Jigsaw Semester 1 2012 - International Grammar School

Also
Inside…
Volume 16
Semester 1 2012
International Grammar School Magazine
First overseas music
tour—the Land of the
Long White Cloud p.2
Strategic Plan—Road Map to 2016 IGS live at the State Theatre Staff profile: Assistant
Principal—Academic Programs Familiar faces at 'After Care' Good causes: OASIS film comp
prize and Odd Sox Day HSC Celebration International sports reps Meet the Student leaders
+Centrefold! ADDaM Drama spotlight 30th anniversary book project IGS Connections
Exchange snapshots Harmony and Safety Arts Fest splash and more!!

Contents
From the Principal ....................................ii
IGS Strategic Plan ....................................1
IGS overseas band tour ...........................2
Staff profile—Jacqui Baker ......................4
Familiar faces for working families ...........5
Good Causes and Clubs .........................6
HSC celebration with global reach ..........7
Going sports international ........................8
Meet the Head Boy and Head Girl ...........9
Student leaders centrefold photo ............10
Introducing ADDaM ..................................12
The Book of Everything
(anniversary book) ...................................13
More music...............................................14
IGS connections .......................................15
Reflections on Exchange 2011–2012.......16
Drama spotlight and Building resilience ..18
In harmony with safety........................ ......19
Arts Fest times..........................................20
Cover: IGS overseas band tour.
4–8 Kelly Street, Ultimo NSW 2007
Phone: 61 2 9219 6700
Fax: 61 2 9211 2474
www.igssyd.nsw.edu.au
ABN 74 002 807 525
CRICOS Provider Code: 02281C
Jigsaw is a regular publication produced
by International Grammar School.
Editor: Rosemary Pryor
Road map to 2016
One of the exciting aspects of being
a school principal is planning, and
implementing, a strategy which will
see the school grow and improve.
The School Board and Leadership
Team spent a good deal of 2011
working on the School’s strategic
directions, and a new strategic plan to
replace the one which ended in 2011.
Like many organisations, schools
operate in ever-changing
environments; ones in which
'unknowns' can creep in at any time.
If we look at the last few years,
government initiatives such as Building
the Education Revolution and National
Curriculum have required schools to
respond in short time-frames to a
dynamic and, at times, volatile
educational landscape. The great
challenge is therefore to charter a
course which is true to the core values
and mandate of the School while
equally recognising that “we don’t
know what we don’t know” about
the future.
For this reason, our future planning has
been structured around a two-tiered
approach: a five-year Strategic Plan
(2012–2016) supported by a biennial
II
Operational Plan (2012–13). The
former sets the long-term vision while
the latter is the road map of how we
will get there.
The Strategic Plan 2012–2016 was
ratified by the School Board at the end
of 2011, and presented to the school
community for the first time at the
PTF’s Annual General Meeting in
March. I am delighted to share it with
you in this issue of Jigsaw. See page
opposite.
For the reasons cited above, the
fourteen goals in the Strategic Plan are
quite broad, and intentionally so. What
do these look like on the ground? The
following is a snapshot of some of our
Operational Plan actions which will
support the realisation of our Strategic
Plan over the next two years.
It is an ambitious but exciting agenda
for the School; one which I look
forward to implementing with the
School Board, Leadership Team and
the wider School community.
Michael Maniska
Principal
Strategic Goal Operational Plan Action
To be a lighthouse school for student
well-being
To provide a dynamic and rigorous
curriculum and pedagogy which embrace
intercultural understanding and promote
personal achievement
To connect effectively with past, present
and future members of our school
community
Implement a new Memorandum of
Understanding with the Brain, Mind &
Research Institute at Sydney University
Undertake Consideration Study to become
an International Baccalaureate school
Build and maintain a database of Alumni
To attract, retain and develop quality staff Establish a bursary program for relevant
staff professional learning opportunities
To secure the long-term accommodation
requirements of the School
From the
Principal
Develop long-term strategy in light of 2012
Rent Review

“Connecting
effectively with past,
present and future
members of our
school community”
IGS Strategic Plan
2012–2016
International
Grammar School
Strategic Plan
2012–2016
The goals of the Strategic Plan are
underpinned by International Grammar
School's values: Diversity, Personal
achievement, Authenticity,
Connectedness, Vibrancy.
The Student Environment
❙❙ To provide a safe, secure and
inclusive environment for all
students.
❙❙ To be a lighthouse school for student
well-being.
❙❙ To nurture and celebrate student
achievement.
Teaching and Learning
❙❙ To provide a dynamic and rigorous
curriculum and pedagogy which
embrace intercultural understanding
and promote personal achievement.
❙❙ To nurture social awareness and
ethical behaviours and values in our
students.
❙❙ To provide a contemporary and
vibrant learning environment.
Above: Principal Michael Maniska congratulated
IGS benefactor Mr Martin Biggs on his 90th birthday
earlier this year. He is pictured presenting Mr Biggs
with a commemorative photo collage in recognition
of the Biggs family’s ongoing contribution to the
school community.
Community Relations
❙❙ To connect effectively with past,
present and future members of our
school community.
❙❙ To create partnerships with, and
promote the School within, the wider
community.
Leadership and Management
❙❙ To attract, retain and develop quality
staff.
❙❙ To keep the School at the forefront of
educational practice.
❙❙ To develop, implement and evaluate
coherent policies and processes.
Corporate Development and
Services
❙❙ To identify, develop and execute
non-core revenue opportunities.
❙❙ To increase philanthropic giving to
the School and its associated
bodies/organisations
❙❙ To secure the long-term
accommodation requirements for
the School.
1
IGS live at the State
Theatre—another first!
IGS staged the annual Speech Night in
December 2011 at the State Theatre for the
first time. The venue was deemed ideal and
the event will take place there again this year.

