International Grammar School Magazine

Also incorporating Community News

Limitless Learning

Summer 2015/16

SAGE – The Rocks Quest and Opera on Kelly

Last Days of Year 12

Meet the Leadership Team

HSC Showcases 2015

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From the Principal ����������������������������������������������� 1Night of Stars ������������������������������������������������������ 2Year 8 The Rocks Quest ������������������������������������� 3Year 9 Opera on Kelly Lights up Broadway! ������ 4International Day ������������������������������������������������� 6What the Dickens – it's Oliver! ���������������������������� 8Staff Profile ���������������������������������������������������������� 9Primary Colours ������������������������������������������������ 10On Screen and On Air �������������������������������������� 12Meet the Leadership Team ������������������������������� 14Co-curricular News ������������������������������������������� 16STEAM Dreams �������������������������������������������������17Languages and Exchange News ��������������������� 19Good Sports ����������������������������������������������������� 22Indigenous Journey ������������������������������������������ 23Good Causes ���������������������������������������������������� 24HSC Showcases ����������������������������������������������� 25Last Days of Year 12 ����������������������������������������� 26Community News ��������������������������������������������� 28Online Publications ������������������������������������������� 33

Cover: Matilda Tomasetti's The Anatomy of Technology, HSC major work

Back Cover: The Little Prince takes a rest on one of Tan's magical quilts! (Design work by digital mischief)

4–8 Kelly Street, Ultimo NSW 2007Phone: 61 2 9219 6700Fax: 61 2 9211 2474www.igssyd.nsw.edu.au ABN 74 002 807 525CRICOS Provider Code: 02281C

Jigsaw is a regular publication produced by International Grammar School.Editor: Rosemary Pryor

Contents

facebook.com/igssyd

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Green Rooms 11

STEAM 17

Reach Out Disco 24

On Air 12

Good Sports 22

Community News 28

SAGE 4 On Stage 8

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In this edition of Jigsaw we celebrate limitless learning and I can’t imagine a better image for the cover than Matilda Tomasetti’s work�

A young woman, mobile phone in hand gazes at the screen. She sits in blackness. The soft light illuminates her face, neck, fingers. An artful mix of

the old and the new. Portraiture at its finest. It reminds me of a Vermeer painting or a Bill Henson photograph.

Matilda Tomasetti’s photograph is one of four in a collection called The Anatomy of Technology which is on exhibition at the Margaret Whitlam Galleries at the University of Western Sydney.

Matilda is one of the 85 students who completed the HSC at IGS in 2015. Her photographs were selected for ARTEXPRESS along with Vincent Labancz’ Gallery of Saints and Catia Single’s Birds and Beads.

Emma Le’s ong ngoai (Grandfather) and Maira Wilkie’s Silent Perspectives were also nominated for this annual exhibition of outstanding HSC artworks.

Limitless learning, empowered students, sustainable future. These are the three strategic aspirations of our school’s new Strategic Plan*, Into the World.

Eight areas of action form a blueprint as we move towards 2020. We will boost innovation and collaboration, champion excellence and incite passionate and creative learning. We will inspire meaningful engagement with local, national and global communities and grow tenacious and confident individuals. We will promote effective, enduring and ethical practices, improve our information communication technology, and secure, reimagine and redesign the IGS campus.

Over the next five years we will pursue three strategic initiatives: We will introduce Chinese as an additional core language from Preschool in 2017 which will enhance our flagship languages program and ensure that it remains dynamic, responsive to the world around us and at the heart of our school’s educational philosophy; we will develop the School’s first Master Plan for our campus, drawing on the work of the 2015 IGS UTS design collaboration; and we will enhance middle years’ development through the SAGE program…

A Year 7 Shakespeare Boot Camp, the Year 8 Rocks Quest and Opera on Kelly Street for Year 9... SAGE cuts across disciplines and gives students real world project-based learning experiences. Through SAGE, we are building students’ critical and creative thinking skills, the depth of their understanding and engagement, their ability to work with others and their love of learning.

The capstone project of SAGE is Tasmania – Writing the Island. In November, we will take Year 10 to Tasmania where they will experience a week-long writing project, exploring the island – its beauty, its history and its stories. They will undertake a two-day master class at the University of Tasmania and work alongside Australian writers and IGS teachers to create an anthology that will become a lasting artefact of the project.

We want to continue to craft and shape an educational journey like no other for our students. Into the World builds on the strong foundations of our history and aims to ensure that our students have new and inspiring opportunities to reach their full potential.

In the pages that follow we celebrate our students’ love of learning and the many ways in which they continue to shine in diverse arenas of school life here at IGS.

Enjoy!

Shauna ColnanPrincipal

* See details on page 33 for accessing the Strategic Plan online

From the Principal

OUR STUDENTS SHINE

Shauna Colnan Principal of International Grammar School

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Speech Night was held again at the stately State Theatre with a wonderful recognition and celebration of students’ achievements throughout the year�

NIGHT OF STARS

What I have come to learn is that our

school breeds opportunities, and

fosters aspiration.

The class of 2015 is awash with

people of diverse personalities and

backgrounds. Our collective ambition

and excitement for what the future

holds distinguishes us from the year

groups that have come before, yet it is

also what typifies us as IGS students.

Charlie Morgan

Head Boy

Photos by Allison Lee

IGS encourages its students to broaden their minds, be open to

accepting new things, to challenge ourselves and strive to be the

greatest version of ourselves that we can be. Whether that great

version is expressing your creativity through bold hair colour,

joining the debating or mock trial team, performing, having a

love for mathematics or being a part of the popular volleyball

[team], IGS provides a space where it’s okay to be yourselves...

Ms Colnan, it has been an absolute pleasure being under your

wing for your first year at IGS. You have an incredible vision for

the School and I can’t wait to see what the future holds…

Mollie Beehan Head Girl

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In the second SAGE project for the year, Year 8 spent a week in August holed up in the Merchant’s House, The Rocks to explore and discover the stories of this unique precinct� Under the guidance of Archaeologist Wayne Johnston, IGS alumna Rebekah Hawkins and other postgraduate students from the University of Sydney, Year 8 interviewed, taped, sketched, filmed and interpreted the social canvas of The Rocks, both past and present�

YEAR 8 THE ROCKS QUEST

The Rocks Quest was a great

week and the highlight for me

personally was making our

artwork for our presentation

featuring a giant rat with lots

of headlines and drawings to

do with the plague.

Elise Brennan

Year 8

An informative, independent and enjoyable week, The Rocks Quest was an incredible experience none of Year 8 will ever forget.

Leo Payten Year 8

On the Tribal Warrior, Khalkany, the tour guide, explained the history of the area including the contact between Aboriginal people and the white people. She also told us the Gadigal names of each site along the way.

