19 July 2023

I extend a very warm welcome back to the start of Term 3 to all parents, students and staff at Radford, especially those new to the College. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday and that you are ready to take on the challenges and opportunities this term presents.

A Review of the College’s Camps Program

As detailed in previous Bulletin articles, Term 1 this year was particularly busy, with eight separate camps taking place over the 10-week period. These included (in order) the Year 11 IB DP (two days), Year 11 Retreat (three days), Year 7 (five days), Year 8 (four days), Music (two-and-a-half days), Drama (two days), Year 5 (three days), and Year 6 Camp (four days).

All these camps took place during the first term because we were either looking to set the cohort up for the remainder of the year or because these camps are best suited to proceed in the warmer weather.

Competing with these camps in Term 1 are also the majority of the major House carnivals (in both Junior and Secondary School), which rely on good weather. Good weather correlates strongly with high participation numbers, one of the main drivers for House sporting competitions.

In 2023, the only camps yet to run are the Year 3, 9, and 10 Camps. These are due to be staged in Term 4 to again (hopefully) make use of the better weather. The Year 3 Camp is a two-day program at Camp Cottermouth, the Year 9 Camp is a five-day program, and the Year 10 Camp is a nine-day program, all run by Outdoor Education Group (OEG). Over the past few years, the Year 9 and Year 10 Camps have had to change locations on many occasions due to COVID-19, bushfires and floods.

When any camp is conducted, teaching is impacted within the year level involved in the camp and across the College. This is predominately because we always need to provide smaller teacher-to-student ratios outside of the classroom, and those extra teachers, student support assistants, and other support staff are drawn from across the College, taking them away from their normal classes. This is particularly relevant for the Secondary School, where teachers cover classes from Years 7-12.

The College’s sequential camps program provides an array of incredible learning experiences, and the rationale for providing camps is well-supported. In fact, the thing that most Collegians remember most fondly about their time at Radford is their involvement in one of the year-level camps.

The counter argument to having an extensive camps program is that these activities take teachers and students away from the teaching program, which should be the core business of any school. Additionally, some argue that the extra costs associated with the camps program (buses, accommodation, food, activities, extra Radford staff and specialist staff) is difficult to justify and that these extra activities could be achieved more cheaply closer to home.

My view is that there needs to be a balance between what the school offers its students and what it determines is part of the core educational program at each year level.

As Term 1 progressed this year, there was growing concern by teachers about the amount of teaching time lost to extra-curricular activities. In particular, the camps and House events. As a result of these concerns, the College Executive undertook a whole-of-College review of the nature, frequency, cost, timing, relevance and educational value of all the camps we offer.

Each of the camps we currently offer were thoroughly reviewed under the criteria listed above. The whole program was then reviewed to determine the impact on the teaching program, value for money and total cost to the College.

As a result of this review, the following camps program will be offered from 2024:

• Year 3 – remains at two days with OEG (Camp Cottermouth) in Term 4.
• Year 5 – remains at three days with OEG (Tallong is the preferred venue) in Term 1.
• Year 6 – remains at four days with Urban Challenge in Term 1.
• Year 7 – remains at five days with OEG (at Biloela) in Term 1.
• Year 8 – *changed to a four-day, non-residential, bespoke Radford experience at the end of Term 2.
• Year 9 - changed to 9–10 days with OEG in Term 4.
• Year 10 - *changed to a four-day, non-residential, bespoke Radford experience at the end of Term 4.
• Year 11 – remains at three days and situated at Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre.
• Year 11 IB DP, Music and Drama – all remain unchanged.

Please note the * indicates when there are no Year 11 and 12 classes during the camp. Therefore, we have a greater number of teachers available to assist with the camp and senior classes are not disrupted by teacher absences.

Anglican Schools Australia National Conference in Canberra

Anglican Schools Australia (ASA) is an association of approximately 180 schools from across the country. Its core purpose is to support and serve Anglican schools in fulfilling their Christian mission. I have been on the ASA Management Committee since 2010 and served as the President from 2012–15.

ASA’s main event each year is its conference, and this year Canberra is hosting the first face-to-face conference since 2019.

As the ACT's representative on the Standing Committee, I was appointed the Conference Chair but have been ably supported over the past 18 months that this conference has been organised. Staff from Radford and other Canberra and Goulburn Diocese Anglican Schools who have assisted me include:

• Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Radford College Senior Chaplain
• Rev. Mr Andy Fleming, Radford College Associate Chaplain
• Mr Andy Gordon, Radford College Deputy Principal and Head of Junior School
• Ms Leonie Hardwood, Burgmann Anglican School Principal
• Rev. Mr Alex Abecina, Burgmann Anglican School Chaplain
• Father Christopher Lewis, Canberra Girls Grammar Chaplain

The conference will run from Thursday, 3 August to Saturday, 5 August at Realm Hotel. Although the first day, which includes the 'Leading in an Anglican School' session and the Chaplain’s Day, are being held at Radford College.

