Staff Insights
By Mr Scott Corbett, Acting Assistant Principal Students
The theme of this year’s Dirrum Dirrum Festival was ‘sonder’. Sonder is described by the poster hanging in my office as “the realisation that each passer-by is living a life as complex and as vivid as your own.”
If you were lucky enough to attend Dirrum Dirrum Festival, you would have heard the many ways in which the feeling of sonder has impacted people in our community and the profound nature such a feeling can have on our capacity to practise compassion. To me, the feeling of sonder speaks to a core tenant of well-being care: unconditional positive regard. It is the concept that in all interactions with another person, we should remember the wholeness of that person and, despite the choices they make, we should hold in our mind the fact that they are a valuable and worthy human being, just like ourselves. For me, unconditional positive regard is an active choice that allows us to separate behaviour from people. I believe that this practice is an essential assumption for the growth and promotion of a compassionate community.
With more than 2100 students and hundreds of staff on campus each day, our school is a dynamic, fast-paced and very large community. We often talk to the students about their responsibility in shaping the culture of their year group, with the choices they make being the most influential factor. The same, I would argue, is true for the wider school community and the choices we make as adults. We are brought together by the same goal: empowering our young people to have the best opportunity to thrive in their life beyond Radford’s walls. With this united guiding light, we are a team. Within such a large team, the feeling of sonder is an important feeling to hold present in our interactions with each other. The extent of the connection between two adults on this team may just be a Nexus post, a short email, or a quick phone call, but we are each much more than those interactions. We have complex lives full of successes, stresses and ambitions that influence how we behave. I strongly believe that the most successful communities are ones that hold this consideration in the back of all interactions and ones that seek to practise empathy as a beginning point.
To invest in the well-being of our community and foster a culture of respect and honesty, I encourage you to hold the practice of unconditional positive regard in the back of your mind when you next interact with other members of our College community. At times, members of a team disagree, even strongly advocate for quite different results, but we can do this with kindness and respect. My time working in the well-being space of schools has taught me that the truth - more often than not - lies somewhere in the middle of two (or more) different perspectives. Allowing time to listen, remembering we are all on the same team and speaking from a point of sonder can allow us to develop a College community that truly does live out our value of compassion.
By Reverend Andy Fleming, Chaplain
Each year, churches around the world come together in celebration, praying and responding to the need to advocate for greater care of God’s gift of creation. The Season of Creation is ecumenical in nature. Church leaders unite to implore us to work harder to protect the fragile environment. A joint statement by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gives us food for thought: “Future generations will never forgive us if we miss the opportunity to protect our common home. We have inherited a garden; we must not leave a desert for our children.”
The theme of this year’s Season of Creation is 'Let Justice and Peace Flow'. Grounded in Amos 5.24 – "but let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" – we are encouraged to stand up for climate and ecological justice and stand with communities most distressed by climate injustice and biodiversity loss. There is a greater concern for future generations if we don’t take greater heed of the climate warnings.
When Jesus instructs us “to love our neighbours as ourselves,” you might reflect on precisely who your neighbour is. When I talk about this commandment with students, they often conclude that anyone who is in need is our neighbour and this includes creation.
Indigenous peoples across the world are spiritually tied to creation. Their long-held belief is that we are part of creation, treating creation with profound respect and caring for it in a sustainable, loving way. It is pretty obvious that humans can’t live without creation, but creation can certainly live without us. We can learn much from our Indigenous brothers and sisters in this country about how best to work with creation.
You may be aware of the steps taken at Radford this year to further reduce waste through a new disposal system. This has already seen a significant reduction in general waste, while increasing our recycling and capacity to re-distribute food waste to our worm farms, compost, and even the new chooks.
Despite the strong implication in the joint statement above that adults should be the ones who take responsibility for the care of creation, students are the ones stepping up to advocate for this care. For instance, our Radford Awareness and Service (RAS) students often raise environmental issues and organise events to raise awareness. For example, students regularly invite speakers to address climate issues at Dirrum Dirrum Festival. It is no surprise to me that our students show concern and act, and we can certainly learn from them.