Kygim King Communications Assistant, IGS

My favourite day of The Rocks was

Wednesday because we got to go on a boat

called the Tribal Warrior, and we did some

Aboriginal dancing and bush tucker tasting

on Clark Island. In the afternoon we went

down to the water and drew the harbour

line, which was really beautiful. Overall The

Rocks experience was amazing.

Abby Mahemoff Year 8

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Year 9 tuned up last term for five days of ‘unlocking their creativity’ under the direction of WotOpera*�

The 100-strong year group was immersed in a hands-on, collaborative learning experience as they took on a range of roles as writers, set designers, stage hands and performers to devise three short operas. Their work culminated in the ‘Opera on Kelly’ performance for the school community.

YEAR 9 OPERA ON KELLY LIGHTS UP BROADWAY!

It was a lot of fun, everyone got

to have a go and we will all take

away great memories ... A lead

singer in my group, Dilhan, had

never sung before in front of an

audience – and he was great!

Isabella Fitzgerald

The outcomes for students are

profound and life changing, not

only in terms of curriculum

outcomes through approaches

to learning, language, arts and

literacy but also in the

development of students’ social

development and confidence.

WotOpera’s Artistic Director

Murray Dahm

This project fits perfectly with

the School’s innovative SAGE

program. Through SAGE, we are building students’ critical and creative thinking skills, the

depth of their understanding and engagement, their ability to work with others and their love of learning.

Principal Shauna Colnan

* The WotOpera High School program has been running since 2008. The program is part of Artology, whose goal is youth development and social change through the arts, and was founded by philanthropist Graeme Wood AM.

After I got used to the fact the whole performance would be in song, I really enjoyed the writing process and the musical production.

Lukian Adams

5 Opera on Kelly photos by Keith Saunders

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INTERNATIONAL DAY

Stories of childhood, music, dance, art and craft workshops, food and a guest speaker’s inspired presentation brought this year’s International Day theme ‘Global Child’ to life� Respective Heads of Languages for High School and Primary School, Giuseppina Mustica and Vilma Rotellini report …

International Day (held this year on 27 July) drew the IGS community together as always by presenting and celebrating intercultural awareness and understanding. The aim of this special day is always to excite, to entertain, to inform and to highlight awareness of the worthiness and potential of a multicultural society.

The 2015 experience did not disappoint and was enjoyed by a collective audience of students, teachers, parents and friends. Everywhere you looked, our whole school community took on the challenge of moving beyond accepting and appreciating other cultures and differences and actively engaging with international perspectives and diversity.

At the High School Assembly, Principal Shauna Colnan spoke about how different classrooms look around the world and the importance of the gift of education.

Our pluri-lingual student hosts moved seamlessly between the languages that form part of their identity, and the audience was treated to several amazing musical performances.

Honouring the Global Child

Special guest speaker Kate Kennedy gave a moving and inspiring speech� Kate has dedicated her life to helping others through her executive role as Strategic Director of World Vision to her present role as CEO of Hagar International�

In her thought-provoking presentation, Kate showed us the incredibly important work that Hagar is doing to help women and children in countries such as Afghanistan, Vietnam and Cambodia, who have survived abuses such as slavery, trafficking and exploitation� Kate told us the moving story of a boy that Hagar has helped to recreate his life after being trafficked� Kate showed that through action positive social change can occur and hope can be restored to peoples’ lives�

“We protect those vulnerable to exploitation by changing the laws, and we run transformational recovery services to take survivors of severe human rights abuses from minus 10 to plus 10 and enable them to reach their highest potential,” Kate said�

“There are more slaves today than any time in human history, and Hagar is committed to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to restore their broken lives”�

As a school, we also left our mark on Kate as she told Jigsaw she was in awe of our students: “what you stand for and what you do to create the active global citizens of tomorrow”�

Bonjour, je m’appelle Amelia. Je suis

en Première et ça fait treize ans que

j’apprends le français ici à IGS. Ma

Grandmère est française, donc il a

toujours été important que je parle et

comprenne le français, mais je pense

surtout que se sont tous ces cours

de français ici, qui m’ont permis

d’apprendre cette belle langue.

Amelia Bevins Year 11

I loved waiting for our

turn to sing.

Hudson

Transition Green

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Buongiorno, mi chiamo Francesca Frequento

l’IGS da quando avevo 12 anni. Studio italiano

dalla scuola elementare ma sono cresciuta con

un padre italiano e una cultura italo-australiano

quindi sono stata immersa nella lingua e nelle

tradizioni italiane. I parenti di mio padre sono

italiani e ho passato un sacco di tempo in Italia

dove ho assorbito molte cose piacevoli come la

gioia di stare assieme ai nonni, gli zii e i cugini.

Vorrei ringraziare mio padre di continuare a farmi

vivere la cultura delle sue origini. Francesca Di Stefano

Year 11

Thank you for a wonderful Early

Learning Concert. I have been

at the School a long time as a

teacher but it was very special

being able to watch something

so wonderful as a parent.

Emma Richards

Tengo ganas de ir a España y Japón al fin del año, y estoy agradecida por las oportunidades que tengo porque he podido estudiar otras lenguas.

Zelda Winestock Year 11

Hola me llamo Anja, estoy en el año once.

Empecé a estudiar español y francés

cuando estaba en el año siete. Ahora solo

estudio español. En los cinco años que

llevo estudiando español he aprendido

mucho. Para mí, lo más importante es

haber encontrado una pasión por una

lengua y su cultura. Una cultura que

espero experimentar de manera más

auténtica. Creo que aprender otro idioma

crea un mundo más interconectado y

abre muchas más puertas en el futuro.

Anja Ivkovic

Year 11

I loved the concert so much

because my Daddy came and he

let me have French chocolate

mousse after the concert.

William

Transition Green

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IGS staged its first whole school musical in many years in July� Over 90 Primary and High School students and staff threw themselves into the classic musical Oliver! in performance, stagehand and orchestral roles�

With impetus from the Director of Student Activities Paul Galea (see profile on opposite page), direction by the Music Department’s Deborah Cunneen, musical direction by Sarah Travis and piano accompaniment by our IT Team Manager Paul Bourke, the great show played with three sold-our performance nights�

… Followed by The Little Prince

Drama teacher Julian Kennard’s adaptation of the classic French story The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry as an in-house drama club project in October was deemed to have created some of the most beautiful scenes to grace the IGS Performance Space stage�

WHAT THE DICKENS – IT’S OLIVER!

I wanted to record here my deep

thanks to all staff for their

contribution to this remarkable

inaugural Broadway/West End

musical at IGS. It was a labour of

love; that was clear as the team

rolled up their sleeves and cleaned

up the hall after the show was over

on Friday night ...This show was a

gift to us all and to our school at this

point in our history ... Bravo to Deb

and Sarah and thanks to one and all

for this triumphant debut! How

exciting to imagine what may come,

with this one as the starting point.

