July 2015 - Walford Anglican School for Girls

Transcription

2015: Issue One
The Walford Magazine
4
21
10
6
8
28
Council News
Contents
Council News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
From the Principal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Fulfilling Potential through the International Baccalaureate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Attending Walford from Distant Shores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Head of the River 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The IB Diploma - is it for you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Getting a Head Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Meet Our Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Recognising our Walford Mums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
United Nations Inspiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Scholarship to Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Theory of Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Developing through Mentoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Walford Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Old Scholars’ Week 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Postcard from Overseas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
New Starts. Fond Memories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Editors
Prue Bowley, Libby Emery & Ana Gozalo
Telephone: 8373 4062 Email: communications@walford.asn.au
Walford Anglican School for Girls
316 Unley Road Hyde Park SA 5061
Telephone: 8272 6555
walford.asn.au
CRICOS No: 00563J
Published by Walford Anglican School for Girls Inc
Approved for Print Post
531629/00009
Pamela Martin,
Chair of Council
Recently, I wrote to the Walford Community, enclosing our revised
Strategic Plan entitled Towards 2020.
Towards 2020 will serve as the framework upon which our
future priority setting and decision making will be based.
Now that we have this framework, we are developing a
Master Plan which will guide us in the implementation of
our future strategy.
Preparations for the Master Planning Process are well
advanced and the Council is looking forward to its
completion as it will assist us to maintain and improve our
academic standards and co-curricular activities.
Since I joined the Council at Walford, I have been
privileged to work with a wide range of fellow Councillors,
all of whom have been dedicated and passionate in their
desire to contribute to secure the future of the School.
The present members of Council continue to display this
passion and dedication and we are looking forward to
welcoming two new members in the near future. These
new members have been carefully selected from the
Walford Community to assist us to guide the School in
rapidly changing times.
Whilst we are rightfully proud of our traditions and
achievements, we recognise the need for continuous
innovation which, combined with our traditions will
ensure the brightest future for our students.
The present planning process is an important tool which
will help us to achieve our goals.
Walford’s Strategic Plan, Towards 2020,
is available to view on the School website walford.asn.au
“Don’t be late for this very
important date!”
Walford Mad Hatter’s Ball
Saturday 24 October
7pm for 7.30pm
Adelaide Oval (Ian McLachlan Room)
Earlybird tickets $170 ($180 from 1 Sept)
Includes three course meal, drinks and entertainment.
Tables of 10 available.
Book your tickets at trybooking.com/HKLB
Jewell - The Walford Magazine
page 1
From the Principal
Rebecca Clarke
Education is what remains after one has
forgotten what one has learned in school.
Albert Einstein
As students around the nation prepare to sit the national
tests, many schools anticipate with some trepidation, the
media commentary which inevitably will follow.
What will a nation’s “test results in decline” mean for our
country’s international reputation? The rhetoric will
undoubtedly ask whether Australian students can be
competitive and employable on a global scale.
Globally renowned educationalist, Dr Yong Zhao, whom I
recently had the privilege of attending a Master Class
with, fears that a nation’s preoccupation with surpassing
Finland and Shanghai’s test results, could stifle creativity,
at a time when our modern economy depends on it.
Tomorrow’s employee, he asserts, will need to be
entrepreneurial, alert to opportunity, confident,
passionate, empathetic, unique, globally competent and
creative. The skills and traits identified here are difficult
to assess in any test paper, and yet, they can be, and are
cultivated in schools.
No one for a moment denies that literacy and numeracy
outcomes are not important. They are indeed the essential
and non-negotiable aspects of our education system
which must be done well.
Guy Claxton, one of the United Kingdom’s foremost
thinkers on creativity, learning and the brain, insists that
today, more than ever, schools must recognise the role they
play in helping young people become “eager to learn and
grow in the real-life world of work, leisure and relationships”
and that in this, they will need “a rich set of useful, generalpurpose habits of mind that will stand them in good stead
whatever they want or need to turn their hand to”. This,
Claxton urges, is far more critical than turning young
people into successful “exam-passers”, although he does not
underestimate the importance of the latter.
However, our nation’s preoccupation with national testing
results and PISA rankings risks us losing sight of what else
is important in our schools as well as what is done well.
At Walford, we take seriously our responsibility to
empower students through learning so that they can
participate with courage, confidence and compassion in
Sadly there is much media hype and scare mongering
which takes place around the time of national testing and
understandably, it does very little for the temperament of
those who work in schools and who see, on a daily basis
the reason why school is about so much more than
national test results.
page 2
our global world. Our IB curriculum in the Junior and
Middle Schools, was deliberately adopted because of the
emphasis it places on learning for life beyond school. In a
highly complex, rapidly changing global landscape,
students, through the learner profile, develop their ability
to think, take risks, inquire and communicate, in their own
language with one other. At the same time, there are
character-nurturing opportunities within the curriculum,
as activities outside of the classroom help students build
their capacity to care for others, think for themselves and
communicate with confidence.
In this edition of “Jewell”, you will learn more about the
International Baccalaureate curriculum. You will also see
how we at Walford value the role of mentors in a young
person’s life. Whether this be a relative, friend or old
scholar, learning experiences can be shaped and
enhanced with the support of significant others. Our 2014
Alumni Award recipients are indeed women of fine
example whose experiences model so much more than
that which can be demonstrated in a standardised test.
There is no doubt in my mind that our nation’s
educational agenda should prioritise learning and
teaching, and that in this, we all have a role to play to strive
for improvement. However, in doing so, it is important that
we not lose sight of what needs to really matter in our
schools and how this is measured so that our students can
be ready for tomorrow’s world, however this may look.
References:
Claxton G. What is the Point of School. Oneworld Publications. 2008
www.ibo.org
Zhao, Y. Cultivating diverse, creative and entrepreneurial talents. Master Class lecture given
at AISSA 1 May 2015
page 3
We have a strong belief in the long-term benefits of an IB
education and have seen the ease with which our students
have grown through the continuum of IB programmes.
The IB’s approach to education aligns well with Walford’s
values and attitudes towards teaching and learning;
aiming to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring
young people who help to create a better and more
peaceful world through intercultural understanding and
respect, encouraging students to become active,
compassionate, lifelong learners.
At Walford, from the early years, the girls are challenged
to think for themselves and show consideration of others,
to develop courage and respect the truth. Our aim is to
ensure that when these young women leave Walford they
will have their self-esteem firmly in place and will be
confident to determine their future anywhere in the world.
What reputation does the IB have globally?
Taught in over 1500 schools worldwide, the IB is renowned
globally for its continued success in fostering
international mindedness and developing strong
academic, social and emotional characteristics. The IB
Diploma is a qualification that is accepted for entry by the
best universities around the world.
What is unique about an IB school?
Unlike a national curriculum, IB programmes reflect best
practice of a range of different educational frameworks
and curricula. Students are encouraged to be
internationally-minded and to think beyond their
immediate environment. Students are also encouraged to
think critically and challenge what they are told. The
programmes aim to go beyond other curricula by
developing inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young
people who are motivated to succeed.
At Walford the wellbeing of students and their character
development is at the heart of everything we do. This
emphasis on developing the whole individual mirrors the
IB learner profile, which is at the centre of the IB curricula.
Fulfilling
Potential through
the International
Baccalaureate
Mayra Franco, IB Coordinator
Walford has been an International Baccalaureate
(IB) school since 2002, and is the only girls’ school
in South Australia to offer the continuum of all three
stages of the IB; the Primary Years Programme,
Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma.
page 4 Jewell - The Walford Magazine
The learner profile describes a broad range of human
capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic
success. These capacities imply a commitment to help all
members of the school community to learn to respect
themselves, others and the world around them.
The profile aims to develop learners who are:
Inquirers
Knowledgeable
Thinkers
Communicators
Principled
Open-minded
Caring
Risk-takers
Balanced
Reflective
An IB education empowers young people for a lifetime of
learning, independently and in collaboration with others.
Completing the IB Diploma in Years 11 and 12 constitutes
the final and crucial reinforcement of this attitude to
learning, of a broad mindset, just before our students move
on to university life and beyond.
What are the advantages of offering the
continuum of all three stages of the IB?
Walford is one of just nine schools across Australia, and
the only girls’ school in South Australia offering all three
IB programmes.
The IB continuum, comprising of the Primary Years
Programme, Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma, is
unique because of its academic and personal rigour. This
attitude towards teaching and learning permeates every
aspect of what we do at Walford. We constantly challenge
students to excel in their studies and in their personal
growth. We aim to inspire a quest for learning throughout
life that is marked by enthusiasm and empathy.
At the centre of what we do is the aspiration to develop
well-rounded students with character: students who can
respond to challenges with optimism and an open-mind;
students confident in their own identities and who make
ethical decisions; students who are prepared to apply what
they learn in real world, complex and unpredictable
situations. The IB sets up high expectations and each
individual achieves more as a result.
What are the advantages for students completing
the final stage of the IB, the IB Diploma?
Walford has offered the IB Diploma Programme since
2004, the first South Australian girls’ school to do so. The
IB Diploma provides our students with broader postschool options, preparing them for global education and
work opportunities. The critical skills, multi-disciplinary
thinking and independent research developed during the
IB Diploma all serve students well for success in future
study. The development of critical participation in the
Diploma Programme shows that students have excelled in
multiple and diverse academic challenges and it is a
strong predictor for success in university (IBO, 2012).
The IB Diploma prepares our students to engage with
global challenges through inquiry, action and reflection. In
today’s highly interconnected and rapidly changing world,
the IB Diploma provides a platform to develop well
rounded individuals with a broad education aimed to
foster international mindedness in a global context.
Researchers from Deakin University explored how the IB
Diploma Programme aligns with the standards, principles
and practices outlined in the Australian Curriculum. They
found the IB Diploma curriculum generally provided
greater depth than local alternatives while also supporting
the development of critical knowledge and skills. Most
teachers also believed that the IB Diploma is more
rigorous and provides better preparation for university
studies (Dixon et al. 2014).
Investigating critical thinking skills amongst IB Diploma
students in Australia, a study by researchers from the
University of Western Sydney revealed apparent gains in the
use of an array of critical thinking skills over the two successive
years of the IB Diploma. Additionally, at university, IB
Diploma graduates had statistically significant higher mean
scores than non-IB Diploma graduates on three measures
of post-secondary school success: ATAR (Australian
Tertiary Admission Rank) score, academic self-concept and
anticipated university outcomes (Cole et al. 2014).
What misunderstandings exist around the IB?
There are some common misunderstandings around the
IB Diploma: that it is an elite programme only suited to
the highly academic students, and that it is only relevant if
you are considering studying abroad.
The reality is that the IB Diploma is not only a great
option for highly academic students or students seeking
to study overseas; it is a broad, well-rounded, challenging
curriculum designed for everybody.
It is the culmination of the journey students started when
they commence at Walford. It provides students with the
necessary skills to succeed in life by encouraging both
personal and academic achievement, challenging students
to excel in their studies and in their personal development.
The attitudes and skills the girls develop as a result of their
IB experience are just as important as their academic success.
At the end of their schooling, many girls have commented
on the amazing sense of achievement they feel now they
have discovered what they are capable of, and how broad
their knowledge base has become.
