Whole School News

From the School Councillor

Reflections and Dispatches from Sheryl Moncur in WB23… 

Tuesday of Week Eleven is my last day of employment at Great Southern Grammar after almost 25 years; this day also marks the end of nearly 50 years’ service in education. As I reflect on my long career, so many memories burst into my mind. Today I feel really happy and nourished by my career which has been more of a vocation, and I am so very grateful for the thousands of interactions and encounters over the decades with young people, their families and cherished colleagues, from regional/remote and urban, privileged and struggling, private and government schools in Brisbane, Kalgoorlie, Wickham, Karratha, Perth, and here in Albany.  

So, I have devised a fabulous retirement plan: to run my own business, to hike at least once per week, to continue gym cycling classes, to dive into more books, to indulge my culinary skills and to dine on galaxies when existential fear intrudes.  

To clarify: this is from antidotes to fear of death by Rebecca Elson  

Sometimes as an antidote 

To fear of death, 

I eat the stars. 

Those nights, lying on my back,  

I suck them from the quenching dark 

Til they are all, all inside me, 

Pepper hot and sharp.  

Firstly Gratitude 

I am so grateful to be ageing – and can look down the corridor of five decades in a profession which has seen me evolve, stumble, surge and embrace so many challenges, and to live in a safe and mostly well-serviced place of beauty. I am very aware of my privilege.  

The relational aspect of teaching and counselling has sustained, intrigued and nurtured me from one educational system and location to the next. There are many colleagues who become firm friends and encouragers in our profession, and of course upon reflection, there are those key students who have taught us some of our most transformative and humbling life lessons.

Friends and Encouragers 

It is fitting that today I thank some people specifically: 

I thank Karen, Di, Emma P and Mary-Lou who always have a few caring minutes to spare, as do Loren, Lisa and Elizabeth, as well as Penny S, Grant, Paul, Katie, Tone and so many others of you, who spark serotonin and dopamine and make me happy. Thank you for checking in on me…regularly. Rodney Marsh and Mark Bonnin also were key supportive people whose company, wisdom and genuine humanity I relished.  

Thank you Christina Hitchcock and Claire St Jack (in her absence) for your warm and caring professionalism in arranging and escorting students for their appointments, often in inclement weather, and for your careful overseeing of my calendar these many years. And also, to Grace, Susi, Sam and Christen – I’m very grateful for your immediate assistance in tracking students and in finding data faster than me. 

To Belinda, you are a gracious and effective gatekeeper of GSG principals – I’m appreciative of your triaging skills, support and access to the boss whenever I needed it.  

And to Julia, Bek and Fran who midwife my Anchor articles so smoothly and with enormous patience. Your impact is profound.  

Thank you to Vicki Weinert for your attention to detail in your impeccable care and maintenance of the Watami Building, and in particular WB 23. You are a goddess and we are so lucky to have you. 

My gratitude is also extended to the facilities team who over the more recent years have helped, with kindness and impeccable timing, move and set up pieces in the space which is WB 23. 

Furthermore, you may know that I’m a foodie with a savoury tooth, and I am very sincere in my grateful acknowledgement of Nick, Jess and your team from Catering. Over the years when I’ve held training courses here, and you’ve catered, your food has made such a positive impact on the learning. And…for each Thursday when your delicious food brings us together as colleagues, I thank you. 

I wish to also pay my respects to the Finance team who have patiently helped me with the budgetary items… and any salary questions. In particular Mary, Amanda and Meagan, and of late, Matt and Pearl, and of course Toni – I’m grateful for your support. 

The IT crowd – what a godsend you are. To Kieran and your amazing team of Ilja, Nathan and Liam – for your forbearance and assistance I will be eternally grateful.  

I wish to thank sincerely Mat Irving for supporting my departure with compassion and understanding. A more hardworking principal would be hard to find – Mat thank you and please take care of yourself, your team and your incredible staff, and remember we are vessels of finite resource – as you juggernaut our way to towards the 2030's and beyond – please remember the precious cargo you are conveying in this trajectory.  

I am proud to be a member of GSG staff; I marvel at the capacity and passion of many of my colleagues, especially those of you who demonstrate that the power of relationships extends beyond student-teacher dynamics; you who interact with students in an authentic, human to human “I see you, and I believe in you” connection, and reinforce those words by consistent support and high expectations, can offer lifechanging opportunities for so many young people. It is through relationships that everyone who works in schools has the power to rewrite a student’s story – to help them see not just what they are, but who they can become. 

So, it is with a full, trembling heart that this volume in my life’s anthology ends, and it is with clear eyed (maybe not so clear eyed) hope, that I will commence the next chapter in the very near future. I intend to nurture myself and work on cultivating “soul-itude” and creativity, while celebrating autumnal years with my wonderful husband Graham as we proceed to “eat the stars” together.  

In Julia Donaldson’s words – this will be me… I’m ready to write the next chapter. 

I opened a book and in I strode Now nobody can find me. I’ve left my chair, my house, my road, My town and my world behind me. 

I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring, I’ve swallowed the magic potion. I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king And dived in a bottomless ocean. 

I opened a book and made some friends. I shared their tears and laughter And followed their road with its bumps and bends To the happily ever after…or not. 