IGS overseas band tour
By far the biggest project this year and
perhaps in recent memory was the
spreading of our musical talents in late
February ‘across the ditch’ to another
land, the ‘Land of the Long White
Cloud’, New Zealand. After six months
of intensive preparation, planning and
many, many rehearsals, 55 of our
students and seven staff gathered at
the airport early on the morning of
Saturday 25 February to begin the
inaugural Music Tour to New Zealand’s
South Island.
In an action-packed adventure over
nine days, the IGS musical delegation
played to audiences of all ages in
venues unknown. In the true spirit of
IGS, we were global citizens,
appreciating another culture, the Kiwi
accent and the landscape—while
managing to contribute to those in
need by raising $1,700 for the
Christchurch Earthquake appeal along
the way.
Alison Housley, Head of Music
Music teacher Kirrili Williams
reports …
Flying in to Christchurch and departing
immediately for Ashburton, the group
spent the first day viewing a seal
colony and penguins in their natural
habitat aboard a ‘go anywhere, any
incline’ 8-wheel vehicle called an Argo.
Alternating our sightseeing and general
education with performances and
workshops made for a very enriching
itinerary.
After arriving in Dunedin and playing
two concerts at different schools, band
and orchestra members participated in
a workshop with students from Otago
Boys High School. In Invercargill, we
joined with members of the James
2
Hargest Senior College Concert Band
and Choir, shared their repertoire and
enjoyed the experience of a combined
rehearsal. One of the highlights of this
experience was having members of
the Christchurch Symphony facilitating
tutorials and presenting a beautifully
executed performance as a wind
quintet in the evening concert. Our
fundraising efforts at this concert easily
doubled our initial fund and we made
headline in The Southland Times the
next morning.
“We chatted with the
Governor-General, telling
her about our fundraising
efforts…”
Wednesday saw us floating down
Milford Sound, marvelling at the
beautiful landscape, cliffs and
waterfalls, followed by more ‘Scenery
Emergency Situations’ on the bus to
Queenstown in which students
frantically woke others from their
napping to take photographs and
marvel at the snow-capped mountains
and turquoise lakes.
At lunch in the picturesque outdoor
mall in Queenstown we chatted with
our Governor General, Her Excellency
Quentin Bryce, telling her about our
fundraising efforts before moving on to
Queenstown Primary school for our
next performance. Later, after several
exhilarating attempts at breaking the
luge record, our evening meal was in
the Skyline Restaurant at the top of
Bob’s Peak, to which we travelled by
gondola. The choir gave an impromptu
performance in the restaurant after
dinner, much to the delight of the other
diners, before the boys in the group

makes global connections
were taught the Haka as part of a
show incorporating many aspects of
traditional and contemporary Maori
culture.
Our busy Thursday consisted of
moving from a jet boat ride on the
Shotover River to a lunchtime
performance at Dunstan High School.
By this stage of the tour we had our
packdown time down to just 10
minutes and we set off through the
Southern Alps past Lake Pukaki to
spend our last two nights at the base
of Aoraki, Mt Cook, New Zealand’s
highest peak.
After a breathtakingly spectacular
‘rubber duckie’ boat trip during which
we saw, touched and tasted the
Tasman Glacier, we staged a
performance of all the small
ensembles at the magnificent
Hermitage hotel. The experience of
performing against the backdrop of
the Alps was unique—and our large
audience was appreciative. At this, our
final concert, we raised more money
for the Earthquake Fund, bringing the
tour’s total to an impressive $1,700.
We visited the Antarctic Centre in
Christchurch before boarding the
plane home. We spilled out of
Kingsford Smith Airport on the Sunday
evening exhausted and exhilarated.
The tour was a fabulous musical
experience, giving us all the
opportunity to really refine our
repertoire, to consolidate our roles in
the team, to bring our expertise to
students with less experience and to
broaden our musical and cultural
experience.
More music…
2012 has so far been one of the
busiest and most exciting musical
years beyond the NZ Music Tour.
See page 14
3

