NEWS. Students enjoy the cultural delights of France and China JULY 2012

NEWS JULY 2012 Students enjoy the cultural delights of France and China As part of Perth Modern School s cultural exchange program, students of French and Chinese spent the April school holidays steeped in the wonderful culture and amazing sights of their chosen country of study. Students of French spent Easter exploring Paris before heading south to spend a few days with a host family and to attend the senior school campus with a host student in Aix-en-Provence. The China Tour involved visits to iconic sites such as the Great Wall, Imperial Palace and Terracotta Warriors in Beijing, Xi an and Shanghai along with visits to schools. The tours enhance students cultural understanding, facilitate intensive language development and provide the opportunity to form lasting friendships. One thing that I loved about the China Tour was hearing the language spoken all around me. Everything that I had learned about the Chinese language seemed to make more sense. Kayley Crebbin My best memory of the French Tour was staying with the host families, with the opportunity to experience French culture with children our age, going to school with them and experiencing their social life. Bonnie Paul continued on pages 6 and 7 in this issue Pages 10 and 11 Award-winning students Pages 16 and 17 Year 8 House Camp Pages 18 and 19 Skills Week

From the Principal Respect for Others is one of the three core values embraced by the school as part of the reshaping of school values this year in our first year as an Independent Public School. In the development of the Business Plan for 2012 2014 the school community acknowledged the importance of supporting our students to develop a deep respect and care for others whether they be fellow students, staff, members of the wider community or citizens of other countries. Opportunities for students to explore the world and gain richer cultural understandings are promoted strongly at Perth Modern School. For example, tours to France and China were enjoyed by students during the April holidays, with significant cultural and educational benefits for students on both tours. Thanks to Krista Jordan and Yuan Yi for organising the tours and to Jan Sonder-Sorensen, Roger Hey and Val Furphy for accompanying the tours. Similarly, the implementation of the National Curriculum from July with one key strand being Understandings of Asia creates another opportunity to support students to engage with Asia and develop a deeper understanding of its various cultural groups. In preparation, staff spent a significant part of the two professional development days at the start of term and on other occasions throughout the term examining their curriculum to infuse this strand along with the other two cross curricula strands Indigenous Understandings and Sustainability. Respect for others was most evident at our ANZAC Day Assembly held on the first Friday of term. A moving ceremony, which included the story of an early Modernian s sacrifice, was a fitting reminder to our students of how much we owe those who came before. Many opportunities exist for students to engage in cocurricula activities to develop skills, academic ability and sporting prowess. It also enables students to engage with others, develop social and team building skills and simply have fun. Debating, Tournament of Minds, Mock Trials, student involvement in the UWA program of SMARTS, Lightning Carnivals and many other sporting and social events have all contributed to students in this way. Our Indoor Volleyball team won the Alcohol, Think Again High School Indoor Competition while our sailing team acquitted themselves well in the SunSmart Yachting WA Schools Team Racing Championships during the holidays. The excitement of Year 8 and Year 9 students at their Club Mod social which took place in a swirl of lighting effects and loud music was a delight to behold. Rick McMahon with the support of staff once again created a terrific event. The annual Year 8 Camp at Woodman Point was an outstanding success again this year. Two hundred Year 8s along with many staff who volunteered their time to support the students enjoyed an amazing three days of interesting and challenging activities under the leadership of Year 8 Coordinator Laura Liddell. Thanks to all involved for making this event possible. As the term moved into the final weeks, senior school examinations were completed. Over 2300 examinations were taken and marked during a two week period. Teachers then turned to the completion of Semester 1 reports and the end of term saw 2397 parent teacher interviews take place on the Progress Report afternoon. Parents of Year 9 and Year 10 students also attended Information Nights to hear about the curriculum opportunities available in the senior secondary years. In addition Julie Pegrum, President of the Parents and Citizens Association and Warren Barbetti, Chair of the School Board gave a brief overview of the planned Campaign for a Health and Fitness Centre. Thanks to Val Furphy, Steve Jurilj, Ian Hunt, Rick McMahon, Nicola Reilly, Esther Hill and Ray Driehuis for their contribution to these evenings. Year 12 students of English enjoyed a day at Curtin University exploring the texts they are studying with experts in the field. Thanks to the English Department for providing this opportunity. Students in Years 9 and 10 with the support of PE staff have enjoyed competing in Lightning Carnivals. They have acquitted themselves well despite the wet weather. Year 10 Skills Week saw our students enjoy the opportunity to undertake work experience, learn new skills and gain a better understanding of their future direction. Thank you to Mark Muir, Judith Arrowsmith and all staff for organising the week. 2 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Principal s breakfasts: Towards the end of Term 2, I, along with the Executive Team, enjoyed a light breakfast with Year 12 advocacy groups. This was a terrific opportunity to converse with, and gain feedback from, the students in regard to their experiences at Mod. Staff have supported and facilitated student involvement in many events. Congratulations go to the following students for their success: Social Science success: Emma Boogaerdt (Year 12) has been selected to be a member of the Western Australian Schools Debating team and will participate in the National Schools Debating competition held in Hobart in August. Lucy Raffel and Daniel Glamorgan (both in Year 11) have been selected to represent Western Australia at the United Nations Youth National Conference in Melbourne in July. Kyle Bartlett has come first in Western Australia in the junior level of the National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition. Two teams were in the final for the United Nations Youth Evatt Trophy: Ryan Bunney and Tomas Cokis, plus Jonathan Israel and Jet-Shoon Chong, who were placed third. Perth Modern School chess players have once again triumphed as winners of the recent Secondary State Chess Championship for the third year. Congratulations to Neville Shah (Captain), Aston Taminsjah, Erwin Tee and Jonathan Israel. Science success: Jared Clapin, Erwin Tee and Jos Fisher won the Astronomy WA Challenge Cup. The competition win resulted in a magnificent telescope being presented for use by the school. Eily Schulz was selected to represent WA at Youth ANZAAS, an annual residential international forum for science students, to be held in New Zealand. Daniel Nguyen, Jaron Lee and Karun Paul made the final of the Royal Australian Chemistry Institute Titration Competition to be held at Murdoch University in August. The team of Jamon Wu, Jared Clapin, Megan Barbetti and Xhia Wu came third in the Australian Brain Bee Competition, which focuses on neuroscience. Language success: Many students of Languages were engaged in the world wide Language Perfect World Championships. Radheya Jegatheva, with 10,101 points, won an Elite Award and placed in the top quarter of one per cent of students worldwide. Year 11 student Kayley Crebbin won first place in Western Australia preselection for the 5th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition. She will represent WA this July in Adelaide. Vision Sporting success: Year 8 student Andrea Ho has been selected to represent WA in the 2012 State Swimming and Diving Team. The team will compete at the National Schools Championships in Sydney in July. Bianca Macliver has been selected to represent Western Australia at the National Calisthenic Championships to be held in Darwin in July. Thank you to staff for their support of these and all participating students. Health and Fitness Centre: The very sad state of the current gymnasium combined with the lack of a much-needed facility for indoor volleyball and basketball is well known in the school community. The need to refurbish the current gymnasium and build a new facility has necessitated the planning of a fundraising campaign over three years to provide the facility in three phases. A committee to support the Build the Dream Campaign consisting of parents, alumni, staff and students was formed to facilitate fundraising Initiatives. Parents under the leadership of the P & C President Julie Pegrum conducted a very successful phonothon to encourage donations. The success of the initial phase of the campaign has ensured funds are now available for Phase 1. Lois Joll, Principal Perth Modern School s purpose is to nurture a love of learning so as to develop academically gifted and talented students to their full academic, social and physical potential. We aspire to develop engaged, creative, independent, lifelong learners who will be contributing and responsible members of the global community. Perth Modern School Business Plan PERTH MODERN SCHOOL BUSINESS PLAN 2012 2014 If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes cares of itself. Henry Ford. The Perth Modern School community has set its strategic direction for the next three years. The Business Plan has been developed in consultation with the wider school community, primarily through the Centenary Deliberative Assembly which was held in July 2011 as part of the centenary celebrations. The Deliberative Assembly brought together students, staff, parents and alumni to consider the future direction of Perth Modern School, whilst learning lessons from the past. Teaching staff and the Perth Modern School Board have been contributing to the development of the plan, and are now engaged in implementing the key focus areas which reflect our values so that students may benefit. The plan, which is available on the school web site, will be reviewed by the Board and School each year. Independent Public School Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 3

