1 March 2023

Do you or your family know of someone who wants to attend Radford but whose financial circumstances prevent them? Please help us share the word about our Foundation Senior Scholarship (applications open now and until 3 March).

The Foundation Senior Scholarship is a full, two-year scholarship for one student commencing Year 11 in 2024. The scholarship covers 100 per cent of the tuition and capital levy fees for two years (Years 11 and 12), and up to 100 per cent of other College-related fees.

The scholarship will be offered to a student who demonstrates outstanding achievement and community involvement, but whose financial circumstances prevent them from attending the College.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

By Hannah Appaneal, Year 11 Student

During Week 2 of Term 1, Year 11s went on their final school camp. The Year 11 Retreat went from Wednesday to Friday and was jam-packed with fun activities that taught us valuable lessons we were able to take home. Daytime camp activities included archery tag, chain reaction (where we had to create a Rune Goldberg-type machine), canoeing, mountain biking, frisbee golf and survival skills, as well as workshops and dancing with dancer and poet, Jahzeel.

On day one, my group started its first activity almost immediately after arriving and eating lunch. Archery tag was a very fun experience for everyone. It allowed people to bring out their competitive side and really get into the games. Chain reaction was an activity we did based on creating a Rune Goldberg machine in order to practise creativity and communication within a group. My group faced a lot of challenges when it came to the creation of this machine as it was extremely temperamental.

After our activities, we had our first dinner. The food was good, as was the dorm-style accommodation. After we ate, half the mentor groups did trivia while the other half did games and activities. Trivia was very competitive, and I enjoyed it very much (I also must add that if the bonus challenges weren’t so bias, then my team would have won - hands down!). After trivia, we went back to our cabins, debriefed on our day and went to sleep warm and comfy.

The second day was equally packed, however, it rained for most of it. Luckily for us, we had indoor activities with our mentors, including affirmations, friendly competitive games, a chapel workshop and dance with Jahzeel. All of these rotations were incredibly fun and beneficial. Personally, I enjoyed the positive affirmations and getting to share and receive things that other people admire about you or things you admire about them. Jahzeel's dancing was also a very fun way to spend a rainy morning and was incredibly impressive. After this, we made our way to lunch!

After lunch, my group got the chance to go canoeing! It was very fun and slightly scary because I did NOT want to capsize into the freezing cold lake. It was very leisurely and enjoyable and a good way to spend in the few hours of sun we got that day. When we got back, we had dinner, and my group went on to participate in a games night! It was filled with balance challenges, fun competitions and funny games. It was very enjoyable, and everyone laughed the whole night away - a great way to spend the last night of retreat.

On the morning of our last day, it was already blisteringly hot before breakfast time. We got our rooms all packed up and set out for our last activities for the day. My group started off with survival skills. We learnt how to start a fire and how to properly construct one that is suitable for cooking. After we managed this, we went onto make damper and got to eat it as a morning tea snack. After this, we went onto do mountain biking, which was enjoyable but extra challenging due to the heat and lack of shade. After we cycled down the mountain covered in sweat, we got to do our final activity - frisbee golf. I partnered up with Mr Bailey and Holly and we had a great time playing the game. I think my whole group would agree that it was a great way to finish off the morning before heading to lunch.

After lunch, we had our chapel and performances by the amazing Jahzeel, Micah and Maddie and a great poem written by Rose. We said our thanks and prayers and were soon on our way back home to Canberra.

The Year 11 Retreat was an enjoyable experience for all. It was a good experience and so well resourced. Everyone who went most certainly made new connections and learnt something new about someone else.

This retreat was a great way to start off what will be a challenging but amazing two years.

2023 Secondary School House Swimming Carnival Golden Flipper

Congratulations to Victor Au and Gemma O’Rourke who were crowned the 2023 Secondary School Golden Flipper winners on a beautiful day on Friday, 24 February at Dickson Pool. Age Champions and the final House Cup and Spirit Cup swimming point scores will be announced at the Secondary School Assembly in Week 6.