Shauna Colnan Principal

Such an amazing show – at no point did it feel, look, or sound like a ‘high school production’, such a high level of professionalism!Audience member

It has been an incredibly rewarding

experience for all involved and the

quality of the show has surpassed my

expectations in every way. The

enthusiasm with which the students

engaged with the show is, however, of

no surprise. Magic happens to your

body and spirit when you sing or

dance. Put the two together, add in 80

other people doing exactly the same

thing and the flow of endorphins are

visible for all to see. Anyone who

came to see the show would testify to

the pure joy emanating from each and

every performer on the IGS hall stage.Deborah Cunneen Director and Music Teacher

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Paul Galea, Director of Student Activities

Paul Galea has taught at IGS for almost 25 years� Jigsaw caught up with the one affectionately known as Papa Galea …

What is your background in teaching and learning and how long have you been with IGS?

I graduated from the University of Sydney in 1982 with a Bachelor of Education (Physical Education), then taught in the State schools system, mainly at Maroubra Junction High School for four years. After that I travelled the world for a few years and began working at IGS in 1993, mainly teaching in sport and social sciences.

What is it like being at the helm of Student Activities? What does your role involve?

One thing for sure is that my time as Director of Student Activities is never boring. There is always something happening involving kids, staff, parents and providers. I am responsible for After Care and Vacation Care, Primary Clubs, High School Clubs, HICES Debating, Year 7 and 8 Tuesday Sport, Drama Companies, Duke of Edinburgh, Creative Interns and Mock Trial! Basically, I make sure these all work for the students. Also, of course, I work with very talented and dedicated staff who make all these areas run smoothly.

Are there certain areas of school life that you are passionate about?

I am passionate about the students doing the best they can by taking every opportunity that is open to them. By doing this they will find themselves involved, part of the community and connected to an entity which is much bigger than just themselves.

Tell Jigsaw a bit about your other interests.

I have many other interests apart from IGS! Number 1 is my family – my wife Aine De Paor and my children Niamh, Cian and Maeve. I love to travel, usually for long periods and to the least glamorous destinations.

According to my wife, I have two unfortunate obsessions. I am a lifelong mad Roosters fan and I have a penchant for Crocs (shoes). After my wife threatened to get rid of me if I bought another pair of Crocs, I have now got that under control … I think!

STAFF PROFILE

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Off the shelf

The Primary School and Library has seen a steady flow of outstanding achievements in writing and reading�

Year 3’s Jemima Woodman won a coveted Gold award in the State-wide Write On competition for her poem, So Now We Can Be In The Sky (Excerpt)

“Of course”, we said, “You can come along and join us on our trip. Do you know that we actually launched this thing off a very high cliff? We will land on the sand to pick you up. And you can have the fun of being lifted up”.

From the poem by Jemima Woodman, Year 3 Gold

Maximilian Foley (Year 6) won the Prime Minister's Medal for his storybook written for NAIDOC Week. A copy of the story called Kuparr’s Adventure to Uluru is now in the library.

PRIMARY COLOURS

A-OK with PK MagFive Primary students had their works published in the national online PK Magazine last term� Mischa Belunek (Year 6) and Year 4’s Madison Travis, Noah Cooper, Eve Ractliffe-Moss and Lulu Talbot were thrilled to see their works in print and on screen�

Independent Research TopicsYear 6 created an amazing array of Independent Research Topics (IRTs) this semester – from gowns and dresses to a miniature soccer stadium�

Jemima�

Max�

11

Year 4 have been busy turning green dreams into reality as they designed and created models for their Dream Green Homes� Excursions to the Powerhouse Museum, the home of well-known sustainability expert Michael Mobbs and a guest talk by UTS’s Head of Architecture Anthony Burke helped inspire the budding young environmentalists�

At Michael Mobbs’ home in Chippendale

… and the community gardenTransition got in on the act too, taking an excursion to Ultimo Community Gardens to learn more about plant cycles and growing healthy food�

His urban garden has many

edible plants, stingless bees

and chickens. He also has

started community compost

bins and edible flowerbeds

along his and surrounding

streets. Matilda Tait

Meanwhile, Primary student representatives headed down to nearby Wentworth Park to plant a special tree for the City of Sydney’s project.

“We were delighted to be involved and think it is a great initiative as our urban environment can always be greener. Our new school tree in Wentworth Park has reminded the students about the importance of trees and how it is up to us to protect and take care of our environment,” Year 4 teacher Michelle Sullivan said.

Some of the highlights were how he collects all his rainwater and does not use water from the city mains, and his ‘Elan’ battery to store his solar power. He told us how you could retrofit an existing home to use less energy and other resources.

Elyse Burke

In the spirit of sustainability, this edition of Jigsaw will enjoy a reduced print run and the next edition will go 100% digital!

Green Rooms

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Several scenes of ABC3’s hit series Ready for This were filmed during the year at IGS and also featured over 30 of our students as extras! We are very proud too of our alumna Madeleine Madden (Class of 2014) who stars in the series as Zoe� She has just been nominated for a TV Logie in the Best New Talent category and the show for an AACTA for 2016�

IGS senior students took to the radio airwaves three times towards the end of semester� First, live on ABC 702’s James Valentine’s on-air debate on ‘lowering the voting age to 16’, then on Triple J’s mini panel on the same topic, and finally, Year 12 on the day of their last HSC exam, interviewed for an upcoming stint on Triple J’s The Hack�

ON SCREEN

ON AIR

Year 5’s Coco Gillies starred in this year’s October holidays hit film, Oddball. We asked Coco about the experience.

How was it working alongside Shane Jacobson and Sarah Snook?

CG: Shane was amazing to work with because he is SUPER funny and is fun when you’re on set� And Sarah was great to work with too because she was really nice and gave lots of good acting tips!

What was the best thing about making the film?

CG: Working with the animals and with all the amazing cast and crew who make the film become a reality!

Did it take very long to make the film?

CG: It took 10 weeks� I took all of Term 3, 2014 off and moved to Melbourne�

The 7th series of It’s Academic featuring our Year 5/6 team (2014) will finally screen from 15 January 2016 on Channel 7TWO!

Maddy Madden in HSC Drama 2014�

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Naysan scoops short film awards

Year 12’s Naysan Baghai has just won the prestigious best short film and scholarship award at the Robin Anderson awards� His film, What are You looking At? also won in the Junior category at the Calgary International Film Festival and has been selected for the HSC Showcase On Screen�

Tell us a bit about What are you looking at?

N: What Are You Looking at? follows Xavier, an aurally sensitive food court cleaner who cleans tables until a judgemental encounter ends with the tables being turned. The film evolved from two distinct ideas: 1) what is it like to be judged based on your profession or appearance, and are we all guilty of making stereotypical judgements of others? 2) How do musicians and/or sensory-acute individuals experience the world?