We have had many examples of girls who enrolled in the
IB Diploma programme because they believed in the
advantages of the IB curriculum, even when they found
the journey challenging. They extended themselves and
emerged as strong, confident and resilient young women.
As an educator, what is it like to teach in an
IB school?
As an educator, teaching the IB is extremely stimulating and
rewarding. All IB courses are quality assured, which means
that teachers undertake regular, high quality professional
development having the opportunity to share ideas and
experiences with teachers from all around the world.
This constant exchange of ideas and resources are often
applied by the teachers to non-IB classes and shared with
their colleagues. The result is that the standard of
education is lifted across the school, not just confined to
the IB Diploma programme.
Articles:
1. ‘What is an IB education’, International Baccalaureate, August 2013, accessed 12
January 2014.
2. Key findings from research on the impact of IB programmes in the Asia-Pacific region,
International Baccalaureate, 2015.
3. Key findings from research on the impact of the IB Diploma Programme, International
Baccalaureate, 2013.
Jewell - The Walford Magazine page 5
Back home, the rhythm is extreme and constantly accelerating;
to keep up the pace many shops are open 24 hours. The
mobilisation and vibration of Hong Kong definitely leaves a
strong impression on visitors to my hometown; the busyness
and bombardment are unforgettable.
Korapin Itakornpan
Maesot, Thailand
“I started at Walford two years ago. I was involved in the
selection of school, but not the city. Before deciding on
Adelaide, my parents considered New Zealand, as well as
Perth, Hobart and Geelong.
The language barrier is the hardest part of being an
international student. It makes it harder to be yourself. The
best thing is being able to develop a deeper knowledge and
understanding of the world.
I use social media and tools such as Skype and various apps
to keep in touch with my family and friends back home.
As an international student it is important to accept who you
are and work out how you are going to make the most of your
life when you are given such a privileged opportunity.”
I was able to visit Walford before I came here. I thought that
the school offered a very good education and I liked the
boarding house. I expected starting school here to be hard,
and it was in the first year, but I find it fine now.
As an international student, the hardest things are the language
and not going home often. One of the best things is when we
study our home region in geography or other subjects.
I have found Walford to be a very good school. I think because
it is a small school, we all make friends with each other and
with students in each year level. It is like a big family.
Attending Walford
from Distant Shores
Emily Beattie, International Student Coordinator
If risk-takers face the unknown with
forethought and determination, if they show
resourcefulness and resilience in response to
challenges, then surely our international
student cohort are consummate risk-takers.
They leave behind family and friends. They move away from
familiar cultures and cuisines. They know that they will be
moving to a new educational system, with different practices
and expectations. They often prepare themselves not just
to make friends through the medium of a second (or even
third or fourth) language, but to learn about DNA, algebra,
dynamic equilibrium and Shakespeare in a language that
does not feel like their own. We are immensely grateful for
their courage, their example and their contribution to the
Walford community.
Some international students choose to come to Walford on
the basis of our co-curricular and academic programmes,
including the IB programme. Others act upon the
recommendation of former or present international or local
students. Sometimes it is the agent who suggests Walford.
While some travel to Adelaide prior to commencement
to meet with Ms Clarke, others first set foot on Australian
soil when they arrive to commence their studies. Many
international students choose to stay at the Boarding House
and receive a warm welcome from Sue Jones-Parry and the
Boarding House community. Others decide to stay with a host
family, or arrive with a parent who is relocating to Adelaide
to support their daughter. We always enjoy the opportunity to
meet the new members of our extended Walford family.
page 6
The decision to relocate to Australia is not an easy one and
the process of familiarisation with school practices and
expectations can take time. The initial challenges faced by
international speakers of English as an additional language
or dialect (EALD speakers) are primarily language related.
EALD students can find lessons difficult to understand at
the beginning. In the early stages, the students can struggle
to engage in the small talk that forms the basis of a growing
friendship. They are completely immersed in Australian
culture and language, in some cases from the moment they
wake until the moment they go to sleep. Take a moment to
think how simultaneously tiring and stimulating that would be.
Complete immersion can be exhausting, but it is
transformative in terms of language acquisition. Language
skills increase exponentially in the first year. Our teachers
are highly experienced in adapting teaching approaches
to support EALD students. They work hard to facilitate
learning in a second language. Our students are welcoming
and internationally-minded, understanding the value of
multiculturalism. Heads of House, home group tutors and
student buddies help students to become acquainted with
the ‘Walford Way’. With this support underpinning their
experience, our international students adapt to the Australian
way of life, while remaining proud of (and true to) their
own cultural heritage. Through perseverance, application
and a flexible mindset, they come to perform at a very high
academic level in both SACE and IB. They traditionally
contribute strongly to the music programme and other
co-curricular programmes. They establish lasting and
meaningful connections with girls from a variety of different
cultures that endure beyond their departure for universities
in Adelaide, interstate, and as far afield as America, Korea,
Japan and the United Kingdom.
International students set an inspiring example of how to
take a risk and overcome unfamiliarity and adversity. They
combine enormous strength, adaptability and openness to
change with an impressive work ethic. We count ourselves
extremely lucky to have them amongst our numbers.
I keep in touch with my family by calling my parents and
grandparents 2-3 times a week and I go home twice a year.
My parents also come to Adelaide twice a year.”
Gina Voon - Kota Kinabalu, Sabahm, Malaysia
“My sister and I came to Australia because of the higher
quality education system.
We had visited Adelaide and the school quite a few times
when we had been here to see our older sister, Christianne,
who had attended Walford. I was still nervous though as
this was a totally new environment for me. At first I found
it difficult to remember people’s names, and familiarising
myself with some classes that were quite different, but these
are all getting easier now.
Cathy Chung
Hong Kong
“My parents wanted me to learn to become independent
while I was young, to go to a place where I didn’t know
anyone and survive. One of the reasons why we chose
Adelaide rather than Sydney was because Adelaide is much
quieter and less populated, providing a better opportunity
for me to get involved with western people and learn about
their culture while I am trying my hardest to learn English.
We also considered the US, but it is not as safe to live there.
I chose Walford myself. I felt Walford’s profile and reputation
were better than other schools in Adelaide. I did not visit
Walford, Adelaide or even Australia before coming here.
I have found life in Australia quite different to what I
expected – I thought everyone would work hard and play
hard, but I have found many people seem very relaxed about
their lives.
Adelaide is a small village compared to Hong Kong, which
is a place with very high population density; everyone needs
to compete with each other or share within a limited space.
Daily life in Hong Kong involves squashing with others on
underground public transport and much time spent in queues.
I have found Walford pretty good so far. I like that Ms Clarke
knows the names of all the students and takes the time to get
to know each of us. I also find Australia more relaxing than
back home. I like that school starts at 8.30am compared to
7.10am at home.
I enjoy boarding at Walford. I am able to live with my friends
and the boarding house always organises fun activities.”
Lisa Voon - Kota Kinabalu, Sabahm, Malaysia
“We came to Walford specifically to study the IB, and also
because our older sister attended the school. Her experience
and advice has been helpful to us in many situations.
I think Adelaide is a beautiful city; it is peaceful, it’s much
safer here, and the weather is beautiful.
It has been a whole new experience being in an all
girls’ school in Adelaide. We attended a co-ed Chinese
independent school with over 2500 students previously.
I really like Walford. Everyone is really kind and friendly to
each other. Living in Australia is a whole new experience and
I’m really enjoying it.
I quite enjoy boarding. I love having my own room. After
sharing a room with my twin sister Gina all my life, I finally
have some privacy!”
page 7
The IB Diploma
- is it for you?
Head of the
River 2015
The rowers excelled, the Walford crowd cheered and the
atmosphere was electric at the Head of the River 2015.
Each crew competed strongly, with the Junior (Year 9) B
Crew, Intermediate (Year 10) A Crew and the Senior Second
Eight achieving Head of the River titles. The Senior First
Eight are also to be commended on their fine performance
to secure second place in a tightly contested race.
Once again, the support and sportsmanship shown by the
Walford rowers and supporters continues to be a highlight
of the day.
Recent Walford Old Scholar, Laura Wehr (’13),
reflects on her decision to embark on the
IB Diploma.
I had deeply dreaded the first day of Year 11. My well-meaning
parents had insisted that their ‘smart’ daughter complete
the IB Diploma. I wasn’t feeling so smart when it appeared
that many of the other IB Diploma students had received an
academic excellence award every semester they had
attended Walford and I had never received one.
I had heard stories, too, of people going insane because of
the pressure of the IB Diploma. I was most worried by
rumours that I wouldn’t have a social life, and that my social
skills would fade away.
This was all, for want of a better word, absolute poppycock.
I honestly think the International Baccalaureate is one of
Walford’s best kept secrets. There is a misunderstanding
that you should only continue with the IB Diploma if you
have received every academic excellence award available, or
are happy to have no social life.
In my opinion, everyone should continue with the IB
Diploma. Everyone. Not just the ‘student leader’ types but the
‘drama club’ and ‘after party committee’ too. IB is what an
education is all about; becoming interested in the world
around you. And that should not be confined to the academic.
I found many positives from studying the IB Diploma,
which you don’t always hear about.
• You become more intelligent. Truly. New research
shows that the more you learn, the higher your IQ
becomes. And trust me you will learn a lot. Furthermore
learning improves your memory, mental function and
your ability for witty comebacks - ask my mum, she
should know!
• You learn to appreciate your health. I completed my
schooling having never pulled an all night study
session. You don’t need to if you’re organised. Make sleep
a top priority as it greatly impacts your health and your
health greatly impacts your life. Your health also impacts
how much study you can do. Those late night study
sessions are futile if you have to spend a week off school.
• The broad range of subjects allow you to experience
many things that will lead you on different and exciting
paths in your life. Last month I participated in the Relay
for Life, a direct result of my involvement in CAS in Year
11. Last week I attended the theatre with my mum, an
interest developed from Mrs Dowd’s English classes.
Best of all, my experience studying IB Spanish, has led to
a placement as a teacher of English in a school near
Machu Picchu, Peru.
• It teaches you discipline. You realise your time is
precious, so you prioritise what you spend your time on.
Whether that be sport, friends or sleep, you learn to keep
a balance of what you want versus what is good for you.
If you want a social life, you will have one. I personally
made sure I had a least one social event to go to every
weekend, which I think was good because it let me blow
off some steam. Because time is precious, you also
discover what is the most efficient way for you to learn
personally, which is very useful in all walks of life, as you
never stop learning or needing to learn.
• The IB has made me a more interesting person. Someone
who is just as comfortable picking out the biology
mistakes in Grey’s Anatomy to talking about the
relevance of dystopian fiction in today’s modern society.
• Finally, you become more confident. The girl who was
once certain she wasn’t smart is now certain that she is,
of course sometimes more than others! This is a very
life-affirming lesson for a teenage girl to learn.
• The depth of knowledge in each IB subject challenges
you, treating you like the intelligent adults you are
becoming. IB gives you a detailed knowledge and the
amount of work pushes you to step up as a learner.
Whatever mark you receive, you are still proud of what
you have achieved because you worked hard for it.
