1 November 2023

By Ms Tracey Markovic, Assistant Head of Junior School Operations

An enormous thank you to all our grandparents and friends who attended the annual Grandparents' Morning last Friday.

The glorious sunny morning in Canberra brought generations together and created cherished memories for our students and their beloved grandparents. This unique occasion, hosted by Radford Foundation, celebrated the enduring bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

One of the highlights of Grandparents' Morning was the chance for grandparents to spend quality time in the classroom with their grandchildren who were undertaking a ‘normal’ day. The classroom is where lasting memories are made, and sharing this space with grandparents was a truly enriching experience. It was a heartwarming moment for both grandparents and students.

After the classroom visits, all grandparents were invited to gather for a special morning tea hosted by Radford Foundation. This was a perfect opportunity for our grandparents to connect with each other, reflect and share stories, while also building a network of support and friendship within our community.

Our Grandparents' Morning was a day filled with love, warmth, and the celebration of family. We look back on the celebration of Grandparents' Morning with fond memories and are grateful for the opportunity to create cherished moments that last a lifetime.

An enormous thank you must go to Mrs Donna Driver, Administrator - Fundraising & Events Mrs Monique Glavonjic and Radford Foundation for hosting this event. Donna, as the grandparent of three Junior School students, shared her insights into how fortunate we are at Radford to have such a wide and full curriculum with many rich offerings.

Thank you also to all the staff who helped make this event possible. A special thanks to Ms Cathy Jackson and the Year 9 Service-Learning students who spent their morning hosting the morning tea. Your support is invaluable!

By Liliane Alblas, Year 10

On Wednesday, 20 September, before anyone else was at school, the turning circle was buzzing with excitement. The Year 9 and 10 drama, dance and music classes were getting ready for the long drive to Sydney - we were off to see Wicked.

Wicked, based on the book by Winnie Holzman and with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, is the hit-musical prequal to The Wizard of Oz. The musical follows the Good Witch, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. The audience realises that Elphaba was not, in fact, wicked, and Glinda was not completely good. This revelation destroys the storybook ending to The Wizard of Oz and shows the audience that the characters are more complex than they first seem.

The performance was outstanding. A musical is a perfect culmination of the various elements of the performing arts. Every student was able to relate to the different parts of the production, whether that be as an actor, dancer, musician or techie. It was inspiring to see these elements come together in a professional production. Wicked made us all think about the potential for future Radford productions. This shared experience brought our two cohorts together creatively, and we look forward to working together as seniors.

The songs in Wicked are still being sung loudly in the Performing Arts Centre. However, I don’t think we are quite as good as Australian stars Courtney Monsma and Sheridan Adams (yet).

This exciting day was only made possible by our fantastic teachers, Ms Sally Stenning, Mrs Emily Leong and Ms Danielle White. These enthusiastic and talented teachers made the day joyful and memorable.

By Mr Jack Chalker-Harris, Teacher

On Thursday, 21 September, our psychology cohort visited Taronga Zoo in Sydney. I know what you’re thinking – why on earth would psychology students be visiting a zoo?

Well, as it turns out, Taronga offers a program focused on conducting animal observations. Specifically, how observations can drive scientific research. This ties in nicely with our current topic of social psychology, in which observational research is a pillar.

Prior to our trip, students were tasked with creating templates to observe an animal of their choosing. From meerkats to chimpanzees, the range was broad, with the majority of students attempting to investigate the impact of captive settings on behaviour.

When we first arrived at Taronga, we made our way to the free-flight bird theatre, where we experienced an interactive presentation involving a young, red-tailed black cockatoo named Wattle. During this presentation, bird trainers demonstrated how they begin training birds by monitoring behavioural cues in each animal, which suggest how comfortable they are when performing certain tasks. Luckily for us, the free-flight theatre doubled as a beautiful view overlooking Sydney Harbour.

On the day, we also heard from Dr Ben Pitcher, a behavioural ecologist, about his latest project, in which he investigated penguin behaviour to better understand their feeding patterns. He talked us through the ways he collected the information and the process involved in collating and communicating his findings, which was extremely beneficial for our students.

Students then went out on their own to explore the zoo and investigate their chosen animal and their unique behaviours.

Overall, the day was a wonderful learning opportunity for our students, as well as a fun and enriching experience to connect socially; a win-win for all involved and something we as staff plan to keep in the program of learning moving forward.

Below is an example of a research poster students were tasked with creating after their visit. This one is courtesy of Genevieve Nguyen (Year 11), who undertook a comparative investigation of how chimpanzee behaviour differs in captivity versus the wild.

By Ms Tracey Markovic, Assistant Head of Junior School Operations

On Wednesday, 27 October, the spirit of community support was alive and well in the Junior School as students and staff participated in Day for Daniel.

