Edition 3, Term 1 2020
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EDITORIAL
It is not easy to measure culture or character. They are concepts that are referred to repeatedly in society and used to judge people and organisations, particularly at times of great success or failure. It has been interesting for me to consider the culture and character of Trinity since arriving, and it has been an observation that I have been able to make through many lenses. Last week’s Dawn to Dusk fundraiser, organised by our student leaders to raise money for the bushfires, was a vivid example of the sense of community that is so palpable at Trinity. It was also a literal test of stamina, as we kept the treadmills, rowing machines and bikes in action throughout the event. School Captain Jack Stewart and his team that put the event together can be very satisfied. I am proud to announce that we raised $60,000 to assist recovery efforts. It was a great effort and a great day.
There have also been many opportunities for me to talk to parents in the last few weeks, with information nights, swimming carnivals, sport aplenty at Bulleen and beyond, a stunning Year Seven Induction service at St Paul’s Cathedral and my own commissioning there last week. I have been most grateful for the opportunity to meet with many parents and to start to hear the very many stories of Trinity from their perspectives.
I have also met with some defined Trinity groups over the last week. The OTGA, the Parents Association and Senior School Parent Reps meetings were all occasions for me and our new Director of Business, Mark Glover, to get a sense of pressing and future matters, and a chance to speak to some of our early understandings of Trinity through “fresh eyes”.
Unsurprisingly, the media attention around St Kevin’s and the five weeks that Peter Kehoe was employed at Trinity in 2014 was discussed at these forums. It was good to be able to clarify that Peter Kehoe was not at Trinity at the same time as the brave young St Kevin’s man who spoke out and spent some time at Trinity in 2015 as the legal process against Kehoe was underway. I continue to speak with teachers, families and old boys from that time and while some have reported misgivings about Kehoe’s manner, behaviour and approach to coaching, we do not have any reports of abuse pertaining to his time at Trinity.
When deciding to come to Trinity, I did so with the knowledge that the School has had some very sad parts to its history. I met a School Council thoroughly determined to acknowledge a failure to care in the past and a strong commitment to support survivors of historical child sex abuse in whatever way possible. I have now seen that commitment in person and am confident that the integrity I was attracted to is playing out in practice.
Our students, in 2020, need to be safe, challenged and happy in their school environment and beyond. As I meet with groups of students, I am in the process of reiterating that if they are ever uncomfortable or concerned about an individual’s actions, they should come forward, with the understanding that they will be believed, they will be supported and we will act in their best interests. The adults in our environment are called to look after our young people and to keep them safe.
My early observations of the culture and character of our school community are very warming. I am enjoying getting to know our young people and their families, the adults that work with them and those that used to wear the green and gold uniform. I am enjoying the music, the sport, the busyness and the challenge. If I have not already done so, I look forward to meeting you in the days and weeks to come.
Adrian Farrer
Principal
JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS
First term is in full swing for our community and the boys are enjoying the many events and opportunities on offer. At their Induction Ceremony, our Year 6 boys celebrated their new positions of responsibility with their families and the school community. They have also been building their leadership capacity through Project Rocket.
All boys have been having a splash in the pool with back-to-back weekends of AGSV Swimming Carnivals at Trinity and Camberwell Grammar. Last Friday, we held our own Year 3 to Year 6 Swimming Carnival. House Spirit was at an all-time high as boys aimed to beat their personal best times. We are looking forward to our Prep to Year 2 Swimming Display this Friday.
We wish our students in Year 4 to Year 6 a safe and enjoyable camp experience in Week 6 as they head to Foster (Camp Rumbug), Waratah Bay and Portsea (The Portsea Camp).
Many thanks to all parents and guardians who attended the Parent-Teacher Interviews on 17 and 18 February. We value our home-school connections immensely and look forward to more opportunities to develop these relationships over the course of the year.
Emily MacLean
Deputy Head of Junior School (Innovation & School Excellence)
Code Camp Term 1 Holidays
Code Camp will again be offering their program at Trinity Grammar School during the holidays (6-8 April). Early-bird pricing begins Wednesday 26 February. Please click here for more information.
SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS
Bushfire Fundraiser
Congratulations to the students, staff, Old Boys and parents who participated in the Bushfire Fundraiser last Sunday. Thank you to all who donated – I am thrilled to report that the boys raised $60,000 to go to Victorian Bushfire Relief and Wildlife Victoria. This event was an initiative from our School Captain, Jack Stewart, who was ably assisted by many Year 12 boys. He would particularly like to thank NOVAFIT for the use of their treadmills and Chris Metaxas’ gym (Listen to your Body) on Camberwell Road for their equipment. Mauro Bros Butchers and Glenroy Bakery gave great support as did Bob Stewart. Well done to the boys for an outstanding day!
Lions Club Boroondara – Youth of the Year
Will Browning (Year 12) was acknowledged as the Lions Club Boroondara Youth of the Year after a process of gruelling interviews, as well as prepared and impromptu speeches. Well done to Will who will now progress to the next round of the competition.
Music Camp
The Music School hosted a Music Camp for the Symphony Orchestra, Senior String Orchestra and Symphonic Wind from Saturday 15 February to Sunday 16 February. It was terrific to have the time for the groups to rehearse. Most of the boys also joined in the Bushfire Fundraiser after rehearsals on the Sunday.
Please note the 2020 House Performing Arts Festival is on Thursday 12 March.
Sport
There is only one round of summer sport to go, except for possible finals in cricket/tennis/basketball. Congratulations and well done to those teams who have been able to play, but there has also been some disappointment due to washed-out games in the last couple of weeks. Good luck to all teams for this week; in particular, for those who are heading into finals. Firsts Basketball played an exciting draw against Marcellin last Friday and the First XI are still undefeated (a couple of washouts). The rowers (Senior Four) had a podium finish last week.
The Senior Table Tennis team will play their Grand Final this weekend.
Congratulations and good luck to Sam Rusjan (Year 10), Ben Allen (Year 12) and Liam Henderson (Year 11), who have been selected for the Victorian U18 Men’s Hockey team which will play in Tasmania.
Year 7 Induction
All the Year 7 boys were inducted into the Senior School at St Paul’s Cathedral last Thursday. It was a special moment when each class was presented to the congregation. Well done to the Year 7 Form Teachers and Heads of Year for organising this memorable event.
Portable classrooms for Year 8
As you may be aware, the renovation of the Senior School cafeteria has reduced classroom space and access to the lower floor of the Shann Building. Overall, we will gain a much larger cafeteria, but lose a classroom and a staff office. With the Cotham Road site now only rarely used for classes, we have needed to provide extra learning spaces for the boys. The additional portable classrooms on the basketball courts provide excellent – in many cases preferred – teaching spaces. They also relieve crowding around the lockers adjacent to the Science building. The Year 8 boys have access to their HoY, Mr Daley, and their Form room, easy to access lockers and the basketball courts. While it is slightly further for them to walk to the Tudor Centre and cafeteria, the boys seem to be enjoying the benefits of the portables.
Senior School Play
Trinity Grammar School and Ruyton Girls’ School present the 2020 Senior School Play, Lord of the Flies, adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams from the novel by William Golding, published and licensed from Faber & Faber Ltd. This is the classic tale of a group of English school students who are left stranded on an unpopulated island, and who must confront not only the defects of their society but the defects of their own natures. Performances will be held in the P&F Hall at Trinity.
Performance Dates and Times:
- Thursday 19 March, 7.00pm
- Friday 20 March, 7.00pm
- Saturday 21 March, 2.00pm and 7.00pm
For more information and to book tickets, please click here.
Host Families sought for German Exchange Students
For over 20 years, Trinity has enjoyed an exchange partnership with Das Marianum in Fulda, Germany. Every second year, a cultural and language student exchange takes place between the two schools. On Wednesday 15 April, the last day of the Easter holidays, 12 Marianum students, male and female, will arrive in Melbourne. They depart two weeks later on Tuesday 28 April.
In order to participate, students must apply and undertake a selection process. In the past, students have been bright, polite, and with good levels of English, but most importantly they have always been eager and excited to experience school and family life in Australia.
In the September holidays, subject to numbers, students of German in Years 9 to 11 will be offered the opportunity to participate in a three-week study tour of Germany, including five days in Berlin, two weeks in Fulda attending Das Marianum, and two days in Munich.
Should you be interested and able to assist with hosting the students and staff from Germany, kindly contact Meindert Smid, German Teacher.
