Staff Insights
By Louise Wallace-Richards, Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning
Our recent Secondary School teacher professional-learning (PL) program was titled Lighting a Fire for Learning. We were fortunate to have external presenters, University of Canberra's Dr Shyam Barr and Powerful Partnerships Director Jodie Davey. The pair provided insights into how we can assist our students to become better learners by teaching them self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies and mentor them in interpreting and applying feedback.
During my presentation, I made links between our learnings in SRL over the past three years, the introduction of our Approaches to Learning (ATLs) in 2022 as a result of the College Reporting Review, and our learnings about effective mentor conversations in Mentor Groups and subject classes during 2022. These three initiatives of the Secondary School work together to help teachers ensure students understand how they are learning and what else they need to improve.
A plan for improvement for a student could involve the typical strategies of putting more time into preparing for a task and going to the Homework Hub, but it should also involve a more personalised approach in which the student has feedback from their teachers about how they are approaching their learning and access to a toolbox of strategies to address their learning needs. This toolbox of strategies could include creating a timeline to get a task done, finding ways to avoid distractions, self-talk strategies to improve self-efficacy, and so on.
Through our work with Dr Barr, teachers have been adding to the toolbox of SRL strategies they have to teach students to improve their learning. This has been essential because, as I stated to our teachers during the PL day: To assist our students to learn we need to teach the content and skills of our discipline areas and self-regulated learning strategies. Without SRL, students are less likely to know how to learn effectively and improve in their learning.
To help our teachers have effective mentoring conversations, we have also learnt more about the coaching spectrum, how to use this to help our students think about their approaches to learning and prompt them to consider what skills they could employ to improve.
The key element is trust; this must be built if any conversation is going be successful when talking with students about improving their learning habits. One way to develop this trust is for the student to feel that the teacher believes they can improve. Jodie Davey spoke to us in January about the sorts of questions we can ask to help develop this belief. We need to have “powerful questions” and questions that “leverage their strengths” (Jodie Davey, Powerful Mentoring Conversations, Radford College, January 2023). Jodie’s “positive-beats-negative” questions particularly resonated with me. These questions help students who are feeling a real lack of self-efficacy:
- What has worked since the last time we met?
- What’s been the highlight for you from the past week?
- What is the most interesting thing that has happened since we last met?
Jodie also identified the need for teachers/mentors to help students intentionally celebrate wins and that no problem happens all the time, meaning that we need to ask questions to help the student identify what is happening when the problem doesn’t occur, e.g. When does success happen? (Jodie Davey, Powerful Mentoring Conversations, Radford College, January 2023).
As a parent/carer, you might want to try these questions with your child next time the conversation about how they are progressing at school gets bogged down in the negatives and you are struggling to help them to see that everything is not a disaster just because they didn't do as well in their test as they hoped to.
We are continually working in the Secondary School to build our knowledge about how to equip students with the skills to improve their learning. Our SRL learning with Dr Barr has formed the basis of all our work with our mentoring conversations in our subject classrooms and our reporting on ATLs. We are coming to the end of our research project with our teacher learning this semester and will be moving into our student phase. Dr Barr and I are currently planning this final phase, which will involve the development of a heat map to show the impact of our teaching of SRL to students and students implementing this learning themselves. I look forward to seeing this impact and using the data from this phase to plan the future of SRL at Radford College.
By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain
Many people in Canberra and beyond do fantastic work to make life better for others. These individuals and organisations often rely on support in the form of time, advocacy and money to do the work that they do.
At Radford College we love helping people do what they do well! We acknowledge the generosity that God shows towards us and seek to be generous in a myriad of ways in response.
Radford Reaches Out
As part of our Foundation Day celebrations, the whole College participates in Radford Reaches Out, which raises money for organisations chosen by students in the Radford Student Council (RSC) in the Junior School and Radford Awareness and Service (RAS) in the Secondary School.
