pdf 7 MB - International Grammar School

Summer 2015/16
International Grammar School Magazine
Limitless
Learning
HSC
Showcases
2015
Last Days of
Year 12
Meet the
Leadership
Team
SAGE –
The Rocks Quest
and Opera on Kelly
Also incorporating Community News
Contents
From the Principal����������������������������������������������� 1
Night of Stars������������������������������������������������������ 2
Year 8 The Rocks Quest������������������������������������� 3
Year 9 Opera on Kelly Lights up Broadway!������ 4
International Day������������������������������������������������� 6
What the Dickens – it's Oliver!���������������������������� 8
Staff Profile���������������������������������������������������������� 9
Primary Colours������������������������������������������������ 10
On Screen and On Air�������������������������������������� 12
Meet the Leadership Team������������������������������� 14
Co-curricular News������������������������������������������� 16
STEAM Dreams�������������������������������������������������17
Languages and Exchange News��������������������� 19
Good Sports����������������������������������������������������� 22
Indigenous Journey������������������������������������������ 23
Good Causes���������������������������������������������������� 24
HSC Showcases����������������������������������������������� 25
Last Days of Year 12����������������������������������������� 26
Community News��������������������������������������������� 28
Online Publications������������������������������������������� 33
SAGE4
8
On Stage
Cover: Matilda Tomasetti's The Anatomy of Technology,
HSC major work
Back Cover: The Little Prince takes a rest on one of
Tan's magical quilts! (Design work by digital mischief)
Green Rooms
On Air
12
Good Sports
22
11
STEAM17
4–8 Kelly Street, Ultimo NSW 2007
Phone: 61 2 9219 6700
Fax: 61 2 9211 2474
www.igssyd.nsw.edu.au
ABN 74 002 807 525
CRICOS Provider Code: 02281C
Jigsaw is a regular publication produced
by International Grammar School.
Editor: Rosemary Pryor
Reach Out Disco
facebook.com/igssyd
ii
24
Community
News
28
From the Principal
OUR STUDENTS
SHINE
In this edition of Jigsaw we celebrate limitless learning and I can’t
imagine a better image for the cover than Matilda Tomasetti’s work.
A
young woman, mobile phone in hand gazes at
the screen. She sits in blackness. The soft light
illuminates her face, neck, fingers. An artful mix of
the old and the new. Portraiture at its finest. It reminds
me of a Vermeer painting or a Bill Henson photograph.
Shauna Colnan
Principal of International Grammar School
A Year 7 Shakespeare Boot Camp, the Year 8 Rocks Quest
and Opera on Kelly Street for Year 9... SAGE cuts across
disciplines and gives students real world project-based
learning experiences. Through SAGE, we are building
students’ critical and creative thinking skills, the depth of their
understanding and engagement, their ability to work with
others and their love of learning.
Matilda Tomasetti’s photograph is one of four in a collection
called The Anatomy of Technology which is on exhibition at
the Margaret Whitlam Galleries at the University of
Western Sydney.
The capstone project of SAGE is Tasmania – Writing the
Island. In November, we will take Year 10 to Tasmania where
they will experience a week-long writing project, exploring the
island – its beauty, its history and its stories. They will
undertake a two-day master class at the University of
Tasmania and work alongside Australian writers and IGS
teachers to create an anthology that will become a lasting
artefact of the project.
Matilda is one of the 85 students who completed the HSC
at IGS in 2015. Her photographs were selected for
ARTEXPRESS along with Vincent Labancz’ Gallery of Saints
and Catia Single’s Birds and Beads.
Emma Le’s ong ngoai (Grandfather) and Maira Wilkie’s Silent
Perspectives were also nominated for this annual exhibition of
outstanding HSC artworks.
We want to continue to craft and shape an educational
journey like no other for our students. Into the World builds on
the strong foundations of our history and aims to ensure that
our students have new and inspiring opportunities to reach
their full potential.
Limitless learning, empowered students, sustainable future.
These are the three strategic aspirations of our school’s new
Strategic Plan*, Into the World.
In the pages that follow we celebrate our students’ love of
learning and the many ways in which they continue to shine in
diverse arenas of school life here at IGS.
Eight areas of action form a blueprint as we move towards
2020. We will boost innovation and collaboration, champion
excellence and incite passionate and creative learning. We will
inspire meaningful engagement with local, national and global
communities and grow tenacious and confident individuals.
We will promote effective, enduring and ethical practices,
improve our information communication technology, and
secure, reimagine and redesign the IGS campus.
Enjoy!
Shauna Colnan
Principal
Over the next five years we will pursue three strategic
initiatives: We will introduce Chinese as an additional core
language from Preschool in 2017 which will enhance our
flagship languages program and ensure that it remains
dynamic, responsive to the world around us and at the heart
of our school’s educational philosophy; we will develop the
School’s first Master Plan for our campus, drawing on the
work of the 2015 IGS UTS design collaboration; and we will
enhance middle years’ development through the
SAGE program…
* See details on page 33 for accessing the
Strategic Plan online
1
NIGHT OF STARS
Speech Night was held again at the stately State Theatre with a
wonderful recognition and celebration of students’ achievements
throughout the year.
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Photos by Allison Lee
s, be open to
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allenge ourselves
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Mollie Beehan
Head Girl
YEAR 8
THE ROCKS QUEST
ocks was
day of The R
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am
as
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ienc
Rocks exper
of f
Abby Mahem
Year 8
In the second SAGE project for the year, Year 8 spent a week in
August holed up in the Merchant’s House, The Rocks to explore and
discover the stories of this unique precinct. Under the guidance of
Archaeologist Wayne Johnston, IGS alumna Rebekah Hawkins and other
postgraduate students from the University of Sydney, Year 8 interviewed,
taped, sketched, filmed and interpreted the social canvas of The Rocks,
both past and present.
t
as a grea
s Quest w t for me
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personall our presentation
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fo
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giant rat
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Elise Bren 8
e
Y ar
An informative, independent
and enjoyable week, The
Rocks Quest was an
incredible experience none of
Year 8 will ever forget.
Leo Pay ten
Year 8
3
O n the
Tr
the tou ibal Warrior,
r guide
Khalka
n
, expla
histor y
ined th y,
of t h e
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area in
co n t a c
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riginal
and th
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also to
ld us th white people
.S
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g the w
ay.
C omm
unicati
ons A s
Kygim
K ing
sistant,
IGS
YEAR 9
OPERA ON KELLY
LIGHTS UP BROADWAY!
Year 9 tuned up last term for five days of ‘unlocking their creativity’
under the direction of WotOpera*.
ar e
d e n t s n ot
u
t
s
r
es f o h a n g i n g ,
c
u t co m
T h e o d a n d l i f e r r i cu l u m
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l
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opme
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Direc
op
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de vel
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’s
D
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M u rr a
WotO
The 100-strong year group was
immersed in a hands-on, collaborative
learning experience as they took on a
range of roles as writers, set designers,
stage hands and performers to devise
three short operas. Their work
culminated in the ‘Opera on Kelly’
performance for the school community.
got
fun, ever yone
It was a lot of
ke
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to have a go
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never sung be
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ea
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as
d he w
audience – an
rald
Isabella Fitzge
After I go
tu
the whole sed to the fact
performa
nce would
be in son
g, I really
enjoyed
the writin
g proces
s and the
musical p
roduction
.