The actual process of principal photography and production is a whole story in its own right, and one that can’t be confined in a short response. The total time it took to make the film (writing, shooting, editing, distribution) was just under nine months. Although the process was extremely stressful at times, it probably led to a much better result, as each time I had a chance to refine my ideas and learn from my mistakes.

How did being at IGS influence your interest and aptitude in film making?

N: There are four individuals at IGS who really fostered my interest in filmmaking: Mrs Weir, Ms Morabito, Mr Galea and Mr Kennard.

When I was in Year 6, I had only begun experimenting with video cameras, and Mrs Weir encouraged me to shoot all the sports carnivals, as well as to produce a film for my IRT. At the same time, Ms Morabito encouraged me to go to the Robin Anderson Film Awards, where I started to see the potential of filmmaking as a career.

Mr Galea, on the other hand, showed me how films, ranging from Apocalypse Now to Dances With Wolves, can educate us about historical topics, further catalysing my interest in cinema and leading to many homages in my films. Mr Kennard, who was my Film Studies teacher and HSC Drama teacher, opened my eyes to many important filmmaking tips and techniques that I keep with me to this day, and together with Ms Morabito, really supported me throughout the conception and production of this film.

What was it like being at the Calgary International Film Festival (Canada)?

N: Initially, I was really apprehensive about travelling all the way to Canada a week before my HSC exams� However, having my short film open the feature films and seeing it screen on an IMAX screen, at the Youth by Youth Cinema awards, then winning the best senior film was the most unexpected delight of all!

How did it feel to win all those the awards at the Robin Anderson Film Awards?

N: I was delighted to win Best Senior Fiction, but then was in utter disbelief to hear my name called three more times, especially for the two grand prizes� I genuinely did not expect it as the other films were so good, and I think I was in a state of shock as I received the prizes! It was an incredibly humbling experience, and I will remember that night for the rest of my life�

What next for you (next year)?

N: I recently found out that I have been accepted into AFTRS (Australian Film Television Radio School), for the Bachelor of Arts (Screen) program� I am so excited to be able to study there as it is one of the top film schools in the world and the facilities are amazing� I also hope to find part-time work in the film industry, and continue to make as many films as I can�

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❝ ❝

Deputy Principal – Staff and Innovation

David Hamper BA, DipEd, MLMEd, MACE, MACEL

2016 and beyond will see us implementing our limitless learning agenda to create

an even more dynamic learning environment at IGS.

❝ ❝Head of Research and Innovative Learning

Jacqueline Baker BSc (AppMath), DipEd, MEd, MACEL

The strategic aspirations open up a whole new horizon for student and staff learning, research and

innovation – an authentic community of learners!

❝ ❝Director of Early Learning (Acting)

Suzanna Gray BEd (Early Childhood)

In Early Learning in 2016 we are excited to be exploring a change in our practice through technology as we embark on a journey

from paper to screen with the introduction of Storypark, a means of sharing our learning and keeping in touch with our families.

As we launch our exciting new Strategic Plan: Into the World from 2016, we have made some key changes to the titles and roles of some of our Leadership Team members in order to enhance our school teaching and learning offerings in the years to come. Meet the team and hear from them about what lies ahead…

MEET THE LEADERSHIP TEAM

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❝

❝ ❝Deputy Principal –

Students and Campus Life

Mary Duma BA, DipEd, MEd, MACE

Students need to feel safe and happy to question, grow and

learn. School campus life needs to remain vibrant, ambitious and

exciting in order to accommodate individual growth and pursuits.

❝ ❝Head of Commercial Services

Dharma Murugiah BEc, LLB, ACA

2015 has been the busiest year we have ever had and 2016 will be busier.

❝ ❝

Head of High School

Anthony Dennehy BA (GeoEd), DipTeach

We are very excited about how we can continue to shape

the future for our students, but even more so for how they will then shape ours.

❝Principal

Shauna Colnan BA, DipEd, MA, MBA, MACEL, AIMM

Innovation and a spring in our step will be the story of 2016 as we begin to implement the

new strategic plan!

❝ ❝

Head of Junior School

Colin Bird BEd, GradDipEdAdmin, DipTeach, MEd

Limitless learning, empowered students, sustainable future –

bring it on!

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Out front with co-curricularOur Debating and Mock Trial teams have had a super run this Semester. The Mock Trial team reached the finals rounds under the guidance of Jonathan White and former parent and lawyer David Hirsch. The team comprised Maxim Adams, Charlie Goodsir, Samuel Garrett, Louise Woodward, Ruby Olsson, Jamie Heath, Patrick Flood and Martin Gossow.

The 7/8 Debating team made it right through to the HICES Grand Final at the Powerhouse Museum. After a stellar performance the 7/8 team was overtaken, however the team comprising Leo, Ben B, Jayesh and Ashleigh represented IGS admirably. Leo and Ben received awards for being among the best debaters in the finals in the 7/8 division. Belle Campbell received an award for being among the best in the 9/10 division finals and Maxim Adams was awarded equal best debater in the 11/12 division finals.

HICES Debating has 37 competing schools and 190 teams from all over NSW so these results are fantastic.

CO-CURRICULAR NEWS

Another Oliver’s story …Year 12’s Oliver Howden reflects on his co-curricular club experience.

When I started practising Seido Karate, back in Year 4, I had the impression that it would be all fighting and punching through wooden boards� Since I started learning basic techniques on a Tuesday afternoon in the school hall with Kyoshi Ali, seven years ago, I’ve come to realise the karate is lot more than violence� In my journey from being a skinny white belt to being a skinny black belt I have learnt that Seido is as much about meditation and the philosophy of karate and its uses as it is about application of techniques�

After I became too old to continue training at IGS, I started training at the Abercrombie Street Dojo with Seishihan Ino� This new learning environment would have been daunting but I was surrounded by the friends I had made studying Seido at IGS and the students of the Dojo were incredibly friendly and welcoming even when I was so much younger than most of them�

Recently grading to black belt has made the Dojo feel even more like home with new responsibilities such as teaching and setting an example for the new students being passed to me�

Through the years I have gained knowledge, wisdom and made new friends, which without Seido I would most likely never have met� All of which can be traced back to the first classes I did after school in the IGS school hall�

Oliver Howden

Oliver!The idea of staging Oliver! the Musical at IGS this semester started with Mr Galea’s love for the

musical (and opportunity to play the role himself when he was a younger lad). This cross-curricular phenomenon played in July to over

1,000 members of the community! (See more on page 8)

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Student team rIGS up our first robot!!!IGS’s first robot is being constructed right now, as we go to print!

