive future issues of Lauriston Life electronically, please email our Communications Officer, Katie Garrett, on garrettka@lauriston.vic.edu.au. Alternatively, please visit our website (www.lauriston.vic.edu.au), where you will need to click on ‘Community’, and then select ‘Subscribe to Lauriston Life’.

range of qualities, including a positive attitude to learning, and enthusiasm for the fun and challenging year at Howqua that lies ahead. Lauriston girls have been benefiting from the unique and life-changing Howqua experience for twenty years, and the OLA wishes the current Year 8s all the best for their Howqua year in 2013. Applications for the Howqua Bursary have now closed and we will be announcing the recipient soon.

Can you help us make the OLA’s centenary luncheon a success? If you would like to assist us with organising this event, or would like to donate to the Howqua Bursary, please contact Prudy Barker, OLA President, at ola@lauriston.vic.edu.au.

A gathering of the OLA in the 1940s

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communiTY newScommuniTY newS

Jane edmanson, oam (1967)Jane Edmanson, gardening expert and a presenter on the ABC’s Gardening Australia program, takes time out from her busy schedule to share her story with us.

I started at Lauriston in secondary school. My family were from Mildura and they made considerable sacrifices so that I could attend the School.

I remember we had a tour of the School on my first day; Mum looked at the tennis courts and exclaimed, ‘Jane will just love that!’ and she was right.

I joined the tennis team and in my final year was vice-captain of the tennis team and Andrews House. Being involved in Lauriston’s sports program (I also played basketball and baseball and enjoyed running) unlocked a wealth of unknown talents, which were further developed by some inspiring staff members and the School’s sporting facilities.

I was a middle-of-the-road student academically but enjoyed History and Literature. Mrs Taylor, my Biology teacher, was a great influence; I loved learning about plants and the human

body. If I missed a lesson Mrs Taylor always had the time to go through the missed lesson with me to ensure I understood what had been covered in class.

I also learned Latin, which was taught by Principal Gladys Davies. This was a terrifying experience but Miss Davies did manage to get the best out of me! Studying Latin has proved invaluable, given my involvement in horticulture; it gave me a significant advantage when it came to understanding the botanical names of plants.

After Matriculation the range of further study options available to girls was limited – it was typically teaching or nursing. I pursued the teaching path and completed a Bachelor of Arts/Diploma of Education at Monash University.

I remember my first teaching experiences at Dimboola High School; here I was, teaching Australian History to students who were only three years younger than me!

After taking a year off to explore Africa and the highlights of Egypt, and to learn some Italian, I decided it was time for a career change. When I returned to Australia I secured a

job in a plant nursery and studied horticulture at TAFE in the evenings.

I spent the next fifteen years working at the State Schools’ Nursery, which was established in the early 1900s to provide plants for school gardens and to educate children in horticultural principles.

It was during this time that I met gardening identity Kevin Heinze, who went on to become a good friend and mentor. Kevin visited the nursery when I was working with a group of disabled people undertaking work experience. I guess my combination of botanical knowledge and teaching expertise resonated with him, for he invited me to take over his role as host on the ABC’s Sow What program. I found this quite amusing, given that I was very shy when I was a girl and would blush whenever anyone spoke to me. Here I was, being offered a role on television! I think my time at Lauriston gave me the confidence to make the leap into television; you were instilled with the belief that if something challenging comes, you don’t avoid it, you jump into it.

During that time each state had a gardening program, but these were stopped and combined into a national program, and Gardening Australia was born. I’ve now been involved with the program for twenty-three years.

Gardening offers incredible therapeutic benefits. Gardens are places where people can relax, reflect, be inspired and connect with the environment. A great example is the Royal Talbot Hospital with its sensory garden.

A final thought on Lauriston? When you look at Lauriston, I think the school culture has produced, and continues to produce, independent and successful young women who are achieving highly in their chosen field. We need to celebrate these achievements!

mina Foundation updateAs reported in the December 2011 issue of Lauriston Life, Jillian Hocking (1976) has been working for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and on her weekends has been assisting the Kabul-based Mina Foundation. Established in 2009, the Foundation helps young girls and war widows, offering classes in sewing, using computers, and English.