I won’t say I sailed through the IB Diploma, but I found the
horror stories to be unfounded. It is, in fact, the opportunity
of a lifetime that not many get. So please, if you are
frightened you don’t fit the ‘IB criteria’, don’t be; there isn’t
one. Everyone deserves a great education and I promise
you, you will be so much richer for it.
Why are the attributes of the Learner Profile
important to develop and nurture in Junior
School students?
Getting a Head Start - IB in the
Junior School
Sophie Roxburgh, Coordinator of the PYP
Sophie Roxburgh, Coordinator of the
International Baccalaureate Primary Years
Programme, explains how this programme
works as the framework and central philosophy
of Walford’s Junior School education.
How does the IB programme apply to the
Junior School years?
The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) enables students
to learn through inquiry, in a hands-on and exploratory
manner. This inquiry-based approach helps to develop
passionate and effective lifelong learners from a young age.
This more holistic teaching approach focuses on the child
as a whole by incorporating the attributes of the Learner
Profiles and PYP attitudes into everyday classroom
experiences. Students gain a broader understanding of the
world beyond their immediate environment and feel a
sense of belonging within a community.
While the Units of Inquiry and attributes of the Learner
Profiles are important aspects of the program, and most
families will be familiar with these terms, the PYP is more
holistic than just these in isolation.
page 10
The PYP is the framework and central philosophy
of Walford’s Junior School educational offering,
can you explain how this works?
The PYP is a curriculum framework that encompasses all
areas of our curriculum including, but not limited to,
maths, English, French, music, PE, geography and science.
At Walford we strive to empower girls to become
confident, courageous and compassionate about the world
and the foundations of this are developed from the ELC
through educating students within the PYP.
The International Baccalaureate mission statement states
that it “aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and
caring young people who help to create a better and more
peaceful world through intercultural understanding and
respect”. As this statement suggests, the PYP is clearly
much broader than just teaching students units of inquiry
or about the attributes of the Learner Profiles. The PYP is
an engaging curriculum framework that caters for each
student’s abilities and allows individuals to achieve their
best through inquiry, risk taking and reflection. One of the
philosophies underpinning the PYP is that students learn
how to learn and are actively involved in the learning
process. This in turn develops students who are thinkers,
knowledgeable and have a lifelong desire to learn.
Can you imagine in life if you were always balanced, caring,
open minded, knowledgeable, principled and reflective?
As well as being a risk-taker, thinker and inquirer… imagine
what success and happiness you would have! These are the
attributes of the Learner Profiles and we strive to see that
each student values the importance of each of these in their
life. Incorporating the attributes of the Learner Profiles on a
daily basis from the ELC onwards is a great advantage to
our students. Classroom teachers, specialist teachers and
non-teaching staff can work together to support students’
development by reinforcing these attributes using
consistent terminology. For example, teachers in the
classroom, in PE lessons or on yard duty might all
encourage or commend a student on being a
risk-taker. Such skills are invaluable for success in life.
How do students respond to the PYP?
Students become enthusiastic, motivated learners who are
engaged in the inquiry process. They are not afraid or
embarrassed to ask questions and understand the power
of questioning. Students enjoy sharing their knowledge
with their peers and presenting their learning in a variety
of forms. One of the most rewarding aspects of the PYP is
seeing student-initiated action; when students behave or
respond differently as a result of what they have learnt. It
might be something as small as independently asking
another student to join in their game or capably using
communication skills to solve a problem at playtime
following their ‘Who We Are’ unit of inquiry aimed at
developing relationships with others.
The PYP also encourages students to reflect on their
learning and, in a non-threatening manner, recognise what
they could do differently or better in the future.
How does the PYP enhance teaching practices?
The PYP encourages teachers to question their teaching
approaches and consider what they hope students will
gain from each learning opportunity. Teachers determine
students’ prior knowledge and plan learning experiences
that extend and challenge each individual student.
Teachers are constantly required to reflect on their
teaching practices; what has worked well? What would I
do differently/better next time? Was the assessment of
students learning appropriate and useful?
This reflection enables teachers to continue to
professionally develop and improve their practice.
The PYP is the foundation of the IB continuum
at Walford. How does this initial programme
prepare and equip students for their future
lives and education?
If students learn to be successful learners through the PYP
they have the foundation for success in all walks of life,
including the rest of their schooling. As the attributes of
the Learner Profile becomes an integral part of each
student’s life they can use these skills for future learning
and decision making in their lives. These attributes also
help to foster international minded citizens who are more
globally aware.
What concepts around IB, and in particular, PYP,
do you think people find hardest to comprehend,
and what misunderstandings exist?
I think a number of people believe that the PYP has a
limited application to only a part of the curriculum. In fact,
the PYP is the framework in which all of the curriculum
aligns. It encompasses everything we teach at Walford,
including mathematics, English and all subject areas
including specialist areas. It covers all components of the
Australian Curriculum but is recognised and approved as
an alternative framework from the Australian Curriculum.
It is more than just the curriculum; it is also a learning and
teaching philosophy.
I believe there is a lot of terminology used within the PYP
(and related curriculum documents) that is overwhelming
and at times difficult to understand, but once broken down
can be comprehended. Children often surprise adults with
their language knowledge and some of the PYP terminology
that children understand is a great example of this.
page 11
Getting a Head Start - IB in the Junior School
In the Classroom
We asked Junior School teachers to tell us how
the Primary Years Programme of the International
Baccalaureate is incorporated into their teaching
and how it benefits their students.
How might inquiry look in your classroom?
The classroom environment would be set up to encourage inquiry,
with displays, resources and artifacts easily accessible to students.
Students would be working in groups, having discussions, handling
resources, drawing pictures, recording what they have been learning
or reflecting through discussions with each other. The students
would be engaged in hands-on activities that encourage them to
think and communicate their understandings independently.
The Learner Profiles are used on a daily basis to enable students
to become familiar with the terminology, and then these can be
applied throughout all curriculum areas.
Inquiry is used across the curriculum, for example in maths
students would be working in small or large groups; handling
resources, exploring through manipulation, sharing ideas,
constructing things, discussing their findings, reflecting on what
they have learnt and recording their findings.
Natalie Spyrou, Reception Teacher
There would be a lot of hands-on activities with children exploring and
using all the different resources. There would also be lots of talking,
moving, experimenting, questioning and finding out answers. Students
might be finding out answers from other students, by asking the
teacher, by trial and error experiments with resources or by being
supported to look in books or on the internet to find out the answers.
Josephine Zotti, ELC Teacher (4 Year Old Program)
Inquiry in my classroom involves teachers and students posing
questions, lots of discovery and hands-on activities. For example,
the children may be given an object or a series of pictures and
then we would discuss and question what it/they mean? What
have you learnt? Why do you think this? How could we?
Encouraging children to think for themselves and make
observations from their own self-discovery and prior knowledge is
meaningful and allows for authentic learning to take place.
Inquiry learning is when the teacher stands back to gain students’
prior knowledge and perspectives to examine where the children
wish to go with their learning. The teacher will then scaffold and
support the learning experiences.
Amy Delvins, Year 3 Teacher
You would immediately know it was an inquiry environment because
of the ‘Wonder Wall’ and the action wall on display in the classroom. At
the beginning of the unit of inquiry children are posing questions and
wondering about their unit – so they put these questions up on sticky
notes on the ‘Wonder Wall’. The action wall looks similar but children
are showing what actions they are taking to answer their questions.
The students are engaged, working in groups, reporting back to
me or using their iPads to investigate. Often students are
working on different aspects of the unit of inquiry as they find
answers to their individual questions.
I set a clear outline of what is expected of the students and what
they need to achieve within a timeframe but then encourage
them to develop independent research and inquiry skills during
the lesson times. This inquiry approach caters for unique
page 12
learning styles and allows students to get to the final goal using
different methods of inquiry.
Pam Davidson, Year 5 Teacher
Can you give an example of student actions
resulting from a unit of inquiry?
One of the more significant ones was during our ‘Sharing the
Planet’ unit where we learnt about caring for the environment.
We visited a recycle depot and saw first-hand all the landfill that
goes to waste, so students became very passionate about trying
to prevent this landfill. As a result, a lot of student-initiated
action arose from this. I have often had students come and say
to me ‘Mrs Spyrou I make sure mum and dad separate their
rubbish now. We have separate bins for all our things because
we want to reduce landfill’. Then I have the parents come to me
and say ‘What have you been learning in class? My daughter
won’t let me throw things away anymore!’
During our unit ‘How we Organise Ourselves’ we learn about
Walford, the Walford crest and the symbols. We go on a crest hunt
around the school and even now (weeks after finishing this unit of
inquiry) the children often look out for, and tell us when they see
the crest. They talk to us about what the crest means and that the
book is on the crest because we are at school to learn.
There are so many. Some are smaller actions like when students
independently bring in books or objects from home as a result of
being engaged and enthusiastic about inquiries in class. Others
include influencing the types of games that they play in the yard.
In the past when completing the ‘Who We Are’ inquiry, which
examines peoples rights and responsibilities, some students have
wanted to raise money for different organisations after learning
about unjust situations that other children in the world face. They
have also exhibited more responsible and independent behaviour
choices as we focus on rights and responsibilities. It is certainly
empowering and meaningful learning!
What qualities do you see your students
displaying as a result of having a PYP education?
Through a PYP education I believe students become more willing
to take risks and more knowledgeable, showing a deeper
understanding of their learning and of concepts. Students do not
just watch and learn through modeling but are actively engaged
and interested in the learning process, ask lots of questions and
independently seek answers.
They become more open-minded and learn to see things from a
different point of view and in a different way. They develop deeper
thinking, inquiry and independence skills. They also become more
caring and cooperative, because we often talk about having a
positive classroom environment, which means working together,
and considering others (through using the Learner Profiles).
I think children who have a PYP education have a broader
understanding of the world around them. They are able to inquire,
think and question more and wonder why things happen.
Students have the confidence to go and explore and research
themselves. It is exciting and uplifting to see children so engaged
and focused on wanting to make change and take action from
their learning.
The students have a fantastic hunger for knowledge and are so
motivated. You only have to introduce a new unit of inquiry and
they run into the classroom so happy to be here. Each student
wants to be the best they can be and do their best work. They
show an outstanding ability to connect with others and rather
than just staying in their own bubble each day, working
at their own desk, they work together and show excellent
communication skills.
Part of the Walford motto is to have courage, and that’s what I am
endeavouring to develop in the girls all the time. To have courage
and to take risks, which is encouraged through developing the
PYP attitudes with the girls.
How would you describe the PYP to others?
• Engaging
• Student driven
• Non-compartmental
• Inclusive (caters for all abilities)
• Concept driven
time to do homework and relax. So I stopped some of my sports
and it worked and now I am more balanced.
Year 2 students:
Caitlyn Ashby and Ava Maios
What are you learning about in class at
the moment?
We have just started learning about things moving. Our unit of
inquiry is about push and pull.
Last term our unit of inquiry was about who we are. We taught
our teachers all about us; our favourite things, our pets, our
brothers and sisters and about what sort of learners we are.
We are both kinesthetic learners.
What is a kinesthetic learner?
It is a learner who learns by doing. A visual learner is someone
who learns by seeing. An auditory learner is someone who
learns by hearing.
