Staff Insights
By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain
One of the great things about working in a school is overhearing classes. From within a 100-metre radius of my office, I have overheard lessons on post-colonial readings of classical literature; the nature of perception and reality; world religions; and students enjoying the fruits of their labours from food technology.
Walk a little further, and you can hear students singing in chapel, grasping concepts in numeracy, conversing in Spanish, studying different genres, making discoveries through play, and inquiring into sustainability and custodianship.
Equally nourishing are the conversations with colleagues that broaden my horizons. This week I had a conversation with a colleague (who knows far more about science than I ever will!) about the nature of consciousness. A faith perspective was brought into the conversation as we talked about the mystery and origin of something as profound as consciousness.
The conversation between religion and science is broad and multifaceted. There are tensions both in the past and the present. However, science and religion are conversation partners in need of each other. Science reveals to us more of the world around us, what we can know and how much is still unknown. Religion contributes to scientific inquiry by asking questions about who has access to new discoveries and which limits are needed to ensure that human dignity and flourishing are preserved. These questions are not straightforward and good reason for the dialogue to continue.
An example of this conversation comes from theologian Rev. Professor Sarah Coakley. One of the questions she raises concerns the evolutionary phenomenon of cooperation and, by extension, altruism as a guiding principle for understanding the world. For those who would like to hear more from Professor Coakley, click here.
The poet Mary Oliver in her poem Sometimes writes:
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
These instructions, “pay attention, be astonished, tell about it,” become an invitation to connection, wonder and blessing in all avenues of inquiry, both the scientific and the theological.
Loving God,
We give you thanks
for the wonders of creation,
for those who dedicate their lives to understanding
more about how the world works in the fields of
physics, biology, chemistry, geology, zoology and
so much more.
Amen
For more information on National Science Week, including activities to do at home, click here.
News
Last Saturday, 22 of our Year 5/6 Round Square students attended Dirrum Dirrum Festival – Radford’s very own student-led conference. This year marked ten years since Dirrum Dirrum’s inception. The 2023 theme was simple, Sonder: the realisation that each passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Students listened intently to Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams, who welcomed everyone to country and shared several personal experiences. Aunty Matilda walked through the room, speaking to those in attendance.
Brenda Matthews was Dirrum Dirrum's first speaker. She spoke passionately about her life and how she was removed from her parent’s care and went to live with a white family as a child. Several students had already watched Brenda’s movie The Last Daughter and were excited to hear Brenda share her memories with them.
"When Brenda Matthews was two years old, she and her siblings were taken from their parents. For the next five years, she was a much-loved daughter in a white family, a happy child in a country town on the outskirts of Sydney, unaware of the existence of her Aboriginal family or how hard her parents were fighting for her return - unaware of her Aboriginal identity. Then, she was suddenly returned to her Aboriginal family, the last daughter to come home" - Brenda Matthews – The Last Daughter.
Students also listened to Nathan Parker speak about overcoming extraordinary challenges when he had to have his arm amputated after a bus accident on the way to work.
"Do I give up, or do I try and try again?" Nathan asked himself and the audience.
Nathan's words resonated with students.
Nathan spoke about the definition of resilience. He said that "resilience consists of small choices made by you." His resilience and sheer determination were felt throughout the room.
Students heard author Trent Dalton share stories about his upbringing and how his homelife had been difficult. His parents dealt drugs and were in jail at times. His greatest mentor ended up being convicted of murder. And somehow, even with all of this in his upbringing, he has gone onto become an author who is exceptional at writing love stories. Sitting back and listening to Trent speak about his latest book Love Stories, and the different ways love can be shown, was truly inspirational.
During the dinner break, festival attendees visited the room full of stallholders who had come to share their products and stories. Secondhand items were purchased at the Swap Shop, an array of products from Timor were available at Hau Nia Timor, and delicious treats were bought from the Stepping Stone stall.
This year’s Dirrum Dirrum Festival was a thoroughly enjoyable event filled with speakers who shared personal stories that affect us all. Our Year 5/6 Round Square students learnt a lot – from the speakers themselves and from their Year 11 and 12 role models.