Staff profile
Meet Jacqui Baker
Jacqui Baker moved into the
newly-created role of Assistant
Principal–Academic Programs K–12
earlier this year. Having taught high
school maths for the past 19 years,
she tells Jigsaw about some of the
challenges and visions of her
new role…
Q: Tell us a little about your
teaching background
JB: When you teach maths, in
particular to the highest levels where
the content is so abstract and
theoretical, you can lose sight of the
context in which your content is driven.
It is a bit like teaching a bag of skills
and tricks with nothing to pin it on. This
can become very disconcerting for
students and teachers. In all subject
areas and particularly in maths, I
believe that as teachers, we must
show students that there is a driving
context to their learning.
Q: What do you hope to achieve in
your new role in Academic
Programs?
JB: I am anticipating that my new role
will give me the opportunity to develop
an overview and scope of the context
of learning for IGS students. It is not
unusual in most schools for teachers
to go about their business, teaching
their content, and teaching it well,
without the greater vision of what their
students are learning in other subject
areas. I would like to help teachers and
students to ‘join these dots’, so to
speak. There is nothing more satisfying
for a teacher to experience than their
students having that “ahh I get it”
moment or that constant nagging
“have you marked our assignments
yet” because they genuinely want to
receive feedback on their learning.
Q: There are constant changes in
curriculum and assessment and
the next two years will see a lot of
movement, for example, the new
'RoSA' replacing the School
Certificate, a National Curriculum—
and then there’s IGS’s own IB
Consideration Study. How will you
negotiate or co-ordinate all this
from the ‘hot seat’?
JB: Co-ordinate is the key word here.
You can’t possibly sit in this seat and
think that you would have all of the
answers to questions that have taken
years and years of academic thought
and inquiry. I truly believe that the
answers for IGS lie within our whole
community, staff, students and
parents. We do have all the necessary
expertise available in our community to
determine our curricular needs and
direction for this school. My task will be
to source and access these answers,
provoke the right discussions with the
right groups and to synthesise the
information obtained.
Q: Are there other issues at play
for the way we learn into the
future?
JB: Most of my own school friends
now have careers that did not exist
when I was at school. Yet, when I was
at school with them, I don’t think that
they were learning the skills or content
that they would need for their careers.
It is an information world now and we
have access to information at our
fingertips. When I was at school, the
skill to learn was the ‘how’ to access
information. That, in itself, took up most
of our time. Now, it’s the ‘what’ we will
do with this information. There’s the
‘what’ information we will value and the
‘what’ can I do with the information.
The other issue is that the curriculum
has now widened. The curriculum is
4
Above: Ms Baker chats with visiting teachers from
Boston University
not limited to the classroom. It is all
that we come across in the classroom,
in the school buildings, in the
playgrounds and of course, in our
virtual classroom, street and
playground. Attitudes and values are
formed from deep learning and
understanding.
Q: And what about social media
and learning?
JB: How we behave, our actions, are
a result of our attitudes and values.
The notion of good citizenship when I
was at school was limited to the
boundaries of how one should behave
within the context of our environment.
Our environment now extends to the
virtual environment. That is where
information is being sought, so young
people need also to learn good
citizenship in this extended
environment. So in summary—without
doubt—we cannot ignore the very real
place of social media in learning. The
more we ignore the place it has, the
longer we wait to teach young people
how best to use it in every aspect.
Q: You have two children who must
keep you busy. What do you most
like to find time for outside of
school?
JB: The highlight of my week is
watching my children play soccer. This
is where I relax. I look forward to the
Saturday morning coffee van at the
sporting field and the change in
scenery from the week. The other thing
I will always make time for, and never
take for granted, is regular exercise.
I’ve learned that for me it’s the best
way of managing stress. I also enjoy
good theatre, film and music.

Familiar faces
for our busy families
The 'After Care' or Out of School Hours
Care (OSHC) service allows students
from Years 1–6 to fill in their time in a
variety of ways—either in fairly
structured Clubs or through
unstructured play, homework or indoor
activities. There are sandwiches each
afternoon and every second Friday
everyone enjoys a barbecue.
Of course, at IGS, you cannot mention
After Care without thinking of Manuela.
Manuela Bachmann is the very small
feisty lady with the German accent and
the huge heart. In a former life she was
a prima ballerina and now she runs
After Care at IGS. She has been doing
this now for over ten years and is an
institution at the school. Few will know,
however, that she was there right at the
beginning of the School’s existence,
nearly 30 years ago (see Manuela’s
story below). Manuela has proved to
be the most reliable, responsible and
understanding of carers. Nothing is too
much when it comes to the safety,
comfort and care of the children,
workers and parents who come into
contact with her every day.
Wendy Blackburn with some of
her young July holiday charges
OSHC also includes Holiday Care
which runs every non-term day except
public holidays and the extended
Christmas-New Year period. Holiday
Care offers excursions and incursions
of every kind and is available to all
students from Kindergarten to Year 6. It
is popular, so bookings are essential.
Just as Manuela is the face of After
Care, Wendy is the face of Holiday
Care. Head-hunted from another
school eight years ago, Wendy
Blackburn plans and co-ordinates a
terrific program for the students. She is
an extremely energetic and caring
person who makes the care and the
enjoyment of the students her priority.
Wendy knows our students well as she
works during the term as an assistant
and this allows her to give her special
care to the students on their vacation.
So don’t be afraid of saying a big
‘hello’ to these wonderful women—
they are very important members of
our community, especially for our
working families!
Paul Galea, Director of Student
Activities
Next page—‘Clubs view’
Manuela Bachmann
5
Meeting Manuela
IGS’s ‘after school care (K–6)
co-ordinator’ Manuela Bachmann is
the longest serving staff member at
the School, having operated her
Bachmann School of Dance (along
with her popular husband Til) on the
same site as the School in the Eastern
Suburbs in the early 1980s. A former
prima ballerina with the East German
Ballet Company, Manuela is a ‘living
treasure’ for IGS: passionate,
reliable, familiar.
Jigsaw caught up with her in her usual
spot one afternoon—out the front of
the Kelly Street campus.
Manuela has held the role for 12 years
after running dance as an after-school
activity for several years before.
When asked what led her to accepting
the OSHC management role in the
Year 2000 she said: “ When the dance
school was winding back I was looking
for the least boring job in town—and I
found it!
“There’s always something happening,
new students to get to know and new
activities.
“Running the centre is more
challenging than dancing Swan Lake
for three hours but the kids reward me
daily with affection and their humour. It
can be chaos but it’s the time of day
when they can enjoy quality play time
in the afternoon—it’s like their home
away from home”.
Note: Manuela and other past and
current staff and students are being
invited to contribute to the School’s
special Anniversary book project—30
Years of Learning Journeys. Do you
have a story to tell? See page 13.