ANZAC Day Commemoration A whole-school assembly was held on Thursday, 26 April to commemorate ANZAC Day. Lest we forget. Student councillors Keith Chandra (L) and Claire Rapson (R) lay a wreath on the school war memorial. Perth Modern School students and staff gathered by the war memorial for an emotive ANZAC Day service on Thursday, 26 April. Private Blair Morton spoke at the service along with Principal Lois Joll and student Freya Hombergen, who recounted her visit to the sombre war graves of young Australians killed in battle in World War I. Members of the school band and choir led the national anthem. The story of an early Modernian s sacrifice reminded students how much they owe to those who came before. United Nations Youth If our future is in the hands of our youth, then we can feel encouraged and inspired by the students who have participated in activities by UN Youth Australia, an organisation run by young adults for young adults that requires students to think about the big issues facing the world and debate solutions. In Term 1, a number of students participated in the UN Youth State Conference. Participants represent one of the nations from the UN General Assembly and debate issues related to the environment, economics and human rights. Lucy Raffel and Daniel Glamorgan were selected to attend the National UN Youth Conference held in Melbourne. Twelve Perth Modern School teams competed in the Evatt Trophy Competition held throughout Term 2. Teams of two represent a nation from the Security Council and debate two prepared and one impromptu resolution on a contemporary issue. Topics this year included the tensions of the Korean Peninsula, restructuring of the Security Council and the question of Syria. Ryan Bunney and Tomas Cokis representing India and Jonathan Israel and Jet- Shoon Chong representing China were selected to participate in the final held at Parliament House on Friday, 29 June, with Jonathan and Jet-Shoon coming third. L-R: Claire Stacey, Ariel Mroz, Jonathan Israel, Josaphine Sadler, Ryan Bunney, Helena Trang, Tomas Cokis, Katherine Langford, Audrey Lee. Year 9 and Year 10 students participated in a Leadership Forum held at The University of Western Australia. The focus was Australia s bid to participate in the Security Council. Students listened to guest speakers and worked with students from a range of schools to discuss Australia s role to date in the international community and the future role that we can play. 4 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Youth Ambassadors engage with the community A perfect union BY JOSEPH SABBAGH After one hundred years, the grounds of Perth Modern School have seen a lot. A century of sports, concerts, regal visits, plays, wars and peace have bestowed upon us a long and vibrant history, and with our one hundred year celebration came one hundred years of records. My friend, Kaelan Sinclair and I responded to inquiries from the Historical Society for tech-savvy Youth Ambassadors to help digitise their vast collection of memorabilia. Alongside representatives of the Historical Society, Ms Beresford and Mr Jarvis, and despite our busy Year 12 study schedule, we were able to find time to give to this valuable cause. Our job was to scan, crop and add search tags and descriptions to a massive array of physical data to be filed digitally by the sophisticated museum-grade digital catalogue Mosaic. It was amazing to see the evolution of the school grounds from harsh bushland to lush concourse to car park and back again; and the straight-laced attitude and careful comb-overs of the 1940s to the funky hairstyles of the 1960s. It seems fitting that just after the school s centenary celebration work begins to digitise the collection so that valuable hallmarks of time gone by persist for another 100 years. Ms Deb Beresford and Joseph Sabbagh. HBF Run for a Reason BY JAMILLA GILES Standing in the dark at 5 am, watching the sun rise over a sleepy Perth as everyone arrives for HBF Run for a Reason is an image I will never forget. Standing with my comrades thawing out in the morning sun, we were the crew for the drinks station waiting for the first onset of eager runners. Ellen Williams, Bram Kotzee, Lucas Sukadana, Keith Kuan and I were stationed at the first leg of the run and you would be surprised at how many runners wanted a cup of water after the first kilometre Mr Meczes included running past at great speed. For the hour or so it took for the entire swarm to pass by we handed out water, collected used cups and yelled out encouragement to participants all the while becoming more and more inspired by their efforts. It was a real thrill to support a charity event of this magnitude. Youth Ambassador Keith Kuan at HBF Run for a Reason. When runners saw us grooving to the funky band that had set up close by, as we cheered them on, smiles spread across their faces and they ran a little harder. Rio Tinto Conservation Volunteers Earth Assist Program During the April holidays, Stephanie Hair, Thomas Windsor and I spent time at the Kanyana Wildlife Centre, Brixton Street Wetlands and Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre as part of the Rio Tinto Conservation Volunteers Earth Assist Program. During our three days we worked to install a digging pond for echidnas, clear debris, plant trees and remove weeds. While these tasks sound quite menial, they were in fact great fun because of the fantastic likeminded people we spent time with. At each centre, we were given a tour of the venue by the full time volunteers who gave us an insight into how these valuable establishments are run. We were able to get up close and BY MATTHEW HOBLEY Matthew Hobley. personal with endangered native animals such as black cockatoos, bilbies, echidnas and possums. I highly recommend this program, which is run every school holidays, to anyone who is passionate about the environment. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 5

Captivating China BY KAYLEY CREBBIN Fourteen Australian students and their teachers happily mixed amidst chopsticks, Peking Duck, oriental scenery and the richness of Chinese culture during our China Tour in April. Nine Year 10 students and six Year 11 students travelled through three Chinese cities, Beijing, Xi an and Shanghai, experiencing the rich cultural experiences each had to offer, and basking in the sounds of the Chinese language all around us. In Beijing we scaled the renowned Great Wall. The steep hike up past watchtowers and merchants was definitely worthwhile; at the peak we took in the breathtaking scenery of rolling hills and enjoyed conversing with other international tourists. One of the big highlights of our stay in the ancient city of Xi an was a trip to a secondary school. We met Chinese students who were learning English. They practiced their English and we practiced our Chinese. Some of us had some interesting experiences including introducing ourselves in Chinese or singing the national anthem to curious Chinese students! Another memorable highlight was visiting the famous Terracotta Warriors in Xi an. The first pit at the Terracotta Warrior Museum was the home of the ordinary soldiers organised in perfect ranks, contained in a building that had the feel of a converted aircraft hangar. The second pit was the home of the sad remains of another group that had been smashed by vandals years ago; with the third pit being the home of the commanders those pottery figures made to be superior to all the rest. After visiting the gift shop to wonder at the exquisite warrior duplicates, we left the Warriors in a state of awe at one of the greatest projects ever undertaken by man. What I loved about the China Tour We were immersed in the rich culture of China; I was amazed and entertained by hour-long operas, festive banquets, persistent street vendors and cosy night train rides between cities. Chien Yi Loo People are always saying how great China is the architecture, the food, the scenery, the music but it s actually better than they say. The Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall defy belief, and the opera and other shows (such as the Kung Fu pandas and acrobatics) are truly extraordinary. Douglas Gould 6 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

La Belle France BY KRISTA JORDAN, FRENCH TEACHER During the April school holidays, 17 very excited Perth Modern School students, accompanied by two teachers, Madame Jordan and Monsieur Sonder-Sorensen, spent 18 glorious days in France. Their adventure began in Paris, where the group stayed six days, taking in such sites as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe and Musée Grevin. Apart from this, time was spent sampling an array of delectable Parisian treats and, because 15 of the 17 students were girls, frenetically shopping in the fashionable ninth arrondissement. From Paris, the group took the fast train south to Aixen-Provence, where they stayed for a week with their French host families and got to experience school and family life. It was a week of total immersion in the French language with many fascinating exchanges of cultural traditions. Several of our students were also spoilt with trips to Marseille, family gatherings, movies, and restaurant outings organised on their behalf. From Aix, the trip culminated in a two day coach tour of the magnificent castles in the Loire Valley, followed by a return to Paris for a celebratory final night s dinner out. All in all, the 2012 Perth Modern French Tour was declared an outstanding success. Lasting cross country friendships were forged, a sister school in France was established and most importantly, speaking confidence and language fluency in the most beautiful language in the world improved enormously! My favourite memory of the French Tour Going to the street festival in Aix-en-Provence. The atmosphere was so great and the town was covered in confetti and feathers. Madeleine Gibson The amazing food apple tarts, macarons, pizza, bread, crêpes, the crazy amounts of Nutella and Le restaurant de la gare across from our hotel in Tours Oh man! fine dining at its peak! Nurul Seddon The visit to the Château de Chambord. It was breathtaking from the superb views from the top floor to the majesty of the bedrooms! Zoe Castleden Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 7