Prayer for Season of Creation by Val Brown, Head of Christian Aid Scotland
God of all people, of all creatures;
We thank you for the world that you have created,
Where each ecosystem lives in delicate balance
And where the world produces the food and the clean water
that we all need to sustain life.
The bounty of the harvest is a testament to the wonder of creation.
And yet we know that all creation is groaning
The weather isn’t what it was and that throws out the created balance
Making it harder for farmers to grow the food we all need.
Thank you for the efforts of people locally, nationally and globally to care for your world
For the people who use their creative energy to work for solutions,
For the people who raise their voices to call for justice,
For the people who make small changes every day to tread more lightly on the earth.
May we all learn to live simply, so that others can simply live.
Amen
May you find God’s peace in the week ahead,
Rev. Andy
Not sure? Find out more
Mr Andy Gordon, Acting Principal and Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain
On 14 October, Australians will participate in a referendum. We will be asked to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution for the first time and to give them a say on issues that affect them.
What is the question for the Voice referendum?
The question that will be put to the Australian people at the 2023 referendum will be:
“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?”
What is the proposed change to the Constitution?
The proposed law that Australians are being asked to approve at the referendum would insert the following lines into the Constitution:
Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
i. There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
ii. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
iii. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.
Responses from constitutional law experts examining the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses can be found here.
Important information on how the Voice will work if the referendum is successful can be found here.
Walk for Yes
This coming weekend, Yes23 is hosting a series of walks around Australia to "walk together for a better future" and build momentum for recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the constitution through a Voice to Parliament. There will be events held across the country on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17, September. There is even a Walk for Yes event being held in Dili in Timor-Leste on Sunday, 17 September.
Canberra Walk for Yes
When: 11 am on Sunday, 17 September
Where: Northwest Grounds of the National Library of Australia
More details: click here
To find your local walk or other walks across Australia, click here.
Reflection from The Right Reverend Dr Mark Short, Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn
On the weekend, 300 representatives from parishes, schools and agencies of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn gathered for the annual Synod (church parliament). The upcoming referendum featured over the weekend as Synod members heard addresses from Canon Associate Professor Uncle Glenn Loughrey, the Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Commission, and Bishop Mark Short.
Bishop Mark Short gave an address to begin the proceedings. The opening address provided an opportunity for the Bishop to outline his vision for the Diocese, of which Radford College is a part. The address can be read in full here.
Bishop Mark’s section on the referendum presents a creative and thoughtful argument for voting yes to the proposed referendum change. It is worth reading his argument in full. Bishop Mark writes:
Working Through Difference: The Example of Recognition
"...I invite you to join me in conversation with the Canadian Theologian Charles Taylor, and ultimately the teaching of Holy Scripture.
"In his 1994 paper, The Politics of Recognition, Taylor outlines two versions of recognition that have developed and now co-exist in contemporary Western culture.
"A first version of recognition focuses on equality and what I share in common with every other human being. Recognition occurs as others affirm that in some profound sense I am just like them.
"By contrast, a second version of recognition focuses on difference and on the distinct groups to which I belong and with which I identify. Recognition occurs as others affirm that in some sense I (or we) are different to them.
"Taylor unpacks the potential conflict between these two versions of recognition as follows:
'For one, the principle of equal respect requires that we treat people in a difference-blind fashion. The fundamental intuition that humans command this respect focuses on what is the same in all. For the other, we have to recognise and even foster particularity. The reproach the first makes to the second is just that it violates the principle of non-discrimination. The reproach the second makes to the first is that it negates identity by forcing people into a homogenous mould that is untrue to them.'
"It is not difficult to discern these different versions of recognition in the debate about the Voice. For some, the Voice is to be rejected because it violates the principle of equality before the law. For others, the Voice is to be supported because it affirms the particular and unique place of First Nations peoples within the Australian community.