Joining the
Clubs
As the story on OSHC on Page 5
notes, after school clubs are all
the go.
Little Dance
Good Causes
IGS film makers
runners-up in
national comp
Year 9 film class students combined
the School’s focus on social justice
with their film-making skills project
towards the end of last year when they
entered the OASIS foundation (a
Salvation Army initiative) national film
competition on the theme of
homelessness.
Their film, Somebody’s Child was
awarded co runner-up alongside the
Northern Territory’s Nhulunbuy High
School with their film Reach Out.
OASIS ambassador and judging panel
member Cate Blanchett presented the
prize ($2,000 towards the School’s film
studies) to the IGS film team
representatives Jesse Perez and
Jeremy Booth.
6
Jesse Perez and Jeremy Booth with OASIS
ambassador Bianca Orsini and co-judge
Cate Blanchett
Odd socks bring
even chance for
Cambodian schools
The Primary School’s ‘Odd Sox Day’ in
May raised $762.85 towards
Australians for Cambodian Education’s
work with The Happy School Project.
Primary student community leaders
Yasmin Kirk and Flinders Twartz are
pictured, below, celebrating.
Smite Club

Above: L-R: Lucy Howard-Shibuya, Liam Dean-Johnson, Michael Maniska, Jacqui Baker, Anthony Dennehy, Paddy Gidney,
Brigitta Summers, Annie Feng, Mary Duma Top Right: Thuso Lekwape with his 'Australian parents' Sharon and Geoff at last year's
Year 12 farewell Right: Annie Feng at the lectern
HSC celebration with
a global reach
There was great excitement around
‘results day’ for last year’s HSC cohort
in December.
Liam Dean-Johnson, Paddy Gidney
and Brigitta Summers made the
prestigious HSC All-round Achievers
list by achieving a Band 6 result (score
of 90% or more) in at least 10 units of
study. Liam also placed 2nd in the
state for Geography and 14th in the
state for English Advanced. Anouk
Berney placed 9th in the state for
Drama. Several other students,
including Annie Feng, achieved ATAR
scores in the high 90s.
In February this year, IGS hosted a
special assembly and welcomed back
Liam, Annie, Paddy and Brigitta to
share their HSC ‘secrets’ with our high
school students. Thuso Lekwape—
accepted into NIDA for acting—made
his appearance via video.
Principal Michael Maniska awarded
Liam Dean-Johnson (who scored an
ATAR of 99.9 and was also Dux 2011)
with the inaugural IGS Academic
Scholars Prize at the assembly.
Words of wisdom
I had a quiet moment of satisfaction
when I received the news—I was away
in the States and at JFK Airport when I
heard. I did work hard … I believe that
if you work hard then you can get the
mark you deserve. Especially at this
school. I stayed grounded and I knew I
would have all the help I needed. IGS
rocks!
Liam studying a Bachelor of Arts at
Brown University, Rhode Island USA,
majoring in political science and
human biology. Accepted/deferred
Arts/Law Sydney University.
_
I was passionate about study and the
subjects I was studying. I could
sometimes put in six hours study a day
but I had great support from my
mentors. I say enjoy the year, and
make use of the whole year. The hard
work is worthwhile—it’s satisfying to
work at everything including the trials.
And still enjoy the holidays!
Brigitta reading arts at Somerville
College, Oxford University, UK
_
I found keeping study notes at the end
of each week helped me to spread the
task over the year. I really liked my
subjects (predominantly science and
maths). I did do a lot of work and I
revised but getting good at a topic—
that was the reward. In Year 12 I think
the key is always to be doing
something (towards the goal) even if it
sometimes means being a ‘heartless
hermit’ and not on FaceBook …
Paddy Studying a Bachelor of Science
in Advanced Mathematics, also
majoring in Theoretical Physics,
Sydney University
IGS was an inspiration for me. The
School’s support and encouragement
has given me the most amazing
personal achievement—this place at
NIDA. Here I am now putting in days
from 9 in the morning to 6 at night and
loving it! I was extremely determined,
to push myself and I somehow
managed to get through my other
subjects too (including learning how to
read in English!) but it was Drama that
with Ms Morabito that helped me find
myself. IGS lets us see who we are
and we are better people (for it). I’m
hoping that one day I will perform in
front of my home country, South Africa.
Thuso now studying at the National
Institute of Dramatic Arts
_
I chose a mix of Economics and
Science. Even though the pressure
rises (for the HSC), Year 12 is a year
you can control it. Consider the stress
like a rubber band, it will shape itself.
You need breaks, so balance your time
with exercise. Plan and play. The
support system at IGS is there and our
teachers are so approachable. I’d
suggest these tips: Be consistent; use
the syllabus as a gift; do as much
exam practice as you can; and keep
sight of the end-game—the goal
you’ve set or the score you are aiming
for. Now I can think: ‘The HSC? It’s not
that bad’. I’ve done that and it brings a
new confidence.
Annie Studying a Bachelor of
Commerce at Sydney University—
Cadetship with Ernst and Young
_
The School is proud of all 66
of our 2011 HSC graduates
who have gone on to further
studies or other varied and
interesting pursuits.
Left: The Principal presented Liam with the inaugural IGS Academic Scholars Prize

