5 April 2023

By Terry Yang, Year 12

On Thursday, 23 March, the Albanese Government announced the final wording of the proposed constitutional amendment to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Coincidentally, Thursday was also the final day of the 28th National Schools Constitutional Convention (NSCC) - held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra, from Tuesday, 21 to Thursday, 23 March.

As one of five delegates representing the ACT and one of 116 Year 11 and 12 students from across Australia, I had the chance to discuss the proposed amendment, plus a variety of other constitutional issues with students from around the country.

On the first day, after a fifteen-minute drive (in contrast to the WA delegates’ 3 am wake up and four-hour flight), I arrived at our hotel. And after lunch, we headed off to Parliament House for Question Time, which was surprisingly entertaining.

The rest of the convention focused on the question: is section 128 of the Constitution - which outlines the ‘double majority’ requirement of constitutional alteration - still a necessary requirement to change such an important document as the Australian Constitution? And, after listening to a number of guest speakers - including professors and politicians - and discussing with smaller working groups, the majority of delegates ultimately voted "no" in a mock referendum.

The Convention was an amazing experience. From meeting the Governor-General to dinner at the High Court, the supplementary activities were just as wonderful as the more academic parts and I really enjoyed meeting people from all around Australia.

Year 10s and 11s - I highly recommend you apply for the Convention next year (plus it’s completely free!). Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up discovering a love for the intricacies of constitutional interpretation.

By Ms Yarami RamosGomez and Mrs Sophie Manoharan, Spanish Teachers

Last week, Junior School students took part in our annual Hispanic Day celebration.

Hispanic Day aims to raise the profile of Hispanic language and culture by connecting students with the local Hispanic community. We hope that through these connections, we can enhance cultural understanding, foster global engagement, promote a love of language and work towards the mission of the International Baccalaureate to develop internationally-minded students.

This year, we added more Latin spice to our Hispanic Day with two dance studios teaching various Hispanic dances, a Cuban percussion workshop and a Colombian art workshop to complement the nine Hispanic embassies that showcased their culture.

As you entered the Junior School, the foyer’s decoration set the tone, with the walls showing Frida Kahlo’s portraits, the Amazon’s vegetation, and the Hispanic flags. Also deserving a special mention was the exhibition of the beautiful sculpture of an Alebrije (brightly coloured Mexican folk-art sculptures of fantasy/mythical creatures) created by the Year 3 students for the centre of the foyer.

Moving beyond the foyer and into the playground, the final ingredients were added to immerse our students in Hispanic culture: decorative banners, embassy stands and their Hispanic flags, plus Hispanic music filling the air.

To be in sync with the theme of the day, students wore clothes matching the colours of a Hispanic flag of their choice. And, in true festival spirit, students wandered around the Junior School playground to participate in three activities during a fifty-minute session. They engaged with the Spanish language in various ways: games, traditional dance, art and percussion.

Students were also enthralled by the Colombian, Cuban, Ecuadorian, Guatemalan, Mexican, Peruvian, El Salvadorian, Spanish and Uruguayan cultures, words, stories and dances. They were able to use their Spanish skills to interact with the representatives of the Hispanic embassies. We could also not have hoped for a better day: beautiful, sunny and warm.

What will the students remember from this day? It is all in their beautifully-decorated paper bag.

We hope your children came home on Friday telling you all the stories, games and cultural activities they experienced. Let all the beautiful images and words in their heads flow until our next Hispanic Day in 2024! ¡Hasta el próximo año! (See you next year!)

By Miss Melinda Hamilton, Teacher

On Thursday, all Kindergarten classes enjoyed an incursion with Kids Pantry to help them explore healthy food choices in more depth as part of our Who We Are investigations.

The students loved creating apple donuts with a layer of Greek yoghurt and some banana and cranberries on top. They also added a sprinkle of coconut and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. They learnt how to use a knife safely when chopping and were given creative freedom with decorating their apple donut.

You can view the recipe here if you wish to make this treat at home.

It was fantastic to learn more about healthy foods, especially all the green fruits and vegetables that are so good for us.

All Kindergarteners were risktakers, with many trying some of these foods for the very first time! The flavour combination was enjoyed by most students, with the sweet and tart ingredients contrasting in a delicious way.

Student reflections:

"That was so yummy, can we make another one?" – Oscar.

