13 June 2025

With a decorated sporting career that includes two Olympics, two Commonwealth Games and a World Cup with the Hockeyroos, Ms Edwina Bone brings a unique perspective to her role as a Health and Physical Education (HPE) Teacher and Year 10 Mentor at Radford College. After nearly a decade in Perth - where she balanced elite sport with teaching and leadership roles - Edwina returned to Canberra in 2024 to be closer to family and embrace the next chapter of life as a new parent.

What brought you to Radford and what were you doing previously?

In 2024, after nearly a decade in Perth, my husband and I decided to return to the East Coast. The arrival of our son in 2023 made us realise how far we were from our support network in Canberra, and we wanted to be closer to family during this important chapter.

While in Perth, I was a high-performance athlete. Alongside my sporting career, I completed a Master of Education (Secondary) and worked at Methodist Ladies' College, an all-girls school, as Assistant Director of Boarding and later Director of Boarding.

I came to Radford because of Jessie Thearle (Head of HPE), who I knew through the Canberra hockey community. We played together for the University of Canberra Stars, and when I mentioned I was moving back, she encouraged me to apply for the part-time HPE teaching role.

You’re a two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist. If you could relive one sporting moment, what would it be and why?

That’s a tough question! A standout moment would be winning gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. We were trailing most of the game, and England had ‘parked the bus’ in their defence. With just 20 seconds left, we scored off a short corner to equalise. The game went to a shoot-out – one player versus the goalie, with eight seconds to score – and we won! My family and partner were in the stands, which made it even more special.

You were just 26 when you played in the Women’s World Cup and Commonwealth Games. How did your hockey journey begin, and do you still play?

I made my debut for Australia just shy of 25, against Korea in Perth. A year later, I was playing in a World Cup and Commonwealth Games – it was such a privilege. The World Cup final against the Netherlands was played in front of 25,000 fans in a soccer stadium converted to a hockey pitch.

Growing up, I played every sport going and jumped at every school rep opportunity. Hockey stuck with me because it helped me connect with others, especially when I moved from Orange to Canberra for university. I still play for the University of Canberra Stars, the same club I joined in 2006.

From the Olympic pitch to the classroom – was teaching always in your future?

I’ve always enjoyed coaching and sharing my love of the game. As an athlete, we were encouraged to have a career outside sport – for balance and in case of injury – but it wasn’t until later in my career that I pursued teaching. I’m so glad I did.

How do you bring your high-performance mindset into the classroom, especially on rainy days?

Luckily, Radford students are very motivated to move and participate, so even a basic warm-up game, with a little friendly competition, sparks a fire. If I join in, they often try to beat me - which brings out their competitive side in a fun way!

As an athlete, I used music to motivate myself. So when I can, I bring music into my lessons to boost energy. On rainy days, I remind students how lucky we are to have great indoor spaces like the Cricket Centre, Wigg gym and weights room.

People would be surprised to know ...

I’m an identical twin! My sister lives in Canberra too, and some of my Year 10 mentor students have spotted her from afar and wondered why I didn’t say hello!

By Ms Lisa Plenty, Director of Digital Learning and Innovation

It may go without saying, but in an era of significant technological change, the digital learning and innovation space at Radford does not stay still long. I have the great privilege of working across the College and leading the digital learning and innovation staff team. This team includes our Digital Learning Coach, Mr Eric Jensen, and our Intranet Administrator, Ms Harriet Huynh. Both are exceptional colleagues - intelligent, experienced and dedicated. They make team leadership a dream!

From a macro perspective, our team helps to inform and lead Radford’s strategic direction for the use of learning technology. Key focus areas currently include the transition to College-provided devices for Years 4-12; cyber safety education; the College position on artificial intelligence and overseeing our College portal and Secondary School learning management system, Nexus.