Going sports international
IGS students have excelled in
sports at home and away over the
past six months. Jigsaw followed
the progress of two students over
the seas to international
competitions in Russia and
France.
Matthew parries
in Russia
Year 12’s Matthew Donald spent a
week in Moscow in April, shaping up
against the world’s best in junior
fencing. He competed with a team of
three other Australians and placed
83rd in the world (out of 123),
achieving his team’s highest score.
Matthew told Jigsaw that he hopes to
gain entrance to university next year
and continue into the Opens category
in his sport.
Originally a keen and competent
swimmer, he took to fencing because
of its fitness raising and strategy. He
trains up to four times a week at the
PCYC in the Inner West and
participates in all categories—Épée,
Foil, and Sabre.
Matthew learned not only more about
his competitors while in Moscow but
was also surprised to observe that
some countries refused to engage with
each other, even at the junior level,
because of political or religious
differences.
Below: Matthew Donald competed against over 120
others in the World Junior Fencing Championships,
Moscow. Below right: Matthew in action
Left: Matthew Donald fenced from IGS ...to Moscow
Above and at right: Olivia and her team's awards
Olivia’s cool
challenge in Europe
Year 11’s Olivia Nemes-Nemeth
returned from the ice skating’ Worlds’
competition in Europe in April with two
team trophies in hand. Olivia has been
figure skating for about six years,
joining the Majestic Ice competitive
Novice team at the Canterbury Rink in
2009. She offers this insight into her
cool world of sport.
What do you like about skating and
how was Europe?
“What I love most is the feeling that
you get when you’re moving perfectly
across the ice—like flying.
"To win in Europe was incredible. It was
sort of surreal, the sort of thing that just
doesn’t happen.
The French and Swedish
home-crowds watching the events
cheered for us, so we felt incredibly
welcome and well supported, despite
having so few Australians there.
8
What were the challenges?
During the short program in Caen we
had three falls, which meant we had
more deductions at that point than
any other team. Going into the free
program we weren’t sure we could
regain the ground we’d lost; but
amazingly, we had ‘the skate of
our lives’ and managed to win the
competition despite being so
far behind.
And how did the venues compare?
If you are talking about the aesthetics,
you can’t go past the Gothenburg rink.
However, as a skater I loved the rink in
Caen. It has the most beautiful ice I
have ever skated on. Compared to
Canterbury the overseas rinks looked
so much more professional, and much
more nerve-racking to skate in.
And your plans for future?
Our team hopes to continue qualifying
to skate in overseas competitions over
the next few years, and I personally
hope to move up to the Senior team in
a few years’ time, and one day to skate
in the Senior World Championships.
Below: Olivia (pictured front, second from right) with Majestic Ice

Meet the Head Boy
and Head Girl
Being Head Boy has been a
challenging but thoroughly rewarding
experience. Lewis Evans, the previous
head boy, was also in my Tutor Group,
and we had some discussions about
his role last year. When I was
appointed, my first thoughts were,
“I’m not sure how to do this, I hope I
do a good job, I don’t want to mess
this up!”
I realised that despite the
conversations I’d had with Lewis I
had no idea what to expect, because
each year the nature of the job is
unique. The School has different
goals, new spaces are opened, new
issues arise and there’s a different
team of school leaders.
As a leader, there are often situations
where we’re put on the spot and have
to make decisions, with limited
information, quickly. This has been
particularly prevalent around Arts Fest
preparation this year. Listening to other
people’s ideas, synthesising
information, establishing a goal and
plotting a direction to achieve that goal
often has to be done within the space
of a few weeks, and of course the
decisions you make will never satisfy
everybody—but that is the nature of a
leadership role, it’s exciting and it’s
what we signed up for.
It’s mostly about doing what you think
is right, keeping an eye on peers’
wellbeing, trying to take initiative and
instigate change and balancing
leadership with studies. Working with
members of the staff leadership team
such as Mr Maniska, Mrs Duma, Mr
Dennehy, the Heads of House and
Lucy Sensei has given me an insight
into the amount of time spent and
organisation required to mobilise
people and achieve results. The role
has been eye opening and motivating.
Isaac Harmelin, Head Boy 2012
So far, being Head Girl has been the
most wonderful experience. I soon
learnt that like most leadership
positions it is quite an organic role,
designed so that each head boy
and girl are able to make their unique
contribution to the school. I have
been given opportunities to learn
about leadership in so many
different situations.
I think there are two very distinct sides
to the role. One is what the
community’s sees Isaac and I doing;
this may be leading or speaking at
assemblies, Open Night and working
with other student leaders to represent
the School. However, the other side to
the role is mostly unseen. We strive to
act as a voice for the student cohort
and have a concern for the wellbeing
of fellow students. At times it has been
challenging, forcing me to work
quickly and effectively with people to
make decisions and find solutions to
issues. I have learnt to consider issues
from different points of view. Interacting
every day with students from all
different year groups is something that
I really enjoy. IGS has such a vibrant
and energetic atmosphere that makes
my role worthwhile.
It is an incredible honour to work with
fantastic staff who have mentored me
throughout the year. It is quite surreal
and sometimes I’m still a little
surprised that I was appointed Head
Girl, however, it has been the most
rewarding time. My lasting thought is
that is that it has been exciting,
inspirational and I’m proud to
represent my school as Head Girl.
Natasha O'Farrell, Head Girl 2012
Next page—see all our primary
and high school school student
leaders poised on the staircase
of leadership!
9
Pictured, top down:
Head Boy and Head Girl for 2012 were announced
at Speech Night in December 2011
Natasha is also a keen musician
Isaac addresses visitors at Open Night
Natasha on Open Night