To view a full gallery of photos from Dirrum Dirrum Festival, click here.
2023 ACT Schools Cup
By Mr Alex Timms, Sports Program Coordinator
On Sunday, 13 August, 40 students competed at Perisher Resort in the 2023 ACT Schools Cup. 26 Secondary School and 14 Junior School students from Radford competed in 11 teams across two events - Alpine (Ski) and Snowboard GS (Snowboard).
At this competition, there are four cups that schools compete for - Boys Junior and Senior Cups and Girls Junior and Senior Cups. Radford had a standout performance, maintaining our hold on the Boys Senior Cup. Radford Senior Girls narrowly missed out on the trophy, finishing second behind St. Clare’s. Well done to everyone who raced.
A big thanks to all the parents who volunteered!
Notable team performances:
- Alpine D1 Male A Team - Jake Smith, Xavier Pauza and Euan Greig - 1st place.
- Alpine D1 Male B Team - Sunny Smith, Charlie Seddon, Niki Georgalis and Jeffrey Bush - 3rd place.
- Alpine D2 Female A Team - Emily Hinchcliffe, Charlie Lee, Amelie Brennan and Sophie Wilson - 1st place.
- Alpine D2 Male A Team - Joshua Baker, Oscar Bush and Connor Kruger - 2nd place.
- Alpine D3 Male A Team - Darcy Barlow, Lincoln Lee, Rajeev Tamhane and Thomas Georgalis - 3rd place.
- Alpine D5 Female A Team - Tahlia Smith, Jacinta Huang and Angelica Niravong - 2nd place.
- Alpine D1 Male A Team - Ethan Ng, Zachary Godwin, Jarrah Wiles and Harry Carter - 1st place.
- Snowboard GS D2 Female A Team - Aanya Te Moananui, Taylor Barton and Charlie Lee - 1st place.
- Snowboard GS D2 Male A Team - Bailey Purvis-Smith, Oscar Bush and Liam Waldren - 1st place.
- Snowboard GS D3 Male A Team - Elijah Porfirio and Lincoln Lee - 1st place.
Notable individual performances:
- Jake Smith - 1st overall, D1 Male Alpine.
- Joshua Baker - 2nd overall, D2 Male Alpine.
- Darcy Barlow - 2nd overall, D3 Male Alpine.
- Charlie Lee - 3rd overall, D2 Female Snowboard GS.
- Lincoln Lee - 2nd overall, D3 Male Snowboard GS.
Well done, everyone! Congratulations on retaining the Boys Senior Cup!
Rugby
Radford's U16 Rugby Team is experiencing another strong season. On Saturday, 5 August, it was a top-of-the-table clash, with Radford (ranked second on the ladder) taking on Royals (placed first).
It was a hard-fought game, with Radford remaining composed and focused despite a nail-biting finish.
Radford came out on top with a successful penalty kick by Baxter Sicily just before the full-time siren.
Congratulations to all players – the entire team put in their best, and it was a real team effort. Special mention to the try scorers – Micah Primrose, Hamish Whithear, Max Forbutt, Jakson Kang and Zachary Lloyd.
A sweet 32-31 victory - go Radford!
In other exciting news for our rugby team, we congratulate Baxter Sicily and Hugo Hayward (Shadow) who have been selected for the final Brumbies U16 Squad to play rugby union at the Nationals.
Sporting Achievements
Congratulations to the following three Radford students who have represented Australia over the past month:
- Callum Baran, Year 11, Australian Futsal Team – with an already extensive futsal representative career behind him, Callum was once again selected in the Australian Futsal Association team, and competed in the Montesilvano Futsal Cup recently in Italy.
- Miles Daly, Year 12, Australian Wrestling Team – having won the U17 Australian Title earlier this year in the 92.5 kilogram division, Miles recently competed in the Oceania Championships. He fought in a higher weight division (110kg) and came home with a silver medal. An outstanding achievement!