"I have never had coconut before. It was delicious" – Olivia.

"I loved making the apple donut as it was fun and so good to eat" – Randall.

"Green foods are really healthy and make your body strong" – Asher.

"It was just so delicious. I really want another one" – Ava.

"First I thought the cranberries were grapes because they were red too. It was yummy!" - Billie.

By Ms Rhiannon Richards, French Teacher and Languages Competitions Organiser

Last week at assembly, numerous language certificates were awarded. Our students participate in three main competitions: the Education Perfect Championships, ACER and OZCLO.

Education Perfect, a platform used widely in our language classes, offers competitions throughout the year, which students of all ages can opt into. Time has been offered in classes to work on these activities, but the main part of the points scoring occurred in dedicated students' spare time. Congratulations, in particular, to Katie Wyman (gold).

ACER offers the opportunity for our students in Year 9 and above to try out their reading and listening understanding skills in the controlled environment of the languages classroom. There were a large number of double High Distinctions across the languages and year levels. A major accomplishment was achieved by our Year 12 International Baccalaureate Diploma student Freya Alblas, who gained a new medal category for the best French Level 3 score in the entire competition. Congratulations, Freya.

Lastly, there is the Linguistics Olympiad, otherwise known as OZCLO. Several teams in Years 9-12 pitted their wits by recognising patterns and cracking codes in lesser-known languages in the first round. Our Year 12 team of Brian Chen, Malachi Quach and Terry Yang gained a gold certificate, with the highest score for a senior team in the ACT for the second consecutive year. They then advanced to the national round, which proved to be even more challenging. Congratulations on this excellent outcome.

We look forward to seeing many of these students participate again. In addition, we would like to thank the organisers at ACER and the professors at the ANU and OZCLO for their tireless work to provide such excellent opportunities for students.

By Hanna Koch, Year 9 student

On my first day in South Africa, I took the time to settle in. I was very tired due to jet lag, so I went to stay with my exchange student, Julian, and his parent overnight. The next day, I got to explore and start school. The dorms at the school are very nice; I am sharing with five other people. I have one bed, a cupboard and a desk to work on.

The classes are very different to those at Radford. We sit in single rows, and most teachers give out detentions very easily. We have eight 45-minute classes, a break between the fourth and fifth classes, and school ends at 2 pm. I am struggling in classes such as accounting, because we don’t do that at Radford. Most of the classes are similar, but science is separated into physics and biology. Most girls are allowed back to the dorms after that, but not during class.

The food here is okay. We get breakfast at 7 am and dinner at 6 pm. Lunch is optional, but most girls make chicken noodles back in the dorm. We get to keep a snack draw and stock it up every week.

My water polo is going great. We go to different schools and compete every Tuesday and Saturday. Sometimes the competitions go all weekend. During the half-term break, the team is going to Knysna, a coastal town, to play water polo in the boat port!

I am also having a great time with my grandparents. I go to their dairy farm every weekend if I am not playing water polo. We get snacks and go shopping. I also go on runs across the property - it is beautiful.

Africa is very different due to load shedding, water shortage and poverty. Load shedding is a program that turns off the electricity for three hours, three times per day. This makes it hard to do anything given all Wi-Fi and power are cut off. The water shortage means you can only have one shower per day, for two minutes, and you can't water plants or wash cars. As for the poverty, there are slums in every town, even towns as small as Braidwood.

I am sure this has given you an insight to what boarding in South Africa is like.

By Ms Pip Buining, Teacher

In Kindergarten arts (music, drama, dance and visual arts), we are exploring the notion that we are all creative in different ways.

As all the Kindergarten classes this year are named after native Australian animals, we decided to use this as a provocation for our learning in the arts and through the arts, engaging in cross-curriculum learning while promoting growth in students’ general capabilities and character strengths.

The Wise Wallabies (KMH), Principled Possums (KSD), Curious Quokkas (KJG) and Balanced Bilbies (KKB) explored their connections to and observations of their animals, who all dwell in and around trees, and the role and function of the leaves on a tree. Students observed that the leaves all grow and work together to provide shelter for their animals. Each student then applied their creativity and created a unique leaf, with the intention of making a tree as a safe shelter for their class animals.