Futsal

Congratulations and good luck to the following Futsal teams playing in the North Canberra Futsal Finals this weekend:

• U10 Open Div 2
• U11 Open Div 2
• U12 Girls Div 2 Maroon
• U12 Girls Div 2 Blue
• U16 Girls Div 2 Blue

Become a ball kid at the ACT Claycourt International 2023 event

ACT Claycourt International 2023 is coming up quickly, so get excited. In the nation's capital, there will be two elite ITF men's and women's events, in which some of the top players from across the world will compete (AO Doubles Champion, Jason Kubler won both events last year) - Tuesday, 14 March to Sunday, 26 March.

Tennis ACT is now recruiting ball kids. Click here to register.

By Michele Sharp, Head of Languages and the Language Captains

Each year, Radford appoints students to leadership roles, and in the case of the languages department, we select Language Captains to promote and assist with language learning.

Student leaders are expected to live with integrity, embody the values of the College, be wholly themselves and flourish while engaged in the service of community. They are expected to be a model for others to emulate and do this by their everyday presence and demeanour, while also fulfilling responsibilities in a meaningful portfolio of work.

The captains are mentored by staff to promote language experiences across the Secondary School, and we wish them well with their endeavours this year.

Please read below an introductory message from each captain about the importance of language learning.

Chinese Captain - Deyzang Ugyel

Growing up in multiple countries and living in a multilingual home, I have always been exposed to and interested in languages. Since my first Chinese lesson in Year 9 at Radford, I have absorbed far more than just phrases and written characters. I have developed a deep appreciation for a culture that was once foreign to me, and I have to say that Chinese culture is diverse and rich in traditions and history.

From my perspective, one of the greatest advantages of learning languages is that it provides a far deeper and more nuanced understanding of a particular country, its people, traditions, and values. Having this understanding acts as a bridge and a door to developing the skills of emotional and cultural intelligence that are integral in this modern era. As I see it, culture is essential to learning, and language is an essential component of culture.

In my role as Chinese Captain, I would like to share my wonderful experience of learning and encourage others to gain a deeper insight and knowledge of a language.

French Captain – Bella Schofield

I first 'studied French' when I was four. My best friend who was French was complaining to her mum about the lychee we were eating, and I said something about liking them back to her (in English). I am told that a four-year-old understanding and translating a different language was pretty freaky for the mum!

Unfortunately, that understanding of French was short-lived, and I really started studying French when I was eight years old while living in Seoul. This was mostly due to me being jealous of my friends back in Australia who were learning it at school and eight-year-old me only knowing how to say j'aime le violet (I love purple). But I quickly fell in love with the language.

Since moving back to Australia, I have been studying French. But that is not to say that I find learning French easy. Learning a new language is really hard, especially when you don't live in the country and are not surrounded by the culture or language, or have a really hard math assessment that has to be done at the same time!

But throughout studying French, I have learned how to study effectively. This means doing some French homework every day, even if it's just five minutes of Duolingo. I would encourage everyone to learn a language at Radford, because there are so many benefits for your brain and knowing a second language can have many advantages for you in the future, including possibly scaring your best friend's mum!

Japanese Captain - Maddy Leece

Language as a form of communication facilitates interactions between people all over the world and breeds connection, cooperation and collaboration on a global scale. I wanted to pursue a language for the connections I could gain in the future, and for the unique paths I could take with that skillset. However, I have found learning Japanese to be so much more than that. Learning my language has challenged me, opened new doors and created a sense of appreciation in Japan and Japanese culture.

This connection to culture has further given me an insight into the lives of many millions of other people around the world, which is vital in a grounded global citizen. Being able to apply what I have learnt about myself and my style of learning in a language classroom, to how I work outside of that setting, has also been helpful in the development of my other subjects. We are extremely lucky to be able to study a variety of languages, and I greatly encourage all Radford learners to participate in language learning as a part of their broader Secondary School journey.

Spanish Captain - Pippa Humphries

In an increasingly interconnected world, the variety and beauty that language can offer is as significant - if not more so - than the communication that it is able to facilitate. What language provides is a truly unique window into the contradistinctive lives of people around the globe. In learning a language and having the opportunity to broaden my horizons, I've gained more than new neural pathways or the ability to enjoy Spanish media and literature; I've discovered a genuine love for and appreciation of both my new language and the language I'm exposed to every day.

By taking a language at Radford and then deepening my understanding of it while on the Round Square exchange in the U.S., I was able to form connections that extended far beyond the mere words. Language has the power to offer something truly unique, and my life has been enriched by that which it has given me.