An inspirational teacher: Jeremiah Haire His Excellency, the Western Australian Governor and our Patron, Mr Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC, recalls one of his inspirational teachers from his days at Perth Modern School. His Excellency Mr Malcolm McCusker, AC CVO QC. When I was in my last year at Mod, in 1955, our teacher for English was Jerry Haire. He also coached us in Athletics. I remember him as reserved, slim, tall, with a ramrod-erect bearing, and a slightly austere mien which belied his kindly character and his genuine interest in the students. Jerry (as we called him not to his face of course) was not given to talking about himself; but it was well-known by students that he had coached the then legendary John Winter, who had won gold in the high jump at the 1948 London Olympics. Jerry also had an impressive war record. In Paul Cleary s gripping book, The Men Who Came Out Of The Ground he gives a detailed account of Australia s first commando campaign in Timor, in 1942. The 2/2 Company (codenamed Sparrow Force ) consisted of about three hundred men, selected for their physical fitness and ability to survive in the bush. Often, they were crack marksmen. They had undergone rigorous, albeit brief, training in guerrilla warfare. Greatly outnumbered (by 10 to one) by the Japanese occupying forces, they (with the help of some Timorese) tied up over three thousand war-hardened and rigorously trained Japanese troops, who would otherwise have been deployed to the Kokoda Track. The book details how Corporal Haire led six men to ambush a platoon of Japanese, killing 25 of the enemy, with only one Australian casualty. It also quotes excerpts from a diary kept (against orders) by Haire, which revealed the extremely harsh conditions which the commandos survived, and the daily danger that they faced and overcame with fortitude and extraordinary success. Jerry never mentioned to his students his experiences as a commando in Timor. However, on one occasion he touched on the subject. In an English class, we were studying Shakespeare s play, Hamlet. He quoted the line There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Then he paused, with a faraway look in his eyes. He told us how, when he was up in the islands, sometimes huddled in the pouring rain with nothing but a flimsy groundsheet for cover, eating things like beetles mixed with a little rice, he would repeat those lines to himself and draw comfort and the mental strength to persevere. There are some moments in one s life which leave an indelible impression and memory. That was one such moment for me. Jerry made a lasting, positive impression on me, and (I know) on many other Mod students, not only in my class, but every year that he taught. When I was visiting Denmark for the Shire s Centenary, I met the Shire President, Ross Thornton. He was the son of Corporal Norman Thornton, also mentioned in Cleary s book as one of the Australian commandos. I got talking to Ross, and told him about Jerry Haire, and later he kindly sent me some detail about Jerry s life, which he had researched. He said it filled him with admiration for this extraordinary man. Jerry grew up on his dad s dairy farm near Denmark and attended Albany High School where he was Dux, School Captain, and Champion Athlete, setting a high jump record in 1926 which was still unbeaten when he visited the school in 1970 for its Golden Jubilee. He attended Claremont Teachers College and The University of Western Australia, where he won a full blue for athletics and was the University Champion Athlete. In 1928 and 1930 he was State high jump champion, and in 1932 the State hop, step and jump champion. After tearing his Achilles tendon badly, with treatment leaving one calf muscle thinner than the other, Jerry decided to compensate for this by changing his high jump style, introducing into Australia the American Western Roll. He made a comeback, winning the State high jump championship again in 1935 and 1938, setting a State record of 1.8 metres. When World War Two began in 1939, Jerry was teaching English at Mod. At the end of the war, he returned to teaching and athletics coaching, first at Mod, later at Claremont Teachers College. In the late 50s he went with his family to London where he was befriended by the 1924 Olympics 100-metre gold medallist (of Chariots of Fire fame) Harold Abrahams, who arranged for him to coach some elite UK athletes. In the 1960s, Jerry returned to WA, became Superintendent of English in the Education Department, then lectured at the Nedlands Teachers Training College. Until he died in 1990, at the age of 83, he remained physically active, playing tennis, riding his bike, walking, and practising yoga. Jerry made a lasting, positive impression on me, and (I know) on many other Mod students, not only in my class, but every year that he taught. 8 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Launch of the History Centre PERTH MODERNIAN SOCIETY HISTORICAL COMMITTEE As a preliminary to the Annual General Meeting of the Perth Modernian Society on Monday, 30 April 2012 50 or more Perth Modern School alumni celebrated the launch of the Society s History Centre. Modernians viewed items from the Photographic Collection on electronic screens, the workshop area, the Science Collection and extracts from the archives. Many were able to check their personal biographical entries on the database and sign the Visitors Book. This was followed by an adjournment to the east building for refreshments and an opportunity to view the centenary Above: Daryl Williams AM QC and Janet Holmes à Court AC. Right: Jennifer Bardsley, Principal Lois Joll and Lesley Parker-Reynolds AM. panels before a panel discussion on Meeting the Challenges of the Future. The History Centre celebrates all that is wonderful at Mod, and we also now have a place where the holdings can be harnessed for research and reflection on many educational and social issues. Stephen Dornan OAM (1916 2012) Student 1929 33 Composer of the Perth Modern School Song. Stephen Dornan OAM. Stephen Dornan was born in Perth in 1916 and entered Perth Modern School on an entrance scholarship. Having started piano lessons at primary school he continued his lessons at Perth Mod with AJ Leckie, sitting yearly exams in AMEB and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London, often gaining the highest marks in his grade. In 1933, Stephen won a Scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London and went on to study piano, organ, choral and orchestral conducting in London (1934 38), finally receiving Diplomas ARCM and GRSM (London) and was awarded the Challen Gold Medal for piano playing. He returned to Australia in 1940 and toured Australian capital cities for the ABC, giving studio recitals and playing concertos. For many years he was the foremost teacher of piano at the higher levels in Perth. The School Song Whilst a student at Perth Mod he was called into the office of the then Deputy Headmaster, Charlie Sharp, who presented Stephen with a Latin poem about the school written by a fellow student, John Colman, asking him if he could set it to music. He agreed and while cogitating as to what style of music would be suitable, he finally settled for something between a march and a hymn, which when sung by a thousand voices would have a noble and impressive sound. Inspiration came hot on the heels of this idea and overnight, in a matter of hours, gave birth to this Opus I of his, which became established as the School Song. Stephen did not remember the first performance of his masterpiece, or whether indeed he was at the piano, but he clearly remembered later performances of a more routine nature when Marcus Clarke sat at the piano and bashed it out with great fervour, accompanied by the voices of the assembled school. In 1998, he revised the tune after bumping into a fellow alumnus of the school who called the song dreary not realising she was talking to the song s composer! The new version had bigger chords and more modern harmonies. I liked it to be played with really stirring rhythm. It s meant to be a stirring song, not to be sung sloppily, and not too fast! Stephen told an interviewer in 2000. In 1989 Stephen was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to music. He died on ANZAC Day, 25 April 2012. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 9

Perth Modern School student achievers Kyle Bartlett Erwin Tee, Jared Clapin and Jos Fisher Ashleigh Ballantyne Emma Boogaerdt Top junior geographer Well done to Kyle Bartlett in Year 8 who has been named the top student in Western Australia in the junior division of the National Geography Competition. 65 per cent of Perth Modern School students in Years 8, 9 and 10 who entered the competition achieved a High Distinction or Distinction, which places them in the top 20 per cent of students in Australia. Academic scholarship Year 11 student Ashleigh Ballantyne has been awarded a Police & Nurses student scholarship for academic achievement. She was presented with her $1,000 scholarship by the West Australian Police Commissioner Karl O Callaghan. Ashleigh plans to use the money to help achieve her goal of becoming an astrophysicist. She hopes to be able to unlock some of the secrets of the universe by working on the SKA telescope or develop her growing interest in particle physics by working in Europe on the Large Hadron Collider. Champion astronomers Three Year 10 students, Jos Fisher, Jared Clapin, and Erwin Tee have won the WA Astronomy Cup held at Scitech. The competition involved teams of three students participating in Astronomy and Space Science related activities. The students won a trophy and a telescope for use by the school. National Schools Debating Championships Emma Boogaerdt in Year 12 has been selected for the Western Australian Schools Debating team and will participate in the National Schools Debating Championships in Hobart in August. Emma began debating in Year 8 and quickly developed into a mature and confident public speaker. In order to be selected for the four-member state team, Emma participated in a series of trials and workshops run by the state affiliate to the Australian Debating Federation. Emma, who plans to study law and become a barrister, said she was thrilled to be selected for the team. 10 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Perth Modern School student achievers Chess champions three years in a row Perth Modern School chess players have once again triumphed as winners of the recent Secondary State Chess Championship for the third year in a row, narrowly pipping Christ Church Grammar School in a thriller. Congratulations to Neville Shah (Captain), Aston Taminsjah, Erwin Tee and Jonathan Israel. Travel writing award Congratulations to Year 12 student Reece Hauxby, one of ten state winners of The West Australian Young Travel Writer Contest. Reece s entry, Hemingway Hand Grenades, detailed his visit to the house of one of his favourite authors, Ernest Hemingway, in Key West, Florida. Reece won a Canon G12 camera and an invitation to spend the day with the editor of The West Australian s travel section, Stephen Scourfield. Youth ANZAAS Year 12 student Eily Schulz has been selected as one of three state representatives for the Youth ANZAAS forum being held in Dunedin, New Zealand. Youth ANZAAS is a residential science forum based around advanced-level lectures and activities that aim to challenge students and expand their knowledge of the applications of science in the real world. National Calisthenics Championships Year 9 student Bianca Macliver has been selected to represent Western Australia at the Australian Federation s 24th National Calisthenic Championships to be held in Darwin in July. Bianca started Calisthenics at the age of six and has had great success in her chosen sport having secured the title of National Junior Graceful Solo Champion in 2009. More recently Bianca has been awarded the 14 Years State Physical Solo Champion from the State Calisthenics Association of Western Australia and is the current State Duo Champion. Eily Schulz Chess champions L-R: Aston Taminsjah, Erwin Tee, Neville Shah and Jonathan Israel. Bianca Macliver Reece Hauxby Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 11