How did you find out what sort of learner
you are?
We answered questions and ticked boxes. Like, do you like
doing art? Then after all the questions the teachers worked out
how we learn the best.
Do you know what the Learner Profiles are?
Yes. They are caring, reflective, communicators, open minded,
inquirer, risk-takers and balanced.
Student Perspectives
What does it mean if you are a risk taker?
Year 5 students:
Rashjree Upadhyaya and Emily Ashby
What are you learning in class at the moment?
It means you try new things even if you are scared and not
confident you do it and have a go.
We are learning about early settlers to Australia and how they
build houses and were risk takers because there wasn’t anything
there and they had to just start a whole new life in Australia.
We designed and built early settlers houses out of pop sticks.
Now in maths we are working out the area and perimeter of the
houses we have built.
You share your ideas with everyone so that they can learn too,
you don’t keep your ideas to yourself.
Do you know what the Learner Profiles are?
What does open-minded mean?
Yes. Knowledgeable, caring, principled, thinkers, communicators,
balanced, inquirers, risk-takers, reflective and open-minded.
If you are open-minded you inquire and share your ideas. You
think about everyone’s ideas because everyone has good ideas.
Other people’s ideas might make your good idea into a great idea!
How do you think these help you in life?
They give you skills to be a good friend and always think of others
and nature. They also help you with your learning. Especially in
the units of inquiry they help you to discover more things, when
you are open-minded you think outside the box and can think
about other topics as well. When you are being a risk-taker it
makes you feel more confident and be braver.
What does it mean to be a communicator?
What does it mean if you are an inquirer?
If you are an inquirer you ask questions so you can learn more
about it.
Can you think of a time when you had to use
one of the learner profiles?
To do what’s fair and knowing what is the right thing to do.
The first time I went swimming I was a risk-taker because I was
scared to go into the pool. Afterwards I felt brave and happy
because I did it.
I am caring when someone falls over and hurts themselves or
sometimes when someone needs a friend to play with I say
“would you like to play with me”.
What does it mean to be reflective?
When were you a communicator?
You look back at what you have done and see if you have made
good choices or not. Then the next time you can work out what to
do and what not to do.
Sometimes my brain is full of ideas about our units so I keep
putting up my hand and sharing my ideas because I know so much.
What does it mean to be principled?
Can you give me an example of a time when
you have been balanced?
When I started learning the violin I was doing violin, netball,
gymnastics, swimming and lots of other things but I never had
Can you think of a time when you were
an inquirer?
Normally you learn things at school because it’s new. So I ask
questions at the start of the unit and then by the end of the unit
you know the answers.
page 13
encouraged to develop their own sense of identity, a global
awareness and are given more responsibility.
Middle School girls have a wide variety of opportunities and
co-curricular activities. They include Tournament of Minds, the
da Vinci Decathlon, pedal prix, the rowing program and sailing.
Girls can also join a variety of choirs and orchestras or participate
in different team sports.
Meet our Staff
Jessica London
Head of Middle School
Mandy Hore
Deputy Principal
Education: One of Life’s Most Important Journeys
From an early age I always wanted to be a teacher. I love
engaging with young people and helping them to achieve their
personal best.
I have been involved in education for 30 years. During this time,
I have held a number of positions in different schools and have
loved each and every one.
A year’s secondment to The Association of Independent
Schools of South Australia (AISSA) gave me insight into the
background of independent education. I still love being in the
classroom and am currently teaching Year 8, 9 and 10 classes.
It is a joy to be entrusted with, and be a part of, one of life’s most
important journeys – that of education.
Why Walford?
I’m committed and passionate about girls’ education and,
through my daughter, who was educated at Walford, have seen
first-hand the benefits that this provides. The world has much to
offer young women, whose education enables them to develop
confidence and realise the value of giving everything a go,
working hard and striving to achieve their personal best.
Deputy Principal Role
My role is diverse. It includes the day-to-day management of the
school and oversight, in partnership with the Principal and
Heads of Schools and Director of Studies of the academic
program and well-being of our girls. There is no greater
privilege than engaging with students and staff to help lead a
school and ensure its sustainability and success and to enable
our girls to be the best that they can be.
I am looking forward to getting to know this beautiful
community better; the girls, their families and the wider
community, and contributing to this.
Role Modeling for Students
It is critical to be a role model to the girls – and something that I
take most seriously. Through my interactions, behaviours and
conversations, I hope to show the girls the importance of hard
work, empathy and personal integrity. I hope this is evident
page 14
through the way I treat others and the manner in which I present
myself. I also hope I can instill a sense of wonder and joy and
have some fun and a laugh along the way.
Continual Learning
I have always enjoyed learning and challenging myself, so study
and ongoing professional development is a passion. We never
stop learning from, and with, others. Following my initial
Diploma in Teaching, I have completed a Bachelor of Education
and a Masters of Educational Leadership. I hope to share this
love of learning with the Walford girls through my teaching and
my interactions.
Achieving Life Balance
My academic studies and career have been balanced over the
years with involvement in a diverse range of activities; netball,
basketball, touch football and volleyball amongst others.
Playing sport has taught me many life lessons and has facilitated
life-long friendships. I have learnt to work effectively with others
and to appreciate and see the value and strength of diversity.
I believe sport enables much more than a healthy and
productive lifestyle and positive sense of self and identity and I
strongly encourage our girls to be involved.
Interests
Beyond Walford, I love being a mother to two, aunty, friend and
daughter. My family and friends ensure each day is special and
filled with happiness and fun.
I enjoy spending time with my friends and family; dinners and
shopping or just curling up on the couch for a chat and good
movie. I enjoy keeping fit when time allows and love nothing
better than a good book. Travel is also high on my priority list
with India my most recent destination.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Enthusiastic, warm and empathetic.
Inspiration
I am inspired every day by our girls; in fact often I am in awe of them.
By their talents and their commitment to ensuring a sustainable
future and to their commitment to social justice and service.
Destined to Teach
With both my parents being primary school teachers, I was
essentially born into education. I spent a considerable amount
of my childhood in a schooling environment and loved every
minute of it. My first degree was a Bachelor of Psychology and I
discovered that I really enjoyed studying subjects about the
cognitive development of children and adolescents. I also
worked part-time as a nanny and coached junior hockey teams
and discovered that I really enjoyed working with children,
which naturally lead me into education. I then completed a
Bachelor of Education and have been teaching ever since.
Continual Learning
I have a genuine love of learning and enjoy challenging myself.
At the end of last year I completed my Masters of Education
(Leadership and Management) and shared this journey with my
class. I hope I can impart my love of learning with the girls I
teach by nurturing a sense of curiosity and by making learning
relevant, significant and engaging.
Teaching at Walford
I joined Walford following teaching roles at two other private
schools. For five years I worked in the Walford Junior School in a
variety of roles including Year 5 classroom teacher, PE teacher,
PYP Coordinator and Manager of Learning and Teaching.
Head of Middle School Role
I am responsible for the provision of educational and
organisational leadership within the Walford Middle School.
This includes the day-to-day management of the sub-school and
oversight of the academic, engagement and well being of
Middle School students. The Middle School is a dynamic place
to work and every day is very different.
I am looking forward to developing positive relationships with
the students, their families and my colleagues in the Middle
School. It is lovely to reconnect with a number of students that I
have taught in the Junior School and to see how they have
changed and grown up. I also enjoy being a support to the girls
and helping them to solve problems, overcome obstacles and
achieve their goals.
Importance of Middle School
Middle School gives the students an opportunity to learn in an
environment that caters for the unique needs of adolescent girls. It
allows them to develop a sense of independence whilst still being
supported in a nurturing and supportive environment. Girls are
Supporting Middle School Students
Adolescence is a challenging time as it a period of rapid change
physically, emotionally and socially. Friendship is critically
important during this period and the views and acceptance of
your peer group become increasingly important. Middle School
girls are developing a sense of self and are learning about
themselves. This can be an emotionally charged time for parents
as they come to terms with their daughter’s changing emotions
and need for independence. The Walford Middle School staff and
I work to ensure that our students receive pastoral care that helps
them to feel supported, empowered and gives them opportunities
to develop a positive sense of self.
International Baccalaureate in the Middle School
I am a strong advocate of the IB as it is based on research about how
students learn best and encourages them to make practical
connections between their studies and the real world. The Middle
Years Programme helps students learn how to learn using
communication, research, self-management, collaboration and
critical thinking skills. It allows our girls to explore global
challenges and it encourages international-mindedness. The
Programme helps students to learn from understanding, and to make
connections between subjects rather than simply memorising facts.
Positive Role Modeling
It is critically important for me to be a positive role model to the
girls and it is a responsibility that I take very seriously. I try to
show the girls through my behaviours and actions the importance
of being true to myself and acting with courage and truth.
This is evident in the way you treat others, the manner in which
you present yourself and how you develop relationships. I think
it is incredibly important for adolescent girls to develop a
positive sense of self and not to spend time comparing
themselves to others and participating in gossip. I want to show
the girls the importance of hard work and striving for your goals
with confidence and personal integrity.
Beyond the Classroom
I personally believe that playing sport, in particular team sport, is
incredibly important. I have played hockey for most of my life and
competed at a State level and played in the local Premier League.
Playing a team sport taught me how to work with others, to
appreciate difference, to understand and work with the strengths
and weaknesses of others and how to communicate effectively.
It also taught me how to lose and how to take on board
constructive criticism, which often reveals more about your
strength of character than winning. Playing sport helped me to
develop a positive sense of self and healthy lifestyle. It is
something I strongly encourage all girls to participate in.
Interests
I like to spend time with my friends and family. I love going out
to breakfast or dinner and shopping. I enjoy keeping fit and like
to go running along the Linear Park trail. I also enjoy trying new
activities and have started surfing lessons and am going to learn
how to snowboard in the July holidays.
Meet more of our staff members on the Staff
Profiles page of the School website walford.asn.au
page 15
Jay McGavigan has two children Anisha 11 and
Sachin 8, and is married to Andrew. She works as a
High Risk Obstetrician and Head of Foetal &
Maternal Medicine at Flinders Medical Centre and
Obstetric & Gynaecological Sonologist, Clinical
Director at Adelaide Women’s Imaging.
Kathryn Presser and her husband, Sean, are the parents
of Jemima in Year 8 and Lilli in Year 5. Kathryn is the
CFO/Company Secretary and Executive Vice President
of Corporate Services at Beach Energy Limited, a
long-standing South Australian company that is the
largest onshore oil producer in Australia. She is also
a Board Director of Government Board – Funds SA,
a Not for Profit Board – Minda Inc, and a Council
Member on the Walford Council.
Lucinda Hewitson, and her husband Chris, are the
parents of three daughters, Jessica in Year 5,
Isabelle in Year 3, and Alessandra in Year 1.
Lucinda started her own business two years ago,
working as an Organisational Psychologist
supporting organisations around Australia to
become more diverse and inclusive. She also sits on
a number of boards and advises her husband’s
business on their human resource needs.
can do this successfully is with the support of Chris. Over
the years, raising our girls, we have both worked flexibly.