Day for Daniel is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, an organisation committed to educating children about personal safety. The fundraiser is named in honour of Daniel Morcombe, a young Australian boy who tragically lost his life in 2003.

Junior School students and staff embraced the fundraiser with boundless enthusiasm. They donned red and denim to show their support and dedication to keeping children safe. Students participated in various activities and initiatives throughout the day aimed at building child safety awareness.

Day for Daniel provided an invaluable opportunity for Junior School students to learn about the significance of child safety. It is a reminder that education and awareness can help protect our children and create a safer community for all.

By Mrs Kirsten Knight, Head of Co-Curricular Music and Director of Strings

It was a pleasure to have piano students in Years 3-6 participate in the second Piano Ensembles Concert, held in R.A. Young Hall on Tuesday, 24 October.

It was a lovely evening of ensemble music by students in Chopsticks (Years 3-4) and Sonny Chua (Years 5-6) piano ensembles, ranging from piano duets to full ensemble works for tuned percussion and multiple pianos arranged by Radford Piano Tutor and Piano Ensembles Conductor, Mrs Cate Turnbull.

Madeleine Luu (Year 6) and Dinugi Dissanayake (Year 6) kicked off the concert with their duet performance of Tarantella Brilliante. Eloise Collingwood (Year 5) and Sivaanii Sivabalan’s (Year 5) performance of Canyon Sunset was a fine display of ensemble skills and musicality.

Well done to all the young pianists in the school who performed, as well as group managers, Mr Ross Bristow and Ms Emily Begbie, for their ongoing support. Special thanks to Mrs Turnbull for building these piano ensembles from the ground up and putting together such a diverse program for the night.

European Handball

Congratulations to Anna Berge (Year 11), who recently competed for Australia in the under 19s for the International Handball Federation (IHF) Trophy Oceania. The team finished fourth, only losing to New Caledonia (the winning team) by one goal.

Water Polo

By Carys Hodgkinson, Year 8

With summer quickly approaching, the water polo season is back in full swing. Last Saturday, our under 16 Radford girls' team played an incredible game against the Vikings. We had a few players missing but were lucky enough to have some girls from our training sessions with Nordek help out.

The game was a tight one, but with effort and determination, we managed to maintain our one-point lead and triumphed with a nail-bitingly close score of 7-6. Phoebe Fox did a fantastic job in goal and kept the Vikings' score low. A new addition to the team, Ava Rath, also showed promising talent as goalie for the second half. Stella Layton was exceptional at sticking to her player, and I tried my best in attack to work with my teammates and get the ball in the goal. Svara Kelkar swam tirelessly up and down the field, trying to obtain the ball when we didn't have it and helping out when we did.

Well done to all the girls who played. Everyone put in a phenomenal amount of work and should be proud of the outcome. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to keeping our water polo team up and running, especially our wonderful coach Kate Daly.

Become a Ball Kid

Tennis ACT is seeking expressions of interest for ball kids aged 12-18 at Canberra International 2024. This is a wonderful opportunity for ball kids to experience Canberra International, which will be held at the Canberra Tennis Centre from 31 December to 6 January.

The expression of interest form can be accessed here.

By Ms Tracey Markovic, Assistant Head of Junior School Operations

Each year, World Teachers' Day recognises the importance of teachers in providing communities with quality education. At Radford, we have chosen to approach the day slightly differently. On 27 October, Radford College celebrated World Educators' Day. Our intention was to celebrate all the staff who work at our school. We acknowledge that every adult who works in the Radford community is an educator of our students. Our teachers, our classroom assistants, our grounds staff, our staff who work in admin areas and our canteen staff - everyone who works at Radford is part of our students' education, and we hope to show our thanks in a small way.

This year's theme was: The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers. In the heart of every educational institution lies a community dedicated to shaping the minds and futures of our learners. The idea of a painted pot (or ‘elephant’ as the Year 3 students liked to call them so staff would be none the wiser as to what was going on) came about from the understanding that education is a joint effort between teachers and students. Every educator contributes to the intellectual, emotional, and personal growth of their students, enriching their lives in immeasurable ways. Similarly, students bring their unique perspectives, talents and energies to the classroom, creating vibrant and diverse learning environments. Each pot allows these two elements to come together, intertwining their efforts into a single masterpiece that mirrors the collaborative nature of learning.

In the months leading up to World Educators' Day, students from across Radford College worked together before school, at lunch times and after school to create a small token for every Radford staff member. Students from Radford Awareness and Service (RAS) in the Junior School; Radford Student Council; our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) students from Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS); Years 3 and 4; Year 10; Secondary School Prefects and Green Team all played a part in this project. From catching the bus to Bunnings to purchase the 325 pots to the endless hours undertaken preparing and painting the pots all over, the slower-paced detailed decorating, and finally planting the seedlings, students collaborated to create a beautifully painted pot that holds a flourishing plant.