The 35-strong rIGS student team of budding engineers, marketeers and coders are practising assembling their robot ready for the Macquarie University-based FIRST competition at Homebush in February 2016� IGS Science teacher Claire Loh instigated the project and other staff as well as the University of Sydney’s seasoned team, the Drop Bears, are helping mentor the team�

Go to the rIGS Facebook site facebook�com/roboticsIGS for updates�

Several more projects took place this semester under the energy of STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics)

Primordial HumIn a project that melded the talents of our STEAM Innovator and the Music Department, Primordial Hum “happened” in the KMB.3 space in October.

The school community was invited to immerse themselves in a rich aural and visual experience grown from a significant collaboration between Year 8 Music, Year 9 and 10 Visual Arts and a variety of interested technologists including Margery Smith, IGS Composer-in-residence.

Their creations were interpretations of tribal body adornment with significant cultural reference to the New Guinea Asaro Mudmen. The “happening” was the inaugural exhibition of technology driven access to content because the soundscapes were only able to be heard via Augmented Reality using a smart device.

The team sourced all materials for our plinths from repurposed stock or recycled materials and the sustainability aspect of the collaboration added to the special nature of the experience.

A bank of iPads was provided for the guests, however, many participants came “app ready” and simply immersed themselves from their point of entry.

Well done to the STEAM team including Alison Housley, Nikolas Glass, Michele Ellis, Deb Cunneen, Sophie Lampert, Melissa Silk and all members of the IGS Facilities team with a special contribution from Michael Bullingham, who worked tirelessly to construct the plinths for the happening.

STEAM DREAMS

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How to make a numerical quiltMaths teacher Tan Nguyen knows his numbers – and is also great with design. Meet Tan and his quilts of many colours ...

How long have you taught mathematics at IGS?

These numbers (182, 195 and 273) have something in common. If you can find the answer, then that is the number of years I have worked at IGS.

When did you first start quilting and how many quilts have you made to date?

In 2013 and 21.

Did your mathematics background inspire you and if so how?

Yes, very much. I have always appreciated the scientific precision of Mathematics and I enjoy demonstrating how it applies to so many aspects of everyday life.

How long does it take to make a quilt?

Between two to 12 weeks.

What is your favourite part of the process?

I like the challenge of producing a functional object that requires planning, designing and the critical accuracy of joining of different geometric shapes.

Where do all the quilts go and what next?

I’ve given some to friends. I hope to encourage our students to appreciate how mathematics can have a wide variety of career opportunities and applications in everyday life.

Plants vs ZombiesAnd in this STEAM-y project we also have coding meets design meets marketing

Year 7’s Max Meyer and Maya Braun won first place in November in the national Year 7-8 category of the Young ICT Explorers competition� They called their project Plants vs Zombies because as Maya said, ”Mum is not good at watering plants, she always forgets to� Our project is a computer powered plant watering system and uses a mini computer that is programmed with the Ardunio development program� The mini-computer then reads multiple sensors and accesses the weather forecast form the internet via WiFi and controls a little water pump� Plants vs Zombies uses four different sensors; a moisture sensor, a rain/water sensor, a light sensor and a temperature sensor�

“With Plants vs Zombies we hope to achieve to make the plant survive by automatically watering a plant depending on the soil moisture and the weather forecast”�

Maya and Max also featured in a coding special in the Weekend Australian in October�

Mel Silk (centre) pictured with Michele Bruniges, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education and the NSW Minister for Education, The Hon. Adrian Piccoli.

Photo © Geoff Friend�

Award for STEAM Innovator

International Grammar School’s STEAM Innovator Melissa Silk has been awarded the NSW Premier’s Teachers Mutual Bank New and Emerging Technologies Scholarship to further explore her innovation in design and technology teaching in the US.

Melissa’s scholarship project, titled Sydney STEAM Wonder, will take her to best-practice sites and centres of learning on both the West and East coasts of the US.

See more staff news in IGS’s new online magazine – iNK. (details page 33)

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Chinese language on offer for Early Learning from 2017Languages, bilingualism, intercultural capacity and diversity are key words in the IGS vocabulary.

With these concepts in mind, the Languages Department is excited that the School will offer Chinese from 2017 as one of its core languages, alongside French, German, Italian and Japanese, from Early Learning. We see this as an extremely positive step which will strengthen IGS as a leader in languages teaching and learning. It will also further align IGS with important objectives for Australian students outlined in the new Australian Curriculum and in the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper which was released a few years ago.

Rosalba Genua-PetrovicDirector of Languages

LANGUAGES AND EXCHANGE NEWS

Meeting of the ages – in Italian The Year 6 Italian students resumed IGS’s tradition of visiting Scalabrini Aged Care Village in Leichhardt to perform some songs and chat in the residents’ home language. A great day was had by all. Bravo!

Let’s do lunchEarlier this Semester, the exchange students from Guangzhou enjoyed a special lunch and show with their IGS hosts.

Exchange with Tokyo school in real time via SkypeYear 6’s Japanese Language class has been interacting weekly with the Maebashi Azuma Primary School in Gunma, Tokyo, via Skype.

The Tokyo school’s class of 33 students of a similar age to our Year 6 liaised with IGS about everything from showing traditional games to asking lots of questions�

“Students have been really enjoying it,” teacher Ayako Shiragaki said and because the exchange was arranged through the Consulate General of Japan, they have shown a very strong interest�

Year 11’s Maxim Adams topped the State in 2015’s HSC in both Italian Continuers and Ukrainian Continuers.

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'Chez nous ...et en Nouvelle Calédonie'After hosting many students from New Caledonia in Term 3, 20 students from upper Primary and Years 7 and 8 were accompanied by Principal Ms Shauna Colnan and four IGS teachers on a French language and cultural exchange to Noumea during the holidays. The experience brought our friends across the seas closer ...

Turkey-Greece History tour includes ANZAC Cove visitTwenty senior students were accompanied by teachers David Miller, Ksenija Doic and Stuart Daly on a History Tour to Turkey and Greece in July.

Visiting Greece connected me with my

family roots. Kalamata was where my

grandfather grew up and we visited

the Diros Caves which was one of my

grandfather’s favourite places. Sixty

years later, I experienced its beauty

and mystique.

Christian Blanda Year 11

Overall, this was a great experience which allowed students to experience a full immersion with French speaking families. They improved their overall confidence by interacting in French. They also experienced what a typical day was like in the French schooling system, drawing comparisons with their own school life.

Teacher Emmanuel Chaveroux

Living with a family from a different culture means students

have to open their minds to a different daily routine,

different food habits and different ways of communicating

… and they did a great job! …we could see their confidence

in their language increase every day. That’s such a

delightful thing to observe as a languages teacher!

Mme Juliette Bates

From witnessing the most recent referendum in the world’s oldest democracy, to visiting the Gallipoli battlefields, to swimming in the waters of Santorini and exploring countless ancient ruins, we had a thoroughly packed three weeks travelling across Greece and Turkey with our expert guides and teachers, making it a very special trip that none of us will forget. Elena Hebden

Year 10

continued next page

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Lundi et jeudi, nous sommes allés

en classe à l’école. Mercredi

après-midi, il n’y a pas école :

c’est super !