This hasn’t always been easy to achieve and Chris, in
particular, found it challenging at times as the first
manager in his organisation to work four days a week
when Jessica first started school. Sharing the care
responsibility has provided great insight for both of us
into the domestic and working worlds and helped us
balance all of our needs more effectively, well, at least most
of the time! Chris also runs his own business and his
company office includes a ‘play room’ for the staff ’s
children to use. This is a very valuable resource and comes
in handy in the day-to-day juggle.
JM: It’s a constant juggle, which requires meticulous
planning. My diary is the key. In terms of prioritising, if it’s
happening this week, it’s a priority!
KP: Being an accountant by trade, I use spreadsheets and
lists but I always ensure I am around for the girls as much
as I can. Whilst I have a busy work life, I have the
flexibility to be able to keep fairly flexible hours so that I
can attend school commitments and be able to work from
home after hours.
Is there such a thing as a work-life balance?
JM: Yes, there is to a degree. I think there is a triad of
work, family and social life. At any given time it’s not
difficult to excel in two out of three but the third requires
extra effort.
Recognising our Walford Mums
Three Walford mums spoke to us about the
joys and challenges of being mums to
daughters and how they combine mothering
with busy careers and involvement with
the School.
How important do you feel it is to be involved
with your daughter’s school life?
LH: I think it is important to be involved with our
daughter’s school life as it enhances their sense of
belonging. While our girls are young Chris and I like to
take them into their classrooms at the beginning of the
school day. We know there will come a time when they
will no longer want or need us to be there.
Why did you decide to involve yourself with
Walford in these ways?
LH: Although I am motivated to get involved to enhance
the girls’ sense of belonging, my involvement is motivated
equally by the enjoyment it brings and also, the sense of
‘giving back’ to a school that did so much for me when I
was growing up.
I want Walford to be a success, not only as a school for our
girls, but in its own right. I like the girls to see that if you
are really committed and care about something, you need
to do more than just ‘take’, you need to find ways to give.
JM: I didn’t consciously decide - my involvement in the school
just happened to evolve with time. I think because my mother
did the same for us, I don’t see it as anything extraordinary.
I am involved with the school as Secretary of the
JSPC and was part of the Community Engagement
Panel that supported the development of the new
Walford Strategic Plan. Last year I was invited to speak
to the Year 12 Business Studies class about gender
equity in the workplace.
KP: I was honoured to be asked to be on the School
Council. With my strong financial, strategic and
corporate governance background, I would hope that I
provide good guidance on financial and funding
alternatives for Walford and give a large company
perspective on all governance issues.
JM: It’s a privilege to be involved - I’ve been a Class
Representative for many years and have also been on the
Blue & Gold Committee since 2010.
KP: Walford is a very important part of my girls’
education and I am delighted to be able to serve as a
Council Member on the Walford Council and also as a
member of the Finance Committee and the Blue and
Gold Committee.
What are the challenges you face as a mum?
JM: Mainly maintaining balance. It can sometimes be
difficult – but I want my kids to see that anything is
possible with a little planning and effort.
KP: Having a teenager daughter is a challenge and
having one not far off will be a challenge but I hear that
once they are over Year 9 – it gets better! The balance of
work, external commitments and kids’ commitments are
always a challenge but if you prioritise and always be
present in whatever you do, it assists in getting through
each challenge.
How has being a mum now changed from your
mother’s generation?
LH: We have many opportunities available to us today as
mothers and women and I feel very fortunate to live during
a time when I can have my own career and business as
well as be married and be a mother.
KP: I prefer the term work-life integration. I like my family
to be involved in my work and my work to be comfortable
with my children around. A challenge – I know, but it
seems to work.
Have there been times, or incidents, that have
been particularly challenging?
LH: Starting my business was a challenge and a risk. I love
the learning opportunities it provides but as it has grown
it continues to present challenges. It has also provided me
with the opportunity to do what I love every day and to be
a role model for our girls to follow their dreams.
JM: There have been many but Anisha breaking her leg in
Year 3 was a nightmare! She wasn’t allowed to weight bear
for 12 weeks and getting her to and from school in a
wheelchair was not easy. In fact I remember her being in
hospital in the paediatric ward at the same time I was
delivering a baby the floor below in the labour suite and
feeling incredibly guilty that I wasn’t by her bedside.
KP: In my role I travel a lot and that is difficult to juggle
with family commitments, especially if the girls get sick at
all whilst I am away as they always want their mum!
JM: More mothers work outside the home now and the
focus of our lives has broadened.
Do you have a ‘support network’, and how
important do you find this?
What advice would you give to other mums in
regards to getting involved in their daughters’
school lives?
KP: Whilst I had a stay at home mum – I also had a very
committed dad, who whilst working full time did all the
ferrying around, coaching, committee roles and support,
so I really take my lead from my dad.
JM: Absolutely do it!
How do you prioritise competing demands?
KP: My advice would be to get always get involved. It sets
a great example for your daughters that you only get out
of life what you are prepared to put in!
LH: I try to make time for the things that are important to
me and my family. Having my own business provides me
with flexibility which is very valuable but the only way I
LH: Chris provides constant support to me as a mother
and also in managing my business. I simply could not do
all the things in my life without his support. Our parents
also provide vital support to our family and our girls
spend two afternoons a week with their grandparents. I
also find the other Walford parents provide wonderful
support to me as a mother. I enjoy seeing them at school
pick-up in the Junior School and also on weekends.
JM: Yes, I have an amazing support network. We don’t
have any immediate family in Adelaide but were ‘adopted’
by wonderful friends – many of whom are Walford
families. I couldn’t manage without them.
KP: With my eldest daughter I like to have a coffee and
watch a movie and ‘chill out’ as she says, but my younger
daughter and I are both early risers and love our early
morning walks with ‘Bosley the Dog’.
KP: Through a lot of other like-minded mums, we are able
to support each other when there are commitments
involving the children which I really appreciate.
Do you think there is a special connection
between mums and daughters?
What is your husband’s role in the household?
JM: Andy’s role is integral. The juggling is a team effort,
‘Tag-team McGavigan’! We both work full time and have
our respective on-call rosters. We make sure we’re never
on-call at the same time so there is always one of us
available for the kids.
KP: Having Sean around is my sounding board and
back-stop. He always says that he looks after the outside of
the house and I look after the inside. I think he gets the
easier part!
What can we learn from the men in our lives?
LH: Men don’t always feel as though they have the same
options available to them as women. On average men
continue to earn more than women and hold more
leadership roles in Australia. However, barriers exist for
them in entering the domestic world and in particular in
caring for their children that don’t exist for women. There
is a great deal that we can learn from each other as
mothers and fathers.
JM: I think it’s so important for children to have good role
models. I hope that my children learn about being supportive,
compassionate and hardworking from their father.
KP: Men have the amazing ability to not worry about anything!
Whilst women are worrying about work, kids, the house,
personal upkeep etc – men just worry about themselves!
What would we like them to be more
understanding of?
JM: That sometimes, I’m just so tired, I don’t want to talk.
KP: Everything we do.
What do you love most about having a daughter?
LH: It is wonderful to see them grow and develop and to
be part of this stage of their lives when they still see me as
vital to their day-to-day lives.
JM: Without a doubt!
KP: Some mums and their daughters do! I had my special
connection more with my dad.
What did you learn from the Conference?
What opportunities do you think your
daughters may have that you didn’t?
I think the most important lesson I learnt from the
conference was that there is a lot of progress to be made in
order to ensure that the Indigenous Australians are at par
with the rest of the Australian society. Whilst initiatives
are being taken by the Government we, as the youth, must
become aware of this issue, and bring the change that we
want to see in the world. We need to ensure we take action
and our voices are heard.
LH: I spent a lot of my childhood dancing and, as a result,
I avoided taking on other commitments. This meant I
missed out on other sporting and musical activities that I
think I would have really enjoyed. Walford offers so many
opportunities in the Junior School for the girls to try
different activities.
JM: I don’t really think there are any opportunities I didn’t
have – my parents sacrificed a lot to make it so.
How did the Conference fit with the IB
approach at Walford?
KP: Young girls and women have the ability to access so
many more opportunities. They are given the
opportunities and the encouragement to be the best in
everything, whereas when I grew up, women were only
allowed to, or expected to, be good at ‘girly’ things. Having
come from a military background, this was always a
challenge to be seen competing with the men.
The conference provided a thorough and well-rounded
understanding of the issue at hand, similar to the IB
approach. Attending the conference supported the IB
Learner Profiles. We had to be:
Inquirers – questioning the current situation at hand.
This enabled us to gauge and better understand
Australian society and to bring change.
What do you worry about?
Reflective – of our daily lives and evaluate our treatment
of, and knowledge of, Indigenous Australians. We thought
and reflected on our actions in order to change them and
to promote equality.
LH: The role that social media will play in the lives of our
girls. The technology we have available today provides
great opportunities for us and our children but it also
poses risks that our community is still trying to work out
how to manage.
KP: With all the new skills and opportunities that girls are
now provided with in the school and post-graduate
studies, I worry about our daughters getting jobs in the
future to allow them to transition these skills.
How can mums be more supportive of
each other?
JM: The shopping!
LH: The media often like to portray women as
unsupportive of one another. In reality, I don’t see this. The
women I work and socialise with, including the mothers of
the girls at Walford, provide great support to one another.
KP: Whilst they are very challenging, they are very
rewarding! Watching them grow up and turn into beautiful
young ladies just makes your heart explode with pride.
JM: It can range from shared pick-up and drop offs to
venting over a gin and tonic! Just knowing that ‘Mum
Chums’ are around is enough.
What do you enjoy doing together with
your daughter?
KP: To understand that all women are different and accept
those differences and stop judging each other. We can be
our own worst enemies!
LH: I practise Bikram Yoga every week and I enjoy
sharing this with my daughters. Last year we went to Italy
and I loved having this chance to spend time with Chris
and the girls especially as we explored some wonderful
places and took on some challenges like hiking the
Cinque Terra together.
What do you think it is important to make
time for?
JM: We love doing activities which allow us to chat a lot whether it be going for a walk or cooking.
KP: Family and exercise time. I am not too bad at family
time but I could be better, and I am terrible at exercise!
many things about Australian society as well as the
situation of indigenous people around the world. The
guest speakers provided an insight about the history of
indigenous people and also their current circumstances.
We were faced with the harsh reality that the world we live
in today is deeply unequal. However, at the same time, it
raised hope that we, as the youth of South Australia, could
work together and bring about change.
LH: The things and people you love!
JM: More than anything, quiet, solitude and daily
reflection to nourish the soul and recharge the battery.
United Nations
Inspiration
Following her attendance at the SA United
Nations Conference, Year 11 student, Aneesha
Singh has been selected as one of ten South
Australian delegates to attend the United
Nations Youth National Conference being held
in Hobart in July.
Tell me about the SA United Nations
Conference you attended:
Earlier in the year, Mrs Dowd asked me if I would be
interested in attending the SA UN Conference in March. I
was deeply touched that she had considered me. I took the
opportunity to attend, as I have always been very keen on
learning new things about the world we live in, as well as
valuing the United Nations.