Many thanks to the talented Ms Chatterton for creating the trunk and branches for our leaves to hang from and for creating the display. The collaborative artwork is hung in the Kindergarten Inquiry Space and is aptly titled, We Grow and Work Together.

Radford U18 Girls Football win 3-2 against CGS

Congratulations to the U18 Girls and Coach Esperance who defeated Canberra Grammar School (CGS) 3-2 in an exhibition match as part of the CGS Fete on Saturday, 1 April. Apparently, it's the first time there has been a women's match played on the main oval at CGS - a school almost 100 years old.

Coerver Football School Holiday Program

Date: Monday, 17-Thursday, 20 April
Time: 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Location: University of Canberra (northside) and Trinity Christian School (southside)
Register: https://coerveract.com.au/holiday-camps

Rowing Nationals

Radford had a great time at the Australian Rowing Championships last week. A full run down of the event will be included in the Term 2, Week 1 Bulletin.

Representative Sports Trials

For information on golf, tennis, hockey and AFL trials, please see this Nexus post.

By Dinugi, Venya and Sophie, Year 6

On Thursday, 9 March, 15 girls from Year 6 were given the chance to go to a workshop called Girls on Track (GOT). GOT is run by Motorsport Australia and gives girls the chance to learn about motorsport, racing, cars and careers in a STEM-related field.

First, we hopped on the bus and made our way to the workshop. There were a range of different activities that we participated in during the experience. We rolled a tyre around a track to practise the safety of moving tyres. We practised pit stops - we were timed while taking tyres off a small model car, we experienced a driving simulator and we went on a tour of the workshop.

The driving simulator was very enjoyable because we got to feel how it would behind the wheel of a real car. One of the highlights was that we got to sit in one of the race cars. Next, we did a STEM activity. We were able to make electric Lego cars and code them to move and stop when there was a roadblock. The last thing we got to do was practise pretending to be news reporters on a racing channel.

Overall, it was a great experience! We can guarantee that all the girls had heaps of fun and learned a lot.

By Luka Sostarko, Year 12

It’s time once again for the Radford musical!

The 2023 Radford musical spectacular, Guys and Dolls, runs through to Saturday, 6 May. This classic Broadway musical comedy (previously performed at Radford in 2006) is being brought back by a passionate cast, tech crew and full orchestra. Guys and Dolls showcases its phenomenal score by Frank Loesser and a hysterical but insightful book written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows in 1950.

Set in a fictional version of New York City, the Broadway classic is about a group of big-city gamblers and the women who love them. It tells the overlapping stories of high-roller Sky Masterson who falls in love with mission worker Sarah Brown, and lovable rapscallion Nathan Detroit, a headliner at the Hot Box Club engaged to Miss Adelaide for 14 years.

Directed by Dr Tracy Bourne, this fantastic production has been in the works since October 2022, with more than 90 students, collegians and staff working hard to put on this glorious production to the highest quality.

Please come and support the many involved and enjoy Radford’s spectacular 2023 musical, Guys and Dolls: https://events.humanitix.com/guys-and-dolls-musical-2023

By Ms Kath Notley, Acting Director of Service Learning

Meals from the Heart is a volunteering program that provides families staying at Ronald McDonald House, located inside the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, with a home-cooked meal twice per week.

Families staying at the house are often exhausted and emotionally drained, and the situation rarely leaves them with the time, funds or energy to cook a fresh meal.

Last Friday afternoon, five Radford staff headed to the house and created a Mexican feast of tacos and burritos, finishing with a decadent dessert of fruity pavlova nests. It was a rewarding experience for the staff involved and they valued the opportunity to provide this service to members of the wider ACT region.

This is the first time Radford staff have been involved with this initiative, and we are aiming to make this a monthly opportunity for staff service based on the recent success.

From the President

Happy belated New Year! Welcome back to a new school year and a special welcome to new families who have joined Radford College this year.

It was especially lovely to see all the new families recently at the P&F Welcome BBQ on 10 March. Despite the postponement, many families enjoyed the movie, Minions, Rise of Gru, in the new venue of RA Young Hall. Everyone enjoyed the BBQ hosted by the P&F and ice creams donated by Radford Foundation. Many thanks to all the volunteers who made this event happen.