Meet all the student leaders
❝ The role of Head Boy
has given me an insight
into the amount of
time spent and the
organisation required
to mobilise people and
achieve results.
Isaac Harmelin
❝
10

11
As Head Girl I have learnt
to consider issues from
different points of view.
Interacting every day with
students from all different
year groups is something
that I really enjoy”.
Natasha O’Farrell
❝❝
Principal Michael Maniska, Primary Student Leader Co-ordinator Jason
Reitmans and Senior School Student Leader Co-ordinator Lucy
Howard-Shibuya stand in front of the 'staircase of student leaders'.

Introducing ADDaM
Rita Morabito is leading a new
IGS ‘consortium of the Arts’ to
prepare for the School’s
movement towards the Australian
Curriculum and the Middle Years
Programme of the IB.
What has your teaching journey
been?
RM: As a Foundation Teacher at IGS I
have taught as a Primary teacher and
an Italian Bilingual Language teacher in
both Primary and High school.
Through my awareness of the level of
engagement shown by students when
they used creative methods to acquire
any subject matter, I was inspired to
specialise in Drama.
I have led the Drama Faculty at IGS
since the inception of the NSW Drama
HSC course in 1991 and have in the
past facilitated whole school
celebratory events.
What is ADDaM?
RM: This year, I took on an expanded
role which involves looking at and
leading the creative disciplines of Art,
Drama, Design and Media
(ADDaM). Exploratory consultation
between the respective Faculty leaders
Sophie Lampert (Visual Arts), Melissa
Silk (Design and Technology) and
me—looked at interdisciplinary
opportunities which could be forged
across these Arts subjects through
collaborative teaching, skill sharing,
exhibition planning or specific course
review and creation.
What are some examples of this
collaborative Arts approach?
RM: ‘Film studies as Media’ is one
area of interaction, discussion and
review for ADDaM within the context of
the Australian Curriculum and MYP
framework planning for the Arts. The
possibility of collaborative camps and
overseas opportunities has been
discussed as has the interdisciplinary
Rita Morabito
study of Shakespeare. All this has
formed part of the beginnings of
creative discussion and analysis with
recommendations being passed on to
the Assistant Principal—Academic
Programs, Ms Jacqui Baker.
The Year 12 Major Works showcase
which takes place early in Term 3 will
see the submitted works displayed in a
purpose-built exhibition space (KMB
Level 3) for the very first time.
How do you think ADDaM will
benefit our students?
RM: We hope to devise opportunities
to support students to achieve their
creative potential The results of the
recent survey conducted by Professor
Andrew Martin of the University of
Sydney at IGS together with the
established work of researcher
Professor John Hattie indicates the
importance of purposeful guided
feedback, not ‘resting on laurels’ and
encouraging students to continue to
strive for their personal best.
The Arts is an area where students
invest personal and creative ideas
through process work, collaboration,
risk taking and self-guided learning.
They make meaning and respond to
their world through engagement with
ideas, creative tasks and other people,
which helps construct their own
personal narrative. Knowing who they
are through a sense of connection is
a powerful place for a young person
to be.
The ADDaM team aims to help our Arts
students to achieve their personal
best. As we develop opportunities we
hope to empower students with skills,
resilience and the self-motivation
needed to achieve success.
Tickets sold out to the
School’s production
of Small Poppies
in March...
Meet the rest of the ADDaM
team in our coverage of the
HSC Major Works 12 Showcase,
next edition of Jigsaw. More Drama spotlights on page 18