The decision to gift a plant to each Radford staff member not only symbolises growth but also serves as a tangible reminder of the lasting impact that educators have on their students. The artwork on the pot, crafted by the students themselves, serves as a visual representation of the gratitude and respect they hold for their educators.

As a painted pot was carefully placed in the hands of each staff member last Friday, it served as a poignant reminder of the positive impact each one of them has on our students' lives. Just as the plant inside the pot will continue to grow and flourish, so too will the lessons and inspiration imparted by dedicated educators. This small gift will become a heartfelt gesture of gratitude and appreciation – a way for students to show their educators that their efforts are not only recognised but also cherished.

Radford Fete Program now available

We encourage you to bookmark the link to the Radford Fete Program, so you have access to it on the day.

Ride Wrist Bands & Radford Hands

Ride Wrist Bands for unlimited ride access are $25 per person prior to Fete Day. A full list of rides can be found here.

Radford Hands are $10 each and provide patrons with:

• One x sausage sizzle
• One x game at side show alley
• One x pass at any ride or attraction
• One x game at Lob-a-Choc
• One x ELC Healthy Option

Wrist Bands and Radford Hands are available from the Junior School Reception and Principal's Building. Card payment is accepted and preferred.

Call for volunteers

Thank you to those who have signed up to volunteer at the upcoming Radford Twilight Fete on Saturday, 4 November.

We currently have a number of vacancies to fill. It would be greatly appreciated if you could spare an hour. Please sign up via the online form here.

We are in urgent need of an Indian Food Stall Convener. This person will oversee the stall on Fete Day, from set-up to pack-down.

All of the stall requirements and ordering have been done. Please contact Monique via email if you are interested.

Raffle tickets

Tickets to the raffle are available to buy for $5.

More than $10,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs - a full list of prizes can be found here. Thank you to our valued sponsors for supporting our raffle and Fete this year!

Sticky & Sweet Stall donations

Car Show

Parking on Fete Day

There will be no parking available at the College on Fete Day. This is to ensure the safety of patrons at the College.

Patrons with a disabled parking permit displayed in their vehicle will be permitted to park within the College - entry via College Street.

​Parking is available at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The College will run a bus shuttle service every 15 minutes between the AIS and College throughout the duration of the Fete. Exact pick-up and drop-off locations can be found here.

Any questions regarding the Fete can be directed to Monique Glavonjic at p&f@radford.act.edu.au.

Radford Collegians are invited to join us for Christmas Drinks inside the new Collegians' Centre on the evening of Thursday, 23 November.

As Radford College approaches its 40th anniversary, we want to celebrate this milestone with our valued Collegians.

We welcome you and your family to join us for an evening of social drinks and delicious snacks. The atmosphere will be vibrant with live music and an opportunity to win fabulous lucky door prizes. The special event will also give you an exciting sneak peek of the Collegians' Centre.

To participate in the lucky door prize, simply bring your business card or a name tag will be created for you upon entry.

This is a complimentary event, so make sure to mark your calendars and secure your tickets now. Don't miss out on reconnecting with old friends and creating new memories this festive season.

Date: Thursday, 23 November
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: Collegians' Centre
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/c...

By Mrs Annette Carter, College Historian

The construction of Radford College was far from smooth sailing, halted for a significant period due to public opposition.

One newspaper reported in 1984 that “the name Radford is almost a household word in Canberra nowadays, even among people who have nothing to do with education”[1]. This was because of a long-running dispute between the Trades and Labour Council (TLC), the Australian Teachers’ Federation (ATF) and the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association (P&C Council) over its construction. While a report had already outlined that integration of all non-government school children in the ACT would cost an additional $16.7 million per year[2], several factors contributed to the long-running battle, including:

• Funding for existing schools and student retention.
• Use of government funds for a private school.
• The allocation of land by the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC).

It was felt that consultation between the local community, government and stakeholders had not been adequately sought. As the chairman of a later report identified: “Radford College, to its astonishment, became the case which showed the cracks in the existing edifice for planning and for funding schools”[3].

Two years before any construction took place, the P&C Council called a public meeting at Lyneham High School to discuss the threat to the viability of government schools due to the direct ‘competition’ from “small non-government schools”[4].

Not long after, in 1982, a decision was made to close Watson High School (it closed indefinitely in 1987). This led local school communities to further worry that the construction of a new school would put other schools at risk of closure.

The P&C Council was proactive and wrote to prominent stakeholders, including the Schools Commission, asking for a deferment on the decision about Radford College until a thorough impact study was undertaken[5].