Curtin University English and Literature Conference Curtin University hosts its English and Literature Conference every June, and this year all students in Year 12 attended. Students had the chance to taste university life attending lectures delivered by experts in the field, exploring interesting buildings, and traversing long and intricate walkways and promenades to and from the various lecture theatres. This was an invaluable opportunity for students to listen to a variety of lectures specialising in different aspects of the English and Literature Courses, and to focus on the journey ahead. Curtin University Campus L-R: Isaac Finaldi, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lidia Dokuchaeva, Aheli Guha, Melody Schnauer, Simon Sherrington, Afira Zulkifli Tahmali. Banned books display. All Saints Literature Festival What do you get when you mix together 200 buoyant and expectant Year 8 students and 20 enthusiastic writers? The perfect formula for a day of learning and fun at the All Saints Literature Festival. Two students share their thoughts on the festival: All Saints Literature Festival L-R: Anni Wishart, Andres Navarrete, Connor Shaw, Jessica Cameron, Ms Julia Mary, Brianny Evans, Tamsin Cook, Hayley Carlson, Ellie Maslin. The best part of the literature festival was the Aboriginal dance group. The dances all told a story about the land, the animals and the people. It was really fun when they asked for volunteers to come up the front to participate in the scary dance, basically stomping your feet and running up to the people on the other side and screaming at them. Jordyn Odenko There was a definite standout of the festival, and it was the song writing. I had so much fun during that, and my group absolutely nailed it. Joe was behind the keyboard, and he made up this awesome tune to which we wrote our song Bored on the Bus. It just sounded good and had a nice feel to it. Robert Jones Joseph Parsons Library update Term 2 started with a very entertaining and informative visit from well-known children s author Norman Jorgensen who spoke to the Year 8 English students about his inspiration and methods when writing his books. A number of spectacular displays raised a lot of student interest, in particular the Exercise your Right to Read display which included many now popular titles that have been banned by various libraries and schools for a variety of reasons. Titles that were banned include the Harry Potter Series and The Diary of Anne Frank. During Term 3, the library will be holding its very popular reading challenge. Students are challenged to read and review as many fiction books as they can during the term, earning house points for every book submitted. The ultimate winner, the student who has read and reviewed the highest number of books, will be rewarded with a Kindle. 12 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Royal Australian Chemistry Institute Titration Competition BY KARUN PAUL Continuing with the school s long and proud involvement in every science competition imaginable, a team consisting of Daniel Nguyen, Jaron Lee and Karun Paul entered the Royal Australian Chemistry Institute Titration Competition held on 26 May. There were 87 teams from 37 schools competing, and overcoming the monolithic disadvantages of non-optimal equipment and limited practice time, the L-R: Daniel Nguyen, Jaron Lee and Karun Paul. Perth Modern School team was one of 15 teams that made it through to the National Titration Stakes. The National Competition will be held at Murdoch University in August. Thank you to Mrs Formosa for her dedication in helping the team. Have Sum Fun Quiz Night In March the Mathematics Department sent upper and lower school teams to a Have Sum Fun Quiz Night. The tension was palpable and our teams performed exceptionally well on both evenings. Jaron Lee, Jet-Shoon Chong, Kimberley Krish, Kayley Crebbin, Gayathri Seethepalli and Daryl Chung-Wah-Cheong came second a fantastic result. Our second team of Yongzi Lau, Timothy Chee, Ryan Bunney, Ee-Faye Chong, Diffy Zhou and Conway Li also performed very well and placed in the top ten. Our lower school teams faced some tough competition with all three teams placing in the top 15. Start the Switch Sustainability Summit BY JACINTA FONG AND VIRGINIA HORN Start the Switch is a program run by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition aiming to inspire students to make their schools more environmentally friendly. On 22 and 23 June six Perth Modern School students attended the Sustainability Summit where we learnt that our school has a duty towards the earth and future generations. Workshops at the summit provided us with the tools we will need to develop our school into a more sustainable community. After much thought, we decided we would like to create a sustainable vegetable patch and a mobile phone recycling program at school, starting the projects now and encouraging the younger year groups to sustain them as we leave school. Our ultimate goal for the veggie patch is for it to be utilised by the cooking classes. With the support of the staff and students, we hope to hold several events, such as bake sales, to raise money and create awareness about sustainability. Students interested in joining the Sustainability Club and working on some of these projects should see Ms Donaldson in the Science Department. Have Sum Fun participants L-R: James Arcus, Andrew Polack, Beatrice Ho, Ing Yao Wong, Daniel Ho and Lexman Palanirajan. Above: Sustainability students examine the proposed site of the vegetable patch: Back row L-R: Tessa Freeman, Matthew Hobley, Tony Ratchev, Eleanor Jones, and Marco Simonetti Front row: L-R: Thomas Windsor, Jacinta Fong, Virginia Horn, Stephanie Hair. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 13

Award-winning language students Year 11 student Kayley Crebbin and Year 8 student Radheya Jegatheva have each won a prestigious language award, Kayley in Chinese and Radheya in Japanese. Kayley placed first in the state in the 5th Chinese Bridge Chinese Language Proficiency Competition held at the Confucius Institute at The University of Western Australia. Radheya Jegatheva and Kayley Crebbin. She will head to Adelaide in July to compete against other state finalists for the chance to compete in the international finals in China later this year. Radheya was awarded an Elite Award in the Japanese Language Perfect World Championships, placing him in the top 0.2 per cent of students entered in the competition around the world. La Fille du Puitiers Year 11 and Year 12 students enjoyed an outing to the Paradiso cinema to see one of the Alliance Française s French films: La Fille du Puitiers. Students were lucky enough to have their own cinema and could enjoy an animated commentary during the film. Students enjoying sitting at an outdoor café before viewing the film. L-R: Cara Holland, Vera Pavey, Nicholas Montague and Thomas Windsor. Year 8 French Festival Stephanie Beckham in Year 8 is part of a French traditional dance group and as part of her French Festival project, wore her Breton costume to class. The costume, with its fine lace and embroidery, is the traditional outfit that the women of Brittany used to wear. The class was treated to a variety of dances, many of which featured Stephanie. Stephanie Beckham in traditional Breton costume. 14 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Chief Economist pays a visit The Chief Economist of Bankwest, Mr Alan Langford, visited the school to discuss with over 60 students from Years 10, 11 and 12 the present state of the Australian economy. In particular, Mr Langford focused on the impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Australia in comparison to other developed nations. L-R: Callista Goh, Mr Alan Langford, Jet-Shoon Chong and Ms Nicola Reilly. The students were very keen to ask questions on topics such as the dire financial position of Greece and subsequent impact on the Euro, the ramifications of the Australian Government returning the budget to surplus in 2012/13 and the effects on the economy of the strong Australian dollar. The Social Science department is very grateful to Mr Langford for giving up his time to speak with the school s budding economists. ECU Business Experience Competition L-R: Sailesh Mukundala, James Lawson, Jamin Wu, Executive Dean of Edith Cowan University Professor Atique Islam, Eleanor Lau, Claire Stacey, Aanchal Chopra. A team of Year 10 and Year 11 students from Perth Modern School have had their work highly commended by the judging panel at the annual ECU Business Experience competition. After four hours of research, the team had to make a recommendation to a Council regarding a solar panel project for the village. The students worked superbly as a team, and the creative ideas and unique solutions presented were a credit to their forward thinking and problem-solving minds. How the Earth Made Us Does the earth determine the way humans live? Has this changed over time? Do humans in the 21st century have a greater impact on the earth than people in the past? Did indigenous Australians modify the landscape? These are some of the big questions Year 8 students investigated in their Geography course in Semester 1. The course culminated in a presentation to parents and staff with students working in groups to create visual displays that represented the key themes under investigation. Parents moved between classrooms dedicated to the components: fire, wind, water and deep earth. Utilising a range of activities from interviews, documentaries, 3D models, interactive displays and quizzes, students challenged their audiences to think about How the Earth Made Us. The students were very impressive and were able to respond in depth to a barrage of questions from the parents and staff. L-R: Jack Elliott-Tideman, Thomas Trenaman, Zhuo Wang, Alistair McLeod, Menso Jagtenberg. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 15

