PLC SYDNEY ANNUAL MAGAZINE ISSUE 9: WINTER 2013

ISSUE 9 WINTER 2013125 Year Anniversary Special Edition

PLC Sydney acknowledges the Wangal people, of the Dharug dialect, on whose land the College resides, and pays respect to Elders both past and present.

Connect is printed on a 100% recycled paper stock that is accredited to Forestry Stewardship Commission

standards which means best practices have been employed in the manufacturing. The paper stock is manufactured with a net zero climate impact and without harmful chlorine gases.

Editor Mrs Nicole Paull

Photographers Mrs Nadia Young, Mr Keith Saunders, Mr Andrew Paxton, Mrs Nicole Paull, Mr Phil Brewer.

Jean was born in 1914 in the Upper Hunter Valley village of Blandford. Both her parents were from the Hunter district and her father was the village blacksmith. In 1927 the family was living in Summer Hill when John Devine, Jean’s father, died.

Her time at PLC Sydney was brief. She enrolled at the College in 1929, but by the end of that year the family moved back to the Hunter and in 1930 both Jean and her younger sister Betty were being educated at Maitland High School. One might reasonably speculate that the stock market crash of 1929 and difficult economic times prompted the return to familiar surroundings.

Jean’s name is not recorded in the Aurora Australis or in the Speech Day program for 1929. Indeed, if one of her nephews had not donated her hand-coloured photograph, a receipt for school fees and a music concert program to the Archives in 2001, we might have known nothing of her.

WRITTEN BY MS DEBBY CRAMER ARCHIVIST

WHO WAS JEAN DEVINE?The picture of the photogenic Jean Devine serves as the “face” for promoting our 125 year anniversary celebrations. Few could resist being captivated by this lovely young woman in her Black Watch tartan tunic and white Panama hat, exuding both a classic beauty and a look unmistakably from the 1920s. But who was Jean Devine?

Jean became a journalist after school and by 1939 was writing the social column of the Melbourne Age newspaper. She married a RAAF pilot during World War II, Robert Ogden, and they had one son. They separated and divorced in the mid-1950s but Jean continued her journalism career until ill-health caused her early retirement in the mid-1960s. She died in 1970.

According to her nephew, John Phippen, Jean was the “consummate journalist and any breaches of syntax or spelling resulted in a robust rebuke to the offender if in earshot, or a diatribe about the falling standards if she read it in a newspaper”.

Jean Devine is one of thousands of young women who have walked through our school gates for a period of time in her life. Yet each in her way, great or small, has left something of herself here and has taken with her a foundation of College values to help her “make the world a better place, and life a worthier thing.”

1 Who was Jean Devine?

2 From the Principal

3 125 Year Anniversary and Brooch Commemoration Assembly

3 125 Year Anniversary Ball

4 PLC Sydney Collection Exhibition

4 Carlton Cup Theatresports Extraordinaire

5 ‘Vivid’ Style Lighting Display

7 125 Years Story of Sport and Gymnastics Display

8 Expanding Horizons International Concert

9 125 Years of Music Concert

10 125 Year Anniversary Open Day and Fair

PLC Sydney acknowledges the generous donations and biographical information from Andrew and John Phippen, Jean Devine's nephews.

PLC SYDNEY CONNECT 125 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION1

Dr Paul Burgis Executive Principal

When the Evandale students were introduced to the idea of the 125 Year Anniversary by their teachers, they were told that we are celebrating PLC Sydney's birthday. This anecdote symbolises the joy that we hope our celebrations sparked in our community. Learning contains both an intellectual challenge and an emotional expression.

When I think of all of the girls and young women who have walked through the green gates over 125 years, when I consider the hours of teaching and co-curricular activities, I, like many of the teaching staff, feel humbled to be part of such an adventure.

Of course it is learning itself that is the adventure. I don't understand why some moments in time stay with us as memories whilst others are so ephemeral, but I do know that many of us form our identities from a series of moments and conversations whilst we are at school. We think and feel. We collect a series of significant memories and build our future selves upon them. In our engagements inside and outside the classroom, we form beliefs and develop values. Similarly, we learn to appreciate some aesthetic qualities whilst setting others aside. In this edition of Connect we are reflecting upon the positive impact that school days can have on individuals. We are noting our recent celebratory responses of light and music and laughter. In summary, this issue of Connect seeks to celebrate our anniversary year with joie de 'vivre.