Junior School
Junior School students are learning about the following organisations and setting fundraising goals in their classes (cash donations can be given to classroom teachers):
- Compassion Australia
- Koala Hospital Port Macquarie
- Mercy Ships
- UNICEF
- WaterAid
- Australian Marine Conservation Society
- Rural Aid Australia
- World Wildlife Fund
- Landcare Australia
- Lifeline Canberra
- Royal Flying Doctor Service
- TEAR Australia
- Doctors Without Borders
- Orange Sky
Secondary School
The Secondary School’s fundraising has got off to a great start with successful BBQs at the swimming carnival and athletics carnival. These funds will support Red Cross Australia's response to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
To donate online to Radford Reaches Out for either the Secondary School or the Junior School, click here.
Hands Across Canberra
Many of us are looking forward to the Canberra Day Public Holiday on Monday. As well as enjoying Enlighten Festival and celebrations in Commonwealth Park, Hands Across Canberra, an incredible network of Canberra-based charities and organisations, is encouraging Canberrans to participate in the Canberra Day Appeal – Hands Up For Canberra Giving Day. More information about the appeal can be found here.
Beginning today, 8 March, and running for the next 48-hours, donations to Canberra charities such as St John’s Care, Belconnen Community Service and Lifeline (three organisations that Radford supports throughout the year) will be doubled.
The full list of organisations can be found here. It is a very inspiring list when you think about how much occurs within the Canberra community to address very real needs. Why not look at the list and see if you can donate this Canberra Day? Especially as it is a chance for your donation to make double the impact.
World’s Greatest Shave
Our cohort of Year 12 students will be continuing the College’s long-standing commitment of braving the World's Greatest Shave this Thursday or Friday, in a bid to help beat blood cancer.
To find out how to donate, please click here.
Lenten Reflection
On Sunday, I was invited to a Lenten Lunch at a friend’s property just outside Braidwood. We ate delicious vegetarian food, enjoyed an informal church service and some great conversation. We were all invited to bring a poem to share between courses. As we continue in this season of simplicity, giving, prayer and reflection, may we be blessed that we can be a blessing. This blessing poem by Rev. Sarah Speed was my contribution.
A Blessing for the Seekers
Blessed are you who turn your face up to the sky,
who open your arms to feel the wind,
who notice all the things that we should notice.
Blessed are you who are fluent in wonder
and familiar with awe.
Blessed are you who, even now, dream dreams,
who have not lost hope,
who swear the glass is still half-full.
Blessed are you who plant trees
and sing the harmony,
who tell the children how this world can be magic.
Blessed are you who walk and seek
and turn over every stone,
pointing out all the corners and colours
that God lives in.
Blessed are you.
Amen.
News
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Leukemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave.
This fundraising effort offers expert support and funds leading-edge research and campaigns to make changes to Australians facing blood cancer.
Our cohort of Year 12 students will be continuing the College’s long-standing commitment.
In total, 61 students have joined our team and, this Thursday or Friday, 9-10 March, will either be shaving their heads or giving their hair a significant chop (at least 20-30 centimetres) during their lunchbreak.
If you would like to contribute, please click here.
By Gemma Wilson and Tanya Priest-Willimott, Junior School Teacher Librarians
Another successful Summer Reading Challenge has occurred in the Junior School. We recently had authors Jane Godwin and Nat Amoore visit us to celebrate.
Jane is a prolific author, having written more than 20 picture books and a few chapter books, and Nat is the author of four chapter books. Both visits were a great opportunity for our students to engage with talented authors who shared the stories behind their books and inspired our students to dream widely and pursue their own writing aspirations.
Jane spoke to Pre-Kinder to Year 3 students about picture books. She explained the story behind her book Tilly. Her sister really did put some treasure in a box under some stairs, and then the stairs were carpeted over. Jane’s family think the treasure is still there!
One of Jane’s books written in 2022, Polly’s Grand Party Plan, was announced just last week as a CBCA Notable book. We may see it on the short list for Book Week!
Nat Amoore spoke to Year 4, 5 and 6 students last week. She is a loud, energetic person who thinks grown-ups are boring! Nat thinks she has the best job in the world as she gets to hang out with kids, sign books and talk about writing.