"So, what can we say as Christ's followers? First, we need to acknowledge that both these versions of recognition are historically contingent - that is they arose in a particular time and place. That does not necessarily make them untrue, but it should caution us against treating them as self-evident, at least in isolation.
"Second, we might want to consider whether here as in much else we have an instance of different cultural groups drawing on different aspects of a common, yet oft-forgotten, Christian heritage.
"Is there a way to bring together what contemporary culture has pulled apart? In the final section of his paper, Taylor suggests a way forward for navigating these two versions of recognition:
'One ground that has been proposed is a religious one. Herder, for instance, had a view of divine providence, according to which all this variety of culture was not a mere accident but was meant to bring about a greater harmony. I can't rule that out ... we only need a sense of our own limited part in the whole human story to accept the presumption.'
"Now as a Catholic Christian, I suspect Taylor is more open to this possibility than he lets on. Certainly, within Scripture it is observable that recognition most often occurs not through the communication of abstract principles but through God's providential actions in the human story.
"The pre-eminent Old Testament example is of course the Exodus. It is through God's judgement on Egypt and the deliverance of Israel that both will come to know the LORD. Likewise, in the New Testament we come to recognise the love of God through Jesus Christ laying down His life for us. In both Testaments, God's people are given means to remember, recount and re-live these foundational divine actions through the Passover and Eucharist respectively.
"Shaped by these actions and this story, God's people are then able to form community in which fundamental equality before God is combined with ongoing difference without one cancelling out the other. Elsewhere I have sought to show how this works itself out for Jewish and Gentile believers according to Paul's letter to the Romans.
"What has this to do with contemporary debates? Insofar as the teaching of Scripture reveals something true about the nature of the world, it suggests a healthy Constitution is shaped both by principle and story, equality and difference, without one cancelling out the other.
"As far as the Australian Constitution is concerned, the 'story’ is contained in the preamble:
'WHEREAS the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and under the Constitution hereby established...'
"That story then qualifies, or at least shapes, how principles are applied elsewhere, for example, through the stipulation that all the original states shall have the same number of Senators; as opposed to strict application of equal representation which would have seen the numbers determined in accordance with relative population.
"There is of course one glaring omission in our Constitution's preamble and that is the absence of those who were present in this land for thousands of years before European colonisation. The place of First Nations peoples in our shared story is unique and cannot be generalised or paralleled to any other racial or ethnic group.
"This then raises the question of how Constitutional recognition of this reality can occur - is it, for example, sufficient to modify the preamble to acknowledge our First Nations or, as in the case of Senate representation, is it appropriate to allow this reality to shape other Constitutional provisions?
"My view is that, as in the case of Senate representation, a Constitutionally-enshrined advisory Voice is an appropriate means of recognising equality and difference in this aspect of our common life.
"There is of course much more that can and will be said. Let me conclude with these words from my June editorial:
'I encourage all of us to listen carefully and speak wisely in the months ahead. The greatest potential to divide our nation, our communities and our churches lies not in the outcome of the vote but in overblown rhetoric and careless attitudes in the lead up to it. Please be particularly mindful of our First Nations neighbours, especially those who share our faith in Christ. Few of us who come from a different cultural background can imagine what it feels like to have one's identity a subject of national debate... My prayer is that as we engage as God's people with these weighty matters, we might commend the gospel, not least through our willingness to be distinctively grace-filled in our words and actions.'"
News
By Ivy and Kshetra, Year 6
This week, the Well-Being group has been working on the lines of inquiry for our small groups. The lines of inquiry differ depending on which small group you are in. All classes have created these, and they are what we will be researching over the next four weeks.
After we were told the lines of inquiry that we would be researching for the month, we had to find some guided questions related to the line of inquiry. On Wednesday, we had the student conference day regarding the different methods we chose to express our topics. This consisted of methods such as media, visual literacy, persuasive text, etc.