On a day-to-day basis, Eric and I work mostly with teachers, to guide and support their use of classroom technology. We design professional learning resources and sessions to help teachers build skills and understand the digital learning landscape. Eric has the enviable opportunity to co-teach in classrooms, promoting successful and valuable digital learning. He is well-known to students and is always greeted like a celebrity during Junior School visits.

Harriet manages all aspects of Nexus and she does amazing work to maintain what has become a very big and important College system. Harriet works strategically and with a vision to ensure everything runs smoothly. I am very grateful for her expertise in managing the vast array of requirements.

In addition to our core team, we have four Digital Learning Leaders who support the implementation of the Junior School Digital Technologies Curriculum. Ms Bella Dalton, Mrs Emma Booth, Ms Janine Crookes and Mrs Taryn Fisher are all classroom teachers with a passion for digital learning.

We also work closely with our dedicated IT services team, and I feel fortunate to collaborate daily with such great colleagues.

As we work in a transformational space, we seek to be agile and regularly review our practices and focus. We view our commitment to learning-focused technology use, along with our students’ digital literacy and well-being, as a shared responsibility with families. We have considerable resources for parents available on Nexus. In addition, we subscribe to the Cyber Safety Project parent webinar series, through which we receive valuable insights and advice from experts regarding the best learning opportunities of technology, within the parameters of student safety and well-being.

By Mr Lachlan Coventry, Director of Ensembles

On Wednesday, 11 June, our annual Radford Rocks music evening was held in the Performing Arts Centre, featuring five bands from the co-curricular music contemporary ensembles program, as well as two guitar ensembles.

The program started at 5.30 pm with the Zappa Guitar Ensemble playing an arrangement of the Coldplay song Clocks. Next, Year 7 band The Coworkers took to the stage to play a rocking original song Gasoline Dreams to great applause.

Year 10 band The Currents delivered an energetic version of Blur’s Song 2, followed by The Greeks Freaks (a name inspired by the heritage of their bass player), which wowed the audience with Gravity by Against the Current.

Montgomery Guitar Ensemble played acoustic versions of Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Chasing Cars. Year 8 grunge band Ouch! was inspiring in its delivery of the Pixie’s Where is My Mind and Radiohead’s Just.

Finally, Year 12 jazz fusion group Is the Ocean a Soup? rounded out the night with three instrumentals by Japanese band Casiopea.

Thank you to Mr David Burcher who masterfully ran the sound desk and to the Media Crew and Mr Stephen Rose for providing professional lighting.

By Ms Melanie Hirst, Teacher

Radford College was honoured to welcome Carrie-Ann Leeson, CEO of Lifeline Canberra and valued member of the Radford College Board, for a special visit to mark the beginning of the 2025 Push-Up Challenge. Accompanied by the ever-enthusiastic Dare to Care Bear, Carrie-Ann addressed Secondary School students, encouraging them to take action for mental health in both meaningful and practical ways.

Her inspiring talk set a powerful tone as students prepared to take on the Push-Up Challenge - an annual event that sees participants complete as many push-ups as possible across a set period, all while raising funds and awareness for mental health support services. With Lifeline Canberra being a cause close to the hearts of many in the Radford community, students have embraced the initiative with enthusiasm and commitment.

We are proud to share that Radford College is currently leading the national communities leaderboard - a testament to the dedication and generosity of our students, staff and families. Every push-up completed represents a step towards a more open and supportive dialogue around mental health - and every dollar raised will help ensure that Lifeline Canberra can continue providing life-saving services to those in need.

To support our students and help make a lasting impact, you can sponsor the Radford College team here.

Radford College’s service-learning program empowers students to make meaningful connections between their learning and the wider world. By encouraging empathy, purpose and a belief in their ability to make a difference, the program helps students recognise their capacity to create positive change – both in their own lives and in the lives of others.

This week, our Year 5 students brought that vision to life through two impactful community-based experiences. As part of their Sharing the Planet Unit of Inquiry, they explored the central idea: “Needs drive connections.”