Year 8 House Camp BY LAURA LIDDELL, YEAR 8 COORDINATOR By the numbers: 200 Year 8s. 400+ pieces of paper. 25 teachers. 12 activities. Nine meals. Three days. Two nights. 15 Department of Sport and Recreation Staff. Over 40 dorm rooms. Two birthdays. Countless moments of joy. One wonderful time. The joys of the Year 8 House Camp at Woodman Point will linger on. In 2016, just before they graduate, the students will be opening letters they wrote to themselves on the first night of camp along with reading notes from their friends. Students got to know peers they had never spoken to before. They got to test their strength, confidence and creativity whilst facing high walls, tracking through the bush, building rafts, and soaring on the flying fox. They ran, paddled, climbed, searched, swung, wandered, laughed, played, and talked and talked and talked. Sometimes well into the night. Not only did they get to know each other, but they were able to see new sides of their teachers. Camp wouldn t be possible unless teachers were willing to share their days and nights on camp and the Year 8s were excellent at thanking them and the camp staff. The kitchen staff said they had never had a more polite group and the cleaning staff said they had never seen the dormitories left as clean, especially the boys dorm impressive! So when you asked your child what they did on camp, and they answered nothing or a vague we did lots of stuff you can ask them about the improv and game night, rock climbing and the cube, raft building, team building, search and rescue and how they managed to leave their dormitories so clean. 16 Perth Modern School NEWS July 20122

Year 8 House Camp Three Year 8 students share their fondest memories of the camp: The fact that it was winter didn t make the experience any less enjoyable except for the water sports. The third day was easily the coldest, and it was first thing that morning that I found myself floating on a raft some of my friends and I had made. We called ourselves Team Drowning. Lachlan O Neil Some of my favourite times at camp will definitely linger as vivid memories. For example, the jam session some of my friends and I had was extremely memorable since I absolutely adore music. Search and rescue was pretty exciting and heart-stopping too, especially the old abandoned buildings used to burn dead bodies they sent chills up my spine. Claire Chua Our time at camp allowed me and my fellow classmates to participate in activities that we wouldn t necessarily try. I m astounded at how camp allowed many to conquer their fears and still have fun. My goal at camp was to give everything 100 per cent and to push the boundaries of what I could achieve, such as diving off the edge of the flying fox, climbing to the top of the vertical challenges and taking on a heart-racing trudge through the rain in search and rescue. Matthew Collins Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 17

Skills Week BY JUDITH ARROWSMITH, LIFELONG LEARNING What would you like to do after you finish studying at an academic selective school? To help answer this question, Year 10 students had an out-of-school experience during the week of 18 22 June, participating in various Skills Week courses or experiencing an occupation of their choice in the Work Experience program. Skills Week courses also assist students in gaining qualifications to assist them in gaining part-time employment or enable them to pursue a passion for a concentrated period. Lisa Pegrum (barista). Aleksandra Markovic (pharmacy). Darcy Smith (engineering). Skills Week courses included an engineering course at Curtin University with mentoring from current students, a Senior First Aid Certificate, metallurgist experience at Murdoch University, science research at The University of Western Australia, Curtin and Murdoch Universities, a visual arts course, an endorsed Employment Advantage Program which students completed online and a level 1 and level 2 barista qualification. Another option available to students was to focus on a passion and develop it over the week with the assistance of a mentor. Eighty-one students participated in the Work Experience program this year. Their placements included medical research, theatre, a magistrate s court, wildlife rescue, sporting activities, photography, veterinary science, aviation, hospitality, retail, environmental management, law and justice, media, education and business. Jessica Tacey (veterinary clinic). Reports received from the workplace supervisors were extremely positive. Students were commended for their enthusiasm, maturity and willingness to learn. Staff who visited students reported favourably on the students attitude and professional presentation. Students were also positive about their work experience, with the majority rating the week a seven or higher out of 10. 18 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Skills Week CONTINUED Life as a PhD student BY KATHARINE GUO During the Year 10 Skills Week, I, along with Sitara Bano, had the opportunity to step into the world of a PhD student and experience firsthand the pressures and unpredictable hours. We originally thought that we d be doing something boring like taking notes; instead we were thrown into the deep end with hands-on lab work. Over the course of the week, we conducted an experiment which involved astrocytes, a type of brain cell that makes up 60-90 per cent of the brain. We scratched the cells, and then stimulated them with different magnetic pulses in an attempt to see which frequency would help the cells migrate faster to heal the wound. This experiment was just a small part of a large ongoing project that aims to cure brain injuries. Madeleine McEwen (music shop). Kyle Jayaseela (native animal rescue). Samantha Brigden (childcare). Jedidiah Watt (fishmongers). Xin Pan (library). Joe Styles (toxic waste management). Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 19