The student conference was great fun, and we all were able to share our learning at the end.
In the same week, the Sustainability group went to Questacon and had a great time!
A full weekend of grand finals
It was a huge weekend for Radford’s winter sports, with the College competing in 13 grand finals in football, basketball and netball.
Our Under 18 Girls Division 1 Football team won the minor premiership and went into the grand final against Weston Molongolo as the favourites. Radford did not disappoint the crowd and dominated from the beginning, walking away 4-1 with the premiership.
In netball, Radford appeared in four grand finals across the Cadets and Inters divisions. The day started with Inters Navy down by a small margin at half-time. However, they could not close the gap in the second half, going down 10-20. It was the reverse for the Inters Yellow in what was an exciting game. Going into the last quarter two points ahead, they overtook a strong Daramalan team 30-28. Cadets Maroon played their hearts out in a hard-fought game, going down 18-21. The day ended with Cadets Silver playing. Starting the game with only six players was always going to be tough, and the team was down by 16 at half-time. However, they fought their way back and needed one goal to level the scores in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. In the end, the opposition was too good, with Silver beaten 32-35.
As our biggest participation sport at Radford, we had eight basketball teams earn their place in the grand final for their respective divisions. Of these eight teams, four went on to become runners-up, including the U12 Girls Div 3 Eagles, U14 Boys Div 4 Falcons, U16 Boys Div 2 Falcons and U16 Girls Div 4 Harriers. Our championship-winning teams included the U14 Girls Div 3 Eagles, U14 Girls Div 4 Harriers, U16 Boys Div 6 Maroon Ospreys and U19 Boys Div 3 Maroon Eagles. A special shout out to siblings Isla Baran (Year 7) and Callum Baran (Year 12) whose teams both won their respective grand finals on Sunday. It will be a day to remember for the family.
Congratulations to all 13 teams for playing hard and with excellent sporting ethics. Thank you to all our wonderful parents/carers who were rostered on bench duty, the fantastic supporters who cheered loudly, our coaches for guiding their teams and the Radford teachers and sports staff for all their support and management behind the scenes. The weekend marked the end of another outstanding winter sports season – it’s time to rest, recover and recuperate in preparation for the start of our summer sports.
Basketball Grand Finals
Football Grand Finals
Netball Grand Finals
School Sports (SS) ACT achievements
From 10-15 September, Radford will be represented by five students at the School Sport Australia 18&U Girls and 16&U Boys Football Championships in Canberra. Sophia Doumos (Year 12), Alex Couldrick (Year 10), Daniel Barbatano (Year 10) and Xandy Lulic (Year 10) will be playing in the SSACT teams, and we wish them all the best.
Charlie Dunn (Year 6) has also been selected to compete at the School Sports Australia 12&U Boys Football Championships in October in Victoria. The selection for this team is always highly competitive, with a large number of boys trialling. The coach of the team is Tony Olivera, who is the current Radford U13 NPL team.
Sporting achievements
Congratulations to Eric Hood (Year 12) who has been named in the ACT U18 Boys Volleyball Team to compete at the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships in Bendigo in late September. Good luck, Eric!
Sophia de Castella (Year 12) has recently been named with another 82 hopefuls from across Australia to take part in the 2023 AFL Women's (AFLW) Draft Combine. The Draft Combine will showcase the country’s most talented draft-age female footballers and will be held across multiple locations in Australia throughout September and October. All players invited to attend the Combine are eligible for the 2023 AFLW Draft, which will be held following the 2023 NAB AFLW Season. Selection was based on the number of nominations provided by AFLW recruiters, with all 18 clubs submitting a list of preferred attendees. Sophia has been a member of the ACT/NSW Giants Academy for the past four years and played in the Allies (ACT, NSW, NT and TAS) team at the 2023 U18 National Championships. Sophia was also named in the 2023 ACT AFL Rising Stars Women's Team, and as Overall Best Player in that competition this year. Congratulations Sophia on your achievements - we wish you all the best at the 2023 AFLW Draft Combine.