One group visited our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students, thoughtfully selecting and reading picture books they felt the younger learners would enjoy. Meanwhile, another group visited Calvary Aged Care, where they engaged in conversation, played board games and created crafts with residents.

Both activities reflected the spirit of service and the value of authentic, meaningful engagement with others – a hallmark of the Radford approach to learning.

By Mr Nick Akhurst, Head of Co-curricular Drama, Dance and Technical Theatre

Charles Dickens’ timeless tale Oliver Twist has been reimagined into a quick-witted and fast-paced drama production by our talented Year 5-6 students. Under the direction of drama club teachers Justine Ramsy and Lily Welling - supported by Junior School staff Mrs Tanya Priest-Willimott, Mrs Nadia Sullivan and Mrs Belinda Treloar and Theatre Technician Mr Stephen Rose - this production promises to delight audiences this June.

The story follows young Oliver, a poor orphan navigating the gritty streets of London and discovering unexpected friendships along the way. Dickens originally wrote Oliver Twist to shed light on the harsh realities faced by street children and the exploitation of youth in crime. But it's not all sad. While not a full musical, the production includes a few surprise musical numbers to lift the energy and charm.

We warmly invite you to join us as our Year 5-6 students bring this classic story to life - and witness the ongoing upgrades to T.B. Millar Hall.

Performance details:

• Dates: 18-20 June
• Time: 6.00 pm
• Location: T.B. Millar Hall
• Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/oliver-twist-y5-6-production/tickets

On Thursday, 19 June, Year 8 students will take part in the Vinnies School Sleepout - an overnight experience aimed at deepening student understanding of - and empathy for - homelessness in Australia while raising funds for St Vincent de Paul Society.

The Vinnies Sleepout challenges students to swap the comfort of their beds for a sleeping bag and a hard floor. The evening won’t be too comfortable - and that’s the point. By stepping briefly into the shoes of those who live without a roof over their heads, students will gain a more personal insight into homelessness - a reality faced by more than 1,600 people in Canberra each night.

A guest speaker from St Vincent de Paul Canberra/Goulburn will visit on the night to share real stories and discuss with students how Vinnies supports people in need.

Donations can be made via https://shoutforgood.com/fundraisers/RadfordCollegeSleepout2025 and all funds will go directly to Vinnies.

Professor Stan Grant Jnr is a renowned journalist, author, theologian, moral philosopher, thinker, filmmaker and communicator. He currently holds the role of Vice Chancellor Chair of Australian-Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University.

Stan has had a groundbreaking, four-decade career as one of Australia’s most-awarded journalists. A Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi and Dharrawal man, Stan has blazed a trail for First Nations journalists. In a career of firsts, he was the first Indigenous Political Correspondent, the first Indigenous Foreign Correspondent and the first Indigenous person to present a prime-time commercial television news and current affairs program. For a decade, he was a senior correspondent for American news giant CNN in Asia and the Middle East. He has reported from more than 70 countries and has lived in London, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Hong Kong and Beijing.

He has seen history turn, covering the greatest stories of our age, including the end of apartheid in South Africa, the death of Princess Diana, the troubles in Northern Ireland, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflict and unrest in Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Timor Leste, Gaza and the West Bank. He has interviewed world leaders and every Australian Prime Minister of the past 40 years. Stan reported up close the rise of China as a global power, travelling to every corner of the country. He is one of the few journalists to have gained entry to the secretive, repressive dictatorship of North Korea.

We look forward to welcoming Stan Grant to Dirrum Dirrum on Saturday, 16 August. He will give a keynote address on this year’s festival theme, Tomorrow’s Promise. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to hear from one of Australia’s leading voices.

Stan’s books will be for sale including his most recent Murriyang: Song of Time.

To register for Dirrum Dirrum Festival 2025, click here.

Stay tuned for further speaker announcements in upcoming editions of the Bulletin.

• See also: Australian Idol 2023 winner to speak at Dirrum Dirrum Festival 2025