Radford College P&F in 2023

This is the first P&F update since returning for 2023, and I would firstly like to announce and congratulate the new P&F Committee members for 2023 – recently elected at the Radford P&F AGM held on 17 March 2023:

I would also like to take this opportunity to farewell and thank outgoing Committee members: Nicola Gibson, Edward Eyers, Shan Southwell, Irene Shaw, Sarah Watts and Jade Carson. You will be missed!

I look forward to another event-filled year in 2023 and many more opportunities to bring Radford College families together. Alongside our regular events, the P&F is excited to introduce its new Grants Process, which will call for grant submissions from College staff, students and parents. Stay tuned for an announcement in the coming months.

Artshow@Radford

Applications are now open for the annual Radford Artshow to be held from 19–21 May 2023. This year we have improved the process for students in Years 4–12 to enter the competition, expanded the number of awards for students and added a special student award ceremony on 21 May. Students can get more information from their art teachers. We will soon be calling for volunteers, so please help out where you can for this wonderful event.

Student entry to display (with an option to sell) their artwork is FREE for up to two pieces of artwork.

Student artwork must be submitted to Radford art teachers by 15 May 2023. Please read the full terms and conditions of entry here.

Link to entry form here.

Save the Date for Events in 2023

• 19–21 May – 39^th Artshow@Radford
• 15 September – Trivia Night
• 4 November – Twilight Fete

P&F Second-Hand Uniform Shop (also known as Radwear)

The P&F second-hand uniform shop is continually seeking donations from families for uniforms that their children no longer need. Donations can be dropped in the bin in front of the shop or at the Principal's Building.

Regular opening hours:

• Mondays – 3–6 pm
• Tuesdays – 1–6 pm
• Wednesdays – 7:45 am–12:45 pm
• Thursdays – 1–6 pm
• Fridays – 7:45 am–12:45 pm

Easter holiday trading hours:

• Tuesday, 11 April – Wednesday, 19 April - Closed due to electrical outage
• Thursday, 20 April – 10 am–6 pm (closed between 12:30–1 pm)
• Friday, 21 April – 7:45 am–4 pm (closed between 1–1:30 pm)
• Monday, 24 April – 1:00 pm–6:00 pm
• Tuesday, 25 April - ANZAC Day – Closed
• From Wednesday, 26 April – return to normal schedule

Appointments are not necessary before visiting the second-hand uniform shop.

Email (preferred): radwear@radford.act.edu.au | Phone: 6180 1087

Social Media

The P&F is active on social media, and we are constantly sharing updates on the various events and activities we are a part of within the community. Follow or like RadfordCollegePF on:

By Ms Sophie Chang, School Psychologist

Radford's Secondary School counselling team is offering the Tuning into Teens™ parenting program over six sessions, on campus, between 5-7 pm on Mondays, from 4 May to 8 June 2023.

This program is for parents with a student in Years 7-12.  Tuning into Teens is an evidence-based program using the principles of emotional intelligence and emotional coaching to enhance parenting skills. 

Tuning into Teens™ is a six-session parenting program that aims to assist parents with developing the skills to talk with their teens about emotions, develop emotional intelligence in teens and help with conflict management in the home. 

This program works with the principle of emotional intelligence.  Teens with higher emotional intelligence:

• Are more aware and assertive and stronger in situations with peer pressure.
• Have greater success with making friends and better able to manage conflict with their peers.
• Are more able to cope when they are upset or angry.
• Have fewer mental health and substance abuse difficulties.
• Have more stable and satisfying relationships as adults.
• Have greater career success - emotional intelligence may be a better predictor of academic and career success than IQ. 

Please fill out the expression of interest form if you are interested in participating in the program.

Brennon Dowrick OAM is one of Australia’s most successful male gymnasts and is now in demand internationally for his motivational speaking.

Brennon is also a Radford College Foundation Student (Class of 1989).

After competing at two Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and seven Gymnastics World Championships, as well as winning countless Gold Medals for his country, Brennon knows a lot about setting and achieving goals. Spending 18 years on scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport, Brennon discovered the importance of taking every opportunity presented to him to allow him to achieve his Olympic dream.

In addition to speaking, Brennon was on the Board of Gymnastics Australia in charge of High Performance and has been awarded an OAM for his achievements and services to Australia.

Collegians Long Lunch
When: Friday, 16 June
Where: The Marion, Regatta Point
Link to tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/radford-collegians-long-lunch-1ccbsdj4