En Nouvelle Calédonie, j’ai appris

du français pratique comme “j’ai

assez mangé” (I’ve had enough to

eat). C’était une très bonne

experience.Ruby, Ava et Gabi

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Some great winter sports results this Semester with:

Gabriel Wahl becoming State Champion in the 16 years pole vault. At the State and Regional levels, Anthony Vlatko, 3rd in the 14 boys 800m and 2nd in 1500m; Stephanie Potter: 3rd in 14 years 200m hurdles and Elise Brennan, 3rd in 14 years 3,000m walk (competed up an age group).

In the NSW Primary Schools competition Kaidyn Wright and Isabel Whitaker (CIS Team Captain) made the Touch Football team and Mischa Belunek (Year 6) the Long Jump at State level and running at Regional level.

Chloe Katerdjian (Year 7) qualified for Nationals in Tennis (under 12s) in Melbourne late in the Semester in December; Tom Bolton (Year 11) made the NSW cycling team to compete in NZ; and Laura Whitehead (Year 12) and Charlotte Howden (Year 9) won gold medals in snowboarding.

GOOD SPORTS

IGS joined the Westpac team for the City2Surf ….

And, meanwhile, in the summer, the little ones enjoyed a splash at the K-1 Swimming Carnival. (Photos © Allison Lee)

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After doing cultural activities for a day we got stuck into making a fence to keep cattle and wild animals out of their living space. We managed to complete the fence and we were glad to help out our hosts after they treated us so kindly. After a very emotional leave from the community we got to drive to Alice Springs and go camel riding. We then continued our drive back to Yulara and saw many amazing sights on the way. Molly McGrath and Davis Evans

Journey to greater cultural understanding

The second Red Earth ‘IGS Indigenous Connections’ tour left for Uluru and the APY Lands beyond, under the guidance of Head of Wellbeing (High School) Lucy Howard- Shibuya and HSIE teacher Luke Naivasha and the Red Earth Tour operators.

Seventeen Year 9 students travelled to the APY Lands in the remotest region of South Australia via Central Australia.

Red Earth Tours specialise in hands-on assistance to the Indigenous communities and immersion into the culture of our Indigenous Australians, the longest continuous living civilisation in the world.

The IGS group had a life-changing experience as the students’ words (above and below) bear testament.

INDIGENOUS JOURNEY

It was hard to go without my

iGadgets, but I wouldn’t swap

the experience for the world.Ruby Brookes

Special visitors to Koori ClubIndigenous Scholarship Program ambassadors Professor Larissa Behrendt (UTS) and ABC Radio presenter Richard Glover spent a wonderful morning tea with the Koori Club in August. Another special guest, former principal Kerrie Murphy, visited the students in November.

… And an outing to BangarraYears 3-6 enjoyed a matinee performance of Ochres by Bangarra Dance Theatre and met one of the principal dancers Beau in December.

Unforgettable, the most

amazing 10 days ever.

Hugo Johannsen

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The whole school threw themselves into fundraising activities for an array of good causes this semester with many thousands of dollars raised�

Reaching outThe Reach Out disco which raised funds for Reach Out, a mental health organisation for young people, was a resounding success.

GOOD CAUSESHagART

We drew art and collected gold coins for Hagar, the international humanitarian organisation that looks after women and children caught up in slavery or human trafficking.

Valerio’s GardenValerio De Simoni (Class of 2004) was tragically killed in 2011 in Malawi on an Oxfam Quad bike charity ride and his mother Vittoria and friends have kept his memory and dreams alive through the Valerio De Simoni Association. To help out, IGS ran a gold coin day and Year 12 a cake stall to raise funds for a source of clean drinking water at Gamba School in Malawi.

CanTEENA Bandanna Day and car wash day for CanTEEN, the support group for young cancer patients and their families, involved the wider community too.

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IGS showcased the beautiful work of our HSC students in Drama, Music, Visual Arts, Design and Technology and English this semester. Congratulations to those HSC candidates who were also nominated and selected for the State major works showcases:

ARTEXPRESS

Selected:

❙❙ Matilda Tomasetti for The Anatomy of Technology

❙❙ Vincent Labancz for Gallery of Saints

❙❙ Catia Single for Birds and Beads

Nominated:

❙❙ Emma Le for ong ngoai (Grandather)

❙❙ Maira Wilkie for Silent Perspectives

OnSTAGE-OnSCREEN

Selected:

❙❙ Naysan Baghai for What are you looking at? (Year 12 Drama Individual Project)

❙❙ Dara Ruggeri for Costume Design for Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Drama Individual Project)

ENCORE

Nominated:

❙❙ Naysan Baghai for Music

HSC SHOWCASES

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LAST DAYS OF YEAR 12

I will always look back on my time at IGS with fondness and always remember the amazing people with which I have gone on this journey. Walking past those magenta walls for the last time as a student was sad, but I know, as written by A. A. Milne, “how lucky I am, to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”Laura Whitehead

Our mentors also deserve a special mention, you’re not only our teachers but our friends. Having a mentor has been such a

huge weight off our shoulders, even if we don’t always have regular meetings, no student can say no to a free cup of tea or

coffee, or even a free lunch.[And] for our real parents, you’ve seen us at our best, and put up with us at our worst, yet you’re still here, beaming at us all, so proud that we actually made it.

Ruby Learoyd

(To Kindergarten) We had a great

time, walking around the zoo with

you all on Tuesday ... It is very

similar to how we learn at school.

Imagine what you could achieve

by learning that much everyday at

IGS. You (the class of 2027), have

many years to take advantage of

this and all the wonderful things

this school will teach you.

International Grammar School is

an amazing school that we have

all been fortunate enough to be a

part of. Oscar Draper

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'So long, farewell' – Principal Shauna Colnan choreographs 66 Kindergarten children to perform a special farewell to Year 12.

When I sat down to write my [farewell] speech, I looked around my bedroom in a somewhat lacklustre attempt to gain inspiration. Well seek and ye shall find. For there, atop my bookshelf was a hat. The brown, broad-brimmed hat with which I have travelled on two unforgettable IGS voyages – the Greece/Italy History Tour and Red Earth. At the sight of this singularly ordinary piece of headwear my mind was filled with wonderful and unique school memories – sunsets over the Aegean, gnocchi alla Sorrentina, being dragged around the outback by small but decidedly strong Aboriginal children.Thank you IGS for a truly beautiful six years, and, on behalf of Year 12, farewell.

Luke Christopher West

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WelcomeWelcome to this edition of Jigsaw. I hope you will enjoy reading stories from our Alumni as well as from past Principal Dr David Wright. You can also learn more about our Mentoring Program and inaugural offsite Graduation Dinner at which alumnus Joe Glover was a special guest speaker.

Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to tell your story: juliag@igssyd.nsw.edu.au

Julia Glass Director of Community Relations IGS Class of 2003

COMMUNITY NEWS

InGeniouS was an exhibition curated by former IGS Art Teacher Mel Hodges. The exhibition was held in October at Central Park Mall and featured artworks by several IGS Alumni artists including: Nowhere Famous, Ears (aka Daniel O’Toole), Hugo Muecke, Milly Cobb, Pops Bagnall, Luciana Smith, Ryan Hancock, Genius1, Rebekah Delaney, Chester Buchanan, Oscar Nimmo, Holly Greenwood, Harley Alexander, Anouk Berney, Penelope Tsoutas, Ella Cutler, Brigitta Summers, Adrienne Lim, Bronte Leighton-Dore, Anzu Kawano, Ally Joseph and Cay Barnum. There were also performances on Opening Night by Georgia Godworth and Mia Morrissey!

Equipping our students to be world ready – Mentoring Program launches!In Term 4 of 2015 we ran three mentoring sessions for IGS Year 11 students. Participating mentors worked in fields as diverse as computer science, cancer research, animated films and psychiatry. We hope the experience was a great one for all of the students and mentors who took part.

We look forward to continuing to grow the program in 2016. If you are interested in participating as a mentor, please contact Julia Glass: juliag@igssyd.nsw.edu.au or 9219 6778

Photos: Jon Kilborn (above with IGS Year 11 students) is a Senior Financial Advisor and Lester Fernandez (below with IGS Year 11 students) is a Criminal Lawyer. Both are proud IGS dads!

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Jigsaw: When did you start at IGS and which year did you graduate or leave the School?

Chloé Génion: I started at IGS in Year 7 (2004) and graduated in 2009.

J: What’s a clear memory you hold from your school days at IGS?

CG: Performing an acoustic cover of Kyo’s La Dernière Danse with Egor Serov (Class of ’10) in front of the whole school for Mme Naomi Bulliard’s farewell would be a standout moment. Turns out she had Kyo’s CD with that song on it at home and she gave it to me before she left: I still have it!

J: Who was your biggest role model or mentor whilst you were at IGS and what did they teach you about life?

CG: Mr Dennehy probably had the strongest impact. I came to IGS being pretty unaware of my potential and I feel like Mr Dennehy maybe saw some of that in me and helped me realise it. I’m not sure how to phrase it exactly. Honestly though, I remember each and every one of my teachers so it’s difficult to pick just one… Mrs Housley, Mrs Ellis, and Ms Souroullas (she’s since changed her name, I heard?) are candidates for that spot too!

J: What advice would you give to your teenage self sitting the HSC if you had the wisdom you do now?

CG: Aim to give future-you as many options as possible. By that I mean, even if you’re determined to run off with the circus ASAP, aim to do well in the HSC so that you have more avenues available to you later. Having said that, a week into uni no one will ever care about your ATAR again, and if they do then you probably don’t want to be friends with them anyway.

So, take it seriously, challenge yourself, but don’t let it ruin your life.

J: What did you pursue after school? Are you still working in the same field in which you studied or worked right after school, or have you changed direction?

CG: I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do after high school. In retrospect, it was a pretty arrogant assumption, but I’d always thought I’d just go to Sydney Uni and keep learning things until I’d made up my mind. Thankfully, that’s exactly what happened.

I started off doing a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science, double majoring in psychology and music, however at the end of my second year I realised that only studying two subjects was boring me. I had a look at other degrees out there and decided to give primary education a go because it meant studying around 13 subjects overall. Four years later, I’m in my final week of internship in a Kindy class and I’m loving every moment. I completely lucked out!

J: Do you still have IGS friends?

CG: Doesn’t everyone who went to IGS?! I’m yet to know of someone who finished year 12 and didn’t keep at least one friend around… But yes, some of my closest friends are still: Bianca Pecotich (currently on exchange in Bologna as part of her nursing degree), Tayla Dumbrell (completed a Masters in Physiotherapy), Jordan McDonald (working at a global artist management music company), Paros Huckstepp (working as an architect/designer for a Sydney firm) and Massimo Raso (completed a Bachelor of Neuroscience) – all class of ’09.

J: What’s your favourite quote about education?

CG: “Fair but unequal”� No idea where I heard this but it’s essentially my approach to teaching: that because everyone is different, for everyone to be treated fairly means that sometimes people and situations will be treated accordingly� People can require different approaches, different experiences, different opportunities to get to the same end point and education should meet these needs: it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach�

J: Where’s your favourite place to go in Sydney to relax?

CG: It’s pretty uninspiring, but that would have to be my apartment� I’m in a ‘middle distance’ relationship and have spent a lot of time over the past few years travelling between Sydney and Newcastle so my idea of relaxing is not having to go anywhere!

J: And your favourite café or restaurant to visit near IGS?

CG: Either Cow and the Moon Gelato on Enmore Rd or Italian Bowl on King St�

J: Do you have any other thoughts or comments?

CG: IGS is a truly remarkable school� The students, the teachers, the events and opportunities made it an irreplaceable part of my life� Thank you!

Chloé GénionClass of 2009

IGS is a truly remarkable

school. The students, the

teachers, the events and

opportunities made it an

irreplaceable part of my life.

Thank you!

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Jigsaw: When did you start at IGS and which year did you graduate or leave the School?

George Vlotis: I started at IGS in 1997 (I think), and I graduated in 2010�

J: What’s a clear memory you hold from your school days at IGS?

GV: So many memories, but perhaps the best ones were to do with the student teacher relationships� Playing Friday afternoon soccer against the teachers or just being able to joke around and have a great time with them at lunch made my colleagues and me really respect and appreciate them as people outside of the classroom environment� They didn’t just show up to teach, we could see how good a people they were – how much they genuinely cared� And consequently we wanted to perform well for them, as well as ourselves, academically�

J: Who was your biggest role model or mentor whilst you were at IGS and what did they teach you about life?

GV: I don’t think I could single out one role model or mentor at IGS, the teaching staff is [awash with] them and if I were to name people the list would go on. However what they instilled in me was a love for learning. And taught me the value of education. They’re a very encouraging staff and always seek to build you up.

J: What advice would you give to your teenage self sitting the HSC if you had the wisdom you do now?

GV: I was pretty relaxed going through the HSC so I don’t think I’d be able to say much else to my Year 12 self but maybe perhaps that your final mark is really not a dictator of your life once you leave school. I think Year 12 students often think it’s the be all and end all, but really once you get out into the world whether it be university, the workforce or whatever you choose to do, no one really cares about how you did in the HSC.

J: What did you pursue after school? Are you still working in the same field in which you studied or worked right after school, or have you changed direction?

