Edrington Issue 17
ELC students continue to create their Indigenous Garden, the Junior School celebrated the Haileybury Olympics and Middle School students witnessed a touch of magic.
Campus News
Thank You for Your Resilience
A very big ‘thank you’ to our students, staff and families for the way they have successfully navigated the path through this term. The students have shown tremendous resilience and perseverance during another challenging time in their schooling.
I also wish to acknowledge the brilliant work of the teachers in not only providing for the students learning needs, but also helping them to stay optimistic and engaged.
Thank you, too, to the parents for their unwavering support—it is very much appreciated.
Meet our Mathematicians
Congratulations to our students who received awards for the Maths Talent Quest. They are:
Year 4: Oviya Jeyatheepan (High Distinction) Thomas Haas (Credit) Athmeka Balamurukan (Credit)
Year 5: Seyara Munasinghe (Distinction)
Year 8: Gurnoor Sidhu (High Distinction) Movidu Gannoruwa (High Distinction) Dhruv Chadha (High Distinction).
Fathers Day Gratitude
Thank you to our wonderful Parents & Friends team for setting up a brilliant online ordering process so students to buy gifts for Fathers Day. The team braved a downpour to ensure the click-and-collect process ran smoothly. I know that many families were incredibly grateful for its efforts.
Early Learning Centre
Our Meeting Place
At our Edrington ELC, work has begun on creating our Indigenous Garden. For children, families and staff, this will become a new learning environment and place for discovery, reflection and connecting to each other and to the stories of our nation’s First People.
The design of the garden has taken inspiration from the traditional Aboriginal symbol of ‘Meeting Place’ with garden beds and paths laid out to represent this.
Our campus is on Bunurong land and programs across the ELC provide children with the understanding that before being a place for us to learn and play on, this land was looked after by the Bunurong people for tens of thousands of years.
During that time, practices in sustainability, agriculture and medicine were relied on to look after the health of communities and the health of the land. One of the main aims of our Indigenous Garden will be to explore these practices with the children. We will plant trees and shrubs that are used as food and medicine and to produce fibres, tools and utensils.
This new learning space has been much anticipated and demonstrates our campus’ commitment to reconciliation and embedding Indigenous perspectives into the Educational Program.
Below illustrates the Meeting Place symbol and a progress shot of our Indigenous Garden.
Junior School
The Haileybury Olympics
Our Term 3 House Event in Week 8 was the Haileybury Edrington Olympics! Our children had a fabulous time competing in the following events:
- Rowing down the hall on a pillow
- Hurdles over pillows and teddies
- Sock toss
- Toilet paper bowling
- Colouring in the Olympic rings.
It really was a fun afternoon for our Houses and all competitors did an outstanding job!
Hannah and Liem Yie
Fathers Day Minute To Win It
We would like to thank all the families that attended our Fathers Day and Special Family Member Minute To Win It event.
There were adults and kids being wrapped in toilet paper, stacking cups and aiming to get the most Smarties transferred from one plate to the other. It was a lot of fun!
Middle School
Magic and Athleticism
We are proud of the resilience and persistence that the Middle School students have shown in having to complete most of Term 3 learning from home. The long hours in front of a screen and maintaining focus has, at times, been challenging.
However, we have also witnessed students’ growth in independence, accountability, organisation, empathy and gratitude. We know that these skills will hold them in good stead in the future.
Recently, we celebrated the sporting participation and success of our students at the Winter and Summer Sports Assembly. Former Australian Swimmer and Head of Haileybury Aquatics Ms Kelly Stubbins addressed the Middle School about the physical and mental strength it takes to be an elite sportsperson.
Her story was interesting and inspiring and her advice about self-care, persistence and goal setting was relevant to all aspects of life—especially as we work through this extended lockdown.
This week, Middle School students were entertained by magician Alex Unexplainable who performed illusions while sharing some hints and tips with budding magicians. It was an entertaining and light-hearted way to end a challenging term.
We wish all Middle School families a restful and well-deserved break.
Jeanette Rawlings
Head of Edrington (Berwick)
Haileybury Parents & Friends Edrington (HPFE)
The Smell of Freedom
Hello gorgeous Edrington community. The sun is out and we are teetering on the edge of FREEDOM! I can literally smell it!
It has certainly been a hectic term, but we made it through with the unwavering support of our teachers. To all of the Edrington educators, we send you thanks and praise. You have cooked with us, laughed with us, played dress-ups with us, endured our cats invading the kids’ screens and felt the highs and the lows with us—for that we are truly grateful.