Towards the end of last year, Lauriston families donated a large number of books to the

Foundation, for use in its English language classes. Our photo shows Jillian attending the graduation of an Introduction to English class.

For further information on the Mina Foundation, please visit www.minafoundation.org.

Faye Vawdrey (hill, 1973)

In November 2011, Faye completed a Master of Social Science (Human Services – Counselling) degree at Swinburne University.

Faye is currently living in Baguio City in the Philippines, where her husband is on an overseas posting with the aeronautical engineering company Moog.

Faye says that the weather in Baguio City, which is about 260 km north of Manila and is located at an elevation of 5300 feet, is quite similar to that in Melbourne.

Faye expects to be living in the Philippines for the next five years.

Jean Sheehan (michailidis, 1984)

After nursing for fifteen years, Jean commenced a career in metaphysical and quantum physics, teaching into the health and education systems alternative life skills for an empowered life. Jean’s work has included professional development for schoolteachers, around children’s personalities.

Jean has worked in Bali, Thailand, France, India and Kuala Lumpur with her company, Millennium Education. She continues to coach individuals and groups, and has trained others to become practitioners and teachers of Millennium Modality.

In 2010, Jean was nominated for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards, and has also been a finalist in the Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network Business Woman’s Awards.

Over the years, Jean has also supported children’s groups, including CleftPALS, a group for parents of children born with cleft lip and/or palate. Jean has been married for twenty-one years and has two sons (19 and 13 years old).

Jo muir (dickie, 1998)

After graduating from Lauriston, Jo completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts, Photography and Drama degree at Deakin University. Jo then worked as a photographer for a design studio, before moving to Qantas, where she worked initially as a flight attendant and then as a member of the airline’s ground staff.

Jo, who has ridden horses most of her life, has now taken a path pursuing a dual role – as Mum to her son, Max, and as a dressage rider.

‘I first became serious about my riding when I was twenty-three, and was very fortunate to be trained by the late showjumping veteran Jack Gilchrist, whose wife, Marianne Gilchrist, was Australia’s leading showjumper in the 70s and 80s,’ says Jo. ‘I’m now training with professional dressage rider Sylvia McLachlan, who competes at both state and national levels.’

With husband Andy, and Max, Jo (who is expecting another baby in October) has moved to a property out of Geelong so that she can spend more time training two horses for competition.

news of old Lauristonians

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births

Future Lauristonians?If you are expecting a future Lauristonian, please contact our Registrar on 9864 7555 to register your interest in securing a place at Lauriston for your child.

briony davenport (2002) Briony and partner Dion Hall welcomed Theadora (Thea) Violet on 17 June 2012. Briony, a teacher and tutor at our Howqua campus, is currently on maternity leave; Dion also teaches at Howqua.

engagements

Lauriston staff members Sam Ridley (Assistant Principal, Howqua) and Mel Dalheimer (Coordinator of Pastoral Care and Boarding at Howqua) became engaged in mid July.

The couple met at Howqua, about three years ago. ‘We lived next to each other in the staff houses,’ Mel says. ‘Sam used to let himself into my house to start the fire for me so it was warm when I got home … He won me over with his thoughtfulness!’

Mel and Sam hope to marry around Easter next year, at Sam’s parents’ property in the country.

weddings

amanda Szakiel (2001) Amanda married Joshua Tebb at Lorne in April this year. Josh is the brother of Old Lauristonian Kirsten Tebb. Amanda and Kirsten lived in the same house at Howqua and have remained close friends ever since.

According to Jo, dressage is primarily about building the strength and balance of the horse, and an understanding between horse and rider. ‘In dressage training,’ Jo says, ‘you are focusing on developing the horse’s natural abilities and strengthening the horse so that it is able to carry more of its weight on the hindquarters and to perform a range of specified movements with power and expression. The stronger the horse, the more they can do and the better the quality of the movement. It’s a bit like horse ballet!’