One of the main tasks of the educator is to seek to build learning virtues in students. These include curiosity, tenacity, honesty and

respect. The light show we depicted onto the facade of College Hall sought to reflect these virtues back to our community. Thus, in the image of the library we were respecting knowledge and encouraging the curiosity of the reader. In our Sports image we celebrated the excellence that results from tenacity.

It was a great thrill to join together as a community and to watch the fireworks and College Hall images together. They sought to mirror life at PLC Sydney. This magazine records this for future generations.

Effective learning is both cognitive and affective. As you read these stories I hope you can see how much we believe this at PLC Sydney.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

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125 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND BROOCH COMMEMORATION ASSEMBLYTHURSDAY 31 JANUARY

PLC SYDNEY 125 YEAR ANNIVERSARY BALLSATURDAY 23 FEBRUARY

On 31 January, students and staff from PLC Sydney together with invited guests, made their way to Thompson Hall for the first assembly of 2013 – the year of celebrating the College’s 125 years of education excellence and community.

Dr Burgis addressed the assembly and formally recognised PLC Sydney’s proud history as a vibrant, accomplished and confident community.

Special highlights of the assembly included the pinning of the 125 Year Anniversary brooches, the introduction of Liz Wong’s illustration of mother and daughter that is incorporated into the 125 Year Anniversary logo and a wonderful cello performance by 2010 graduate, Miss Anneliese McGee-Collett.

On a wet and windy February evening, more than 200 guests, entertainers and musicians made their way north to Luna Park on the occasion of the 125 Year Anniversary Ball.

Not only a wonderful night of dinner and dancing, a surprise performance re-enacting the opening of PLC Sydney at Croydon 125 years ago set the scene for an evening of fun and frivolity.

The PLC Sydney Big Band drew the guests to the dance floor with three exceptional musical presentations ranging from concert ballads to Swing, Funk, Latin and Rock and Roll. As the band wound down, magician and internationally acclaimed entertainer, Matt Hollywood kept up the pace with an outrageously funny show featuring a limited amount of magic and a substantial measure of mischievous comedy.

A delightful evening was had by all and the Ball was a great start to the 125 Year Anniversary celebrations.

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PLC SYDNEY COLLECTION EXHIBITIONTUESDAY 7 MAY

Bringing together a selection of the College’s most notable works on paper, paintings and photomedia artworks, the PLC Sydney Collection Exhibition was a celebration of 125 years of Visual Arts education as well as marking 10 years of exhibitions at the Adelaide Perry Gallery.

Officially opened by Ms Fenella Kernebone, ABC Radio National presenter and former student, the exhibition displayed works including commissions and acquisitions made by the College, donated artworks and student works. Ms Kernebone reflected on her experiences as a student at PLC Sydney and spoke about the enduring value of art in enriching College life.

A PLC Sydney Collection catalogue with an introduction by art critic John McDonald is available from the Adelaide Perry Gallery.

The annual Carlton Cup is a highlight of the College calendar and the competition between the PLC Sydney girls and the Newington boys is always fierce.

This year the boys from The Scots College joined in our 125 Year Anniversary celebrations and made a grab for theatresports glory.

The night was full of fun, great drama and much laughter. Traditional rivals PLC Sydney and Newington played valiantly and enthusiastically but it was the newcomers from Scots who walked away with the Carlton Cup!

CARLTON CUP THEATRESPORTS EXTRAORDINAIRETUESDAY 7 MAY

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‘VIVID’ STYLE LIGHTING DISPLAYTUESDAY 7 MAY – SATURDAY 11 MAY

In recognition of 125 years of education excellence, the Boarding House and College Hall were lit up during our week of celebrations in May with a ‘Vivid’ style lighting display to highlight seven themes.

PLC SYDNEY CONNECT 125 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION5

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1. PLC Sydney Celebrates 125 Years: Featuring former student Jean Devine and our Anniversary symbol, this image highlighted the long and proud history of our College.

2. PLC Sydney as a Presbyterian School: This image displayed the red school cross surrounded by the black watch tartan, indicating our Scottish Presbyterian heritage. It also included the open Bible and the words “For God so loved the world…” from John 3, indicating our Christian basis and hope. The images of the students came from the Service Learning program with orphanages in Vietnam.