MUSIC NEWS
Music Lessons
Any students interested in learning a musical instrument should complete an application form. Please click here to download the form. Once completed, please email music@trinity.vic.edu.au or deliver the hard copy to the Music Office.
Trinity Friends of Music (TFOM)
TFOM seeks donations of bottles of wine/sparkling for our forthcoming House Performing Arts Festival Raffle to be held on Thursday 12 March at Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Please drop any items at the Music Office by Monday 2 March.
Afternoon Music Recitals
Students are warmly invited to perform in 2020 Afternoon Music Recitals. Term 1 Recitals will be held on Thursday 27 February (Week 5) and Tuesday 17 March (Week 8) from 3.30pm – 4.00pm in Room CY4 of the Music Department. Siegfried Franke will be available to accompany students at the recital and rehearse with performers during lunchtime that day. Interested participants should contact Therese McCoppin to register their interest.
Free Theory Classes or AMEB/VCE Aural Classes
Siegfried Franke will run the above free classes for any interested students. Wednesdays Day 3: Theory in CY3. Wednesdays Day 8: AMEB/VCE Aural in CY3. These classes run from 7.25am – 7.55am
Music Tour to Italy, 2020
Places are still available for the Music Tour to Italy (Term 3 holidays). Students currently in Years 8 – 11 are invited to perform and traverse this most beautiful and historical country! Please contact the Music School for more information.
CHAPLAIN’S CHAT
The season of Lent is fast approaching and here in the Junior School, the Shrove Tuesday treat of pancakes for the Prep to Year 2 students is eagerly anticipated. Pancakes were traditionally made to use up the eggs and fats in the household before the season of Lent and its fasting began.
So why do we fast at Lent?
Definitely not to show off how pious we are; Jesus specifically teaches against making a big show of fasting. It’s also not for our own vanity. Diets that involve fasting have become increasingly popular these days (5:2 anyone?), but both of these reasons are a long way from the true purpose of fasting, which is to come before God with humble and contrite hearts. It is a time of repentance and reflection when we might give something up in order to focus our minds on God. If giving something up isn’t for you, it can be fruitful to take something up instead. Some people adopt a new prayer practice, do some spiritual reading, or volunteer their time for others.
Above all, Lent is a time of preparation, when we wait expectantly to celebrate Christ’s resurrection at Easter.
Cecilia Fairlie
Junior School Chaplain
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Call for Volunteers – Friends of Drama
Friends of Drama (FODAT) supports the School’s Drama Department by assisting with the organisation of the Middle School and Senior School Plays, and also the Trinity-Ruyton Musical. FODAT helps with costuming, make-up and hair, prop and set construction, ticket sales, and front-of-house hospitality. If you can spare a few hours each term, we are looking for volunteers to assist with this committee.
Please contact Bonnie Brown in Hudson House on 9851 9558 to register your interest.
Call for Volunteers – Cafeteria
The Trinity Cafeteria loves the assistance of volunteers to serve food to students and staff on school days. Parents or grandparents are invited to volunteer one morning per term (approx. 9.30am – 1.30pm).
All food is supplied and prepared by the School’s catering provider – and in Term 2 our exciting new Café will be launched. If you would like to be a part of this committee, we are looking for volunteers and also a co-convenor for this committee.
Please contact Bonnie Brown in Hudson House on 9851 9558 to register your interest.
Trinity Shop – Volunteers required!
If you can spare a few hours each term, we are always looking for volunteers to assist with the Swap Shop in Semester One.
Please contact Bonnie Brown in Hudson House on 9851 9558 to register your interest.
| Date | Pricing | Sales |
| Thursday 27 February
2-4pm |
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| Thursday 12 March
2-4pm |
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Open Day Sausage Sizzle – Volunteers required!
We’re looking for volunteers to assist with the sausage sizzle on Open Day, Saturday 21 March. If you can spare some time between 10.30am and 1.00pm, please click here to sign up.
Community Relations Calendar
Monday 2 March, 8.15am
Year 5 Parents Morning Tea, Front Garden, Hudson House
Friday 6 March, from 8:00am
Year 7 Coffee Morning
Location: Now & Then 204 High St Kew
Saturday 23 May
Trinity Ball 2020, Park Hyatt Hotel