It’s time for us all to reset and enjoy the September sun.
Be safe during the break and take care,
Kerry Ilic
HPFE President
Discover more Insight updates
Arts
Some students return to campus to rehearse and talented musicians and performer are given the opportunity to build on their success.
Performing Arts
Face-to-Masked-Face at Last
It has been exciting and energising to have the Performing Arts Team at school rehearsing and refining their skills for the VCE examinations.
A big ‘thanks’ to our parents who have taken on board the extra constraints required due to this lockdown and who have helped get our students COVID tested. So far, everything has been going smoothly, with everyone able to find spaces where they can work.
Going back to the old gym with my Theatre Studies class was strangely reassuring after spending so much time there last year. Our students were positively beaming as they worked in the same space and, when it has been taken away from you, you realise how much happens just through proximity.
We are on a steep curve to catch up on our physical preparation but working steadily through the holidays will have everyone ready for action.
In sadder news, the Newlands musical has had to be cancelled after the cast and crew valiantly hung on for as long as they were able. Newlands was going to perform at Aikman Hall but with the stage soon being used for VCE exams, the venue is unavailable.
Plans for memorable moments are being worked on but everything still depends on our students being allowed back to school. We all continue to wait for news on that…
Stewart Bell
Director of Performing Arts
Music
Talented String Students Recognised
Musicians within the Haileybury community have been busy over the past fortnight.
Three of our String students, Campbell Wilson-Moran (Year 10) Elliot Guo (Year 10) and Abigail Xu (Year 8) were awarded places in the prestigious Melbourne Conservatorium Young Artists Academy (MCYAA) following recent successful auditions.
As part of the MCYAA program, these hardworking students will undertake comprehensive chamber music studies and study new repertoire, attend national and international masterclasses and, hopefully, take part in plenty of face-to-face rehearsals.
Well done to Mr Kieran Casey and Ms Myfanwy Bramble for their exceptional work with these outstanding young musicians.
Rhian Aoun Chosen for National Program
Last week, one of our senior VCE Music Investigation vocal students, Rhian Aoun (Year 12) was chosen as a finalist in the UNDSCRVD talent competition. The event will be hosted by internationally renowned artists The Veronicas.
The five finalists selected from across Australia will be mentored by The Veronicas in a documentary-style reality show broadcast on TikTok. You can see Rhian’s first post as part of the show at https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSJKepBHh/.
Thanks to Ms Fiona Mastorovic for her outstanding work with Rhian over the years.
VCE Music Students Prepare
Following a recent change in government restrictions, VCE Music students are now able to prepare for their upcoming Music Performance examinations onsite. While the conditions for attending rehearsals are strict, including a weekly COVID test, students were able to finally rehearse with their ensembles on the Aikman Hall stage.
I was so impressed by the amount of work achieved by our young musicians in lockdown— truly amazing and inspiring stuff. Of course, it was particularly special for students to able to see each other and work together once more.
Thank you to the Music staff who rehearsed with students for the Thursday and Saturday programs held over the past fortnight.
Joy of Music Concert Streamed
As part of the @ Home with Haileybury Program the Music Department recently hosted The Joy of Music. The streamed concert was a 30-minute sample of events from across the 2018 and 2019 concert calendar.
The show featured a Tattoo performance, a performance from the Melbourne Recital Centre concert, several performances in Aikman Hall, the Senior Choir contributing to an Aria Night presentation and a jazz performance held at St Kilda’s MEMO Music Hall.
1,500 students were captured in this snapshot of life within the Music Department in a normal two-year concert calendar.
Rod Marshall
Head of Haileybury Music
Creative Industries
Middle School Art Tells Stories
Middle School students are always encouraged to include personal interests in their works. Whether this takes the shape of a hobby or their identity, the students invest and take on great ownership of their final artworks.
We love hearing the stories that accompany these works, especially when they are as meaningful as the example below.
The earring on the artwork represents Zambia, which is where I come from. The ‘red’ stands for the blood that was shed during the British colony, the ‘green’ represents the vegetation and agriculture, the ‘orange’ represents the natural minerals and, lastly, the ‘black’ represents the peoples and tribes. Ultimately, I designed this artwork to recognise and appreciate all the tremendously brave women who have moulded who I am today. To conclude, the message for the viewers of this piece is to be grateful for all the women who are a part of their lives and to never underestimate what a woman is capable of doing. The woman does not necessarily have to be of African origin—it can be any woman of any nationality.