Lukian Ad
This p
ro
the Sc ject fits pe
r fectly
hool’s
progr
am. T innovative S with
h
r ou gh
AGE
ar e bu
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il
and c ding studen AGE , we
re
t
depth ative thinkin s’ critical
of t h e
g
skills,
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and e
the
er s
ng
to wor agement, t tanding
h
k
love o with others eir ability
f learn
and th
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eir
P
Shaun rincipal
a Coln
an
* The WotOpera High School program
has been running since 2008. The
program is part of Artology, whose
goal is youth development and social
change through the arts, and
was founded by philanthropist
Graeme Wood AM.
ams
4
5
Opera on Kelly photos
by Keith Saunders
INTERNATIONAL DAY
Honouring the Global Child
Stories of childhood, music, dance, art and craft workshops, food and
a guest speaker’s inspired presentation brought this year’s International
Day theme ‘Global Child’ to life. Respective Heads of Languages
for High School and Primary School, Giuseppina Mustica and
Vilma Rotellini report …
Special guest speaker Kate Kennedy
gave a moving and inspiring speech.
Kate has dedicated her life to helping
others through her executive role as
Strategic Director of World Vision to
her present role as CEO of
Hagar International.
In her thought-provoking
presentation, Kate showed us the
incredibly important work that Hagar
is doing to help women and children
in countries such as Afghanistan,
Vietnam and Cambodia, who have
survived abuses such as slavery,
trafficking and exploitation. Kate told
us the moving story of a boy that
Hagar has helped to recreate his life
after being trafficked. Kate showed
that through action positive social
change can occur and hope can be
restored to peoples’ lives.
International Day (held this year on
27 July) drew the IGS community
together as always by presenting and
celebrating intercultural awareness and
understanding. The aim of this special
day is always to excite, to entertain, to
inform and to highlight awareness of
the worthiness and potential of a
multicultural society.
The 2015 experience did not
disappoint and was enjoyed by a
collective audience of students,
teachers, parents and friends.
Everywhere you looked, our whole
school community took on the
challenge of moving beyond accepting
and appreciating other cultures and
differences and actively engaging with
international perspectives and diversity.
“We protect those vulnerable to
exploitation by changing the laws,
and we run transformational recovery
services to take survivors of severe
human rights abuses from minus 10
to plus 10 and enable them to reach
their highest potential,” Kate said.
“There are more slaves today than
any time in human history, and Hagar
is committed to do whatever it takes,
for as long as it takes, to restore their
broken lives”.
As a school, we also left our mark on
Kate as she told Jigsaw she was in
awe of our students: “what you stand
for and what you do to create the
active global citizens of tomorrow”.
r our
aiting fo
I loved w g.
in
turn to s
H udson
n Green
Transitio
6
At the High School Assembly, Principal
Shauna Colnan spoke about how
different classrooms look around the
world and the importance of the gift
of education.
Our pluri-lingual student hosts moved
seamlessly between the languages
that form part of their identity, and the
audience was treated to several
amazing musical performances.
Amelia. Je suis
Bonjour, je m’appelle
t treize ans que
en Première et ça fai
ici à IGS. Ma
j’apprends le français
aise, donc il a
Grandmère est franç
que je parle et
nt
rta
toujours été impo
, mais je pense
comprenne le français
tous ces cours
surtout que se sont
ont permis
de français ici, qui m’
langue.
lle
be
d’apprendre cette
Amelia Bevins
Year 11
Buongio
rno, mi c
hiamo Fra
l’IGS da
n ce s c a F
quando
avevo 12
requento
dalla scu
anni. Stu
ola elem
dio italia
entare m
un padre
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ono stata una cultura italo ciuta con
-au
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i italiane
. I paren
ua e nell
italiani e
ti di mio
e
h o p ass a
padre so
to un sa
dove ho
no
cco di te
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mpo in It
o molte
gioia di s
alia
co s e
ta
Vorrei rin re assieme ai no piacevoli come
la
nni, gli z
graziare
ii e i cug
m
vivere la
ini.
cultura d io padre di conti
nuare a
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Francesc
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r a wonderf
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k
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ave been
oncert. I h
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special
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being able
nt.
ul as a pare
rf
s o wo n d e
ards
Emma Rich
Di Stefan
o
Year 11
much
I loved the concert so
and he
me
ca
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dd
because my Da
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ola
oc
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Fre
let me have
.
ert
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co
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er
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William
n
Transitio Green
once.
en el año
y
to
s
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,
ja
s
llamo An spañol y francé
solo
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re
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o
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por una
ra mí, lo
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a
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Una cult
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lt
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su c
nera má
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xp
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espero e
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. Creo qu interconectado
a
c
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.
au
s
á
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Anja Ivko
abre mu
Year 11
Tengo gan
as de ir a E
spaña y
Japón al fi
n del año,
y estoy
agradecid
a por las
oportunida
des que te
ngo
porque he
podido es
tudiar
otras leng
u as .
7
Zelda Wine
stock
Year 11
It h as
b
ex p e r e e n a n i n c
i e n ce
redibly
fo
q u ali t
y o f t h r a l l i n v o l v r ewa r d i n g
ed an
e sho
ex p e c
dt
w
ta
e nt hu t io ns in e v h as su r p as h e
si as m
er y w
sed m
ay
engag
w
y
e d wi i t h w h i ch t . T h e
th the
h e stu
n o su
r p r is e
show
d e nt s
.
is
body
and s Magic hap , however,
p e ns
pir i t w
of
d a n ce
to y
he
.
other Put the two n you sing our
p
o
thing eople doin together, a r
g ex a
d
an d th
ctly th d in 80
e flow
v is ib l e
e s am
o
f
f
o
e
r
ndo
a ll
e
ca m e
to see to see. Any rphins are
the pu
one w
the sh
h
r
o
ever y e joy eman w would t o
es t i f y
at in g
p e r fo
r m er
to
o n t h e f r o m ea ch
and
I GS h
a ll st a
ge.
D eb o
Direct
r
a
h Cun
or an d
ne en
Music
Teach
er
WHAT THE DICKENS –
IT’S OLIVER!
IGS staged its first whole school musical in many years in July. Over 90
Primary and High School students and staff threw themselves into the
classic musical Oliver! in performance, stagehand and orchestral roles.
With impetus from the Director of Student Activities Paul Galea (see
profile on opposite page), direction by the Music Department’s Deborah
Cunneen, musical direction by Sarah Travis and piano accompaniment
by our IT Team Manager Paul Bourke, the great show played with three
sold-our performance nights.
rd here my deep
I wanted to reco
f for their
thanks to all staf
this remarkable
contribution to
ay/West End
inaugural Broadw
of
It was a labour
musical at IGS.
am
te
e
th
as
ear
love; that was cl
d
eeves and cleane
sl
r
ei
th
up
d
rolle
er
ov
s
wa
r the show
up the hall af te
sa
...This show wa
t
gh
ni
on Friday
this
at
ol
ho
sc
r
ou
to
gift to us all and
b
De
or y ... Bravo to
point in our hist
all
d
an
e
thanks to on
and Sarah and
w
Ho
t!
ant debu
for this triumph
me,
ine what may co
ag
im
to
g
excitin
t.
in
po
the star ting
with this one as
Shauna Colnan
Principal
Such an amazing
show – at no
point did it feel,
look, or sound lik
e
a ‘high school pr
oduction’, such a
high level of prof
essionalism!
Audience membe
r
… Followed by
The Little Prince
Drama teacher Julian
Kennard’s adaptation of the
classic French story The Little
Prince by Saint‑Exupéry as an
in-house drama club project in
October was deemed to have
created some of the most
beautiful scenes to grace the
IGS Performance Space stage.
8
STAFF PROFILE
Paul Galea, Director of Student Activities
Paul Galea has taught at IGS for almost 25 years. Jigsaw
caught up with the one affectionately known as Papa Galea …
What is your background in
teaching and learning and how
long have you been with IGS?