The conference, themed ‘A Generation of Change:
Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation’ was an eyeopening, confronting and wonderful experience. I learnt
Communicators – we conveyed messages and thoughts
surrounding particular issues through skits and plays. It
was important to communicate respectfully since the
issues being discussed were sensitive ones.
Open Minded – listening and respecting the views of
others. I learnt a lot from listening to others with an open
mind. It helped me understand the situation better.
How were you selected to attend the
National Conference?
The facilitators of the State Conference selected the
delegates for the National Conference based upon their
participation and interest shown throughout the
conference. I was thrilled to be chosen. The conference is
a week-long event with the theme of ‘Shaping our
Tomorrow – Millennium Development Goals’.
What are you looking forward to most?
I am really looking forward to hearing from the guest
speakers, their speeches are always very insightful. I’m
also looking forward to interacting with other students
from around the country and learning more about the
Millennium Development Goals.
I have always been interested in current affairs. I am
passionate about bringing change, which the UN
promotes, especially change related to equality and
access, both of which are areas I feel strongly about.
Scholarship
to Israel
brings new
experiences to
the classroom
Carly Brooks, MYP Coordinator
Walford Teacher and Coordinator of the IB
Middle Years Programme, Carly Brooks, was
awarded a scholarship which saw her journey
to Israel to learn more about the Holocaust.
Israel was certainly not a country I had ever really considered
travelling to, but when the opportunity came to travel to
Jerusalem with other Australian teachers to study a topic that
I have always been interested in, I took a risk and went for it.
I discovered the Gandel Holocaust Studies for Australian
Educators Program whilst doing some preparation for my
Year 9 English class’ study of ‘The Boy in the Striped
Pyjamas’ last year. This program aims to create a network
of teachers across Australia who are committed to keeping
alive the memory and the lessons of the Holocaust for
Australian students.
The application process was rigorous and after a successful
written application, I was invited to attend an interview
in Melbourne. The panel interview consisted of
representatives of the funding organisation, Gandel
Philanthropy as well as leaders of the Melbourne Jewish
community and respected World War II and Holocaust
academics from universities in Melbourne and Sydney. The
interview panel was particularly interested in why I believed
Australian students should learn about the Holocaust,
what experience I had in teaching the Holocaust in the
past, and what I hoped to learn from being in Israel.
I was advised the following month that I had been
successfully awarded a full scholarship and began the
pre-requisite of the tour; a 40-hour online course on
pre-war Jewish life in Europe.
I arrived in Jerusalem in late December and after a brief
orientation session we were thrown straight into 8-hour a
day classes. Over the next 15 days, I was privileged to learn
from world experts in all areas of the Holocaust from the
origins of anti-Semitism in biblical times and Nazi racial
policy, to life in the ghettos and liberation and beyond. In
addition to academic experts, I had the absolute privilege to
meet and hear the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and
tour the Yad Vashem museum, one of the best in the world.
In addition to studying we also participated in a wide
range of tourist and cultural activities. We toured the
different quarters of the old city of Jerusalem, went to an
Orthodox Jewish Shabbat service and dinner, saw ancient
Roman ruins, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection, the Western Wall and the Dome on the Rock.
We also ventured beyond Jerusalem to visit the
cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv and port of Jaffa, the river
Jordan, Belvoir Castle, Herod’s palace at Masada, the Sea
of Galilee and the Golan Heights. The absolute highlight
was floating in the Dead Sea.
One of the ongoing aspects of the program is that as a part of
my scholarship I must create an educational project to teach
to my students. The project I will teach my Year 9 English
class this year is entitled ‘Finding Shmuel’s voice’. My project
aims to address some of the criticisms of the novel ‘The Boy
in the Striped Pyjamas’ by using diaries, poetry and
testimonies of Jewish children from the Holocaust to tell
more about the Jewish boy Shmuel’s experiences.
House Glee
House Glee has quickly become a highlight of the
school year for Walford Middle and Senior students.
We love seeing the girls support each other and have
fun as they prepare for and perform in this inclusive
event. Each House delivered a spectacular
performance, with Murray winning by a close margin.
Visit the blog on the School’s website walford.asn.au
to see the students in action!
In November, I will travel to Melbourne to present my
project to the scholarship donors, other tour participants
and Yad Vashem staff from Israel. I am looking forward to
developing, teaching and reflecting on this project as the
year progresses and have also enjoyed the opportunity to
speak at Assembly and help a Personal Learning Plan
student with her topic, as well as share my experiences
and resources with other staff.
My experiences in Israel demonstrated to me many of the
IB Learner Profiles I try to develop in my Middle School
students, particularly; being a risk-taker, knowledgeable,
reflective, inquiring, a thinker and a communicator.
Kaitlin Beddome
Kaitlin mentors Year 3 students
I work with two classes; with one class I’m mostly involved
with reading with the students, and in the other class it’s a
variety of activities ranging from outdoor games to
helping them with worksheets or performing experiments.
I really enjoy talking to the younger girls and getting to
know them. It’s fun and there’s a lot of learning and skill
building involved on both parts. The teachers are really
great too.
It is important for mentors to be comforting, consoling,
accepting, kind and to be a good role model in all aspects
of her person, and to be able to know how to interact with
children of different ages.
Mentoring fits in with the communication, caring and balance
aspects of the IB Learner Profiles. Talking to younger
students requires a different kind of communication in both
talking and listening, which can sometimes be a challenge
to perfect; caring is always a requirement with dealing with
young children; and balance, as the program helps ensure
we develop the social side of our lives as well as bringing
balance to the types of people we socialise with.
Erin Buswell
Erin is a mentor to Year 2 students
It has been such fun to work with the younger girls each
week. I was nervous the first few times, but the class and the
teacher have been really friendly and that has helped me feel
comfortable. It can be very therapeutic and I learn a lot from
them, like how to let go of your worries and just enjoy life
and school!
Developing through Mentoring
Walford Year 11 students have been
mentoring girls in the Junior School as part
of the Creativity Action Service (CAS)
component of the IB Diploma.
CAS requires Year 11 and 12 IB Diploma students to spend time
engaged in activities outside the regular curriculum, taking
them out of their comfort zone and developing new skills.
Students engage in an activity in each of the three areas
– creativity, action and service. These activities could
involve mentoring students, coaching sport, participating
in student council, taking on a leadership role, going on the
Antipodeans Abroad trip, helping charities, involvement in
music, drama, choir or band, sport or training.
The emphasis is on experiential learning – participating in
real tasks that have real consequences and then reflecting
on these experiences over time. CAS also goes beyond
participation; there are also specified learning outcomes, with
the students writing regular reflections.
CAS is more than just a subject. It is fundamental to, and part
of the core of IB, building self-esteem, self-confidence and
self-reliance within students. It aims to develop balanced
students who are reflective thinkers, willing to accept new
challenges and new roles, aware of themselves as members
of communities with responsibilities towards each other
and the environment and active participants in sustained
collaborative projects.
We do different activities each week, one week we will be typing
up stories onto the computer, and we will be making aprons the
next. I usually help the teachers with the set class task or
with reading. I really enjoy listening to their funny stories.
Aneesha Singh
Aneesha is a mentor to ELC students
I absolutely love starting my week mentoring the little ones
in the morning. It always puts me in a positive mood for the
rest of the week. They never fail to make me smile and I
absolutely love that.
Julia Somers
Julia mentors Year 4 students during maths on Mondays
I think that mentoring is a perfect way to inculcate leadership
skills. It also interacts closely with the IB Learner Profile.
It allows us to become better communicators through
interacting with different age groups. We become caring,
balanced and principled individuals.
Mentoring students in the Junior School is a great way to
give back to the Walford community in a way that benefits
both ourselves and the younger students. It also allows us to
meet, help, and form friendships with some of the girls in the
younger years.
I would really encourage the program to other senior
students. As well as helping others, you will learn a lot
from the program yourself.
I think the mentoring also gives younger students the
opportunity to meet someone older who they can talk to and
confide in if they need to. As mentors, we are not only here
to teach and help them, but also to listen to them and to help
whenever we can.
When I was in Junior School, I loved it when the older girls
would work with the class. I think it helps the girls have fun
and working with someone different improves their
interaction skills.
As a mentor, it is important to be open-minded and
confident, with a positive attitude. Mentoring fits into the
IB Learner Profiles of being open-minded and a risk taker.
Mentors need to be very friendly and approachable so that
the girls feel comfortable around us, and are not afraid to
open up and have a little fun. As mentors, we need to have a
positive and happy attitude when working with the students.
Mentoring is a great way to make friendships that you
normally wouldn’t, and it gives you a sense of joy, which runs
much deeper and greater than the joy you get from material
things, and just being with your friends. It is truly a valuable
experience which enables you to grow as a person, and a
student of Walford.
Laura Bills
Through the TOK course in the IB, I have been able to
develop my critical thinking skills, my holistic
understanding of the world around me, and my personal
views on different issues. The TOK course is unlike many
other courses. We are not taught what to think but instead
how we think and how we are influenced by the different
ways of knowing in the different areas of knowledge. In
class, instead of having a right or wrong answer, the whole
class engages in intellectual debate in which we are all
able to have and defend our own viewpoints on topics
such as deontological ethics and voluntary euthanasia.
Theory of Knowledge
Challenging what we know
Theory of Knowledge provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge,
and on how we know what we claim to know.
Undertaken as a core component of the IB Diploma,
Theory of Knowledge hones and heightens lateral and
critical thinking skills in students. It is based around the
question of “How do we know?”, and encourages students
to challenge what they know, how they know it, and to
what extent they can be certain of that knowledge.
Below are some reflections from our 2015 Year 12 IB Diploma
students who have just completed the presentation
component of the course, which requires them to apply
Theory of Knowledge thinking to a real-life situation:
Anri Pok
TOK is a subject that exposes students to issues around
the world that raise debates or have shaped the world that
we live in today. We are made aware of how different ways
of knowing such as reason, emotion and perception affects
the way that we interpret situations. From TOK we learn to
be more open-minded.
My TOK real life situation was the Fukushima nuclear
disaster. I chose this topic because I was personally involved
through the volunteer efforts. My knowledge question that I
derived from this was, ‘To what extent does the benefits of
the outcome justify the action taken?’ I explored the
response to the question, ‘to a large extent’ through an
ethical situation in which a mother, grandmother and aunt
of several children was caught stealing eggs to feed her
starving family, but released, with many people supporting
the decision the police officer made in buying the food for
her. I then analysed the death penalty of Stanley Williams in
which there were outcomes for both benefits and risks and
ethical debates to consider, which meant that the action
taken was justified only to a moderate extent. Finally,
through the natural sciences the response, ‘to a limited
extent’ was demonstrated by the animal testing for
cosmetics. The Lush human testing display stressed the
influence of perception on people’s judgment.
Jordan Blyth
Throughout the IB course in Year 11 and 12, TOK has
allowed me to develop my critical thinking skills and
analyse global issues in greater depth. It has helped me to
understand the various perspectives that can be obtained
as well as how various areas and ways of knowing, such as
ethics and reason, influence our decisions and help us
distinguish right from wrong. It has made me consider not
just the scientifically proven facts gained from a situation,
but the various emotions and perceptions that influence
our understanding of the world. I have learnt how areas of
knowledge such as maths and the arts affect global issues,
two factors I had never considered to affect various
situations before.