Radford College Deputy Chair, Bishop Stephen Pickard, has agreed to be one of the Conference Provocateurs, joining Rev. Sarah Agnew. This means they will be introducing and summarising each of the keynote presenters/workshops. We are incredibly grateful to Stephen and Sarah for agreeing to take on these important roles.

It is anticipated that the conference will attract around 300 delegates, including the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, and will hopefully provide ASA with much-needed funds to support ongoing projects in schools run by the association.

By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

In the holidays, I was fortunate enough to travel with 24 students and four staff to Timor-Leste. Each day held multiple insights and connections. A soccer game in a village on Atauro Island stands out.

As we arrived, we were welcomed by two lines of soccer players: the local male and female teams. Our students lined up in formation with the local teams and shook hands as an opening ritual before commencing a very competitive game. Music was playing to pump the crowd up and the linesmen and referee kept everyone in check. The atmosphere was electric and the score tight (Radford lost 5-4 - we’ll put it down to a home game advantage!). At the end of the game, speeches were made by both teams about the joy of the game taking place.

Everywhere we went there were rich and meaningful encounters such as this. Stay tuned for future Bulletins in which students will share more of their experiences.

The spontaneous nature of moments of grace reminds me of a reflection a friend sent to me. The reflection draws on an ancient Celtic image of the Holy Spirit as a wild goose who cannot be tamed, whose very nature brings disruption and surprise.

“Celtic Christians have a unique image for the Holy Spirit: the wild goose. Yep, the honking, flapping, nipping-at-your heels bird who refuses to be tamed, has framed the theological imaginations of believers for generations in regions surrounding Ireland and Scotland. The imagery is spot on and brilliant.

"Like a wild goose, God nips at us and provokes us to travel to obscure places as a collection of practitioners of the kingdom unconfined by convention. God’s Spirit, like these obnoxious long-necked creatures, can even be somewhat aggravating and difficult to ignore when pushing us to defy logic and comfort. The nudging of the Divine Presence is not always graceful or welcome either, disrupting our conscience and disturbing our assumptions about what is good, right and just.

"The Holy Spirit, like our feathered friends, lives in freedom and refuses to be contained and controlled.

"Still more, beauty is in the flight of these strange birds. They refuse to travel alone and instead fill the skies in gaggles shaped like the letter 'V'. This provides yet another seamless symbol for individuals and gaggles of God's people who trust the whims of the Spirit as they follow Jesus as the head of a rather rambunctious flock. May we never try to tame them, only fly alongside them."

- Taken from Wild Geese and God's Spirit as Uncaged Bird by Greg Klimovitz

The Bible passage from the Book of Job encourages us to see everyday encounters with the world around us as markers of profound insights into the nature of God.

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you,
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.”

- Job 12: 7-10, the Bible

I wonder what has been revealed to you in encounters with fellow creatures in your environment this week.

National NAIDOC Week Award Winners

Congratulations to local Elder Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams who won the National NAIDOC Week Female Elder Award. You can learn more about Aunty Matilda’s work in the ACT region here. Her advocacy over many decades is inspiring.

Congratulations also to Rev. Tom Slockee who was one of three finalists of the National NAIDOC Week Male Elder Award. Rev. Tom is an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. Along with his wife Muriel, I’ve learnt a lot from Tom over the years. They live on Walbunja Country at Batemans Bay. Rev. Tom has been instrumental in making housing accessible for First Nations peoples. You can learn more about his work and vision here.

A full list of the finalists in all the award categories can be found here. It is a compelling insight into the innovative work that First Nations peoples are undertaking in a range of fields.

As we begin a new term, may there be moments that surprise and nourish you within the relationships that are at the core of our lives and amidst the tasks at hand.

By Board Chair Mrs Vicki Williams

On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome our newest Board Member and introduce him to our Radford community.

Professor Barney Dalgarno is currently Executive Dean of Education at the University of Canberra and brings a wealth of experience in schools and teacher training and accreditation.

He currently leads UC’s Education Faculty in:
• Teacher Education
• Post Graduate Education
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• Educational Research, particularly in STEM education and Sustainable Communities
• Supporting Doctoral Candidates
• Collaborating with schools and school leaders.

As a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Planning Group, he contributes to University-wide strategic leadership and operational management.

Prior to joining UC, Professor Dalgarno held a number of leadership positions at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in learning and teaching excellence, academic quality and innovation.

He collaboratively developed CSU’s Distance Education strategy, including a new online learning model, and led university-wide implementation within CSU’s largest online courses.

One of the Board’s key areas of focus, and a topic for our next Retreat, continues to be digital education and our students’ digital future. Professor Dalgarno is highly experienced in this field.

Barney’s first meeting with the Board will be at our Retreat on 11/12 August and we are looking forward to drawing on Professor Dalgarno’s experience and insights, and his contribution to the discussion on the College’s place in leading innovative educational practice.