I graduated from the University of
Sydney in 1982 with a Bachelor of
Education (Physical Education), then
taught in the State schools system,
mainly at Maroubra Junction High
School for four years. After that I
travelled the world for a few years and
began working at IGS in 1993, mainly
teaching in sport and social sciences.
What is it like being at the helm of
Student Activities? What does your
role involve?
One thing for sure is that my time as
Director of Student Activities is never
boring. There is always something
happening involving kids, staff, parents
and providers. I am responsible for
After Care and Vacation Care, Primary
Clubs, High School Clubs, HICES
Debating, Year 7 and 8 Tuesday Sport,
Drama Companies, Duke of Edinburgh,
Creative Interns and Mock Trial!
Basically, I make sure these all work for
the students. Also, of course, I work
with very talented and dedicated staff
who make all these areas run smoothly.
Are there certain areas of school
life that you are passionate about?
I am passionate about the students
doing the best they can by taking every
opportunity that is open to them. By
doing this they will find themselves
involved, part of the community and
connected to an entity which is much
bigger than just themselves.
Tell Jigsaw a bit about your other
interests.
I have many other interests apart from
IGS! Number 1 is my family – my wife
Aine De Paor and my children Niamh,
Cian and Maeve. I love to travel, usually
for long periods and to the least
glamorous destinations.
According to my wife, I have two
unfortunate obsessions. I am a lifelong
mad Roosters fan and I have a
penchant for Crocs (shoes). After my
wife threatened to get rid of me if I
bought another pair of Crocs, I have
now got that under control … I think!
9
PRIMARY
COLOURS
A-OK with PK Mag
Five Primary students had their
works published in the national
online PK Magazine last term.
Mischa Belunek (Year 6) and
Year 4’s Madison Travis, Noah
Cooper, Eve Ractliffe-Moss and
Lulu Talbot were thrilled to see their
works in print and on screen.
Off the shelf
The Primary School and Library
has seen a steady flow of
outstanding achievements in
writing and reading.
Year 3’s Jemima Woodman won a
coveted Gold award in the State-wide
Write On competition for her poem,
So Now We Can Be In The Sky
(Excerpt)
Jemima.
Maximilian Foley (Year 6) won
the Prime Minister's Medal for his
storybook written for NAIDOC Week.
A copy of the story called Kuparr’s
Adventure to Uluru is now in the library.
“Of course”, we said, “You can come
along and join us on our trip.
Do you know that we actually launched
this thing off a very high cliff?
We will land on the sand to pick you up.
And you can have the fun of being
lifted up”.
From the poem by
Jemima Woodman, Year 3 Gold
Max.
Independent
Research Topics
Year 6 created an amazing array
of Independent Research Topics
(IRTs) this semester – from gowns
and dresses to a miniature
soccer stadium.
10
Green Rooms
Year 4 have been busy turning green dreams into reality as they
designed and created models for their Dream Green Homes. Excursions
to the Powerhouse Museum, the home of well-known sustainability
expert Michael Mobbs and a guest talk by UTS’s Head of Architecture
Anthony Burke helped inspire the budding young environmentalists.
At Michael Mobbs’ home
in Chippendale
y
den has man
His urban gar
s
ee
b
s
stingles
edible plants,
s
ha
so
. He al
and chickens
t
unity compos
m
m
co
d
star te
s
ed
le flowerb
bins and edib
surrounding
d
an
along his
streets.
Matilda Tait
Some of the high
lights were how
he collects all hi
s rainwater and
does not use wa
ter from the city
mains, and his
‘Elan’ battery to
store his solar
power. He told
us
how you could
retrofit an existin
g
home to use less
energy and
other resources
.
Elyse Burke
… and the
community garden
Transition got in on the act too, taking
an excursion to Ultimo Community
Gardens to learn more about plant
cycles and growing healthy food.
Meanwhile, Primary student
representatives headed down
to nearby Wentworth Park to
plant a special tree for the
City of Sydney’s project.
“We were delighted to be involved
and think it is a great initiative as our
urban environment can always be
greener. Our new school tree in
Wentworth Park has reminded the
students about the importance of trees
and how it is up to us to protect and
take care of our environment,” Year 4
teacher Michelle Sullivan said.
11
In the spir
it of sustain
ability, this
edition of
Jigsaw wil
l enjoy a
reduced p
rint run an
d the next
edition wil
l go 10 0%
digital!
ON SCREEN
Year 5’s Coco Gillies starred in this
year’s October holidays hit film,
Oddball. We asked Coco about the
experience.
How was it working alongside Shane
Jacobson and Sarah Snook?
Several scenes of ABC3’s hit series Ready for This were filmed during
the year at IGS and also featured over 30 of our students as extras! We
are very proud too of our alumna Madeleine Madden (Class of 2014) who
stars in the series as Zoe. She has just been nominated for a TV Logie in
the Best New Talent category and the show for an AACTA for 2016.
CG: Shane was amazing to work with
because he is SUPER funny and is fun
when you’re on set. And Sarah was great
to work with too because she was really
nice and gave lots of good acting tips!
What was the best thing about making
the film?
CG: Working with the animals and with all
the amazing cast and crew who make the
film become a reality!
Did it take very long to make the film?
CG: It took 10 weeks. I took all of Term 3,
2014 off and moved to Melbourne.
Maddy Madden
ON AIR
The 7th series of It’s Academic
featuring our Year 5/6 team (2014)
will finally screen from 15 January
2016 on Channel 7TWO!
IGS senior students took to the
radio airwaves three times
towards the end of semester.
First, live on ABC 702’s James
Valentine’s on-air debate on
‘lowering the voting age to 16’,
then on Triple J’s mini panel on
the same topic, and finally,
Year 12 on the day of their last
HSC exam, interviewed for
an upcoming stint on
Triple J’s The Hack.
12
14.
in HSC Drama 20
Naysan scoops short film awards
Year 12’s Naysan Baghai has just won the prestigious best short film and
scholarship award at the Robin Anderson awards. His film, What are You
looking At? also won in the Junior category at the Calgary International
Film Festival and has been selected for the HSC Showcase On Screen.
Tell us a bit about What are you
looking at?
N: What Are You Looking at? follows
Xavier, an aurally sensitive food court
cleaner who cleans tables until a
judgemental encounter ends with the
tables being turned. The film evolved
from two distinct ideas: 1) what is it like
to be judged based on your profession
or appearance, and are we all guilty of
making stereotypical judgements of
others? 2) How do musicians and/or
sensory-acute individuals experience
the world?
The actual process of principal
photography and production is a
whole story in its own right, and one
that can’t be confined in a short
response. The total time it took to make
the film (writing, shooting, editing,
distribution) was just under nine
months. Although the process was
extremely stressful at times, it probably
led to a much better result, as each
time I had a chance to refine my ideas
and learn from my mistakes.
How did being at IGS influence
your interest and aptitude in film
making?
What was it like being at the
Calgary International Film Festival
(Canada)?
N: There are four individuals at IGS who
really fostered my interest in filmmaking:
Mrs Weir, Ms Morabito, Mr Galea and
Mr Kennard.
N: Initially, I was really apprehensive
about travelling all the way to Canada
a week before my HSC exams.
However, having my short film open
the feature films and seeing it screen
on an IMAX screen, at the Youth by
Youth Cinema awards, then winning
the best senior film was the most
unexpected delight of all!
When I was in Year 6, I had only begun
experimenting with video cameras, and
Mrs Weir encouraged me to shoot all
the sports carnivals, as well as to
produce a film for my IRT. At the same
time, Ms Morabito encouraged me to
go to the Robin Anderson Film Awards,
where I started to see the potential of
filmmaking as a career.