The Book of Everything
Why IGS needs you
to become part of
our history
In Term 2, a professional TV crew
could be found filming IGS students,
staff and others in the Design and
Technology studio. Meanwhile, even
the most casual passer-by would have
noticed that the hall stage had been
totally transformed into a photography
studio. There, primary and secondary
teachers were lining up, laughing
whilst waving ‘interesting’ objects from
round the world—think lederhosen, a
boxing kangaroo and a glowing Eiffel
Tower—as a photographer recorded it
all for posterity. Why were these
unusual things happening? The reason
is that they were part of an exciting
project that is well underway, a book
that involves all IGS staff, students,
parents—past and present—and
hopefully … you.
In 2014, it will be 30 years since
International Grammar School first
opened its doors. Naturally we’re
proud of our school’s strong spirit, its
community and its past. The story of
IGS, however, its people and its
influence—what it has taught us about
the world—has never yet been
comprehensively documented.
So, as part of the festivities being
planned to commemorate this
historical birthday, the School and PTF
parent volunteers are producing a
book to tell the story of how we got
here—a book that relates not just our
school’s history—but what we have
learned from being part of IGS.
Learning Journeys—celebrating 30
years of IGS 1984–2014 tells a
wonderful story about how diversity,
personal achievement,
connectedness, authenticity and
vibrancy have forged the school we’re
all so proud of. The story unfolds with
anecdotes from people who were
involved when the school came into
existence, and how, from some 40
students housed in an old convent in
Randwick it has passed through some
fairly precarious years, to blossom into
the wonderfully happy and successful
educational establishment of 1,200
students and 120 staff it is today.
“… this tells a great tale—
yet we still don't have the
whole picture”.
So far, those who have come to add
their part of the story include all of our
principals from Professor Reg St Leon
to Michael Maniska, past and present
staff, including the significant number
of teachers who have worked
overseas and the many others who
have worked at the school for most of
their working lives. Above all, we have
learning journeys, memories and
observations from students past and
present.
Together this tells a great tale—yet we
still don't have the whole picture.
The School’s story is everyone’s story
—and so Learning Journeys will only
be the best it can be if we have your
story, your observations and insights.
The editorial team needs to know your
learning journey. What you think makes
IGS ‘IGS’ and what do you think sets it
apart from other schools? How would
you describe the ‘essence’ of IGS?
How would you sum up your
experience of IGS?
13
Photos from behind the scenes for the promo film, (bold)clockwise from left: the PTF's 30th
Anniversary Book committee; Founding principal Reg St Leon warms up; past students and
staff; film studies students assist with the promo film.
To encourage you to step up and join
in, the TV crew—assisted by
students—made a short film that will
be shown at school and on the
website. Its aim is to encourage
everyone to step forward and tell the
story of their learning journey at IGS.
As for the lederhosen, boxing
kangaroo and Eiffel Tower? …All will be
revealed in Learning Journeys …
watch this space!
Please contact the Editorial Team
by end of Term 3 via email at:
igslearningjourneys@gmail.com or
leave a note at Reception.

More music
At the time of press (late June), one
of our orchestras had just arrived
back with gold from the Engadine
Music Festival.
This caps a busy semester for music
at IGS. Earlier, in February, students
in Years 4 en dash 7 attended a
performance by the Royal Australian
Navy Band—following a workshop run
by the Navy Band for the IGS
Symphonic Wind Band.
14
Pictured clockwise from above: the Navy Band and IGS; The Tukros players and
Indigenous performances on Level 3 of the KMB.
The School was also privileged to
be visited in Term 1 by the Tukros
Ensemble from Budapest who
introduced Stage 4 students to
the musical styles, dances and
instruments from Hungary and
Transylvania.
An Indigenous performer entertained
primary school students in Term 2.

Clockwsie from top: Principal addresses PTF Thought Leadership Forum on IB Consideration Study;
Ross Gittens; Peter Strzelecki; Weapons Man fans; Joseph Degeling spoke to over 50 parents on
preschol learning and behaviour ...while one young charge made for the exit.
IGS connections
Reaching out
In collaboration with IGS, the PTF
once again conducted their Thought
Leadership Forums. The first forum
in March featured Principal Michael
Maniska on the topic of the
International Baccalaureate—a
Consideration Study and was repeated
in Term 2 for those parents who were
unable to attend the first forum.
The second forum for the semester
attracted a crowd of preschool and
junior school parents to hear the
School’s Director of Child and
Adolescent Development Joseph
Degeling on the topic of preschool
social behaviour and learning.
Reaching in
IGS welcomed a number of guest
speakers to the School this semester
including HSC-listed poet Peter
Strzelecki, Economist Ross Gittins and
the ever-popular Weapons Man for
Medieval Day.
15

Reflections on Exchange
L’anno scorso ho partecipato ad uno
scambio scolastico in Italia, un paese
con una cultura antica e ricca. Prima di
partire non immaginavo che il viaggio
diventerebbe l’esperienza più
gratificante della mia vita. La sfida più
grande per me è stata affrontare la
mancanza della mia famiglia.
Comunque, la mia famiglia italiana ha
potuto mantenere un sorriso sulla mia
faccia per tutto il mio soggiorno.
Alla fine dello scambio ho realizzato
che posso viaggiare da solo e che
non ho bisogno della mia mamma per
tutte le cose. All’inizio dello scambio
ero nervoso e insicuro della mia abilita
di sopravvivere in un paese straniero,
ma c’è l’ho fatta. La più grande
ricompensa dello scambio, è stata gli
amici nuovi che ho fatto e che non
dimenticherò mai.
Joshua Maxwell
我在中国交流的时候我学了很多关于
中国的生活还有得到了很多美好的回
忆。我在中国的时候遇到了很多新朋
友,他们全都很好人。中国有太多好
吃的东西所以我在那里吃了很多然后
也胖了很多。我刚刚去中国交流的时
候有点不习惯他们的上课时间,因为
他们的在学校的时间比我们长很多。
这我慢慢也习惯了,可是到我回澳大
利亚的时候我却不能吃完午饭马上睡
觉。我去中国最高兴的是可以与很多
的中国人练习说中文因为我觉得我们
一定要与中国人说中文才可以改善我
们的口音。
Gloria Duong
16
Mon séjour en France a été une
expérience inoubliable. Je suis restée
avec une famille très sympa et gentille
qui me manque énormément. Mon
niveau de français s’est beaucoup
amélioré et c’est ça qui me fait le plus
plaisir. Si j’avais l’occasion encore,
c’est sûr que j’y retournerais et donc je
vous conseille d’y aller si vous pouvez.
Bien que j’ai trouvé quelques
moments difficiles que j’ai dû affronter
pendant l’échange, ils m’ont
finalement permis de mûrir et de
devenir plus indépendante.
Justine Blackwell
Prima di partecipare allo scambio
scolastico, pensavo che sarebbe stato
come una vacanza. Invece, era molto
differente. Non avevo nessun’idea che
io avrei un’esperienza come quella
che ho avuto. Dopo 2 settimane mi
mancava la mia famiglia e volevo
ritornare a Sydney, ma mia sorella
Aphrica mi ha aiutato e mi ha dato dei
buoni consigli. Lei mi ha detto che “È
sempre difficile all’inizio, ma devi
sentirti a tuo agio.”. Lei aveva ragione.
Le prime settimane 2 e 3 erano molto
difficili e tutti erano dispiaciuti però
quando ho cominciato a sentirmi a
mio agio e a conoscere la città, mi
sentivo come una residente vera.
Manet Conolly