Rich Lives: contributing to community Val Furphy, Associate Principal and Curriculum Leader I have always wanted to be a teacher except for the time I wanted to be a nurse and then discovered that people, unlike dolls, have blood and guts. I was an Air Force kid. This meant moving from state to state, and school to school. One of the things I found quite strange in all these moves was that teachers didn t bother to find out what you knew, or didn t know, or were interested in. There were teachers I had who were brilliant teachers that I remember to this day. In contrast, I also remember hours of boredom because I had done it before! I kept to my wandering ways as a teacher. I had three country postings Pingelly, Moora and Northam, quite a few city senior high schools, and the School of Isolated and Distance Education. Before commencing at Mod I was the Associate Principal at Mindarie Senior College and involved in the development of a young adult ethos for students. At this school, we believed in mutual respect and trust. We did not have a string of rules, but expected students to behave as they would out in the world. We Furphys have a motto that was on Furphy s water cart used in the First World War. I learned it as a child. It goes like this: Good, better, best Never let it rest Til your good is better And your better best. Consequently, I view learning as an ongoing process, to be the best you can be. I believe in education as a continuous process, and I have put this into practice. After my first teaching qualification, I completed a Bachelor of Education, a Master of Business Administration, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education. On a less formal note, I have learned the piano and clarinet though very out of practice now furniture making, and now take painting lessons on the weekend. Whilst I would not say I am particularly talented in any of these fields, I like the idea of trying things and giving them a go. So how does all this relate to Mod? Perth Modern School gave me an opportunity to really put into place many of those things I have learned through my education travels, both as a student and teacher of more than 25 years. You will see flavours of these things in the way the school is developing. My approach to curriculum is that it should be engaging, and provide challenges so that students do not find everything easy. We should find out what students know, and we need to be aware that a student may belong in a year group that is not their age group, and be accepting and accommodating of this. We need to be mindful, however, that engaging is not the same as entertaining; and also that absorbing information and then simply regurgitating is not useful in the short or long term. Resilience, flexibility and ability to cope with different people and situations are vital characteristics to cultivate through the curriculum; and students should be given the opportunity to explore the curriculum as widely as possible. Who knows what new interest or talent they may find! When selecting teachers I look for two things in particular knowledge of subject, and an ability to connect with students. I consider it is really important that students are known at school; that someone says hello and shows an interest. One of the lovely things I liked about country teaching is that I knew all of the students and the students and their parents knew me. Lastly, although we often come from different points of view, parents and teachers all want the best for the young people we share. I believe this common commitment, especially at Perth Modern School, nurtures the sense of belonging and excellence our school promotes. Alan Porter Alan Porter, student 1943-47, has contributed to the community as a scientist, businessman and volunteer. I was an only child, born in 1930 and raised at the eastern end of Wembley. I had no trouble in being top of the class in most subjects, so I managed to gain an Entrance scholarship to Mod. What a surprise when I started at Mod in 1943 to realise I was no longer the top of the class academically but very much a mid-field runner with so many brain-boxes from other schools. This intense competition from my classmates bred in me a competitive spirit so that if my old mate Bruce Wishaw got 68 per cent for Algebra in second term and I got 62 per cent, I worked very hard to beat the pants off him in third term! The turning point in my life was at the end of First Year in 1943 when I was given the choice of dropping French and starting Chemistry in Second Year. I just loved Chemistry I know not why but it wasn t the ability to make smelly gases or explosives to put in post boxes! 20 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Alan Porter. Cheryl Lindorff, School Officer At the end of 1947, I managed five distinctions in the Leaving Certificate examination, and was accepted into a Bachelor of Chemistry degree at The University of Western Australia, majoring in Physical Chemistry. In 1951, I completed an Honours project on the rate of exchange between trivalent and pentavalent antimony. At this stage, I felt I was well suited to a life in academia. Alas, financial grants to enable these aspirations were scarce and so I went into industry at Cresco Fertilisers. Whilst here, I completed research on using Western Australian mined iron pyrites and pyrrhotite for the production of sulphur dioxide for the sulphuric acid plant. I convinced Professor Bayliss of the UWA Chemistry Department to allow me to do a Masters Degree part time on this topic using the facilities of his Department out-of-hours. When BP beckoned with its oil refinery being built at Kwinana in 1953 54, I saw an opportunity to be in at the beginning, and my application for a position was accepted. I was sent off to the UK for sixmonths training in petroleum gas analysis using infra-red and mass spectrometry. Back at Kwinana, I applied my new-found knowledge to develop an infra-red technique for the measurement, control and minimisation of the oil content of the refinery s oily water effluent discharging into Cockburn Sound, and to devising an infra-red method for identifying where in the refinery any oil appearing in the refinery s cooling water effluent was coming from. These two techniques were important tools in BP s pollution Mod taught me well and prepared me for a busy and fulfilled life! control in an era when environmental concern was not an important consideration by many other industries. I spent the rest of my career at BP, with one of the highlights spending 12 months in Montreal setting up the production planning at the BP refinery then being built and to train the new staff. After several promotions, the last one the top job of Refinery Manager, I retired in 1985. After my retirement, I felt that some of my skills might be of use in the hobby clubs with which I had been involved since 1959, but to which I had not really made much of a contribution due to the demands of my responsibilities with BP. Early on in my retirement, I was president of one model railway club, treasurer of another, editor of its bimonthly publication and secretary of the Railway Historical Society. I was more stressed than when I was working for BP! Soon after retirement, I took on and still have the job of treasurer of the Perth Modern School Historical and Museum Committee and I am the leader of the team undertaking the repair and restoration of the equipment in the Science Museum. For the past seven years or so I have been a Councillor of the Perth Modernian Society. Mod taught me well and prepared me for a busy and fulfilled life! Cheryl Lindorff has been a familiar face for students, parents and staff at Perth Modern School for more than 25 years. Alongside her career at the School, Cheryl is a long-term volunteer in the Scout Movement in Western Australia. She is the WA editor for the Australian Scout Magazine; she heads the Welfare Team which supports members, both youth and adults, through difficult times; and she is also a proud member of Police Scouters, serving Police Officers who do security and welfare at many Scouting events. I have three sons. They joined Scouts and there was a shortage of leaders. I realised no leaders meant no Scouts, so I put my hand up and it has stayed up for nearly 20 years! I started work at Perth Modern School in late 1984 for one day a week. In 1987, the school put on the musical, Annie, and I volunteered to help with the costumes. I sewed all the costumes for the orphans, one of whom was an Esther Hill, the same Ms Hill who is now an English teacher at Mod and Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2011. We did a production every year for several years and I became wardrobe mistress. By this time I was employed full time as a School Assistant and an Aide in the Education Support class. Later I took up full time office duties in the Intensive English Centre. The IEC ran student camps once or twice a year and I always volunteered to go as cook. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 21

Rich Lives: contributing to community Working with the new arrivals who were learning English was very rewarding and they and their families had many sad and terrible stories about conditions they had escaped from. Later, I also cooked for some of the Student Council Camps. One of the most memorable events linking Perth Modern School and Scouts happened on the long weekend in June 2008. It was the Year of the Scout and our World Centenary Celebrations in Scouting. An event, Unearth Perth, was held in Perth involving all sections of the Movement. Unfortunately on the Saturday morning, a super storm hit the event and within a very short time we were ankle deep and deeper in some parts in water. Tents were blown over and some destroyed by the strong winds. Equipment and food supplies were soaked. It was heartbreaking. The Chief Commissioner and Rovers, who were running this activity, met and could see no way of salvaging the event as we would need to evacuate more than 2000 people. Local Groups could return to their own Scout Halls, but that left us with about 1000 people. I rang Dr Robyn White, Principal of Perth Modern School at the time, explained our situation and asked if we could use the gymnasiums to accommodate our country people. Dr White was happy for us to use whatever facilities Mod could offer and this meant that, with the East building as well, we could accommodate everyone a bit squishy but hey, we re Scouts! In 2008 I was awarded the Silver Koala for my Services to Scouting and in 2010 I was a nominee in the Support Staff category in the West Coast District 2010 Education Awards of Excellence in recognition of my work in the school and the wider community and my work in Scouting. Both awards were very humbling. Like Perth Modern School, Scouting is over 100 years old and both have grown as they needed to, drawing on tradition while looking to the future. For young people and adults alike, Scouting is inclusive. It teaches values, independent thinking, leadership and teamwork. Scouts develop skills and attitudes that last a lifetime, as do the friendships. Through working at Perth Modern School and in Scouting I would like to think I have touched the lives of a few people. It has certainly enriched mine. Reece Harley Reece Harley Reece Harley, student 1999 2003; Electorate Officer, Office of Senator Chris Evans, Senator for Western Australia, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research; City of Perth s International Youth Ambassador; volunteer. At the age of 25, Reece has already made a rich contribution to our community, and there is a promise of more to come. Reece graduated from Perth Modern School as the best student in Political & Legal Studies and gained a Bachelor of Communication in Media Studies and Politics & International Studies, from Murdoch University. He is a founding member of the Rotary Club of Crawley and a Council Member of the Perth Modernian Society. Perth Mod helped to shape my values and outlook on life. It helped to instil in me my love of travel, my interest in people and my passion for politics. I am passionate about people; about politics, travel, photography, journalism, public policy and government. My life isn t exactly planned out before me each step of the way. I am still searching for my purpose in this life. I m passionate about working to make the community of Perth a better place to live, and a more kind and generous city. I plan to live and work overseas for a time soon, hopefully in Paris, my favourite city in the world. At the moment life is full of unexpected surprises, challenges and adventures. My time at Perth Modern was a truly outstanding part of my life. Not only have I made life-long friends, and learnt so many important skills and knowledge which has put me in good stead for the rest of my days, but I also, as a member of the Chorale, had the chance to travel throughout Europe, go on many interstate and local camps and perform in front of huge audiences. I think it will be hard to forget the magnificent cathedrals, town squares, castles and narrow city laneways I traipsed through on the 2002 School Music Tour to Italy and Austria. It s because of Perth Mod that I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the winding medieval streets of Salzburg and the chaotic and historic promenades of Rome. I ve performed now in front of international audiences as well as a packed Perth Concert Hall. These are the intangible experiences, hard to quantify in their value and impact, for which I will be forever thankful. Last year I was selected as the City of Perth s International Youth Ambassador; the first time a young person had been given this role by the City. After serving for more than four years on the City s Youth Advisory Council I was appointed to represent the City of Perth at international meetings in Houston Texas, Washington DC and Halifax in Nova Scotia Canada. While overseas I met with more than 40 outstanding community and civic leaders, who shared their ideas about community development, architecture, services, arts, culture, philanthropy and the empowerment of young people. It was an incredible opportunity afforded to me because of my volunteering and active involvement in the community. 22 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Farewell Ms Costa and Ms Sharpe Grace Costa. Heather Sharpe with Scott Lyon and Paris Zampogna. Italian teacher Grace Costa has won the position of Head of Languages at Mount Lawley Senior High School. Grace Costa taught students Italian at Perth Modern School for almost 20 years. A passionate and driven teacher who demanded the best from her students, Ms Costa encouraged in her students a love of the language and culture of Italy. Throughout her time at the School, Ms Costa took students on bi-annual cultural exchanges, organised exchange students, established sister schools in Italy and helped many students achieve accolades in Italian, some of whom went on to study the language at university level. In 2011, Ms Costa s Year 12 Italian class at Perth Modern School was ranked number one in the State by the Curriculum Council. The school community would like to thank Ms Costa for her dedication to teaching excellence whilst at the School and wishes her well in her new position. English teacher Heather Sharpe is leaving Perth Modern School to fulfil a lifelong ambition to live in Margaret River. In 2005 as a young, somewhat naïve and overly enthusiastic student in her final year of an education degree, I was lucky enough to get a practicum at Perth Modern School. I loved it. In 2006, my mentor teacher went on maternity leave and recommended me for her position, an immense honour for a graduate teacher. I am very grateful for the time I have spent at Perth Modern School; it has afforded me some amazing opportunities. I have enjoyed watching academically-selected students being allowed to love learning. I have enjoyed challenging and pushing these students. I have been able to teach Drama and Social Science, Literature and English. It has been an honour to coach the Senior Girls Soccer team. I relished the opportunity to coordinate Student Council from 2007 to 2010. I loved going on the Music Tour in 2008 and to the Future Problem Solving National Finals in 2011; I have had so many wonderful experiences here. However, I know it is time for me to move on. To test my wings away from the school that made me the teacher that I am. I m excited about the life opportunities that lie before me and the possibilities that await me in Margaret River. I want to thank everyone who has made my growth into an experienced, confident teacher possible. I would particularly like to thank the English Department, a community of very talented teachers with an exceptional knowledge base, who support each other and prioritise the creation of positive learning environments for their students. The school community thanks Ms Sharpe for providing such a wonderful and enriching learning environment for students and wishes her all the best for her new life in Margaret River. Biggest Morning Tea staff fundraiser Perth Modern School staff rallied behind the Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser for the Cancer Council, held on May 22. The event was organised on behalf of Student Services by Gráinne Hehir and raised over $650. L-R: Gráinne Hehir, Walter Wilson, Laura Lidell and Richard Spence at the Biggest Morning Tea. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 23