Mr Galea, on the other hand, showed
me how films, ranging from Apocalypse
Now to Dances With Wolves, can
educate us about historical topics,
further catalysing my interest in cinema
and leading to many homages in my
films. Mr Kennard, who was my Film
Studies teacher and HSC Drama
teacher, opened my eyes to many
important filmmaking tips and
techniques that I keep with me to this
day, and together with Ms Morabito,
really supported me throughout the
conception and production of this film.
13
How did it feel to win all those the
awards at the Robin Anderson
Film Awards?
N: I was delighted to win Best Senior
Fiction, but then was in utter disbelief
to hear my name called three more
times, especially for the two grand
prizes. I genuinely did not expect it as
the other films were so good, and
I think I was in a state of shock as
I received the prizes! It was an
incredibly humbling experience, and
I will remember that night for the rest
of my life.
What next for you (next year)?
N: I recently found out that I have been
accepted into AFTRS (Australian Film
Television Radio School), for the
Bachelor of Arts (Screen) program.
I am so excited to be able to study
there as it is one of the top film schools
in the world and the facilities are
amazing. I also hope to find part-time
work in the film industry, and continue
to make as many films as I can.
MEET THE
LEADERSHIP TEAM
As we launch our exciting new Strategic Plan: Into the World from 2016, we have made some key changes to
the titles and roles of some of our Leadership Team members in order to enhance our school teaching and
learning offerings in the years to come. Meet the team and hear from them about what lies ahead…
BEd (Early Childhood)
In Early Learning in 2016 we are excited to be exploring a change
in our practice through technology as we embark on a journey
from paper to screen with the introduction of Storypark, a means
of sharing our learning and keeping in touch with our families.
❝
Head of Research and Innovative Learning
❝
Jacqueline Baker
BSc (AppMath), DipEd, MEd, MACEL
The strategic aspirations open up a whole new
horizon for student and staff learning, research and
innovation – an authentic community of learners! 14
❝
Deputy Principal –
Staff and Innovation
David Hamper
BA, DipEd, MLMEd, MACE, MACEL
❝
Suzanna Gray
❝
❝
Director of Early Learning (Acting)
2016 and beyond will see us
implementing our limitless
learning agenda to create
an even more dynamic
learning environment at IGS.
Colin Bird
Principal
BEd, GradDipEdAdmin, DipTeach, MEd
Shauna Colnan
❝
Limitless learning,
empowered students,
sustainable future –
bring it on!
BA, DipEd, MA, MBA, MACEL, AIMM
❝
Innovation and a spring in our
step will be the story of 2016
as we begin to implement the
new strategic plan!
❝
Head of High School
❝
Head of Commercial Services
❝
Dharma Murugiah
BEc, LLB, ACA
2015 has been the busiest year we
have ever had and 2016 will be busier. ❝
Deputy Principal –
Students and Campus Life
Mary Duma
BA, DipEd, MEd, MACE
Students need to feel safe and
happy to question, grow and
learn. School campus life needs
to remain vibrant, ambitious and
exciting in order to accommodate
individual growth and pursuits.
❝
15
Anthony Dennehy
BA (GeoEd), DipTeach
❝
❝
❝
Head of Junior School
We are very excited about
how we can continue to shape
the future for our students,
but even more so for how
they will then shape ours.
Another Oliver’s
story …
Year 12’s Oliver Howden reflects
on his co-curricular club
experience.
When I started practising Seido
Karate, back in Year 4, I had the
impression that it would be all fighting
and punching through wooden
boards. Since I started learning basic
techniques on a Tuesday afternoon in
the school hall with Kyoshi Ali, seven
years ago, I’ve come to realise the
karate is lot more than violence. In my
journey from being a skinny white belt
to being a skinny black belt I have
learnt that Seido is as much about
meditation and the philosophy of
karate and its uses as it is about
application of techniques.
After I became too old to continue
training at IGS, I started training at the
Abercrombie Street Dojo with
Seishihan Ino. This new learning
environment would have been
daunting but I was surrounded by the
friends I had made studying Seido at
IGS and the students of the Dojo were
incredibly friendly and welcoming
even when I was so much younger
than most of them.
CO-CURRICULAR
NEWS
Out front with
co‑curricular
Our Debating and Mock Trial teams
have had a super run this Semester.
The Mock Trial team reached the finals
rounds under the guidance of
Jonathan White and former parent and
lawyer David Hirsch. The team
comprised Maxim Adams, Charlie
Goodsir, Samuel Garrett, Louise
Woodward, Ruby Olsson, Jamie Heath,
Patrick Flood and Martin Gossow.
The 7/8 Debating team made it right
through to the HICES Grand Final at
the Powerhouse Museum. After a
stellar performance the 7/8 team was
overtaken, however the team
comprising Leo, Ben B, Jayesh and
Ashleigh represented IGS admirably.
Leo and Ben received awards for being
among the best debaters in the finals in
the 7/8 division. Belle Campbell
received an award for being among the
best in the 9/10 division finals and
Maxim Adams was awarded equal best
debater in the 11/12 division finals.
HICES Debating has 37 competing
schools and 190 teams from
all over NSW so these results
are fantastic.
Recently grading to black belt has
made the Dojo feel even more like
home with new responsibilities such as
teaching and setting an example for
the new students being passed to me.
Through the years I have gained
knowledge, wisdom and made new
friends, which without Seido I would
most likely never have met. All of which
can be traced back to the first classes
I did after school in the IGS school hall.
Oliver!
Oliver Howden
16
The ide
a
Musica of staging O
liv
l at IGS
s t a r te d
this se er! the
m e s te r
with M
r Galea
musica
’s
l(
the role and oppor tu love for the
nity to
himself
play
younge
wh e n h
r
phenom lad). This cro e was a
ss
e
1,0 0 0 m non played in ‑ curricular
emb er
s of the July to over
(See m
ore on
co m m u
page 8
nity!
)
STEAM
DREAMS
Several more projects took place this semester under the energy of
STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics)
Primordial Hum
In a project that melded the talents of our STEAM Innovator and the
Music Department, Primordial Hum “happened” in the KMB.3 space
in October.
The school community was invited to
immerse themselves in a rich aural and
visual experience grown from a
significant collaboration between
Year 8 Music, Year 9 and 10 Visual Arts
and a variety of interested technologists
including Margery Smith, IGS
Composer-in-residence.
Their creations were interpretations of
tribal body adornment with significant
cultural reference to the New Guinea
Asaro Mudmen. The “happening” was
the inaugural exhibition of technology
driven access to content because the
soundscapes were only able to be
heard via Augmented Reality using a
smart device.
The team sourced all materials for our
plinths from repurposed stock or
recycled materials and the sustainability
aspect of the collaboration added to
the special nature of the experience.
A bank of iPads was provided for the
guests, however, many participants
came “app ready” and simply immersed
themselves from their point of entry.
Well done to the STEAM team including
Alison Housley, Nikolas Glass, Michele
Ellis, Deb Cunneen, Sophie Lampert,
Melissa Silk and all members of the
IGS Facilities team with a special
contribution from Michael Bullingham,
who worked tirelessly to construct the
plinths for the happening.
17
Student team rIGS
up our first robot!!!
IGS’s first robot is being
constructed right now, as we go
to print!
The 35-strong rIGS student team of
budding engineers, marketeers and
coders are practising assembling
their robot ready for the Macquarie
University-based FIRST competition
at Homebush in February 2016. IGS
Science teacher Claire Loh instigated
the project and other staff as well as
the University of Sydney’s seasoned
team, the Drop Bears, are helping
mentor the team.