Nat had our students rolling around with laughter as she told stories and lies, asking the students to guess which one was the truth and which was a lie. Of course, we were all tricked. Nat demonstrated that by embellishing a story and adding details, character personalities and descriptions, stories seem alive in our minds. Nat’s stories have such detail about characters, settings and events that everyone loves them. Nat was also looking for the most interesting question from a student – not just the boring ones! Some of the interesting questions were:
- Which book would you turn into a movie?
- If you were a character in one of your books, which one would you be?
- Would you kill off a character in one of your books?
The Summer Reading Challenge was another great way to keep everyone reading over our long break. We hope your families discovered some new titles and shared some good books together.
Thank you to the Junior School staff and leadership team for supporting these visits and for building on the excitement in the classrooms.
Can you tell us about your current role at Radford and what it involves?
I am a HPE teacher at Radford. This role involves teaching students in Years 7-10 a range of physical activities and sport and health content. I am also a Year 8 Mentor.
What attracted you to join Radford?
The environment and facilities are amazing. I was also looking to teach in a different environment from the other schools I had previously worked in. The students are extremely motivated learners, and it is nice to work with young people who are so enthusiastic.
You recently came back from playing hockey in South Africa. Can you tell us about the team/tournament you played in and how it went?
I played in the Australian Indoor Hockey Team at the FIH (International Hockey Federation) World Cup in South Africa. The World Cup is every four years and is usually played in Europe. I also went to Europe to Berlin for the last World Cup in 2018. We made the quarter finals, but unfortunately lost to Czech Republic. I had an amazing time and it was an amazing experience. I absolutely loved playing against the best players in the world.
How did you get into hockey?
I started playing hockey when I was eight, after a stint playing soccer. I mainly started playing because many of my friends were already playing, and I wanted to join them. I have pretty much played ever since.
Do you play any other sports? Can you tell us about them?
I also play rugby league and touch football. I have played rugby league for the past two seasons with the Sydney Roosters in the Women’s NRL and the New Zealand Warriors prior to that. In 2018, I went to Fiji with the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII rugby league team to play an international match against Fiji. Rugby league has opened up a lot of pathways for travel and professionalism outside my job as a teacher. I have played touch football since I was six years old and have continued to play at State Cups and State League competitions. It's a sport I'm greatly passionate about.
A BIG weekend for the Radford Rowing Program
On Saturday, 4 March, Radford Rowing competed in the ACT Junior Rowing Championships, backed up with strong performances on Sunday, 5 March in the ACT Head of the Lake. Both regattas are significant for our rowers, coxes and coaches because everyone in the Paddler, Generator, Accelerator and Senior squads compete. It is also great preparation for the crews that will travel to Sydney to the NSW Head of River regattas in two weeks.
Congratulations to the following medallists.
ACT Junior Championships
Six gold
- Charlie Knight (MU15 Single)
- Hamish Gaden and Hamish Whithear (MU17 Double)
- Hunter Jolly, Jake Schemen-Rogers, Hamish Roberts, Oliver Fox and Izzy Faris (MU19 Coxed Quad)
- Zara Turner (WU17 Single)
- Josh Miller (MU17 Single)
- Hannah Sampson and Chloe Miller (WU19 Double)
Seven silver
- Hugo Ryan (MU15 Single)
- Amelie Brennan and Zara Turner (WU17 Double)
- Hannah Sampson, Chloe Miller, Zoe Macintosh, Zoe Hickey and Stuart Ward (WU19 Coxed Quad)
- Noah Vosen, Angus Scott, Connor Malouf, Hamish McKee and Pippa Humphries (MU19 Coxed Quad)
- Charlie Knight and Hugo Ryan (MU15 Double)
- Marcus Ward (MU17 Single)