- Aaron Choy, Year 12, Australian Taekwondo Team – Aaron recently competed in two taekwondo international competitions and received medals in both events. Aaron achieved a silver medal in the Oceania President’s Cup and bronze medal in the Australian Open. Aaron had fierce competition from athletes in the Hong Kong and Singapore National Teams.
Football – Coerver Coaching ACT Performance Academy 2023/24 Trials
The Coerver Coaching Performance Academy is a football school for serious, dedicated individuals seeking additional professional training to improve their technical ability and become more advanced players. Their mission is to provide comprehensive football education for young players looking to develop the skills necessary to elevate their game to the next level.
When: Sunday, 27 August 2023
Where: University of Canberra, Bruce
How to register: https://coerveract.com.au/performance-academy-programs
By Sari Travers, Year 8
During the winter school holidays, I was lucky enough to be one of 32 students who got to go to Central Australia. It was an amazing experience that I will definitely never forget. I really enjoyed the hikes, especially around Uluru and the big hike through Kings Canyon.
Even though it was in the middle of a desert, it rained nearly all of the week we were there. But this meant many waterfalls, even on Uluru. My favourite experience was getting to sleep out underneath the stars in a remote community called Lila.
Going to Central Australia was amazing, so if you ever get the opportunity to go you should definitely take it and go with an open mind because it will be better than you expect!
By Mrs Kirsten Knight, Head of Co-Curricular Music and Director of Strings
Jazz Café will be held in the Performing Arts Centre on Friday, 18 August from 6 pm.
With performance from all of Radford's jazz groups and special guest performers from the Brass Knuckle Brass Band, it will be a fabulous night!
BYO food and drink. Tickets are $5 each or $30 per table: https://events.humanitix.com/jazz-cafe-2023.
By Mrs Annette Carter, College Historian
The first day of school is always filled with a mixture of anticipation, excitement and anxiety. But imagine having your first day at a brand-new school. There would be no website to scout out potential subjects or extra-curricular activities, and you wouldn't have met your peers or teachers to ask for advice on where to go. Everyone would be finding their own way.
This was the prospect facing 235 Radford College students starting in Years 7 and 8 on 1 February 1984 at 8:40 am.
There had been meetings for parents in 1982 and 1983. These meetings allowed parents to ask questions and, late in 1983, they could obtain further details of the planned Program of Studies and extra-curricular activities. Letters were also sent out regarding the $50 registration fee and $400 enrolment fee (which was refundable when the child left the school with any outstanding debits withdrawn). It was decided that the basic tuition fee would be $450 per term, with parents asked to contribute a further $250 per term (minimum) to the College’s Building and Maintenance Fund.
In October 1983, parents received a detailed ten-page letter signed by the newly appointed Principal Jock Mackinnon, including details about school uniforms, the program of studies, teaching staff, important dates and daily schedule, as well as arrangements for the commencement, schedule of charges for textbooks and student stationery supplies list. The school year was split into three terms – Lent, Trinity and Michaelmas.
For the winter uniform, all students wore a tartan tie; white, long-sleeved shirt; grey jumper and garnet blazer with 'R' on the pocket; and black lace-up shoes. Girls wore a tartan skirt with grey stockings while boys wore long, grey trousers with grey socks.
For the summer uniform, girls wore a garnet/white or blue/white striped dress and boys wore long, grey trousers or grey tailored shorts. All students were required to wear a garnet tie and black lace-up shoes. However, on very hot days, girls could wear dark brown sandals (as long as they were purchased from Clarks) and boys could wear their blue striped, short-sleeved shirt open-necked, without a tie.
The College also considered introducing an optional summer hat for all.
For the Year 8 of 1984, the subjects offered were:
When form advisor interviews were scheduled in January 1984, an invitation to attend the Dedication Service was included, along with other information that almost acted as a reminder about books, supplies, uniforms and the code of conduct. There were no canteen facilities in 1984, so students were required to bring their own food and drink.
Radford College had, as best they could, provided parents and students beginning in 1984 with all the information for them to confidently start the year at the brand-new school.