Go to the rIGS Facebook site
facebook.com/roboticsIGS
for updates.
Photo
Plants vs Zombies
And in this STEAM-y project we
also have coding meets design
meets marketing
Year 7’s Max Meyer and Maya Braun
won first place in November in the
national Year 7-8 category of the
Young ICT Explorers competition.
They called their project Plants vs
Zombies because as Maya said,
”Mum is not good at watering plants,
she always forgets to. Our project is a
computer powered plant watering
system and uses a mini computer
that is programmed with the Ardunio
development program. The minicomputer then reads multiple sensors
and accesses the weather forecast
form the internet via WiFi and controls
a little water pump. Plants vs Zombies
uses four different sensors; a moisture
sensor, a rain/water sensor, a light
sensor and a temperature sensor.
“With Plants vs Zombies we hope to
achieve to make the plant survive by
automatically watering a plant
depending on the soil moisture and
the weather forecast”.
Maya and Max also featured in a
coding special in the Weekend
Australian in October.
© Ge
off Fri
end.
How to make a numerical quilt
Maths teacher Tan Nguyen knows his numbers – and is also great with
design. Meet Tan and his quilts of many colours ...
How long have you taught
mathematics at IGS?
How long does it take to make
a quilt?
These numbers (182, 195 and 273)
have something in common. If you can
find the answer, then that is the number
of years I have worked at IGS.
Between two to 12 weeks.
When did you first start quilting
and how many quilts have you
made to date?
In 2013 and 21.
Did your mathematics background
inspire you and if so how?
Yes, very much. I have always
appreciated the scientific precision of
Mathematics and I enjoy demonstrating
how it applies to so many aspects of
everyday life.
What is your favourite part of
the process?
I like the challenge of producing a
functional object that requires planning,
designing and the critical accuracy of
joining of different geometric shapes.
Where do all the quilts go and
what next?
I’ve given some to friends. I hope to
encourage our students to appreciate
how mathematics can have a wide
variety of career opportunities and
applications in everyday life.
Award for STEAM Innovator
International Grammar School’s STEAM
Innovator Melissa Silk has been
awarded the NSW Premier’s
Teachers Mutual Bank New and
Emerging Technologies
Scholarship to further explore her
innovation in design and technology
teaching in the US.
Melissa’s scholarship project, titled
Sydney STEAM Wonder, will take her to
best-practice sites and centres of
learning on both the West and East
coasts of the US.
See more staff news in IGS’s
new online magazine – iNK.
(details page 33)
18
Mel Silk (centre) pictured with Michele Bruniges,
Secretary of the NSW Department of Education and the
NSW Minister for Education, The Hon. Adrian Piccoli.
LANGUAGES AND
EXCHANGE NEWS
Chinese language on offer for
Early Learning from 2017
Languages, bilingualism, intercultural capacity and diversity are
key words in the IGS vocabulary.
Let’s do lunch
Earlier this Semester, the exchange
students from Guangzhou enjoyed
a special lunch and show with their
IGS hosts.
With these concepts in mind, the
Languages Department is excited that
the School will offer Chinese from 2017
as one of its core languages, alongside
French, German, Italian and Japanese,
from Early Learning. We see this as an
extremely positive step which will
strengthen IGS as a leader in
languages teaching and learning. It will
also further align IGS with important
objectives for Australian students
outlined in the new Australian
Curriculum and in the Australia in the
Asian Century White Paper which
was released a few years ago.
Rosalba Genua-Petrovic
Director of Languages
Exchange with Tokyo
school in real time
via Skype
Meeting of the
ages – in Italian
The Year 6 Italian students
resumed IGS’s tradition of
visiting Scalabrini Aged Care
Village in Leichhardt to perform
some songs and chat in the
residents’ home language.
A great day was had by all.
Bravo!
Year 6’s Japanese Language class
has been interacting weekly with the
Maebashi Azuma Primary School in
Gunma, Tokyo, via Skype.
The Tokyo school’s class of 33 students of
a similar age to our Year 6 liaised with IGS
about everything from showing traditional
games to asking lots of questions.
“Students have been really enjoying it,”
teacher Ayako Shiragaki said and
because the exchange was arranged
through the Consulate General of Japan,
they have shown a very strong interest.
Year 11’s Max
im Adams
topped the S
tate in 2015’s
HSC in both
Italian Conti
nuers
and Ukrainian
Continuers.
19
Turkey-Greece
History tour includes
ANZAC Cove visit
Twenty senior students were
accompanied by teachers David
Miller, Ksenija Doic and Stuart
Daly on a History Tour to Turkey
and Greece in July.
'Chez nous ...et en Nouvelle Calédonie'
From witness
ing the most
recent
referendum
in the world’s
oldest
democracy,
to visiting th
e Gallipoli
bat tlefields,
to swimming
in the waters
of Santorini
and
ancient ruins, exploring countless
we had a thor
oughly
packed three
weeks travel
ling across
Greece and
Turkey with
our exper t
guides and te
achers, mak
ing it a very
special trip th
at none of us
will forget.
Elena Hebde
n
Year 10
After hosting many students from New Caledonia in Term 3,
20 students from upper Primary and Years 7 and 8 were accompanied
by Principal Ms Shauna Colnan and four IGS teachers on a French
language and cultural exchange to Noumea during the holidays.
The experience brought our friends across the seas closer ...
Overall, th
is was a gre
at
experience
which allo
we d
students to
experience
a full
immersion
with Frenc
h speaking
families. T
hey impro
ved their
overall con
fidence by
interacting
in French.
They also
experience
what a typ
d
ical day wa
s like in th
French sch
e
ooling sys
tem, drawin
compariso
g
ns with the
ir own
school life
.
Em m a n u e l
with my
Visiting Greece connected me
re my
whe
was
a
mat
Kala
ts.
family roo
ted
visi
we
and
up
w
gre
ther
ndfa
gra
my
of
one
the Diros Caves which was
y
Sixt
es.
plac
e
urit
grandfather ’s favo
uty
bea
its
ed
ienc
per
I ex
r,
years late
and mystique.
Christian Blanda
Year 11
Teacher
Chaveroux
erent culture means students
Living with a family from a diff
erent daily routine,
have to open their minds to a diff
ways of communicating
nt
different food habits and differe
ld see their confidence
cou
e
…w
job!
… and they did a great
ry day. That’s such a
in their language increase eve
a languages teacher!
delight ful thing to observe as
Mme Juliette Bates
20
continued next page
allés
o m m es
s
s
u
o
n
t jeudi,
r cr e d i
Lundi e à l’école. Me
:
e
s
s école
en clas
n’y a pa
il
i,
id
m
a p r ès - e r !
p
i appris
c’est su
onie, j’a “j’ai
d
lé
a
C
mme
velle
En Nou is pratique co nough to
e
ça
du fran ngé” (I’ve had ne
a
n
o
m
b
z
s
e
s
è
as
une tr
it
a
t
’é
eat). C
ab i
nce.
va et G
experie
Ruby, A
21
GOOD
SPORTS
Some great winter sports results this Semester with:
IGS joined the Westpac team
for the City2Surf ….
Gabriel Wahl becoming State
Champion in the 16 years pole vault.
At the State and Regional levels,
Anthony Vlatko, 3rd in the 14 boys 800m
and 2nd in 1500m; Stephanie Potter:
3rd in 14 years 200m hurdles and Elise
Brennan, 3rd in 14 years 3,000m walk
(competed up an age group).
In the NSW Primary Schools
competition Kaidyn Wright and Isabel
Whitaker (CIS Team Captain) made
the Touch Football team and
Mischa Belunek (Year 6) the Long
Jump at State level and running at
Regional level.