- Hunter Jolly and Jake Schemen-Rogers (MU19 Double)
Seven bronze
- Gigi Hickey, Isobel Egan, Odele Dickson, Lucy Mihaljevic and Olivia Seidl (WU16 Coxed Quad)
- Kate Kristiansen and Catherine Austin (WU15 Double)
- William Fraser and Zi You Qiu (MU15 Double)
- Hamish Roberts (MU19 Single)
- Isobel Egan (WU16 Single)
- Hamish Strachan (MU16 Single)
- Josh Miller, Marcus Ward, Hamish Gaden, Hamish Whithear and Pippa Humphries (MU17 Quad)
ACT Head of the Lake
Three gold
- Ciaran Brennan (SB Year 8 Single)
- Charlie Knight (SB Year 9 Single)
- Oliver Fox, Hamish Roberts, Jake Schemen-Rogers, Hunter Jolly and Izzy Faris (SB Coxed Quad)
Four silver
- Hamish Whithear (SB Year 10 Single)
- Oliver Fox, Hamish Roberts, Jake Schemen-Rogers, Hunter Jolly, Hamish Gaden, Connor Malouf, Hamish McKee, Angus Scott and Izzy Faris (SB Eight)
- Amelie Brennan, Amber Smith, Zara Turner, Coco Guenther and Jude Barlin (SG Yr10 Coxed Quad)
- Hannah Sampson, Chloe Miller, Sian Fitzgerald, Zoe Hickey and Stuart Ward (SG Coxed Quad)
Two bronze
- Hamish Gaden (SB Single)
- Olivia Seidl (SG Year 9 Single)
2022/23 North Canberra Futsal Finals
Congratulations to the Under 12 Girls Division 2 Blue team, which was crowned champion yesterday after defeating the Radford Maroon team in an entertaining game played in great spirits. Khushi Katamaneni from the Maroon team was awarded the Grand Final MVP.
Shout out to the U10 Open Div 2, U11 Open Div 2 and U16 Girls Div 2 Blue, which were all crowned runners-up.
Show Jumping
The ACT Show Jumping Club hosted the Canberra Cup from 25-26 February 2023. The event was held at the Equestrian Park in Yarralumla.
Results from Radford students
- Hannah MacCallum (Year 5): 1st - 50 centimetres and 60cm. A great effort with some great riding/jumping and sharp thinking by Hannah (aged 10 years) and tight cornering in between jumps by her faithful horse Jordan.
- Madison Musladin (Year 7): 3rd - 1 metre
- Cynara Yates (Year 10): 2nd - 50cm
- Miranda Hadlow (Year 10): 2nd - 70cm
Several other current Radford students also competed, including Ella Alexander (Year 8) and Charlotte Alexander (Year 9).
Collegians, Brianna Harris (Class of 2021), Erica Dwight and Lara Christoffelsz (Class of 2022) also competed.
Become a Ball Kid at the ACT Claycourt International 2023 Event
ACT Claycourt International 2023 is coming up quickly, so get excited. In the nation's capital, there will be two elite ITF men's and women's events, in which some of the top players from across the world will compete (AO Doubles Champion, Jason Kubler won both events last year) - Tuesday, 14 March to Sunday, 26 March.
Tennis ACT is now recruiting ball kids. Click here to register.
By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain
Artists have a way of communicating spiritual ideas relating to meaning, purpose, belonging, connection, beliefs and values. Year 9 students study a unit on Spirituality and the Arts as part of Religious and Values Education (RaVE). This year we went on an inaugural excursion to Goulburn to investigate the way spiritual and religious ideas are communicated through sacred spaces, such as St Saviour’s Cathedral, the work of artists in the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery and a public art walk around Goulburn.
Throughout the day, Year 9 saw many different artworks, including the stain glass windows in the cathedral, which represent stories from the Bible. The cathedral guide talked about the story of the prodigal son depicted in one of the windows. He also showed us Bishop Radford’s cope and pectoral cross. Year 9 student Kamae played the cathedral organ, which added some auditory beauty to the visual beauty.
Radford collegian Luke Chiswall’s artwork, Hold Your Head Up, was a popular find in Belmore Park. Hold Your Head Up is a bronze sculpture that has a powerful and important message. It is more than a thinker on two legs taking on the burden of a head full of dreams: it’s an ode to staying positive and confident with a healthy dose of imagination. This character seems as gentle and awkward as it is strong and poised. When faced with the work, you’ll likely tilt your head up and stand a bit taller. Hold Your Head Up is a poignant reminder to literally hold your head up.