Thomas Street in techno-colour Much like in the Wizard of Oz when the film shifts to colour, the Thomas Street building has come to life with bright yellow tables and orange, purple and maroon seats. Inside the Thomas Street building before and after the refurbishment. The furniture was immediately a hit with all students. Whether at recess, lunch or during class time you will now find students happily socialising or working at the new tables and enjoying the comfort of the new seats. All year groups are enjoying the new and more colourful Thomas Street. Thank you to the Parents and Citizens Association for making Thomas Street a brighter, more welcoming place to learn. Are you ready for World Challenge? The next World Challenge has launched and the target countries are Nepal and Kenya. World Challenge: on top of the world. If you are interested in this trip of a lifetime and would like an information pack please see Mr Bertram in the Mathematics Department. Excited Year 10 students and nervous parents congregated in the auditorium to listen to World Challenge representatives tell them about the adventure facing them at the end of 2013. Hiking, building schools, teaching children and white water rafting are anticipated for the 28-day expedition that students are already eagerly anticipating. Students have 18 months to plan their trip and everything from accommodation, food and transport is the responsibility of the students. Students will also be fundraising for the communities they will spend time in on their journey. Future students visit the school Students attending Perth Modern School for Year 8 next year spent a day at the school enjoying a taste of the range of activities and subjects on offer. The students visited each learning area, meeting some of their teachers and fellow students and gaining more of an understanding of what their day will involve at high school. The students particularly enjoyed making some delicious food in Home Economics and visiting the Languages Department, where they were treated to delicacies from each country pizza from Italy, croissants and pain au chocolat from France, Chinese lollies and rice crackers from Japan. Year 7 students enjoying their visit to Perth Modern School. 24 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Dancing the night away at Club Mod Smoke! Strobes! Dancing! Thumping beats! Club Mod, Perth Modern School s annual Middle Years dance party, has now become a school tradition. More than 190 Year 8 and Year 9 students filled the school gymnasium which had been transformed for the night by Frontier Lighting into one of Perth s premier under age nightclubs. Delicious refreshments were provided by Food@Mod and DJ Stretch had students dancing enthusiastically to their favourite tunes. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 25

Can you help Build the Dream? The original gym, 1961. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to the Build the Dream campaign to raise funds for a new Health and Fitness Centre on campus. In addition to the $500,000 donated by the McCusker Charitable Foundation, more than $100,000 has been raised by the school community for this much-needed facility. When added to funds allocated by the school, we have sufficient funding to proceed with Phase 1 and, with continued support, are well on our way to our Phase 2 target. Current and past students and staff who donate to the project will be acknowledged by the school with a Marine Stainless Steel Plaque. Donations of between $500-$1000 will allow for a plaque with the donor s name, and donations of more than $1000 will be acknowledged with the donor s name, house and years attended. Donations to the Perth Modern School Foundation are tax deductible and can be made over three years. Please contact the school on (08) 9380 0555 if you would like to contribute. The current state of facilities. Past, Present & Future The school has a small number of the book Past, Present & Future available for purchase. This hard cover coffee table book celebrates 100 years of exceptional schooling at Perth Modern School, and contains a treasure trove of memorabilia and information. It is great value at $30. If you would like to purchase a copy please contact the school or visit reception. 26 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Fabulous musicians entertain the crowds BY ROGER HEY, HEAD OF MUSIC Term 2 was jam-packed with occasions for school musicians to shine on stage. The inaugural music concerts on May 16 and 17 for Year 8 students were wonderful events. Students from Years 9 and 10 joined in to present both the Intermediate and Junior Concerts in the school s wonderful historic hall. These concerts featured the students singing and playing in bands, orchestras, guitar ensembles, jazz ensembles and choirs to large crowds. Some of the highlights included the Boys and Girls Choirs, Wind Band 4 s performance featuring a number of students who had only been playing their instruments since the start of the year, and the new contemporary vocal ensemble Jazz Hands, directed by Ms Elysia Murphy. Also on 17 May, the Percussion Ensemble directed by Ms Turner performed their piece Stinkin Garbage for the incoming Year 7 students and their parents. Along with the Senior Wind Orchestra, these ensembles provided an introduction to music at Perth Modern School prior to the music auditions held in early June. L-R: Seamus Carey, Jonty Coy, Orchestra and Band Director Mr Neil Coy, Alexander Turley, Freya Hombergen. The term ended with the Senior Wind Orchestra, directed by Mr Coy and Ms Johnson, performing at the Perth Concert Hall as part of the annual Opus Concert. This is an annual event organised by the School of Instrumental Music to showcase the excellence of music in state primary and secondary schools. In addition to the Wind Orchestra s performance, Perth Modern School students were involved in a combined Percussion Ensemble and a combined Brass Ensemble. Congratulations to all students and staff members involved. During Term 3, all students will be involved in festival performances and concerts as well as a number of additional performances. I urge everyone to look out for these as they promise to be exceptional events. Naya Chorale Naya Chorale is a brand new choir started by two Perth Modern School graduates, conductor Adam Brockway (class of 2006) and the group s Business Manager, Jeremy de Vries-Turnell (class of 2005). Naya was created to provide a choir that would inspire students to pursue their love of singing after leaving school. The group started at the beginning of the year with 38 singers, approximately 60 per cent of whom are Perth Modern School graduates. Naya s official debut was on Saturday, 28 July at the John Curtin Theatre, Fremantle. Those interested in auditioning for Naya s 2013 season can sign up at www.nayachorale.com/auditions. Naya Chorale. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 27