Chloe Katerdjian (Year 7) qualified for
Nationals in Tennis (under 12s) in
Melbourne late in the Semester in
December; Tom Bolton (Year 11) made
the NSW cycling team to compete in
NZ; and Laura Whitehead (Year 12) and
Charlotte Howden (Year 9) won gold
medals in snowboarding.
And, meanwhile, in the summer,
the little ones enjoyed a splash
at the K-1 Swimming Carnival.
(Photos © Allison Lee)
22
I t wa
s
i G a d h a r d to g
g et s ,
o wi t
h
b
the e
xperi ut I woul out my
d n’ t s
e n ce
fo r t h
w
e wo a p
r ld.
R u by
B roo
kes
INDIGENOUS
JOURNEY
Journey to greater cultural understanding
The second Red Earth ‘IGS Indigenous
Connections’ tour left for Uluru and the
APY Lands beyond, under the
guidance of Head of Wellbeing (High
School) Lucy Howard- Shibuya and
HSIE teacher Luke Naivasha and the
Red Earth Tour operators.
Seventeen Year 9 students travelled to
the APY Lands in the remotest region of
South Australia via Central Australia.
Special visitors to
Koori Club
Indigenous Scholarship Program
ambassadors Professor Larissa
Behrendt (UTS) and ABC Radio
presenter Richard Glover spent a
wonderful morning tea with the
Koori Club in August. Another
special guest, former principal
Kerrie Murphy, visited the
students in November.
Red Earth Tours specialise in hands-on
assistance to the Indigenous
communities and immersion into the
culture of our Indigenous Australians,
the longest continuous living civilisation
in the world.
The IGS group had a life-changing
experience as the students’ words
(above and below) bear testament.
Unforgettable, the most
amazing 10 days ever.
Hugo Johannsen
After doing cultural activities for
a day
we got stuck into making a fenc
e to keep
cattle and wild animals out of
their living
space. We managed to complet
e the
fence and we were glad to help
out our
hosts after they treated us so
kindly.
After a very emotional leave from
the
community we got to drive to Alic
e
Springs and go camel riding. We
then
continued our drive back to Yula
ra and
saw many amazing sights on the
way.
Molly McGrath and Davis Evans
23
… And an outing to
Bangarra
Years 3-6 enjoyed a matinee
performance of Ochres by
Bangarra Dance Theatre and
met one of the principal dancers
Beau in December.
HagART
We drew art and collected gold
coins for Hagar, the international
humanitarian organisation that
looks after women and children
caught up in slavery or human
trafficking.
GOOD
CAUSES
The whole school threw themselves into fundraising activities for an array
of good causes this semester with many thousands of dollars raised.
Reaching out
The Reach Out disco which raised
funds for Reach Out, a mental
health organisation for young
people, was a resounding
success.
Valerio’s Garden
Valerio De Simoni (Class of 2004)
was tragically killed in 2011 in
Malawi on an Oxfam Quad bike
charity ride and his mother
Vittoria and friends have kept his
memory and dreams alive
through the Valerio De Simoni
Association. To help out, IGS ran
a gold coin day and Year 12 a
cake stall to raise funds for a
source of clean drinking water at
Gamba School in Malawi.
CanTEEN
A Bandanna Day and car wash
day for CanTEEN, the support
group for young cancer patients
and their families, involved the
wider community too.
24
HSC
SHOWCASES
IGS showcased the beautiful
work of our HSC students in
Drama, Music, Visual Arts,
Design and Technology and
English this semester.
Congratulations to those HSC
candidates who were also
nominated and selected for the
State major works showcases:
ARTEXPRESS
Selected:
❙❙ Matilda Tomasetti for The Anatomy
of Technology
❙❙ Vincent Labancz for Gallery of
Saints
❙❙ Catia Single for Birds and Beads
Nominated:
❙❙ Emma Le for ong ngoai
(Grandather)
❙❙ Maira Wilkie for Silent Perspectives
OnSTAGE-OnSCREEN
Selected:
❙❙ Naysan Baghai for What are you
looking at? (Year 12 Drama
Individual Project)
❙❙ Dara Ruggeri for Costume Design
for Les Liaisons Dangereuses
(Drama Individual Project)
ENCORE
Nominated:
❙❙ Naysan Baghai for Music
25
LAST DAYS
OF YEAR 12
O ur m en
tors also
deserve
special m
a
en
our teach tion, you’re not o
nly
ers but o
ur
Having a
mentor h friends.
as b e e n s
huge weig
u ch
ht off our
shoulders a
even if w
e don’t a
,
lways ha
regular m
ve
eetings,
n
o studen
can say n
t
o to a fre
e cu p o f
coffee, o
tea or
r even a fr
ee lunch.
[And] for
our real p
arents, y
se en us a
ou’ve
t o u r b es
t, and pu
with us a
t up
t our wors
t, yet you
still here
’r
, beamin
g at us all e
proud th
, so
at we actu
ally made
it.
R u by L e a
royd
d a great
n) We ha
e
rt
a
rg
e
zoo with
(To Kind
round the ery
a
g
in
lk
a
time, w
... It is v
Tuesday
ool.
you all on w we learn at sch
o
h
chieve
similar to
u could a
o
y
t
at
a
h
w
everyday
Imagine
a t m u ch
e
th
v
g
a
h
in
),
rn
7
f 202
by lea
e class o
f
h
o
(t
e
u
g
o
ta
Y
n
.
IGS
adva
gs
rs to take
many yea
derful thin
n
o
w
e
th
ll
a
d
this an
ch you.
l is
ol will tea
a r S ch o o
this scho
al Gramm
n
ve
o
a
ti
h
a
e
rn
w
Inte
ol that
o
h
c
s
a
g
b
in
gh to e
an am a z
ate enou
n
u
rt
fo
n
all bee
p er
part of.
Oscar Dra
I will always
look back on
my time
at IGS with fo
ndness and
always
remember th
e amazing p
eople
with which I
have gone on
this
journey. Wal
king past thos
e
magenta wal
ls for the last
time as
a student was
sad, but I kn
ow, as
written by A
. A . Milne, “h
ow lucky
I am, to have
something th
at
makes saying
goodbye so
hard.”
Laura Whitehe
ad
26
'So long, farewell' – Principal Shauna Colnan choreographs
66 Kindergarten children to perform a special farewell to Year 12.
When I sat do
wn to write m
y [farewell] sp
I looked around
eech,
my bedroom in
lacklustre at te
a somewhat
mpt to gain in
spiration. Wel
ye shall find. Fo
l seek and
r there, atop m
y bookshelf w
The brown, br
as a hat.
oad-brimmed
hat with which
travelled on tw
I have
o unforget tabl
e IGS voyages
Greece/Italy H
– the
istory Tour an
d Red Earth. At
of this singular
the sight
ly ordinary piec
e of headwear
mind was fille
d with wonde
my
rful and unique
memories – su
school
nsets over the
Aegean, gnoc
Sorrentina, be
chi alla
ing dragged ar
ound the outb
small but deci
ack by
dedly strong A
boriginal child
ren.
Thank you IG
S for a truly be
au
tif
behalf of Year
ul six years, an
12, farewell.
d, on
Luke Christoph
er West
27
Community News
InGeniouS was an exhibition
curated by former IGS Art
Teacher Mel Hodges. The
exhibition was held in October at
Central Park Mall and featured
artworks by several IGS Alumni
artists including: Nowhere
Famous, Ears (aka Daniel
O’Toole), Hugo Muecke, Milly
Cobb, Pops Bagnall, Luciana
Smith, Ryan Hancock, Genius1,
Rebekah Delaney, Chester
Buchanan, Oscar Nimmo, Holly
Greenwood, Harley Alexander,
Anouk Berney, Penelope
Tsoutas, Ella Cutler, Brigitta
Summers, Adrienne Lim, Bronte
Leighton-Dore, Anzu Kawano,
Ally Joseph and Cay Barnum.