Students enjoyed the day and engaged well in the three spaces. You can explore the photos and hear the students' reports below:
"The RaVE Excursion to Goulburn was meaningful because we got to explore different artists’ perspectives on spirituality through their art" - Astrid.
"We got to explore different concepts and deeper meanings about how art connects to spirituality" - Ashley.
"I enjoyed the Year 9 RaVE Excursion because, not only did it connect to what we were learning in RaVE class, but it also showed different aspects of spirituality, such as public art and religious art in the Cathedral" - Lara.
"Year 9 went on a daytrip to Goulburn to explore and understand different artworks. When we got there, we were split into groups and allocated to one of the three places. My group went to St Saviour’s Cathedral. When we entered the cathedral, we met a guide. He walked us through some of the artwork around the cathedral and the beautiful architecture. The Anglican cathedral in Goulburn was a very great place to visit.
"The second place we visited was the Goulbourn Regional Art Gallery [where] we got to see different exhibitions. One of the exhibitions that we looked at was an exhibition by an artist named Julian Meagher. Julian Meagher’s exhibition was called The Green Ray. He made some very beautiful paintings that represented connection with nature.
"The last thing we did was [go] for a walk around Goulburn to see all the street art. We were given a map and looked at unique and interesting artworks. The trip to Goulburn was fun and we got to explore different artworks and understand their meaning" - Daras.
By Abigail Biddle and Thenuki Weerabaddana Dissanayake, Year 8 students
The Year 8 Urban Challenge was an awesome, four-day, unfolding adventure full of activities and challenges.
From surfing to escape rooms, dragon boating and silent discoes, there wasn't a single moment of the challenge not filled with excitement or fun.
Split into 16 teams across the cohort, we completed challenges day-by-day, deciding on meal plans, budgeting treats and exploring Sydney as we uncovered clues and completed each activity.
We were blessed with great weather the majority of the time and got an amazing taste of the Sydney entertainment and hospitality, ending each day with dessert and ferry rides.
Each and every team member had an important role to play, whether it was keeping us on schedule, making sure our teachers had their coffee or finding our next destination, creating a strong sense of teamwork and cooperation as our week progressed. Even our parents got involved with some challenges.
We all stepped up at some point, and we each had a chance to lead in some way during the week. The Year 8 Urban Challenge strengthened our sense of independence, leadership and teamwork, making it an overall amazing experience.
By Michele Sharp, Head of Languages
Language Assistants
Prior to COVID-19, Radford languages department hosted language assistants in the Secondary School each year. We are very pleased that travel has resumed, and we can once again offer places for young native speakers to assist in our language classes. Language assistants are sourced through our contacts with overseas universities or sister schools and are university students/recent graduates with an interest in pursuing a career in education. They are a fabulous resource for the languages department as they contextualise learning for our students and support teachers with developing authentic language-teaching materials. Assistants live with Radford families during their stay, which gives them the opportunity to improve their English language skills and learn about everyday life in Australia. We are always very grateful to families who support this program by hosting an assistant for a term at a time. If you are interested in becoming a host family, please ask your child to mention this to their Secondary School language teacher.
It is a fabulous cultural and educational exchange, and the students are enjoying demonstrating their language skills to Haruna and Tom. Please read below their reflections on life at Radford so far. A big thank you to Haruna and Tom for their work so far.
Please note: Haruna and Tom volunteer at the Homework Hub each week on Wednesday afternoon. I encourage students to make use of this time to do a little extra speaking practice or gain assistance with any concepts they find challenging.
Tom Paquier, French Assistant
Hi everyone! I’m Tom, the 2023 French Assistant, helping the two wonderful French teachers here at Radford. My journey in Australia began about a month ago, on 25 January, after a 26-hour trip. I was exhausted, but it was absolutely worth it! I’ve discovered a beautiful country with incredibly kind people. Luckily, I haven’t seen a spider yet, as they’re one of my biggest fears.
I was lucky enough to come to this school. I was studying foreign languages at university when my former high school English teacher (Mrs Bouteiller) asked me if I wanted to go to Australia as a French Assistant for almost a year. And here I am, thanks to her and her relationship with Radford’s language staff. That’s why I would like to thank Mrs Bouteiller and especially Ms Sharp for their investment in this project.