Elaine Yu
TOK aims to widen our perception of knowledge and life
by questioning all aspects of our understanding. Through
various areas of knowledge and ways of knowing, we look at
various situations and overturn our original assumptions.
I have learnt to not blindly accept knowledge without
striving to understand it with multiple perspectives.
Through TOK I have also come to adopt the habit of not
being judgemental of situations I do not understand
because of my limited, individual cultural and life
experiences. I now have a much broader range of what can
be considered ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and have begun to see that
the majority of human interactions lie within the grey area.
Walford’s
Choral Concert
Walford’s Choral Concert was a night to remember!
Choristers from Year 4 through to Year 12 enjoyed
performing in this annual concert. The girls
performed with confidence and flair, proudly
showcasing the results of many hours of rehearsal.
Following the Umbrella Revolution that occurred last year
in Hong Kong, I was inspired to analyse the effect of
authority on the individual. Through the knowledge
question ‘To what extent does the role of authority
influence the behaviour of the individual?’ I analysed
many real life situations which suggested authority greatly
influences our decision making and also where authority
doesn’t influence at all. The odd similarities between twins
separated at birth offered an insight into the influence of
genetics and the rule of Hitler gave a prime example of
the effect of a leader on a population. It was concluded in
my presentation that there are situations where authority
is a great influence and others where it is not, and to
highlight this complexity of this topic I asked my class
what or who influences them?
Tilly Balding
TOK is the backpack I wear through my journey of the IB.
In it, I carry all of the knowledge that I have acquired
throughout the entirety of my life and in my TOK lessons
I learn how to unpack this backpack. This may seem like a
simple task but it requires more thinking and more skills
than I initially thought necessary. I have learnt how to
‘take out’ knowledge from this backpack and turn it over,
thoroughly analysing what I know from every possible
angle of perspective. Before I underwent the TOK
program in the IB, I realise that I had previously been
rashly upending the contents of my backpack on my
bedroom floor in an attempt to find what I need. However,
now I have the methods needed to calmly unpack my
knowledge and utilise every aspect of it to my advantage
in every lesson.
Walford Women
2014 Alumni Award Winners
Ann Woolcock completed her schooling at Walford before entering the University
of Adelaide to study Medicine. After graduating from the University of Adelaide,
Ann pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Sydney. Her thesis focused
in the mechanical behaviour of the lungs in asthma. Towards the end of her
postgraduate studies, Ann became the Overseas Research Fellow for the Asthma
Foundation of NSW at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
1954
Professor Ann Woolcock
Asthma expert and
respiratory scientist
Ann’s contributions to asthma research were extensive, with over 300 articles and
book chapters contributed by her on the subject. In 1985, Ann founded the Institute
of Respiratory Medicine in Sydney. Under her leadership the institution expanded
to support more than 130 researchers and support staff. It is considered to be one of
the top six asthma research centers in the world. In 2002 the Institute was renamed
the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in her honour. She lost her battle with
breast cancer in 2001 at the age of 63.
After completing her education at Walford, Maria Fuller’s studies culminated in a
PhD which focussed on improving gene therapy techniques by developing a gene
transfer system using a derivative from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and
demonstrating that derivatives of HIV could be safely used to transfer genetic material.
Following her PhD, Maria has continued to research gene therapy as a treatment pathway for
metabolic and inherited genetic disorders. Maria is currently the Head of the Translational
Research Unit at SA Pathology, having previously been the Head of the Lysosomal
Biology Section at the Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service in Adelaide.
Maria has received a number of awards for her research work, including the MS
McLeod Medal for Research Excellence, an Achievement Award for Medical Research
presented by the Honourable Lord Mayor of Adelaide, and a National Health and
Medical Research Council Career Development Award. Maria has attracted more than
$3 million in research funding and is a reviewer for a number of respected academic
journals. She continues to publish articles in peer-reviewed journals and is often
invited to speak at national and international conferences.
Helen has dedicated her career to public health and social policy, becoming an
expert in these areas. In the early 1990s, she managed the National Communicable
Diseases Program in the Australian Department of Health. She also managed the
Australian Government Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
Helen served as Deputy Executive Director at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria between 2005 and 2009.
1964
Associate Professor Helen
Evans (née Symington)
Business & Community Service
On returning to Australia, Jane moved into teaching and policy making before
taking on the role of Manager and Acting Director of the Office for the Aging
in the Department of Human Services. Jane is currently the General Manager,
People and Innovation with ACH Group, a not for profit aged care provider in
South Australia and Melbourne. Jane’s team leads the organisational focus on
customer, innovation, workforce, communication, good lives values, dementia
and customer research.
Jane Mussared
Community Service
page 26
Geneticist
On returning to Australia, Zoë delivered what became known as ‘The Morrison Report’, an
investigation into responses to child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault in the Anglican
Diocese of Adelaide, which resulted in changes to church practice and culture.
After leaving Walford, Jane Mussared obtained a Bachelor of Social Work and
began working for rural community welfare centres around South Australia.
After reaching the level of manager of the Adelaide and then Port Adelaide
Community Welfare centres, Jane relocated to Michigan and studied for her
Master of Social Work degree.
1974
Dr Maria Fuller
After graduating from Walford, Zoë Morrison completed Arts/Law at Adelaide University
gaining a First Class Honours degree in Human Geography and several University prizes.
She was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to complete a DPhil (PhD) in Human Geography
at Oxford University. Her doctoral research was on the topic of social exclusion and
involved research and community work in an infamous Oxford council housing estate. On
completing her PhD, at the age of 24, Zoë was appointed to a College Lectureship in Human
Geography at St Peter’s College, Oxford University, and Honorary Research Fellowships in
the School of Geography, and the International Gender Studies Centre.
After Helen Evans graduated from Walford, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts
majoring in psychology and history from the University of Adelaide, followed by
a Graduate Degree in social administration from Flinders University.
Helen has most recently served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the GAVI
Alliance based in Geneva from 2009 until her retirement in 2014. GAVI is a
public-private partnership that helps ensure that the most effective vaccines are
available to children in the poorest countries in the world. Helen Evans has been
involved in the work of many international health and development organisations
including serving on the board of UNAIDS. She is currently working as a special
advisor to the GAVI CEO and has an honorary appointment as Associate Professor
at the Nossal Institute for Global Health at the University of Melbourne.
1984
In 2008 Jane was the SA Winner of the Innovation Award in the Telstra Business
Women’s Awards and in 2007 she was awarded a Sanicare Scholarship to visit
aged care facilities in Malta and the Netherlands. Jane currently serves on the
boards of Cirkidz and of Aged and Community Services (SA&NT) and previously
was part of the Port Power Community Engagement Task Force.
1994
Dr Zoë Morrison
Social Services
This was followed by work with the Victorian Law Reform Commission, recommending changes
to family violence laws in Victoria. Zoë also worked for Monash University, researching the
conditions that support women’s academic success. After this she managed the Australian
Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault and held various other leadership positions on
councils and committees, such as the National Council to Prevent Violence Against Women
and their Children, and the Statewide Steering Committee to Reduce Sexual Assault.
Most recently, Zoë was Senior Manager in Research at the anti-poverty NGO, the
Brotherhood of St Laurence where, among other things, she led research on children and
social exclusion.
Lucy Bonnin is a highly regarded and talented artist. She graduated from Walford in
2004 having spent all of her school days here. After leaving, Lucy was awarded a
scholarship to attend the Adelaide Central School of Art, where she was able to study
with established artists and develop her own artistic talent.
In 2009, Lucy was successful in obtaining a grant from the New Enterprise Incentive
Scheme that enabled her to study for a Certificate IV in Business and subsequently
establish her own small business, Bonnin Art, in South Australia. Lucy has been very
successful in major art prizes, most recently winning the Lethbridge 10000 National
Art Prize in 2011 and being selected as a finalist in this year’s Black Swan Portrait Prize
in Perth.
Lucy also uses her talents to help raise funds for charity. To date, auctions of works
created and donated by Lucy have raised over thirty thousand dollars for charities such
as Can Do 4 Kids, The Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation and Autism SA.
Lucy also enjoys donating her time to teaching others and has recently re-visited
Walford to take an art class with the Year 2 students. Her vision for the future is to
establish a gallery in which she can exhibit and support other emerging artists.
2004
Lucy Bonnin
Artist
page 27
Old Scholars v Students Netball Match
For the second year running, we started the week with a
netball match between Old Scholars and current students.
It was a tightly contested match and current students
retained the trophy winning 17-12.
A Walford Morning
On Thursday 28 May we welcomed more than 50 guests
to the annual morning Holy Communion service,
conducted by Rev Tracey Gracey and accompanied by
Sister Helen Jamieson (’50) who travelled from NSW for
this special occasion.
Old Scholars’ Week 2015
Each year in the last week of May, the
school celebrates Old Scholars’ Week
with a varied program of events for past
Walford students to attend.
Members of the Old Scholars’ Chorale, Ann Arens,
Annabel Cheel, Rachel Evans, Anne Morphett, Heather
Miller, Nerelly Lowe and Faye Wildman, sang beautifully
during communion, and the opening and close of the
service. Our former chorale conductor, Suzanne Moorhead
accompanied the ladies on piano. Everyone enjoyed a
morning tea immediately after the service.
This event was followed by the annual Back to School
Assembly and Rose Bowl Debate, which carried the topic:
“Dating lessons should be introduced at Walford”. Debaters
on the affirmative team were current Year 12 students,
Jasmin Manetta and Elliette Kirkbride, and the Old Scholars’
team was well represented by Lily Franklin and Hayley
Gobell, both from 2013. In a closely fought and entertaining
debate current students managed to retain the trophy.
The Old Scholars’ Luncheon was very well attended.
The class of 1945 held their 75 Year Reunion and special
thanks must go to the convenor, Patsy Muirden (’45) who
reunited the 1945 Intermediate Class for this special
occasion. The ladies had a lovely meal complemented by
d’Arenberg wines, generously donated by Walford parent,
Chester Osborn.
Old Scholars’ Golf Day
A group of 18 enthusiastic golfers met at Kooyonga Golf
Club once again for their annual round of golf. There were
six groups of three playing a Team Stableford with the two
best scores on each hole counting. Congratulations to the
winning teams:
•
The winners with 78 points were Marg Southwood
(Lawrence), Sue Humphrey (Wilson) and Jo Parkinson
(Montgomery), on a count-back from Pam Dixon
(Edwards), Jenny Gilkes (Limbert) and Sally Sarah
(Austin) who also finished with 78 points.
•
The Long Drive Division 1 (Handicaps 0-25) was won by
Rosemary Leahy (Hollis) and Division 2 (Handicaps 26-45)
was Jenny Gilkes.
•
Nearest the Pin Division 1 (0-25) was unclaimed and
Division 2 (26-45) was won by Sue Davies (Stokes).
Thank you to Ann Saunders (Naughton) for convening
this event.