Jo hopes to continue working with the two horses she has in training, so that they develop the strength, and learn the skills, that they will need in order to progress through the various levels of dressage competition.

Sandra hallamore (1999)

After leaving Lauriston, Sandra studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2005. In 2002–03, she travelled to Kenya to undertake an Advanced Medical Science research year, investigating malaria in pregnancy, before completing her internship at the Geelong Hospital. In 2007 Sandra returned to Melbourne to start Basic Surgical Training, and in 2009 was awarded a Master of Surgery degree on the basis of her investigation into the relationship between circumcision and HIV.

In 2010 Sandra commenced Advanced Surgical Training in Urology. Also in 2010, Sandra married Dougald Elmer. The couple welcomed son Harry in July 2011.

emily ryan (duncan, 1999)

Emily first became involved with the charity Very Special Kids while she was at Lauriston, through her role as House Captain of Mitchell House. She is now Chairman of Very Special Kids’ Friends Committee (fundraising committee) and loves being involved with what she describes as ‘an amazing charity’.

Very Special Kids provides counselling and other support services to families caring for a child with a life-threatening illness. Very Special Kids House, which is just around the corner from Lauriston, in Glenferrie Road, offers planned and emergency respite as well as end-of-life care.

‘The Very Special Kids Piggy Bank Appeal is now on,’ Emily says. ‘So if you see a piggy driving around please help feed him so they can reach their $1 million target!’

Phoebe Lodge (2001)

Phoebe has recently been awarded a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) degree from Griffith University.

Phoebe, who taught gymnastics at Lauriston while completing her Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) degree at the University of Melbourne, commenced her doctorate in 2009. Her research was focused on paediatric obsessive compulsive disorder, which, she believes, the medical profession is becoming better equipped to identify and treat.

Phoebe is currently in private practice on the Gold Coast, working in child and adolescent psychology, and she hopes to continue practising in this field.

caitlin ripper (2005) Since leaving Lauriston, Caitlin has been volunteering with Scarf, a Melbourne-based nonprofit social enterprise.

Scarf works with restaurants to provide hands-on hospitality training and mentoring to marginalised youth who face barriers to obtaining fair access to training and to work opportunities. Many Scarf trainees are refugees.

Caitlin coordinates all Scarf bookings. ‘It’s a fantastic organisation, started by young people for young people,’ she says. ‘The organisation is currently recruiting mentors for our Spring Scarf program, running from Monday 1 October to Monday 3 December.’

To learn more about volunteering at Scarf, visit scarfcommunity.org.

Vale

ruth marcelle hensall (1994)The Lauriston community was saddened in July to learn of the death of Ruth, who attended Year 12 at the School. Ruth’s partner, Jacob Torney, has provided the following information on Ruth’s journey after she left Lauriston.

After graduating from Lauriston, Ruth completed a BA (Hons) in English and Classics and a BSc in Geology, at the University of Melbourne, in 2002. She then left to work as an English teacher in Korea and eventually moved to Scotland with her fiancé. She returned to Australia in 2005 and began a postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management at RMIT, working in the field of environmental consulting at Australian Landscape Trust and ICLEI until she gave birth to daughter Emily in 2008.

Ruth completed her Grad Dip and looked at converting it into a Master’s, which she had nearly completed as of July 2012. She returned to work in Warrnambool in 2010, at the Warrnambool City Council, and in 2012 she began working as a Landcare Facilitator in Ballarat.

Ruth passed away in a motor vehicle accident on 14 July 2012, aged thirty-five. She is survived by Emily, aged four, her parents, Bill and Dianne, her younger brother, Evan, and her partner, Jake.

keeping in touch with LauristonIf you know of an Old Lauristonian who has recently moved interstate or overseas, please let us know, or, better still, put her in contact with us, so that we can update her details in our database and keep in touch. There are some exciting alumni networks being established abroad in 2012.

amelia beech (2000)Amelia and Ben Chamberlain married on 2 April 2011, at Amelia’s home, Pinehill, at Metcalfe in central Victoria.