Working at Radford is a great opportunity for many reasons. Firstly, I am studying foreign languages, which means that coming here is perfect for helping me master my English. Nothing is better than a full immersion in the country to learn the language! Secondly, it allows me to discover a new world. In addition to discovering the Australian education system, I can also experience teaching. This new experience may help me for my future course choices and my personal career. Finally, coming here is obviously a great opportunity to travel across Australia, meet new people, create professional and personal bounds, apprehend a new culture and way of life, and of course make memories. Speaking of which, we already had the opportunity to take some days off and go to Sydney - an incredible city with a lot of things to do and see! Haruna and I went to see some of the most iconic places in the city, including the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Manly and Bondi Beach.
Settling into Australia has gone really well. The staff are extremely nice and ready to help whenever you need them and so is my host family. The school has a very safe and pleasant environment and features great amenities. As you may have understood, I’m very happy to be part of this school and to work with my colleagues. I’m glad to see that some students are yearning to learn my language and culture. I was also astonished by their French - some of them are very good!
I hope to make the most of this opportunity the teachers gave me. It is of course a difficult experience having to leave my family and friends in France. I’m of course missing them a lot, but that is a sacrifice to make living abroad. I still have to get used to some customs here and the cultural shock, but I think I’m doing pretty well so far. This is a very enriching experience, learning to be more and more independent, mature and open-minded.
Again, a big thank you to everyone involved in this experience and to everyone reading this, be brave, go out of your comfort zone, make the most of it and travel!
Haruna Masuda, Japanese Assistant
Hi everyone! I’m Haruna from Osaka, Japan. I’m the Japanese Assistant for this year. I’m currently staying at the house of one of the students in a Year 9 Japanese class at Radford. It has been more than a month since I arrived in Canberra, and I’ll be here until the end of Term 3. I came here to help students with their Japanese classes, to learn how to teach Japanese in Australia, to learn English, and to experience living in Australia.
I like to travel; I have been to 15 countries. This is my third time coming to Australia. When I was a high school student, I went to the Gold Coast for two weeks to study English. On my second visit, I went to Cairns, Adelaide and Melbourne with my sister to see my friends in Adelaide and to travel. I also stayed for two weeks during this trip. My current, and third visit to Australia, will my longest. That’s why I was nervous before I came, but everyone here is so nice and so kind.
So far, I’m really enjoying staying here in Australia. There are many things that are different from Japan. The lifestyle, school education system and environment are different. The most surprising thing at Radford is that everyone has their own laptop, and they are using it in class. In Japan, we usually have a PC room in schools, but we can only use PCs in that room. So, we use textbooks and paper much more than here. Using smartphones in the class was also surprising for me. Most schools in Japan allow students to bring smartphones, but they do not allow them to use them during school. When I was a high school student, my school didn’t even allow us to bring smartphones! If you are interested in learning more about Japan, you can come and ask me anytime.
I feel happy that students are interested in learning Japanese and it’s my pleasure to help them learn. Many students are very active in class. I think that’s very different from Japan and I think that’s a good point. I’m really enjoying talking with students in Japanese class and also at Homework Hub. Japanese Homework Hub is on Wednesday, so please feel free to come and talk with me. I hope we can talk more and more.
I’m really enjoying life at Radford, but I’m also enjoying weekends and holidays. A few weeks ago, I was able to take a week off, so I went to Sydney for the first time with Tom. We went to many places in Sydney, but the most exciting place for me was Luna Park. The ticket for Luna Park was a little expensive, but the scenery was so different from the theme parks in Japan, and I really liked that. I was also able to see the Opera House and Harbor Bridge from Luna Park - it was really beautiful. I also liked Hyde Park Barracks. I was able to learn more about Australian history. I actually learned about Australian history at university, and I’m interested in it, so it was a good opportunity to know more. I enjoyed the Sydney trip very much. As I mentioned before, I love traveling, so I definitely will go on more trips in Australia - as much as I can while I’m here! I’m really excited to experience many more things in the future!