Old Scholars’ Dinner
The Old Scholars’ Dinner was held at the Adelaide Pavilion
this year and we welcomed over 140 ladies from 1955, 1965,
1975, 1985 and 1995. At the dinner we celebrated the 20 years
of service and dedication of Ms Maria Caruso, Science
Coordinator, presenting her with an honorary membership
to the Old Scholars’ Association. We thank Anne Last (‘75)
for being our guest speaker and sharing the significance of
her time at Walford.
page 28
AGM
Our Annual General Meeting was well attended. Members
enjoyed the reports on the previous year’s activities, asked
questions, and shared their excitement and expectations for
the year ahead. We especially thanked our outgoing members,
Anne Spiker (Sandow ’63), and long serving Jane Brooks
(nee Kellett ’00) who served as President and Vice- President/
Secretary and committee member since 2006.
We are pleased to announce the elected Committee
Members for 2015-2016
President: Edwina Butterworth (’96)
Vice Presidents: Leanne Gluyas (’84) and
Genevieve Garrett (’12)
Secretary: Eleanor Adams (’00)
Treasurer: Kelly Murray (’02)
Committee Members:
• Ann Arens (’76)
• Elizabeth Carroll-Shaw (’10)
• Annabel Cheel (’62)
• Libby Cook (’61)
• Natalie Ewart (’89)
• Sarah Jaensch (’84)
• Christine Michell (’61)
• Anne Roller (’68)
• Diane Thorpe (’61)
• Faye Wildman (’60)
School Tour
The School Tour on Saturday was well attended in spite of
the cold weather. Many old scholars brought their family
members and were excited to show them the former
classrooms where they had spent many days as a student.
Old Scholars’ Mums and Bubs Session
On Monday 1 June we welcomed Old Scholars and their
children for a special playgroup session at Walford’s Early
Learning Centre. The mums enjoyed catching up over lunch,
while the children had a wonderful time.
Old Scholars’ Week for 2015 was
a wonderful success with many
more ladies joining in on the
numerous events. We were really
excited this year to re-establish the
mid-week Luncheon for the many
Old Scholars who prefer day
gatherings, the Mums and Bubs
Playgroup for those in this phase of
life and the Netball Match.
We strongly encourage you to let us know if there is any way
we can support an opportunity for you to gather with your
year group to foster your friendships gained through your
experiences at Walford.
It is truly a delight to serve along with the Committee and to
enjoy the fellowship and excitement generated at these events.
Each event I attend I always walk away feeling uplifted,
encouraged and so grateful for having had the opportunity to
attend Walford as a student and gain such a rich set of
attributes, friendships and foundation. Cheers to another year,
and thank you to all who served as convenors and organisers.
Ms Edwina Butterworth
President
page 29
POSTCARD FROM OVERSEAS
In my last year at Walford, Mr Cowley took a few of us to an
exhibition of picture book art. We all went to a café
afterwards, and maybe it was the novelty of that, or perhaps
it was the coffee, but as we talked I made a decision on the
spot that I would illustrate children’s books. Just like that.
Many years and some thirty books later, I really
understood the importance of picture books when I
visited children who had never had them. I travelled to
Rwanda with Save the Children, for their Children’s Book
Initiative, which introduces books into classrooms. We
toured schools where not only the children, but the
teachers had never held a book, never turned the pages to
discover a story unfold. Until recently they have learnt to
read from isolated sentences written in chalk on stone
walls. One afternoon we visited an after-school book club.
We drove up one of the thousand hills outside Kigali until
the dirt road ran out. We hiked the rest of the way through
maize fields and banana trees, overtaken by giggling
children. When we reached the top, there were over a
hundred children gathered on the hillside, some of whom
had walked miles to hear a story. Volunteers and children
took turns to read, taking care to show all the pictures. I
had brought The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and
Walford Old Scholar, Sophie Blackall (’87)
inspired students during her visit to the
School earlier this year. Sophie is an illustrator
and author of children’s books (including
illustrating the very popular Ivy and Bean
series) and is based in New York.
I was incredibly fortunate to win a scholarship in 1982, which
enabled me to attend Walford. I had great friends there and
some fantastic teachers. Everything else was pretty grim, or
so I thought at the time: the uniforms were awful; the PE staff
were all cranky, all the time; the handles of the hockey sticks
were wrapped in terry towelling which had absorbed the
sweat of decades of girls and smelled worse than you can
imagine. Worst of all, we never saw boys, except for ballroom
dancing classes with Pulteney, which pretty much cured us of
ever wanting to see boys again. But all of this was bearable –
funny even – when you endured it with friends.
And then I had teachers like Mrs Shepard, who was
elderly, authoritative, Irish and beloved. She had mauve
hair and frosted lipstick and always had an enormous,
ancient, black handbag hooked over her arm. On the first
day of Year 9 English, she announced we’d be studying
Macbeth. “There are a lot of curse words in Shakespeare”,
she said. “Let’s get the tittering out of the way before we
begin.” She stood at the blackboard and in perfect
copperplate, wrote a list of the filthiest words in the
English language. It was a thing of beauty, and in that
page 30
together in the hot afternoon sun on a hilltop in Africa, we
imagined what it was like to wake up on a snowy day.
It’s not always an easy path, choosing a career in the arts. I
remember how hard it was out of college, trying to get
work in the world, trying to stay true to the thing I loved
doing. So for what it’s worth, here’s my advice:
First of all, hang in there! When I left college I wanted to
be a children’s book illustrator. It took me ten years to get
my first book. Before then I illustrated stain removal tips
and price tags for grocery stores and local theatre posters
and maps and then gradually magazine articles and
newspaper pieces. Slowly building up portfolio pieces I
was proud of, scraping a living from the work I was less
proud of. But I always thought it was better to be doing
something still vaguely related to what I eventually
wanted, rather than giving up and getting a full time job,
which wouldn’t leave me any time to draw.
Secondly, keep making things for yourself. It’s always your
best work. I always tell students, find the thing you love
doing, then find a way to call it work. As long as we’re
doing the thing we’re passionate about, we can survive on
crumbs. And eventually it’ll pay off. Promise.
baking hot classroom you could have heard a pin drop.
My other favourite teachers were Mrs Wait, who taught
history and Mr Cowley, who taught art. Mrs Wait told us
stories of colonisation and war and casually planted the
seeds of social activism, feminism and empathy. Mr Cowley
told us stories of how he had once lugged a cast iron
bathtub full of sheep intestines to Adelaide Railway Station
and reclined in it for a day. They were both original thinkers
who took classes outside, under the trees or out in the
streets. They scolded us for being too literal or too limited;
they made us laugh and when we disappointed them, we
felt dreadful. Perhaps I’m romanticising a bit, but I often
think of them, and I have always wanted them to know what
a profound effect they had on me.
As a child, my favourite books were The House at Pooh
Corner, Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows,
Milly Molly Mandy. Gentle English books with a hint of
darkness, mostly. I spent whole summers up a tree working
my way through every Enid Blyton book. I was obsessed
with The Famous Five and wanted to find an island and
camp on the moors and make a bed of heather even though
I had not the first clue what heather was. The Famous Five
were also always prepared for anything and my brother and
I were very influenced by this. We used to carry around old
army canvas bags with Useful Things like safety pins and
rubber bands and matches, a penknife, a piece of string and
a pencil stump. You just never knew when you might find
yourself trapped in a cave with evil smugglers. I never really
grew out of children’s books.
page 31
New Starts. Fond Memories.
Births
Deaths
Michelle Jenkin (nee Wallis ’03) a daughter, Elise
Madison on 19 May 2014, a sister to Lara.
Jillien Goode (Roberts ’41) on 15.02.13
Caroline Rhodes (nee Brokus ’95) a daughter, Lucinda
Kate Rhodes on 30 July 2014.
Rosalie Tonkin (Freeman ’49) on 31.12.13
Bessie Nelson (Snow ’37) on 04.01.14
Jennifer Pierce (Palm ’52) on 07.09.14
Kate Chisholm (’93) a son, Harry Emerson on
1 December 2014.
Margot Shearer (’92) a daughter, Frenchie on
22 January 2015.
Erica Grimwade AM (’34) on 13.10.14
Barbara Flint (’35) on 31.10.14
Patricia Hackett (Lathlean ’47) on 25.11.14
Stephanie Smith (Gray ’65)
Marriages
Anne Silwood (Pitcher ’45)
Nicole Rotman (’05) married Rhys Jones on
13 September 2014.
Judith Barnett (’45)
Kate Burge (’03) married Will Slee on 1 November 2014.
Nancy Jordan (Holland ’43) on 24.03.15
Sonia Waterman (’98) married Haydn Lawrie on
25 October 2014.
Shirley Sinclair (Badman ’40) on 27.03.15
Jane Kellett (’00) married Edward Brooks on
21 February 2015.
Janie Gilmour (Lawson ’71) on 12.04.15
Kathryn Slade (’95) married Damien Frankcom on
11 April 2015.
Marjorie Crooks (’25) on 27.01.15
Audrey Kenny (Matthew ’35) on 09.04.15
Josephine Wrathall (Bayer ’38) on 16.04.15
Judith Murray (Hubble ’48) on 31.05.15
Obituary
Marjory May Williams (nee Laurence)
1919 - 2006
Marjory Laurence was born on 20 February 1919, in
Adelaide.
She attended Walford from 1929 to 1936. She did well
academically, and was awarded several school prizes.
She was a prefect in her last year at Walford, in 1936.
After leaving school, she worked as a laboratory
assistant at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute
from 1937 to 1942. At the Waite Institute she would have
seen her future husband, Colin Hale Williams, who was
also a laboratory assistant at that time. They first met
socially at a Coronation Day picnic in May 1937. They
became engaged in December 1941, and married in
April 1942. They had two children, a son Neil born in
1945 and a daughter Meredith born in 1951.
In January 1949 they moved from Adelaide to Canberra,
where Colin became a senior and distinguished
scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
page 32
Research Organisation. As was typical for those days,
Marjory gave up work after her marriage to become a
full-time housewife, devoting herself to her children,
her husband and her home. She was actively involved
with Canberra members of the Walford Old Scholars
during the 1960s and 1970s.
Colin retired in 1982 and Marjory and Colin moved to
live out their retirement on Bribie Island. Marjory and
Colin had a long and happy marriage. They celebrated
their Golden Wedding in 1992 and their Diamond
Wedding in 2002.
Marjory died on 26 November 2006, aged 87. Colin
survived her, passing away in June 2014 at the age of
95. In his will, he left a bequest to Walford, in memory
of Marjory. We are sincerely appreciative of Mr and Mrs
Williams’ generosity in bequeathing this gift to Walford
for the benefit of future generations.
OranjeCreative7357
Walford Anglican School for Girls Inc.
316 Unley Road Hyde Park South Australia 5061
PO Box 430 Unley South Australia 5061
Tel. 61 8 8373 4062 | Fax. 61 8 8272 0313
/walfordschool | walford.asn.au

July 2015 - Walford Anglican School for Girls

Transcription

Similar documents

17magazine`s

December 2015 - Walford Anglican School for Girls

Invitation - Girls Write Now

Fined £750 for violent assault in hotel toilet

No Body`s Perfect - Christian Schools Australia

Jewell Magazine - June 2014 - Walford Anglican School for Girls

SCIOTO SHOE MART

The children played very well over the 3 day carnival held at

niñas mal - Sony Pictures Television