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margaret elizabeth Viney (wellington, 1937) Margaret (known as Wig or Wiggy to her friends and family) passed away on 10 June, aged ninety-two.

Margaret was born on the kitchen table at her family home in Armadale in 1919, the youngest of four children born to Elizabeth and Frank Wellington. Both Margaret and her elder sister Dorothy attended Lauriston for the whole of their school lives: from kindergarten to Form 6. While Dorothy excelled academically, Margaret shone on the sports field. She was a member of the tennis, baseball, hockey and running teams, and, in her final year at Lauriston, was Vice-Captain of Mitchell House and captain of the hockey team.

Upon leaving school, Margaret enrolled at the Invergowrie Homecraft Hostel, where her talent for needlework was honed. After working as a seamstress for a number of years,

Margaret returned to Lauriston, as a part-time teacher of needlework, in the war years 1942–45.

Margaret’s other talent was for music, and it was while playing second violin in the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra that she met her future husband Frank Bell. After her marriage, in 1947, Margaret went to live in the then rural suburb of Croydon, where she put into practice the domestic science skills she had learned at Invergowrie.

reunions and other events

class of 1959, 70th birthday celebrationTwenty-six members of the Class of 1959 met on 31 March for a joint celebration of their 70th birthdays. The suggestion for this lunchtime event came from ‘the Sydney contingent’, and Dee Beville (Sheezel) very generously offered her home as our venue. We all had such a happy time, catching up and swapping school memories, and sharing news of current activities. Some classmates hadn’t met up for over fifty years!

L–R Back row: Lis Moglia (Alsop), Pam Lee, Pam Borin (McLeish), Jenny Ward (Loughrey), Judy Sennitt (Mogg), Wendy Forbes (Penwarden), Jacki Burgess (McElroy), Fiona Aitchison, Carolyn

Raymond (Johnson), Janet Guthrie (Hasker). Middle row: Barb Wilde (Green), Denise Hose (Simpson), Mandy Matthews (Damman), Gill Cohen,

Marg Edmonds (King), Wendy Chandler (Marks), Meryl (Mem) Alexander, Diana Jones (Lees), Margaret Birch (Deane), Margaret Black (Fabinyi).

Front row: Dee Beville (Sheezel), Barb Lonie (Hattam), Helen Wirtz (Isaachsen), Ann Knowles (Mountain), Sue Sennett (Farquhar).

Absent: Sue Brown (Metz).

class of 1987, 25-year reunionTammy Zanchi (Blahovec) reports on the Class of 1987’s 25th reunion: ‘It was a wonderful night – lots of laughs and good memories. We were all there because we loved our time at Lauriston! We have already planned another get together, in November’.

class of 1967, 45-year reunionThis reunion was a special evening for Denise Freedman, who volunteers at Lauriston one afternoon a week, helping the School to remain connected with Old Lauristonians. Although travel and other commitments meant that a number of alumni from this year group were unable to join in their reunion celebrations, those who were able to attend the reunion had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

L–R: Mary Stephen, Robin Gale Baker, Denise Freedman(Goodman).

Enjoying the reunion were: Vanessa Hewitt (Ford), Melissa Dundas, Stacey Colquhoun,

Pauline Mak, Melissa Donnelly (Hagen) and Tori Leask.

ValeMargaret returned to teaching, to support her family, when her husband contracted poliomyelitis and was hospitalised for a year. Several years later, following the dissolution of her marriage, Margaret married fellow teacher Jack Viney. He died tragically soon after their marriage, and Margaret went to live on a small farm at Korumburra.

In later life, Margaret moved to Horsham, and then to Redcliffe in Queensland, while maintaining a close connection with her family and friends in Melbourne.