There were also performances
on Opening Night by Georgia
Godworth and Mia Morrissey!
COMMUNITY
NEWS
Welcome
Welcome to this edition of Jigsaw.
I hope you will enjoy reading stories from
our Alumni as well as from past Principal
Dr David Wright. You can also learn
more about our Mentoring Program
and inaugural offsite Graduation Dinner
at which alumnus Joe Glover was a
special guest speaker.
Please feel free to get in touch if you
would like to tell your story:
juliag@igssyd.nsw.edu.au
Julia Glass
Director of Community Relations
IGS Class of 2003
Equipping our students to be world ready –
Mentoring Program launches!
In Term 4 of 2015 we ran three
mentoring sessions for IGS Year 11
students. Participating mentors worked
in fields as diverse as computer
science, cancer research, animated
films and psychiatry. We hope the
experience was a great one for all of the
students and mentors who took part.
We look forward to continuing to
grow the program in 2016. If you
are interested in participating as a
mentor, please contact Julia Glass:
juliag@igssyd.nsw.edu.au or
9219 6778
28
Photos: Jon Kilborn (above with
IGS Year 11 students) is a Senior
Financial Advisor and Lester
Fernandez (below with IGS Year 11
students) is a Criminal Lawyer.
Both are proud IGS dads!
Class of 2009
Jigsaw: When did you start at IGS and
which year did you graduate or leave
the School?
Chloé Génion: I started at IGS in
Year 7 (2004) and graduated in 2009.
J: What’s a clear memory you hold
from your school days at IGS?
CG: Performing an acoustic cover of
Kyo’s La Dernière Danse with Egor
Serov (Class of ’10) in front of the whole
school for Mme Naomi Bulliard’s
farewell would be a standout moment.
Turns out she had Kyo’s CD with that
song on it at home and she gave it to
me before she left: I still have it!
J: Who was your biggest role model or
mentor whilst you were at IGS and what
did they teach you about life?
CG: Mr Dennehy probably had the
strongest impact. I came to IGS being
pretty unaware of my potential and I
feel like Mr Dennehy maybe saw some
of that in me and helped me realise it.
I’m not sure how to phrase it exactly.
Honestly though, I remember each and
every one of my teachers so it’s difficult
to pick just one… Mrs Housley,
Mrs Ellis, and Ms Souroullas (she’s
since changed her name, I heard?) are
candidates for that spot too!
J: What advice would you give to your
teenage self sitting the HSC if you had
the wisdom you do now?
CG: Aim to give future-you as many
options as possible. By that I mean,
even if you’re determined to run off with
the circus ASAP, aim to do well in the
HSC so that you have more avenues
available to you later. Having said that,
a week into uni no one will ever care
about your ATAR again, and if they do
then you probably don’t want to be
friends with them anyway.
J: What did you pursue after school?
Are you still working in the same field in
which you studied or worked right after
school, or have you changed direction?
CG: I had absolutely no idea what
I wanted to do after high school. In
retrospect, it was a pretty arrogant
assumption, but I’d always thought I’d
just go to Sydney Uni and keep
learning things until I’d made up my
mind. Thankfully, that’s exactly
what happened.
I started off doing a Bachelor of Liberal
Arts and Science, double majoring in
psychology and music, however at the
end of my second year I realised that
only studying two subjects was boring
me. I had a look at other degrees out
there and decided to give primary
education a go because it meant
studying around 13 subjects overall.
Four years later, I’m in my final week of
internship in a Kindy class and I’m
loving every moment. I completely
lucked out!
J: Do you still have IGS friends?
CG: Doesn’t everyone who went to
IGS?! I’m yet to know of someone who
finished year 12 and didn’t keep at least
one friend around… But yes, some of
my closest friends are still: Bianca
Pecotich (currently on exchange in
Bologna as part of her nursing degree),
Tayla Dumbrell (completed a Masters in
Physiotherapy), Jordan McDonald
(working at a global artist management
music company), Paros Huckstepp
(working as an architect/designer for a
Sydney firm) and Massimo Raso
(completed a Bachelor of
Neuroscience) – all class of ’09.
So, take it seriously, challenge yourself,
but don’t let it ruin your life.
29
J: What’s your favourite quote
about education?
Community News
Chloé Génion
arkable
truly rem ts, the
a
is
S
IG
den
The stu
and
school.
e events an
th
,
s
r
e
h
teac
ade it
nities m of my life.
oppor tu
rt
a
p
eable
irreplac !
ou
T hank y
CG: “Fair but unequal”. No idea
where I heard this but it’s essentially
my approach to teaching: that
because everyone is different, for
everyone to be treated fairly means
that sometimes people and situations
will be treated accordingly. People
can require different approaches,
different experiences, different
opportunities to get to the same end
point and education should meet
these needs: it’s not a one-size-fitsall approach.
J: Where’s your favourite place to go
in Sydney to relax?
CG: It’s pretty uninspiring, but that
would have to be my apartment. I’m
in a ‘middle distance’ relationship and
have spent a lot of time over the past
few years travelling between Sydney
and Newcastle so my idea of relaxing
is not having to go anywhere!
J: And your favourite café or
restaurant to visit near IGS?
CG: Either Cow and the Moon Gelato
on Enmore Rd or Italian Bowl on
King St.
J: Do you have any other thoughts
or comments?
CG: IGS is a truly remarkable school.
The students, the teachers, the
events and opportunities made it an
irreplaceable part of my life.
Thank you!
Community News
Journalism at UTS. Currently, I have just
finished my degree and have been
working and interning in and out of
different media agencies including the
SBS, and UNICEF. I have also just
started reporting on the A-league
(soccer) online.
George Vlotis
Class of 2010
Jigsaw: When did you start at IGS
and which year did you graduate or
leave the School?
George Vlotis: I started at IGS in
1997 (I think), and I graduated in 2010.
J: What’s a clear memory you hold
from your school days at IGS?
GV: So many memories, but perhaps
the best ones were to do with the
student teacher relationships. Playing
Friday afternoon soccer against the
teachers or just being able to joke
around and have a great time with them
at lunch made my colleagues and me
really respect and appreciate them as
people outside of the classroom
environment. They didn’t just show up
to teach, we could see how good a
people they were – how much they
genuinely cared. And consequently
we wanted to perform well for them,
as well as ourselves, academically.
J: Who was your biggest role model
or mentor whilst you were at IGS and
what did they teach you about life?
GV: I don’t think I could single out one
role model or mentor at IGS, the
teaching staff is [awash with] them and
if I were to name people the list would
go on. However what they instilled in
me was a love for learning. And taught
me the value of education. They’re a
very encouraging staff and always seek
to build you up.
J: Do you still have IGS friends?
J: What advice would you give to your
teenage self sitting the HSC if you had
the wisdom you do now?
GV: “It is the mark of an educated
mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it” – Aristotle
GV: I was pretty relaxed going through
the HSC so I don’t think I’d be able to
say much else to my Year 12 self but
maybe perhaps that your final mark is
really not a dictator of your life once you
leave school. I think Year 12 students
often think it’s the be all and end all, but
really once you get out into the world
whether it be university, the workforce
or whatever you choose to do, no one
really cares about how you did in
the HSC.
J: Where’s your favourite place to go in
Sydney to relax?
J: What did you pursue after school?
Are you still working in the same field in
which you studied or worked right after
school, or have you changed direction?