GV: Initially I studied architecture at the University of New south Wales. However after two years I decided It wasn’t for me and transferred into

George Vlotis Class of 2010

Mr and Mrs Martin and Eugenia Biggs, long-time supporters and friends of our school, came to visit earlier in the year on their 67th wedding anniversary! We gave them an IGS bear to take home as a small token of appreciation for their kind support of IGS.

In a great show of their confidence and belief in the values and teachings of the School, just look how many of our staff send their own kids to IGS!

Journalism at UTS. Currently, I have just finished my degree and have been working and interning in and out of different media agencies including the SBS, and UNICEF. I have also just started reporting on the A-league (soccer) online.

J: Do you still have IGS friends?

GV: Almost exclusively – all my friends are still from IGS. Five years out of school and my year’s cohort are still very tightknit. It’s something I’m so grateful for and really cherish.

J: What’s your favourite quote about education?

GV: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it” – Aristotle

J: Where’s your favourite place to go in Sydney to relax?

GV: Really, just hanging out with IGS mates around the inner west with a beer.

J: And your favourite café or restaurant to visit near IGS?

GV: I used to walk up to the Cantonese and Szechuan hotpot places up on Parramatta Road near the bus stop, they were always my favourite.

J: Do you have any other thoughts or comments?

GV: Just that IGS was a unique school, and I hope it doesn’t change or become institutionalised like so many other private schools out there. I have confidence that it won’t.

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In my career I have, besides English, learned five languages. All, sadly, were learned academically. I can read them. I cannot fluently speak them. IGS, admirably, has a different emphasis. Importantly, one learns to ‘speak’ other languages. There is often a further, a hidden, purpose in the linguistic end it champions. Its aim is to indicate what all languages, in their best moments, should be attempting to convey. Words alone are insufficient. If we have not learned the eloquence of silence; if we have not, as Olive Schreiner used to say, learned to listen to the stones speaking, have been unaware of the role of tone, cadence, rhythm, rhyme in speaking; we have not really understood the full capacity of language to communicate meanings. As my splendid Chishona teacher used to say, if you haven’t an ear for the inherent musicality of the language, you can neither speak nor properly understand it.

I have often been intrigued by the way Virginia Woolf tried to pin language down firmly. She was regularly exasperated by her failure to find the words that would adequately encompass the meanings she had in mind. She rued the way words, ‘broke up the thought and dismembered it … fluttered sideways and struck the object inches too low.’ ‘Words and words and words...– how they lash their long manes and tails, but for some fault in me I cannot give myself to their backs; I cannot fly with them, scattering women and string bags.’ Perhaps she had never pondered sufficiently carefully how the imprecise character of words, their shadowy and evasive quality, had in fact made her the splendid writer that she was. Had she been able to lay hold of words of unequivocal meaning, much of her imaginative capacity, her literary talent, would be likely to have been stifled.

One of my daughters emailed me recently. She extolled, in her email, the marvels of Google. Her two sons now rely on it. It answers all their questions. It has replaced, she said, what teachers used to do. I needed gently to correct her. Teachers fail in their primary role if they see themselves only as sources of supposedly correct information. Genuine teachers know that you can never know unambiguously. As Socrates made the point, you are educated when you know that you know nothing. Good teachers throw back questions at those who pose them. They participate in seeking fuller, but necessarily obscure, explanations.

On a recent bushwalk I became aware of what an apt metaphor eucalypts provide. The trees lose their leaves. But never completely so. The light with which you walk under them is thus always filtered. The trees make clear to you that the path you follow is, at one and the same time, illumined and obscured. The trees invite one to a more diffident kind of stepping.

One of the great tragedies of our times, so it seems to me, is the way, under the influence of our significant scientific and technological developments, we have lost much of the sense of wonder, mystery, ineffability in the world about us. Educating has become largely a matter of achieving predetermined objectives. The prosperity of our nation is being judged by measureable, material standards. We are losing, in other words, one of the intrinsic attributes of being human. It is not what you might have, but what you are, that counts. Worthwhile individuals don’t know all the answers. They permit the silence to speak. They walk warily the paths they tread.

My great dream for IGS has always been that, in its emphasis on language and music, the School would help develop more refined types of knowing� We would become aware that the more closely truth is approached, the more silence is demanded� ‘[Clever people]’, said Patrick White, ‘bleach the meaning out of words’� IGS’s aim should be, not to produce clever people, but those who, as a result of the seriousness with which language learning is approached, have been so imbued with the sense of the inherent wonder and mystery of life, that they have become much humbler, much wiser� Persons of real worth, so it has seemed to me, have been distinguished by the quality of their daily journeying, their readiness to find meaning in the common or garden, rather than in any supposed ultimate grand arrival�

Dr David WrightIGS Principal from 1994 to 2000

As Socrates made the point, you are educated when you know that you know nothing.

It is not what you might have, but what you are, that counts.

Dr Wright with former IGS Deputy Principal Mr Laurence�

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This year’s Graduation Dinner was held offsite for the first time at Dockside Darling Harbour� We were so pleased to welcome back Joe Glover (Class of 2010) as our guest speaker on the night!

Year 12 Graduation Dinner

My name is Joe and I graduated

at IGS in 2010. I hope that IGS

hasn’t changed much in the past

five years. I hope that you still

hear the word "rorter" being

shouted down the corridor by

Mr Galea, Mr Dennehy is still

baffled as to why anyone would

suggest New Zealand was not the

greatest country in the world and

that Mr Miller still looks the same

as he did in his 1980 staff photo.

Don’t worry too much about the HSC, It’ll be over before you know it and whatever mark you end up with is not the be all and end all – there are so many ways to end up studying [or doing] what you want . And try not to forget about IGS … I think it’s important to remember how different this school is, and appreciate it.

After Year 12, I went straight into an

Architecture degree at Sydney

University, where I met a motley

crew and weird and great people

who are now my friends, had many

sleepless nights frantically model

making or shouting at a printer

malfunction a few hours before a

presentation and long lazy

afternoons at The Rose discussing

“architecture” ...

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InternationalGrammar School

Into the WorldStrategic Plan 2016-2020Explore our plans for the future

ONLINE PUBLICATIONSNew publications are available to read on the IGS website� Check them out now!

Read our school's new

Strategic Plan, Into the World:

http://issuu.com/

internationalgrammarschool/

docs/igsstrategicplan2016-2020

Read IGS iNK, the professional journal of the International Grammar School: http://issuu.com/internationalgrammarschool/docs/igs_ink_volume_1_2015/1Jigsaw is going 'green'!In response to a recent community survey and in the spirit of sustainability, the next edition of Jigsaw will be 100% digital and online!

facebook.com/igssyd

We reached 1,000 likes last term, and rising! Thank you everyone!

We're on LinkedIn too

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