3. Every Child Matters at PLC Sydney: The image of ‘a thousand panama hats’ highlights that PLC Sydney is our school: we each belong here.

4. PLC Sydney Strives for Excellence in Learning: The image of the library of books, the titles of which are drawn from all of the subjects we teach, indicates the breadth of our curriculum and the importance to us of reading, asking questions and thinking.

5. PLC Sydney Junior School: The lively self-portraits, painted by our Reception students, represent the fun and life of the Junior School. The bright colours indicate the joy of learning and celebrate the creative spirit.

6. PLC Sydney Celebrates and Excels in Sport and Fitness: The image of our athletes shows young women who have either attended PLC Sydney in recent years or are currently at the school, who have represented Australia in their chosen sport.

7. PLC Sydney Values and Excels in The Arts and Design: This series of shots of recent musical, artistic and dramatic performances and student creations signifies the important role of creativity.

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125 YEARS STORY OF SPORT AND

GYMNASTICS DISPLAYWEDNESDAY 8 MAY

PLC Sydney celebrated 125 years of sporting achievement with an outstanding display of gymnastics know-how and skill. Thompson Hall came alive with the sparkle and vivid colours of the gymnast’s costumes and the sheer talent and enthusiasm of the girls.

The audience was impressed by the artistic and rhythmic performances with much oohing and ahhing over the performances by the younger girls. Ms Belinda Harden gave an emotional introduction to the 125 Years of Sport presentation and the Gladesville RSL Acrobatic Gymnastics Club wowed the crowd with their dynamic routine. A highlight of the evening was the special performance on the pommel horse by Prasanth Selletharai, a highly decorated member of the Australian Gymnastics team.

It was a wonderful evening demonstrating the strength and depth of the gymnastics program and the commitment to sporting endeavours at PLC Sydney.

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EXPANDING HORIZONS INTERNATIONAL CONCERTTHURSDAY 9 MAY

With extensive international exchange opportunities and a broad Service Learning program, PLC Sydney has a rich heritage as a global school.

Students and staff from Tianjin Nankai High School in China, Meitoku Gijuku High School in Japan and Gymnasium Im Schloss in Germany, joined with us to celebrate our 125 Year Anniversary at the Expanding Horizons International Concert.

A full house in the Audrey Keown Theatre witnessed a wonderful evening of dance and music by our international guests as well as PLC Sydney’s own Campanologists (bell ringers), Choristers and Pipe Band and Drums. The evening concluded with a spectacular rendition of Taiko/Kendo drumming that left the audience wanting more.

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125 YEARS OF MUSIC CONCERTFRIDAY 10 MAY

PLC Sydney has a proud tradition of exceptional music and the student’s musical performances feature throughout the year at events from assemblies and lunchtime recitals to Drama productions and the annual Open Day and Fair.

To celebrate 125 years of music at the College, the Music Faculty created an exceptional evening highlighting the amazingly talented performers at PLC Sydney.

The concert featured wonderful performances from the Senior Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Madrigal and Chamber Choirs, Big Band and Combined Strings who showcased music from the 19th to 21st centuries. The highlight of the evening was the piece ‘To the Palace of Light’, a specially commissioned work for the 125 Year Anniversary by the Australian composer Stephen Chin, so beautifully performed by the girls from Hamilton Strings and the Senior String orchestras.

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125 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OPEN DAY AND FAIRSATURDAY 11 MAY

PLC Sydney’s annual Open Day and Fair is the day the whole community comes together to celebrate and showcase the wonderful spirit at the College and raise funds for various school programs via the Parents and Friends’ Association.

In our 125th year, the Open Day and Fair was an incredible day filled with much fun, laughter and enjoyment for all, culminating in an evening extravaganza with fireworks.

In addition to the usual activities such as music performances, rides and entertainment, silent auction and College tours, this special Open Day and Fair featured a wacky science fair at Hamilton, kids carnival at Evandale, an under 13s disco in Thompson Hall and night markets with evening restaurants.

The large crowd was entertained in the evening by the PLC Sydney Big Band on the Sunken Lawn before a spectacular fireworks display provided a fitting finale to a special week of celebrations.

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