I finished my book and out I came. The cloak can no longer hide me. My chair and my house are just the same, But I have a book inside me. 

And for those interested: Career Path  

I’m so privileged to have worked across states and across education systems: Queensland and WA Govt Ed Dept urban and remote schools, Catholic Ed in regional and urban settings, and Independent Private school here in Albany.  

My career began in 1978 (the year which heralded gendered salary parity for teachers in Queensland) at Wynnum North State High school in bayside Brisbane, which was a Government posting, as part of the university teaching degree scholarship deal. I always wanted to be a school teacher and as my greediest preoccupation and fascination was reading, I brought my dreams alive by becoming an English teacher, with minors in French and Geography. I knew this school very well, as WNSHS was my high school – perhaps someone in the Qld education department had a warped, karma-ish sense of humour. I taught English, French and Geography over three busy and challenging years at that school which took a while to feel comfortable collegially, after being an agent provocateur as a student in the early 70’s. Karma indeed.  

So, my teaching journey had ignited. I then decided to travel west with a friend and pitched up in Kalgoorlie in the early 80’s at Prendiville College, and its neighbouring school CBC, continuing my profession as both English and Drama teacher. This was my first authentic experience in Catholic Education, and as a non-Catholic, I felt held and supported in what was a strange and intriguing context. I had a yearning by the mid 80’s to experience life in Perth and was very fortunate to be employed at St Norbert College which opened my world to the rewarding and creative scope that middle management Pastoral leadership can offer – being one of the five inaugural Heads of House (again a non-Catholic in a Catholic world) in my mid-twenties was a very steep learning curve. The late Mr Des O’Sullivan principal of SNC (and my employer) is memorable as a man of compassion, grace and inclusivity.  

The Pilbara beckoned in the late 80’s and as Head of English at Wickham DHS, my profession continued to offer valuable learning opportunities, not the least of which was how diametrically offset groups of people from contrasting socio-geo-economic-cultural contexts need equitable resources: the Roebourne children were bussed into Wickham every day to be educated alongside the children of the more privileged Robe River Mining Company employees. This dual class system (literally have-nots and haves) opened my eyes in visceral and vicissitudinous ways to “country”, “privilege and marginalisation”, “stolen generations”, “intergenerational trauma” and similar.  

Another Catholic School was on the horizon and I enjoyed my time at St Luke’s College Karratha as inaugural Head of English, Drama and Languages, where I got my first taste of the phenomenon of Country week … and my HR license as we staff (two of us) drove the students from Karratha to Perth, and back of course, in recommissioned bone-shaker buses (ex-MTT). Those journeys were never not arduous, onerous, strenuous and incredibly fulfilling.  

The 1990’s were my heady Christ Church Grammar School years – deliriously nourishing, challenging and exacting. I loved that decade as English and Literature teacher and always felt supported and encouraged by another memorable employer, Mr Jeremy Madin, a man of integrity and vision and epitomized the adage that to lead is to serve. I am proud to have held positions of Head of House and Director of Debating and Public Speaking, as well as Basketball and Hurdles coach at CCGS.  

GSG is a workplace that I have loved and which has also nourished and challenged me since 2002. I joined GSG with Penny Simpson, Gary Fullarton, Fiona Gouldthorp and others who left years ago. I was employed here to lead the English Dept and to share-helm the Senior School. I have since held positions of Dean of Pastoral Care, Acting Deputy Principal, Head of Michaelmas Boarding House 2010-11(Co-ed Senior), Counsellor (after completing a Masters in Counselling) and Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Some of my fondest moments date back to the early, village spirited days when GSG English students received TEE awards and notable mentions; when twice the Year Ten students made it to the semi-finals of It’s Academic; working with 20 families organizing and fundraising for the first international trip to Europe in 2005, establishing a Staff Hiking Club, a Book Club and Humans of GSG.  

To end: 

On Monday at Assembly, Mat kindly offered to the students some heartfelt words from me which I will reiterate here and will finish this wordy (sorry) piece. 

"my motivation over the five decades in education and counselling support of young people and their families has always been fuelled by my profound and constant belief in each child and adolescent whom I have been privileged to encounter; that you each truly matter as individuals of enormous potential in our giant family of humanity; each of you possess unique and intrinsic worth and agency to shape your world… 

Ms Sheryl Moncur | School Councillor

Evacuation drill

Luckily, we were blessed with sunshine for our evacuation drill on Wednesday and it was great to see our students and staff moving quickly into their allocated places and roles.  Whilst it might seem like a relatively straightforward exercise to ask everyone to 'leave the building' there are lots of moving parts to make sure we are safe if and when a real emergency occurs.  We had our Facilities team members on each entrance to the school stopping traffic, teachers and business team checking rooms all over campus to ensure everyone had left safely and our Administration team checking staff are accounted for.  

There were Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, building plans, evacuation cards, updated rolls, visitor checklists and more all tested during our drill.   And, our Head of Business Operations, Mr Matt Bird, on his first outing as Communications Officer.  He passed his first test with flying colours!  We are grateful to all our staff and students for making our evacuation drill run smoothly and we are looking forward to our debrief to ensure our processes are always improving. 

Mrs Emma Franklin | Deputy Principal - Head of Learning and Teaching