Furthermore, at the 2023 AFL Canberra Awards Night, Radford College current and former students were a prominent feature. Nelson Marks (Year 11), Cameron Terry (Year 11), Joey Slater (Year 12) and Partick Walker (Class of 2022) were all named in the Future Stars Men’s Team of the Year. Congratulations to all four players.
By Ms Tracy Kelly, Acting Head of Library and Information Services
While Radford’s BSSS students were busy sitting their practise ACT Scaling Test (AST) on Moderation Day on Thursday, 17 August, the Year 11 International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) cohort went on an excursion to support their research efforts as they begin early preparatory work on their extended essays.
The students travelled early in the morning with Dr Rebecca Barlow and I to the National Library of Australia (NLA), where they attended the NLA tour, 'Online and Underground'. This included a research presentation to support our extended essay students to better utilise the NLA catalogue and research space. Due to some refurbishment work continuing in the many layers of the NLA below ground, we didn’t get to go into the stacks and see the robots that collect books requested by people to deliver to the reading room. However, the students really enjoyed looking at some artefacts in the archive collection, as well as the two exhibition spaces: Treasures Gallery and Grit and Gold.
From the NLA, we then travelled to the University of Canberra (UC) Library to have a look at the resources available. Radford senior students have access to borrow and use online resources from the UC Library for their research. The students had a look around and some elected to stay and work while the rest of the group walked back to Radford to end the day.
It was a great experience. As well as our own well-resourced library, our IBDP cohort now has amazing resources at hand to begin their research for their extended essay.
Mrs Christabelle Wright joined Radford College in July as the new Head of Health and Physical Education. She brings a wealth of experience in the subject from a career spanning ten years at Canberra Grammar School and Tuggeranong College prior to that. Mrs Wright is passionate about sport, fitness and health, having herself dabbled in the world of elite sports, and strongly believes in guiding our students towards leading healthier lives post-school.
Can you tell us a little about your background and what brought you to Radford College?
I have always had a passion for sport, fitness, and health, having grown up with swimming entrenched in my family history and with my ubiquitous competitive spirit and love of the outdoors. Becoming a Health and Physical Education Teacher was an obvious choice, and one I am grateful that I pursued. I have spent the bulk of my career at Canberra Grammar School, where I was afforded the opportunity to further my leadership skills through sport in the positions of Head of Rowing, Head of Netball, and Athlete Development Coordinator. When the opportunity arose to move to Radford College as Head of Department, it was an opportunity too good to turn down!
What do you like the best about your role?
I am really enjoying the people I work with. I love the collegiately of Radford, having found that all of the staff I have met have been friendly, supportive, and most importantly, passionate about their roles and delivering their programs to a consistently high standard. I am particularly enjoying the friendship and collaboration that the HPE staff have been so willing to provide me in my short time here.
As Head of HPE, what are you hoping to achieve with the subject/department?
My first goal as Head of Department is to ensure our health programs align with the Australian Curriculum (Version Nine). There have been substantial changes made in this space and it is an opportunity to reflect on topical concepts such as consent, racism, and mental health, which are so pertinent to society at this time.
Why is HPE important for our students?
Health and physical education provides students with an education they can and will use for life. It helps to instil a love for lifelong physical activity, reducing lifestyle diseases such as type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety, chronic back pain, and many more. It also educates students on healthy choices across a wide range of areas, enabling students to become empowered and take responsibility for their own health. More recently, health has focused on helping students understand how to recognise and control their emotions, understand consent, and engage in respectful relationships, breaking down gender stereotypes and casual racism.
In my view, health and physical education is the most important subject as it aims to educate the whole person in order to live a happy, healthy, and productive life.
What else did you do before joining the Radford community?