Faith Kauseni Year 8
Castlefield Students Make Art at Home
Year 4 students have been using a range of materials at home in response to their study of artist Alexander Calder. Calder is the inventor of the mobile and is famous for his circus of wire figures that he manipulated to perform.
We’re sure these performers below have brought lots of joy also.
Jaya Brown and Lucy Dunbar Year 4 Castlefield
Karl Sebire
Head of Creative Industries
Sports Report
AFL Draft Combine Update
Justin Davies (Year 12) will join fellow team mates Marcus Windhager and Connor Macdonald (both Year 12) in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft Combine.
Some 90 selected Australian Rules footballers from across the country will participate in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft Combine that will assess each player’s physical strengths through several tests including 20-metre sprint, agility tests and vertical jump. This provides critical data for AFL clubs as they enter the draft in October.
We wish these students all the very best.
Dance Nationals Cyber Competition
Due to the current lockdown and border closures, the TFT DanceStar National Championships are being held as a Cyber Competition. Qualifiers were asked to submit their video footage for judging and sections are being streamed weekly, with results announced at the end of each week.
This week our soloists performed and competed against dance schools and secondary schools across the nation. The results were:
Freya Stills Blott (Year 11) Third—Secondary Senior Hip Hop Amber Section
Michaela Davidson (Year 10) Third—Secondary Senior Soloist Contemporary Amber Section
Emily Peatman (Year 11) Third – Secondary Senior Soloist Jazz Amber Section
Melanie Nguyen (Year 11) Third—Secondary Senior Soloist Lyrical Amber Section
Laura Bellian (Year 11) Second—Secondary Senior Soloist Lyrical Amber Section
Ashlyn Scott (Year 7) Second—Secondary Junior Audition Jazz Section
Chloe Chung (Year 12) First—Secondary Senior Soloist Contemporary Red Section.
Congratulations to all our amazing soloists and their coaches on their outstanding achievements. Many of them filmed their pieces during lockdown and some competed with their VCE Dance solo works that they choreographed themselves. The sections were large and competitive—as were the scores. Well done!
We look forward to seeing how our Primary, Years 7–8 and Senior School Dance Teams go in their sections in the coming weeks.
Sean Allcock
Director of Haileybury Sport
OHA
The Haileybury Spark Series continues to explore the lives and fascinating career paths of Old Haileyburians such as Yannee Liu.
Spark Series Spotlight—Yannee Liu (OH 2019)
The OHA is delighted when alumni give back to their school and this year saw the introduction of the Haileybury Spark Series, developed and run by the Haileybury Careers Department.
OHA members volunteered their time to come back and speak to students about their career paths.
Yannee Liu (OH 2019) recently returned to the School to speak at the Science (Pharmacy, Health Science, Technology) session of the Haileybury Spark Series.
We had the pleasure of getting to know Yannee a little more through the Spark Spotlight Series available on the OHA website. View Article
Why not enjoy more of the Spotlight series while you are there?
Yannee Liu (OH 2019)
To keep up-to-date with all OHA news, subscribe to our Stay Connected Newsletter.
Hayley Denny
Development & Alumni Manager
Foundation
Two new scholarships have been introduced to support the educational aspirations of young people in Australia’s Afghani community.
Transforming Lives
The Haileybury Foundation is focused on transforming lives by providing opportunities for deserving students who would otherwise be unable to receive a world-class education at a school such as Haileybury.
Women in Afghanistan have faced many barriers to their education, not least the continued threat of violence and attacks on educational facilities in the country. We are committed to supporting students from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds and we are delighted to be offering the opportunity for two young Australian-Afghani students to join our community and complete their secondary education at Haileybury.
Through the generosity of our Haileybury Foundation donors, applications are now open for two fully funded scholarships for girls from the Australian-Afghani community. They will commence in Year 7 in 2022 at one of our four Melbourne campuses.
The scholarships will cover the students’ full tuition, uniform for all seasons and sports and laptop computer as part of the Haileybury Managed Device Program.
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications Open: 1 September, 2021
Applications Close: 30 September, 2021
Please visit the Haileybury Foundation Scholarships page for information on how to apply.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at foundation@haileybury.vic.edu.au.
Thank You
Donations to Haileybury Foundation continue to stream in. Our students are incredibly fortunate to be in receipt of such a high-quality education that would otherwise be out of reach.
All gifts to Haileybury Foundation are tax deductible. Our donors are having enormous impact and we have been delighted with the involvement of our community–from past parents, alumni and staff to current parents and former staff.
Donations can be made at https://www.haileybury.com.au/giving.
Social Media
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