The Federal Government funding of stage one had also been a point of contention. Radford College had been given a planning capital grant as well as interest subsidies. Wal Fife, the Federal Minister of Education, denied any preferential treatment[6], however, the P&C Council was “critical of the establishment of a new secondary school at a cost of millions of dollars of public expenditure in a declining enrolment area”[7] when there were stringent economic constraints on public spending for existing schools.

There was also some resentment over the NCDC allocating the 18-hectare site for the school. This land had originally been earmarked for medium-density housing and was valued at $3 million (in 1983) if it had been used for that purpose[8]. It was felt that such a large and well-allocated site was preferencing the new school, and there was added frustration that the re-routing of a public cycle path would come at the taxpayer's expense.

As a result of these issues, a motion was passed by the TLC endorsing “the call of the executive for bans on the construction of a third grammar school planned for the Belconnen area” and seeking the support of the ATF if there was any construction work on the site[9]. In turn, the ATF called on the Secretariat “to discuss with interstate and territory affiliates to picket line the third Grammar School”[10].

With discussions breaking down, a picket line was set up on 21 February 1983 to stop any construction at the site. Also present was a crowd of Radford College supporters.

Just over a month later, on 23 March 1983, the construction ban was lifted after TLC and ATF representatives met with Senator Ryan, then Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, and received assurances regarding resources, facilities, and funding for government education in the ACT[11].

These assurances led to the establishment of a committee that included members from the TLC, as well as representatives from the ACT School Authority, P&C Council, School Commission and Federal Government to review the development of Radford and to advise, among other things, on how disruptive effects could be avoided. T.B. Millar, chairman of Radford’s school board, agreed that they would “co-operate fully with the review committee. We hope it leads to the establishment of principles applicable to all schools in the ACT”[12]. His comment hints at what came out as a central recommendation from the Impact Review - that a planning authority was needed for all schools in the ACT[13]. The report determined that the government was committed to the promised capital funding, but only for stage one, covering students in Years 7 to 9[14] and that an impact study should be carried out before a decision was made about the provision of capital funds for further year levels.

The tense situation continued to play out in the media, with further delays in 1985 when TLC voted to ban further development at Radford until adequate funds for ACT Government schools were provided and other sites away from Lake Ginninderra were sought for a planned secondary school[15]. The TLC eventually made a deal with the government to allow for further construction at Radford College (for Year 10) if there were supported moves to have the remaining Lake Ginninderra foreshore designated as parkland. The Year 10 stage was paid for by parent contributions, and Willett, the Chair of the Board at the time, took the opportunity to highlight that “Each place we provide will save the government money and means that more will be available for the government school system”[16].

Radford College paved the way for the construction of new Anglican schools. Consequently, Burgmann Anglican School, the fourth Anglican school in Canberra, was constructed in 1998, and Stromlo Forest Anglican College is due to begin stage one of construction in 2026.

References:

[1] W. C. Stegemann. “Who was Radford, for whom a new college is named?” The Canberra Times, 11 Feb 1984, p. 15.

[2] “Integration of Schools” The Canberra Times, 22 Aug 1983, p. 2.

[3] Don Anderson. “Lack of effective authority in Canberra blamed for Radford College dispute” The Canberra Times, 16 Sep 1983, p. 2.

[4] Marion Gorrie, (1981, Nov 18), [Memo to P&C Presidents and Delegates]. ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association. Noel Butlin Archives. N85.

[5] [P&C Feedback], (1982, Mar). ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association. Noel Butlin Archives. N85.

[6] Wal Fife, (1982, 8 Jan), [Letter to Marion Gorrie]. ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association. Noel Butlin Archives. N85.

[7] Marion Gorrie, (1982, Feb 18), [Letter to Bishop Warren]. ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association. Noel Butlin Archives. N85.

[8] Joan Corbett, (1983, Nov 8), [Response to the Anderson Committee on Radford College from ATF to Senator Ryan]. ACT Teachers’ Federation. Noel Butlin Archives. N85.

[9] [Motion by TLC], (1982, Mar 17), Trades and Labour Council. Noel Butlin Archives. Z147.

[10] Robert Bluer, (1983, Jan 25), [Letter to Senator Baume], ACT Teachers’ Federation. Noel Butlin Archives. N85.

[11] Lisa Perry. “Grammar school bans are lifted” The Canberra Times, 23 Mar 1983, p. 1.

[12] “Committee on Radford College appointed” The Canberra Times, 20 Apr 1983, p. 3.

[13] Don Anderson. “Lack of effective authority in Canberra blamed for Radford College dispute” The Canberra Times, 16 Sep 1983, p. 2.

[14] Ray Costello, (1983, Mar 18). [Minute from Office of the Minister for Education]. ACT Teachers’ Federation. N85.

[15] “Radford College bans ‘may harm students soon’” The Canberra Times, 13 Feb 1985, p. 1.

[16] “Radford welcomes senior years” The Canberra Times, 22 Mar 1986, p. 15.