I started my career at Tuggeranong College, teaching outdoor education, physical activity, and sports science. I then took the opportunity to move to Canberra Grammar School where I remained for ten years. In my time at Grammar, I taught personal development, health and physical education, HSC PDHPE, and the International Baccalaureate sports, exercise, and health sciences course.
Prior to teaching, I dabbled in the world of elite sports, finding success in both rowing and water polo, and finishing my competitive sporting career in surf boat rowing.
What do you do with your time outside of Radford?
Outside of Radford, I am mum to my five-year-old son, Henry, who started Kindergarten this year, and two golden retrievers, Winston and Wally. In any time I find for myself, I love to run and will often head up a hill on the weekend. In summer, you will find me at the beach where I do volunteer Surf Lifesaving.
By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain
Radford Awareness and Service (RAS) students invite you to join the broader Canberra community for a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Come together as the Radford community and the wider Canberra community join in some fun and raise awareness for mental health on Sunday, 8 October.
Lifeline needs 5000 people to create a Canberra Lifeline and break the World Twist Record
One of our most critical support programs in Australia is provided by Lifeline.
They exist to ensure that no person must face their darkest moments alone. 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, they are there to listen to anyone feeling overwhelmed, distressed, experiencing a crisis in their life or simply needing someone to talk to. Everyone at some stage in their life has needed that shoulder to lean on, and Lifeline's there for you at any time of the day.
So now is the time to come together and create a Lifeline around Canberra to support this very special organisation.
The current World Record set in Mississippi back in 2014 is 3,040 people dancing the Twist. So, we are going to put Lifeline on the world stage by creating our own Lifeline around the two bridges on Lake Burley Griffin and set the new World Record dancing to the Twist.
When: Sunday, 8 October
Registration: Please try to register beforehand here. Registrations on the day can be done on arrival via your phone. Please check in with an official in your designated area.
Time: The record attempt will commence at 9:45 am sharp and run for five minutes. The overall time of the event is anticipated to be between 9-10:30 am.
How you can be involved: Members of the Radford community are invited to register for ZONE 6 (National Library). Marshalls are also needed for the history-making event. If you are a student in Years 9-12, a staff member, or a parent/carer and would like to be a marshal, please email event co-ordinator Managing Director of OPC Brett Norton: brett.norton@opc.com.au.
By Mrs Kirsten Knight, Head of Co-Curricular Music
Saturday, 16 September - 2-4 pm
Morison Centre lawns, Radford College
Please join us for our Rockin’ Picnic on Saturday, 16 September on the Morison Centre lawns.
The concert will run from 2-4 pm and feature performances by ten of our Contemporary Ensembles, plus guest Canberra band Archie.
BYO picnic and rug/chairs and enjoy a terrific afternoon of music!
Entry is free and no bookings are required.
By Ms Gretel Burgess, Counsellor (Social Worker)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD, also termed autism) is a persistent developmental disorder. Some symptoms include repetitive patterns of behaviour, difficulty in social interactions, restricted and/or impaired communication skills. However, these may not be recognised until later when social demands, such as those related to schooling, become greater.
For parents and families, meeting the complex needs of a child or young person with ASD can be extremely stressful and feel isolating at times. The well-being team has found some resources that provide free online sessions to help parents connect with other families experiencing similar situations and share strategies that work for them. For any further questions or resources, please contact the counselling team at counselling@radford.act.edu.au
Parent support & encouragement nights – FREE
Join us for an evening of connection, support and encouragement on Zoom (from the comfort of your lounge room). Your choice of the last Tuesday or last Thursday of each month.
Learn from parents sharing their experiences and strategies as they raise amazing kids and teens with autism in these 60-minute sessions.
Real parent interviews give you valuable insights into strategies that are working for families like yours.
Upcoming topics:
- September - friendship skills and more.
- October - handling school and more.
- November - “therapies” – what works and doesn’t – swapping contacts and more.
- December - break.
- January - starting the school year well and more.
Book a session online here.
For more information, ring: 1800 983 689.
