The College Courier

College News

Durack takes the win at 2024 Interhouse Athletics Carnival

Senior School students brought their all to the Interhouse Athletics Carnival on Thursday 15 August. Team spirit and healthy competition were in abundance as our six Houses competed in hurdles, long jump, discus, shot put, team games and running events.

 

Congratulations to our winning House, Durack, who won their first Athletics Carnival since 2000, and our Team Spirit winners, O'Connor!

Exploring the stunning landscapes of WA's north

At the beginning of Term 3, our Year 9 students embarked on their Outdoor Learning Program to Kalbarri. The week-long expedition saw students exploring the incredible landscapes of WA. The students journeyed through the Murchison River gorges, where they gained a deeper appreciation of the natural history of the region. The invigorating Bushwalking Expedition was an opportunity for them to develop essential outdoor skills while connecting with nature. 

 

One of the highlights of the trip was the iconic West Australian landmark Nature's Window, showcasing unique geological features and captivating views. The canyoning was a challenging experience for students as they navigated the rugged terrain. Throughout the week various team-building exercises were woven into the itinerary, fostering a sense of team spirit among the students which strengthened their bonds and enhanced their resilience. This expedition was not only an exploration of the natural world but also an opportunity for personal growth and reflection, leaving lasting memories and a new appreciation for the beauty of our state.

Visual Arts students bring wetlands to ife 

Year 9/10 Visual Arts students have been working with our artist-in-residence, Jacinda Bayne, as part of their Traditional Landscape Painting course this semester. Students have walked down to the beautiful Gabbiljee wetlands at the bottom of the College and worked with watercolours ‘en-plein air’ (French for ‘in the open air’). From their sketches and photographs, each student will develop a final oil painting of the wetlands. 

We can’t wait to see what they create!

Students Take Centre Stage at the Junior school Music Recital

Last week we held the Junior School Musical Recital in the College Chapel, showcasing the talents of some of our music students. The recital featured a range of musical performances, both instrumental and vocal. Parents, grandparents and friends filled the Chapel, creating a warm and supportive atmosphere for our students to perform in. Their outstanding effort and dedication were evident, reflecting the hard work and practice they invested leading up to the recital. Well done to all of our Junior School performers!

Contributing to a Greener Future: Adopt A Reserve & Sustainability Club

Macroinvertebrate Incursion

We commenced the term by welcoming SERCUL Education and Promotion Manager, Natasha Bowden, to teach us about macroinvertebrates. 

 

These tiny aquatic creatures are an integral part of the ecosystem and indicators of healthy water quality. Equipped with petri dishes, pipettes and microscopes, students had the opportunity to get close to these wonders of the watery world! 

 

Planting Season

With the rain and gradually warming soil, August means planting season and is one of our busiest times of the year. After many weeks of preparing the site by weeding and adding soil and mulch, native species funded by ASC's Restless Curiosity Program and supplied by APACE WA are being planted onto our adopted site in Gabbiljee Reserve. The Adopt a Reserve & Sustainability Club members would like to thank Friends of Gabbiljee and SERCUL for their ongoing support of this project. With species from last year’s planting now well established, we have the opportunity to appreciate the joy of ‘planting for tomorrow’ and look forward to helping our newly added plants thrive. 

 

Sustainability Club are keen supporters of the All Saints' College Annual Tree Planting event. Thankful for a window of fine weather during a weekend of heavy rains, some of our members joyfully joined with ASC community members to plant along the west side of the oval. Seeing the greening of our oval perimeter and benefits to our local native species over the last four years has been extremely rewarding. We would like to acknowledge and thank the Facilites and Grounds team for their organisation of this event. 

 

Athletics Carnival

Did you know that the actual Bull Creek runs through Gabbiljee Reserve, along the boundary of All Saints' College? This unique waterway, home of the Wadjuk Beelier tribe, has been heavily impacted by urbanisation in the local area over many decades. The creek connects to the Canning and Swan Rivers, so anything that happens in Gabbiljee has a flow-on effect that directly impacts these waterways. With the protection of these precious places in mind, Adopt a Reserve and Sustainability Club proudly supported the 2024 ASC Athletics Carnival through the ban on non-compostable glitter, feather boas, plastic streamers/ shakers and flimsy, plastic decorations. 