GV: Initially I studied architecture at the
University of New south Wales.
However after two years I decided It
wasn’t for me and transferred into
Mr and Mrs Martin and Eugenia
Biggs, long-time supporters and
friends of our school, came to
visit earlier in the year on their
67th wedding anniversary! We
gave them an IGS bear to take
home as a small token of
appreciation for their kind
support of IGS.
In a great show
of their
confidence and
belief in the
values and
teachings of the
School, just look
how many of our
staff send their
own kids to IGS!
30
GV: Almost exclusively – all my friends
are still from IGS. Five years out of
school and my year’s cohort are still
very tightknit. It’s something I’m so
grateful for and really cherish.
J: What’s your favourite quote about
education?
GV: Really, just hanging out with IGS
mates around the inner west with
a beer.
J: And your favourite café or restaurant
to visit near IGS?
GV: I used to walk up to the Cantonese
and Szechuan hotpot places up on
Parramatta Road near the bus stop,
they were always my favourite.
J: Do you have any other thoughts or
comments?
GV: Just that IGS was a unique school,
and I hope it doesn’t change or
become institutionalised like so many
other private schools out there. I have
confidence that it won’t.
Community News
Dr David Wright
IGS Principal from 1994 to 2000
In my career I have, besides English,
learned five languages. All, sadly, were
learned academically. I can read them.
I cannot fluently speak them. IGS,
admirably, has a different emphasis.
Importantly, one learns to ‘speak’ other
languages. There is often a further, a
hidden, purpose in the linguistic end it
champions. Its aim is to indicate what
all languages, in their best moments,
should be attempting to convey. Words
alone are insufficient. If we have not
learned the eloquence of silence; if we
have not, as Olive Schreiner used to
say, learned to listen to the stones
speaking, have been unaware of the
role of tone, cadence, rhythm, rhyme in
speaking; we have not really
understood the full capacity of
language to communicate meanings.
As my splendid Chishona teacher used
to say, if you haven’t an ear for the
inherent musicality of the language, you
can neither speak nor properly
understand it.
It is not what you might have,
but what you are, that counts.
I have often been intrigued by the way
Virginia Woolf tried to pin language
down firmly. She was regularly
exasperated by her failure to find the
words that would adequately
encompass the meanings she had in
mind. She rued the way words, ‘broke
up the thought and dismembered it …
fluttered sideways and struck the
object inches too low.’ ‘Words and
words and words...– how they lash their
long manes and tails, but for some fault
in me I cannot give myself to their
backs; I cannot fly with them, scattering
women and string bags.’ Perhaps she
had never pondered sufficiently
carefully how the imprecise character of
words, their shadowy and evasive
quality, had in fact made her the
splendid writer that she was. Had she
been able to lay hold of words of
unequivocal meaning, much of her
imaginative capacity, her literary talent,
would be likely to have been stifled.
One of my daughters emailed me
recently. She extolled, in her email, the
marvels of Google. Her two sons now
rely on it. It answers all their questions. It
has replaced, she said, what teachers
used to do. I needed gently to correct
her. Teachers fail in their primary role if
they see themselves only as sources of
supposedly correct information.
Genuine teachers know that you can
never know unambiguously. As
Socrates made the point, you are
educated when you know that you
know nothing. Good teachers throw
back questions at those who pose
them. They participate in seeking fuller,
but necessarily obscure, explanations.
As Socrates made the point,
you are educated when you
know that you know nothing.
On a recent bushwalk I became aware
of what an apt metaphor eucalypts
provide. The trees lose their leaves. But
never completely so. The light with
which you walk under them is thus
always filtered. The trees make clear to
you that the path you follow is, at one
and the same time, illumined and
obscured. The trees invite one to a
more diffident kind of stepping.
One of the great tragedies of our times,
so it seems to me, is the way, under the
influence of our significant scientific and
technological developments, we have
lost much of the sense of wonder,
mystery, ineffability in the world about us.
Educating has become largely a matter
of achieving predetermined objectives.
The prosperity of our nation is being
judged by measureable, material
standards. We are losing, in other words,
one of the intrinsic attributes of being
human. It is not what you might have,
but what you are, that counts. Worthwhile
individuals don’t know all the answers.
They permit the silence to speak. They
walk warily the paths they tread.
31
My great dream for IGS has always
been that, in its emphasis on
language and music, the School
would help develop more refined
types of knowing. We would become
aware that the more closely truth is
approached, the more silence is
demanded. ‘[Clever people]’, said
Patrick White, ‘bleach the meaning
out of words’. IGS’s aim should be,
not to produce clever people, but
those who, as a result of the
seriousness with which language
learning is approached, have been so
imbued with the sense of the inherent
wonder and mystery of life, that they
have become much humbler, much
wiser. Persons of real worth, so it has
seemed to me, have been
distinguished by the quality of their
daily journeying, their readiness to
find meaning in the common or
garden, rather than in any supposed
ultimate grand arrival.
Dr Wright with for
mer IGS Deputy
Principal Mr Laure
nce.
Community News
I graduated
My name is Joe and
that IGS
at IGS in 2010. I hope
in the past
hasn’t changed much
you still
t
tha
five years. I hope
being
r"
rte
"ro
rd
hear the wo
dor by
rri
co
the
wn
do
shouted
still
is
y
Mr Galea, Mr Denneh
would
ne
yo
an
y
baffled as to wh
not the
s
wa
nd
ala
Ze
w
suggest Ne
and
rld
wo
greatest country in the
me
sa
the
ks
that Mr Miller still loo
.
oto
ph
ff
sta
80
19
as he did in his
Year 12
Graduation Dinner
This year’s Graduation Dinner was held offsite for the first time at
Dockside Darling Harbour. We were so pleased to welcome back
Joe Glover (Class of 2010) as our guest speaker on the night!
Don’t wo
rr y too m
u ch a b o u
HSC, It’ll
t th
b e over b
efore you e
it and wh
know
atever m
ark
with is no
t the be a you end up
ll and en
– there a
d all
re so ma
ny ways
up study
to end
ing [or do
ing] wha
wa n t . A n
t you
d tr
IGS … I th y not to forget ab
ou
ink it’s im
portant to t
remembe
r how dif
ferent this
school is
, an d ap p
reciate it
.
ht into an
I went straig
,
12
ar
Ye
er
Aft
ney
degree at Syd
Architecture
otley
m
a
et
m
I
here
University, w
eople
p
rd and great
crew and wei
d many
ha
s,
y friend
m
w
no
e
ar
who
lly model
ghts frantica
sleepless ni
rinter
outing at a p
making or sh
efore a
b
a few hours
malfunction
zy
la
and long
presentation
cussing
The Rose dis
at
af ternoons
...
“architecture”
32
ONLINE
PUBLICATIONS
New publications are available to read on the IGS website.
Check them out now!
International
Grammar School
Into the World
Strategic Plan 2016-2020
Explore our plans for the future
w
Read our school's ne
World:
the
o
Int
,
an
Pl
gic
ate
Str
http://issuu.com/
rschool/
internationalgramma
2016 -2020
lan
icp
teg
docs/igsstra
We reached
1,000 likes last
term, and rising!
Thank you everyone!
facebook.com/igssyd
We're on
LinkedIn too
Read IGS
iN
professio K , the
nal journ
al of the
Internatio
nal Gram
m a r S ch o
ol:
http://iss
uu.com/
internatio
nalgramm
arschool/
docs/igs
_ink_volu
me_1_ 20
15/1
33
Jigsaw is going 'green'!
In response to a recent
community survey and in
the spirit of sustainability,
the next edition of Jigsaw
will be 100% digital and
online!
34