Margaret is survived by her daughter Robin, son Andrew, stepson Richard, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Jenny bars

class of 2002, 10-year reunionMore than thirty girls attended their 10-year reunion.

L–R: Jane Glowrey, Zoe Tostevin, Emily Milne (Brown), Sarah Edgar, Alex Harvey.

class of 2007, 5-year reunionLauriston staff members Jo Amott (left) and Joan Hammonds (centre) joined more than twenty girls from the Class of 2007 as they celebrated their 5-year reunion. Jo, who taught the girls Physical Education, says she has fond memories of them. ‘They were a fantastic bunch of girls, whom I shared many laughs with,’ Jo says. ‘It was great to see them again and hear about what they’ve been up to over the past five years. I look forward to seeing them again in years to come.’

queensland alumni LunchLauriston’s Principal, Susan Just, was a welcome guest at the annual Queensland Alumni Lunch, held in early July. Anne Abbink (Beckingsale, 1965) says that Susan’s presence was much appreciated.

‘Susan was interested – and amused at times! – by our stories of our time at Lauriston, the good and the bad!’ Anne says. ‘We chatted about the school trips that were available during our time (they were mostly within Australia), and now, when students have the opportunity to travel overseas on school trips. We were also interested in Susan’s news of developments at the School over the years, particularly the geographical expansion of the School into neighbouring properties, which were residential homes when we were at Lauriston.’

L–R: Jann Macrae (1964), Anne Abbink (Beckingsale, 1965), Irene Young (1967), Helen Dunn (1954), Jill Goddard (1957), Gail Tulloch

(1958), Susan Just.

Lauriston Girls’ SchoolABN 15 004 264 402

38 Huntingtower Road, Armadale Vic 3143, Australia t: +61 3 9864 7555 f: +61 3 9822 7950 e: admissions@lauriston.vic.edu.au

www.lauriston.vic.edu.au

CRICOS number 00152F

advertising in Lauriston LifeMembers of the Lauriston community now have the opportunity to advertise in Lauriston Life.

If you have a business or service that you would like to promote, consider placing an advertisement in a magazine that goes out to more than 6000 readers – alumni, parents of current students, current and

past staff, and all of our donors. Advertising rates are: full page $800; half page $500; quarter page $350; eighth of a page $200.

For more information on advertising please contact Director of Marketing and Advancement, Marina Johnson, at johnsonma@lauriston.vic.edu.au.

Live it. Learn it. Love it.

Vce recital Thursday 11 October, 5.00–7.00pm

Senior old Girls Lunch Friday 12 October, 10.45am–2.00pm

howqua 2013 Parent and Student information evening Thursday 18 October, 7.00–8.00pm

discover howqua and back to howqua Picnic reunion of ‘howqua class of 2005’

Sunday 21 October, 11.00am–2.00pm

Vce/ib art exhibition opening Wednesday 24 October, 6.30–8.30pm

Vce/ib art exhibition Thursday 25 October–Saturday 27 October

wa reunion Thursday 25 October, 6.30–8.30pm (venue to be confirmed)

Principal’s morning Tea and School Tour Wednesday 31 October, 9.30–11.00am

Term 4 EventsMonday 8 October – Tuesday 11 December

More information on these and other events can be found in the ‘News and Events’ section of the Lauriston website

(www.lauriston.vic.edu.au).

Vocal Soiree Wednesday 31 October, 5.00–7.00pm

Year 5 2013 Parent information evening Thursday 8 November, 7.00–8.00pm

class of 2011 1-Year reunion Friday 9 November, 6.30–8.30pm

kindergarten Parents 2013 information evening Tuesday 13 November, 7.00–8.00pm

Year 3 2013 Parent information morning Thursday 15 November, 8.45–10.30am

montrose Presentation evening

Thursday 29 November, 7.30–9.00pm

Valedictory Tuesday 4 December, 7.30–10.00pm

blairholme Lunchtime recital Wednesday 5 December, 1.00–1.30pm