Drama
spotlight
IGS is very proud of the Senior
Theatresports team of James
Mitchell, Jack Colquhoun, Harry
McGee, Pip Goold and Daniel
Sava O’Leary (pictured above)
who were just pipped at the post
for a spot in the state finals for the
Interschool Theatresports
competition in June. They were
awarded ‘scene of the night’ at the
semi-finals.
The Intermediate team (pictured
centre) also performed well.
And our young bards (pictured
at bottom) performed in June at
Bardfest
Building resilience
Duke of Edinburgh
Scheme
Several IGS students are striving for
their Bronze and Silver Duke of
Edinburgh awards. The scheme
requires participants to complete
outdoors fitness and community
service tasks.
Guest speaker brings true vision
35-year-old Aviva Mushin lost her sight only three years ago. As a volunteer
educator with Vision Australia, she spoke to a captivated senior school
assembly audience in June about her experience of learning to cope with the
changes to her mobility and life. The students asked candid questions about
Aviva’s condition and she answered openly, describing her will “to push
through” when she realised she was going blind and how she now ‘sees’
the world as a blind person does, rather than in the way she used to
when sighted.
Nicholas Gleeson, a former colleague from Vision Australia, joined Aviva for her
visit to the School. Aviva was accompanied by her Seeing Eye Dog (SED)
Warwick and Nicholas’s SED is named ‘Unity’—fitting in perfectly with our
IGS motto!
18
Nicholas and Aviva are greeted by
Assistant Principal Anthony Dennehy

In harmony with
safety
The School’s Harmony Day (21 March)
brought more than just the colour
orange and other brightly coloured
attire to IGS. Constable Charlie
(sporting some orange accessories of
his own in the form of his gigantic
webbed feet) turned up on the same
day with his Police Youth Liaison Unit
colleagues to talk to the Junior School
about ‘staying safe’.
As the pictures show, Harmony Day
and Constable Charlie drew fans both
young and old.
19

Arts Fest—
the best of the
ancient times
Arts Fest is something that I look
forward to every year. The theme this
year (ancient times) was difficult, but
we all made the best of it! My House
pulled together and worked so hard to
produce our winning artworks and our
whole-House performance about
Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Although
everyone was stretched for time, it
ended up being one of the most
excellent Arts Fests ever. I was proud
to see IGS represented so beautifully
for my last time through the very
ancient music, art, drama, literature
and dances.
Lucy McPhedran,
Year 12, Kuyal House
20
Arts Fest is a day where individuals
have the opportunity to showcase their
artistic talents. But more importantly, to
me, it’s the culmination of weeks of
practice, where each house comes
together to perform. It can be a bit
stressful leading up to it for some
people, but when it arrives it’s definitely
the best day of the school year.
Everyone is encouraging of one
another, giving many people the
confidence they need to get up on
stage. Arts Fest is something that
makes our school unique and
encompasses many of the things
which are so special about IGS.
Nicola Krishnan Year 12,
Gura House

This year’s inter-house arts festival was
an outstanding array of performances,
the likes of which have not been seen
since the 1970s, (the theme of 2010
that is!). To me Arts Fest is the day that
best acknowledges the individuality of
our school as a community. It is the
one day a year we are separated from
the uniform of a private school and
truly recognised as an army of
individuals rich in talent and creativity.
For me this is my favourite day of the
year because it allows us to uncover
the hidden talents of so many
individuals amongst us as well as
showcase the indefinable nature of
IGS. This day reminds us we are
unique from everyone else and should
always be celebrated.
Lily Packer, Year 12, Bamal House
Arts Fest is the best day in the school
year. You get up on stage with
everyone from your House and put on
an awesome dance for the rest of the
school. But the day is only half of it,
The preparation to Arts Fest is almost
as good. Possibly the best part is
choreographing the dances with
everyone included—and seeing it
change so much from what you
envisaged since everyone is so
different. Also, creating wacky plots
that vaguely attach to the theme is
possibly the most creative thing
anyone will ever do. But the main thing
I love about Arts Fest is the fact you
don't have to be good at any sports
(like the other Carnivals) and you can
still come first in your category.
Alexander Lincoln-Dodgson,
Year 12, Baado House
Photos by Adrienne Lim, Rosemary Pryor and
Gina Leros.
21
Three wise women