 

Choose One

Sometimes it is easy to feel overwhelmed when faced with a big challenge, such as tackling litter. However, every single person has the ability to be the change, and breaking these challenges into smaller parts can be a great way to start. As it is unlikely that you will be equipped for a 'full scale clean up' everywhere you go, why not make a promise to yourself to choose just one type of litter that you will collect? It could be plastic bread tags, plastic bottle tops, medication blister packs, drink cans, chip packets – anything! Imagine the positive impact if every person was to commit to collecting and responsibly disposing of even just one item. 

 

Collected Items

Adopt a Reserve and Sustainability Club collect the following items, and are thankful for your cleaned and dried contributions which can be dropped off at Nexus J or Nexus S: 

Interested in collecting your own items for specialist recycling programs? See TerraCycle,  Banish and Officeworks for more information. 

 

Adopt a Reserve & Sustainability Club 

Bridging Junior and Senior Schools through Languages Week

Languages Week provided a perfect opportunity to bring together students from our Junior and Senior schools in a celebration of language and culture.

 

Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed interacting with senior peers during lunchtime activities on The Common, and were given the privilege of ordering bubble tea and crêpes from on-campus vans. A highlight of the week was the collaboration between Year 4 and 5 students and Year 10 language students. The older students took the lead in organising and conducting workshops, where they shared their knowledge of Chinese and introduced the basics of French through fun and interactive games. The Year 10 students were delighted to impart their passion for languages, inspiring the younger students with their enthusiasm and knowledge.

 

Year 4 teacher Mrs Kristen Zaurs commented that the experience was truly engaging for her students: “My students loved learning another language, and they were practising with their peers into the afternoon. It is so good to have that JS and SS connection, and it was lovely to welcome back some of the students I had taught.”  

Multiple Medals for ASC Rowing Team at State Finals

Our rowing team showed incredible dedication and sportsmanship at the All Schools Rowing State Finals, delivering outstanding performances and bringing home several medals.

 

Gold in Year 9 Double Sculls

Alicia Garvey and Rosie Bennison took the gold medal in the Year 9 double sculls. They were head to head with another All Saints' pairing of Ella Smith and Hayley Walker, whom they beat by only 0.15 seconds. Ella, in her first season, and Hayley put up a tremendous fight and walked away with a well-deserved silver medal.

 

Gold in Year 9 Single Scull

Alicia Garvey also triumphed in the Year 9 single scull. Despite the windy conditions and a chaotic start, she managed to stay focused and composed. With 250 meters to go, she found another gear and surged ahead, leaving clear daylight between her and the competition as she crossed the finish line.

 

Competitive Quads and More Medals

The first event of the day saw four competitive quads, comprising Year 7s, 8s, and 9s. Unfortunately, equipment failure kept Year 9 quad Hayley, Connor Gee, Ella, and Ricky Qiu out of the final. Alicia and Rosie teamed up with Nishaan Sunner and Nithin Shivakumar to form another Year 9 quad, coxed by Zac Dallimore, which secured a silver medal.

 

Nishaan also took home a bronze medal in the hotly contested Year 9 single scull race, and teamed up with Nithin for a silver medal in a very fast Year 9 double sculls final. Despite tired legs from multiple heats and finals, the Year 9 boys’ final saw Nishaan, Nithin, Ricky and Aditya Patel, coxed by Leticia Avery, finish in a commendable fourth place.

 

Senior Squad Highlights

Our senior squad performed strongly, with a special mention for Lara Naylor Zambrano who battled her way down the 1000m Year 10 single scull course in only her second race in this event, managing the windy conditions admirably.

 

Farewell to Our Year 12s

This regatta was the last for our Year 12s, who once again provided our squad with great examples of camaraderie and leadership. Their presence and guidance have been invaluable, and they will be greatly missed.

 

Congratulations to all our rowers for their incredible achievements!

Special Praise for Guarneri Strings

Guarneri Strings received the top award (‘Outstanding’) in the String Orchestra Premier Division at the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association Senior Orchestra Festival. After dedicated rehearsals with their director Ms Emma Buss they performed the entirety of Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, part of which they will also perform at the Fusion Concert in Week 9. The adjudicators’ report included special praise for the ensemble performing repertoire of professional standard without a conductor. Congratulations to the musicians of Guarneri Strings for their hard work and high-level musicianship!