Lightning Carnivals There were some anxious hours prior to our series of winter sports carnivals during Term 2 as players and coaches checked the latest weather forecasts. Fortunately the conditions remained playable and while some students and teachers got wet, it was a fun and enjoyable wet! Participants represented the school in style with our netball and basketball teams wearing our new inter-school uniforms. Various students assisted our Physical Education staff as coaches with our soccer, AFL, volleyball, hockey, basketball and netball teams. Congratulations to all our students for the manner in which they represented the school and special congratulations to our Year 8 netball teams who won all divisions of their competitions. New cheerleading team Perth Modern School now has a cheerleading team. After students viewed a demonstration from Cheer Unlimited Australia, expressions of interest were sought and a team put together. The team comprises students from Years 8 10 with training being undertaken under the guidance of a qualified coach. In Term 3 a routine will be taught and the team will represent the School at the October Cheer and Dance National Competition held at Challenge Stadium. Students interested in joining the team should see Mrs Wilcock in the PE office on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. L-R: Jaye Gunning, Ji-hee Park, Tamara Mertens*, Georgia Crowe, Leticia Tan, Victoria Holman, Georga Webb*, Anna Lee (*obscured in photo). 28 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Junior Girls Soccer Smarter than Smoking Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship. Junior Girls Soccer Team. Soccer boots have been kicking soccer balls all Term 2 in the sunshine, storms and torrential rain. A team of 15 girls from Year 8 and Year 9 have been training hard twice a week honing their skills for some competitive matches. The team has improved immensely and can look forward to a super season next year. More medals for Tamsin Smarter than Smoking Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship A record number of Perth Modern teams entered the Smarter than Smoking Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship in late May. The school s top ranked pair of Alex Henderson and Scott Patterson played superbly in an epic and lengthy grand final and were unlucky to lose 3 2. Year 9 pair Ben Hotchkin and Dylan Wood won bronze. School Sport Australia Cross Country Championships Tamsin Cook Sensational swimmer Tamsin Cook in Year 8 has achieved outstanding results at the Australian Age National Swimming Championships in Brisbane in April. Tamsin walked away with a swag of medals including gold in the 200m Butterfly, silver in the 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly and bronze in the 400m Individual Medley and 800m Freestyle. Lachlan Bunney Year 9 student John Newcomb has been selected to represent the State in the School Sport Australia Cross Country Championships in Adelaide in August. John earned his selection as part of the School Cross Country team in the WA School Sport event in May. National Fencing Championships Cross country runners. Lachlan Bunney will compete in the Cadet and Under 15 National Fencing Championships in Sydney. This follows on from the Year 9 student winning silver in the U17s and U13s epee state competition and gold in the U15s epee state competition last year. Lachlan has been nominated for the 2012 HBF Junior Sports Heroes program. Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 29

Netball fever SunSmart Yachting WA Schools Team Racing Championships BY DOUGAL HANSON The Perth Modern School Sailing Team has managed a very respectable seventh in the SunSmart Yachting WA Schools Team Racing Championship held in April, the first time a team from the school had participated in the competition. The first two days of the competition saw 12 teams competing in over 60 races in a round robin, and we were thrilled to be one of eight teams who reached the finals. Through much trial and error, execution of new skills, sheer luck and lots of shouting we were able to walk away with the knowledge we competed to our highest ability, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will be back for more next year. Back row L-R: Jemma Martin, Kate Kimberly, Kate Phillips, Lisa Karaki, Lucy Raffel Front row L-R: Ailish Lawrie, Mia Vukovic, Alice Jeffcott. Right: West Coast Fever players Caitlin Bassett and Chanel Gomes. Combine highly motivated athletes, a gruelling fitness challenge and a specialised skills workshop with five West Coast Fever players and you have the recipe for the amazing Netball Camp that took place early in Term 2. Former Perth Modern School student and now West Coast Fever superstar Caitlin Bassett returned to Mod to help develop the skills of our future netball stars. Accompanying her were fellow Fever teammates Sarah East, Shae Bolton, Nikala Smith and Chanel Gomes who led specialist development sessions. After eight weeks of intensive training, two of our netball teams succeeded in making the finals of the SSWA High School Netball Cup. Andrea selected for the State Swimming and Diving Team Sailing team L-R: Tate Deklerk, Dougal Hanson (skipper), Cameron Duncan (skipper), Alexandra Utley, Virginia Horn (skipper), Joshua Thomson, William Chesnutt. John Wellborn Rugby Cup The Perth Modern School Rugby Team played well against CBC Fremantle and Aranmore College in the John Wellborn Cup after many months of training twice a week on cold mornings. Perth Modern lost narrowly to CBC Fremantle in a thrilling encounter, with the boys scoring several tries and making some powerful tackles. The team battled manfully against specialist rugby school Aranmore College and did very well to score two tries against a very good team. Well done to Year 8 student Andrea Ho, who has been selected to represent WA in the 2012 State Swimming and Diving Team. The team will compete at the National Schools Championships in Sydney in July. Andrea Ho. Back row L-R: William Ming, Michael Anderson, Mick Fowler, Jack Manera, Bill Tap, Jason Michael. Front row: Marlon Skeldon, Thomas Caddy, Daniel Rochat, Owen McConney, Thomas Hill Almeida, Jeff Li. 30 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012

Sphinx Society Membership SEMESTER 1, 2012 The following students have achieved Sphinx Society Membership for Semester 1, 2012. Year 10 Megan Barbetti Yasomatinandana Fisher Madeleine Ince Tallulah Starkie Gurpreet Bhullar Isabelle Flynn David Lau Lauren Street Agnes Botman Madeleine Ford Audrey Lee Titus Tan Kaliopy Brooke Lucy Gipson-Stratton Shihe Lim Erwin Zhiwei Tee Cameron Bunney Charlotte Glance Aleksandra Markovic Daniel Thai Eloise Catlin Amelia Green Helena Nguyen Alexandra Utley Aanchal Chopra George Green Tara Ott Ella Watson-Heath Jacqueline Darmago Rachel Grove Scott Patterson Jamin Wu Natalie Darmago Gabriela Guizzo Dri Vera Pavey Zhixian Wu Henri Do Van Katharine Guo Elena Ryan Fiona Yokohata Adehlia Ebert Ramis Hassan Darcy Smith Liam Finlay Cara Holland Evelyn Snook Year 11 Philippa Campbell Joe Dowson Eleanor Jones Ashwin Rajendra Seamus Carey Jacinta Fong Eleanor Lau Lucas Tan Ee-Faye Chong Jason Guo James Lawson Shannon Truong Daryl Chung- Wah-Cheong Karri Coles Jonty Coy Kayley Crebbin Andrew Ho Matthew Hobley James Houlahan Larry Huynh Alice Jeffcott Conway Li Lewis Lim Keegan McNamara Boyuan Pang Kate Phillips Leon Wu Johnson Ye Aidan Yuen-Oye Yufei Zheng Diffy Zhou Deriek Pijls Year 12 Anish Badgeri Thomas Fay Brooke Loneragan Amelia Schubach Felicity Bain Isaac Finaldi Maria Lucey Grace Seo Shiladitya Banerjee Jasmine France Tanya Luu Amit Sett Kieren Bell Sharon Ho Henry McNulty Neville Shah Deion Bonser Freya Hombergen Daniel Nguyen Simon Sherrington Emma Boogaerdt Ethan Huynh Antonia Papasergio Lucas Sukadana Simone Briggs Jonathan Israel Adrienne Patterson Mark Teo Ailsa Brown Eleanor Knight Karun Paul Jonathan Thai Sylvia Cao Kimberley Krish Amber Pettitt Alexander Turley Max Carter Yongzi Lau Annie Quinn Hayley Umbers Nicole Chan Jaron Lee Claire Rapson Kieren Underwood Jet-Shoon Chong Lydia Lim Aasha Riordan Geoffrey Wan Christopher Choy Samuel Lindsay Scott Sam Tony Yang Emma Congear Afira Zulkifli Tahmali Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012 31

Sphinx Society Breakfast Members of the Sphinx Society and senior staff attended a Sphinx Society Breakfast at the University Club at The University of Western Australia on 13 June. Dr Judy Skene, Associate Director of Student Services at UWA, outlined the new UWA course structure. Principal of Perth Modern School Lois Joll also addressed the students, encouraging them to enjoy every opportunity that came their way and to understand the importance of developing resilience to cope with setbacks on their journey. Three students at UWA, engineering majors Sam Shepherd and Ali Mohammedi, and Perth Modern School alumni Sarah Imtiaz, who is studying neuroscience, described their academic paths so far, offering tips for success and how to achieve a rewarding work/life balance. Sphinx Breakfast L-R Deion Bonser, Jonathan Israel, Sarah Imtiaz, Thomas Fay, Jet-Shoon Chong. School Values RESPECT YOURSELF This can be demonstrated by: Reaching for personal best Setting high ethical standards Engaging in the love of learning Self-acceptance Self-responsibility Making the most of opportunities Celebrating success RESPECT OTHERS RESPECT THE SPACE Members of the school community share, model and promote the following core values: This can be demonstrated by: Care of others Valuing individuality and diversity Displaying manners Celebrating the success of others Community mindedness Social and civic responsibility Being a global citizen This can be demonstrated by: Care of the environment Care of the facilities Sustainable practices Conservation Conduct appropriate to the environment Perth Modern School Roberts Road, Subiaco, WA 6008 Tel: +618 9380 0555 Fax: +618 9380 0550 www.perthmodernschool.wa.edu.au 32 Perth Modern School NEWS July 2012